When Richard Linklater directed “School of Rock” you’d think he’d stay in the world of profitable, A-list comedy. After all, the paychecks are bigger than what you’d make for say, directing a film that features Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy discussing abstraction and truth, uninterrupted on the streets of Paris. But Linklater has always followed his own path, and despite making some of the most memorable films of the last twenty years (“Dazed and Confused,” “Waking Life”), the director still struggles to get projects off the ground. I recently had the chance to speak to Linklater from his home in Austin, where we discussed his latest documentary, his upcoming period piece “Me and Orson Welles” starring Zac Efron and Claire Danes, and anything and everything about the movie business.

You just finished shooting “Me and Orson Welles” with Zac Efron and Claire Danes. How was that experience?
Beautiful. It’s coming out this fall. I couldn’t be more happy with it. And Zac is fantastic. He worked really hard. I know it’s always boring when people say how great everyone is they work with, but Zac’s the real deal and he’s going to have a really long career, because he’s meant to be here.

So he’s not just a song and dance man?
He’s too talented, he’s too much a natural. I’ve never met anyone less conflicted about performing. He’s just born to do what he’s doing. And he’s really smart, and he works hard. He has a good family. I’d say his foundation is such that he’s not going to be a fuck up and sabotage himself.

What kind of person flames out?
Usually people who do that are the ones who feel like they haven’t worked hard and really have had it hoisted on them. They’re picked out of a line, suddenly you’re in the public eye, and think maybe you don’t deserve it or something.

Was there any mobbing on set, because Robert Pattinson is getting it like crazy in New York right now.
Yeah, Zac attracts that same mob, but he handles it pretty well. How can you take it seriously? The age range of that mob is pretty young. It just shows you there’s not a lot going on in the physical world for a lot of people. People like showing up and being excited about something. It’s kind of fun to hear that squeal of young girls, I never really heard it before in person. When they encounter Zac Efron, it’s just a pitch range that I haven’t heard in my lifetime. [Source]