When Harrison Ford began work on the new film "Sabrina," he brought along a resume that included seven of the 25 top-grossing movies of all time. His co-star Greg Kinnear, 32, making his film debut, brought along a case of nerves and what he calls "a thimbleful of confidence."
From his looks, you'd expect Kinnear to be more self-assured. He first got noticed as the smirking, eyebrow-raising host of the E! network's "Talk Soup." On that show, he'd play weird snippets from talk shows, then make a sarcastic remark or lift one of those eyebrows. He was a hit.
NBC soon gave him a talk show of his own, "Later." Then he surprised the movie world by landing the kid brother role in the high-profile remake of 1954's "Sabrina." Hollywood is buzzing about him, but in his own mind, "I'm a heartbeat away from working at Denny's."
Though cocky on TV, Kinnear advises against having that attitude in real life. "It's not healthy to start out overconfident. I never feel I've reached a place where, wow, 'I've made it and there's no going backwards.' Too many people have had incredible opportunities or bright futures and then, for whatever reason, didn't get there."
Kinnear has been the host of "Later" for almost two years, but feels he's never hit a home run with the show. "I've had some good doubles," he allows. He always sees ways "it could have been stronger, funnier, more engaging."
If he were more confident, would the show be better? "It might be worse."
Kinnear may never believe he belongs in the big leagues, but he'll adapt. As the son of a U.S. diplomat, he "had to adjust to new settings and people very quickly."
Sure, co-star Ford has survived big-screen gun battles. But Kinnear survived the real thing in Beirut in 1975. "I learned to dodge bullets and sleep through bombs. People at the American Embassy were killed, kidnapped. Once, we had a sniper at our school during a softball game. I was in center field."
When he's feeling insecure, memories of his youth make him "more self-assured. You've seen places. You've got a little take on the world."
From "a little take," he might just make it big.
Grew up: In Lebanon and Greece; his dad worked for the U.S. State Department.
First gig: On Armed Forces Radio in Athens, Greece.
Real kid brother: As the youngest of three boys, he knows "there are benefits to being a kid brother. Older brothers catch all the flak from parents. You can juggle knives and get away with it."
Personal: He's single.
Copyright 1995 USA WEEKEND. All rights reserved.
Issue date: 12-17-95