Were you blindsided by your elimination?
James Durbin: I'm not going to lie. I definitely was.

Your life is so fascinating. Who would you like to play you in a movie?
JD: I think I would want to play myself. I wouldn't want that to sound conceited or anything, but yes, I mean, I don't know, maybe Matt Damon because I was told that I kind of look like Matt Damon. Then Steven Seagal could play me when I'm an old man. Because when I was kid, I had my hair dyed black and I had it long down to my shoulders and I used to pull it back into a ponytail and I always got told that I looked like Steven Seagal because I was a little overweight, too.

Who was your best friend on the show?
JD: Definitely closest with all the guys. Stefano is going to be my best man in my wedding. Paul's going to be one of my groomsmen. We had a little jam band with myself, Paul, Casey and Stefano. It was fun just hanging out, making up silly songs. Boy stuff -- songs about boogers, that sort of thing.

Why do you think your final two performances didn't connect with voters?
JD: I don't know. The funny thing is that a friend I made while out here is Chris Jericho, who's on Dancing with the Stars -- big metal head, singer in a metal band and pro wrestler -- the last song that he danced to before his elimination was "Don't Stop Believing." So "Don't Stop Believing" eliminated James Durbin, Chris Jericho and Tony Soprano.

What have you learned from this experience?
JD: I've never been very business savvy, and thanks to being on Idol, I got to kind of let loose and get into my stage manager production thing and organize this and that, flaming piano and Zakk Wylde and marching band and all that stuff and costumes. I figured out what I wanted to wear and designed it and had it made, and threw out ideas and just every single one of my stage performances was all me. I wrote it. I drew out a storyboard for everything. Every single one of my performances had an idea, and I just ran with it and I'm really, really happy. I really am.

There are rumors that you have a record deal already...
JD: Who knows? Expect the unexpected. That's what I wish I would've done Thursday night, but I don't know. I potentially yesterday heard my first single, but it doesn't signify that there's a contract.

You were eliminated fourth, the same time Chris Daughtry went out and when he went out he said that he was kind of glad that he didn't win Idol because he thought that would have ruined his rock and roll cred. What do you think about that?
JD: That makes plenty of sense, but winning would have been great, too. There's the first instinct when you're up there and Ryan says, "You're going home." First instinct is like, "Gosh, I wanted to win so badly, and it feels like I failed." But now thinking about it, it's like, "I haven't failed at all." This is just the beginning. It's exciting, and I'm really, really stoked. Looking back, what's the whole reason I auditioned in the first place? It's because we couldn't afford diapers. I don't think I'm ever going to have to worry about affording diapers now.

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