Biographie

He appeared in both Friends (1994) and the spin-off Joey (2004), but as different characters.

In a relationship with Christina Ricci 2003 - 2007.

Was originally offered a role in Panic Room (2002) by director David Fincher. However, due to his commitment with the TV show The $treet (2000), he could not take the role. The part was later played by Jared Leto.

Appeared in both Stay Alive (2006) (the last production finished in New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina) and Déjà vu (2006) (the first production in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina).

Lives in Los Angeles with his dog Digger.

(2007 - On what role stands out the most) There's absolutely no question that it's Génération rebelle (1993). I think of that as being my first real movie. Up until that point, I would get a job. It could be speaking barely - or not speaking, in the case of Femmes d'affaires et dames de coeur (1986) - doing these little parts, and then I'd go back to my job at the bookstore. Génération rebelle (1993) sort of drew that line in the sand, where even though I didn't really make any money, I knew I could never go back into the bookstore, because it would seem strange. Beyond that sort of superficial, practical effect, I always feel bad for people who didn't have a first experience like that. I did that film with these kids, and a lot of them, it was their first time on location. It was definitely a fun movie, but it operated on so many levels, because there was the life outside the movie. It's this really abbreviated, condensed, high-octane equivalent of the college experience I essentially never had. And on another level, I think we all really felt that we were part of an incredibly unusual creative process, because it was a collaborative effort, and we were taken really seriously by Rich [Richard Linklater]. He's one of those guys that for years, I wished was directing everything I'd been in. And it's sort of bittersweet, because it's the thing that breaks your professional hymen, and you're always trying to recapture that spirit. But the nature of the business doesn't normally allow for such a creative atmosphere in what was essentially a studio movie.

(On making Déjà vu (2006)) A surprisingly collaborative experience, which I had very little expectation of, at least going in initially to meet [director] Tony Scott, who ends up being one of these guys who... I think it's an important lesson. You assume that these guys who are elder statesmen, in a sense, who are such visionaries, are just going to move you to your tape mark and pull your strings and then call "cut". But he solicited quite a lot of actor input, and there was a lot of scientific stuff that I became very, very involved in. I became really immersed in all this quantum-physics stuff, at least as much as my brain could process, which is fairly limited. My brain is a sieve when it comes to languages and science. And math. Anything exercising any sort of non-verbal skill. And I really enjoyed it. I was surprised, and Val [Kilmer] and I had a really nice time together. He's a hoot, so we were sort of like the bad kids on the set.

(On Mr. Saturday Night (1992)) That was my first movie, I guess. Whatever I ended up saying in the movie, I believe, was cut out. I think there was a reaction shot left in. But the experience at the time - I was 21, and I was genuinely excited in a way that I don't think I was for very much after that, because I was filled with that sort of naive conviction that once the ball started rolling, there'd be no stopping it, and this business would be a cinch, and all these other things. It was my first real job. I mean, I had done some TV stuff, but it was within the first 18 months of having started working.

(On what he remembers most about making Il faut sauver le soldat Ryan (1998)) I suppose I mostly remember my death scene. Pretty much any time I'm beat up, or I beat up somebody, or I get killed, it ends up being a fairly memorable experience. That, again, was one of those cathartic things, dealing with an issue I tend to have a lot of problems wrapping my head around-that being mortality. It was definitely a really exciting day, a kind of fulfilling experience. Mainly I just remember being incredibly tired. The lines began to blur between what was real and what wasn't, which I think was certainly part of the idea of sticking us in a boot camp, and directly into shooting without a break. But it felt like a very noble experience, and you have very few of those. At least, I've had very few of those experiences, where you feel like you're really doing something important on a much larger scale than to satisfy your own creative needs and pocketbook.

(On making Comment se faire larguer en 10 leçons (2003)) God, what do I remember from that? The hotel bar, really. I don't remember much. Making some money.