Spike Jonze, the director: Oh, we tried. We couldn't come up with anyone. I don't know what we would have done if John Malkovich did said no. Our list was empty

John Malkovich, the: When I had originally read it, it was sent to an office I had in Los Angeles. It arrived one day I'd when I was going back over to Europe. All the planes were incredibly late and I had run out of all the books and things I had to read. I called my partner and asked if there was anything at our office to read. He said, "Oh, yes, there's one thing you have to read." He kind of sent it along. And at first, we expressed to Charlie that I myself would be interested in directing or producing it... if it wasn't about me. I suggested William Hurt. But Spike wouldn't change it.

THC: How did you all like working with the monkeys? I know Cameron was caged with one, and John spent a lot of time with them too.

JC: In some ways this is the favorite movie I have ever done. The reason I liked it so much is that I tried to get as much food as I could before lunch so that during lunch I could have the animal trainers come and lock me in my trailer with the monkeys. The trailer is very small - this is a lower budget film - so the chimps would just run around off the walls. It was really, really fun; my trailer became a monkey-tossing petting zoo. I'd much rather be hanging out with chimps than being here right now.

Cameron Diaz: Yes - it was amazing. It was an experience I cherish. We had a week before shooting, and the animals had to get really comfortable with me. So I would dress up as Lotte before there was even a Lotte. It was kind of a half-Lotte, transforming into a bad wig and the wrong contacts. I would spend four or five hours a day with the monkeys, crawling in the trees outside our production office in downtown Los Angeles. I would burp them and change their diapers.

JC: I remember thanking Charlie and Spike because I got to do a scene where I was sitting on a couch in a hovel with a monkey telling the monkey that I was an unappreciated artist. I did that looking straight into the monkey's eyes. All I could think was, "My god - this is as good as it gets. There's nothing that can compare to this."

CD: Still, even though it's an amazing experience I'll never forget, there's also something very disturbing about these creatures who are caged and used for our purposes. It upset me a great deal. I do not suggest anyone go out and buy a monkey for a pet.