Dermot Mulroney - Wynne Communications

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Celebs.comOriginal Interview: Dermot Mulroney
('My BestFriend's Weddirg,' oAboutSchmidt')
by The Editoron August27,2011 8:43am
http :/ / www. c el eb s . c o m/ a r c hi v es / celeb s- co m - o r ig in a l- ln te r vie w- d e r mot-mu l roney-my-best-fri ends-w eddi ng-about-sch m i dt.
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P age 1 of 12
C el e bs . c omOr i g i n a lI n t e r v i e w :D e r m o t M u lr o n e y( ' M y Be st F r ie n d ' sWeddi ng,' 'A bout S chmi dt')-
C el ebs.com
8 l 2 9 l IL 1 1 :3 8AM
Dermot Mulroney has beenpart of our film landscapefor more than20 years,with a diverseslateof more
than70 creditsthat includesthe Billy-the-Kid western"Young Guns," the impactful AIDS drama
"Longtime Companion"and the hit rom-com "My Best Friend's Wedding."
Growing up in Alexandria,Virginia, the third of five kids, Mulroney cut his acting chopsat Northwestern
University,and wasrecruitedin his senioryear by a William Morris agent.The now M-year-old father of
threemoveseffortlesslybetweenlow-budgetindies and big-budgetfeatures,and has somesevenfilms
coming out in the next year.
Celebs.com'sJulie Jacobsspokewith Mulroney abouthis newestproject,"The Family Tree," going behind
the camera,and working with Julia RobertsandJack Nicholson.
Celebs.com:What is it about acting that draws you in?
Dermot Mulroney: It'i like solving a puzzle,making things out of thin air. I love working collaboratively
with othercreativepeople.It's a fantasticjob.
Celebs.com:Your mom is an amateur actress.Did she prompt your interest?
Mulroney: I think shedid, tangentially.Even thoughshedidn't alwayspursueacting, sheretaineda love of
the arts.And living right next to DC, we had pretty easyaccessto culture.I went to the theater,the
symphony,etc.,consistentlythroughoutmy upbringingand I was pretty absorbedby it all.
Celebs.com:Your career has been so steady,which is an anomaly in Hollywood. Is fear a factor when
it comesto the actorts constant search for whatts next?
Mulroney: I've alwaysbeenpretty surethat I'd be able to work again.You don't know where or when or
how much you're going to get paid, but the conceptof this being my lastjob, I neverreally had that as a
limitation or worry. But, luckily, even when I've had periodsof unemployment,the releaslssort of time out
and fill that gap.
Celebs.com:What do you consider when choosingroles?
Mulroney: I think trying to tailor your careerto somekind of quality or tasteis kind of a deadend, because
you might miss a goodopportunity.Instead,what I do now, which is what I did when I started,is take most
everything.The goodnewsis that the things I'm getting,betweenoffers and auditions,are high quality.
Even small roles,if they impact the story and there'sa greatdirectorattached,are worthwhile.
Celebs.com:You've worked with some 56heavy
hitters", like Julia Roberts and Jack Nicholson.Who
you
would
still like to work with or work with again?
Mulroney: Well, thosetwo are terrific examples.Julia and I have remainedfriends and I'd love to work
with her anytime.'.AndJack Nicholson,I've only seenonce or twice sincewe did "About Schmidt,,,but
obviously I'd do anythingto work with him again.When we did that movie, he was really on his game
and
it was amazingto watch him take on a really seriouscharacterin a comedy.
Celebs.com:So, "The Family Tree,tt what was the attraction ?
h ttp:/ / www. c el e b s . c o m/ a r c hi v e s /celeb s- co m - o r ig in a l- in te r vie w- d e r mot-m u l roney-my-best-fri e
nds-w eddi ng-about-schmi dt.htm I
P age2 of 12
C el e bs . c omOr i g i n a ll n t e r v i e w :De r m o t M u lr o n e y( ' M y Be st F r ie n d ' sWeddi ng,' 'A bout S chmi dt')- C el ebs.com
8 l 2 9 l 1 I 1 1 :3 8AM
Mulroney: That it's not a movie you can pigeonholeand that it has a little bit of everything.It bites off a
lot: comingof age,rapeissues,violence,gun control,Christianity.The list goeson and on. I don't know a
whole lot of moviesthat attemptso much.
Celebs.com:How would you describe the metamorphosisof the family in this film?
Mulroney: You seethemfailing at being a normal family. Then they go throughall theseups and downs
and all thesecrisesand plot twists to arrive at the authenticversionof what they wishedthey were at the
beginning.
Celebs.com:How did you portray Jack Burnett [your character in "The Family Tree"], who doesn't
seemto be aware of his own dysfunction?
Mulroney: That's what's interestingto me, where the challengebecomeshow do you portraya zero on
screen,a man that's checkedout of life and doesn'thave a whole lot of input and his family is lacking in
sensitivityand perception.The director [Vivi Friedman]and I talked a lot about how to make surethat gets
across,that him doing nothingis part of the story.But how do you portray someonedoing nothingin a way
that's interesting?It's ultimatelyup to the audienceto decideif I've done that successfully.
Celebs.com:You've directed, with 2010ts66love,Wedding and Marriage." Was it a good experience
and would you go behind the camera again?
Mulroney: It was a mixed experience,but I definitely enjoyedthe process,especiallyshootingthe movie,
the preproduction,the castingand so forth. And I was thereblow-by-blow from having the financingand
then havingit fall through.To say that it was preciselythe movie I thoughtI was going to have the ability to
make wouldn't be genuine.But it was meantto be a light and humorousmovie and it was.I would direct
again,knowing a lot betterhow to do it in a way that would be satisfyinglycreativefor me.
Celebs.com:Many people may not know that youtre an accomplishedcellist and that you've played
on albums [MelissaEtheridge's "Never Enough"] and movie scores["Mission Impossible 3"]. You're
even in a band, Cranky George,with one of your brothers.
Mulroney: Yeah,I've beenplaying sinceI was seven.I continuedlessonsup throughhigh school,and I
playedwith the symphonyat Northwesternfor four years.When I cameout to LA, I becamefriends with
Michael Giacchino-a composer-and he's invited me to play a numberof times.In fact, I have a datenext
week for "Mission Impossible4." I'm therewith the top playerswho do it every day. There'snothinglike
being part of an orchestra,with the music on every sideof you. It's really nervewracking,but alsofun and
exciting.
Celebs.com:Do you play other instruments?
Mulroney: The guitar,the mandolin.I play someinstrumentevery day in one way or another.Music is a
big part of my life.
Celebs.com:And obviously,films are, too. What's the best movie youtve seenrecently?
Mulroney: Probably"Bridesmaids."I thoughtit was a scream.
Gallerv
h ttp: / / www. cel e b s . c o m/ a r c hi v e s/ce leb s- co m - o r ig in a l- in ter vie w- d e r mot-mu l roney-my-best-fri ends-w eddi ng-about-sch m i dt.htm I
P age3 of 12