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October 17, 2007
Just A Pleasure...
Every now and again, I am reminded why my work brings me so much pleasure.
This afternoon, I had the opportunity to sit down with Frank Langella, whose powerfully quiet turn in Starting Out In The Evening is garnering awards buzz and who just wrapped up roughly 18 months in Richard Nixon's skin, from the first call to come to London to do Frost/Nixon, though a Broadway run, and wrapping his work on Ron Howard's adaptation of the show just a couple of days ago.
Besides being a gentleman and a remarkably accomplished actor, something about chatting with a veteran who knows what his boundaries are, is firm about them, but is ultimately generous seems to have the calming effect in me every time. The perspective of maturity in success reminds me that it is possible, as there are so many examples of the alternative in our little Hollywood universe.
And it's not just Mr Langella. It's a lot of the people I get to talk to for extended periods lately. These chats are a part of what I have done this time of the season for years now, but not previously on camera. Shooting these conversations frees me from having to structure and bring writerly skills to interpreting their personalities and voices. You can see them for yourselves... no interpretation neccessary. For me, that is a great pleasure. My work is now in gently guiding the discussion in a way that brings out the subject. I am endlessly surprised at how generous people are with themselves once they are comfortable that we are really listening. Very exciting for me... and hopefully the viewer.
Anyway... the interview should be online in the next couple of weeks. Forgive my overshare, but sometimes I just feel like offering up some of the experience of being on this side of the table.
Posted by poland at October 17, 2007 05:03 PM
Comments
can't wait to see Frost/Nixon.
Posted by: anghus ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.mcnblogs.com/thehotblog/nav-commenters.gif)
at October 17, 2007 05:38 PM
Langella freaked me out as Quilty in the remake of Lolita. But I'll always think of him as the villain from Dave. He always reminded me of Christopher Lee and I hope Langella sticks around for another twenty to thirty years because he seems to get better with age. And I'm excited to see him in something in which he isn't just an evil villain (the dude has played Dracula, John Wilkes Booth, Skeletor in Masters of the Universe, if he just played Hitler and Stalin I think he'd cover everyone). He also did great work on HBO's short-lived Unscripted.
Posted by: Noah at October 17, 2007 11:13 PM
And he's also sensational on Broadway, not only in FROST/NIXON, but also in MATCH (as a flamboyant gay) and FORTUNE'S FOOL (as a wise-cracking Russian ex-nobleman). The man can do practically anything.
Posted by: Cadavra at October 17, 2007 11:16 PM
OK, I have to ask: David, as a musical-comedy aficionado, you did ask him about Those Lips, Those Eyes, right? (He was also a pretty damn good Henry Higgins for the Houston Grand Opera several years ago.)
Posted by: Joe Leydon at October 18, 2007 02:01 PM
Funny you should mention that, Joe. Langella has recently mentioned in interviews how much he'd like to do another musical.
Langella has a career-long reputation for not doing interviews. The fact that he's opened up for FROST/NIXON and STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING might be a sign of his mellowing, but certainly speaks to his love of those two projects.
I've been a fan since DIARY OF A MAD HOUSEWIFE and THE 12 CHAIRS, and it's been a thrill to see him move from all the larger-than-life roles he's known for to these two quieter ones.
(I also had the pleasure of interviewing him when I wrote the press notes for STARTING, and I agree with everything Dave said.)
Posted by: Reid Rosefelt at October 18, 2007 05:01 PM
I've been a fan since I saw him in Edward Albee's Seascape. And I thought he was great in the Broadway revival of Dracula. I've never understood why he didn't become a movie star yaers ago. Well, OK, he did do Sphinx, but still... He was a nifty Zorro, and a fine Sherlock Holmes. Hell, he was a terrific villain in Wrath of God opposite Robert Mitchum.
And you're both right: He is a very gracious interview.
Posted by: Joe Leydon at October 18, 2007 06:31 PM
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