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In the recently released film The Promotion, Seann William Scott stars as Doug, a 33-year-old assistant grocery store manager up for a promotion. Playing opposite him is John C. Reilly's Richard, the slightly older Canadian man who arrives on the scene just in time to also slip into the running for the position. And together, they bring to life the story of two men in search of success, in pursuit of financial stability, and in the middle of learning what it actually means to be a man.

While the movie is filled with sharp comedy, its story is also deeply human and surprisingly touching. And the same could be said of Scott's portrayal of Doug. He may be most well-known for playing the exaggeratedly immature Steve Stifler of American Pie, but in The Promotion, Scott proves that he also knows how to give a character both depth and heart.

Courtesy of a San Francisco publicist, I was able to sit down and talk with Scott while he was in town for a local screening of the film. During our twenty minute chat, we spoke about not only his experience making The Promotion, but also about his own life, his family, and why he feels blessed.

HollywoodJesus: Well, to start off, I really loved The Promotion. I thought it was just a really great film dealing with issues that we face on a daily basis that are a reality for a lot of people in our country, but doing so in a lighter way and humorous way that gives hope to the story&ellips;

Seann William Scott: Well, thank you. I agree.

HJ: I felt like one of the main things that the movie dealt with was the idea of success, and these two men striving for success and kind of redefining and exploring what success means to them along the way. I'm curious, what does success mean to you? How do you define success? And did making this movie make you rethink that definition at all?

SWS : Well, that's a great question. I think that I was going through a period in my life where I was really starting to grow up in a big way. I've always been pretty serious about what I do and who I am. I'm not a very careless guy, as much as I like to have fun. But I was going through serious life issues, family issues, where I started to look at what's really important in life.

HJ: Okay.

SWS: And as far as the movie? I think you really nailed it. I don't think I could even explain what this movie's about better than how you said it. I wish I had talked to you earlier today, so that I could explain it better. I think for me, what success is is doing the best you can and feeling good about it. When it comes to doing movies, getting a part is great. The only reason why I really like to do this is that I like to take a risk. And sometimes the movies that I've done haven't allowed me to do that, movies like Dukes of Hazard or Mr. Woodcock, or other movies that aren't so good. They don't allow me to do what I like to do, which is to go into a theater the weekend it opens, and hear how people react to the things you create.

HJ: I bet that's exciting.

SWS: It really is why I do it. I want to hear how people respond to it. Especially if I kind of rewrite some stuff. To me that's why I want to do movies. I never really wanted to make money or be recognized, 'cause I never had money and I was never recognized. I just wanted to make people feel the same way that I feel when I see a movie that allows me to forget about the things that stress me out in my days. So that's, to me, real success, to be able to have the chance to do that, specifically to my job.

HJ: You mentioned audiences reacting to your movies, and wanting to be able to give them something good to react to. What do you hope people are going to come away from this movie with? What are they going to be walking out of the theaters thinking?

SWS: I hope they're going to be surprised. Because I think that it's an interesting film where you don't really know what to expect when you go in. The poster and the trailer don't really tip off what the movie's about. I hope that people just go in and get lost a bit. And they feel lost in a great way where they can laugh, first and foremost. And they can watch a movie that tells about, I think, what is a really relatable struggle in the American society, about just really trying to have the best life that you can have. And it's so tough, with work and relationships, and competing with other people within the workplace. Really just doing the best that you can to give yourself a great life, and your wife a great life, or your partner a great life. It doesn't have some kind of preachy message. I think it's definitely something that at least acknowledges that there is this common struggle that most people go through, and they maybe feel pretty good about the fact that that's acknowledged. And hopefully more than anything, they laugh.

HJ: Another idea in the movie is competition. These two guys are competing for this promotion. In the end, one gets it, one doesn't. And that's how real life works out too. How do you deal with competition in your life and work?

SWS: I'm not at that tier of actors where I compete with other major stars. I'm still at a point where I'm just trying to kind of solidify my position in the comedy genre. So, I compete with myself mostly.

HJ: Okay.

SWS: Guys like Seth Rogen or Jason Segel, and some of these big movie stars, I can't really compete with them. They're writing their own stuff, and they're doing really great work. I'm at a place where I'm just trying to do my own thing. So, I feel that pressure a little bit, but not in the same way that I feel the pressure of having to one-up another actor. It's pretty clear to me that most of the movies that I'd like to do, I probably won't get until I start doing more movies like The Promotion, and I start to win over the minds of the filmmakers that I'd like to work with.

HJ: You mentioned earlier that while you were working on The Promotion, you were dealing with some life issues, some personal struggles. And in other interviews, you've said that the The Promotion helped you to get through some of those things. I'm curious, what aspect of the story or people you worked with helped you and in what way?

SWS: I got a chance to do something completely different than I've ever had to do. So I was growing in that way. Also, I was old enough—I was 30 years old, 29—where I was just starting to get to that age where it was just like, okay, you know what, we're not invincible, what we do matters, what we put in our bodies matters, the decisions we make in relationships with family or life all matter. And you start to understand, and you start to look at life a little bit differently. Okay, as much as we want all these beautiful things and these fun things, whether it's success in movies or this house or this car or whatever it is, none of that matters compared to life and family and happiness and mental health. So, I was just starting to make that transition while I was doing this movie, which was nice. As opposed to, you know, if I was doing American Pie at 20, while growing a little bit, it would've been kind of a strange irony.

HJ: You mention happiness. What brings you happiness and contentment in your life?

SWS: I think probably, just making sure that my family's okay.

HJ: Steve actually talked about that yesterday. He said your mom is in San Francisco with you right now. And that part of what you've done with the success you've had and the money you've made is to really take care of you family. I also felt like that was a central theme of The Promotion as well. Why is that important to you? And has that always been something you've wanted to do?

SWS: Well, my family's the only thing that matters to me. I wouldn't be who I am or where I am without them. It wouldn't matter if I was in movies, whatever I was doing, I would do the same thing. But because I'm so blessed to have more financial freedom to be able to take care of them, I can't imagine not doing that. I'm blessed, you know. I have this life where I don't have to worry about bills. I'm also a pretty frugal guy, so I save my money. Whereas all my family, they don't get to live that life, they don't get go and travel like I do, or go and have two months off. So, I couldn't live with myself without making sure that they get to partake in this huge blessing that I've been given. And I just love my family. If you met them, you'd probably understand.

HJ: Another part of this movie is about continuing on through difficult times and just keeping on. There's some hilarious parts of the grocery store work where you think, man I wouldn't want to do that. It's difficult, but these guys just keep on going. And as much as we like to think you Hollywood types have great days, all day long, every day, I know you don't. What is it that keeps you going? That gets you through hard times?

SWS: I think that I've always been a bit of a fighter. I'm not a defeatist at all. I can't live life with regret. And I don't regret anything. And that's, I think, the only reason why I got American Pie. Because after a year and half, two years, I could've easily just gone back to Minnesota. And, I just thought, if I go back to Minnesota, I could be 40 years old and regret, and go, "What if I stayed one more day?" And so, I live that life where, no regrets, I can't regret anything.

HJ: In the movie, the wives of both your character and John's are a source of encouragement to both of them. I really liked the moment with that little note she sends with him one day.

SWS: Oh yeah, it's incredible.

HJ: Is there anyone in your life who's like that to you, who gives you encouragement and helps you to keep believing in yourself?

SWS: I don't have a girlfriend like that. That would be pretty great. But, my family, every single person in my family, my brothers, and my sisters, and my mom, and my dad. My dad was just so supportive and so proud. But yeah, they're all so proud. I think we did American Pie I in '98 and it came out in '99, almost 10 years [ago], and we still just can't believe it. So, they're just all so supportive. And my friends too.

HJ: Is there any piece of encouragement, a note that someone wrote you maybe, that still sticks with you today?

SWS: Well, I went to a basketball camp when I was in high school. It was in St. Cloud, Minnesota. And I did really really well. I had practiced a lot, 'cause it was probably my least successful sport, and I wanted to be great at it, because I wasn't so good at it. So, I practiced a whole year, and I went to this camp, and I did amazing. Then I went to another camp at the University of Minnesota, and it was the best athletes from all around the Midwest. And I lost all my confidence. I couldn't shoot. These guys were slam dunking on me. They could jump higher, they could shoot better than me, they were faster than me. I remember it was like the summer before my sophomore year, and I called my father crying, 'cause I lost my confidence, I couldn't shoot.

My dad said, "You work harder than every single person there. Dive after every ball. Get in the right position. Make them jump over you. Make them follow you. You out-hustle every single person and work harder than anybody else there. You can't shoot, then don't worry about it. If you can't dribble, if you can't pass, if you can't do anything else, then at least work harder than everybody else." There were like 500 kids at that camp. We stayed there every night, and the camp was for a week. And at the last day, they handed out awards to four kids out of the five hundred kids. I ended up getting "Mr. Hustle," and I remember just being really proud of that. It's like my dad always said, "Just do your best, let God do the rest."

HJ: Do you believe in God? Is faith a part of your life?

SWS: Absolutely. I definitely have faith in God. I don't push it on anybody, but it's my personal faith.

HJ: What does that mean to you in living this life and pursuing success?

SWS: Well, I already feel like God has blessed me so much, so I feel like I have a responsibility, not just to the faith that I have, but to just to anybody that's allowed me to have a career. I guess it's tricky, it's just a strange thing when you talk about your own faith. But I definitely feel like it's something that has given me a strong perspective and has kept me grounded&ellips; I've always felt that way.

HJ: At the very end of the movie, your character says, "Was I the better man? I don't know, but I felt like a man."

SWS: That's actually one of my favorite lines.

HJ: What does it mean to you? In the sense that it's used in that line, what does it to mean to you to be a man in your career, in Hollywood, in your relationships, in life in general?

SWS: I don't really know&ellips; I try to be a good man every day.

HJ: What's a good man?

SWS: I think just trying to do good things, trying to be good to people, trying to be honest and sweet and respectful and grateful. I don't know if anybody could say, at 31, I'm a great man, 'cause we're still learning every day. So, I think that my intentions are good, and I think that I care about people, and I want a lot of good things for the world. I think if anything those are probably signs of somebody who's trying to be a good man. It's not that I don't make mistakes; I still do.

HJ: And one last question; yesterday Steve and I talked about success as less about the position achieved and more about obstacles overcome. Is that something that you resonate with at all?

SWS: I think, I hadn't had so many obstacles before we started filming this movie. I know I've been really blessed. Then I went through life issues where my dad was sick, and then he died. And then my mom was sick, and thank God she's healthy. My Godfather died. And all this was happening while I was shooting this movie. Everybody unfortunately goes through these things, and I think I'm still dealing with that now. And I think once I get to a point where I'm not as haunted by those experiences, then I'll feel like I've overcome them.

So, I think that I'm still trying to figure my life out, and I don't know if I can give you an intelligent answer about success and stuff like that, other than I'm just feeling really blessed. Sometimes I say that I've won the lottery, but I don't believe in luck so much, 'cause I think luck falls under superstition. Even though I could easily say that I'm lucky, I like to say that I'm super blessed. I just feel so blessed.