Premiering on Apple TV+ beginning July 8th is the new six-part miniseries entitled ‘Black Bird,’ which is based on the book “In With The Devil: A Fallen Hero, A Serial Killer, and A Dangerous Bargain for Redemption’ by author James Keene.
Created by novelist Dennis Lehane (‘Mystic River’), the series follows James Keene (Taron Egerton), who is sentenced to 10 years in a minimum-security prison but cuts a deal with the FBI to befriend a suspected serial killer for an early release. Now, Keene has to elicit a confession from Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser) to find the bodies of as many as eighteen women.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Taron Egerton about his work on ‘Black Bird.’
Taron Egerton in “Black Bird,” premiering globally July 8, 2022 on Apple TV+.
You can read our full interview with Taron Egerton below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Egerton, Greg Kinnear, Sepideh Moafi, and Dennis Lehane.
Moviefone: To begin with, were you aware of the true story the series is based on before shooting, and what was your initial reaction to the screenplay?
Taron Egerton: I was aware of the story actually, but only in relation to the prospect of me playing it. I think there’ve been conversations between the producers, especially Bradley Thomas, and one of my representatives in the couple of years in the run up to me being offered it.
It’s just an undeniably great bit of writing. Of course, Dennis’ name is enough to peak your interest, because of everything he’s done. When I read it, I was just completely engrossed and compelled, and wanted to know what happened. I also recognized an opportunity for me to do something that I hadn’t really done before with the character.
Taron Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser in “Black Bird,” premiering globally July 8, 2022 on Apple TV+.
MF: Finally, you have played real-life people in the past, most recently as Elton John in ‘Rocketman.’ What type of research do you do when you are playing a real-person, and do you feel a sense of responsibility when you are playing a living person as opposed to a fictional character?
TE: Yes, I do. Of course, you don’t want that person to be unhappy with what you do. But also, my primary responsibility is to the script and to serve the script rather than to serve the person I’m playing. It’s always got to be that I’m playing the character that’s on the page before the person in real life, because those things are different. Personally, I feel that we get a little bit preoccupied with the idea of factual accuracy, or a carbon copy of playing someone who’s real, because it’s always you. It’s always as if you had lived a different life. You can’t really play someone else. You can only bring your own experiences to a role, but it was such an exciting story, ‘Black Bird.’
I suppose I recognized things in the character that were less like me, but also elements of it that I did recognize in myself. I just thought it was a brilliant opportunity, to do something that was such a counterpoint to Elton, with his sparkly shoes that are seven inches off the ground, flamboyance and sure charisma. This guy’s much more grounded. He’s hyper masculine, I suppose, whereas Elton was played with the idea of masculinity with what he wore and how he behaved. Yeah, it’s just a joy to be able to do something so different after the Elton John movie, ‘Rocketman.’
Taron Egerton in “Black Bird,” premiering globally July 8, 2022 on Apple TV+.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Dan Fogler about playing Francis Ford Coppola in ‘The Offer.’
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You can read our full interview with Dan Fogler below or click on the video player above to watch out interviews with Fogler, and Giovanni Ribisi about ‘The Offer.’
Moviefone: To begin with, were you aware of all the legendary behind-the-scenes stories of the making of ‘The Godfather’ before you started making this miniseries?
Dan Fogler: Yes, we just had one recently on the series that was a legend that came out, which was the famous dinner scene. I remember talking about that in college when I went to acting school because it was such a great tool. Coppola talks about getting all the actors together for dinner, sharing central activities, drinking together, and partying together because that builds the relationships and it makes excellent chemistry.
So, there was this famous dinner that we recreated in the show, where they brought in the cast. It was the day before shooting and Coppola rented out this room in this restaurant and they brought Marlon Brando, James Caan, and Al Pacino. Everyone was there, even Diane Keaton. Everyone started vying for Brando’s attention and everyone kind of sat where you’d think that they would sit as a family hierarchy.
Then all the things that happened in that scene played out, where there’s an insult and Caan gets upset, and it gets heated. Then Brando says, “Did this man hurt you?” to Talia Shire. Suddenly, it was in that moment that Coppola saw, “Oh my God, this is going to work. Everyone’s falling into place perfectly, the chemistry’s working and they’re already in character.” So, it was one of those magical theatrical moments. So yeah, those are legends. Coming up as a young actor, you hear about all these things and then suddenly you’re on set and you’re recreating them and it’s very surreal.
MF: What was your approach to playing Francis Ford Coppola?
DF: So, I’ve been kind of studying Coppola for a while. I saw ‘The Godfather’ when I was in high school as a young actor, and then used that as a mothership of the whole ensemble, just like reverse engineering. I was seeing everything from Coppola, including ‘The Godfather,’ then I went to ‘Apocalypse Now,’ and ‘Hearts of Darkness.’
Just seeing Coppola, the ringmaster at the center of that circus and the kind of person that it takes. The fortitude that it takes to create something like that, the passion, and the energy. So, I was very familiar with him. I understood as a young actor, he was 30 when he did ‘The Godfather.’ There was a real “Orson Welles syndrome” going on with him, where he’s the smartest guy in the room, but he still is got to prove himself.
He won an Academy Award for writing ‘Patton,’ which is just military poetry, but he still had to prove himself as a director. They don’t make a lot of people like that anymore. These real artists, he’s like a real visionary. What I understood about seeing him at the center of that, that he has to put himself in the middle of chaos in order to create his best work. He has to be in the middle of a pressure cooker in order to create, to be at his best.
I understood as a young actor, really trying to prove yourself, being put in a situation where you’re pigeonholed and who would ever cast me is Coppola? I would think John Belushi first, and I would think all of these different people first. I knew I would have to prove myself in order to be the room to audition for Coppola.
But there was something that happened after the audition where I saw myself and I kind of saw what they were hoping to see, like the potential there, which is that I look like him. I look like I could be related to him if I put the glasses on. I got a beard, I put my hair to side, and I really do look like him. So, there was a confidence there where I thought, I got a shot here. So, Coppola has been in my life a long time.
Matthew Goode as Robert Evans in ‘The Offer,’ streaming on Paramount+, 2022. Photo: Miller Mobley/Paramount+
MF: At this year’s Oscar ceremony, Coppola for the first time ever publicly recognized Robert Evans contributions to ‘The Godfather.’ Can you talk about their relationship in the series and what it was like for you to work with Matthew Goode?
DF: If Matthew is not nominated (for an Emmy), then there’s something wrong with the world. I had a front row seat. There’s something that happened to me playing Coppola, which was, I’m playing a director. I had such a love of the ensemble of all their performances. I was just sitting there impressed. I just couldn’t help but root them on and be a coach for them. Anytime someone was like, “I feel nervous or whatever.” I was like, no. You are amazing. I was there for them for the support. Especially Matthew, because he’s a Brit. What he’s doing is he’s just sinking into that, disappearing into that, and becoming Bob Evans. I think that he’s amazing.
On the show, I’m playing a great admiration for the Evans because he’s giving us a chance here. He’s just a huge coach for everybody, but in a real life, that contention really spiraled out of control. There’re so many egos and there’s telegrams that I found, between Evans and Coppola when they were starting to do ‘The Godfather Part II.’ They’re just scathing, and a lot of feelings were hurt.
Here’s the thing. Coppola had this vision and he saw only one person as the Don, and he wanted Brando. He thought that was a long shot. Then when he got Brando, it was just like, “Okay, well then I want Pacino, that’s my only choice.” So, he became like, “It’s my vision, let me see my vision to the end. There’s something here.”
He butts heads with Evans at every point on the road. So, I guess they did butt heads a bit about that. That’s in the show, and those scenes are a lot of fun, but I think my favorite stuff to play is when they’re working together, getting along, and Evans walks in and is just like a knight in shining armor. He just saves the day. There’re a couple moments like that. Those are my favorite moments, the celebratory moments where we’re all winning, and the musketeers are working together.
MF: Finally, have you ever had a chance to meet Francis Ford Coppola?
DF: No, but I’ve met people in his family. I worked with Robert Schwartzman. I did ‘The Argument,’ with him. He’s his nephew. I’ve met and spoken to, in my research, people that want to be off the record, who are very close to him. I got to speak to James Caan, which is as close to him but not in the family as you can get. I hope one day to talk to him and I hope that he sees it. That would be the ultimate badge of honor to get his stamp of approval.
You can watch an exclusive scene from the finale of Paramount+’s ‘The Offer,’ featuring the premiere of ‘The Godfather,’ by clicking on the video player above.
