Summary
- Jason Bateman values pursuing additional responsibility in each job, which helps him grow as an actor and gain respect in the industry.
- Bateman prefers a hands-off approach when working with actors, allowing them creative freedom as long as they reach the agreed-upon finale for the character.
- With his extensive network of celebrity friends and industry associates, Bateman has a strong support system and connections in the business.
Fans have seen Jason Bateman fulfill a wide variety of roles in his time as an actor. He has expanded his talents to include directing after many years of being front and center on the set. Additionally, he has branched into the podcast realm with his friend Sean Hayes and his former co-star Will Arnett. Jason is well-known for hilarious stunts like holding hands with Will while walking down the street, but it's not just his sense of humor that sets him apart.
Even with all of this experience, Jason seeks out a very specific component in each job that he agrees to. He sticks to a specific rule regarding his behavior on set to ensure he doesn't fail in Hollywood.
Jason Bateman Has One Rule To Avoid Failure
When it comes to making the decision as to whether a role is worth his time or not, be it as an actor or a director, Jason Bateman takes one thing into consideration. The thing that matters most, and that sits at the top of his list as his number one rule, is that he wants to have the chance to pursue additional responsibility within the project.
As an ever-evolving individual, Jason Bateman appreciates the ability to learn more by occupying various behind-the-scenes roles and taking on further responsibility within the project.
With having these opportunities at his fingertips, he can round out his talents as an actor and add additional skills to his resume while gaining insight from the experts that he is surrounded by in the industry.
Bateman explained that taking on more responsibility allows him to earn respect, noting, "If people respect you, they want to hire you. I end up respecting people more for the work they’ve done as opposed to the amount of money they’ve made or the amount of fame they have."
Developing good relationships is clearly part of Jason's golden rule; he explained, "It just gives you more longevity, because it’s the more solid stuff. Fame and money are pretty fleeting."
Jason's Learning Style Shows In His Work
When a person learns best in a certain fashion, they tend to utilize that style when working with others. For Jason Bateman, whether he is serving in the role of director or producer, he tends to stand back and let the actors develop the character as they envision it.
Bateman, who is also the producer of Under the Banner of Heaven, prides himself on having what he calls a "light touch" with the acting crew, as long as they all end up at the agreed upon finale for the character.
He elaborated, "I’m kind of old-school in that [I believe] that’s your character to play in any way you want. That’s your creative prerogative. As long as we have an agreed-upon finish line, how you get there is up to you."
Within the entertainment industry, there are some directors and producers who work in a way that is opposite to Bateman's style. Case in point, Quentin Tarantino operates with very strict rules, even chastising Jamie Foxx, and rarely deviates from what his plan is for the character.
This change in structure was a hard one for Jamie Foxx to get used to. Although Tarantino works within his own structure and sees incredible results, there is also a lot to be said for allowing actors to exercise their creativity on the set and develop their own characters the way that Jason Bateman aims to.
Yet Jason noted that "realism" was key; he was the most impressed by actors who "came in and just trusted that what was written was enough," rather than "overacting."
Jason's "Rules" Have Paid Off In His Career
When you start your acting career as a teenager, you get to know people in the business before others have a chance to. For Jason Bateman, who once went to school with Janet Jackson, this is definitely the case. Throughout his lifetime, Bateman has amassed a significant number of celebrity friends and business associates that he can turn to as he needs.
A popular game that guests like to engage in on Bateman's SmartLess podcast is trying to find a celebrity that Jason hasn't met. Close friend Jimmy Kimmel came to one of the shows prepared with a list of individuals to see if he could find one that Bateman hadn't yet encountered in his many years in show business.
The Jason Bateman that everyone grew to love in the early years is still showing up in the same way decades later. However, he now has a great deal of life experience under his belt and brings a lot more to the table with the new skills and attributes that he has acquired by branching out to new roles, taking on additional responsibility, and stepping out of his comfort zone.
