C: You've worked with so many established directors in your career, I wonder what goes into a decision to work with a first-time director. And did some of the other people in the film influence your decision?
WF: No doubt about it. First and foremost it's the material, no matter who the other actors are or the director.
C: You tend not to repeat yourself in your choices of roles. Is that by design or pure chance?
WF: Thanks for mentioning that. That's absolutely deliberate. There are times when I'll read a script, and my agent will say, "What do you think of that?" And I'll say, "I kind of did it." I fell really challenged by going new places, so when something comes up that feels familiar, I tend to pass. CONTACT was a real high for me, you know? I'll never forget that, because it was one of the first times I found out that I had a job in advance. Movie stars know they're doing something six months in advance, not guys like me. I found out I got that job two months before we started shooting it. That was the first time I had any preparation time, and that was wonderful, and I was really grateful for it. But it would be tough to play another blind guy. I would be hard to do another film about a guy on a boat. It does feel a little repetitive. Or it might be something much simpler than that, something about the journey of a character. It's new and fresh and alive to go someplace new, and I think that somewhere deep inside I have a barometer about what's new and what isn't for me.
t:
:heart:
