November 19, 2025 • 35 mins
James reunites with the fab, always working Michelle Danner. They talk about two different movies she directed (and stars in one) they are out and coming out shortly: The Italians and Under the Stars. Follow her on IG @michelledannerla
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:12):
I love this. Five years ago on my show, The
Really Quick James O Junior Show, I got to sit
down with this person in person at the Edgemar Center
for the Arts in Santa Monica. I got to go
and sit with her and interview her person. We had
a great time. She is a person who what I
gathered from that experience, she's really into the world of
actors and acting and support supporting actors, supporting acting. And
(00:38):
now five years later, we're talking about some of the
things on the projects that are out and coming out
and she's been working on. She was telling me before
we came on, said six movies in five years. It
was about something like that. It's like, it's she's working, folks.
She's directing, she's acting, she's teaching, she's everything. She's like,
she's all this stuff. And so I saw one of
(00:59):
two films today. A film is coming out called Under
the Stars and it starts Tony Kollett, who I love's
you've seen her in a million things. She's the mom.
And Andy Garcia another person we love. And then I
got to see a screen of a movie she did
also called The Italians. It's the Fatalite Family. We got
she said, and she plays Angelina. We have rob Estes.
(01:21):
You guys don't hear him from soaps and things, and
he did. He plays Vicenzo.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
Just and then there's Niko her son. It's a good
person like Nico and his son. Abigail Breslin is in it.
You remember her, it's just and Lady Kazanti And I know,
I'm like, that's a legendight there too, So we're going
to want both films. See how she's doing these days.
Help me welcome the wonderful Michelle Danner.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Hi, Michelle, Hi, thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Congratulations on both projects. Getting one project done downs in
Hollywood is a hard thing, but you got two projects done.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Congratulations, Thank you, Thank you so much. I yeah, I
was happy to tell the story at the end of
the day. Do you really want to tell that story?
And I did?
Speaker 1 (02:04):
You did? H We'll start with the Italians because I
did want. I'd get decided to get to see that one,
and I enjoyed it so much. So, folks, that centers
around a dinner. It's a big Italian American family ittalies
and it's hilarious and serious and stuff comes out. I
don't want to give it that I want people see.
I'm wanna give it away. But it is worth it, folks.
It is like and I think it's one of those
(02:25):
things where asn't matter what your background is, if you
come from a big, loud family, you'll relate to it
write yourselves most kind of things. So it's kind it's
kind of like it's just it's set by Italian America,
but it's universal.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
Correct, absolutely, And it was inspired by my family. You know,
when Lisa Viska brought me the script that had a
lot of hearts to it and you know, reminded me
of my family. But then when we did the festival
circle with the movie, you know, before it came out,
so many people came up from different nationalities and different
(03:00):
in cities, and you know even in Italy where we
worked in a couple of film festivals, and they said,
this is my family. You know, we're not Italian, we're Jewish,
we're from Ukraine, we're Chinese, but this reminds me of
my family. So family, the theme of family is universal.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
When you went to Italy because it's about Italian Americans,
what was the reception there.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Oh, they were wonderful. They really loved the movie. They
were laughing. I was a little concerned at first because
it's about an Italian American family, and you know, in Italy,
my mother was from Milano, from the north of Italy.
So when I grew up, there was always this thing
of you know, the people the Italians from the north,
you know, they feud with the people from the south,
(03:47):
from Maples, from Sicily. There's always this, you know, undercurrent.
So you know, I was told that the movie would
be more welcomed by the people from the south than
the people from the north, because they will embrace more
this idea of Italian American families. But it turned out
(04:07):
that people, you know, are enjoying it. It's a fun movie.
It's a movie about love, forgiveness, Italian food. Although I'm
sure you know, I remember a movie that I saw
a long time ago. It's Stanley Tucci The Big Night.
I don't know if you saw it. You know how
every time I go to like one of those you know,
Italian restaurants and you do one substitution, they freak out
(04:30):
on you. And so, you know, the food is very
particular in Italy. People are very particular about food, and
so therefore, I don't know if they could even relate
to the food and the Italians. But I have to
say we've had a very warm reception. People have laughed.
The very first screening that we had was at the
(04:50):
Los Angeles Italia Film Festival, which is a big film
festival at a Chinese theater. It was completely sold out.
As a matter of fact, it's a very funny story.
We the names of the actors on the chairs, and
all of a sudden, all these people came to see
the movie because it was called The Italians, and they
all took out the names of the actors on the chairs.
(05:10):
So we had to maneuver and and adjust. Lady Cazan
came that night and people laughed. It was roaring laughter
from beginning to end until you know the moments in
the movie that are moving and when people felt that
they were touched by it. And you know, if you
if you make people laugh and then you move them,
(05:31):
you know you've I achieved what I wanted to do.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Well, that's part of the script, and that's part and
you know, and that's the that's the beauty of the
script is that you're laughing, so you're getting to know
the characters through the scenes of the craziness and the
conversation and dialogue, and then you dropped this. Then you
dropped these little mini bombs, like little things come in
and you're like, oh, that's really sensitive and that's really
(05:56):
oh and then you kind of then it's like the
good little breaks from the constant laughter. Every it was
just a slapsticky laughter thing. That's one kind of movie.
But your movie is just like, oh, it's like life, Like, yeah,
you're laughing one minute, just arguing woman, but the next
minute there's something serious goes on and it happens and
it still moves the story and you can get back
(06:17):
to the laughter. It was like, there's you drop these
little moments.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
That's right, you know, I love I wanted to tell
the story now. Spoiler alert, but it's not a big
spoiler alert. At the end of the movie, the last
card it says for my mother Loredana, which you know,
she's not alive. She was not alive to see this movie.
I don't know if she would have liked it. It's
very critical my mother, but maybe she would have. You know,
(06:43):
it's possible. It's possible she would have seen herself a
little bit or maybe absolutely been in denial about it
and said, this is nothing like me.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
You know those old world folks come on, you know
how they are very stoic, you know, very much like, oh,
I don't see me in there at all.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Tell you that she always gave me a gift. So
you know right now, this under the story that just came. No,
the movie that I just show a Starstruck was my
ninth movie that I've directed. And so by the time
my mother was alive, I think I had about seven
movies that I had directed. And my mother never could
sit still through any of the movies. She would get
up and go to the bathroom and it would frustrate me,
(07:21):
like so many times, and I would say, should I
pause it? Should I pause it? And she was like no, no, no,
keep it going, keep it going. And so the last
movie that she saw that I directed was Miranda's Victim,
which was with Abigail Breslin. It was about the Miranda rights.
Actually it was Donald Sutherland's last film. Donald Sutherland was
(07:43):
always her favorite actor and that movie was two hours
and five minutes, and wouldn't you know it, that was
the greatest gift that she gave me. She sat two
hours and five minutes and never got up, which has
never happened ever. Ever, my mother would always get up,
even going to the movie theaters when she was younger,
because she had a short attention span. So and then
(08:05):
she when the movie was done, she said, this is excellent.
So she she gave me the gift. She gave it
to me.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
I'll laugh. You you do have a habit of working
with actors multiple times. The guy, the guy put yourself,
Matthew Daryl, he's but you worked with him several times,
several times. Like is that kind of part of like
almost like your theater background. Whs, It's kind of like
you work with the same You know these actors are good, right,
you know they can do their job. Is that kind
of what you're is that kind of how that works?
Speaker 2 (08:35):
You just absolutely I believe in theater companies. I believe
in theater companies on film and uh, you know, you
get attached to actors. As a matter of fact, every
single time I finished a movie, I want to do
another movie with the same group of actors because I
get attached to them. And I love actors, and a
(08:56):
lot of them. I have close relationships with and I
do like to work, but I also like to work
with new people and people that have never worked with before.
You mentioned Matthew d Dario. So I just wrapped a
movie called Starstruck, a rom com about astrology, and Matthew
de Daria was the lead in it, and he was
also in The Italians, and he's wonderful. I mean, he
(09:19):
was so incredible every single scene he brought you all
of himself to it. And then Rob est Is also
is someone that is in the Italians and he's in
Under the Stars and he's Starstruck. He's a wonderful actor.
Him and I did a show a very long time
ago in La The Rose Tattoo by Tennessee Williams. At
(09:41):
the time, he was on Melrose Place and we and
the show had not been done. The play had not
been done in Los Angeles in eighteen years, so it
was eighteen years at the Rose Tattoo had not been done.
And so we did it and we almost ran for
a year. We were sold out every single night. We
had twenty one people in the cast and the goat.
(10:04):
And so the reason also why I'm bringing it up
is because Rob and I have that history. We had
that experience. It was a very, very joyful experience. It
was actually the only play of Tennessee Williams. I was
joyful because he wrote it while he was in love
and Robin I had such a fun time doing it.
We would just you know, we're having every single night
(10:25):
that felt improvisational and people would laugh. There's nothing like
doing a play live where people laugh, you know, all
the time. And so twenty years later, I think, was
it twenty years Maybe I don't know him and I
it's okay, I haven't done a lot of work. I
(10:48):
will soon. I'm looking at all these options that they were.
People are like, no, you don't need to you don't
have wrinkles. But I'm like, no, no, no, no, reqularing
myself to do something. But in any event, this the
Italians for rob and I was you know, an homage
to that year that we did doing the Rose Tattoo
by Tennessee Williams. I was in us. Yeah, and that's
(11:12):
why you know we have we have such history since
the Rose Tattoo. We did other things together. We did
the movie and play and musicals and we've actually done
things together but two movies. But this was I think
a culmination of something that really worked for us in
terms of, you know, this married couple that had been
(11:33):
married for a long time and gets on each other's nerves.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
Is I love the bickering was hilarious. I know this
is hilarious because realistic. It's realistic. I know people like that,
so it's realistic. But I mean, I'll get back to
that because because I did say earlier, you do love actors,
how do you do by? This book is something about
being with actors. You know, it's like, you know, the
show up. You know they'll do their job. You know,
the deliver there must be a nice you know, because
(11:58):
making film, it's not you'll just wake up the film.
There a lot of components to it. So I'm sure
you want to make sure you have actors where asked
the least of your problems, right, like did the actress
come in? They will do the job you have to
do well.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
I'll give you an example. I did a movie one
year was that probably like ten years ago or more
eleven years ago with Catherine Bell. It was called The
Bandit Hound. It was a movie with dogs and kids.
Judd Nelson was in it, Verne Troyer and Lufa iingno minim.
Originally it was a cute little family movie that I
did and Catherine Bell played the mom and so I'm casting,
(12:34):
you know, last week, and I called Katherine. I said,
I have this, you know, one day cameo, there's this,
you know, the Devil Wears Prada, Miranda Prisley character. Would
you come and do it? And she did and she
was wonderful. So I do like to you know, I mean, yes,
I love working with the same actors, of course. And
(12:55):
then I worked recently with a wonderful actress, Alice Eve
and she was great. And Doug Jones and he was extraordinary.
So I love working with new actors as well. And
Billy Z Billy's a just came on set last week.
He was great.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
That's a name too, No, So okay, so we'll switch
to the side of new actors because it mostly fun
to discover people's the new actors, their talents and discover
what they can bring. So there's the other. So you
have the one side where you know these folks. I
know them, They're gonna work it out. But I get
this new actor. It must be exciting as a director,
you know, producer watching them flourish right when they're doing
(13:35):
what they're doing a scene.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
Absolutely absolutely, it's it's great when when things fall into
place and they gel and things catch fire. I mean, yeah,
it's a great feeling. What kind of director are you, well,
I mean, I don't know, but people say, and I'm
an actor's director.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
I figured, you.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Know, I'm sorry, I have something in my first people
say I'm an actors director.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
I figure that I.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
Understand actors. I relate to them. Obviously. I try to
find most of the time I succeed a way to
add something to the scene, to elevate the scene. But yeah,
I mean I have a great collaboration. Very, very seldomly
(14:29):
am I not able to reach an actor. It has happened,
you know, it has happened. And I do the best
that I can with what I have, and usually it
works out too. I've never really had anything where I've
been in the editing room and I've gone, oh God,
this is really bad, and I haven't I wasn't able
to get it. Somehow, I'm able.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
To ye now with people, you know, especially I can
Italians like lots of group scenes just in general. How
is that to navigate? I mean, as an actor as
a director, how's that? Nay? Because it looks so seamless.
Obviously there's a lot of editing its so that went on
in direction. But for me, I'm just going, how do
you mean you think? Okay, why's that table? For examples?
(15:10):
That table? You're thinking that would be easy to me?
I figured, it's not as easy as it looks.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Well, a lot of movie pieces have to come together. Uh. Now,
my wonderful production designer who cook that food?
Speaker 1 (15:24):
And I said, yes, it all real food, right, it's
all real at all.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
And the Ray Wilson, my costume designer, both designers, both
we're on this last movie that I did. So not
only do I get attached to actors, but I get
attached to to you know, the people that are behind
the camera as well, because it takes so many people
to make a story come to life. That's why, you know,
(15:48):
when I did the the goodbye speech to the crew,
you know on Saturday night, I said, you know, when
you look at a movie and you scrawled the enormous
amount of people that it takes to make it happen,
and it's pretty incredible. But yeah, I I The table
scenes were actually were fun because the food was good,
(16:11):
and everybody so we had David de Luise was on set.
You know, he came to do one of my astrological
science in Starstruck. He's so funny. He's so funny, and
everyone's like commenting on the food is so good, this
is so good. So I think people liked sitting down
at the table and doing this scene.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
I don't know to be able to remember my life
even so much. I love good food. Oh my goodness,
Oh you imagine with the stars. Tell us what that
story is exactly. Let's that's about that story for a
little bit.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Well, it's an ageing No, no, no, it's not about that.
It's about he writer that is uninspired, lives in London
and is in a dead end relationship with girlfriend and
goes to Italy to Pulia to find the inspiration and Massyria,
(17:09):
which I found out, these beautiful Massirias in the south
of Italy are very prominent, and little by little they
fall in love. And then Toni Collette is the aunt
of the writer and she arrives looking for her nephew
and she meets played by Toni Collette, and she meets
Eddie Garcia and they have also a romance. When I
(17:34):
had gotten the script, it was just the romance of
the young people. And I had seen this movie before Sunrise.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Oh yeah, yeah, I heard that later.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
I remember that, Yeah, they've fallen in love in Paris.
That was actually an inspiration and fun story. A few
months ago, I'm on a camping trip for the school
with my son and it's eleven o'clock at night and
there's a fire glowing. It's all dark, pitch dark. All
the parents are around the campfire. They're singing songs, and
all of a sudden I heard this woman with a
(18:05):
French accent, and I turn around and in the glow
of the fire is Julie Delfi, And I said to her,
Oh my god. I don't know how much your movie
inspired me for this movie that I did in Italy.
But they had me when they called me to direct
this movie, they had me at Pulia because my whole
childhood I always heard Pulia is so beautiful, Pulia is
(18:27):
so beautiful, and I had never been. I'd been to Milano,
or to Rome, to Venice, everywhere Sicily, but never to Pulia.
And so I was like, oh, we're shooting in Pulia. Okay,
I'll do it, and you know, it was fun. It
was definitely fun to spend some time in Italy. You know,
at the time, my mother was no longer alive, so
I really felt close to her, the same way that
(18:49):
I felt close to her when I shot The Italians,
I conjured her quite a bit. So these two movies
that have, you know, Italian inspirations, definitely I felt my
mother was present for both of them.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
There's no coincidence. Right now, I would say, there's no coincidence.
This is life. Of course, I came into your life
right now, and maybe you need to feel close to
your mom. So they're like, let's city in Italy. I
think some films about Tillys like that, you know, I
mean like I feel like there's there's when things come up,
when things come up in our work especially, it's a coincidence.
You must have needed it on some level exactly that.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
You're absolutely right that.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
I love that. Tony Kleett, I'm just I'm just just
I just want to fan girlfriend making. I'm a huge
fan of hers and so many things she's been in
TV and film. Just give me some kind of give
us some kind of tibbit about her working with her, well.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
I had a front seat to you know how brilliant
she is and I remember watching every single one of
her takes and being blown away. Uh, she just goes
for it, commits, she brings all of herself to it,
and she really cares. And you know, she was wonderful
to work with. We had a great time.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
You ever, do you a get starstruck silently? Do you
ever kind of go, oh, I'm working with so and
so because you say some names out there, some big names.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
Maybe Donald Sutherland for sure, because he always reminded me
of my dad, and you're a CEO when I first
met him, because I think that I had a crush
on him in many of his movies. Actually told him
that he loved hearing it. But you know, when I
(20:32):
was little, let me just tell you my dad, who
was the president of the William Morris Agency, which is Marrison.
He opened the very first offices in Paris, and when
I was little, all these big stars, you know, European stars,
French stars, American stars, they would all come to the
house and have dinner. And so I grew up, you know,
(20:53):
when playing under his desk at the William Morris and
I grew up with all these you know, people coming
talking about their dreams and their plans and their careers,
and I think, I mean, I grew up a little
bit in that. So I don't get two starstruck. But
you know, Steven Spielberg, I had dinner with him once.
(21:16):
That was I get a little star struck by that
for sure. Yeah, I mean, listen, I love the fact
that in this lifetime I'm an artist and I love
meeting other artists and having conversations with them. And you know,
it's it's a great craft that we have to tell
(21:38):
story race storytelling. I love it. You know, I teach
as well. I'm an acting teacher, and new storytelling is
the oldest professors maybe been told or that have been told,
(22:05):
but we didn't tell them, so they'll be different, they'll
have a unique slant.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
Yeah, yeah, you guys. As a person, as an interviewer
all these years, I run a get stars strak too.
But there's a feel, like you said, a feel I
meet somebody like oh my god, I'm actually talking to
them now, But it's always in it's always internal. I'm
like I'm actually talking to them, Okay, got it? And
I gotta stay on pointing at my questions. I would
ask I've been set my questions that said, what I
got a job to do. But it's kind of but
(22:31):
we also grew up in La you know, we do
we do people, and this is a very industry town.
So if you grew up here, chances are you know
somebody who knows somebody who's in the business. I mean,
that's kind of how that is, right, of course.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
One of the things I appreciate about your films and
you and you just almost touched on its a little
bit with the under the stars that you show older romance.
I know, I mean, I know I look young, but
I'm almost almost sixty years old, and I'm and I
find myself now looking for older romance stories, which I
never thought about when i was younger, obviously, but now
(23:04):
as I'm getting older, I'm like, yeah, we're still over,
we're still here, we still fall in love or we
still have we have love problems. So I appreciate that.
Then in your films that you do and thro your
films you do, you have that aspect of there.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
Yeah, I mean I think that you know, I don't
watch reality shows. I'm not a reality show person. I
did watch The Golden Bachelor Season one. That's what inspired
the Tony Kalett Andy Garcia storyline, because that was not
in the script. When I got that expanded that, I
thought it would be interesting to tell a dual story
of younger people and older people falling in love because
(23:42):
it gives you hope, you know, because once you're older,
maybe you're a little set in your ways and you're
not as adaptable. I mean, I remember my sister is
in the marriage, my younger sister of many years decades,
I think thirty years. I remember when she was eighteen,
she met her husband and she would have we were
roommates at the time, and she'd had these long conversations
(24:03):
with him, which you would just listen to him and
she'd go uh huh uh huh for hours, and I
would just make fun of her. Uh huh.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
I mean, you know, I don't know that when you're
older you get the patient to go uh huh uh
huh for hours and hours. But no, you don't, but
you do when you're you know, in your twenties. When
you're in your twenties, you have a certain amount of
patience and openness, but I think that this idea that
you can find love at any age. I like that,
(24:36):
you know, I like that idea, you know, hope.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
Yes, I like that idea too. How do you how
do you choose projects? Because you recently had a bunch
of you had a bunch of great projects. How do
you choose them? I?
Speaker 2 (24:52):
First of all, I like story. I asked myself, should
this story be told? Do we need this story to
be told? Who's going to watch this story? What is
going to do for them? Do I want to tell it?
Why do I want to tell it? What is it
that I understand humanly about this story? And do I
want to commit myself to it? Because at the end
(25:13):
of the day, when it's all said and done, it's
at least a couple of years of your life, yes, least.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
You know, this last movie that I did start Struck,
the romantic comedy with Astrology. Several people were interested. We
shopped it around. It had a great concept. Nobody had
done it. But you know, it was hard. It was
hard to get that train to move. It took. Of course,
we've had COVID, so COVID made us. You know, we
were for two years. You know, things moved less. And
(25:44):
then of course, you know, trying to shoot a movie
in la there's not a lot of production here and
people don't really you know, want to bankroll it because
you know, it's hard to get the tax incentive if
you can even get it. So those are obstacles to
getting a made. But if you know, I just have
to feel it in my guts, If in my guts
(26:05):
I feel that razor edged you know, sensation that I
have to do it no matter what. I have a
movie now that we're you know, gonna shoot next year
called Helios. It's about the sunflares destroying the Earth. It's
a disaster movie. Half of it takes place in space.
We have a great cast that's attached and uh and
(26:26):
we get some very authentic space companies that are sponsoring it,
including Blue Origin and these Kids and the United Launch Allions.
We actually have, you know, potentially the permission to go
shoot the NASA for a few days. So it's a
it's a wonderful script and it's about you know, what
(26:47):
do you do when disaster, you know, hits you. But
also that has a very strong human component to it,
and Miranda's victim had that and a movie I did
called The Runner had that and the Attack Allians. You know,
I believe has it. It comes from the heart. And
in this movie Under the Stars, I think is a
very heartfelt romance story and I like that.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
That's kind's very cool sounding actually, but you're right. I mean,
you have to live with it for a while. That's
your that's your whole thing, right, it's I have to
live with this project, Like and do you want to
live in that world for that long? Exactly says to me,
you will live that world that long and really tell
a story when you when you play a checkers because
you're acting in like an Italian you're acting in it.
(27:31):
Although I don't want to ask that questions because that's
a dumb question, like do you like acting more or
directing more? I just kind of want to ask, as
you've been in this business for a long time, where
are you leaning more towards? Are you leaning more towards
and directing with occasional acting? Are you trying to do both?
You know equally? Like what is your what are you
(27:51):
leaning towards?
Speaker 2 (27:52):
I think it's a great question that you're asking me,
And you know, I have promised myself now because you
know it's been go, go go, that I was going
to take a breath and I was going to think
about what parts I would want to play. You know, still,
what is it that I what parts would I want
to play? And you know the Italians, it was very
(28:15):
easy for me to act and direct at the same time.
I knew what I was in for. I also have
to know that I have a great team of people
as at In fact, Bill is Zaine said to us, Oh,
I like your operation here. I work with the same
people I work with. My sisters are on set, my
sons are on set, so I get help, I get support.
(28:38):
It takes a village to raise a child, takes a
village to make a movie. But I have a lot
of wonderful support on set, so I was able to
do it. And as a matter of fact, it was
a rehearsal in the Italians with Abigail Breslin and Matthew
and Rob and myself where I looked at the three
of them and I said, I couldn't have picked better
actress to do this exercise with because they were so
giving and so generous. But when I have a little
(29:04):
cameos in movies, I think there's more pressure. I mean,
I have to rethink the cameos situation. I did the
part of a doctor. It was like half a page
of a scene with the day, you know, with Matthew
in Starstruck, and I felt the pressure, Oh my.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
God, this is by why do you thinkmatic?
Speaker 2 (29:24):
I know it's crazy, But the Italians I felt zero pressure,
like no pressure at all. It was easy. It was
like there was no stress and people ask me. I
was asked that the premiere in the Q and a
like what's the biggest challenge? What's the you know, and
really like it was a joyous experience to shoot that movie.
There was no you know nothing, you know, uh, this
(29:47):
movie Starstruck had a couple of things we had We're
shooting San Pedro and we had a robbery. It was
like a whole big thing that somebody broken and then
robbed and so it was like it was for the
you know, for the books, but but the Italians know
the Italians, was you know, just a perfect shoot? Like
you know, yeah, I.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
Almost think maybe because at least if you're doing a
regular role, you're living in it, you're breathing it. This
is like a quickie, you're coming on real quick to
just jump into the scene of whatever use you're doing.
Maybe that's it. I mean, it's like, you don't that's it.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
It's just you know, you have to take the time
to for the makeup on I don't know. The makeup
is a big deal.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
It is.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
Forty five minutes and really, you know, commits to not moving.
It's a little stressful unless you know you're in for
it for every single day, which I believe that I
worked every single day in the Italians because I think
I was pretty much you know there.
Speaker 1 (30:49):
So I do have to ask real quick to you.
Lady Kazan an actress who could do anything. Yeah, like
different kinds of ethnicity, is they?
Speaker 2 (31:00):
So?
Speaker 1 (31:01):
What was I like working with her?
Speaker 2 (31:02):
Oh? She was great. She really was a great lady.
She's a great lady. She's super I really liked her.
We did a mother's daughter scene together and we did
three takes. She was wonderful. The end of the third take,
my son, who was behind the monitor, came and he
had no words. He just had tears in his eyes
(31:24):
and he had a hand in his heart and you know,
and that Yeah, she's funny. She I mean, let's be real,
shells the show. She stole the show. In every screening
that we had, she basically brings the house down. I
mean she does. She's you know, she is the rock
(31:45):
star of this movie.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
She is. I agree with you completing on that he
is Michelle because of swat things happening as he wrapped
this up. I love talking to you as he wrapped
this up. There's all a lot of things happening in
Hollywood right now. I mean, I mean in California and
Hollywood and Los Angeles. We just came out of a pandemic.
You and I are still here, We're still working with here.
(32:09):
Why do you think you are surviving and thriving, you know,
with these projects. I mean, some of my folks they
packed up and left. Some of them are looking for work,
you know. Some of them were just like for some reason,
like you're still You're still working. You're still working, you know.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
I mean, I don't know. Some of it might be
a little luck. Some of it is the fact that
I have loving people around me. Some of it, apparently
from what I'm told, is that I'm strong.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
I believe that, you know, I'm.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
A strong person, and when I want something to happen,
I will it's to happen. I make it happen. I
have the reputation of getting it done, of you know,
being a doer. I don't like to talk so much.
I'm not like a huge talker. I just like to
get it done. And you know, so maybe that's it. Listen,
(33:03):
it never escapes me, well, not a single day in
my life that I'm very grateful for everything that I have.
But by the same token, I also know there's a
misconception that people think it's easy for me to get
it done, and it's really not.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
It's really I can look easy, but there's a lot
of work behind it.
Speaker 2 (33:20):
Yeah, totally, I know it looks Yeah, she's doing another movie,
you know. Yeah, well it was really hard to get
that one made and the one before that.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
Also, Oh yeah, I like that's a That's the thing.
I'm very much like you. A door is get it done. Plus,
I think I think also you like what you do.
You like this business?
Speaker 2 (33:40):
Yeah, I mean, you know, I'm lucky that I'm passionate
about what I do. Even now. So I'm going to
go into the editing for this last movie that I
just show and so I'm thinking the week of thanksgiving
him in New York the last two weeks in December.
I'm in New York. But I'm gonna edit, you know,
not all day, of course not, but I'm gonna pick
you know, two three four hours a day where I'm
(34:02):
going to edit and not because it's going to feel
like work to me, not because it's going to be
heavy lifting, but because I just want to.
Speaker 1 (34:11):
I like that because I love The Italians another Stars both.
Where can people find these movies? All right?
Speaker 2 (34:18):
Well? The Italians is right now on Amazon Prime and Fendanego.
It will be December thirteenth, on Google YouTube, Apple TV,
iTunes on December thirteenth. And in terms of Under the Stars,
(34:39):
I think you can find it on Apple, on Amazon,
on all the platforms.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
Yeah, it's out now, so check those out. Thank you,
miss Michelle. Thanks once again.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
Thank you. There's pleasure doing this and seeing you again
and talking to you about things that I love doing.
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
I love talking to you. You're always great. Hopefully it
will be another five years. Well, because you're great that
you're always working folks. Michelle Danner. Please, like I said,
I'm The Stars and the Italians with the two films underneath.
The description. I'll tell you where to find them so
you can check those out. I'm James Junior, Extra Connections
on Facebook. We are everywhere on the all streaming service platforms.
(35:18):
We're all about connecting you with what the products are
out there and the world and what's behind the projects
and people behind the projects. Support. Support indie film. Support
indie films where it's where it's at right now, folks,
I'm really telling you indie film is where it's at.
There are a lot of great products out there. Check
them out, check them out. Support the arts. I'm James E. Junior.
(35:39):
Touchy next time.
I love this. Five years ago on my show, The
Really Quick James O Junior Show, I got to sit
down with this person in person at the Edgemar Center
for the Arts in Santa Monica. I got to go
and sit with her and interview her person. We had
a great time. She is a person who what I
gathered from that experience, she's really into the world of
actors and acting and support supporting actors, supporting acting. And
(00:38):
now five years later, we're talking about some of the
things on the projects that are out and coming out
and she's been working on. She was telling me before
we came on, said six movies in five years. It
was about something like that. It's like, it's she's working, folks.
She's directing, she's acting, she's teaching, she's everything. She's like,
she's all this stuff. And so I saw one of
(00:59):
two films today. A film is coming out called Under
the Stars and it starts Tony Kollett, who I love's
you've seen her in a million things. She's the mom.
And Andy Garcia another person we love. And then I
got to see a screen of a movie she did
also called The Italians. It's the Fatalite Family. We got
she said, and she plays Angelina. We have rob Estes.
(01:21):
You guys don't hear him from soaps and things, and
he did. He plays Vicenzo.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
Just and then there's Niko her son. It's a good
person like Nico and his son. Abigail Breslin is in it.
You remember her, it's just and Lady Kazanti And I know,
I'm like, that's a legendight there too, So we're going
to want both films. See how she's doing these days.
Help me welcome the wonderful Michelle Danner.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Hi, Michelle, Hi, thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Congratulations on both projects. Getting one project done downs in
Hollywood is a hard thing, but you got two projects done.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Congratulations, Thank you, Thank you so much. I yeah, I
was happy to tell the story at the end of
the day. Do you really want to tell that story?
And I did?
Speaker 1 (02:04):
You did? H We'll start with the Italians because I
did want. I'd get decided to get to see that one,
and I enjoyed it so much. So, folks, that centers
around a dinner. It's a big Italian American family ittalies
and it's hilarious and serious and stuff comes out. I
don't want to give it that I want people see.
I'm wanna give it away. But it is worth it, folks.
It is like and I think it's one of those
(02:25):
things where asn't matter what your background is, if you
come from a big, loud family, you'll relate to it
write yourselves most kind of things. So it's kind it's
kind of like it's just it's set by Italian America,
but it's universal.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
Correct, absolutely, And it was inspired by my family. You know,
when Lisa Viska brought me the script that had a
lot of hearts to it and you know, reminded me
of my family. But then when we did the festival
circle with the movie, you know, before it came out,
so many people came up from different nationalities and different
(03:00):
in cities, and you know even in Italy where we
worked in a couple of film festivals, and they said,
this is my family. You know, we're not Italian, we're Jewish,
we're from Ukraine, we're Chinese, but this reminds me of
my family. So family, the theme of family is universal.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
When you went to Italy because it's about Italian Americans,
what was the reception there.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Oh, they were wonderful. They really loved the movie. They
were laughing. I was a little concerned at first because
it's about an Italian American family, and you know, in Italy,
my mother was from Milano, from the north of Italy.
So when I grew up, there was always this thing
of you know, the people the Italians from the north,
you know, they feud with the people from the south,
(03:47):
from Maples, from Sicily. There's always this, you know, undercurrent.
So you know, I was told that the movie would
be more welcomed by the people from the south than
the people from the north, because they will embrace more
this idea of Italian American families. But it turned out
(04:07):
that people, you know, are enjoying it. It's a fun movie.
It's a movie about love, forgiveness, Italian food. Although I'm
sure you know, I remember a movie that I saw
a long time ago. It's Stanley Tucci The Big Night.
I don't know if you saw it. You know how
every time I go to like one of those you know,
Italian restaurants and you do one substitution, they freak out
(04:30):
on you. And so, you know, the food is very
particular in Italy. People are very particular about food, and
so therefore, I don't know if they could even relate
to the food and the Italians. But I have to
say we've had a very warm reception. People have laughed.
The very first screening that we had was at the
(04:50):
Los Angeles Italia Film Festival, which is a big film
festival at a Chinese theater. It was completely sold out.
As a matter of fact, it's a very funny story.
We the names of the actors on the chairs, and
all of a sudden, all these people came to see
the movie because it was called The Italians, and they
all took out the names of the actors on the chairs.
(05:10):
So we had to maneuver and and adjust. Lady Cazan
came that night and people laughed. It was roaring laughter
from beginning to end until you know the moments in
the movie that are moving and when people felt that
they were touched by it. And you know, if you
if you make people laugh and then you move them,
(05:31):
you know you've I achieved what I wanted to do.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Well, that's part of the script, and that's part and
you know, and that's the that's the beauty of the
script is that you're laughing, so you're getting to know
the characters through the scenes of the craziness and the
conversation and dialogue, and then you dropped this. Then you
dropped these little mini bombs, like little things come in
and you're like, oh, that's really sensitive and that's really
(05:56):
oh and then you kind of then it's like the
good little breaks from the constant laughter. Every it was
just a slapsticky laughter thing. That's one kind of movie.
But your movie is just like, oh, it's like life, Like, yeah,
you're laughing one minute, just arguing woman, but the next
minute there's something serious goes on and it happens and
it still moves the story and you can get back
(06:17):
to the laughter. It was like, there's you drop these
little moments.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
That's right, you know, I love I wanted to tell
the story now. Spoiler alert, but it's not a big
spoiler alert. At the end of the movie, the last
card it says for my mother Loredana, which you know,
she's not alive. She was not alive to see this movie.
I don't know if she would have liked it. It's
very critical my mother, but maybe she would have. You know,
(06:43):
it's possible. It's possible she would have seen herself a
little bit or maybe absolutely been in denial about it
and said, this is nothing like me.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
You know those old world folks come on, you know
how they are very stoic, you know, very much like, oh,
I don't see me in there at all.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Tell you that she always gave me a gift. So
you know right now, this under the story that just came. No,
the movie that I just show a Starstruck was my
ninth movie that I've directed. And so by the time
my mother was alive, I think I had about seven
movies that I had directed. And my mother never could
sit still through any of the movies. She would get
up and go to the bathroom and it would frustrate me,
(07:21):
like so many times, and I would say, should I
pause it? Should I pause it? And she was like no, no, no,
keep it going, keep it going. And so the last
movie that she saw that I directed was Miranda's Victim,
which was with Abigail Breslin. It was about the Miranda rights.
Actually it was Donald Sutherland's last film. Donald Sutherland was
(07:43):
always her favorite actor and that movie was two hours
and five minutes, and wouldn't you know it, that was
the greatest gift that she gave me. She sat two
hours and five minutes and never got up, which has
never happened ever. Ever, my mother would always get up,
even going to the movie theaters when she was younger,
because she had a short attention span. So and then
(08:05):
she when the movie was done, she said, this is excellent.
So she she gave me the gift. She gave it
to me.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
I'll laugh. You you do have a habit of working
with actors multiple times. The guy, the guy put yourself,
Matthew Daryl, he's but you worked with him several times,
several times. Like is that kind of part of like
almost like your theater background. Whs, It's kind of like
you work with the same You know these actors are good, right,
you know they can do their job. Is that kind
of what you're is that kind of how that works?
Speaker 2 (08:35):
You just absolutely I believe in theater companies. I believe
in theater companies on film and uh, you know, you
get attached to actors. As a matter of fact, every
single time I finished a movie, I want to do
another movie with the same group of actors because I
get attached to them. And I love actors, and a
(08:56):
lot of them. I have close relationships with and I
do like to work, but I also like to work
with new people and people that have never worked with before.
You mentioned Matthew d Dario. So I just wrapped a
movie called Starstruck, a rom com about astrology, and Matthew
de Daria was the lead in it, and he was
also in The Italians, and he's wonderful. I mean, he
(09:19):
was so incredible every single scene he brought you all
of himself to it. And then Rob est Is also
is someone that is in the Italians and he's in
Under the Stars and he's Starstruck. He's a wonderful actor.
Him and I did a show a very long time
ago in La The Rose Tattoo by Tennessee Williams. At
(09:41):
the time, he was on Melrose Place and we and
the show had not been done. The play had not
been done in Los Angeles in eighteen years, so it
was eighteen years at the Rose Tattoo had not been done.
And so we did it and we almost ran for
a year. We were sold out every single night. We
had twenty one people in the cast and the goat.
(10:04):
And so the reason also why I'm bringing it up
is because Rob and I have that history. We had
that experience. It was a very, very joyful experience. It
was actually the only play of Tennessee Williams. I was
joyful because he wrote it while he was in love
and Robin I had such a fun time doing it.
We would just you know, we're having every single night
(10:25):
that felt improvisational and people would laugh. There's nothing like
doing a play live where people laugh, you know, all
the time. And so twenty years later, I think, was
it twenty years Maybe I don't know him and I
it's okay, I haven't done a lot of work. I
(10:48):
will soon. I'm looking at all these options that they were.
People are like, no, you don't need to you don't
have wrinkles. But I'm like, no, no, no, no, reqularing
myself to do something. But in any event, this the
Italians for rob and I was you know, an homage
to that year that we did doing the Rose Tattoo
by Tennessee Williams. I was in us. Yeah, and that's
(11:12):
why you know we have we have such history since
the Rose Tattoo. We did other things together. We did
the movie and play and musicals and we've actually done
things together but two movies. But this was I think
a culmination of something that really worked for us in
terms of, you know, this married couple that had been
(11:33):
married for a long time and gets on each other's nerves.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
Is I love the bickering was hilarious. I know this
is hilarious because realistic. It's realistic. I know people like that,
so it's realistic. But I mean, I'll get back to
that because because I did say earlier, you do love actors,
how do you do by? This book is something about
being with actors. You know, it's like, you know, the
show up. You know they'll do their job. You know,
the deliver there must be a nice you know, because
(11:58):
making film, it's not you'll just wake up the film.
There a lot of components to it. So I'm sure
you want to make sure you have actors where asked
the least of your problems, right, like did the actress
come in? They will do the job you have to
do well.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
I'll give you an example. I did a movie one
year was that probably like ten years ago or more
eleven years ago with Catherine Bell. It was called The
Bandit Hound. It was a movie with dogs and kids.
Judd Nelson was in it, Verne Troyer and Lufa iingno minim.
Originally it was a cute little family movie that I
did and Catherine Bell played the mom and so I'm casting,
(12:34):
you know, last week, and I called Katherine. I said,
I have this, you know, one day cameo, there's this,
you know, the Devil Wears Prada, Miranda Prisley character. Would
you come and do it? And she did and she
was wonderful. So I do like to you know, I mean, yes,
I love working with the same actors, of course. And
(12:55):
then I worked recently with a wonderful actress, Alice Eve
and she was great. And Doug Jones and he was extraordinary.
So I love working with new actors as well. And
Billy Z Billy's a just came on set last week.
He was great.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
That's a name too, No, So okay, so we'll switch
to the side of new actors because it mostly fun
to discover people's the new actors, their talents and discover
what they can bring. So there's the other. So you
have the one side where you know these folks. I
know them, They're gonna work it out. But I get
this new actor. It must be exciting as a director,
you know, producer watching them flourish right when they're doing
(13:35):
what they're doing a scene.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
Absolutely absolutely, it's it's great when when things fall into
place and they gel and things catch fire. I mean, yeah,
it's a great feeling. What kind of director are you, well,
I mean, I don't know, but people say, and I'm
an actor's director.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
I figured, you.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Know, I'm sorry, I have something in my first people
say I'm an actors director.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
I figure that I.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
Understand actors. I relate to them. Obviously. I try to
find most of the time I succeed a way to
add something to the scene, to elevate the scene. But yeah,
I mean I have a great collaboration. Very, very seldomly
(14:29):
am I not able to reach an actor. It has happened,
you know, it has happened. And I do the best
that I can with what I have, and usually it
works out too. I've never really had anything where I've
been in the editing room and I've gone, oh God,
this is really bad, and I haven't I wasn't able
to get it. Somehow, I'm able.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
To ye now with people, you know, especially I can
Italians like lots of group scenes just in general. How
is that to navigate? I mean, as an actor as
a director, how's that? Nay? Because it looks so seamless.
Obviously there's a lot of editing its so that went on
in direction. But for me, I'm just going, how do
you mean you think? Okay, why's that table? For examples?
(15:10):
That table? You're thinking that would be easy to me?
I figured, it's not as easy as it looks.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Well, a lot of movie pieces have to come together. Uh. Now,
my wonderful production designer who cook that food?
Speaker 1 (15:24):
And I said, yes, it all real food, right, it's
all real at all.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
And the Ray Wilson, my costume designer, both designers, both
we're on this last movie that I did. So not
only do I get attached to actors, but I get
attached to to you know, the people that are behind
the camera as well, because it takes so many people
to make a story come to life. That's why, you know,
(15:48):
when I did the the goodbye speech to the crew,
you know on Saturday night, I said, you know, when
you look at a movie and you scrawled the enormous
amount of people that it takes to make it happen,
and it's pretty incredible. But yeah, I I The table
scenes were actually were fun because the food was good,
(16:11):
and everybody so we had David de Luise was on set.
You know, he came to do one of my astrological
science in Starstruck. He's so funny. He's so funny, and
everyone's like commenting on the food is so good, this
is so good. So I think people liked sitting down
at the table and doing this scene.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
I don't know to be able to remember my life
even so much. I love good food. Oh my goodness,
Oh you imagine with the stars. Tell us what that
story is exactly. Let's that's about that story for a
little bit.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Well, it's an ageing No, no, no, it's not about that.
It's about he writer that is uninspired, lives in London
and is in a dead end relationship with girlfriend and
goes to Italy to Pulia to find the inspiration and Massyria,
(17:09):
which I found out, these beautiful Massirias in the south
of Italy are very prominent, and little by little they
fall in love. And then Toni Collette is the aunt
of the writer and she arrives looking for her nephew
and she meets played by Toni Collette, and she meets
Eddie Garcia and they have also a romance. When I
(17:34):
had gotten the script, it was just the romance of
the young people. And I had seen this movie before Sunrise.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Oh yeah, yeah, I heard that later.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
I remember that, Yeah, they've fallen in love in Paris.
That was actually an inspiration and fun story. A few
months ago, I'm on a camping trip for the school
with my son and it's eleven o'clock at night and
there's a fire glowing. It's all dark, pitch dark. All
the parents are around the campfire. They're singing songs, and
all of a sudden I heard this woman with a
(18:05):
French accent, and I turn around and in the glow
of the fire is Julie Delfi, And I said to her,
Oh my god. I don't know how much your movie
inspired me for this movie that I did in Italy.
But they had me when they called me to direct
this movie, they had me at Pulia because my whole
childhood I always heard Pulia is so beautiful, Pulia is
(18:27):
so beautiful, and I had never been. I'd been to Milano,
or to Rome, to Venice, everywhere Sicily, but never to Pulia.
And so I was like, oh, we're shooting in Pulia. Okay,
I'll do it, and you know, it was fun. It
was definitely fun to spend some time in Italy. You know,
at the time, my mother was no longer alive, so
I really felt close to her, the same way that
(18:49):
I felt close to her when I shot The Italians,
I conjured her quite a bit. So these two movies
that have, you know, Italian inspirations, definitely I felt my
mother was present for both of them.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
There's no coincidence. Right now, I would say, there's no coincidence.
This is life. Of course, I came into your life
right now, and maybe you need to feel close to
your mom. So they're like, let's city in Italy. I
think some films about Tillys like that, you know, I
mean like I feel like there's there's when things come up,
when things come up in our work especially, it's a coincidence.
You must have needed it on some level exactly that.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
You're absolutely right that.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
I love that. Tony Kleett, I'm just I'm just just
I just want to fan girlfriend making. I'm a huge
fan of hers and so many things she's been in
TV and film. Just give me some kind of give
us some kind of tibbit about her working with her, well.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
I had a front seat to you know how brilliant
she is and I remember watching every single one of
her takes and being blown away. Uh, she just goes
for it, commits, she brings all of herself to it,
and she really cares. And you know, she was wonderful
to work with. We had a great time.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
You ever, do you a get starstruck silently? Do you
ever kind of go, oh, I'm working with so and
so because you say some names out there, some big names.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
Maybe Donald Sutherland for sure, because he always reminded me
of my dad, and you're a CEO when I first
met him, because I think that I had a crush
on him in many of his movies. Actually told him
that he loved hearing it. But you know, when I
(20:32):
was little, let me just tell you my dad, who
was the president of the William Morris Agency, which is Marrison.
He opened the very first offices in Paris, and when
I was little, all these big stars, you know, European stars,
French stars, American stars, they would all come to the
house and have dinner. And so I grew up, you know,
(20:53):
when playing under his desk at the William Morris and
I grew up with all these you know, people coming
talking about their dreams and their plans and their careers,
and I think, I mean, I grew up a little
bit in that. So I don't get two starstruck. But
you know, Steven Spielberg, I had dinner with him once.
(21:16):
That was I get a little star struck by that
for sure. Yeah, I mean, listen, I love the fact
that in this lifetime I'm an artist and I love
meeting other artists and having conversations with them. And you know,
it's it's a great craft that we have to tell
(21:38):
story race storytelling. I love it. You know, I teach
as well. I'm an acting teacher, and new storytelling is
the oldest professors maybe been told or that have been told,
(22:05):
but we didn't tell them, so they'll be different, they'll
have a unique slant.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
Yeah, yeah, you guys. As a person, as an interviewer
all these years, I run a get stars strak too.
But there's a feel, like you said, a feel I
meet somebody like oh my god, I'm actually talking to
them now, But it's always in it's always internal. I'm
like I'm actually talking to them, Okay, got it? And
I gotta stay on pointing at my questions. I would
ask I've been set my questions that said, what I
got a job to do. But it's kind of but
(22:31):
we also grew up in La you know, we do
we do people, and this is a very industry town.
So if you grew up here, chances are you know
somebody who knows somebody who's in the business. I mean,
that's kind of how that is, right, of course.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
One of the things I appreciate about your films and
you and you just almost touched on its a little
bit with the under the stars that you show older romance.
I know, I mean, I know I look young, but
I'm almost almost sixty years old, and I'm and I
find myself now looking for older romance stories, which I
never thought about when i was younger, obviously, but now
(23:04):
as I'm getting older, I'm like, yeah, we're still over,
we're still here, we still fall in love or we
still have we have love problems. So I appreciate that.
Then in your films that you do and thro your
films you do, you have that aspect of there.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
Yeah, I mean I think that you know, I don't
watch reality shows. I'm not a reality show person. I
did watch The Golden Bachelor Season one. That's what inspired
the Tony Kalett Andy Garcia storyline, because that was not
in the script. When I got that expanded that, I
thought it would be interesting to tell a dual story
of younger people and older people falling in love because
(23:42):
it gives you hope, you know, because once you're older,
maybe you're a little set in your ways and you're
not as adaptable. I mean, I remember my sister is
in the marriage, my younger sister of many years decades,
I think thirty years. I remember when she was eighteen,
she met her husband and she would have we were
roommates at the time, and she'd had these long conversations
(24:03):
with him, which you would just listen to him and
she'd go uh huh uh huh for hours, and I
would just make fun of her. Uh huh.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
I mean, you know, I don't know that when you're
older you get the patient to go uh huh uh
huh for hours and hours. But no, you don't, but
you do when you're you know, in your twenties. When
you're in your twenties, you have a certain amount of
patience and openness, but I think that this idea that
you can find love at any age. I like that,
(24:36):
you know, I like that idea, you know, hope.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
Yes, I like that idea too. How do you how
do you choose projects? Because you recently had a bunch
of you had a bunch of great projects. How do
you choose them? I?
Speaker 2 (24:52):
First of all, I like story. I asked myself, should
this story be told? Do we need this story to
be told? Who's going to watch this story? What is
going to do for them? Do I want to tell it?
Why do I want to tell it? What is it
that I understand humanly about this story? And do I
want to commit myself to it? Because at the end
(25:13):
of the day, when it's all said and done, it's
at least a couple of years of your life, yes, least.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
You know, this last movie that I did start Struck,
the romantic comedy with Astrology. Several people were interested. We
shopped it around. It had a great concept. Nobody had
done it. But you know, it was hard. It was
hard to get that train to move. It took. Of course,
we've had COVID, so COVID made us. You know, we
were for two years. You know, things moved less. And
(25:44):
then of course, you know, trying to shoot a movie
in la there's not a lot of production here and
people don't really you know, want to bankroll it because
you know, it's hard to get the tax incentive if
you can even get it. So those are obstacles to
getting a made. But if you know, I just have
to feel it in my guts, If in my guts
(26:05):
I feel that razor edged you know, sensation that I
have to do it no matter what. I have a
movie now that we're you know, gonna shoot next year
called Helios. It's about the sunflares destroying the Earth. It's
a disaster movie. Half of it takes place in space.
We have a great cast that's attached and uh and
(26:26):
we get some very authentic space companies that are sponsoring it,
including Blue Origin and these Kids and the United Launch Allions.
We actually have, you know, potentially the permission to go
shoot the NASA for a few days. So it's a
it's a wonderful script and it's about you know, what
(26:47):
do you do when disaster, you know, hits you. But
also that has a very strong human component to it,
and Miranda's victim had that and a movie I did
called The Runner had that and the Attack Allians. You know,
I believe has it. It comes from the heart. And
in this movie Under the Stars, I think is a
very heartfelt romance story and I like that.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
That's kind's very cool sounding actually, but you're right. I mean,
you have to live with it for a while. That's
your that's your whole thing, right, it's I have to
live with this project, Like and do you want to
live in that world for that long? Exactly says to me,
you will live that world that long and really tell
a story when you when you play a checkers because
you're acting in like an Italian you're acting in it.
(27:31):
Although I don't want to ask that questions because that's
a dumb question, like do you like acting more or
directing more? I just kind of want to ask, as
you've been in this business for a long time, where
are you leaning more towards? Are you leaning more towards
and directing with occasional acting? Are you trying to do both?
You know equally? Like what is your what are you
(27:51):
leaning towards?
Speaker 2 (27:52):
I think it's a great question that you're asking me,
And you know, I have promised myself now because you
know it's been go, go go, that I was going
to take a breath and I was going to think
about what parts I would want to play. You know, still,
what is it that I what parts would I want
to play? And you know the Italians, it was very
(28:15):
easy for me to act and direct at the same time.
I knew what I was in for. I also have
to know that I have a great team of people
as at In fact, Bill is Zaine said to us, Oh,
I like your operation here. I work with the same
people I work with. My sisters are on set, my
sons are on set, so I get help, I get support.
(28:38):
It takes a village to raise a child, takes a
village to make a movie. But I have a lot
of wonderful support on set, so I was able to
do it. And as a matter of fact, it was
a rehearsal in the Italians with Abigail Breslin and Matthew
and Rob and myself where I looked at the three
of them and I said, I couldn't have picked better
actress to do this exercise with because they were so
giving and so generous. But when I have a little
(29:04):
cameos in movies, I think there's more pressure. I mean,
I have to rethink the cameos situation. I did the
part of a doctor. It was like half a page
of a scene with the day, you know, with Matthew
in Starstruck, and I felt the pressure, Oh my.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
God, this is by why do you thinkmatic?
Speaker 2 (29:24):
I know it's crazy, But the Italians I felt zero pressure,
like no pressure at all. It was easy. It was
like there was no stress and people ask me. I
was asked that the premiere in the Q and a
like what's the biggest challenge? What's the you know, and
really like it was a joyous experience to shoot that movie.
There was no you know nothing, you know, uh, this
(29:47):
movie Starstruck had a couple of things we had We're
shooting San Pedro and we had a robbery. It was
like a whole big thing that somebody broken and then
robbed and so it was like it was for the
you know, for the books, but but the Italians know
the Italians, was you know, just a perfect shoot? Like
you know, yeah, I.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
Almost think maybe because at least if you're doing a
regular role, you're living in it, you're breathing it. This
is like a quickie, you're coming on real quick to
just jump into the scene of whatever use you're doing.
Maybe that's it. I mean, it's like, you don't that's it.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
It's just you know, you have to take the time
to for the makeup on I don't know. The makeup
is a big deal.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
It is.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
Forty five minutes and really, you know, commits to not moving.
It's a little stressful unless you know you're in for
it for every single day, which I believe that I
worked every single day in the Italians because I think
I was pretty much you know there.
Speaker 1 (30:49):
So I do have to ask real quick to you.
Lady Kazan an actress who could do anything. Yeah, like
different kinds of ethnicity, is they?
Speaker 2 (31:00):
So?
Speaker 1 (31:01):
What was I like working with her?
Speaker 2 (31:02):
Oh? She was great. She really was a great lady.
She's a great lady. She's super I really liked her.
We did a mother's daughter scene together and we did
three takes. She was wonderful. The end of the third take,
my son, who was behind the monitor, came and he
had no words. He just had tears in his eyes
(31:24):
and he had a hand in his heart and you know,
and that Yeah, she's funny. She I mean, let's be real,
shells the show. She stole the show. In every screening
that we had, she basically brings the house down. I
mean she does. She's you know, she is the rock
(31:45):
star of this movie.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
She is. I agree with you completing on that he
is Michelle because of swat things happening as he wrapped
this up. I love talking to you as he wrapped
this up. There's all a lot of things happening in
Hollywood right now. I mean, I mean in California and
Hollywood and Los Angeles. We just came out of a pandemic.
You and I are still here, We're still working with here.
(32:09):
Why do you think you are surviving and thriving, you know,
with these projects. I mean, some of my folks they
packed up and left. Some of them are looking for work,
you know. Some of them were just like for some reason,
like you're still You're still working. You're still working, you know.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
I mean, I don't know. Some of it might be
a little luck. Some of it is the fact that
I have loving people around me. Some of it, apparently
from what I'm told, is that I'm strong.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
I believe that, you know, I'm.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
A strong person, and when I want something to happen,
I will it's to happen. I make it happen. I
have the reputation of getting it done, of you know,
being a doer. I don't like to talk so much.
I'm not like a huge talker. I just like to
get it done. And you know, so maybe that's it. Listen,
(33:03):
it never escapes me, well, not a single day in
my life that I'm very grateful for everything that I have.
But by the same token, I also know there's a
misconception that people think it's easy for me to get
it done, and it's really not.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
It's really I can look easy, but there's a lot
of work behind it.
Speaker 2 (33:20):
Yeah, totally, I know it looks Yeah, she's doing another movie,
you know. Yeah, well it was really hard to get
that one made and the one before that.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
Also, Oh yeah, I like that's a That's the thing.
I'm very much like you. A door is get it done. Plus,
I think I think also you like what you do.
You like this business?
Speaker 2 (33:40):
Yeah, I mean, you know, I'm lucky that I'm passionate
about what I do. Even now. So I'm going to
go into the editing for this last movie that I
just show and so I'm thinking the week of thanksgiving
him in New York the last two weeks in December.
I'm in New York. But I'm gonna edit, you know,
not all day, of course not, but I'm gonna pick
you know, two three four hours a day where I'm
(34:02):
going to edit and not because it's going to feel
like work to me, not because it's going to be
heavy lifting, but because I just want to.
Speaker 1 (34:11):
I like that because I love The Italians another Stars both.
Where can people find these movies? All right?
Speaker 2 (34:18):
Well? The Italians is right now on Amazon Prime and Fendanego.
It will be December thirteenth, on Google YouTube, Apple TV,
iTunes on December thirteenth. And in terms of Under the Stars,
(34:39):
I think you can find it on Apple, on Amazon,
on all the platforms.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
Yeah, it's out now, so check those out. Thank you,
miss Michelle. Thanks once again.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
Thank you. There's pleasure doing this and seeing you again
and talking to you about things that I love doing.
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
I love talking to you. You're always great. Hopefully it
will be another five years. Well, because you're great that
you're always working folks. Michelle Danner. Please, like I said,
I'm The Stars and the Italians with the two films underneath.
The description. I'll tell you where to find them so
you can check those out. I'm James Junior, Extra Connections
on Facebook. We are everywhere on the all streaming service platforms.
(35:18):
We're all about connecting you with what the products are
out there and the world and what's behind the projects
and people behind the projects. Support. Support indie film. Support
indie films where it's where it's at right now, folks,
I'm really telling you indie film is where it's at.
There are a lot of great products out there. Check
them out, check them out. Support the arts. I'm James E. Junior.
(35:39):
Touchy next time.
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