Color him clever

Seth Green is that rare breed of child actor: one who’s still working at 29. He made his feature-film debut at 7, playing opposite Jodie Foster and Rob Lowe in “Hotel New Hampshire.” Five years later, he traded quips with Johnny Carson on “The Tonight Show” after portraying the young Woody Allen in “Radio Days.” Green’s career took off in the late 1990s when he was cast as a super-mellow werewolf guitarist in TV’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” as Dr. Evil’s troubled son in all three “Austin Powers” movies, and as a wannabe homeboy in “Can’t Hardly Wait.” The diminutive (5 feet 4) actor built an avid fan base -- especially among teens.

A known scene stealer, Green has recently taken a more serious turn, playing a computer genius in F. Gary Gray’s heist film, “The Italian Job,” opening Friday. (Those partial to his comic persona need not fear -- Green delivers his share of laughs.)

Benny Hill played the same role in the 1969 original. Were you influenced by his performance?

His character was a sweaty, creepy guy -- a computer-oriented loner with a penchant for overweight women. I wasn’t going for that. Though my character wasn’t as big and tough as the rest of the crew, he wasn’t uncool, either. I patterned him after Joe Pesci in “GoodFellas,” playing him as an unstable, embittered guy. Lyle isn’t good with women, and he’s convinced that Napster founder Sean Fanning stole the idea from him when they were college roommates.

Was it hard getting your hands around all the technical jargon?

I don’t believe in e-mail. I rarely use a cell phone and I don’t have a fax. But part of the reason I got this job is that I’m good at making complicated technical terms sound normal. It sounds obnoxious, but I compare it to doing Shakespeare. You just figure out the emotional content of the line and go with that. It doesn’t matter what you’re saying if you come from an honest place. Though most people don’t know half the words, you don’t have to dumb down. I hate when they show a policeman saying “I’ve got a 3-U at Baker Street ... breaking and entering.” No one talks like that.

Are the horror stories about child actors true?

My childhood success came and went real fast. Between 12 and 16, I grew -- as much as I was going to, anyway -- and no longer looked the same. Like most child actors, I found it a difficult adjustment. Still, I’ve done so many things that I wasn’t associated with one thing. I’m an actor, not a celebrity. When recognition became an issue a few years ago, part of me felt undeserving. Desperate to maintain my popularity, I was performing all the time. Then, I caught a glimpse of myself at the MTV Music Awards -- dressed in leather, grasping for jokes -- and set about changing my habits. Now that I’ve stopped trying so hard, I’m more comfortable in my skin.

F. Gary Gray, the director, said you have incredible improvisational skills. In fact, he wondered if you were writing material and bringing it to the set.

No way. I did play at the [improvisational] Groundling show -- and three movies with Mike Myers certainly loosened me up. He told me that there’s a switch in your brain that censors you, makes you second-guess. You have to turn it off, shut out the fear of being embarrassed and making a mistake. Being a good improvisational actor is all about being in the scene, getting out of your head. Conan O’Brien is my favorite interviewer because he pays attention and has no game plan.

-- Elaine Dutka