Surely one of the advantages of being an actor is being able to dip your toe into a variety of different professions. Different roles call for different backgrounds, educations, and job descriptions, and through those parts performers get to experience different lives. On a certain level it perhaps makes you wonder why you don't hear about more stars making significant career switch-ups when discovering a new passion -- but John C. Reilly recently summed it up nicely at the Los Angeles press day for Holmes And Watson:
To be honest, I've actually considered, like why couldn't I be a detective? Because I really am interested in solving crimes and stuff like that. And I thought, 'Oh, that'd be really cool, and I would be good at it.' But I would show up to a crime scene and they'd be like, 'Holy crap, it's John C. Reilly!' I wouldn't be able to get any work done. I'd have to talk about movies all the time.
I had a bit of fun when I sat down with John C. Reilly and Will Ferrell earlier this month, and out the gate asked if they felt the strength of their partnership could benefit them in other pursuits, such as investigating crimes. Together they noted that the acting thing has been working out pretty well for them, but Reilly went further and explained that while he would actually enjoy a side business doing detective work, he doesn't really think it would work out all that well for him due to his notoriety.
At the end of the day his logic is pretty damn impenetrable. Onlookers can be troublesome enough when the police are examining a public incident, but things would be far worse if those onlookers discovered that one of the people looking into the case was the star of Wreck-It Ralph and Step Brothers. Not only would it be a crazy distraction, but what if they started taking and posting photos that compromised the investigation?
Things probably wouldn't be much better for him even if he went the private detective route. A huge component of that gig is being able to blend into a crowd and go unnoticed by the target you're tailing. That's kind of hard to do when you're starring in four movies a year and have your face all over billboards.
All things considered, at this point John C. Reilly is probably best off sticking to the acting game. After all, he's pretty damn talented (Oscar nominated), and always a delight to see on the big screen. And when people crowd around him on the street and want to take selfies, it won't result in criminals going free.
You can watch John C. Reilly discuss his potential alternate life as a crime solver by clicking play on the video below.
Speaking of seeing John C. Reilly on the big screen, audiences will be able to see him once again paired with Will Ferrell this week in Holmes And Watson, which is arriving in theaters everywhere on Christmas Day.
