Read our exclusive interview with Ron Eldard, who plays the title character in the new drama ‘Roadie.’ While in New York City promoting the film, which was directed by Michael Cuesta, who co-wrote the script with his brother, Gerald, the actor discussed with us why he decided to play the main character, Jimmy Testagross. The movie follows Jimmy as he returns to his mother’s home in Forest Hills, New York, after he was fired as the roadie for the rock band Blue Oyster Cult. Embarrassed to admit to anyone that he was only the roadie and was let go from his job, he tells everyone he’s really the band’s manager, and even wrote several songs for the group.
While home, Jimmy see his old high school nemesis, Randy, portrayed by Bobby Cannavale, who he hasn’t seen in the 25 years since they graduated. Randy is married to Nikki, played by Jill Hennessey, who dated Jimmy when they were teenagers. Eldard also discussed what it was like working with Cannavale and Hennessey, and how the process of working on an independent film is different than shooting a major studio movie.
ShockYa (SY): You play main character Jimmy Testagross in ‘Roadie.’ What was it about the script that you found appealing, and convinced you to take on the role?
Ron Eldard (RE): This movie was without question. Fifteen or 20 pages into the script, I called my agent and said “I’m in, I want to do it.” This is just a really well written script. There are so many movies that are about this working class, the New York working class. I’ve done some. Some of them are really good, but many of them, many movies about working class people, in general, I find offensive. I find that they talk down to them, they treat them like cartoon character, they lack dignity. They’re filled with lots of cliches.
Even though I thought the script was great, and I thought oh now I get it, now it’s this movie, now it’s back to a romance movie. It would change. Michael and Gerald don’t write that way. This I thought was just one of the very best scripts, it was a no-brainer.
Mostly when I read scripts, and I don’t think I’m alone, you think two or three more re-writes, and they’d have a really great script. You go, I can’t believe they’re making it at this point, they’re so close to having a great script. Why not just finish it, do the rest. Most things to me feel like a million other things, very derivative, or they feel like auditions for a big film. Many independent films feel like they’re an audition for a big commercial film.
This is just very personal. I loved all the characters. I related to all of them. It’s funny and sad and difficult. It was a no-brainer.
SY: With ‘Roadie’ being an independent film, how did you find the shoot to be different than bigger budget films, like ‘Super 8?’
RE: Well, I’ve done lots of films that are smaller films. This is definitely a small film. There was no dressing room, there was no fanciness here. These are all professional actors, they’re not people who haven’t worked, trying to get into the business. These are all working people who all understand about work. When this kind of thing works, I think it’s the best.
Movies usually take too long to make, I think. Lots of wasted money, lots of wasted time. There’s something nice when you have movies that have great catering, but you spend lots of time sitting around. Here, I think we shot this in 17 or 18 days, somewhere in there. You’re just getting to work. It’s work, and you move and get momentum.
Like I said, most of our dressing rooms were churches. Sometimes we didn’t even have that. You have the house that you’re in, and you lay on the lawn or in the basement. Everyone, even on the crew, was in for the right reason. It was a joy, it really was great. (laughs) It was fun, it moved fast.
SY: Michael and Gerald have said they’re fans of finding actual locations, and not doing much set production. Do you agree with that?
RE: I could not believe my house. If you’ve spoken to them, you know there’s barely anything done to my house. There’s a bowl of candies on the table that were in the house.
SY: They were talking about that, how they saw the candy.
RE: Also, the car rotting in the driveway was actually rotting in the driveway. That’s not moved there. The only thing they really did was there were some childhood photos of me that were put up. There were a few things. My bedroom they worked on, they had to design a little, but it’s there.
I’ve never done a movie where they have a house, a basement, backyard, side of the house, the kitchen, the living room, the bedroom, the bathroom, were all the real house. That’s normally on the set, the basement’s 10 miles away, the backyard’s not the backyard. I don’t know that I’ve ever had that.
SY: Did that make it any easier while you were shooting?
RE: Oh, it’s amazing. First of all, I lived a lot in Queens growing up. At one point, I lived 10 minutes from that house. I know the neighborhood. So yeah, we had these long days, but you’re just in the ‘hood. When you walk off the set, you’re still on the set, because it’s the neighborhood. I mean, I was in everything. You just soak it up. I don’t know if it’s ever going to happen again, it’s very rare, but it’s definitely the best.
SY: Michael and Gerald also said when you went into audition, you wore an outfit that you thought Jimmy would wear. What motivated you to do that?
RE: Well, I don’t always do that. I don’t often do that, actually. But this one, I wore a few extra shirts, because I was in good shape, and I knew Michael wanted him to be a little heavier. But I didn’t know if I was going to make him heavy yet.
But I didn’t know what Michael knew of my work. I know sometimes when I meet someone, I might not be who they thought I was, because they might think I’m the guy I just played. But this one, I don’t know, it just felt right. I thought, he’s just a Long Island guy, Michael.
I went in pretty much dressed like a roadie. It’s not so different than what I wore in the movie. I don’t know, for that one it just felt right.
SY: Jimmy was a roadie for Blue Oyster Cult. Did you know their work, or were a fan of their music?
RE: I certainly knew Blue Oyster Cult’s work. Again, living in Queens, I used to work at a place called Chicken Galore when I was a kid. But the other guys were older. They were really heavy metal people. They’re not really heavy metal, they’re rock, so they would play Blue Oyster Cult. There’s a few of their songs that everyone knows, even before ‘More cowbell’ and Saturday Night Live.
I knew some of their music, but didn’t know all of it the way Michael and Gerald did, but I knew enough of their music. I understood conceptionally what kind of band they are.
SY: One interesting scene was when you were in the hotel room with Bobby and Jill, and you were reciting the lyrics. Who came up with the idea for the singing?
RE: I was supposed to sing some. But that whole stretch, the drug run, the drinking, that took on a life of its own. We stayed in very well of what they wrote. Again, they wrote such a great script.
But I went off a little there. I went way deeper into the song. Actually, I think it might be the take they used, but at one point, Bobby and Jill start laughing. I think in the script, I’m supposed to stop, they’re supposed to interrupt me, but I kept going. They start to giggle, but it works. I’m singing all the song, but it definitely took on a life of its own.
That whole area there, that motel is that motel. It really is that kind of a place. (laughs) There was action going on in rooms down the hall from us. The place has a distinct scent, you know. (laughs) You fall into that place, and you become deeply into that situation. But it kind of took off a little bit.
SY: Up until the motel scene, Jimmy was depressed over losing his job. But once he goes into the motel, he really starts to do drugs. How did you prepare for that scene?
RE: Well, I don’t do drugs, I’ve never done cocaine. But not getting to much into actor talk, there are things you can do physically. For me, I’m a real physical actor, so there’s stuff I would do physically to get myself into this heightened, wired state.
SY: What was your working relationship like with Bobby and Jill?
RE: Again, not getting into boring acting stuff, Bobby I knew. We worked together on something many years ago, just a little. We also had mutual acquaintances, we knew the same people over the years in New York. I’ve always liked him, and I always thought he was a wonderful actor. So that was a very natural fit. We had fun on the set.
Jill, I didn’t know her, but I obviously knew her work. I heard her play before. She’s a Canadian girl, she’s nice, down-to-earth, low maintenance. It’s not like actress stuff.
No one came to this job, except if they really wanted to make it. They’re funny, nice people. Bobby is fun, and fun to be around, and Jill is funny. We would giggle a lot, and just have fun on the set. We would really relax, and no one would try to steal someone else’s light.
Often you work with people, and you’re like, dude, this isn’t real, this is a movie that we’re in. Or people try to upstage you or sabotage you, and there’s bullsh*t actor behavior going on. There’s not of that here, none. You couldn’t do it, there was no time, and no one would put up with it.
Of course, there was also Lois Smith, one of the greatest living actresses, period. Also one of the coolest, hippest women you want to hang out with. This couldn’t have been better. I know that sounds like crappy actor talk, oh, it was all great. But this really was great. (laughs)
SY: Like you said, ‘Roadie’ had a short shoot. Where there any difficulties when you arrived on set?
RE: Oh, there were difficulties. On a short shoot like this, where you don’t have money to blow take after take, or the time. If you miss the light for that day, you’re screwed. Maybe in your insurance, you have one, maybe two days extra you can use, but you don’t want to. You gotta get it. We had to do a couple re-shoots, little things, within the time. So it was difficult, that part.
Then there were emotional stuff in this. But that’s good hard work. What there wasn’t was a lot of hard work that happens in this business because of people’s bad behavior. Or some ridiculous ego fight between the DP (Director of Photography) and the director. Or there’s an actor not showing up, you know? Or not coming out of their trailer, diva behavior, that’s the hardest part.
SY: Another interesting aspect of ‘Roadie’ was that even though Jimmy hadn’t seen Randy and Nikki since high school, they quickly reconnected. Why do you think he readily agreed to meet them?
RE: Being around family just triggers stuff, and being around the old place. Even if you have changed a lot, and have done work on yourself, it’s very easy to fall back in. I think he’s in a stressful situation in life, and he’s in crisis. Then going home, he’s not taking care of business there, which is more stress.
Heading to the bar, would his best choice have been hanging out with Randy? No. But you get one drink, two drinks, suddenly it’s a little easier. I think he’s just falling. I think he’s spinning out of control, and this is where this wind is taking him.
SY: When Jimmy firsts returns home, he’s hesitant to tell his mother that he got fired.
RE: He’s not hesitant, he straight out lies, he’s never going to tell her.
SY: Why do you think Jimmy changed over the course of the movie, even though it’s only a 24 hour period?
RE: I think it’s important that it’s just 24 hours. In the classic drama, tragedy particularly, the Greek tragedies are 24 hours. I love that this happens so quickly. I like that he reveals what he can. I think you would have to be so far gone to go through this situation, and not snap out of it a little.
But, I don’t know if he would have if his mom didn’t slap him. She says, grow the f**k up. She becomes very clear, because she’s had her own issues. She may or may not be in her right mind, and is suffering a bit. I think that, combined with the scene with Jill at the door, where asks him to take her CD, I think he’s a bit beaten down. I think he’s just tired, physically and emotionally.
SY: Before you began shooting, did you come up with any kind of back-story for Jimmy?
RE: Well, Michael and I talked. The great thing about this script is so much of it is right there. It’s very rare. It’s one of the very best scripts that I ever read. I’ve been able to read, and be part of, some very well-written things. This was written by two people who know how to make a small movie.
Sometimes you’ll be reading an independent script, and they’ll be 12 characters and 27 locations. There’s no way you can do that. You’d be cutting and editing and wasting time. How could you do that, too many places to go.
Here, basically there’s four characters and six locations, a little driving. One of them is one house where everything’s at. The script is the same, not just with the details like that, but most of the details that you need to know are in there. It’s just there.
As far as some back-story, sure. But you hear his experience in there. He’s talking to the band, that’s true. That’s not fake. He said we did this, we did that. That’s the truth, that’s what happened. For this one, I did some back-story stuff, but almost all of it comes right from the script.
Also, I grew up most of my life in Queens. I know some of these dudes. I think there’s some of these dudes in everyone. Everyone has dreams that may or may not have happened, and struggles, and fees good about themselves, and feels terrible about themselves. Everyone has their little white lies about their lives.
SY: Throughout the course of the film, Jimmy tells everyone he’s Blue Oyster Cult’s manager.
RE: (laughs)
SY: Why do you think he felt the need to lie about what he did, instead of just telling everyone that he was the band’s roadie?
RE: Again, he might not have said anything. Mostly when he puts that lie out, it’s when someone shoots him down. Someone says, oh, you’re just this. He says, no, I’m not just that, I’m this. The next door neighbor says Oh, you’re the butler. He says no, I’m not their butler, I’m the manager, I do more than that. But he doesn’t even have that job now.
I think it’s someone who’s just spinning, who didn’t plan to come back this way. With Bobby’s character, he’s full of sh*t too. He talks lots of shi*t too. He’s a big fish in a small pond. My guy was out there with some big fish in some big ponds for a long time. He’s the head roadie, but that’s not nothing. I think he does that, like most people do. If you’re going to be honest, be honest, if you’re comfortable with who you are, and if you’re not, you’re not. But people bump up stuff all the time.
SY: Do you think Jimmy would have jumped at the chance to become the manager, if he had the chance?
RE: Oh, absolutely! In a heartbeat! I also think he would have liked to have played. There are some shots of me in the movie being the roadie, loading up. That’s me with Blue Oyster Cult, who were on Long Island. We contacted them, and I asked them if I could come load up a show. They would treat me like a roadie, I would do whatever work, and they let me. The guy I’m with is their real roadie. He’s been with them for about 11 years now, 12 years. Sometimes he gets to play back-up with them, and does the cowbell on ‘Don’t Fear the Reaper.’ But he would like to play too.
I know Jimmy says “I could have played, I could have been something.” I don’t if that’s true, how far he could have gone. But he certainly might not know now. But certainly, why not be the manager? Absolutely. That would have been awesome.
SY: The scene where Jimmy was telling his mother how his father smashed his instrument when he was younger, and how that smashed his dream of playing. Do you think that if that didn’t happen, he would have been more willing to try to play?
RE: I think yes. Do I think that’s an excuse? I think everyone has problems in their childhood. I think that’s where most of our problems come from. Good parents or bad parents, everyone makes mistakes, and everyone carries battle scars. At a certain point, we have to stop blaming somebody else, and take care of that.
But he obviously didn’t have a clear relationship with his father at all, enough so that Jimmy left the house, and didn’t come back. I think that’s the thing he holds onto, his father literally broke his guitar, literally did that, literally broke it. Yeah, I think that that could crush a kid. It could crush him to not want to be in that house anymore. It could crush him to do lots of things. I think if something different would have been there, something different might be on the other side.
SY: Do you think that if that didn’t happen, he would have went home to visit his mother more often?
RE: I think certainly if he had a better relationship with the mom and dad. But he’s on the run. He’s a guy who leaves, and then has a life on the road. He then starts to realize a little bit that there has to be more than this. But then he’s stuck, (he’s done) a little too much drinking, too much partying. The ride’s not quite what it used to be, but it’s still pretty great. But by then, he’s stuck.
SY: Do you think his being a roadie all his life shows Jimmy’s fear of commitment?
RE: I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being a roadie. I think living a life on the road, where you don’t have connections with anyone else outside this little group, which he has, he doesn’t have a wife, or a long-term girlfriend, doesn’t have a home or a place to call his own, I think that’s the problem. He’s just wandering. He’s just roaming, and losing himself. I think you can be a roadie and have a great life. But you have to have a bit more going on. I think this guy is just wandering.
SY: Do you think Nikki being a musician helps her reconnect with Jimmy once they see each other again?
RE: Well, yes and no. I think she’ pretending, and they’re stuck back. I think their interest in music definitely helps. He sees her playing, and he’s still pining for her. But it’s a ghost of her. In that moment, she’s playing music, they still love the same things, but it’s not really who she is. So I think that makes him think there’s something, but there’s nothing really there.
Written by: Karen Benardello
