Steve Zahn has played many different characters, but he goes back to his comedic roots in his upcoming release, Strange Wilderness. Zahn plays the host of a nature show who takes his crew out on a hunt for Bigfoot when they discover the show might get canceled. Zahn recently discussed his newest release, as well as his thoughts about his previous roles.

Q: Some criticism says that Strange Wilderness is a stoner movie. Does this movie appeal to that particular crowd, or can anyone at any age enjoy it?

A: When I read [the script] I didn’t say, “Great, I can’t wait to do this stoner movie.” I read it, and this movie is about this animal show and trying to find Bigfoot. Is there pot smoking in the movie? Yeah. So all of a sudden it’s a stoner movie. We drank a beer too, so it’s a beer-drinking movie, too.

Q: How is Strange Wilderness different from other comedies that have come out recently?

A: This is a very unique movie. During the movie you actually see animal show segments with actual footage taken from shows in the ’70s. I’ve never seen that kind of vehicle in a movie before, and that made me laugh when I read the script.

Q: What is the transition like going from a serious drama, like Rescue Dawn, straight into a comedy?

A: I thought it was very surreal, to an extent. But it was so nice to go from that, which was so intense, to something that was so light and fun. And you know, that’s the great thing about my job.

Q: Do you prefer to be part of a comedy more than a more dramatic film?

A: I mean, not really. They’re all so different. To do a comedy is obviously a lot of fun because every day you go to work, and it’s a blast and everyone is laughing. But they’re just as hard to make as a POW movie in the jungles of Thailand for different reasons. But I don’t prefer one over the other.

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