Richard Gere: …Nice…I’ve got new tea…I’m really happy.
I’m sitting with my friend.
Film Courage: You both have the same month birthdates which I find very interesting…August
31st?
Joseph Cedar: We do.
Richard Gere: Why did I know that?
Film Courage: Oh…you didn’t know that?
Joseph Cedar: I knew that.
Richard Gere: I didn’t know it?
You never told me that!
Joseph Cedar: August 31st.
Richard Gere: This is really bizarre.
This explains so much…because we’re not really Virgos.
Film Courage: You’re not…you’re on the cusp?
Richard Gere: Well I don’t really know what the mix is but we’re not like a normal…he’s
more like a normal Virgo than I am.
Film Courage: Okay?
Joseph Cedar: I know nothing about that…but I’m happy to share the birthdate…
Richard Gere: I didn’t know that?
Film Courage: I’m wondering if the two of you are simpatico?
This was actually going to be my last question but let’s do it now.
I mean…if you both have the same birthdate…there must be some similar sensibilities or traits?
Maybe not?
I’m reading too much into this?
Joseph Cedar: …I think as far as this film (NORMAN) goes…I’m Richard Gere’s inner
“Norman.”
So if there is an inner Norman in Richard Gere, some of it is on this side of the shot.
Richard Gere: There is no question that the 8 or 9 months which we spent together, there
was a point where you had revealed your inner Norman enough to me that I went “Aha!
That’s where I’m going with this.”
Joseph Cedar: But you know I do have to say, just for the record (between us)…
Film Courage: Please… Joseph Cedar: I think part of the fun of working with Norman is
that Norman goes further than what I ever would.
So there might be something of Norman in me but I hold it back.
In the movie, he just lets go.
Which is fun.
Richard Gere: It’s great fun.
Then you were also generous enough with me that you allowed that inner Norman to emerge
and scream once and awhile so I could see how far I could go with this.
Joseph Cedar: Right.
Film Courage: [For Joseph] Well I’m fascinated by your take on watching Richard change into
this character.
This is not a normal character for Richard to play.
He usually plays the alpha male.
Richard Gere: This is not a normal character for anyone.
I mean this is a completely unique character and for sure…I mean it’s a big distance
for me to play him and I think in reality a big distance for anyone to play this guy.
He’s written a completely unique character.
Film Courage: How was it to watch him (Richard Gere) transform in terms of body language,
the way he carried himself, his interactions with others, his personal space?
Joseph Cedar: I think that the biggest satisfaction that I have is when each scene has what the
scene is about, but then there is this little nuance that has to do with what the character
is really going through and it usually has to do with his…this motivation that he has
and no one else knows.
He’s trying to get close to someone.
He’s trying to introduce someone to someone.
It’s not the obvious thing.
And seeing Richard grab onto that small nuance and bring it to life and express it in some
way was incredibly satisfying to me because it was as if he was revealing this secret
about what really goes through Norman’s head.
Richard Gere: I remember him (Joseph) directing me…I’m flashing on one of the early scenes,
it’s actually the first scene that is in the movie and I’m approaching Dan Stevens
in the park (Bill Kavish in NORMAN) and I’ve got a [real estate] deal and I’m trying
to convince him.
I remember we were doing the shot where he moves where he…no one wants anything to
do with this Norman or any “Norman.”
It’s…how do you make them stop without losing your own dignity in making them stop?
And you see this a lot with the characters in this movie who they don’t want to have
to say “Go away.
Leave me alone.”
It’s some level of “Please.
Enough!”
So [in the scene] I’m chasing…I’m chasing and we’re doing a Steadicam shot and he’s
saying (I remember this direction was like) “Maybe you can just kind of bob behind him
and try to get his attention while you’re coming behind?”
and it was so…I mean I got it immediately what you were talking about and that ended
up informing much of what I did in the film.
This sense of…
Joseph Cedar: Right…peaking over someone’s shoulder and just waiving “I’m still here!”
is…seeing Richard Gere do that is incredibly satisfying.
Film Courage: Great!
Thank you.
That’s excellent.
Thank you!