"Juno" director wanted to be a doctor

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Two years after winning acclaim with his debut feature "Thank You for Smoking," director Jason Reitman is now competing for an Oscar with the teen comedy "Juno," the biggest hit among the movies vying for either best director or best picture.

The 30-year-old Montreal native recently talked with The Hollywood Reporter about his initial career choice as a doctor and his fear of being a rich kid with a wasted life.

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: THANKS TO YOUR FATHER, DIRECTOR

IVAN REITMAN, YOU GREW UP ON THE SETS OF SOME GREAT COMEDIES.

WHAT MEMORIES DO YOU HAVE OF THOSE FILMS?

Jason Reitman: The first set I remember was (1984's) "Ghostbusters." I remember showing up on the Manhattan street set, and they had these giant slabs of concrete sticking up in the air -- and I remember thinking as a kid, "Wow, if you get to direct a movie, you get to break the streets of New York."

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: AND THUS YOUR CAREER WAS DECIDED.

Reitman: And thus my field as an independent filmmaker who made small, talky films was sealed.

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: KNOWING THAT, WAS IT PREDESTINED