Misc. "Slackers" Article

Now he's starring in Dewey Nicks' untitled college comedy, which has variously been called "Slackers," "The Best and the Brightest" and "The Undergrads," "about three guys who cheat their way through everything," he says. "They cheat their way through college, girls, you name it...My character is the leader of the cheaters, the slacker guys." Jason Schwartzman ("Rushmore") plays their nemesis who blackmails them into helping him get the girl. "He's the bad guy," Sawa says. So the cheaters are the good guys? "Yeah," he says. "How insane is that?"

This is the first time he's played anyone older than a high school student. "I guess I'm growing up in the film world," he muses. "I was graduating for 'Final Destination.' It was a grad year. And then [in this film, my character] goes into college, so I'm working my way through the school system."

Not having attended college himself, his latest shoot was a good opportunity for Sawa to get a feel for it. "We got to shoot on a campus the whole time," he says, "so I got the feel without having to do the work."

His next project is called "Christmas With J.D.," which he can't say much about, other than that he's producing it. "I though it'd be fun," he says of the new role. "I wanted a little more creative control. I wanted to be a part of the actual film making process a little bit more."

But, like Jerry O'Connell, taking the helm is not in the cards. "No, probably never directing," he says. "Too much work."

Back 12.31.2007.