Oscar nominations 2012: Jonah Hill, 'I should do more dramas'

Oscar nominations 2012: Jonah Hill, ‘I should do more dramas’

Columnist

Jan. 24, 2012 11:46 AM PT

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Now that Jonah Hill has been nominated for an Academy Award for his first major dramatic role, the 28-year-old says he’s planning to move away from comedy for the immediate future.

“I’m making that the focus of my next couple of years. I mean, wouldn’t you?” Hill said Tuesday morning, his voice hoarse after staying up all night fretting over the impending nominations.

The actor said he was grateful that audiences have been able to accept him in more serious roles after he rose to fame in such bawdy comedies as “Superbad” and “Get Him to the Greek.”

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“I came out in comedies when I was first introduced to people, and very few people, like Tom Hanks and Robin Williams, have been able to transition,” he said. “To have this kind of recognition -– it means I should do more dramas. I don’t know if there could be a bigger sign.”

Hill said his work in “Moneyball” led to him being offered a role in Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained” recently, but he had to turn it down due to scheduling.

“I was thrilled that he wanted me to be in it, and I’ve been offered a lot of dramas since,” he said. “As I mature, my sensibilities have changed. I think once you get to a certain place, your career is all about delegating time and what you want to spend your time doing. I’ve made a lot of comedies in a really short amount of time, and they’ve been ripped off every which way to Sunday. So it’s not as exciting to do those anymore.”

Asked whether he felt he’d be able to abandon his nerves and enjoy the Oscar telecast, Hill joked it may be dependent on the timing of the awards.

“I was nervous at the Golden Globes, but my category was [early], so I lost right away and then I was able to have a great time,” he said. “So, hopefully, I can just lose right away again.”

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-- Amy Kaufman

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Amy Kaufman

Amy Kaufman is a columnist at the Los Angeles Times, where she writes the A-1 column “For Real With Amy Kaufman.” The series examines the lives of icons, underdogs and rising stars to find out who the people are shaping our culture — for real. Since joining The Times in 2009, she has profiled hundreds of influential figures including Stevie Nicks, Nick Cannon, Drew Barrymore and Lady Gaga. She is also an investigative reporter and was part of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize finalist team that covered the tragic shooting on the “Rust” film set. Her work often shines a light on the darker side of the entertainment business, and she has uncovered misconduct allegations against Randall Emmett and Russell Simmons. In 2018, her book “Bachelor Nation: Inside the World of America’s Favorite Guilty Pleasure” became a New York Times bestseller.