DOWN WITH THE COUNT

In Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unforunate Events, the Baudelaire orphans must avoid the clutches of the evil Count Olaf, played by Jim Carrey. The actor told us about his good experience of playing a bad guy

NICKELODEON MAGAZINE: Are you at all like count Olaf?
JIM CARREY: He's very goal-oriented. I guess that's a little bit like me

How do you get into playing count Olaf?

Basically, he comes from a place of absolute insecurity. I kept wanting Olaf's hairline pushed back because it makes him more insecure. Bald is bad for actors lik eCount Olaf. When actors get scared, they get dangerous. That's Olaf in a nutshell.

How do you psych yourself up to play someone who is really, really mean?

It's just so much fun. It's fun evil, you know. It's creepy fun. That's kind of how I see it.

What would you do if there was a Count Olaf in your life?

I'd get toknow him, hang out with him. I'd break him down, and then I'd give him a big hug and send him out into the world full of love.

Why do you think no noe but the kids can see through Olaf's disguises?

Well, the adults are completely self-centered in every way. They don't see what's around them, because they're all thinking about their own thing. And tha's kind of the cool idea-- that the kinds are alone in their perceptions.

How long did it take to get into Count Olaf makeup?

It took two and a half hours. Going into that makeup trailer was very tough for me when I knew I had to put prosthetics [fake body features] on. So I'd delay, delay, delay, delay: I had another coffee, I helped the caterers, I hid under a truck...

How did that experience compare with that of other movies you've worked on?

[The makeup for] The Grinch basically broke me.

What is it like to see yourself in a movie?

I have to wait a couple of years before I can see it and not think it's me. Until then, I think "Oh, gosh, I wonder if we could call it back from the theaters." I want to fix everything.

How did everyone get along on the set?

We did more than a hundred days of shooting. Usually people are crabby [by the end], but I think everyone was happy.

What about all the babies who took turns playing Sunny, the youngest orphan?

Uh, can I tell you the truth? under the age of three, they're really cute and that's good because no one would like them if they weren't. They're not professional in any way. I looked like a freak [in costume] , so the babies were like, "YAAAA-UUUUUUH!" I looked like a bird of prey.

What is the most unfortunate thing that happened to you on the set?

I was on my Segway one day and was feeling pretty confident. I said "Good-night, everybody!" and I turned and started flying down the corridor, feeling like "They think I'm cool.' Then I slammed into the wall, flew over the handlebars, and did a shoulder roll [while everyone was watching]. Whenever you're feeling like Mr. Cool, that's when it happens. I just got up, got back on my Segway, and left.

We were fortunate enough to visit the set of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events while the movie was being filmed. Two of the movie's stars, Emily Browning and Liam Aiken, answered our questions.

NICKELODEON MAGAZINE: Do you have any siblings?
EMILY BROWNING: I have two younger brothers.

Did you use any of your experience as a real older sister when playing Violet?

Yes. When I argue with my brother, even if I'm wrong, I just want to disagree with him. Liam and I are like that in real life. That's a real brother-sister thing.

How do you keep from laughing when you're doing a scene with Jim Carrey?

I can do it if I breathe really deeply and squint my eyes. The first day we worked with him, it was just crazy. We probably got just one shot the whole day because we were constantly laughing really hard.

Have you invented anything?

I remember staying in bunk beds at my friend's house when I was eleven. We made the most ridiculous thing-- a pulley system with all these strings and a bucket. We had an alarm clock in the bucket so that when the alarm went off, I could pull the bucket up from my bed and turn the clock off. I could have just slept with it on my bed. It was completely stupid, but we thought it was cool.

Are you afraid of snakes?

No, not really. I'm not afraid of traditional things, such as snakes or spiders, but I'm afraid of chickens, which is really wierd.

LIAM AIKEN (KLAUS)

NICKELODEON MAGAZINE: What do you do to keep yourself from laughing in scenes with Jim Carrey when you're supposed to be scared?

LIAM AIKEN: You have to relax your eyes. If you relax your eyes you'll be completely straight. But you can't stay like that for too long. We're all pretty good with not laughing, but in the beginning it was really hard.

In the movie, the orphans have to prepare pasta puttanesca for Count Olaf. Have you had puttanesca sauce for real?

No, I haven't. I don't plan on it, either, because I got sick of it. We spent a week just working with that sauce.

Do you like working with snakes?

I like snakes. I've worked with them before. It's a bonus for me to work with them.

Do you have a favorite word that Sunny has said so far in the movie or books?

I guess gack. It's the one she says the most.

DON'T READ THIS INTERVIEW

We managed to get the Series of Unfortunate Events writer Lemony Snicket (below, right) and his associate, Daniel Handler (left), in the same room--- although it was too dark for us to be certain. In any case, they were kind enough to answer our questions.

NICKELODEON MAGAZINE: How do you describe your work?
LEMONY SNICKET: I conduct research, interview witnesses, decode messages, write the books, sneak into (and out of) libraries, smuggle manuscripts to my editor, and try to escape from my enemies and/or their representatives.
DANIEL HANDLER: I talk to people interested in Mr. Snicket's work when he is unable to be there, and I do some light housekeeping.

Mr. Snicket, what do you think of Mr. Handler's efforts to stop people from reading these books? He hasn't been very successful.
LS: My representative had done all he possibly can to convince people to put these books down, but he is constantly thwarted, a word which here means "seeing his efforts ruined by a small group of depraved individuals who think these books are appropriate for anyone-- including children-- to read.

Is it all business or do the two of you ever just get together to play cards or go grocery shopping?
DH: Mr. Snicket and I have played cards on a number of occasions, but a grocery store is no place for secret meetings. The cereals have eyes, if you know what I mean.

Mr. Handler, what do you say when people accuse you and Lemony Snicket of being the same person?
DH: To such people I say, "My Lord! What's behind you?" And when their backs are turned, I escape from the conversation.

Do the two of you ever not see eye to eye? (wink, wink)
LS: Why are you winking at me? I'm disturbed. Is there something in your eye? Are you trying to say that you, NICKELODEON MAGAZINE, find me physically attractive? Stop this inappropirate behavior at once!

What are some of the best hiding places when running from nefarious secret organizations?
LS: I would hardly print my favoirite hiding places in a magazine anyone could read, but I will give you a hint: One of them rhymes with bunderneath the farpet
DH: Another rhymes with Zelsinki

What are you doing to stop people from seeing the movie?
LS: I am announcing that there is no movie after all, which is true. There is no movie, particularly one appearing in theaters everywhere on December seventeenth of this year. I am not lying.
DH: Neither am I

What kind of movies do you like
DH: I enjoy the occasional monster in a film.
LS: Please don't frighten me, Mr. Handler. I prefer films devoid of monsters, including mummies and Jennifer Love Hewitt. I enjoy a film featuring odd mechanical devices and/or musical extravaganzas.

What snacks do you eat at the movies?
LS: The food served in movie theaters is terrible. I prefer to go without food in movie theaters, no matter what you may have heard.
DH: Mr. Snicket taught me a number of tricks to smuggle food into movie theaters. Recently, he and I enjoyed some caviar served with crackers and creme fraiche, followed by some hot-and-sour soup. The trick is to put such things in a bag and wrap your coat loosely around the bag. If you are caught, burst into tears. nobody knows what to do when a grown man bursts into tears.

Which of you is the more unfortunate person?
DH: I recently received a paper cut.
LS: Just one? I have two of them, and that's only counting my left hand.

Mr. Snicket, is there a code hidden somewhere in your answers?
LS: Certainly (KS-- please leave the key in R's wine cellar) not.