By Thomas Chau in New York City

Jeff Goldblum, best known to the Internet world for his quirky, excessively analytical “nerd” characters from sci-fi classics such as “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” “The Fly,” Jurassic Park,” and “Independence Day,” stars in Wes Anderson’s new film, “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.” He joins a cast which comprises of Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Anjelica Huston, and Willem Dafoe. Goldblum stars as Alistair Hennessy, Steve Zissou’s (Bill Murray’s) wealthy flamboyant nemesis and former husband to Eleanor Hennessy (Anjelica Huston).

I had a chance to sit down one-on-one with Jeff, who I found to be very polite and passionate about his work. Below is what Jeff had to say about working with Wes and the rest of the cast.

Q: I have to say: When I met Roland Emmerich for “The Day After Tomorrow,” I told him that “Independence Day” was by far my favorite movie-going experience. And it’s true…

JEFF: Well thank you. I love “Independence Day” and I love Roland Emmerich. He’s very special.

Q: Were you a Wes Anderson junkie?

JEFF: I’ve been a wild-hearted fan of Wes Anderson’s movies – “Bottle Rocket,” “Rushmore,” “Royal Tenenbaums.” I saw him in a couple of interview shows, was very struck by him, said, “Gee, I’d really like to work with that guy.” Then I saw the Maysles Brothers who were wonderful documentarians. They did “Salesmen,” “Great Gardens,” and “Give Me Shelter.” They did behind the scenes on him and “The Royal Tenenbaums” and saw a chunk of that, and said, “Wow, what an interesting guy. What an interesting moviemaker.”

Q: And so how did Wes approach you for the role?

JEFF: I was in a Tom Stoppard play on Broadway a couple of years ago. Outside, afterwards, saw a friend that I’ve known over the years. They [he and Wes] were friends over the years. They introduced me and I said, “Sure. Of course I know you. I’m a big fan.” Then, we had dinner together and we had a very nice time at dinner. I said, “What are you working on?” He said, “Well, me and this wonderful writer/director Noah Baumbach are co-writing this movie about a guy looking for a fish and he’s making a documentary at the same time.” I thought that could be interesting. I lived in Los Angeles and then came back to do this very interesting play that he came to see. We had a meal after that and I think that week, in the morning, he called me up and said, “Hey remember that thing I was talking about? I’m having a reading at this hotel. A bunch of us are going to get together. Do you want to read a part?” I said, “Absolutely.” I went and Bill Murray was there, along with a bunch of other actors – most of whom didn’t wind up in the movie – wound up reading this thing. He said later that he had imagined it (Alistair Hennessey) as a British character and he had a couple of British actors in mind. But he liked the way I read it and afterwards said, “Do you want to do that? It might be fun.” I said, “Sure.”

Q: Wes is known for having a set vision on things but were you able to insert your own insights and inputs into Hennessey?

JEFF: Well, he imagined it as a British character and I think it imagined it in another way but he married me with it, so I guess I brought something to it that was of my own. But he’s really genius and so highly – visually and every other way – designed and meticulous and prepared about the thing, and full of vision about the thing. But, at the same time, he reminds me of Robert Altman, who I’ve done a couple movies with. Very improvisational and collaborative. “Ooh, I like what you just said; say that. Do that.” We’d be very inclusive in what happened with accidents.

Q: He has a very specific and unique style so what is it that you identify most with him?

JEFF: Well, several things. How can you say when you’re attracted to something? It’s not easy to articulate my tastes. It appeals to me the way he works, what he does, and what he makes. But I love his visual style. I love the way it works. I’ve seen this movie a few times now and it keeps being very interesting. I love his taste in music. This movie’s soundtrack is constantly surprising and interesting. I love his poetry and what feels like to me, a poetical aspect of the movie. The romance in it – I find this movie very romantic in a lot of ways. The scenes between Cate and Owen’s character I find wildly tender and romantic. The humor is naïve in a way but wildly sophisticated and smart and deeply human and tender and emotional and honest in all his movies. People are deeply passionate about, in “Rushmore,” his love with his teacher and in “Royal Tenenbaums,” they have strong feelings about Anjelica, the husband, and in this movie, Cate’s character needs a father for the baby or a baby for the father, which speaks, poetically really, of themes of babies needing fathers and fathers needing babies, and although he doesn’t talk about it this way, but a spiritual aspect to all this.

Q: And at this stage in your career, what do you get out of working with a cast that includes people like Bill, Anjelica, etc…

JEFF: It’s a very lucky thing. I now, more and more, appreciate when I’m in a group of good people and get to work in good movies and projects. I’m wildly grateful and appreciative and adore being in this ensemble cast. Anjelica Huston, very very special woman and actor and the way she uses everybody is very special. She’s very sweet to me; we had lovely times.

Q: So have you been on any crazy water adventures yourself?

JEFF: I’m from Pittsburgh originally. We had friends – this was my first experience on a boat – on Lake Erie and I was very young. We went and I was the only one, like Fredo in “The Godfather,” to catch a fish. I caught a little fish so I was happy about that but then we stayed overnight on the boat, and I did something on the boat, that I hadn’t done at home: I wet myself. I wet the bed and I think it had something to do with me being in the water. I woke up humiliated that I was a guest on this boat. That was one early experience.

Q: So are you comfortable around the sea yet or do you still get nervous?

JEFF: Not so much so far. That’s what I’m getting to. I saw through these few little snippets of experience that I have are so entirely planet. I love the water. I love being in the water. We used to vacation in Atlantic City and smelled the waves, and smelled the salt, and love getting in there. You couldn’t get me out of there. I loved to body surf. I just saw this documentary called “Riding Giants.” Oooh, I love the ocean. Boats, not so much. When we made “The Right Stuff,” I was on an aircraft carrier. Those things can smell. I don’t like the smell so much. My friend Ed Begley goes fishing. It’s a little smelly to me, I don’t like it so much. I like to eat fish but I don’t like to catch them. And then there was a big cruise that I went on. Paul Allen would rent out a big cruise ship and we’d go to Alaska in them.

Q: Are you going to be doing “Jurassic Park 4”?

JEFF: I haven’t heard anything about it myself. But I love working with Steven Spielberg.

Q: But you’ve been in some of our generations greatest sci-fi flicks, like “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” “Jurassic Park,” “ID4,” “The Fly.” Would you return to that genre again?

JEFF: I love those movies. I loved “Independence Day,” I loved Roland Emmerich, I loved Dean Devlin.

Q: Would you work with David Cronenberg again?

JEFF: I would LOVE to work with Cronenberg again. That was one of my favorite experiences. He’s brilliant, I adore him. And Philip Kaufman, who did “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” is a wonderful guy. I’d love to work with him. And those movies – it’s not as if I see those [kinds of] movies but the ones I’ve wound up in, I’ve enjoyed. I’ve enjoyed others that I’ve not in. But sure.

Q: If you could have one superhero power, what would you choose and why?

JEFF: Let me see. To be able to always have a super sense of who I was and my own real identity and be petty and seem informed and always thinking in thoughts.

Q: Most people just say flying…

JEFF: Fly? Like “The Fly”? But everything gets flown. No matter how you travel, it’s still you going. And who is the you going? Your understanding of that I think would be a super power that would be really nourishing.

Q: What are your favorite DVDs?

JEFF: “Being There.” There’s one. “Rosemary’s Baby.”

"The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" is playing in limited release and opens everywhere Christmas Day.