Let's talk about Passion Play, which is opening this weekend.Yeah, the score is in, they’ve tightened it up—it’s a generation different [from the version that screened at the Toronto Film Festival]. It’s exactly the movie I wanted to make, with the people I wanted to make it with. Bill Murray, bless his heart, has been so incredibly supportive.
How long have you guys known each other?
I met him the second week he was on Saturday Night Live, in 1976, and I was introduced to him by John Belushi, who was a good friend. John introduced me to Bill by saying, “Mitch, this is Billy. The new kid.” But I didn’t write for him until Scrooged, 10 years later.
Were you a screenwriter at that point?
I was writing for magazines. I wrote for Rolling Stone, and when I met [Murray] I was still at a magazine that [Vanity Fair editor] Graydon [Carter] loves to torture me about, but that I love, called Crawdaddy. I put Belushi on the cover, and I’m pretty sure that’s around the time that I met Billy.
We know how difficult it is to get a movie made, from having the idea to casting, financing, shooting, and completion. That’s no small feat. And with this kind of cast—I mean, how did you go about approaching Mickey Rourke?
I’ve known him since high school, since we were 15. We have been friends. There were the missing years, of course, when he was just too nuts to connect with. But he was a year younger than me in high school, and my high school was basically 70 percent Jewish, 30 percent Cuban, and Mickey. So it was kind of a dream: I had Mickey and Billy and Kelly—amazing actors all, and of course Rhys [Ifans] and Megan [Fox]. It was a responsibility, because I didn’t want to let any of them down, but it was also a joy. There is a moment in the movie where Billy and Mickey are sharing a banquette together and I was watching and going, “God, this is wild, two guys that have just been nominated for best actor a year apart”—both lost to Sean Penn, I might add—“and they are two guys I have known forever and two of my favorite actors.”
Murray was incredible. There was another actor cast who got cold feet literally three days into shooting and decided he couldn’t actually play opposite Mickey. He worshipped Mickey Rourke and just didn’t think he was good enough. So over Christmas, Billy called and said, “How’s it goin?” And I said, “It’s great, except this guy bailed on me,” and he said, “What role?” I said “The villain.” And he said, “Could I do it?” I went, “Yeah, absolutely!” So I sent him the script and on Christmas Day, like a gift, he called and said, “When do you want me?”
That’s so great.
Yeah, I almost burst into tears.
Whenever I see him on-screen, it makes me want to see more of him on-screen.
He scared Mickey to death. Just how odd a villain he was. He wore my glasses, because he wanted to have a different look.
Those were yours? They were your prescription and everything?
Completely! And completely opposite his, and he wore them in every scene.
I love Bill Murray.
He’s the best. And you know, Mickey brings all his—the full jolt of his talent and personality. We were about to do a scene with him and Billy and Megan, and I said, “I think the first time you acted was with my sister, Amy,” and he turned to me and said, “Yeah, and I slept with her.” I went, “What? You slept with my sister? When?” And he said, “Senior year.” I said, “No one told me!” So I had to call my sister and said, “You ****ed Mickey Rourke?!” She said, “We didn’t want to upset you.” I said, “I’m upset. I’m upset right now!” This is 40 years ago and I’m furious. [Laughs.]
Your mother, Zelda Glazer, taught at your high school, didn’t she?
Yeah. And that’s a sweet part of this. You know, she was killed four years ago in a car accident, and Mickey flew down to be there, because she had changed his life. Literally. She showed him A Place in the Sun in class and he woke up for the first time that year. He decided to be an actor because of her. I dedicated the movie to her, but it was nice for me and Mickey to have a chance to celebrate her as well, together.
In Hollywood, it’s amazing to have relationships that last so long. In the end, those are always the relationships that come through for you.
Every time. And you know, Megan was so stand-up. I had never seen Transformers. I saw a few scenes from Jennifer’s Body, and that’s it. And then I had lunch with her at Little Dom’s. I was looking for Gene Tierney or Ava Gardner, and I’ve never seen anything like it. She felt vulnerable and really got the character and I just decided: She’s it. I didn’t realize the level of her Internet fame and that whole thing—it’s an age thing for me. I just didn’t get it. For me she was just this incredible face and this timeless, iconic-looking woman. Then she gets on set and Mickey pulls me aside“Mitchell,” he says, “she’s ****ing amazing! Oh my God, it’s going to be so good!” after their first scene.
She holds her own with those two giants.
And both of them will tell you that. I mean, they are generous actors but they are terrifying, and if she couldn’t keep up Mickey would have dropped her on the spot.
When you were a young journalist, did you ever imagine that you’d end up in Hollywood directing? And living this kind of life?
Somewhat. It was such a hurricane of a time. Belushi and I became close in September of the second year of Saturday Night Live, and it was like jumping into this whirlwind.
I can’t even imagine.
It was amazing. And I knew it at the time. I wrote the liner notes for the first Blues Brothers album and helped put the band together with John, and it was so special that it wasn’t like I look back and think, God, I wish I had known it. I did. I remember saying to people, “This is insane, this I great.” I was like that big kid in Animal House.
I’m waiting for the book.
Someday!
When you were a young journalist, did you ever imagine that you’d end up in Hollywood directing? And living this kind of life?
Somewhat. It was such a hurricane of a time. Belushi and I became close in September of the second year of Saturday Night Live, and it was like jumping into this whirlwind.
I can’t even imagine.
It was amazing. And I knew it at the time. I wrote the liner notes for the first Blues Brothers album and helped put the band together with John, and it was so special that it wasn’t like I look back and think, God, I wish I had known it. I did. I remember saying to people, “This is insane, this I great.” I was like that big kid in Animal House.
I’m waiting for the book.
Someday!
And then you married Kelly Lynch, the girl from Drugstore Cowboy.
That was our second date. The premiere of that movie. You can imagine that. I was already crazy about her, but it was our second official date and we go to the premiere and I knew nothing about the movie, had never seen a frame of her work. And my first thought was, Oh my God, what if she’s not good? You know, you want to love the talent of the person you’re in love with. So the lights go down and there’s that panic. And then 30 seconds into Drugstore Cowboy, I went: I’m so not worthy. She’s so good, I can’t even ****ing believe it.
I think she’s Mickey’s favorite actress, truthfully. He kept saying, “So, Mitchell, Kelly’s going to be a stripper, right?” And I said, “No, no, she’s a bartender.” And he said, “Yeah, yeah, but she’s like a bartender-stripper.” And I went, “No, she’s just a bartender!” And then he finally went, “I think she should be a bartender-stripper.” And I realized he just wanted her to get her clothes off. And I did it! [Laughs.]
Well, she looks great. If there’s anyone that can pull it off, she certainly can pull it off.
I put her in feathers and he was very happy about it.
Full interview can be found here: vanityfair.com
