Movie Talk with Richard Dreyfuss
id: 3DD-01-0091
format: HD
American actor Richard Dreyfuss discusses his glittering 40 year movie career, and says that he always knew he was going to be successful, there was never any doubt in his mind. He considers himself to be a character actor, never has he thought of himself as the typical 'good looking' leading man. A clip of Cas and Dylan 2013 is shown, in which Dreyfuss plays a doctor, throughout his career he tells of frequently being cast as a professional, a doctor or an intellectual, the opposite of his actual self. American Graffiti 1973, was his first movie, everybody on set could sense it was going to be something special, except him who considered it a little film, no big deal, he was admittedly very wrong indeed. His big break was Jaws 1976 a film that changed cinema forever and created the Hollywood Blockbuster. Dreyfuss describes what it was like filming in the open sea with his co-stars Robert Shaw and Roy Scheider and his first experience working with Spielberg who was the same young age at the time. Dreyfus explains that he trusted him as a director because he had so much experience already and knew exactly what he was talking about. The famous Jaws score 'made the film' Dreyfuss admits, suggesting the film without the music is a 'a complete snore'. Discussed next is Close Encounters of the Third Kind 1977 and how he and Spielberg embarked on another journey together, creating this hugely successful film with UFO's. Dreyfus admits to badgering for the role while the pair were hanging out together and writing, he even went as far as jokingly bad mouthing all the big actors of the time so Spielberg wouldn't cast them instead. The Goodbye Girl 1977 in which Dreyfuss played Elliot - an out of work actor, was a character he loved to play, in a comedy with great dialogue. This is followed by Rosencrantz and Guildenstein Are Dead 1990, starring Gary Oldman and Tim Roth, Dreyfuss loved the film, a tragicomedy about the two characters from Shakespeare's Hamlet. Down and Out in Beverley Hills 1986 is now mentioned, he was offered both lead roles, it was up to him to decide between Dave the family loving businessman or the homeless guy Jerry - he chose Dave, because he felt he didn't have the broader life experiences to draw upon - to help with playing Jerry. Tin Man 1987 he co-starred with Danny DeVito, a great comedy duo, during the shoot the director Barry Levinson didn't allow them to rehearse, so everything was completely spontaneous. Mr Holland's Opus 1995 Dreyfuss reflects here on his character Glenn Holland being the closest to him as a person, the easiest film he has ever made, a film about lots of different subjects and a film where everybody connected and kept in touch following the end of production, even with the occasional re-union. The part also gained him an Oscar nomination. Dreyfuss isn't specifically proud of any particular character he has played, rather than being proud of the entire body of work he has amassed over the years.
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