Actor Adrian Grenier is the director and producer of the documentary Teenage Paparazzo. Before participating in a panel on paparazzi and celebrity photography, he revealed in the Zócalo green room that although he keeps a candle on his nightstand for those romantic moments, he can’t seem to find the time to use it.
Q. If you could be any animal, what would you be?
A. I thought I was an animal. I’d be a human animal. I like being human.
Q. What’s your drink of choice?
A. Churchkey beer. [Grenier co-founded Churchkey, a Pacific Northwest-based brewery.]
Q. What’s your go-to dance move?
A. Well, two-step is always reliable.
Q. What’s on your nightstand right now?
A. A lamp. And a candle that I never use. I thought it’d be romantic, but it’s so hard to find time to be romantic these days.
Q. What’s the greatest number of pages you’ve memorized in the shortest amount of time?
A. Probably about six pages in a half hour. You have to think of overall concepts and overall intentions. The best scripts are those that have clearly defined purpose in the character, and intentions and goals. And those are the easiest to remember. When you’re not saying words strung together, but you’re saying desire.
Q. What’s your greatest fear?
A. Besides death? I’m not even scared of that anymore. I guess being [here] at the Getty, there’s something very peaceful and calm about the architecture. I feel like I’ve died and gone to heaven. If heaven’s like this, I’ll take it.
Q. If there were an Entourage book club, what would you and your fellow actors read?
A. Playboy. … Probably Maxim, actually. There’s less reading to do in Maxim.
Q. What’s your favorite condiment?
A. There’s so many cool designer craft condiments coming out these days-it’s hard to decide. Wasabi’s good.
Q. What’s the best decision you’ve ever made?
A. To allow smarter people to make the decisions.
Q. What do you wake up to?
A. A good song.
Q. Do you have any recurring dreams or nightmares?
A. Not in a long time. I guess my dreams have become less vivid and more manifest in the real world.
*Photo by Aaron Salcido.