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  • 1 year ago
Actor/Executive Producer Billy Zane talks to The Inside Reel about connection, intent and personification in regards to his new film: “Waltzing With Brando” from Iconic Releasing.
Transcript
00:00This runway is too short!
00:19Careful, these are special brownies.
00:23One heavy storm will destroy it all.
00:26I completely agree, it's perfect.
00:30Yeah.
00:31What kind of water is this?
00:32Well, that's distilled water.
00:34Made from my own yard.
00:36That is not drinkable.
00:38The scene with Bernie on the beach was great banter that we came up with on the day about,
00:45and then talking about acting, gotta be more nimble, man, you gotta be loose,
00:48and that back and forth was, again, came out of this lovely balance and dance that John and I had,
00:56and Bill would, you know, pepper and tweak, and we'd just, this thing bubbled up.
01:02And that was on the actual atoll, right?
01:04Yeah, that was on Bird Island, I think.
01:06Okay.
01:07And there were many atolls around the lagoon that were part of it.
01:13And then, and the orangutan or gorilla thing was something I just threw in at the end,
01:20because I just, I didn't tell anyone I was gonna do it, and we finished the phone call,
01:25and I just figured, I just, that was him coming through.
01:29Like, he felt like a monkey in a cage, and he was like, fine, I'll give you what you want.
01:32You know, that just felt pure Brando to go, you know, here's your monkey, here's your, here's your, you know, your chimp.
01:39And to scare people away, as well.
01:43So those moments, you know, the film is ripe with, I think, those strange levels of authenticity, purely,
01:53I think, him just coming in and having a laugh, you know, to be honest.
01:57And now, about the humanity, which is a part of, a form of humanity connecting with that, even if it's in the spirit form, shall we say.
02:06Yeah.
02:09I mean, he, he held fast to the threat of service and wisely leveraged his, his celebrity like no one else, as, as the OG activist in Hollywood.
02:20That wasn't a thing.
02:22And he, he did it.
02:24He did it.
02:25He walked the walk where, you know, no one did.
02:27And it was copied, like, even his acting style.
02:30You know, actors in Hollywood, I remember seeing some black and white footage of, I think it was Charlton Heston talking about a round table during the civil rights movement after Brando had clearly been marching and being out there.
02:44And, you know, a few Hollywood actors were like, yeah, we really need to talk about this, I guess, huh?
02:50You know, it gets the elephant in the room, we can't ignore it and just be wrapped up in our careers.
02:55And it was, it was amazing to see the impact he had on others in that way.
03:03While he was being imitated in many other ways, really getting people to jump on that bandwagon was probably the most significant socially and culturally.
03:14All right, so as you know, the oceans cover 70% of the planet, but most humans only experience a fraction of it.
03:23Just, just what washes up on the shore.
03:26Now, you, you may look out here and you may see an empty lagoon, but really it's, it's home to thousands of microorganisms.
03:36And, and, and there's over 200 varieties of, of, of plants and not to mention countless animals, which is why I want to build the hotel right here.
03:53And my last question sort of speaks to that, you know, and it, it reflects really nicely in this one scene towards the end where you're among protesters and you wink up at us as well as Bernie is the irony of legacy, the irony of what legacy means.
04:09Because, you know, in hundreds of years, you know, people will go back and think about Brando, Brando, I think will still be on certain people's minds, like Chaplin was in the twenties, you know, the irony of this legacy, or maybe the, the, the, the yin and yang of it, if you will, that spiritual back and forth.
04:29Can you talk about that representative, that theme within the film, you know, I mean, using the Oscar as a doorstop, beautiful.
04:36Yeah.
04:37And everything's true.
04:38I mean, that's the craziest part.
04:40These are stories that we, you know, we had from interviews from assistants who worked with him over 10 year periods, two different groups and family members who, who love the movie, understandably, because it's, you know, it's a, it's a loving portrait.
04:53And, and the, yet he was filled with contradictions, you know, great at humanity, you know, some would say great at family, some would say there, you know, others might go, there were, you know, maybe not as much, maybe, you know, we do what we can.
05:15But, you know, some people who are good at driving the, you know, serving the masses, sometimes come up short at home, but, you know, others would say no, they absolutely captured him.
05:28You know, his daughter was like, that's him, you got daddy.
05:31That was his humor.
05:32That was his sensitivity.
05:34That was, you know, and it depends who you ask, like, is anyone ever one thing, you know, full of contradictions.
05:41And that's that and, and, and Mercurial, right, like, he, he, he had a tough childhood, you know, he, he had, and connected, but the way he interacted, he had this great sense of equanimity, couldn't really fathom, you know, just didn't really understand the lines blurred between races,
06:10or genders, or genders, for that matter, or like, you know, he's like, love all, serve all, you know, and he was just such a unique, like an alien, you know, in a weird way.
06:20It's just like, you know, who is this guy?
06:22You have a very lovely place, your highness.
06:25Oh, you may call me Madame Leroy.
06:28He was built for me by my first husband, Mr. Georges Duplantier, Villejardin de Beaufort.
06:35But I do love the fact that his daughter saw that, because that means it was really, if you can get that personality, that, and that, that heart, if you will, you felt the heart.
06:46She even said, Rebecca even said, when I, we showed her photos, before she saw the film, she was like, wait a minute, is that, is that you or daddy?
06:56Nice.
06:57Exactly.
06:58I guess, I guess we're doing it right.
07:01Oh, yeah.
07:02His own family.
07:03You even, you even got the ponytail right, Billy.
07:06They, the ponytail even looked spot on.
07:09So, awesome.
07:10Well, thank you very much, Billy.
07:11You know, grand, grand, I can't even say it's, it's so hard to channel the man like that, but to channel his, almost his soul in a way, you know, is a hard thing.
07:22That's the hardest thing to ever do.
07:24I have, I have to really thank you for one, it's clear you really understand and connect with that, because it's obviously in you, you know.
07:35And I appreciate, you know, the, the, your questions.
07:39I mean, they're, they're insightful and intelligent and, but I, what, what warms the heart is your, it's funny.
07:46I'll go to a Comic Con and people who love the Phantom are the Phantom as far as I'm concerned.
07:51They connect with Kid Walker, Kid Walker.
07:53They're like, they really love this movie.
07:55It's one of their favorite movies.
07:56And I was like, well, it's because you have the moral compass and, you know, you're, you're not living in this kind of postmodern idea of antihero.
08:05You, you, you, you're connected because it's rare.
08:07It's a rare thing that particular journey and character.
08:10So when the impression I'm getting is that you have always connected with Brando in a way and, um, see him and see him in yourself and see yourself in him.
08:24And that's kind of how I, I felt the same.
08:26And that's how I, that's how I approached it and, um, felt welcome to do so the way you probably have in a way.
08:33The world's going to judge us by our success.
08:36We've got to get this right.
08:38How?
08:39Is this an Oscar?
08:40Yeah.
08:43Earning the decisions you make profoundly changed my legacy.
08:48Don't disappoint me.
08:51I made an oath to achieve the impossible.
08:53A safe haven to contemplate the glorious potential of our planet.
08:57There's no more money for you.
08:58I'm sure I follow you.
08:59There is no more money at all.
09:01Ever.
09:08There is no more money than theга BBC in Britain.
09:10I think.
09:11There is no more money thaniani at all.
09:12There is no more money.
09:13There is no more money.
09:15I don't know what little bit of theirmotion to see the risk, but the way there is no pain.
09:17It's already revealed, because of these people.
09:18I am going on the company to gel with the debris.
09:19There is no more money.
09:21There is no more money every day.
09:22Over and over and over and over again during the Ad mars normally

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