The chemistry that I built up with Carmen and Amy on the kissing scene, I lost with the singing scene 
It was in the mid 90s when Owen Wilson teamed up with writer/director Wes Anderson to co-pen his debut film Bottle Rocket. Although it didn't make a dent at the box office, it showcased Owen's gift for comedy as both a writer and actor. He later re-teamed with Anderson to script the acclaimed Rushmore and played buddy with Jackie Chan for Shanghai Noon, and its sequel Shanghai Knights. He's also co-starred with real-life buddy Ben Stiller in Meet The Parents, The Royal Tenenbaums, Zoolander, and now a remake of everybody's favourite 70s cop show, Starsky & Hutch.
Apparently your favourite scene in Starsky & Hutch is the one in which you 'share yourself' with Amy Smart and Carmen Electra. Is that right?
Mm. The scene with Carmen Electra and Amy Smart ended up being very challenging just because I wanted to make sure we got it right and so... A lot of takes, a lot of rehearsals, and you know, I showed up early that day. It was worth it, you know? Because I think we got it right. I think we nailed it...
Your rendition of David Soul's Don't Give Up On Us is also a classic scene. How did you prepare for that?
Now, for the singing... The singing was, uh... Todd wanted me to take guitar lessons and have a voice coach and I said: "I can't sing." Ben thought that was just me not wanting to prepare, but I really can't sing - and I can't play the guitar. The poor guys who were giving me my guitar lessons quickly realised that I couldn't do it either, so Todd shot it so you wouldn't see my hands. Then they ran my voice through one of those tuning machines and I felt the chemistry that I built up with Carmen and Amy on the kissing scene, I lost with the singing scene. I could just see the interest just sort of flicker out of their eyes when they heard me warble. There will be an album.
How does David Soul feel about your rendering of Hutch?
I said to David before the premiere, "Now, don't expect too much." I was very nervous to have him hear me sing and uh... Actually he was very generous after the movie, and gave me a hug. I think he realised that I wasn't a threat.
So the hugging went on off screen as well as on! Do you think the film might start some sort of touchy feely trend among men?
I think a more significant trend that might have begun is men crying as they hug and then denying that they're crying.
You and Ben Stiller have worked together many times. What are the advantages of that?
For me it's just working with someone who I can rely on - someone I think is not just going to come up with good stuff, but have good ideas for me also. That isn't so much a factor of us having worked together a lot, because we had that from the very beginning. We just have a very similar sense of humour. Similar tastes, I guess.
You're always riding shotgun in the car - didn't Ben ever let you take it for a spin?
I was allowed to sit behind the wheel of the car as long as the keys were in Ben's pocket in his trailer. But you know Ben is not a good driver. He doesn't have very good reflexes, or any hand-eye coordination. The thing is, it's like Ben would come back all excited saying, "Oh, I learned how to do a 'power slide'!" Or, "Hey, today we're gonna do a '180'!" What I came to learn is that what the rest of us call 'fender benders' and 'accidents' is what Ben has a technical term for.
What about the wardrobe - did you manage to filch a few shirts?
Yeah. I don't know if Todd will remember this, but we were out to dinner and I was wearing one of my wardrobe shirts - in Los Angeles at Orso's - and I was talking to Todd and he was like, "Is that one of the shirts!?" I was kind of embarrassed but I like those clothes actually. When I tried them on in my first costume fitting I felt sort of ree-diculous, but then I started to get into it and started to get a lot of compliments.
So you see yourself as a bit of a sex symbol then?
I don't know. I hope! We'll see. Um... It's so early in the process... I'm going to New York City next so I'll give you a report.
Starsky & Hutch is released in London's West End on Friday 12th March 2004, and nationwide on 19th March.
