Feature: HollywoodChicago.com’s 15 Best Interviews of 2012

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StarSophia Takal

Sophia Takal stars in Lawrence Michael Levine’s 'Gabi on the Roof in July'
Sophia Takal stars in Lawrence Michael Levine’s ‘Gabi on the Roof in July’
Photo credit: Lawrence Michael Levine

Interviewer: Matt Fagerholm

Background and Behind-the-Scenes: Since creating my own independent film blog, Indie Outlook, last May, I’ve been exposed to an even greater assortment of filmmakers—both in the country and around the world. I first  saw Sophia Takal in Joe Swanberg’s galvanizing picture, “The Zone,” in which she co-starred with Lawrence Michael Levine. Both Levine and Takal are accomplished New York filmmakers and very close collaborators (they got married last year). Levine directed her in his excellent 2010 drama, “Gabi on the Roof in July,” while Takal directed him in last year’s mesmerizingly eerie gem, “Green” which screened at Facets. Though I interviewed Levine for Indie Outlook, I decided to interview Takal for HollywoodChicago.com prior to “Green”’s theatrical release, without making our conversation any less in-depth.

Memorable Quote:[‘Green’] was a reaction against ‘Gabi’ in so many ways. I was super-jealous on the set of ‘Gabi’ and was kind of impossible to deal with. Time had passed and I was able to look at it and see where that jealousy came from. I decided that I wanted to make a movie that dealt with the issues that I had gone through. I also wanted to make a movie with my friends with no plans of who was going to see it or how we were going to market it or anything like that. It was a no pressure situation where we were all working together to just create art. I wanted to get away and remind myself why I love making movies. ” 

StarWilliam H. Macy

William H. Macy
William H. Macy
Photo credit: Fox Searchlight

Interviewer: Brian Tallerico

Background and Behind-the-Scenes: It was a sudden and quick interview offer as Mr. Macy had time off from “Shameless” and chose to promote his underrated turn in “The Sessions.” It was a sudden and quick interview offer that I JUMPED at and while someone with a resume as long and impressive as Macy is obviously an interview subject for whom anyone could talk about movies at length, it was fascinating to me how serious the subject matter turned and how clearly and passionately Mr. Macy expressed himself. Not only is he a great actor and as nice a guy as you’d expect but he’s even more well-spoken and interesting than I thought he would be. I’ve been lucky enough to meet a lot of actors and directors that I truly loved and few surpassed already-high expectations as much as William H. Macy.

Memorable Quote:I’ve always felt that the way you keep score in a civilized society is how we take care of those who, through no fault of their own, need the most amount of help. And I think we fall down in this country. This is not poverty or welfare. I’m talking about people with disabilities. And it puts me in a rage a little bit, especially in light of the abortion issue. I find some people’s point of view absolutely untenable that they, at once, would insist that every baby be born but, at the same time, want to shrink government and not take care of them. I find their positions to be reprehensible and immoral and hypocritical.

Star Mike Birbiglia

Mike Birbiglia Toasts Chicago in  2012
Mike Birbiglia Toasts Chicago in 2012
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

Interviewer: Patrick McDonald

Background and Behind-the-Scenes: Birbiglia is a hot comic commodity with the hard-to-pronounce name, getting acclaim for his quirky stand-up shows and his new film, “Sleepwalk with Me” (click for HC reviews here and here). Our meeting was at the 2012 “Just for Laughs Chicago” Comedy Festival, and as is appropriate for a comedian, Birbiglia was relegated to a hotel meeting place that looked like a police interrogation room. The low-keyed but very funny comic is transitioning into a new medium with his first film, which is filtered through his style of truth and passion. Soon everyone will be pronouncing his name correctly.

Memorable Quote:Oddly, it’s the audience [that discover comics] these days, because that relationship has become more direct. That wasn’t a possibility, obviously, before. Dane Cook was the pioneer of that. He just wanted to harness an audience through any means, and not go through the traditional route. Whoever liked him, he invited them to come with him. There was a sense in comedy before this era, that if you didn’t get the right connection or network, you couldn’t succeed. That just isn’t the case anymore.

StarDavid Newell

David Newell at the April 15th C2E2 convention in Chicago.
David Newell at the April 15th C2E2 convention in Chicago.
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

Interviewer: Matt Fagerholm

Background and Behind-the-Scenes: I fully credit photographer Joe Arce for helping me land this once-in-a-lifetime encounter with one of my childhood heroes. Like most people my age, I grew up with “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood,” and knew all of the show’s songs by heart. One of the most amusing characters on the program was Mr. McFeely, Mr. Rogers’ ever-reliable, tirelessly chipper speedy delivery man, wonderfully played by David Newell. When I discovered that Newel would be attending last April’s C2E2 convention, I couldn’t resist snagging an interview with the man and he was more than happy to oblige. We ended up chatting for over an hour. Our wide-ranging discussion covers everything from favorite “Neighborhood” episodes to Mr. Rogers’ stunning speech at the 1969 senate hearing where he convinced the judge not to slash PBS’s budget (needless to say, his argument is more relevant than ever).

Memorable Quote:It was the Nixon era. Senator [John] Pastore was put in charge of getting stories about public television, and we had just been on the air for a year. The senator was feisty and so tired of hearing written statements. He told Fred to plead his case without notes, and Fred turned his decision. After Fred spoke, Pastore said, ‘It looks like you’ve just got your $20 million.’ $20 million was like $80 million now. It was a lot of money, and the ruling affected all of PBS. … Fred was like Jimmy Stewart in ‘Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.’ He put his written remarks away and spoke from the heart. ” 

StarBen Affleck

Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck
Photo credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

Interviewer: Brian Tallerico

Background and Behind-the-Scenes: “Gone Baby Gone” and “The Town” were interesting movies but Ben Affleck reached a new career height with “Argo” and he came to Chicago at that time of year that is often the most-fun in which to do interview — post-Toronto. Films that really work send their directors and stars out of the Toronto Film Festival on a high and one can sense that as an interviewer. Affleck knew by the time he got here that he had a likely Oscar contender and a massive crowd-pleasing hit and so his confidence and excitement to talk about were amplified. He’s so passionate about what he does that I left the room with the impression that while “Argo” was his best work that that probably won’t last long. He seems like a creative voice always trying to top his best work.

Memorable Quote:I’ve taken a lot from a lot of directors. Gus Van Sant was very chill and creates a mellow atmosphere and allows actors to make their own discoveries. Roger Michell cast every part, like every extra, like he casts the lead in the movie, and so he would create this really cool thing where you can talk to anybody in the scene and go anywhere. Terrence Malick allows the unexpected to happen, and there are no rules. Martin Brest, from him I really learned about doing a lot of takes and letting actors get comfortable and choosing little tiny select bits from each take. Kevin Smith taught me that it doesn’t have to be fraught; it can be about working with your friends and can be a relaxed atmosphere and that can be conducive to getting better work.

StarAndy Samberg

The Interviewer Plays ‘Laser Cats’ with Andy Samberg
The Interviewer Plays ‘Laser Cats’ with Andy Samberg
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

Interviewer: Patrick McDonald

Background and Behind-the-Scenes: Andy Samberg, one of the great players on “Saturday Night Live” of the last ten years, rolled through town promoting his co-starring role – with Adam Sandler – in “That’s My Boy.” He was placed in an airless hotel cube that I remarked to him “looked like the room they used in the movie ‘Fail-Safe.’” This was a nerve racking 15 minutes, because I’m a great admirer of Samberg’s style of fun in his comedy. The free-wheeling interview put me at ease, and Samberg is as laconic and funny as his many comic personas. His quote refers to the fight he had in “That’s My Boy” with actor James Caan.

Memorable Quote:I was doing my best to not to think of everything else he had been in, because if I thought about other movies James Caan had done before working with me, I would have got it in my head about how much of a letdown this was going to be for him. It would be like, ‘The Godfather,’ and now the ‘Dick in a Box’ guy.

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