What was it like working with Elijah Wood [Frodo Baggins from Lord of the Rings]?

Oh man, it was terrific. Elijah's the most professional person I've ever come around. He works incredibly hard. He's incredibly positive. I'm kind of a slob. I just could not believe the way he took care of his costume. He was just such a consummate professional. He was such a joy to have on set. In the beginning of that process, he was really the heart and soul of everything. He just kind of inspired everyone to work the longer hours.

We had no money, so we were up all night, you know, out in the cold and the rain a lot of the time. I know it's "boo-hoo," these actors, right? I know it's all ridiculous, but at the end of the day it was so great to see a bona fide movie star so incredibly down to earth…always has time for a guy on the street, you know? And just never a bit of negativity from him. He was an inspiration.

What projects are you working on now?

I've been working on The Pacific, which is an HBO mini-series. It's the next installment sort of like Band of Brothers. It's Steve Spielberg and Tom Hanks, just like Band of Brothers. It's another WWII mini-series. We were trained by the Marine Corps, by real Marines, and it was just an honor for these guys to take the time and let us sort of feel and taste what it's like to be a real Marine. Obviously without real bullets being shot at you.

I'm not going to sit here and go, "Oh, it was so hard," but the fact of the matter is that these guys take a lot of pride in what they do and they really want the Marine Corps represented in the right way. What these Marines did for us in WWII was just astonishing. It's time for this story to be told, and I can't imagine a better group of people to tell this story. They're doing it right, and I think it's really going to be a terrific project.

Besides that I have a project called Bar Starz coming out, and a movie called The Air I Breathe [starring Kevin Bacon and Forest Whitaker] coming out, which also was at Tribeca. They're both [directed by] first-time directors.

When you blow up and become a big star, will you let me interview you again?

[Laughing] You're crazy! I will always let you interview me. I promise you that, no matter what. And you've got to promise the same for me.

Definitely.