1. What sort of friends did you have at school?

I hung out with the theatre people, the geeks, the punks and the weirdos. When I met Sarah I was a geek and a punk rocker.

2. You and your Dad have made some pretty weird films together. Tell us about some of them.

The first one was Greasers Palace. I played the son who gets his neck slit. Recently we did Rented Lips, where I play a porno star.

3. What have you learned from working with your Dad?

I learnt that comedy isn't comedy without something serious behind it.

4. How much are you like the character you played in Less Than Zero?

That role kind of haunted me. I felt that it was part of me.

5. Did you drop out of High School when you were 17?

It was 11th grade and all I had to do was hang out for one more year, but I decided to leave. Besides my Dad was moving to New York and I had to decide whether to stay in LA and be independent or stay under my Dad's wing for as long as possible so I didn't have to get a job. Dad didn't mind - he dropped out of school in 9th grade and he's more intelligent than any college professor in my opinion.

6. Why did you add the Jr to your name?

Both of us belonged to the screen actors guild and one of us had to change our name. I didn't want Dad to think I thought I was so important that he should have to change his name.

7. You're considered a sex symbol, but do you care about the way you look?

You know, when you're with Mel you'd better look good or you're going to look really bad because he looks great even when he looks terrible.

8. What are the things you remember about being a kid?

I remember being on my Dad's shoulders walking through Greenwich Village. I remember eating pizza, and being on sets with my Dad.

9. So what's it like to have a really long relationship?

Well, she's great, man. It works, and it's been standing the test of time. There's no competition between us. I do my thing and she does hers.

10. Are you romantic?

Sure, yeah. How can anyone not be romantic? I dont always get the flowers, but I think about them all the time!

11. What do you think of Mel Gibson, after working with him in Air America?

He's a serious actor. I mean, hes a real actor, but he doesn't let himself take it all too seriously.

12. How did you get along with each other?

Well... he's a very open person. And a very generous actor...

13. There were rumours that you didn't get along too well.

We'd get on each other's case... But it was all done with good humour. We had a gross-out competition (a competiton to see who can be the most revolting) and he resigned.

14. In your next film, Chances Are, you play opposite Cybill Shepherd - how was that?

[Grinning] Cybill Shepherd is cool.

15. Are you as obsessed with fashion as people say?

Yeah! My favourite designer is Gaultier!

16. Your house is pretty beautiful, isn't it?

I've got a fairly palatial house in the Hollywood Hills, where Charlie Chaplin lived. I live there with Sarah and two Persian cats called Mr Smith and Scout.

17. What kind of car sits in the driveway?

I had a black BMW for a while but now I have a black Porsche.

18. So what's it like living with your girlfriend?

We say that we probably moved in together too quick, but now we really want to move in together so we just pretend that we haven't already done it!

19. Do you work really well with women?

Some of the people I admire most are women - Bette Davis, Meryl Streep... I think I'm not as likely to pull any masculine head trips on women I'm working with. I don't want to have sex with them, because I've got a girlfriend, and I don't want to intimidate them because I want the scenes to be good.

20. What do you see yourself doing in the near future?

Acting is really great and fun, but so many of my energies seem to be leaning towards writing and directing, or music. I'd like to be in a position to say, "Okay, now maybe I want to go to college and learn about Cubism or architecture or something..."

Robert’s video pick: "Less Than Zero"