Q&A with Josh Charles

EW: You have some new movies coming out, including one with Liam Neeson and Christina Ricci.

JC: Yeah, it is a little indie film I did called After Life . There is another one called Brief Interviews with Hideous Men that John Krasinski [ The Office ] just directed, that comes out this fall. And I just finished up another little indie called Weakness with Bobby Cannavale, who is an old friend. So, it is fun to bop around and it is fun to do it all. I'm just looking for interesting projects that drive me.

EW: You also have a birthday coming up September 15.

JC: I guess so (laughs). I'm not a big birthday party guy, but we will definitely do a dinner. I'm not sure if I want to have a dinner in my apartment and cook for people or go out to a restaurant. I have some friends who are chefs, and I'm cooking a lot more. I'm obsessed with Italy and love Italian food, and I'm trying to cook a lot of pastas, chicken, fish and stuff like that. It's fun.

EW: What is your favorite thing in your kitchen?

JC: My Mario Batali panini press. I totally love that thing and use it all the time; I cook sandwiches on it and vegetables. I like Mario, he is a buddy. He has been a big part of helping me get excited about cooking and learning how to cook. Just watching how much he enjoys it and how much he loves taking care of people and being a master at what he does, it is fun and inspiring to watch. I love being around people who love what they do and love living their life.