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He was lost to us.
But he was always with himself.
And I wanted to know where that was.
I told them big fans like me want to hear what happened.
Why did he disappear?
Where did he go?
To my surprise, he agreed.
Id soon find out thats not what it was.
The Iron Giant had a story he needed to tell but not one he wanted to.
Nice to see you.Nice to meet you.
Its been awhile.[Laughs.]
Yeah, I guess so.
How did you get involved withReady Player One?Nothing exciting.
My old agent emailed me.
What made you say yes?
I just ask because you havent been in anything in awhile.Yeah.
Of course, [Steven] Spielberg.
But, mostly, it was that my agent told me I wouldnt have to audition.
Were you a fan of the book?Not really.
Nostalgia isnt really my thing.
Did you know that you werent the first choice?
Oddly enough, I think I preferred knowing.
It seemed like less pressure.
If I knew I was some beloved character from the book, Id be nervous Id be disappointing.
Like, I am not peoples childhood memory of me.
I just found that so funny.
To imagine a kid in two-thousand-whatever giving one shit about me.
And I really, really liked the ending.
Well, parts of it.
There is this second, and Ill be vague, where you think its all going to end.
And I started tearing up a bit because I know that feeling of just wanting a button.
Wanting an extra life.
There were some parallels to your role in the film and your real-life narrative.
Im not trying to be a dick, but I dont see it that way.
Ive not been dormant.
Just because someone isnt in stuff doesnt mean he or she doesnt exist.
Umm, how did working with Spielberg compare to Brad Bird?The Iron Giantwas Brads first movie.
Steven Spielberg is Steven Spielberg.
I think thats all Ill say.
Have you kept in touch with Brad since?I have to go to the bathroom.
Ok.[Iron Giant leaves.
He comes back 5 minutes later.]
What do you mean?Come on.
Okay.The Iron Giantcame out in 1999.
What happened?What happened?
You know, when youre tall, like me, you quickly realize that people can see you.
You get used to the idea of people looking at you.
Not only that, but your worth is in being looked at.
So, what happens when people stop looking at you?
When did this feeling start?BeforeI.G.came out, the town was buzzing.
Man, I was taking so many meetings.
Not to mention, we were all but guaranteed a sequel, you know, with howThe Iron Giantended.
I even hung out with the Pussy Posse a few times.
I didnt really like it.
David Blaine kept on asking me to stab him.
And then the movie came out?Yeah, then the movie came out.
Growing up, I thought once I star in a big movie, everything will make sense.
I thought success was going to tighten that screw that always felt loose.
But the truth is, there wasnt a loose screw.
Theres just a hole that no screw will ever fit in correctly.
Its a design flaw.
It was extra hard because the early reviews were really strong.
My team was pumping me up all week.
Eventually, it opened to less than $6 million on a $70 million-plus budget.
There wasnt going to be a sequel.
So, Id go on auditions.
What was the low point?It was 2004.
I hadnt worked in five years.
You asked if Brad and I stayed in touch.
AfterI.G.bombed, I think we sort of blamed each other.
Id be like, Cool.
What he didnt tell me was that there was a fucking giant robot in it.
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Is that when you left L.A.?No.
There was another year or so that Id prefer not to talk about.
Why?I dont remember where I was.
But this little boy came up to me, wearing this amazing costume ofme.
[Starting to choke up.]
And he goes, What are you working on next?
I didnt even sign anything for him.
You went back to L.A.?No.
I had nothing left there.
I flew to Maine.
We spent a lot of time there onI.G.
And I just stayed.
Im confused.I used to think I was the scorpion.
Then I thought I was the frog and Hollywood was the scorpion.
Im a fucking robot.
And what did you want?Well, for awhile I just wanted nothing.
That one time turned into every day.
More than anything though, through therapy, I realized I cant just pretend that wasnt my life once.
I was that kid.Really?
[Crying] Yes.
[Crying] Do you want an autograph?
Id like that.Me too.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
