April 18, 2024 • 38 mins
“I remember saying to myself, ‘that’s my part.’” For the season two premiere of More Than a Movie, we sat down with Andy Garcia to discuss the path to his legendary acting career, navigating Hollywood as a Latino, and manifesting his role as the successor to the most notorious crime boss in film history.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
I remember that first night, Francis started cooking for everybody,
all the actors and people that were there.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Mario Pusa was there.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
I went into the kitchen and I said to Francis,
can I help you Francis with anything?
Speaker 2 (00:18):
And he said yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
So I was just helping him, you know, I wanted
to immerse myself in him, you know, in his world.
And then at dinner I sat next to Mario Puoso
and I said to a Mario, is there anything you
can say to me about Vincent that I'm inside and
who you think he is? And he said he has
the smarts of Veto, the temper of Sonny, the warmth
(00:43):
of Fredo, and the coldness of Michael. I said, thanks
very much, I'll work on that.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Welcome to More than a Movie, a podcast that gives
you a behind the scenes look at your favorite movies.
I'm your host, Alex Fumero. Last season we did a
deep dive on American met This season, I'll focus on
a different movie. Each episode, feature interviews with the biggest actors, directors,
writers and producers behind them, and tap into the history
of Latinos in film. In the life of a young
(01:22):
Cuban American kid growing up in Miami, there were basically
two guys I could point to who were in movies
or TV who felt like me. Desier Nas, who named
my daughter after, and Andy Garcia. I first saw The
Godfather three when I was only eight years old, probably
too young for a kid that age, but the star
(01:43):
of that movie wasn't just anybody. It was this guy
my parents were friends with. He'd gone to the same
high school as my mom, He'd become friends with my
stepdad in la as two Miami Cubans trying to make
it on the West Coast, and now he was starring
in the sequel to what was explained to me even
then as the two greatest movies of all time. And
(02:05):
the older I got, the more important that moment has
felt to me, not just personally, but because it feels
like a changing of the guard. After decades of watching
Italians and others playing Latinos and movies like Scarface, here
was a Latino guy taking on the mantle of the
most famous Italian character of all time, Nephew. From this
(02:35):
moment on call yourself, Incent Coleon. It felt then and
it still does now, like we made it so. Of course,
when I knew we were doing a new season of
the podcast. I knew I needed to call upon him
to do a service for me. Andy. I'm so glad
(02:59):
you could be here today to talk about.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
I'm so happy I'm still around to talk to you.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Well, you're not only around. They're making a You grew
up and so did I. Oh, yeah, I know. He
tell me about it. You have better hair than I do.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
We'll talk.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
I can talk about I can't take credit for that.
This is a podcast about male hair care. So and
he asked you here to talk about your career, but
especially to talk about The Godfather and Godfather three, a
movie that for me. I don't know if I can
overestimate the impact that the movie had. I mean, I
(03:36):
remember being eight years old. I believe the theater was
on Miami Beach. I think it was the theater on
Lincoln Road, and there was a screening, a special screening
of the movie when it came out in nineteen ninety.
You know, whether or not my parents should have been
taking me to see The Godfather at the age of
eight is a different discussion.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Well, it worked out for you.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
It worked out, and I remember seeing you on that
screen and something changed for me, and I realized in
that moment that I could maybe do that. It put
the bug in me, of course, of course, and part
of that is because the representation matters, right. And you
(04:20):
are a person whose story is very similar to my parents' story.
You know, in fact, you grew up in Miami Beach.
My mom grew up in Miami Beach, right, Both of
you came as exels from Cuba. So I wonder if
we could just start, maybe at the beginning.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
I grew up in Miami Beach, and that's where I
got exposed to films, you know, as a young boy,
going to the cinemas from a very early age. There
was one there around where we lived called the Surf Theater.
The summers, they had these programs in Miami Beach where
you saw The Godfather at the Lincoln Theater. They had
all these double features and during the summer and I
(04:55):
would leave the house and I would go see these
double feat features, and usually there were adventure movies, but
you saw movies like The Crimson Pirate and Captain Blood
and a Great Escape, and of course the Bond movies
that began to come through, and I was very enamored
with cinema. Obviously, it was a thing that I was
(05:15):
very attracted to and I would get lost in.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Do you remember the first time you saw a Latino
actor on screen? Do you have any notable memories of like, oh,
this is a guy with an last name like mine,
or maybe you.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Know some of those old films, you know, those pirate
movies and stuff had people like Gilbert Rowland and those
guys that the Hispanic but that changed their name. But
I wasn't really saying that there was one particular then
at the time. Actually, the one person that you really
identified with was Desi Arnas, who was on television in
(05:51):
the Lucy Show that was on all the time. So
that was kind of like, he's of your culture, He's Cuban,
and it was going, wow, you know, this is interesting.
But I was not thinking consciously about that I wanted
to be an actor, but subconsciously I was being totally
set up for it and influenced by it to the
degree that in my senior year in high school, at
(06:15):
the beginning of the school ye at the beginning of
the basketballs season, I got a very bad case of
mono nucleosis, and my doctor, doctor Pedro Greer, gave me
the terrible news saying, you can't play basketball, you cannot
exercise for six months, or your spleen could burst. And
so I was in this kind of emotional limbo. First
(06:35):
of all, I was at home for like a month
in bed. You're trying to shake this thing. And I'd
watched a lot of television, a lot of I Love
Lucy and you know. And then that year I took
an acting class in at the High School of Miami
Beach Senior High and there's a teacher that named Jay Jensen,
who was very well known, who taught Mickey Rourke, ellen
(06:57):
Bark and a lot of folks. And I was very
stimulated by the class, and he was very encouraging, and
he kept encouraging me, you have something here, kind of
you should call them. And so that I guess when
I was in this sort of vulnerable state of not
being able to have anything that was occupying my mind,
which was sports, this other thing that I had inside
(07:19):
of me, sort of like a virus took over my body, everything,
my soul, and so it picked me kind of, you know,
it was there all the time, and it took over.
And then I saw the Godfather. I was seventy two
when I was graduating, and like you said earlier, privately,
I said to myself, that's what I want to do
(07:41):
with my life. I want to aspire to do that.
You couldn't tell anybody that because they think you were
absolutely nuts.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
You know, what's the reaction when you're like, mommy and baby,
I want to be an actor.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Well, they have no relationship to it, you know, they
have no conceit of how you make a living as
an actor.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
There.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
To them, an actor is Humphy Bogart for Clark Gable,
you know, and it's like I can imagine, is I
love my son, but he's not Humphrey Bogart, you know,
that kind of thing. So, you know, it was very
difficult for them.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
They was very concerned.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
What were the kind of things they would say to you.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Well, the thing was, it wasn't overnight thing. You know.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
I went from that moment in high school. I went
to college at the local community college and I took
acting classes there, and then I went to FIU this
last two years because at the time FIU was only
a two year school, and the last two years at
that time, and then we went to school there and
I was in the theater department. They were doing plays,
so they would come see me perform and all that,
(08:43):
and they just felt it was like he likes doing this.
But when you're finished with college, you know, I was
involved in the family business. I've been trained there. It
was flourishing. But then after college it was time to
you know, sort of fish or cut bait. And I said,
I'm going to la to look for work.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
I guess.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
When we come back. Andy Garcia plays tennis with the
cast of Scarface. But before that, say hello to my
little commercial. Welcome back to More Than a Movie. I'm
(09:28):
your host, Tony Montana. Let's continue our conversation with Andy
Garcia as he makes his way out of the vortex
that is Miami and out to Tinseltown. So you moved
to Los Angeles, he flew out here. And then was
there anyone here that you knew?
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Yes, actually, Stephen Bauer was here. I had known from my.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
Better known as Manolo from Scarface.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Yes, Stephen, and his original name was Stephen or Rocky,
So he had called me. We were friends from Miami.
I had done an episod sort of that show that
he was doing in Florida, and we rolled together.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
We are friends.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
And he said he came out here, he had representation,
he got he got a job, he got hired by
Columbia Pictures Television as a contract player, and he said, hey,
there's work out here, come on out. So that encouraged
my move. And when I came out here, there was
nobody waiting for.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Me here, you know.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
And I didn't have an agent, and so it so is,
you know, the process began, you know, of trying to
find representation, trying to find work, pay the rent, you know.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
So and you've done some TV and film projects, very
small ones get past a us ahead.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Well, yeah, and I did a movie in the Dominican
cold Wawa see which was one scene in a movie.
But no, I hadn't really been on you know, I'd
done this theater. And when I came here in those days,
I kept studying and I went to take classes and
eventually became a member of one of the house improvisational
theater groups at the Comedy Store. And that's where I
(10:59):
start to get some exposure to casting people and got
a little work here and there because people would come
to the show, you know, just trying to stay at honed. Yeah, active, yeah,
while you try to find an agent. That was the
most difficult thing is to find someone that could get
you out an audition, because if you don't audition, you
can't get work.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
And agents would say kind of out of pocket stuff
to you back then, right like they would be like,
you need to change your name or completely fix your teeth.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Fix your teeth, change your name, lose your accent and
come back to me.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Were you aware you had an accent when you got
you were? And how did you feel? Did you work
on it?
Speaker 1 (11:35):
I went immediately to a speech therapist and worked on it,
and they dissect where your issues are, where you tend
to lean on that side of it, and you become
aware of it, and you do exercises to train your
mouth and your tongue. Yeah, you know, without losing sort
of your character, but just to neutralize it. And as
(11:55):
an actor, you want to be able to play other
things and you don't want the accent to get in
the way. Of course, you can put on an accent.
It's like you see all these great actors and actresses
from Australia or from England and they're on a show
or in a movie and they have a completely neutral
sort of American accent, and then when they're being interviewed,
they go right back to their things.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
So so you so you work on the trip, but
you almost right away, it seems how long did it take?
I mean you start, you started on shows like Hill
Street Blues. I know you did, like an episode of Murder.
She wrote, you got these kind of like big parts,
But I mean that's you know at the time, did
you feel like they were bit parts? I mean I
would have been excited, I think.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
Sure, I mean, you know, but literally there were like
bit parts, like one scene or a bit in a scene.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
It wasn't like you were there for the whole story,
you know.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
But yes, I was excited to work and to get
Mike zachcard and to make some money, to validate that
you can function. You're also learning actually being on set
and being in an environment, and slowly those things would
turn into something else. But at the time I was
working many other jobs. I was loading trucks at roadway,
(13:04):
you know those trucks that say roadway in the City
of Commerce. I would load and unload trucks in the
night shift from seven in the night to like five
in the morning or something like that.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
All night long.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
In fact, I worked with a lot of actors that
were there at Brian Kreston work with me in the
There Roadway and so you know, we all did all
kinds of jobs. I worked as a waiter at the
Beverly Hilton Hotel, banquet waiter. That was pretty steady because
I can call in and work when I wanted to.
At one time, I went in there. He's a curious thing.
I went into this place I was working, and I
(13:38):
would just call in. I wouldn't say, well, what's the event.
I just say do you need an extra waiter and
say yes, come in. And then I got there and
it was the Golden Globes and I was assigned to
work on The Coming Home Table, which was directed by
Hal ashby John Voyd, Jane founder Bruce Dern right when
the movie won. It was a very celebrated film. But
(14:00):
how was one of my heroes as a director, and
then later on I actually got the opportunity to work
with him eight Million Ways to Die, which was a
movie that really changed my life. You know, let's talk
about that.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
I mean, you're doing these kinds of parts, You're booking
seemingly larger roles now in film, but not huge sort
of plant your flag in the sand kind of roles,
and then you book eight million ways to die.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
Well, it's a process. You know.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Here's the thing. When I came here in those days,
as you know, the parts that were written that were
characters that were Latin predominantly they were nurses or maids
or gang members. Basically, that's what it was, the predominant
ninety percent of all the parts. And there were basically
(14:49):
parts in a movie there weren't a character necessarily that
was part of the story. They weren't writing lawyers and
you know, like Hillstory Blues. Although they had a lot
of sort of delinquents and gang members, they also had
the Nae and Riquez played like the chief of police
or one of those.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
You know.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
The thing is that those parts that were available for me,
I could never because my name was Garcia. People would
see me just for those parts. I'd go in to
play a gang member, specifically a Mexican American you know,
Chicano gang member. Physically, I didn't fit in that group,
you know, so they would look at me and go,
what are you doing here? I said, well, you called me,
(15:26):
and he goes, I'm sorry, we saw the name Garcia
and we called you in, but no, you you know,
you're like the diplomat's son. You can't play this part
because so and I said, I'm an actor, you know.
You argue and they go, no, I understand, but we'll
call you in for something. Anyway, there was no something else,
and I wasn't being considered like many actors with a
Latin name for parts other than those Latin parts, right,
(15:47):
So I was in a quandary of no opportunities until
a movie came up that was shooting in Miami called
The Mean Season with Kurt Russell, and it so happened.
And because it was Miami, the young cop detective was
Cuban and so now I became one of the shortlists
(16:08):
to potentially play that part. I got that part very quickly.
Jane Jenkins was the casting director, and she brought me
in met her, the director says at parts of yours.
And then from that movie I started to get interest.
They asked me to come in. They wanted me to
be a reoccurring character for the season on Cagni and
(16:28):
Lacey as a kind of a love interest. And because
in those days television there was this sort of thing
about taboo that if you did TV you couldn't fill
for some reason now, And so I rolled the dice
and I turned down the part to stay in like
in the game, sort of in the film game. And
(16:49):
I was working doing voiceovers in Walla and supporting my
family that way. I had a little girl at the time, Dominique. Yeah,
she was very young, and and that work was providing
the rent and insurance. And then eight Million Ways to
Die came in and I just said, you know, this
is how Ashby movie. They're looking for this antagonist opposite
(17:11):
Jeff Bridges. I read the script. The first script that
they started the movie was with an Oliver Stone script,
and later on that was changed, and there was a
rewrite and another rewrite, and we ended up basically at
the end improvising all our scenes. Wow, Linn Stallmaster was
casting it, and I couldn't go in to see him.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
He wouldn't see me.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
He kept saying to the agent, I know, Andy's a
lovely actor, but we're looking for someone like a hector
macho camacho type. You remember the boxer, Yes, and Andy's
more like the diplomat's son, you know that kind of thing.
And I kept pressing. I said, please just ask him,
just get me in. I know who this guy is.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
It's already so hard because there's so few Latin roles,
and then to be told, well, we need you know,
Latin point zero one three, this very specific type cast.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
Yeah, there were you know, kind of this urban, tough,
crazy guy. Sure, I said, I know who this guy is.
I know who this guy is. And eventually my agent
was relentless and Linz said, okay, I'll, you know, bring
him in. And then I knew when I went in
there that I had to go in in the character.
You know, I couldn't go in there casually and they
just do the scene. So I just went in in
character and I read for Lynn. But basically, you know,
(18:20):
you kind of roll the dice. You got to roll
the dice and make an impression because you only got
one shot. And I used to smoke in those days,
so I started to smoke before you know, I was
we're about to do the scene. I started to light
a cigarette and lin said, I'm sorry, we can't, there's
no smoking here. The character's name was Angel, and I said,
Angel doesn't give a fuck what you thinks, and he
(18:41):
kind of looked.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
At me, and he knew that it was an actor thing.
You know.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
He kind of shook his head and go, oh shit,
here we go, you know. And then he said, you
mind if we go to another room. And I said
to him, wherever we're going, I've already been and wherever
you've been, I don't need to go.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
He was like, that's it, yeah, and just followed me and.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Then you know, we went then I met you know,
the story goes on, right.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
He was a coked out, you know, no morality, no
remorse kind of guy. And how just after the reading,
How said okay, and I got the part. So that
got me a lot of attention, and that's what opened
up the door for the untouchables.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
So you do these movies with these incredible directors Brian Palmer, Ridley,
Scott how Ashby and.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
Then Jerry Schatzberg early on too, and.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
Then tell me about how does this Godfather three thing materialized?
Because as you told us, you know, as we know,
like The Godfathers, this movie that you watched and said
I want to do that.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
Yeah, Well, it's it's almost like a thing that you
manifest your own destiny, you know, in a way in life.
In the early eighties, when I was loading trucks, there
was a rumor, not a rumor, there was public like
in variety that they were going to do god Father
three and there was a new part, the Son of
Sonny All that was kind of leaked, and that they
(20:08):
were looking at actors like John Travolta or Sebasti Stallone, whatever,
the people that were known, and they were Italian, the
usual suspects that were you know, especially John. It was
a big star. And I remember saying to myself, that's
my part, that's my part. But you know, I had
nothing to show. But internally I didn't tell anybody, you know, hey,
(20:29):
that's my part. I just said to myself, that's my part.
That's my part. So when it did happen in nineteen
eighty nine, it gave me an opportunity to do some
work where I had done a lot of work at Paramount.
Like you mentioned, what was it, Untouchable's Black Rain you said,
Dead Again Internal Affairs, which they wrote for me, right,
(20:51):
and that was like eighty eight or something like that, right,
And we were doing the film and Frank Mancuso, he said, hey,
the chief wants to come and have lunch with you.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
This is like May.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
So he comes to the set and we're having lunch
and he says, the movies going great. We've seen Dailysus
going great. He says, what are you doing in September.
Remember it's like May June, because I'm going to talk
to Francis. I want to be Vincent and the new Godfather.
And I said, I'll check my schedule. I'll get back
to you.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Quick pause for all the stronsos out there who don't
know the Francis he's talking about. Here is the Godfather
director Francis Ford Coppola.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
And I told him I'd be honored to do it.
And so what happened was from like May or June,
throughout the whole summer, there were other people that wanted
that part. Of course, it was a beautiful part. Every
actor in town wanted that part. Who wouldn't want that part?
And Francis started to screen test people. Now, if you
know the history of the Godfather with Francis and the
(21:54):
struggles he had with the studio when they would suggest
people for the movie, it's become like film or right.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
Yeah, So I was the guy the studio wanted, and
I wasn't Italian, but then't again, neither was Brando and
neither was James conn No, I wasn't Italian, right, So
didn't bother mister Mancuso.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
A lot of people don't realize Marlon Brando, it's not talent.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Right, But I had played Italian and.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
You know in a couple of times, right, yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
In the Untouchables in Black Ray, and you know, so
I purposely was you know, I had shots now to
play things outside of my own culture. So anyway, he
was screen testing people, and I was always asking, why
can't I just go with screen test. I'm going to
lose the job because I'm not getting a shot to
meet Francis. And finally, like in August, they called me
(22:41):
and I flew in and met him, the beautiful meeting
and I left. There was no reading or anything, and
then they kept screen testing and I kept saying, why
can't I just screen test for him? And the agent says,
don't worry, don't worry, the studio wants you. I said,
I understand, but people are going screen testing. Let me
just screen test. And finally, on a fright before Labor
Day weekend a Thursday, I got a call Francis wants
(23:04):
to test to you and get on a plane. And
I met frances that afternoon on Thursday. They gave me
the size, he talked about the character together and this
and that. I went home, not home, to the motel
there in Napa Valley, which is if you ever met
in Napa Valley at night, it's pitch dark, you know, yeah,
and whatever little light there is, it's just like if
(23:24):
you're in a motel or so this was little Bungalow motels,
and there was an electrical shortage, you know, all the
lights in the valley went out. So now I was
sitting in my hotel room with one of those little
you know, candle light things like Scrooge that they gave
me at the office, trying to work on the material.
Eventually that gets you very tired, goes your eyes and
(23:47):
I went to sleep. I woke up early, looked at
the material again, went in and screen tested, and I
went well, and as I was taking my wardrobe off
and putting my cla, Fred Russe, who was the casting
director and one of the producers, said, well, I met
doing the Mean season, so he was supportive. He was
one of the guys that was saying to Francis, also,
this kisses the guy. Yeah, but I was the last
guy in, you know, to test. He said, the Francis
(24:10):
would like you to stay for dinner. And then by
the time I put my own clothes on, there was
another knock on the door and he said there's been
a change of plans. You can go home, you know.
So I said, okay, well, and I knew that, you
know that I felt good about what I did, and
that's all I could do. The next morning, I got
a call on Saturday saying you got the part and
go fly back up on Monday. You start after that weekend.
(24:32):
Were started rehearsal in Napa Valley.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
And I know, look, I know for years in your
mind you're like, this is my part, and you've been
sort of preparing yourself for it, but you don't know
the details of the arc. You don't know exactly what's happening.
And this is a movie. No.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
I knew that this character was going to be handed
the family.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
Right, but you didn't know where all the road posted.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
No, no, right. I hadn't seen the script yet. I
just seen sides.
Speaker 3 (24:55):
So what I think is so beautiful about this performance
is that It really does justice to the idea of
someone who is Sonny's son, you know, right, who makes
this transition to essentially being Michael's son.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
Right.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
Yes, I wonder like, did you talk to James Kahn?
Did you talk to Pacino?
Speaker 2 (25:15):
Well?
Speaker 3 (25:15):
I worked with Pacina, of course, but before starting was
there any kind of lie?
Speaker 1 (25:19):
I actually knew how because we used to play paddle
tennis together. I met him because when they were doing Scarface. Stephen,
you know, is the friend and I love to play
paddle tennis, and Stephen said, come play with us. And
I met Al that way, and we would play paddle
tennis in Studio City. There was a course there and
sometimes we go out to the beach and one of
(25:40):
those beach clubs out there.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
So Al is the warmest guy in the world.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
And I remember when Steven introduces and he said, oh,
look you see I told you guys look alike, right,
And I said, yeah, yeah, yeah, you know, but he
was very warm. We laughed a lot, so I knew
I'll just socially a little bit, you know.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
So when I got to you know, to Nap on
that Monday, the first day, and you know, we kind
of said hello and I gave him a hug. It
was kind of like I said, you know, of course
it's got to be. You know, you have a resemblance,
you know, for the family and all that stuff, you know.
But no, I didn't talk to anybody. Oh I had
the material. I remember that first night, Francis started cooking
(26:23):
for everybody, all the actors and people that were there.
Speaker 2 (26:25):
Mario Puosa was there.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
Well.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
I went into the kitchen and I said to Francis,
because you know, because I like to cook your dad
and our culture, and I said, can I help you
Francis with anything? And he said yeah, and he took
ahead of garlic. I'll never forget this, and he with
his hand, He's got very strong hands. He just pressed
on it and the whole garlic just fell apart, like
crushed it. And he said, peel those for me, and
(26:50):
I said sure, and then I started peeling the garlic
and he said, wait a second, hold on a second,
and he grabbed them like that, you know, scooped him
off the table and put them away. And he said, no, no,
I'm going to do as that Mario likes instead, which
is just with onions. So he said, cut these onion
I guess I cut the onions and he said, go
out to the garden and bring me a big bushel
of basil. You got in the garden outside his house
(27:12):
at Napa. So I was just helping him, you know.
I wanted to immerse myself in him, you know, in
his world. And then at dinner I sat next to
Mario Puzzo and I said to a Mario, is there
anything you can say to me about Vincent that you
know I'm inside and who you think he is? And
he said he has the smarts of Veto, the temper
(27:33):
of Sonny, the warmth of Fredo, and the coldness of Michael.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
Oh. I said, thanks very much, I'll work I'll work
on that.
Speaker 3 (27:45):
No pressure, right, I'll work on that.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
Please don't tell me anything else. Yeah, sorry, I asked.
We're good.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
We're good, We're good. If this podcast was The Godfather,
my producer Chloe would be Michael, I would be Sonny,
and this commercial break would definitely be Afraido. Stick around,
We're about to bite off Joey Zaza's ear. Welcome back
(28:19):
to More Than a Movie. I'm your host, Alex Fumetto.
I'm talking to Academy Award nominee Andy Garcia about being
cast as Vincent Mancini aka Vincent Corleone in the nineteen
ninety sequel to arguably the greatest films of all time,
The Godfather Part three. So I'm wondering, you know, talking
about that performance. Movies are not typically shot in sequence.
(28:42):
You know, you don't shoot it in the order that
you see it in the film. No, you see this
very I mean, look, the reviews say what they say, right,
I mean, like New York Times that everybody talks about
how great your performance is in the movie. You're nominated,
you know, so it is a great performance. But I
want to sort of talk a little bit about the
work that goes into that performance, and how did you
(29:04):
map starting in this place where you're like literally biting
Joey'szaza's ear, you know, to you know, these final scenes
sitting in the chair very reminiscent of that Godfather one
shot with you know, Diane Keaton sort of watching in
the distance as the door closed. So how do you
do that as an actor? What's the process?
Speaker 1 (29:25):
Well, you talk with Francis a lot, because, like you said,
it was a shot in sequence. The script was changing
a lot from the first script I had. Dean Tavolara
is a great production designer who worked on all those
films with Francis. In our film, he said something, it's
like the screenplay is with Francis, like a newspaper comes
out every day, so you would get sometimes new pages
(29:46):
every day, and I would ask him where am I
at frances in the situation? You know, some of it
was obvious that was in the first act. Some of
it was like I had done this preparation with Melina Cannonaro,
just with hair, where my hair started.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
I kept all those shots.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
It's about fifteen images that start with very curly hair,
and then it slowly gets more and more slick. Like Michael,
he gets refined where he's not as hot tempered, and
he's colder. He's prepared to kill anybody, but he's more Alice.
You know, Michael has mentored him and now all that.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
Stuff don't ever tell anybody what you're thinking.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Yeah, and all that stuff was talked about and evident
in the material. But there was this one thing where
there was a scene in the script that we all
read where he gives me the family, and that scene
as we got into scenes towards the end of the film.
We hadn't shot that scene at all and asked Francs.
I said, Francs in this scene because it was kind
(30:46):
of like borderline. I said, where am I at with?
Have I gotten the family yet? Or he says, we
haven't shot that scene yet, and I would go like, okay,
I got you. And then we just work and work
and work, and I actually finished shooting the film and
we never shot that scene. The studio wanted it to happen,
but Frances never shot the scene in the original production time,
(31:11):
and he went and cut the film together, and then
he came back to the studio and said, Okay, now
I have what I.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
Want to do.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
I need to do this, and we shot like another
thirty days. Oh wow, and he says, and now I have.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
The scene where Vincent gets the family.
Speaker 3 (31:27):
One of the most notable elements of Andy Garcia's performance
in this movie is how he's able to capture the
spirit of both his father Sonny and his uncles Michael
and Fredo at different times in the film. His arc
from Sonny to Michael is what gives credibility to Vincent's
ascension to the Godfather throne. Listen to this clip from
the beginning of the film, where the character is still struggling,
(31:47):
like his father, to control his temper, especially where his
family is concerned. It's a quality that ultimately got Sonny killed.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
I'm not here to ask you for any kind of help.
I could just skill this bastard.
Speaker 1 (31:58):
He's the one who needs to help kill him.
Speaker 4 (32:02):
What does all this have to do with me? What
is going on behind your back? Saying fuck Michael Corleon
all the time? That's it, That's one thing it has
to do with you, right, Say to his face one time.
Say to his face.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
One time, mister Corleone, al Bester's a liar. Shakespeare wrote poems.
That was Andy Garcia trying not to kill Joey's Azza
as played by Joe Mantegna, after he's allegedly caught Zaza
(32:34):
speaking ill of his uncle Mike aka Michael Corleone. So
there's a few moments in this movie that I adore.
A couple of them revolve around Joey's Ozah. So Joe
Montigna's character exactly so you bite Joey'saza's ear off in
(32:56):
an early scene right basically the beginning of the movie.
More us and then Joy's as puts a hit on
you famously. I think it's Bridget Fondough right as the
well she she's the journalist.
Speaker 1 (33:08):
She's a journalist that I take home from the party
and the guys come to try to take me out.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
She happens to be there.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
Which is a great scene where like, I want you
to watch me very carefully then shoot the guy in
his mouth. But then you go to see Michael sort
of as like, you know, hey, this happened kind of thing,
and Michael says something to the effect of, you know,
now Joey's as is going to come back on you,
And you say, oh, Joey's as is going to come
back on me, and you flick your ear a couple times.
(33:36):
Was that in the script? You just decided to flick
your ear.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
Yeah, but that's a gesture that Joey.
Speaker 1 (33:42):
That gesture is sort of like that he doesn't really
have where with all the toughness or you know, you know.
Speaker 3 (33:50):
Yeah, yeah, I mean you're definitely like emasculating the guy
dressing him down there.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
But it's just like you just bit his ear and
then we see you do this. It's so like delightful.
But that was just like.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
A you know, in the cavan he bites that's from
the opera. Oh right, my step brother, you know.
Speaker 3 (34:09):
Michael the singer.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
Yeah, he bites the guy's ear. And so France has
had that set up.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
You know, that was part of his from a script idea,
story idea, and there's a very nice moment when he
does that in the opera.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
They cut the vincive like a smile, you know.
Speaker 3 (34:26):
Him Yeah, yeah, he pulls on his yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (34:29):
It was interesting that the first take we did, Joe
had a prosthetic ear, you know, and I went in
and you know, they had a shot.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
They're very fairly close shot.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
And after I bid it, I came away and I
had the ear in my mouth, you know, the prosthetic
ear in my mouth, and it was on camera like
you could see it, and I think Francis said a
little bit to my whatever.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
And then we did another take. What's in the movie,
you know.
Speaker 3 (34:55):
Where you don't like bite it off, you just right right.
Speaker 1 (34:58):
Suppose Francis said to me after, you know, when I
step away, and he said, why don't you catch yourself
like that? Do we have it like a piece of
a hot dog or something, so you can have it
in your mouth because you a piece of it, And
there was no one, and I said, don't worry for us,
I'll play it and you see me kind of take
me something out of my tongue, like if I have something,
you know, a piece of his ear in my mouth.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
Yeah, it's visceral. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:21):
So that actual scene was the one I auditioned. The
screen test was the scene where I come into the
office for the first time. That's one of the scenes.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
Just to clarify, So do you think that the wicking
of the ear thing? Do you think that's because of
your like improv comedy training, Like where does that kind
of come from?
Speaker 1 (35:40):
It's just for my own imagination, you know. It's the
things that that I you bring to a part.
Speaker 3 (35:45):
Does it happen in the moment or do you plan it? No?
Speaker 1 (35:47):
I had the thought of how do you degrade that
Jos's ability to retaliate or yeah, yeah, yeah, Joe's as
a Putts kind of thing, you know, exactly.
Speaker 2 (36:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (36:00):
And then the other great moment, which I'm very curious
about the timing of, is when you finally put the
hit on Zaza and you ride up in the horse.
This is like I've memorized this in my and you
say hey Joe, and he turns around, and you shoot twice,
(36:21):
and then the horse turns, you shoot a third time,
and then you go zaza and you ride away dada.
And I've always wanted to know is that sequence something
that you planned or was that all?
Speaker 2 (36:37):
Francis?
Speaker 1 (36:37):
There was actually a scene that doesn't exist in the
movie where you saw me getting dressed at the stable
in a police uniform like a matter door, getting ready
for a bullfight. It was a beautifully shot scene because
you had like the horse was there. It was dimly lit,
like light was coming through like a skylight, and you
imagine Gordon Willis. But the reality is that spoiled the
(36:58):
surprise once you knew I was in a police right.
Speaker 3 (37:01):
So I only have one last question. It's a true
or false question. You were inspired to start acting because
of The Godfather. I was inspired to start acting, and
then you know, by extension producing watching Godfather three, you're
now here doing my podcast? Am I now the Godfather?
Speaker 1 (37:23):
I haven't retired yet. One day, one day, one day,
and that day may never come. Oh I might come
to you for a favor.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
Oh, there's hope, all right, man so much, I really
appreciate it. Just when you thought you were out, we
pulled you back in with next week's episode of More
Than a Movie featuring actor and honorary Latino Lou Diamond Phillips,
who will be talking to about his role as Richie
(37:56):
Vallen's in Labama. More Than a Movie Season two was
produced by Chloe Taglia Ganbe with the help of Reynolds
Gutierres and Veronica Hernandez in partnership with Iheart's Michael Durda
podcast network, hosted by me Alex Fumeto, edited by Rose
(38:16):
Red and Chloe Tauglia Gmbe with the help of Cida Cavedo.
Executive producers are Carmen Gratto, Rose Red, Isaac Lee, and
me Alex Fumetto sound designed by Gonzalo Messi, original music
by Golden Mines, Darko and Ieme recorded at JTB Studios
and Vaudeville Sound Our. Executive producers at iHeart are Gazelle
Bansis and Arlene Santana. For more Michael Durda podcasts, listen
(38:39):
to the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get
your favorite shows,
I remember that first night, Francis started cooking for everybody,
all the actors and people that were there.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Mario Pusa was there.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
I went into the kitchen and I said to Francis,
can I help you Francis with anything?
Speaker 2 (00:18):
And he said yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
So I was just helping him, you know, I wanted
to immerse myself in him, you know, in his world.
And then at dinner I sat next to Mario Puoso
and I said to a Mario, is there anything you
can say to me about Vincent that I'm inside and
who you think he is? And he said he has
the smarts of Veto, the temper of Sonny, the warmth
(00:43):
of Fredo, and the coldness of Michael. I said, thanks
very much, I'll work on that.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Welcome to More than a Movie, a podcast that gives
you a behind the scenes look at your favorite movies.
I'm your host, Alex Fumero. Last season we did a
deep dive on American met This season, I'll focus on
a different movie. Each episode, feature interviews with the biggest actors, directors,
writers and producers behind them, and tap into the history
of Latinos in film. In the life of a young
(01:22):
Cuban American kid growing up in Miami, there were basically
two guys I could point to who were in movies
or TV who felt like me. Desier Nas, who named
my daughter after, and Andy Garcia. I first saw The
Godfather three when I was only eight years old, probably
too young for a kid that age, but the star
(01:43):
of that movie wasn't just anybody. It was this guy
my parents were friends with. He'd gone to the same
high school as my mom, He'd become friends with my
stepdad in la as two Miami Cubans trying to make
it on the West Coast, and now he was starring
in the sequel to what was explained to me even
then as the two greatest movies of all time. And
(02:05):
the older I got, the more important that moment has
felt to me, not just personally, but because it feels
like a changing of the guard. After decades of watching
Italians and others playing Latinos and movies like Scarface, here
was a Latino guy taking on the mantle of the
most famous Italian character of all time, Nephew. From this
(02:35):
moment on call yourself, Incent Coleon. It felt then and
it still does now, like we made it so. Of course,
when I knew we were doing a new season of
the podcast. I knew I needed to call upon him
to do a service for me. Andy. I'm so glad
(02:59):
you could be here today to talk about.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
I'm so happy I'm still around to talk to you.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Well, you're not only around. They're making a You grew
up and so did I. Oh, yeah, I know. He
tell me about it. You have better hair than I do.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
We'll talk.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
I can talk about I can't take credit for that.
This is a podcast about male hair care. So and
he asked you here to talk about your career, but
especially to talk about The Godfather and Godfather three, a
movie that for me. I don't know if I can
overestimate the impact that the movie had. I mean, I
(03:36):
remember being eight years old. I believe the theater was
on Miami Beach. I think it was the theater on
Lincoln Road, and there was a screening, a special screening
of the movie when it came out in nineteen ninety.
You know, whether or not my parents should have been
taking me to see The Godfather at the age of
eight is a different discussion.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Well, it worked out for you.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
It worked out, and I remember seeing you on that
screen and something changed for me, and I realized in
that moment that I could maybe do that. It put
the bug in me, of course, of course, and part
of that is because the representation matters, right. And you
(04:20):
are a person whose story is very similar to my parents' story.
You know, in fact, you grew up in Miami Beach.
My mom grew up in Miami Beach, right, Both of
you came as exels from Cuba. So I wonder if
we could just start, maybe at the beginning.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
I grew up in Miami Beach, and that's where I
got exposed to films, you know, as a young boy,
going to the cinemas from a very early age. There
was one there around where we lived called the Surf Theater.
The summers, they had these programs in Miami Beach where
you saw The Godfather at the Lincoln Theater. They had
all these double features and during the summer and I
(04:55):
would leave the house and I would go see these
double feat features, and usually there were adventure movies, but
you saw movies like The Crimson Pirate and Captain Blood
and a Great Escape, and of course the Bond movies
that began to come through, and I was very enamored
with cinema. Obviously, it was a thing that I was
(05:15):
very attracted to and I would get lost in.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Do you remember the first time you saw a Latino
actor on screen? Do you have any notable memories of like, oh,
this is a guy with an last name like mine,
or maybe you.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Know some of those old films, you know, those pirate
movies and stuff had people like Gilbert Rowland and those
guys that the Hispanic but that changed their name. But
I wasn't really saying that there was one particular then
at the time. Actually, the one person that you really
identified with was Desi Arnas, who was on television in
(05:51):
the Lucy Show that was on all the time. So
that was kind of like, he's of your culture, He's Cuban,
and it was going, wow, you know, this is interesting.
But I was not thinking consciously about that I wanted
to be an actor, but subconsciously I was being totally
set up for it and influenced by it to the
degree that in my senior year in high school, at
(06:15):
the beginning of the school ye at the beginning of
the basketballs season, I got a very bad case of
mono nucleosis, and my doctor, doctor Pedro Greer, gave me
the terrible news saying, you can't play basketball, you cannot
exercise for six months, or your spleen could burst. And
so I was in this kind of emotional limbo. First
(06:35):
of all, I was at home for like a month
in bed. You're trying to shake this thing. And I'd
watched a lot of television, a lot of I Love
Lucy and you know. And then that year I took
an acting class in at the High School of Miami
Beach Senior High and there's a teacher that named Jay Jensen,
who was very well known, who taught Mickey Rourke, ellen
(06:57):
Bark and a lot of folks. And I was very
stimulated by the class, and he was very encouraging, and
he kept encouraging me, you have something here, kind of
you should call them. And so that I guess when
I was in this sort of vulnerable state of not
being able to have anything that was occupying my mind,
which was sports, this other thing that I had inside
(07:19):
of me, sort of like a virus took over my body, everything,
my soul, and so it picked me kind of, you know,
it was there all the time, and it took over.
And then I saw the Godfather. I was seventy two
when I was graduating, and like you said earlier, privately,
I said to myself, that's what I want to do
(07:41):
with my life. I want to aspire to do that.
You couldn't tell anybody that because they think you were
absolutely nuts.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
You know, what's the reaction when you're like, mommy and baby,
I want to be an actor.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Well, they have no relationship to it, you know, they
have no conceit of how you make a living as
an actor.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
There.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
To them, an actor is Humphy Bogart for Clark Gable,
you know, and it's like I can imagine, is I
love my son, but he's not Humphrey Bogart, you know,
that kind of thing. So, you know, it was very
difficult for them.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
They was very concerned.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
What were the kind of things they would say to you.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Well, the thing was, it wasn't overnight thing. You know.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
I went from that moment in high school. I went
to college at the local community college and I took
acting classes there, and then I went to FIU this
last two years because at the time FIU was only
a two year school, and the last two years at
that time, and then we went to school there and
I was in the theater department. They were doing plays,
so they would come see me perform and all that,
(08:43):
and they just felt it was like he likes doing this.
But when you're finished with college, you know, I was
involved in the family business. I've been trained there. It
was flourishing. But then after college it was time to
you know, sort of fish or cut bait. And I said,
I'm going to la to look for work.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
I guess.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
When we come back. Andy Garcia plays tennis with the
cast of Scarface. But before that, say hello to my
little commercial. Welcome back to More Than a Movie. I'm
(09:28):
your host, Tony Montana. Let's continue our conversation with Andy
Garcia as he makes his way out of the vortex
that is Miami and out to Tinseltown. So you moved
to Los Angeles, he flew out here. And then was
there anyone here that you knew?
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Yes, actually, Stephen Bauer was here. I had known from my.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
Better known as Manolo from Scarface.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Yes, Stephen, and his original name was Stephen or Rocky,
So he had called me. We were friends from Miami.
I had done an episod sort of that show that
he was doing in Florida, and we rolled together.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
We are friends.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
And he said he came out here, he had representation,
he got he got a job, he got hired by
Columbia Pictures Television as a contract player, and he said, hey,
there's work out here, come on out. So that encouraged
my move. And when I came out here, there was
nobody waiting for.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Me here, you know.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
And I didn't have an agent, and so it so is,
you know, the process began, you know, of trying to
find representation, trying to find work, pay the rent, you know.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
So and you've done some TV and film projects, very
small ones get past a us ahead.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Well, yeah, and I did a movie in the Dominican
cold Wawa see which was one scene in a movie.
But no, I hadn't really been on you know, I'd
done this theater. And when I came here in those days,
I kept studying and I went to take classes and
eventually became a member of one of the house improvisational
theater groups at the Comedy Store. And that's where I
(10:59):
start to get some exposure to casting people and got
a little work here and there because people would come
to the show, you know, just trying to stay at honed. Yeah, active, yeah,
while you try to find an agent. That was the
most difficult thing is to find someone that could get
you out an audition, because if you don't audition, you
can't get work.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
And agents would say kind of out of pocket stuff
to you back then, right like they would be like,
you need to change your name or completely fix your teeth.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Fix your teeth, change your name, lose your accent and
come back to me.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Were you aware you had an accent when you got
you were? And how did you feel? Did you work
on it?
Speaker 1 (11:35):
I went immediately to a speech therapist and worked on it,
and they dissect where your issues are, where you tend
to lean on that side of it, and you become
aware of it, and you do exercises to train your
mouth and your tongue. Yeah, you know, without losing sort
of your character, but just to neutralize it. And as
(11:55):
an actor, you want to be able to play other
things and you don't want the accent to get in
the way. Of course, you can put on an accent.
It's like you see all these great actors and actresses
from Australia or from England and they're on a show
or in a movie and they have a completely neutral
sort of American accent, and then when they're being interviewed,
they go right back to their things.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
So so you so you work on the trip, but
you almost right away, it seems how long did it take?
I mean you start, you started on shows like Hill
Street Blues. I know you did, like an episode of Murder.
She wrote, you got these kind of like big parts,
But I mean that's you know at the time, did
you feel like they were bit parts? I mean I
would have been excited, I think.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
Sure, I mean, you know, but literally there were like
bit parts, like one scene or a bit in a scene.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
It wasn't like you were there for the whole story,
you know.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
But yes, I was excited to work and to get
Mike zachcard and to make some money, to validate that
you can function. You're also learning actually being on set
and being in an environment, and slowly those things would
turn into something else. But at the time I was
working many other jobs. I was loading trucks at roadway,
(13:04):
you know those trucks that say roadway in the City
of Commerce. I would load and unload trucks in the
night shift from seven in the night to like five
in the morning or something like that.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
All night long.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
In fact, I worked with a lot of actors that
were there at Brian Kreston work with me in the
There Roadway and so you know, we all did all
kinds of jobs. I worked as a waiter at the
Beverly Hilton Hotel, banquet waiter. That was pretty steady because
I can call in and work when I wanted to.
At one time, I went in there. He's a curious thing.
I went into this place I was working, and I
(13:38):
would just call in. I wouldn't say, well, what's the event.
I just say do you need an extra waiter and
say yes, come in. And then I got there and
it was the Golden Globes and I was assigned to
work on The Coming Home Table, which was directed by
Hal ashby John Voyd, Jane founder Bruce Dern right when
the movie won. It was a very celebrated film. But
(14:00):
how was one of my heroes as a director, and
then later on I actually got the opportunity to work
with him eight Million Ways to Die, which was a
movie that really changed my life. You know, let's talk
about that.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
I mean, you're doing these kinds of parts, You're booking
seemingly larger roles now in film, but not huge sort
of plant your flag in the sand kind of roles,
and then you book eight million ways to die.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
Well, it's a process. You know.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Here's the thing. When I came here in those days,
as you know, the parts that were written that were
characters that were Latin predominantly they were nurses or maids
or gang members. Basically, that's what it was, the predominant
ninety percent of all the parts. And there were basically
(14:49):
parts in a movie there weren't a character necessarily that
was part of the story. They weren't writing lawyers and
you know, like Hillstory Blues. Although they had a lot
of sort of delinquents and gang members, they also had
the Nae and Riquez played like the chief of police
or one of those.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
You know.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
The thing is that those parts that were available for me,
I could never because my name was Garcia. People would
see me just for those parts. I'd go in to
play a gang member, specifically a Mexican American you know,
Chicano gang member. Physically, I didn't fit in that group,
you know, so they would look at me and go,
what are you doing here? I said, well, you called me,
(15:26):
and he goes, I'm sorry, we saw the name Garcia
and we called you in, but no, you you know,
you're like the diplomat's son. You can't play this part
because so and I said, I'm an actor, you know.
You argue and they go, no, I understand, but we'll
call you in for something. Anyway, there was no something else,
and I wasn't being considered like many actors with a
Latin name for parts other than those Latin parts, right,
(15:47):
So I was in a quandary of no opportunities until
a movie came up that was shooting in Miami called
The Mean Season with Kurt Russell, and it so happened.
And because it was Miami, the young cop detective was
Cuban and so now I became one of the shortlists
(16:08):
to potentially play that part. I got that part very quickly.
Jane Jenkins was the casting director, and she brought me
in met her, the director says at parts of yours.
And then from that movie I started to get interest.
They asked me to come in. They wanted me to
be a reoccurring character for the season on Cagni and
(16:28):
Lacey as a kind of a love interest. And because
in those days television there was this sort of thing
about taboo that if you did TV you couldn't fill
for some reason now, And so I rolled the dice
and I turned down the part to stay in like
in the game, sort of in the film game. And
(16:49):
I was working doing voiceovers in Walla and supporting my
family that way. I had a little girl at the time, Dominique. Yeah,
she was very young, and and that work was providing
the rent and insurance. And then eight Million Ways to
Die came in and I just said, you know, this
is how Ashby movie. They're looking for this antagonist opposite
(17:11):
Jeff Bridges. I read the script. The first script that
they started the movie was with an Oliver Stone script,
and later on that was changed, and there was a
rewrite and another rewrite, and we ended up basically at
the end improvising all our scenes. Wow, Linn Stallmaster was
casting it, and I couldn't go in to see him.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
He wouldn't see me.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
He kept saying to the agent, I know, Andy's a
lovely actor, but we're looking for someone like a hector
macho camacho type. You remember the boxer, Yes, and Andy's
more like the diplomat's son, you know that kind of thing.
And I kept pressing. I said, please just ask him,
just get me in. I know who this guy is.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
It's already so hard because there's so few Latin roles,
and then to be told, well, we need you know,
Latin point zero one three, this very specific type cast.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
Yeah, there were you know, kind of this urban, tough,
crazy guy. Sure, I said, I know who this guy is.
I know who this guy is. And eventually my agent
was relentless and Linz said, okay, I'll, you know, bring
him in. And then I knew when I went in
there that I had to go in in the character.
You know, I couldn't go in there casually and they
just do the scene. So I just went in in
character and I read for Lynn. But basically, you know,
(18:20):
you kind of roll the dice. You got to roll
the dice and make an impression because you only got
one shot. And I used to smoke in those days,
so I started to smoke before you know, I was
we're about to do the scene. I started to light
a cigarette and lin said, I'm sorry, we can't, there's
no smoking here. The character's name was Angel, and I said,
Angel doesn't give a fuck what you thinks, and he
(18:41):
kind of looked.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
At me, and he knew that it was an actor thing.
You know.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
He kind of shook his head and go, oh shit,
here we go, you know. And then he said, you
mind if we go to another room. And I said
to him, wherever we're going, I've already been and wherever
you've been, I don't need to go.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
He was like, that's it, yeah, and just followed me and.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Then you know, we went then I met you know,
the story goes on, right.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
He was a coked out, you know, no morality, no
remorse kind of guy. And how just after the reading,
How said okay, and I got the part. So that
got me a lot of attention, and that's what opened
up the door for the untouchables.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
So you do these movies with these incredible directors Brian Palmer, Ridley,
Scott how Ashby and.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
Then Jerry Schatzberg early on too, and.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
Then tell me about how does this Godfather three thing materialized?
Because as you told us, you know, as we know,
like The Godfathers, this movie that you watched and said
I want to do that.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
Yeah, Well, it's it's almost like a thing that you
manifest your own destiny, you know, in a way in life.
In the early eighties, when I was loading trucks, there
was a rumor, not a rumor, there was public like
in variety that they were going to do god Father
three and there was a new part, the Son of
Sonny All that was kind of leaked, and that they
(20:08):
were looking at actors like John Travolta or Sebasti Stallone, whatever,
the people that were known, and they were Italian, the
usual suspects that were you know, especially John. It was
a big star. And I remember saying to myself, that's
my part, that's my part. But you know, I had
nothing to show. But internally I didn't tell anybody, you know, hey,
(20:29):
that's my part. I just said to myself, that's my part.
That's my part. So when it did happen in nineteen
eighty nine, it gave me an opportunity to do some
work where I had done a lot of work at Paramount.
Like you mentioned, what was it, Untouchable's Black Rain you said,
Dead Again Internal Affairs, which they wrote for me, right,
(20:51):
and that was like eighty eight or something like that, right,
And we were doing the film and Frank Mancuso, he said, hey,
the chief wants to come and have lunch with you.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
This is like May.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
So he comes to the set and we're having lunch
and he says, the movies going great. We've seen Dailysus
going great. He says, what are you doing in September.
Remember it's like May June, because I'm going to talk
to Francis. I want to be Vincent and the new Godfather.
And I said, I'll check my schedule. I'll get back
to you.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Quick pause for all the stronsos out there who don't
know the Francis he's talking about. Here is the Godfather
director Francis Ford Coppola.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
And I told him I'd be honored to do it.
And so what happened was from like May or June,
throughout the whole summer, there were other people that wanted
that part. Of course, it was a beautiful part. Every
actor in town wanted that part. Who wouldn't want that part?
And Francis started to screen test people. Now, if you
know the history of the Godfather with Francis and the
(21:54):
struggles he had with the studio when they would suggest
people for the movie, it's become like film or right.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
Yeah, So I was the guy the studio wanted, and
I wasn't Italian, but then't again, neither was Brando and
neither was James conn No, I wasn't Italian, right, So
didn't bother mister Mancuso.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
A lot of people don't realize Marlon Brando, it's not talent.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Right, But I had played Italian and.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
You know in a couple of times, right, yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
In the Untouchables in Black Ray, and you know, so
I purposely was you know, I had shots now to
play things outside of my own culture. So anyway, he
was screen testing people, and I was always asking, why
can't I just go with screen test. I'm going to
lose the job because I'm not getting a shot to
meet Francis. And finally, like in August, they called me
(22:41):
and I flew in and met him, the beautiful meeting
and I left. There was no reading or anything, and
then they kept screen testing and I kept saying, why
can't I just screen test for him? And the agent says,
don't worry, don't worry, the studio wants you. I said,
I understand, but people are going screen testing. Let me
just screen test. And finally, on a fright before Labor
Day weekend a Thursday, I got a call Francis wants
(23:04):
to test to you and get on a plane. And
I met frances that afternoon on Thursday. They gave me
the size, he talked about the character together and this
and that. I went home, not home, to the motel
there in Napa Valley, which is if you ever met
in Napa Valley at night, it's pitch dark, you know, yeah,
and whatever little light there is, it's just like if
(23:24):
you're in a motel or so this was little Bungalow motels,
and there was an electrical shortage, you know, all the
lights in the valley went out. So now I was
sitting in my hotel room with one of those little
you know, candle light things like Scrooge that they gave
me at the office, trying to work on the material.
Eventually that gets you very tired, goes your eyes and
(23:47):
I went to sleep. I woke up early, looked at
the material again, went in and screen tested, and I
went well, and as I was taking my wardrobe off
and putting my cla, Fred Russe, who was the casting
director and one of the producers, said, well, I met
doing the Mean season, so he was supportive. He was
one of the guys that was saying to Francis, also,
this kisses the guy. Yeah, but I was the last
guy in, you know, to test. He said, the Francis
(24:10):
would like you to stay for dinner. And then by
the time I put my own clothes on, there was
another knock on the door and he said there's been
a change of plans. You can go home, you know.
So I said, okay, well, and I knew that, you
know that I felt good about what I did, and
that's all I could do. The next morning, I got
a call on Saturday saying you got the part and
go fly back up on Monday. You start after that weekend.
(24:32):
Were started rehearsal in Napa Valley.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
And I know, look, I know for years in your
mind you're like, this is my part, and you've been
sort of preparing yourself for it, but you don't know
the details of the arc. You don't know exactly what's happening.
And this is a movie. No.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
I knew that this character was going to be handed
the family.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
Right, but you didn't know where all the road posted.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
No, no, right. I hadn't seen the script yet. I
just seen sides.
Speaker 3 (24:55):
So what I think is so beautiful about this performance
is that It really does justice to the idea of
someone who is Sonny's son, you know, right, who makes
this transition to essentially being Michael's son.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
Right.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
Yes, I wonder like, did you talk to James Kahn?
Did you talk to Pacino?
Speaker 2 (25:15):
Well?
Speaker 3 (25:15):
I worked with Pacina, of course, but before starting was
there any kind of lie?
Speaker 1 (25:19):
I actually knew how because we used to play paddle
tennis together. I met him because when they were doing Scarface. Stephen,
you know, is the friend and I love to play
paddle tennis, and Stephen said, come play with us. And
I met Al that way, and we would play paddle
tennis in Studio City. There was a course there and
sometimes we go out to the beach and one of
(25:40):
those beach clubs out there.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
So Al is the warmest guy in the world.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
And I remember when Steven introduces and he said, oh,
look you see I told you guys look alike, right,
And I said, yeah, yeah, yeah, you know, but he
was very warm. We laughed a lot, so I knew
I'll just socially a little bit, you know.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
So when I got to you know, to Nap on
that Monday, the first day, and you know, we kind
of said hello and I gave him a hug. It
was kind of like I said, you know, of course
it's got to be. You know, you have a resemblance,
you know, for the family and all that stuff, you know.
But no, I didn't talk to anybody. Oh I had
the material. I remember that first night, Francis started cooking
(26:23):
for everybody, all the actors and people that were there.
Speaker 2 (26:25):
Mario Puosa was there.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
Well.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
I went into the kitchen and I said to Francis,
because you know, because I like to cook your dad
and our culture, and I said, can I help you
Francis with anything? And he said yeah, and he took
ahead of garlic. I'll never forget this, and he with
his hand, He's got very strong hands. He just pressed
on it and the whole garlic just fell apart, like
crushed it. And he said, peel those for me, and
(26:50):
I said sure, and then I started peeling the garlic
and he said, wait a second, hold on a second,
and he grabbed them like that, you know, scooped him
off the table and put them away. And he said, no, no,
I'm going to do as that Mario likes instead, which
is just with onions. So he said, cut these onion
I guess I cut the onions and he said, go
out to the garden and bring me a big bushel
of basil. You got in the garden outside his house
(27:12):
at Napa. So I was just helping him, you know.
I wanted to immerse myself in him, you know, in
his world. And then at dinner I sat next to
Mario Puzzo and I said to a Mario, is there
anything you can say to me about Vincent that you
know I'm inside and who you think he is? And
he said he has the smarts of Veto, the temper
(27:33):
of Sonny, the warmth of Fredo, and the coldness of Michael.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
Oh. I said, thanks very much, I'll work I'll work
on that.
Speaker 3 (27:45):
No pressure, right, I'll work on that.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
Please don't tell me anything else. Yeah, sorry, I asked.
We're good.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
We're good, We're good. If this podcast was The Godfather,
my producer Chloe would be Michael, I would be Sonny,
and this commercial break would definitely be Afraido. Stick around,
We're about to bite off Joey Zaza's ear. Welcome back
(28:19):
to More Than a Movie. I'm your host, Alex Fumetto.
I'm talking to Academy Award nominee Andy Garcia about being
cast as Vincent Mancini aka Vincent Corleone in the nineteen
ninety sequel to arguably the greatest films of all time,
The Godfather Part three. So I'm wondering, you know, talking
about that performance. Movies are not typically shot in sequence.
(28:42):
You know, you don't shoot it in the order that
you see it in the film. No, you see this
very I mean, look, the reviews say what they say, right,
I mean, like New York Times that everybody talks about
how great your performance is in the movie. You're nominated,
you know, so it is a great performance. But I
want to sort of talk a little bit about the
work that goes into that performance, and how did you
(29:04):
map starting in this place where you're like literally biting
Joey'szaza's ear, you know, to you know, these final scenes
sitting in the chair very reminiscent of that Godfather one
shot with you know, Diane Keaton sort of watching in
the distance as the door closed. So how do you
do that as an actor? What's the process?
Speaker 1 (29:25):
Well, you talk with Francis a lot, because, like you said,
it was a shot in sequence. The script was changing
a lot from the first script I had. Dean Tavolara
is a great production designer who worked on all those
films with Francis. In our film, he said something, it's
like the screenplay is with Francis, like a newspaper comes
out every day, so you would get sometimes new pages
(29:46):
every day, and I would ask him where am I
at frances in the situation? You know, some of it
was obvious that was in the first act. Some of
it was like I had done this preparation with Melina Cannonaro,
just with hair, where my hair started.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
I kept all those shots.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
It's about fifteen images that start with very curly hair,
and then it slowly gets more and more slick. Like Michael,
he gets refined where he's not as hot tempered, and
he's colder. He's prepared to kill anybody, but he's more Alice.
You know, Michael has mentored him and now all that.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
Stuff don't ever tell anybody what you're thinking.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Yeah, and all that stuff was talked about and evident
in the material. But there was this one thing where
there was a scene in the script that we all
read where he gives me the family, and that scene
as we got into scenes towards the end of the film.
We hadn't shot that scene at all and asked Francs.
I said, Francs in this scene because it was kind
(30:46):
of like borderline. I said, where am I at with?
Have I gotten the family yet? Or he says, we
haven't shot that scene yet, and I would go like, okay,
I got you. And then we just work and work
and work, and I actually finished shooting the film and
we never shot that scene. The studio wanted it to happen,
but Frances never shot the scene in the original production time,
(31:11):
and he went and cut the film together, and then
he came back to the studio and said, Okay, now
I have what I.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
Want to do.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
I need to do this, and we shot like another
thirty days. Oh wow, and he says, and now I have.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
The scene where Vincent gets the family.
Speaker 3 (31:27):
One of the most notable elements of Andy Garcia's performance
in this movie is how he's able to capture the
spirit of both his father Sonny and his uncles Michael
and Fredo at different times in the film. His arc
from Sonny to Michael is what gives credibility to Vincent's
ascension to the Godfather throne. Listen to this clip from
the beginning of the film, where the character is still struggling,
(31:47):
like his father, to control his temper, especially where his
family is concerned. It's a quality that ultimately got Sonny killed.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
I'm not here to ask you for any kind of help.
I could just skill this bastard.
Speaker 1 (31:58):
He's the one who needs to help kill him.
Speaker 4 (32:02):
What does all this have to do with me? What
is going on behind your back? Saying fuck Michael Corleon
all the time? That's it, That's one thing it has
to do with you, right, Say to his face one time.
Say to his face.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
One time, mister Corleone, al Bester's a liar. Shakespeare wrote poems.
That was Andy Garcia trying not to kill Joey's Azza
as played by Joe Mantegna, after he's allegedly caught Zaza
(32:34):
speaking ill of his uncle Mike aka Michael Corleone. So
there's a few moments in this movie that I adore.
A couple of them revolve around Joey's Ozah. So Joe
Montigna's character exactly so you bite Joey'saza's ear off in
(32:56):
an early scene right basically the beginning of the movie.
More us and then Joy's as puts a hit on
you famously. I think it's Bridget Fondough right as the
well she she's the journalist.
Speaker 1 (33:08):
She's a journalist that I take home from the party
and the guys come to try to take me out.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
She happens to be there.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
Which is a great scene where like, I want you
to watch me very carefully then shoot the guy in
his mouth. But then you go to see Michael sort
of as like, you know, hey, this happened kind of thing,
and Michael says something to the effect of, you know,
now Joey's as is going to come back on you,
And you say, oh, Joey's as is going to come
back on me, and you flick your ear a couple times.
(33:36):
Was that in the script? You just decided to flick
your ear.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
Yeah, but that's a gesture that Joey.
Speaker 1 (33:42):
That gesture is sort of like that he doesn't really
have where with all the toughness or you know, you know.
Speaker 3 (33:50):
Yeah, yeah, I mean you're definitely like emasculating the guy
dressing him down there.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
But it's just like you just bit his ear and
then we see you do this. It's so like delightful.
But that was just like.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
A you know, in the cavan he bites that's from
the opera. Oh right, my step brother, you know.
Speaker 3 (34:09):
Michael the singer.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
Yeah, he bites the guy's ear. And so France has
had that set up.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
You know, that was part of his from a script idea,
story idea, and there's a very nice moment when he
does that in the opera.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
They cut the vincive like a smile, you know.
Speaker 3 (34:26):
Him Yeah, yeah, he pulls on his yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (34:29):
It was interesting that the first take we did, Joe
had a prosthetic ear, you know, and I went in
and you know, they had a shot.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
They're very fairly close shot.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
And after I bid it, I came away and I
had the ear in my mouth, you know, the prosthetic
ear in my mouth, and it was on camera like
you could see it, and I think Francis said a
little bit to my whatever.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
And then we did another take. What's in the movie,
you know.
Speaker 3 (34:55):
Where you don't like bite it off, you just right right.
Speaker 1 (34:58):
Suppose Francis said to me after, you know, when I
step away, and he said, why don't you catch yourself
like that? Do we have it like a piece of
a hot dog or something, so you can have it
in your mouth because you a piece of it, And
there was no one, and I said, don't worry for us,
I'll play it and you see me kind of take
me something out of my tongue, like if I have something,
you know, a piece of his ear in my mouth.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
Yeah, it's visceral. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:21):
So that actual scene was the one I auditioned. The
screen test was the scene where I come into the
office for the first time. That's one of the scenes.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
Just to clarify, So do you think that the wicking
of the ear thing? Do you think that's because of
your like improv comedy training, Like where does that kind
of come from?
Speaker 1 (35:40):
It's just for my own imagination, you know. It's the
things that that I you bring to a part.
Speaker 3 (35:45):
Does it happen in the moment or do you plan it? No?
Speaker 1 (35:47):
I had the thought of how do you degrade that
Jos's ability to retaliate or yeah, yeah, yeah, Joe's as
a Putts kind of thing, you know, exactly.
Speaker 2 (36:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (36:00):
And then the other great moment, which I'm very curious
about the timing of, is when you finally put the
hit on Zaza and you ride up in the horse.
This is like I've memorized this in my and you
say hey Joe, and he turns around, and you shoot twice,
(36:21):
and then the horse turns, you shoot a third time,
and then you go zaza and you ride away dada.
And I've always wanted to know is that sequence something
that you planned or was that all?
Speaker 2 (36:37):
Francis?
Speaker 1 (36:37):
There was actually a scene that doesn't exist in the
movie where you saw me getting dressed at the stable
in a police uniform like a matter door, getting ready
for a bullfight. It was a beautifully shot scene because
you had like the horse was there. It was dimly lit,
like light was coming through like a skylight, and you
imagine Gordon Willis. But the reality is that spoiled the
(36:58):
surprise once you knew I was in a police right.
Speaker 3 (37:01):
So I only have one last question. It's a true
or false question. You were inspired to start acting because
of The Godfather. I was inspired to start acting, and
then you know, by extension producing watching Godfather three, you're
now here doing my podcast? Am I now the Godfather?
Speaker 1 (37:23):
I haven't retired yet. One day, one day, one day,
and that day may never come. Oh I might come
to you for a favor.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
Oh, there's hope, all right, man so much, I really
appreciate it. Just when you thought you were out, we
pulled you back in with next week's episode of More
Than a Movie featuring actor and honorary Latino Lou Diamond Phillips,
who will be talking to about his role as Richie
(37:56):
Vallen's in Labama. More Than a Movie Season two was
produced by Chloe Taglia Ganbe with the help of Reynolds
Gutierres and Veronica Hernandez in partnership with Iheart's Michael Durda
podcast network, hosted by me Alex Fumeto, edited by Rose
(38:16):
Red and Chloe Tauglia Gmbe with the help of Cida Cavedo.
Executive producers are Carmen Gratto, Rose Red, Isaac Lee, and
me Alex Fumetto sound designed by Gonzalo Messi, original music
by Golden Mines, Darko and Ieme recorded at JTB Studios
and Vaudeville Sound Our. Executive producers at iHeart are Gazelle
Bansis and Arlene Santana. For more Michael Durda podcasts, listen
(38:39):
to the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get
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On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com