00:00Hi, this is Mariah Gullow from The Hollywood Reporter, and I'm in studio today with Burt
00:08Reynolds and Adam Rifkin. Hi, gentlemen, how are you today? We're better now. Yeah? Yeah. Doing good,
00:15thank you. We are here to talk about your movie, The Last Movie Star. I mean, this is a role that
00:20was specifically written for you, Mr. Reynolds. Well, that's what he told me. It's true. If it's
00:27true, I'm very flattered. It's a terrific script. Thank you, Burt. Well, I'll tell you, Burt Reynolds
00:34is my hero and has been my hero since I was 10 years old. I always loved his movies. I always
00:41loved his appearances on talk shows. I just thought he was the coolest, funniest guy, and my fantasy
00:46when I was a kid was getting to know him and getting to be friends with him. So cut to 30
00:51some odd years later, I thought to myself, I need to give something back to Burt for all
00:58of the years of joy he's given me and so many other people. So I just rolled the dice and
01:03I wrote a role for him that I hoped he would want to play. And I submitted the script to
01:11his manager and I said, please tell Burt if Burt doesn't want to play this film, I'm not
01:16making it. I only wrote it for Burt and I meant it. Right. And the next day Burt called
01:20me up and he blew my mind. He told me he was in. And what was your first reaction when you
01:28got the script? I liked it a lot and I was doubly flattered when I met my friend here who is directing
01:39it. I mean, he said all the right things. Like I want you and nobody else. I thought, man, he lies great or he's very flattering. And I was, I was good either way.
01:57And you said this was a tough script. There's some tough physical work in this as well. Were you tempted to do your own stunts?
02:06Well, I've always done them. That's why I have this.
02:10You were talking about how you feel about the script, that it's a script that has a lot of humility in it. What do you want people to feel when they see this movie?
02:22Well, you know, no matter what we say we want, it's to entertain. And this is a very entertaining film, I think, if we touch all the bases.
02:35We've been doing that good. And he's cast it beautifully. The people that are in it. I'm in love with Chevy Chase. I hate to admit it on national television.
02:44And did you know Chevy before this movie?
02:47No, I'd never met him.
02:48You'd never met him?
02:49No.
02:50And now he's planting big kisses on you at the movie premiere?
02:54Well, he kissed me out of the mouth. And I don't want to say this out loud. I liked him.
03:06Well, it was a very convincing performance as a friendship, so maybe there's a friendship waiting to happen there.
03:12The two of them on the set together, it was magic. Once they met, once they started joking around with each other, they just went off script, had hilarious ad-libs. It was gold. I just let the cameras roll and everything you see just came up naturally. It was beautiful.
03:31Hmm.
03:32That's country music town. That's not a film town.
03:35No. No, no, no. Nashville has become very hip. Very hip. Well, that's what I'm worried about. My hip.
03:42Now, you had another very difficult scene partner, and that was yourself.
03:47Yeah. I thought he was the best actor I'd worked with.
03:51Really?
03:52Yeah. Well, he just knew what I was going to do, and I knew what he was going to do, and that's perfect.
03:58What was it like to film those scenes?
04:01It was difficult if you don't believe and trust your director. You've got to go with it. And once you go with it,
04:11I've seen the cut footage, and it's amazing. It absolutely looks like I'm talking to me, which I've done many times, but never on film.
04:24I also heard that you were, Adam, you were asking Bert for some directing cues as well.
04:32Well, Bert, in addition to being a fabulous actor, is a fabulous film director. He's directed some great movies, big hit movies.
04:40And so, occasionally, I would go up to Bert, and I'd say, look, I know this isn't your job on this movie, but what would you do if you were directing this scene?
04:49And he'd look around the room, and he'd see where the cameras were, and he'd say, well, try this, try that, put the camera here.
04:53Boom. Every time, it was fantastic.
04:56You have some great chemistry with your co-star, Ariel Winter. Is there a possibility for an action movie, a buddy cop movie, maybe, in the future?
05:06We have to let her get a couple years older.
05:08Right. And you have to give her some advice about staying away from bad boys.
05:13Yeah. But I did that anyway.
05:16Yeah.
05:17Let's talk a little bit about the movie's regrets. There are a lot of regrets in this movie, but is there something in your life that you would never regret?
05:29I married her.
05:32What does this movie say about the nature of fandom?
05:36Well, I'll tell you, as a big Burt Reynolds fan, fandom comes from a love of something or someone, and as a fan of Burt's, I wanted to have characters in the film reflect that sentiment.
05:56So that's why I have the character of Vic go to this very small, very grassroots film festival, and they-
06:06Very cheap one.
06:08Right.
06:09But their hearts are in the right place. They love Vic Edwards so much. I didn't want to poke fun at them, because their film festival was low rent. I wanted it to be touching, because they love him.
06:21And of course, I mean, if you see the movie, the character of Clark Duke is basically me. I'm a Burt Reynolds fanboy. I'm not going to apologize for it. And him coming to my set and starring in this film is something I just will- I can't believe it. That Burt Reynolds is in this film. Just like Clark Duke's character can't believe that Vic Edwards showed up to his film festival.
06:46Oh my gosh! Mr. Edwards! I can't believe it! Oh my gosh! Vic Edwards! Oh man, I can't tell you how excited we are to have you here. I'm Doug McDougal. We spoke on the phone, remember?
07:00Yeah.
07:01And how do your fans react to you? Do you get a lot of appreciation and love from the world?
07:08Sometimes, yeah. Sometimes, and sometimes they go .
07:15Well, I will tell you, if I may butt in for a moment on this, when I'm out and about with Burt, and people see that it's him, they go crazy.
07:27Obviously, we've all encountered a famous person here and there. We've seen how people react to famous people. Everybody knows how that works.
07:36But when it's Burt, when people see that it's Burt, I've never seen anything like it. They go absolutely ape.
07:44Well, I react to them, I hope. Very thankful and grateful. They feel that way. I know as soon as I cross the street, they're going to fall in love with Chevy Chase, but in the meantime . . . .
08:02Is there a moment in this movie that you're particularly proud of? One scene or . . .
08:08Well, I hope all of them, because you don't have a movie. You can't do a movie and rest . . .
08:17Oh, I can rest in these next two scenes, because the movie's going to die, you know? And movies don't come to life again once they die.
08:27I have to say, in terms of Burt's performance, and I'm going to embarrass him for a second, just to talk about his performance for one second . . .
08:34Burt gives such a brave performance in this film. He shows himself to be so vulnerable. And, of course, he's very funny in it, and of course he's very charming in it.
08:44But he digs deep for this part in ways that I think are going to really touch people. And I know it touched me.
08:50And there are some scenes that, when we were shooting them, the whole crew was crying. And then to see the way audiences are reacting to those scenes . . .
08:57And the audiences are crying. It's because of his performance. And because of how he goes there. He allows himself to be exposed and raw. It's amazing to see.
09:08Mr. Reynolds, I have two questions for you before I let you go. What was the first job that made you think, I've made it?
09:15I've never had that job. You can never think you've made it. If you think that, then you're indeed quicksand. But if you think you're on the way to doing good things . . .
09:33And that's a good thing. I think I'm old enough now that I'm on the way. Because I can't go back now. It's too late.
09:44And the last question to you is, do you have a worst audition story?
09:50Worst audition? I have a lot of them. I remember one particular test that I did. I did all the wrong things.
10:02Which is to try too hard. And not to understand where the camera is. And once you know that . . .
10:14And once you have a vulnerability . . .
10:18You can't just be this macho, tough guy . . .
10:23Who's just a pain in the ass. You know? You've got to have what Mr. Eastwood has. Which is . . .
10:28He's tough. But he's very sweet. And . . .
10:33I loved seeing him yesterday. Because we laughed and giggled about . . .
10:38Stuff we've done. And things we shouldn't have done. And all that stuff.
10:43It sounds like a worst audition experience is also a great life experience.
10:47That's right. Yeah. Yeah.
10:49Well, thank you so much for being here, gentlemen. The movie is the last movie star. And it's in theaters now.
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