Interview With Jonah Hill on Moneyball

Your goal shouldn't be to buy plays,

your goal should be to buy wins.

In order to buy wins you need to buy runs.

Who are you?

I'm Peter Brand.

First job in baseball?

It's my first job anywhere.

I really responded to it.

For me to try and do a drama and if I'm gonna do a drama

I want it to be special because I'm so known for comedy.

A lot of times when people that are known for comedy

wanna do dramatic work it comes off foolish

'cause it's not the right part for them or something,

and this is something I really responded to.

[Voiceover] Billy Beane has tried to reinvent

a system that's been working for years.

There was a nice theory, it's just not working out.

[Voiceover] How long is Billy Beane gonna last?

[Voiceover] He's proven himself right out of a job.

It was cool; the whole story of Bill James is amazing.

He worked in the sausage factory and he ends up

getting hired by the Red Socks and hated by baseball.

It's fascinating stuff.

Okay, so Billy says he'll pay for Rincon himself,

but when he seels him for more money next year

he's keeping the profit.

Okay thank you very much, we'll call you back, thank you.

Come on, come on!

When I was growing up I played Little League

and went to games with my dad and collected baseball cards.

I grew up to be more of a basketball fan,

but then when I got this part I really reconnected

with baseball in a really romantic way.

It gives you that feeling when you're out there

shooting on the field and stuff;

it just makes you feel like you did

when you were eight years old.

Yeah, hey Billy,

I wanted you to see

these player evaluations that you asked me to do.

I asked you to do three.

Yeah.

[Billy] Evaluate three players.

Yeah.

[Billy] How many did you do?

Forty-Seven.

Okay.

Actually, 51, I don't know why I lied just then.

You know, I came up and learned;

studied as an actor and trained as an actor;

as a comedic and dramatic actor.

And I've had a lot of fortune and luck

in getting to do comedies, ones I'm really proud of.

But for me it's important as I mature to get to express

that I'm not just this one thing and

I have another side to me that I'm pretty proud to show.

So this was an opportunity to really show that.

(Upbeat music)