JANN CARL: How did you get the role?

SEAN HAYES: About a year and a half to two years ago, CRAIG ZADAN and NEIL MERON (the executive producers) had come up to me and we had a little meeting. They proposed that I play Jerry Lewis, and before they could even say the next word I was gone!

JANN: Like you ran away, too scared?

SEAN: Completely petrified -- but a year or two years went by and ...

JANN: They tracked you down!

SEAN: Yes, they tracked me down. And then they showed me a script and as an actor, we read 100 scripts a year. So I run this script, and it surpassed any other script I'd read. I was like, 'Wow, this is really great.' I tried to look at it as if it wasn't Jerry Lewis because there is so much pressure. I mean I have lost weight, sleep and I sweat! I cannot believe that I am trying to play this American icon! So I read it and the script was fantastic!

JANN: When you came to the set what were your thoughts? And how many movies did you rent?

SEAN: We have hundreds of hours of tapes and this 600-page book bible -- it's like going to college again. Whenever you do a film based on some type of historical event or a biopic of some kind you have to go back to school and do tons of research. So, of course, that part I hated because I hated school. But you know I learned so much, it was such an enjoyable experience. To really sit down and study him, he was an incredible genius and is still responsible to this day for many of the comedic aspects of cinema that we know now.

JANN: What do you think you and Jerry Lewis have in common?

SEAN: Well, I'm glad you asked! I play this character on television, so people think I act like that all the time because they don't know who I am. The down side of that for me, personally, is that's not who I am, but it's also wonderful. I get congratulated and they love my show and that makes me feel wonderful.

JANN: Right.

SEAN: On the other hand, as an actor you always want to do other things so I can relate to the Jerry Lewis part, he always played that idiot, that same character that we all love and find hilarious. And I'm sure that had some grating on his personality and his personal life. But it's very interesting for me to play the Jerry Lewis that we knew and the Jerry Lewis that nobody knew.

JANN: Did you want to call Jerry?

SEAN: At the beginning everybody asked me if I was going to contact Jerry, like he was from outer space or something -- but I didn't on purpose. Dean isn't with us, unfortunately, and Jerry is, fortunately, with us, but I wanted to go in objectively. And you know dive into it that way and not just hear one side. However, I did feel it was right to extend myself in some way, so I did write a letter and he called my home machine.

JANN: So you walk in the door and you hit play on your home phone message machine and what happened?

SEAN: It was, "Hello, Sean, it's Jerry Lewis, call me." And he gave me his number and that's it! I dial the number and I'm like, "Is Jerry Lewis there?" "Who's calling ... Sean Hayes, Sean, its Jerry ... " and I was like, "Get out!" I'm talking to Jerry Lewis, it was so bizarre! It was completely surreal. And I told him that too: "I can't believe that I'm talking to you!" I was nervous and shaking.

SEAN: But he's such a wonderful, kind, loving man. Obviously he is known for being difficult and I'm sure he is all right by me saying that and he admits it. He's so known for that side of him that I am so glad to show the other sides. He is an incredibly loving man and generous.

JANN: Are you nervous about Jerry watching it?

SEAN: Yeah, of course, I'm extremely nervous -- look at my legs.

JANN: Will you watch it with him or will you want him to watch it without you?

SEAN: Oh, I don't even know if I'm going to watch it. I'm an actor, I got the job, I took the job, and I'm doing the best I can. The rest is up to God. I can't, 'cause I will start to obsess about everything else, so I have to just let it go.