“Sometimes. I. Doubt. Your. Commitment. To. Sparkle. Motion.”

January 12, 2010 10:42 AM

Astonishingly frank conversations with Illeana Douglas, Bronson Pinchot, Alan Thicke, and today's post starring Sparkle Motion's own Beth Grant, courtesy of Random Roles. The regular A.V.Club feature invites actors to expound on some of their memorable (or memorably obscure) parts, becoming a treasure trove of commentary from Hollywood's fringe players.

(Caution: the backlog is largely hit or miss -- sometimes all you learn is that people like Penelope Ann Miller are just as boring as you feared.)

posted by hermitosis (37 comments total)

Two other good ones:
Margot Kidder
Austin Pendleton
posted by Atom Eyes at 10:50 AM on January 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

We were rehearsing a fight scene where [Nick Nolte] was supposed to throw Steve Buscemi through this glass. They made this big thing about how we were going to stop the scene and put in safety glass, clear the set and all, because it’s very dangerous. So take one, needless to say, Nick Nolte grabs Steve Buscemi and throws him through the real glass. People are screaming, Steve Buscemi is lying on the ground in a pool of glass, and everybody goes, “Nick, are you all right?”
posted by Joe Beese at 10:52 AM on January 12, 2010 [3 favorites]

The Teri Garr Random Roles is an absolute must-read.
posted by Ian A.T. at 10:55 AM on January 12, 2010 [7 favorites]

Oh man, Ian, you weren't kidding. How'd I miss that one??
posted by hermitosis at 10:58 AM on January 12, 2010

The ultimate Alan Thicke interview has to be in Lunch with by Jan Wong. She's at her nasty peak and he is downright bloviated. I miss Jan Wong having lunch with people, but it's no surprise people stopped going with her.
posted by GuyZero at 11:00 AM on January 12, 2010

Bronson Pinchot: "...anything that looks “charming,” if you scratch the surface, there’s going to be fudge."

That's one of the damned laws of the Universe, that is.
posted by contessa at 11:02 AM on January 12, 2010

The Bronson Pinchot one is AMAZING. Seriously. Wow, great stuff.
posted by spicynuts at 11:02 AM on January 12, 2010

Not to be missed: Charles Napier.

We did a thing in Folsom called Outlaws. The warden said, “You can’t go down there with a guard.” He’s pointing down in the yard, at 300, 400 guys yelling and screaming.
We weren’t supposed to go down there, and I said, “These guys are gonna riot if you don’t send me down there.” So I went down there and said, “Give me the head leaders: The Aryan Brotherhood, whoever wants in on this shit can get in on it. You’ve gotta stick by me while I’m on camera, make sure I don’t get fucking killed, and that way you’ll be on film, as long as you stand by me.” That’s how we pulled it off all week.

That's one of the tamer stories.
posted by Skot at 11:03 AM on January 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

To lie flat on the back, with the knees flexed
And sunshine on the soft receptive belly
Or face down, the insolent spine relaxed
No more compelled to cower or to bully, is good; and good to see them passing by
Below on the white side-walk in the heat,
The dog, the lady with parcels, and the boy:
There is the casual life outside the heart
posted by Wallace Shawn at 11:04 AM on January 12, 2010

Thanks for this. I'd read the quotes on the (well deserved) shit talking Bronson Pinchot did re: Tom Cruise and Denzel Washington when they first came out, but never realized it was an ongoing feature -- or gave it much thought obviously -- I would wondered "Why is AV Club interviewing Bronson Pinchot?" The full thing is more wonderful than I ever could have imagined.

And I am totally, completely, and not for the first time, head over heels in love with Teri Garr.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 11:19 AM on January 12, 2010

Wot no Alan Thicke Divorce Tape?
posted by mccarty.tim at 11:20 AM on January 12, 2010

Wow, I didn't even recognize Bronson Pinchot's name the first several times I read it.
posted by DU at 11:20 AM on January 12, 2010

I thought about pulling quotes for each but there are too many and it's too hard to pick. It's nice to know that there are people with careers in showbiz who are genuinely entertaining and magnetic, regardless of whether we ever get to see their real personalities onscreen.
posted by hermitosis at 11:22 AM on January 12, 2010

I've always liked the Wallace Shawn one.
posted by minifigs at 11:35 AM on January 12, 2010

Thanks-- I've just finished watching Action on Hulu, so the Ileana Douglas interview was interesting.
posted by darth_tedious at 11:47 AM on January 12, 2010

Weird that I'd come into contact with two Alan Thicke references in a single day. On today's Adam Carolla podcast they were talking about his supposed proclivity towards illegally young girls.
posted by aerotive at 11:52 AM on January 12, 2010

Geez, just check out AVClub everyday. They always have good features. This has been around so long, I'm surprised that it's a surprise to anyone.
posted by Edgewise at 12:06 PM on January 12, 2010

I remember Alan Thicke from "The Alan Thicke Show", which I used to sit through as a kid before Hockey Night in Canada.

And the only thing that I remember from that show was that tacky song "Made in Hong Kong" (... Every Thing Is, Made In Hong Kong.. Made. In Hong Kong!)

Does anyone else remember that song? Boy what a stupid song, but I would really love to hear it again.
posted by bitteroldman at 12:09 PM on January 12, 2010

Geez, just check out AVClub everyday. They always have good features. This has been around so long, I'm surprised that it's a surprise to anyone.

I do check out the AV Club every day, and honestly about half their features seem to exist purely for the sake of having a lot of features. When they're good they're really good, but a lot of it feels like filler these days. Their film criticism pieces (not their reviews, but columns like "The New Cult Canon" and "My Year of Flops") are some of the most under-edited pieces of writing I've seen online anywhere.
posted by hermitosis at 12:32 PM on January 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

I love Random Roles so much, but here is my question: why are AV Club comment threads so fucking worthless? I know I should just stop reading them but they get me every time, they lie in wait like well-oiled mousetraps of idiocy, all idiotic parts of them moving together with perfectly fluid stupidness to fasten on the innocent pink toe of my attention.
posted by Powerful Religious Baby at 12:38 PM on January 12, 2010

Yes, I think Illeana Douglas is cute. So sue me.
posted by clvrmnky at 12:40 PM on January 12, 2010

here is my question: why are AV Club comment threads nearly all comment threads which aren't on MetaFilter so fucking worthless?

FTFY.
posted by hippybear at 12:42 PM on January 12, 2010

AVC: What went on in Blondie’s dressing room?

Illeana Douglas : Pretty much me trying not to sing “Heart Of Glass.”
posted by shothotbot at 12:45 PM on January 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

And I am totally, completely, and not for the first time, head over heels in love with Teri Garr.

Ditto on that. I've had a schoolboy crush on her for decades. Doesn't help that my kids like re-watching Young Frankenstein all the time. Oh, what I would have given for a roll-in-da-hay.
posted by thanotopsis at 12:48 PM on January 12, 2010

Nthing Illeana Douglas being cute; I think that she's the person that Violet Blue imagines herself to be.
posted by Halloween Jack at 12:52 PM on January 12, 2010

Looking at Bronson Pinchot's IMDB page, I'm saddened that he was on The Surreal Life. Always kind of liked the guy. Hopefully it wasn't a completely horrible experience.
posted by ODiV at 12:59 PM on January 12, 2010

I noticed in the Bronson Pinchot interview they didn't bring up his role in "Second Sight" (IMDB link). I wonder why that movie wasn't brought up.
posted by daq at 1:29 PM on January 12, 2010

@hermitosis

Their film criticism pieces (not their reviews, but columns like "The New Cult Canon" and "My Year of Flops") are some of the most under-edited pieces of writing I've seen online anywhere.

Okay, I can't argue with that. Also, their video game reviews are just plain awful.

why are AV Club comment threads so fucking worthless?

Funny, I generally prefer AVC threads to mefi threads. They aren't nearly as informative, but they are a lot funnier, with far less self-righteous PC attitudes.
posted by Edgewise at 1:40 PM on January 12, 2010

This is a great FPP. I’m glad there are no gay people standing here
posted by Senor Cardgage at 2:19 PM on January 12, 2010 [3 favorites]

Teri Garr is, and always was, my secret crush too. Reading the interview just confirmed my wife's theory about my excellent taste in women.
posted by WinnipegDragon at 2:28 PM on January 12, 2010

I'd read the quotes on the (well deserved) shit talking Bronson Pinchot did re: Tom Cruise and Denzel Washington when they first came out, but never realized it was an ongoing feature...

Wait, when did Tom Cruise come out?
posted by Evilspork at 2:32 PM on January 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

They aren't nearly as informative, but they are a lot funnier, with far less self-righteous PC attitudes.

Oooh, lemme guess -- they're edgy!
posted by inigo2 at 2:37 PM on January 12, 2010

These are great! Especially Teri Garr!
posted by serazin at 5:56 PM on January 12, 2010

That Charles Napier one is my favorite. That guy needs to write a book, or have somebody awesome write a book about him. Yeah, somebody like Jim Shepard should write a book about Charles Napier. I'd totally read that shit so hard.
posted by dogwalker at 6:49 PM on January 12, 2010

No, wait. Vollmann should write the book on Napier. That's the ticket.
posted by dogwalker at 6:55 PM on January 12, 2010

I'm coming into this thing late, but my god I had the biggest crush on Illeana Douglas when I was 13 or 14.
posted by griphus at 6:06 PM on January 13, 2010

I finally finished the interview. I so want to hug Beth Grant!
posted by Eideteker at 11:36 AM on January 14, 2010