Nicky Katt: bringing old-school cool to cutting edge

Interview, August, 2002 by Mark Olsen

In films such as Dazed and Confused (1993) and The Limey (1999) actor Nicky Katt has shown the explosive presence of classic Hollywood heavies, like a modern-day Lee Marvin. Following a small role in Insomnia, Katt finally steps out in Steven Soderbergh's confoundingly self-reflexive Full Frontal. It's a show-stealing turn, in which he plays a starry-eyed actor portraying Hitler as a sleazy cad in an outlandish play called The Sound and the Fuhrer--a role that adds a wry commentary to the film's twisted snapshot of life among a group of disconnected Los Angelenos.

"I just tried to be as funny and repulsive as possible,' the 32-year-old explains. "I love the film, but I tried not to think too much about the subtext, where the snake eats its own tail."

Katt recently finished his second season on TV's Boston Public and is spending his summer shooting an indie film called Speakeasy, with David Strathairn. With such an eclectic body of work, he's clearly striving for diversity: I'd much rather have a track record than be the Next Big Thing. I have nothing against action movies, but I'd prefer to be Ben Gazzara."