Ep06 - Aaron Eckhart / "Bleed For This" and "Sully"

the Hampton's International Film Festival. Yes, well you're listening to this. I will be on a plane. You'll be on a plane. We'll get there safely, heavily drugged, I'm sure. But we talked about that on the podcast that I can't fly flying thing because I think that I don't have a fear of flying. I have a fear of crashing. Well, that's what I always say people. People say. It's like, I'm not scared of heights, I'm scared of falling from

a great height. I also have a little bit of claustrophobia, so being in a metal tube is not easy on me. It's but it's a wonderful airline, I believe, and I will probably finally have time to watch Love and Friendship. Oh good, yeah, delightful, little charmer. Well you'll be there. You're you're going to be doing a Q, Q and A with Aaron att Cart and varieties. Creative impact Oh shoot,

I'm going to mess us creative impact in acting. Yes, and obviously Aaron isn't bleed for this and Sully this year. I'll be talking to Aaron later on in the podcast. Actually, so there you go. There're synergy for you, perfect um. But regarding Hampton's variety, will be unveiling our ten actors to watch for this year there, yes, um, I mean we've already announced it, but they're featured in this week's

issue and wondering not unveiling them. And at least five of them will be in attendance for A Q and A. I'll be doing with them on Saturday afternoon. So yes, Friday I spend with Mr Aaron Eckhard. Saturday will be with our amazing actors to watch. Uh. Super of these? Well, there's rizam Ed who I think we both were huge fans of A Nightcrawler and we had actually selected him for this list I think before Night Of premiered. And so now everyone kind of knows the name a little better.

But he's also in Jason Borne, He's in obviously Rogue one coming out. It's going to be huge. Um an actor, I think I have talked a lot about and I know my friends are sick to death of hearing his name. Herschel Ali um so amazing in Moonlight. Um. I think he should be a slam dunk Oscar nominee. Does he?

I keep wondering because he thought he was. But the problem is there's the whole cast is fantastic and they're all in supporting and so it's it's really hard for a lot of people, and he's like one of the three segments he's well, I don't think any male actor is in more than one segment. Naomi's the one who's

in the whole thing, which gives her an edge. Uh. And one thing that works from me Herschela in that movie is he when he's gone, you miss him, keep wanting him to come back to keep thinking like maybe they'll flashback or something. But he's having a hell of a year. He's in Luke Cage right now. He's the

villain in that. He has this indie film called Kicks coming out and he is Taraji p Henson's love interest in Hidden Figures, which is interesting because he made his film debut as her love interest in Benjamin Button making out with Taragi on film. I guess he is so fantastic. He was also in Free State of Jones earlier this year, and I thought he was really good in that and embarrassingly and I have apologized to him repeatedly. I'm not

a regular House of Cards viewer. But right after we announced this list, he received an Emmy nomination for his work on House of Cards in the guest category. He was unable to attend the Emmy uh ceremony they do it the week before the televised because he was in Toronto with Moonlight. But he didn't win anyway, So what does it matter? Lucas Hedges, Lucas Hedges, So is he a nominate? Do you think? I think he's a strong contended a lot of people. He's It's a great character.

I mean a lot of that character is Kenneth Lannigan, just like just you can tell in the writing of how he's constructed the character and how the character interacts with people, that's Kenny. Because he's just dour and just he's got this thing, but Lucas nails it, and it's kind of a hard disposition to really nail. And he's great sparring with Casey in the movie, and there's emotional moments to come for the character that are really unexpected, and yeah, I think he's going to be a real

strong player. He has one scene in particular where he I don't think it's given anything away to just say he's like kind of having a panic attack, and it is fantastic. It like it is so realistic. And that was kind of the movement. Because I was so into the movie. I didn't think about it at the time, but looking back, I was like, that was really fantastic, which too is how Casey's handling him in that scene,

because Casey's playing a completely different thing. They're like the kids having his panetic attack, but Casey is in like, oh crap, I don't know how to handle this territory, and he's just as someone who has had panic attacks and been around people with pan attacks, I've seen both sides and they nail it. And um, speaking of getting on planes, I've witnessed panic attacks on planes. Moonrise, Kingdom is I think that was my favorite Wes Anderson movie when it came in that I forgot is Lucas in

that too. Ye, Lucas has a small part. I brought it up regarding Kara Haywards. Yes, carries on our list here, but I didn't realize Lucas was. I think Lucas has a small part in it because when I was sort of researching him. But yes, Kara Hayward was obviously the lead in moon Rise Kingdom she is has a small part in Patterson this year, but really um is very good in another small part in Manchester by the Sea. That's a lot of great performance as a Manchester by

the Sea. He knows how to put together actors. John Legend has a small role in La La Lad. It is a small role, but it's actually the third biggest role because that movie is so much Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone that even though John Legends role as small, if you actually look at the breakdown of the cast, John Legend is kind of the third league. And we were just talking right before we started recording. He does

a lot with his his limited time. Yeah, he's just very charming and charismatic and I don't want to give anything away because I know most people haven't seen the movie, but he has one scene in particular that I thought, you know, it's not easy to hold your own in your film debut. Opposite Ryan Goss all the nar and reck, We're gonna be hearing plenty of Obviously I don't apply, and that was a no brainer from Hail Caesar. We saw Hail Caesar, and he was like, this guy has

to go on the list. And then he became the new Hans solo and has the Warren Baby movie coming out. Was he end like a year or two ago? He listen. I don't know if this is what you're thinking of, but Beautiful Creatures. Actually I saw it on a play. Um, so maybe I was heavily drug but I actually really like that movie. I haven't seen it, but I remembered hearing a lot of good things about him in it. Yeah. No, he's really good. The lead girl, sorry woman, is really

good and Emma Thompson is very funny. Like like, I'm that's a movie. I'm a little bummed because I think there were maybe plans for sequels and it just didn't do that well. And I'm going to read a couple of these last Ones, Tavy Givinson, Yes, from on stage in the Crucible. I saw her in the Crucible. She

was fantastic. And we have Anna d Armis, Yes, Hands a Stone and war Dogs, Yes, Will and Blade Runner, Rachel Brasnahan Yes, Agnom, House of Cards, Patriots Day later this year, Yes, which I'm you know, have have really hopeful expectations far. We talked about it last week. We we like Peter Berg. Indeed, I'm saying again, Peter, please do my podcast a Janeomie King for she's in How to Get Away with Murder on TV, and she's also

in Birth of a Nation, which is coming out this week. Finally, after everything, I'm so curious to see how it does. Did you see Nate Parker's sixty minutes interview? I did. It's it's I mean, I have so many emotions and feelings about the subject at Birth of an Asian a movie both of us really liked. I think neither one of us was expecting to like as much as we did. Um and I. It is painful to watch Nate Parker's self destruct. He seems to be doing everything wrong. He

isn't the way he's answering questions that. I guess they did this interview initially in June and had to come back to all how they cut it together too, because they tried to act like it was one interview, but he clearly, you know, he had a mustache in the recent one. He looked about thirty years older. Acted differently too. Yeah, he was so happy in the June stuff, and then the obviously the more. It's strange to me that sixty

minutes of all people missed that. Yeah, I mean, did they miss it or do they choose not to bring it up in June? I can't imagine they weren't. Would they would not have It's I mean, I don't know. Look, news media today has entertainment, so it's like even a beacon like sixty minutes can do something stupid like that. But I think they might have just not seen it. They saw this great story of a black filmmaker telling a black story and how well it did and sun Dance and all of that, and to be a much

different story. That was the narrative people were going with for a long time until gosh, about a month ago. And now we're just left with seeing how the public is going to respond, if at all to this movie. I weirdly, I don't know about you, but I never wavered in believing that it would still be a factor in the Oscar Race because it is such a good movie and um, the power of the film itself and with you know, so many Best Picture nominations between five and ten, I figured it would get in. Now I

really don't know. Yeah, I mean, it depends on how radioactive something like that becomes. I mean I have said it here before. I've had conversations with voter who really just aren't looking deeply into that. They kind of want to look at the art, not the artist kind of a deal. But you know, the bottom line is if the movie comes out tomorrow and just tanks, well there's just nothing to build on, and so we'll just have

to see how that goes. I would like to just say, I don't know what your personal feelings are and what you've read in the media about this case, but if you have an interest in seeing this movie, I think you should see this movie. It's a really good movie. So, um, I made the joke I feel like maybe on one of our first podcasts that the person who benefits the most from the birth of a nation scandal might be

Mel Gibson because he has a movie coming up this year. Yeah, he does, and he's kind of on the forgiveness tour. I just saw tax Outrage. I just did. I was so unprepared for how much I would love it. I um, you know, I like all genres, but war films are probably my least favorite genre because of the violence or because of what it's partially the violence. Again, I have no problem with lens as long as it's not against dogs. Um. It's like, I don't know that there's anything new to

uncover in a war movie. There's a lot of tropes that just give exactly UM. And I I've always thought Andrew Garfield as a good actor. He's particularly fantastic. I saw him on stage and Death of a Salesman, so I really knew what he could do. But you know, I don't know that I've seen him as really the lead of a movie, carrying a film. He's got silence on the way, So I just did not I thought that. And I know Mel Gibson as a great filmmaker. I

actually really love Apocalypto. It's amazing that Parkalypto is a fantastic movie. I don't care. Yeah, so I expected it to be a good movie. I don't think I expected greatness and the story that it tells, you know, of this conscientious the conscious conjector I haven't had my coffee yet, who you know wanted to go to war to be

an army medic but refused to carry a gun. You know, the first half of the movie is almost a little like courtroom drama to something stent where they want to court martial him and and there's humor in it, like they're like, you're there's some era cheese going on earlier. You're establishing the characters a little bit too, it kind of because it's like g Gali fortis territory. Yeah. But once it gets into the actual battle, yeah, um of

hacks All Ridge. It's it's, uh, a lot of those tropes come into play, you know, the saving Private Ryan stuff. I really do not like Saving Private Ryan. So for me to like love this movie as much as I did, why don't you like saving right? Oh my gosh. William Goldman actually wrote an excellent essay um years ago that nailed all my feelings about it. Um, I mean, look as an as a directorial achievement, it's amazing. The acting

is fantastic. But like I would just say, read William Golden's article, It's sort of sums it up for me. But I have a feeling I agree with some of it. I've always thought it's on a bit of a pedestal. I mean, the book ends I have a real problem with. I want everyone to know that the life just turned. But but we didn't even blame, and we didn't blame, we just went. We cannot see each other right now. That is not a bad thing I am. I mean no events to you. I look great. You know, you're fantastic.

You don't look like a newborn's father who hasn't slept in days at all. Saw Ridge. Uh yeah. When it gets into the into the gnarly stuff, and there are gnarly moments in the movie, but it ends up in a very emotional place too, obviously, when it inevitably transitions to the real life. Desmond Dass a name that I feel like should have been taught in schools and I've never heard of him. I mean, the in fact that he saved seventy people in that battle, at least seventy

because a gun. Yeah, and did you like Vince Vaughn in it. I did. I thought it was woefully miscast, but I love Vince Vaughn. It just I was looking at the guy from Swingers aged a couple of years and playing this drill sergeant. It didn't really work for me. And I didn't love Hugo Weaving either, as his father. I didn't at first because it is I'm not gonna lie like it is very heavy handed in the beginning and very like, yes it get it gets a lot

more subtle um and Hugh Hugo Weaving won me over. Yeah, well, it'll be interesting to see how that does. It's the lines of Gate movie we've talked about. They have a lot of movies this year. There's nothing else like it this year. I feel like I think it could do really well. It's got crazy great reviews. You liked it. You probably didn't love it as much as I. But I didn't like it. And it's because Milkipson knows how to make a movie. And you don't see there's certain filmmakers.

When you see them make a movie, you can tell that they know how to visually story to them and and he knows how to do it really well. And we talked about Apocalypto. I that was one of my favorite movies that year. Andrew Garfield mentioned I spoke to him last week and that was like one of the movies he brought up, and I was like, I'm so happy you brought that up because it does not get enough credit. Uh, best actor? Should he be in the conversation, Yes, absolutely, yeah,

I think he should too. But and you know, it might be one of those things where he's amazing and Silence as well, and has that become you know, so so I don't know if he'll be nominated for Hacksaw having not seen Silence, maybe that will override it. But I he plays a tough part because he's Jimmy Stewart in the first part, you know, and then I don't even know what you would say he is in the second part. It's a unique movie and a unique story, and funnily enough, I'm talking to Andrew next week on

the podcast. A nice little plug for next week. In the meantime, stick around for Aaron eck Card this week. We'll be right back all right as made and devil as it can. County Momorial Hospital tonight with a fractured neck. If you let me do the fusion. I can guarantee you'll be able to walk again, and he'll be able to fight again and not fusing my neck. We're not done him any the whole world outside the ring. Are you sick of people talking nothing like him? Did? Okay?

I'm gonna fight again. No, you ain't beat Vid? No? No, I mean you just don't know how to give up. No. I know exactly how to give up. You know what scares me, kivid, is that it's easy. Come on, this is insane. Yeah, show me how you do things, Show me how you live, Show me who do you want? Welcome back everyone, I'm here with Aaron Eckhart, who uh probably was excited to see that. Tell your right film festival lineup this year at both of your films there.

Thanks for coming here. First of all, I appreciate you being on the show. What do you think? I tell you right, that's my favorite festival I go every year. What did you think? I had a great time? Yeah, you know, obviously, because it's just such a beautiful place when you're flying in there and all the beautiful aspens and you know, the gondola and the beautiful sort of main street Um, so it was a pleasure to go

there first of all. But then, as you said, I had two movies there, um Sully and Lead for This, and UM I love both of the films and was there with great people, and UM, I couldn't imagine a better scenario world premiers for each. Uh you know, I want to start with Sully. That's the movie in theaters now, people can go see it. Now, people are seeing it. Obviously, I think it's doing pretty well at the box office so far, and Bleed for This is around the corner.

But working with Mr Eastwood, you know, I'm always curious because he has a different kind of workflow. I think kind of the one two takes, move on kind of a thing. And I'm always curious how how actors respond to that. Do you ever feel like you'd like a couple more cracks at it? Or does it instill confidence to be that thrifty Well, I think that, um, you know, going into it, obviously, Clint is a whole different animal. I mean, he is an icon. He's been working in

this business sixty plus years. At the top. He knows what he's doing as an Academy Award winning director. Um, there is UM Uh. You know, there's an admiration for him built into him that that other directors just don't have, you know. Uh, So you go in there very very um compliant, UM, and you want to please him. He also surrounds himself with his family, you know, I mean, his crew has done multiple films with him. Um. You know, yes, he has a reputation, but he also has implicit trust

in the people who he hires. And you know that going in he hires the best and and so he his whole thing about rehearsal and and and takes his I've hired you, I have total trust in your ability to give me what I want and UM, and so just do what you do. There's never any talk about one or two takes. It's you know, Clint said to me many times because he goes, I know what I have and you know, UM, I know when you've you've given me what I want. UM, and you just don't

question that. There were times when I felt like I needed another one, uh, and he gave it to me. UM. But the sense of the sense on the set is it's just so easy, it's so effortless. Um. Everybody's working at their best and UM, you know, you get into a rhythm really quick, and you learn to to you know, trust yourself, um in in in in these circumstances and and so it's never you never feel like you're being robbed of takes. You feel like um, rather, you feel

like you're being led into the family and UM. For an actor, obviously that's the most important thing, because trust is the most important atmomsphere, on the set and um. Sometimes directors don't know how to um uh create that sense of trust, that safety zone, you know, where you can do whatever you want to do. Also, we have Tom Hanks, who is, um, you know, one of our greatest actors, has given us some of our greatest films

and performances and UM. So here and you know, you have Clint So he's the general and then you have Tom and um, everybody's working off these two guys. I'm working off Tom the whole time. I'm doing what Tom does uh you know. So he's setting the tone on the set for the performance, for the performance of the film, you know, and he's working with Clint. So I learned

in this sort of circumstance. I learned pretty pretty quickly in my career what to do which is laid back watch observe, see what Clint, how Clint works, see how Tom works. And then I just sort of, Um, I just sort of worked my way into that and it works out pretty good. I've always heard that he doesn't really call action, that it's just like, all right, here we go and you just kind of go into the scene.

Is that true? Yeah, that's true. And that's just one of that's a great thing because I guess the story is that, Um, when he was doing his television show Clint and early in his career, they were always on horses and they reacted, they reacted that they would always scare the horses. So Clint finally said, why don't you just you know, put up your finger or something and

we'll go right into it so you don't scare the horses. Um. And it really works because you know, in real life when we're talking, when you started this interview, you didn't say action. You know, people don't say action when they when we're talking. I mean, it's, um, it's sort of an unnatural thing that movies have, um, you know, and with Auto Preminger and all these guys in the past with the bull horns and all that sort of stuff

that does nothing to create atmosphere on the set. And um, you know, actors prepare for a scene and a lot of times this preparation includes deep emotion and you know, hurt, sensitivity, all this sort of stuff. And when you when you when you get all that and you're ready to go, and then somebody yells action and it's not even usually

the director, it's the first a d um it. It disturbs that emotion that you've that preparation that you've created, so um, and it feels like work when you yell action or cut and Clint doesn't do that, so it never feels like work. And I think what I was with doing Erin Brockovich was Soderberg. I don't think he did either. Yeah, it was just a very easy and you know the way with Clint is that after the day's done, whether that day is a six hour day, an eight hour day, or a twelve hour day, you

never feel like you were at work. You feel like you just want to have fun with a bunch of guys and girls. You know, everybody knows each other and um, and I think it's reflective in the performances. Yeah, I was just on the set of a Western recently, and they mentioned that actually that the horses will kind of react to that. Um. You know both of these films, you're playing real people. You're playing Kevin Rooney, the Great Boxing Trainer and Bleed for This and the Unsung co

Pilot Jeff Skiles and and and Sully. Uh. Where is the line I'm curious between you know, uh, accuracy and essence. I guess you know there's you want to be true to the real people, but you also are playing characters who have dramatic thematic purposes. Yeah. I think what the

responsibility for an actor is. Um, there's two responsibilities. One is to um not ruin the person's life that you're playing, you know, because these movies are seen by millions of people, and you want to You want it so that they can be proud of the film and that they can go see it and talk to their friends about it and feel good about it. Um. In order to um

uh take off that box. Uh. You know you obviously you have to do research and get as close to that person as you possibly can in the in the U. In both of these instances, with believe for this and solely I wasn't able to be with them. Uh. Jeff Skiles is an active pilot today, so he was working and didn't have time. And UM, Kevin Rooney was in the hospital with um dementia. So I had to go on the internet. I had to find everything I could, all the old interviews and get close to the people

and and for bleep. For this I I worked out with his son. I went to Freddie Roach, the great boxing trainer, allowed me to be a fly on the wall in his training camp with Pacie versus Bradley, and I was at his camp every single day and UM, and then I went to Vegas for the fight. I was ringside. I was in the hotel before, I was in the UM. I was in the locker room before and after UM, so anyway I could get connected with boxing. I also met all the promoters. I met, you know,

all those characters you know, UM. And so that's how I got into Kevin Rooney. UM. And I stayed with him twenty four hours a day. I had his voice in my head. I had his He's got a lot of tape on him UM when he was with Tyson UM. And then afterwards and then for Jeff Skiles, I, UM, you know I talked to Jeff on the phone. Um, and then I did my research again. You know, you have the great thing about is you have a script, right and you no matter what, you have to abide

by the script. So you have a template, you have a guideline of blueprint. Um, you can get away with behavior. I'm never gonna give you exact behavior, but I'm gonna I'm gonna give you as close as I possibly can. For example, Kevin Rooney, the way he stands, the way the look, um, the way he talks. UM, that's pretty close. UM, I mean I pretty I worked really hard to get that close. Um. Uh. And uh, you know with Jeff Skiles, you know, I think I did okay with that too.

And UM, sooner or later, the real people they have to, um, they have to buy into the fact that this is a movie and that we're actors and we're not going to get it perfect and it's not going to be the exact story or exactly what they did. That's just not possible. Um. But I think that I try to get it as close as I possibly can. And with Bleed, you you know, you're you're dashing, good looks had to take a back seat. Because you got the big receding hair, and did you put on weight for them? Yeah, I

put him out forty pounds. I just went another version of good looking and that you know, some some uh some women you know dig that look. Uh yeah, you know. But more so, I mean, I think when people talk about the weight and the hair and stuff like that, to say, oh, it's you know, they look at it in terms of what I did as an actor. But that's not the important thing. The important thing is how do you get close to the real Kevin Rooney? You know, this was the state that he was in, and he

wasn't always like that. He was a boxer, He was a good boxer, training with Custom Moatto. He had a he had an amateur and professional career. But after Don King took uh took over Tyson and and put you know, Kevin Rooney out on the street. Um he was a big drinker, a gambler, he lost his way, he got depressed. Um you know, he really didn't have a career after that. So his weight and his attitude was a reflection of

what was going on in his life. And um, me, gaining the weight and doing that put me in that mindset. I was gonna ask if it's something, if it's that kind of thing when you go through a physical transformation, if it just only helps you further, or if it feels like another layer you kind of have to act for you. It's exactly the opposite. In fact, anything that you can do, anything that any impediment that you can give yourself as an actor that allows you to not act,

to not have to think about that thing is great. Um. For example, uh, and Kevin Rooney, he has a particular walk. In this walk is a result of his weight and his mindset. Um, he's back on his heels. He doesn't move his upper body a lot, he just uses his arms. He doesn't do too much movement. That's all the reflection of his physics, of his physical um, the weight and all that. So if I put on the weight and then go back on my heels, then I don't have

to think about that anymore. I can concentrate on what's in front of Miles or Vini passiens, or or what I have to do in the scene. So um, and even if the if the audience doesn't see the impediment. For example, if you put a rock in your shoe, you know something as simple as that. And I have a limp, why wouldn't I put a rock in my shoe? And then I can forget about the limp. The limp is going to be natural, right because I don't want to step on a rock in my shoe, and it's

gonna be a better experience for the audience. So I'm into that totally. And you've played with your look before. You talked about Aaron Brockovitch. Earlier you had the biker main going on. Yeah, the hair. I've gained weight three times over forty pounds for your friends and neighbors. And then another movie I did, and you know, uh, each time it's put me in the mindset of the character. And also when I look into the mirror in the makeup trailer or at home, I don't see me anymore.

I see this other thing, you know. Um, I see the character and and and people see the character. The other actors do too. And that's the one thing about green screen or computer generated like for example, The Dark Night. Um, yes, I for two faced. I had makeup on this side of my face, But it wasn't the computerated computer generated makeup that I that the film eventually got to So let's say that you're Gary Oldman or your Christian or whoever, um, and you have to see two faces face for the

first time. Had you seen that computer generated face, you would have had a different reaction because it would have been horrifying, right, because it was so good. So it's also good for actors who are playing opposite you, so that they don't have to act that they can truly be horrified or feel however they need to feel about you as an actor. Um. So, I mean it's been a tool since you know, I mean Bella, go see Shakespeare, since the Greek That's why the two the masks, right, absolutely,

But you mentioned your friends and neighbors there. I wanted to venture out a little bit. Did you have trouble getting dates after in the Company of the Men? Yes, I I from the second that movie was in Sundance and nobody had seen the film coming up on twenty years. That's twenty years I've been in this game pro and um wow, And uh sorry, I didn't you put a number on it? No, I actually I just I've been thinking about that because I'm forty eight and I got

into started doing movies. I was twenty seven when I did that movie. And but it's been a good twenty years. It's been an interesting twenty years from me. Um, but your friends and neighbors are in the Company of Men. They came out of Sundance, you know, the people that saw it came out and there I got the reactions. I mean just I mean, if they could have spent

on me, they would. And I did have one instance where, I don't know if it was months or years after, in the Company of Men, girl comes up to me and she goes, she and she was working with me in some way, and she says, she said, um, she said, I don't know why, but I just had this anger, you know, towards you. And I didn't know why. And I just felt sick when I would look at where it's sick, was wrong where, But you know what, I look at you, and she was I realized that it

was from me in the Company of Men's compliment. Man, Yeah, I mean in that case, yeah, basically. And my actually my my girlfriend at the time, who's actually in the movie, uh, Emily Klein. She uh, her mom called her up after the first time she saw that movie, and she goes, She's like, I don't know if I can trust there and anymore so. I mean, that's the power of the movies. That's the power of the script that Neil wrote. It's I love it so much. I think I saw it

in film school for the first time. So naturally, but you think you'll work with Neil again. He's been doing some TV lately. I think I just talked to Neil the other day. Um, Neil's doing a play. He wants to do a play on Broadway and asked if I wanted to be in it, and unfortunately I can't. But we're still very good friends. And you know, Neil has been very very good to me. Uh and um, you know,

he always tries to include me and whatever he's doing. Uh. The problem is it's just that, you know, schedules and and all that sort of stuff. But we will definitely work again. Awesome. I want to talk about Any Given Sunday. I'm a huge fan of Any Given Sunday. I hope you had a good time making the movie, because I would like to talk about it. It's one of those movies. It's it's so busy and like to me a good way.

It's like it looks like he shot a ton of film and like, what's laying around that's not in the movie. You know, Oh my gosh, working with Oliver Stone, What was that experience like for you? I loved it, you know, shooting a lot of film. I guess in those it was on film, right. Um, he had three units working at all times, Oliver. I remember one time I was way up in the uh in the in the in the coach's box up at Dallas Stadium, and I get up there and and the other people were there to

do the scene and and but Oliver wasn't there. And I was like it was a pretty major scene, you know. I like, it's like, when's Oliver coming? Because Oliver's in the locker room shooting Jamie Fox. They're doing this. But so like a lot of times, all everyone wasn't there because he was hooked into the monitor and blah blah blah. So we did that scene without Oliver. Um. But that's his style, I mean, the whole thing. I'll tell a story. You like story I do. Let's hear it. Uh. We've

shot in on Miami Beach. It was it was in s h um you know, uh pound sign t show uh and Um. I went to set in the beginning, and I wasn't working that day. I just went to go look at it. And out in the fields, Pacino was was working and they weren't shooting a scene, a football scene. He was coaching and and Dennis Quaid was over there, and and Oliver comes up to me and he goes, He goes, you're ready for the big time eron. I'm already scared of all of her, right, So I

was like, um, okay, yeah, sure. And he goes go out there and say something to out and I go, Oliver, I'm not even working today. I hadn't been through makeup. I wasn't in costume or anything. He goes, he goes, go out there and say something to him. I go, so he he didn't care. So I go out there and I have no idea what to say that you know, Al's you know, Al doesn't know anything about football, right,

you know, at the time. So we're doing a scene and and then so Oliver goes go over there in the background and uh and coach these players, right, these big football players. So I was like, okay. And what happens is that they're, um, you know, one of the coaches would throw the ball to the other they'd run and give the drop the ball off and we threw it and they would just go around in a circle. And um, so we're doing it, you know, Oliver says

action we're weigh in the background, and and uh. And halfway through the scenes, these guys quit, they quit the doing their little practice, and I freaked. You know, I'm their coach, right, So I get up in their faces and I go, if you guys ever quit again, if you ever stopped, I didn't tell you to stop. I'm blah blah blah blah blah. Right. Well, these football players had no idea who I was. They had no idea what was going on. So all the film rolling on,

all of this, yeah, oh yeah. We were in the middle of the scene and and so one of the football players comes up to me goes, you ever talked to me like that again, I'm gonna kick your you know, And I said, I'm your coach. I'm an actor. Oliver never introduced me to anybody, and so and then finally when they when they said, I said, I'm playing the offensive coordinator in this movie, then they all, you know, we all had a good laugh for the first impression.

But that's the way Oliver works, and there's a there's a method to his madness. I mean, he really gets people to just go crazy and to give their best, and he creates this atmosphere that it's uh, it's uh, it's an animal atmosphere that you know, you know, because you know football. The reason why you like that movie, I'm sure, I mean, you tell me is that it's just it's madness. I mean football is mad. All the Gladiator, the stuff they cut into it, I mean, it's it's

the essence of it. And he creates that offset. So the whole set is like that. Um, you know, people don't know what they're doing. People, and he shoots forever. We were doing twenty hour days for weeks and weeks, um. But he gets results and that's why Olive are so great. Um. I would definitely work with him again. Uh. Twenty years later, I know a little bit more than I knew that, you know, because I had just come off in the company of men. But it was a great time. You're

a football fan, Oh yeah, who's your team? Raiders? Raiders? Yeah? Okay, So what do you think of the Rams being back here? Yeah? It's good. I mean I'm I would prefer that they create l A's own team. You know, I know that the Rams were here at one time, but you know, I like that they're building a state stadium in the middle of town. I'd like that so that everybody can participate in the we don't have to go out for um. I like football. I love football, so I'm happy that

they're here. I'm still a Raiders fan, and if Raiders go to the Vegas I'm still going to be a Raiders fan. Yes. Are You're from Kuppertina, right from A Yeah. Way, So the Dark Knight you mentioned earlier, I think it looms large on you know, anybody's filmography that was a part of that film. Uh, I'm curious your thoughts on just the ballooning sort of comic book franchise status quo of the industry right now. You are kind of a

part of the most ideal scenario with that. You this ohtour filmmaker who had a blockbuster sensibility, dictated what he wanted to do with his trilogy and then got out of it. Chris is an independent filmmaker and art who makes the biggest movies in the world. So he the essence through the atmosphere on the set. Is an independent film, Yeah, but you have three of the largest green screens on the planet, you have two of the only Alimax cameras made.

I mean, you know, the Batmobile, all this sort. But he does it as an independent filmer, and he is, as you said in our tour, he's the closest thing that I've ever seen to what I felt like. Hitchcock was at the consummate filmmaker, the consummate storyteller with his own style, Chris. And then we had Heath who is giving a performance. Uh, that wasn't a superhero performance. That was a psychotic villain performance. Is psychotic like a method performance. Yeah,

I mean it was. It was real. It was visceral. You know. You know he wasn't putting on a show for the comic book. He was. I mean, anybody that can take the joke Jack Nicholson's joker and then make it his own has done a good job. You know,

Chris really gave us a novel for a script. When I read that script, it was the scenario where some guy goes to your house and waits in the garas in the driveway while you read the script, and I thought, how can Okay, I'll be two faced, but how can you possibly with all these other characters, can there be any room for character development as two face? And it

was all there. I mean, it was a novel. Um. He managed to put all these subplots and characters and give them all something to do, make them real characters, and um, and weave them in the story. Um. You know, as you said, that's it was different that trilogy because of Chris, I think had more depth to it, It had more social importance. Especially look at what's going on today this very day. Um. Uh you know. Uh, So I don't know that the other filmmakers out there are

doing have the vision that Chris does. And I don't know if they're trying to solve the same problems that Chris is and trying to teach us like Chris is. Uh. You know. Um, here you have Gotham City that is being overrun by a mob, by a personality you know. Um, people are afraid to walk the stre reads, the old lady can't go out, the police force is either bought off or scared. Um. These are real issues that are

going on today. Um. You know. Uh, the threat was very very real in the Dark Night, I don't know that the threat is as real. And other super superhero movies, I don't know if they even have the intention of doing and the goal seems to be everything is shackled by I P Really it's it's kind of like, we need this thing that has a fan base that we can create a product around. And that's what it feels like in the industry. You know, I don't know how

much teaching is being done in superhero films. I don't know. Now I'm forty eight, I'm not thirteen years old. I mean I went to Greece, man, I went to Rocky, but when I saw Rocky, I went out of there going I can do it if I want. Well, that's one of the themes, um, you know, David versus Goliath. You know all these things that it made me a better person Rocky did. Um, I don't know, and you could tell me maybe better this Are these kids going

out of those movies better people? Are they learning something? Are they using it in their real lives? Um, it's a fair question. What are movies for? You know? One thing about solely bringing it back to solely is you know, when I read comments. You know, if I'm on Twitter or whatever it is, you know, reading comments about the film, people I think are getting something from the film. Um

And and the same thing with Bleef for this. You know, Vinny was was a champ, broke his neck and and and and out of his own desire, this maniacal desire to box. He built himself back up and became five time champ. I can learn something from that. Um So, I don't look at things like an alien movie or a superhero movie, or a drama or a comedy. If somebody dies in an alien movie, it's the same to me as they die in a drama. It's the same acting as an actor. Um you know, flags that go

off in my head. I'm going to treat that as a real death. You know. Maybe that maybe that's why I'm where in my here because I haven't gotten a freaking message. But um So, you're not compelled then to to join into these big cinematic universes and be a part of though. I'm more compelled to go direct and write my own voice and find my own voice. I don't need to have. Um Look, I mean, as we said,

I'm twenty years into this, I'm getting older. UM, My whole thing would be to teach kids to um, to be better people and to have the tools to weather the storms that are coming through adolescence. And you know, I've always I have in fact, an idea to write my own superhero movie. But it has nothing to do with superpowers. It has to do with I don't even want to say, but it's it's tools that kids if

they learn them today as kids, they're there. There's social interaction tools that if they apply these, they actually can feel like superhero. UM. Well, I wanted to ask you because we were starting to I'll close here. We were starting to talk at the beginning before we recorded about the project. Here. We're trying to get off the ground as a director. So that's you're interested in in? Oh yeah, creating definitely. I feel that you know. Yes, I want to tell stories. UM. I want to have my own

voice out there. I also don't want to I want to be free. I want to do what I want to do in the movies and not have any talent telling me that I can't do it. Um. I also want to work with actors. I I want to What I'm looking for a director is Yes, the atmosphere of trust and all that sort of stuff. But I want

a director to say, it's not good enough. Go further, go further, you can do better, you can do better, you can do better, and push me even if it hurts, so that afterwards, when we see the product, I say, wow, I didn't know I was capable of that, Thank you. And I work with actors, and I look at other actors, and I look at the demands or the lack of demands that actors put that directors put on actors because directors oftentimes do not know what to say or how

to push an actor. Oftentimes directors are afraid of actors, so the actors aren't getting the best of the director. You know, um, and I would like to take actors and push them hard so that we can get to a place that we never imagined, so the audience can go, damn, that was real. I felt that. I think a great example of that is um is thirteen, the movie thirteen

by Katherine Hardwick. You know, she told me I was working with her, not on a movie but something else, and and she told me that, And you know, you're you're taking people and giving the best performances of their lives. What did it take to do that? How did the actors buy into it? Didn't hurt? Was it uncomfortable? Um, because I'm okay with uncomfortable. I'm okay with payne. Uh. You know if it gets as closer to where we want to be. Um, And so that's why I want

to direct. Awesome. Well, good luck with that, man, I hope you do it, And good luck with these two films. Everybody go see Sully. Pleave for this is around the corner. And thanks again for coming by today and really appreciate it. Thank you, m Thanks again for listening everyone. Remember to subscribe and check back next week. You've been listening to playback at Variety