Q: You and Efron worked on each other’s mannerisms – what did you pick up of his?

A: Lucky for me, the bulk was him picking up mine. Some of his stuff, I wasn’t even able to do. Like basketball – I’m pretty good at sports, but basketball, I suck at. So there was a sequence where I had to play and look as good as him, and we played for a few hours and everybody just decided, “Let’s cut that part out.”

Q: Do you see your mannerisms in him?

A: Yeah, for sure. There’s a couple of things he does in the movie that I’m like, ‘Oh! That’s the way that I would do that.’ Somebody hits him and he goes, ‘O-ow,’ in the exact way I would do it. And he talks about my smile – I have, like, an upside-down smile. On the poster that’s all over L.A. right now, he’s doing that. It’s weird, it’s this Matthew Perry kind of smile. It’s surreal.

Q: Have you been making the movies you want to make, generally? Or are you struggling against “Friends”?

A: I think there’s a little bit of that; it’s the curse and the good stuff of being in a show that was so successful. I did get caught up in that, for the first couple of years. “I’m only going to show up in dramatic stuff. I’m not going to do anything that’s close.” I’ve sort of lightened up on that.

Q: What’s on your mind a lot lately, outside of work?

A: It’s funny, it’s the things explored in this movie. I was pretty worried all the time when I was younger. Like at 17, I was this serious kid. Now I’m 39, and I’m taking it easy more. I’m playing sports, I’m hiking, I’m hanging out with friends. Just not too concerned about things, at least anywhere near as much as I was then.

Q: What’s the last thing you saw that really inspired you?

A: I see everyday people who are just happy and living good lives. My best friend, he’s got two kids now and that’s very inspiring to me, just watching him be a dad. People who are happy and living their lives in a non-selfish way.

Q: I don’t want to pretend to know you, but everybody’s familiar to some extent with your struggles – it’s great to hear you talking that way.

A: Yeah, it’s been an interesting life so far. Life is much easier and happier for me now.

Q: And may I say, you look healthy, too.

A: Thanks, man. Feel free to write how great I look. “My God, he’s a handsome man!” That’s a good first sentence for you.

Thanks Sam! I love the last line!