Before taking part in the sequel to last summer smash hit “Spider Man,” Tobey Maguire has gotten involved in the new Depression-era drama, and earliest sure-fire Oscar contender being released this year, “Seabiscuit.” Watching Maguire in person and seeing him play Johnny “Red” Pollar on the big screen, the unlikely winner of the most legendary sports success story of the 1930s, it is hard to picture him for what he is: one of the most sought after actors in Hollywood, let alone one on whose shoulders rests the promise of one of the most profitable movie franchises in cinema history.

That may be the case because Tobey Maguire’s looks are misleading. True, his eyes do sparkle when he smiles, but his is the soft glint of caution, it is old time weariness every time he displays his pleasant smile and, without a doubt, it is the likeness of a college student but hardly that of a contender for the title of Hollywood’s leading male box office draw, that is, the one who will finally challenge the position held for so long by the likes of Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, or Australian-raised Mel Gibson.

The success of “Spider Man,” therefore, can and has been attributed to either the popularity of that most beloved of comic book figures or to the magic worked by “Army Of Darkness” director Sam Raimi. But with “Seabiscuit,” Tobey Maguire can dismiss all the lingering doubts with this happy endeavor that has proven to be much more than a smart move in between filming summer blockbusters. Johnny“Red” Pollar is a role that has allowed Maguire to showcase a new level of artistic prowess, and that he reached while under the radar of most serious acting connoisseurs; perhaps unnoticed due to the eternal misconceptions: that a young man, or a brief acting career, if failing to dazzle with the immediate aura of Hollywood stardom, cannot eventually produce, through diligence and discipline, exceptionally significant performances.

Maybe it is the famous “Tony Curtis” anecdote that Harrison Ford repeats so often, that in which a movie executive explains to an unknown Ford, when he is being fired from the studio for not having “star quality,” that he knew from seeing Tony Curtis’ first bit as a delivery boy that he was a star, instead of seeing in Curtis the delivery boy that he was supposed to be playing, which was Ford’s point about acting, that seems to fit Maguire perfectly, who can equally slip into a superhero costume as well as into the deeply flawed psyche of a scarred and weathered young man. Not until meeting him in person can anyone begin to figure out what makes this possible. The first impressions about him seem to indicate that he is unencumbered by the idea of being a movie star, or that at least he shows great disinterest for the trappings of celebrity.

Unstable beginnings

Tobey Maguire’s mother was the enabler. He was born in what can best be described as an unstable family environment. It was only through his mother that it was possible for Maguire to get a taste for acting. “She made a lot of sacrifices for me to study. She was the first one who believed in me. She always encouraged me to take acting classes. I would have never chosen this career if it weren’t for her. My parents were divorced and I wanted to go to work and help her, but she never let me do it. She would rather work herself as a secretary for as hard and as long as she had to, and allow me to go to school instead, even though we’ve had just enough money to barely satisfy our most basic needs. I am glad that now I am the one able to take care of her as well as my brothers.”

Good Choices

“I’ve always wanted two things out of any project that I undertook. A solid story is one; the other is a director that I felt was capable of translating the words on the script into dramatic images. Until now I have been fairly lucky, because every picture I have been involved with so far have had both remarkable stories and incredible directors to match it. Ang Lee in “The Ice Storm” and “Ride With The Devil,” Curtis Hanson in “Wonder Boys,” Lasse Hallstrom in “The Cider House Rules,” Woody Allen in “Deconstructing Harry,” and Sam Raimi in “Spiderman.” And after I am done with the third “Spiderman” movie I would like to become a director as well. At the moment, it was my pleasure to become one of the producers of “Seabisquit” and it was a wonderful experience that gave me a better understanding of the way movies can and should be made.”

Top Of The World

Tobey Maguire has carefully chosen his movie projects since the beginning of his career but now he has to deal with a new situation, an added burden in Hollywood, of stardom, or, in other words, the weight of 800 million dollars, the total box office run of the first “Spiderman.” The trappings of celebrity can go from the career-changing problems down to the tiniest detail. “Now when I drive I often realize that cars do line up behind mine, following me. When that happens I rather cancel all my plans and return home.” This, Maguire assures us, is not a dislike to being recognized, and he admits that it has not been easy to readjust. “I always try to be friendly to people, but photographers are the ones who keep bothering you, always perched outside your house, looking for whatever situation could be exploited. I call that “supermarket checkout press,” because that is where you find those sensationalist magazines that are too eager to exploit whatever they can get their hands on. I cannot control that aspect of the business, but what I can, and I often do, is to stay away from them.”

Rumors, however, abound; particularly those about “Spiderman” being his first and last time swiveling in between New York City skyscrapers. Maguire gets serious when he answers. “Taking my background into account, it would have been very irrational for me to reject 25 million dollars for obliging Columbia Pictures with Spiderman 2 and 3. What I did say, before being misquoted, was that I would not let myself be forever typecast in this type of role, not an unfounded concern if you look at Christopher Reeves’ career after “Superman.” Being part of “Spiderman,” with a director like Sam Raimi in charge, will always be fun, but my interests and my challenges do not stop there. There are many roles and stories I want to be able to bring to life. It is nice to be recognized as a movie star and earn as much money per film, but as far as I’m concerned, I’ve gotten to where I am because of the way I manage my career and my interests. Therefore, what has always interested me is to grow artistically. I do appreciate, on one hand, the blessing of a solid economic position, but that has never been enough for me. A film like “Seabisquit” allows me to find a balance in my career. It is also important for me because I confirm to myself that I am not merely in a great business, but that I am also a craftsman having a wonderful opportunity to communicate and provoke emotions based more on what resonates within our own human experience and not solely on a fantasy. That I am, after all, practicing a great tradition that has gone from the campfires to the circus tent and the canvas of the big screen, and that if I keep at it, I might be able to call it art.”