You’ve played an awful lot of positive role models.  Sometimes it’s just a lot more fun to play the bad guy.  Have you ever really wanted to play somebody evil?

John:  Yeah, because even though I’m blessed with this great career, I’m just tired of playing the boyfriend.  Every movie I get, I’m the nice guy boyfriend.  I’ve never done a movie really with guys.  I’d love to be in a movie where it’s me and two other dudes.  I did have a small part in “Tombstone,” in 1992, and that was the best time of my life, watching those guys.  I actually learned how to behave on a set from watching Kurt Russell.

The roles you’ve been choosing really have something positive to say.  Have you been seeking scripts out like that, or are you looking for something different? And what about your role on “Sex and the City?”[From 2000-2002, as Sarah Jessica Parker’s love interest, Aidan Shaw.]

John:  That was a tough decision to make, you know.  I’m 43 and my mom’s only 20 years older than me, so she’s right there.  She watches everything I do, and I’ve never really wanted to embarrass her or see her hang her head.  I’m from Wheeling, W.Va., and it’s a small town – everybody knows me there, especially from “Northern Exposure.”  They know my mom and I never wanted to, you know, do a Playboy layout, you know what I mean?  I’d never want to embarrass her, so it was a tough decision to take that show on.  Because of the language and the nudity, I wasn’t really sure.  I didn’t know the show that well. I had seen a couple of tapes and there was just a lot of nudity, but I really wanted to work with Sarah Jessica.

Have you walked away from parts before?

John:  Oh, yeah.  I say ‘no’ more than I say ‘yes.’  I’ve got one movie coming out after this and that’s it.  Nothing on the horizon – no irons in the fire.  I just don’t want to be in those … tell those stories.

Are parts hard to find?

John:  Good ones are hard to find, yeah.  I’m just not interested in some of the movies. There have been a couple of movies that I’ve been offered, that have come out and done okay business, but you know, I’m just not interested in being in a movie where four people get their heads bashed in, man.  I don’t even like to see those movies.  I like to see the movies that I’m in – those type of movies.  I just watched “Love, Actually” the other night.  “Raising Helen” is a good movie.  I like to be in movies like that.  I try to stay away from murders and from nude scenes.  I won’t do a nude scene.  I don’t even like to do kissing scenes, believe it or not.  You know, I’ve got a girlfriend and it’s not okay for her to kiss somebody else.  It’s really creepy to go see one of your movies and be sitting next to your girlfriend while you’re making out with somebody else.  It’s a weird, weird thing to do.  And if I ever did get married, then I would never do a movie where I’d kiss somebody else – ever.  It blows me away that married people kiss other married people in movies.  When I get married, man, the lips only touch the wife.  So, I’ll work even less.