Popular Film Actor takes Center Stage in his One-Man Show, A Bronx Tale on Saturday, September 29th at The Harbor Lights Theater Company in Staten Island

Our River View Observer Interview with this Oscar Nominated Actor

 

By Sally Deering

Fans of ABC-TVs Modern Family know Chazz Palminteri as Jayâ€s metrosexual friend and the celebrated actor plays the recurring role with a comedic flair that keeps the audience guessing “Is he or isnâ€t he?”  Film-goers loved his portrayal of Customs Agent Dave Kujan in The Usual Suspects and his comedic turn as “Cheech” in Woody Allenâ€s film Bullets over Broadway that won him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. It doesnâ€t matter if heâ€s playing comedy or drama Palminteri always gives a stand-out performance because heâ€s a risk-taker.

 On Sat, Sept. 29, Palminteri is at it again – performing live without a net – when he takes center stage at The Harbor Lights Theater Company in Staten Island to portray 18 characters – including two women – in his semi-autobiographical one-man-play A Bronx Tale. Itâ€s a one-night stand, so to speak, and Palminteri canâ€t wait to perform in front of a live audience. 

 It was during his salad days as a struggling New York actor that Palminteri wrote A Bronx Tale to give himself a great role that would get him noticed – and it did. When Robert DeNiro saw him perform his show Off-Broadway, DeNiro decided he wanted to direct the film and with the proviso that Palminteri play one of the leads and write the screenplay, Palminteri and DeNiro sealed the deal with a handshake.Palminteri began acting in plays at the Manhattan Theater Club in New York and his support for live theater has only grown through the years. Heâ€s passionate about performing A Bronx Tale at the Harbor Lights Theater Company tomorrow night because itâ€s important to support the arts, he says. And itâ€s a win-win for Chazzâ€s fans that get to see the talented actor perform live in a play thatâ€s extremely personal to him.

 A Bronx Tale tells the story of Calogero, a kid growing up in the Bronx during the 1960s and the two influential men in his life, his father Lorenzo and a local mobster Sonny. Feeling morally conflicted  Calogero tries his best to live up to their expectations. According to Wikipedia, Roger Ebert gave A Bronx Tale four stars and called it “a very funny movie sometimes, and very touching at other times. It is filled with life and colorful characters and great lines of dialogue…. Whatâ€s important about the film is that it’s about values.”

Chazz Palminteri took time out of his busy schedule to speak with Riverview Observer about A Bronx Tale, working with Robert DeNiro, the debut of his new talk show on Sirius XM Radio and other projects that inspire him.

 RVO:  Mr. Palminteri, is it okay if I call you Chazz?

CP:  Yes, of course.

 RVO:  Your first name is Calogero, how did that evolve into Chazz?

CP:  Calogero is Charles in Italian. They started calling me Chazz when I was a kid.

 RVO: How did your acting career get started?

CP:  My first acting job was on stage at the Manhattan Theater Club. My first movie was with Sylvester Stallone. A Bronx Tale was my second movie.

 RVO: What inspired you to write A Bronx Tale and since itâ€s partially-autobiographical, how long did it take to accomplish something so personal?

CP: It took me a year to write it and rehearse it. I did it for my theater company. I would do it Monday nights. The reason I wrote it, I wanted to break into films. I was doing episodic TV like Hill Street Blues, but it was hard to get a great part. I decided Iâ€ll write something great that will show me off.

 RVO: A Bronx Tale is a one-man show and you play how many characters? Women too?

CP: I play 18 characters including two women. The way I do it is very smooth, I donâ€t have props, no costumes, itâ€s a very linear story. Itâ€s fun when youâ€re doing it. Youâ€re in the zone. You gotta love it to do it. If you donâ€t love it, itâ€s too hard.

 RVO: According to Wikipedia, you wouldnâ€t sell the film rights unless you could play Sonny and write the screenplay. Why was that so important?

CP: At that time, I needed a break and I needed to play a great part. I decided Iâ€m not selling unless I play Sonny and write the screenplay. I had an offer for a million dollars and I said no (because they wouldnâ€t agree to the terms).  I walked away from one million dollars. Then a week later Robert DeNiro saw it and agreed to everything with a handshake.

RVO: Everybody loves Robert DeNiro. Can you describe your working relationship on the film?

CP: It was a very collaborative relationship. He wanted me on set all the time whether I was in the scene or not. He directed it and made the final decisions, but he made me feel very part of it.  (To most film directors) writers are out, they donâ€t want to look at them. They want to take full credit for everything, but DeNiro is so secure in his art, he just wants to hear good ideas from everybody.  In film, the director has the final word; in TV, itâ€s the Executive Producer; and for plays, the writer has the final word.

RVO: This past Wednesday, you were on the hit TV show Modern Family. Is that a recurring role?

CP: That was my fourth time on it. Itâ€s a great show. I play Jayâ€s friend. Heâ€s like a guyâ€s guy, always talking about clothes, and heâ€ll make a remark if another guyâ€s handsome. So thereâ€s always a question, is he gay or is he metrosexual. Itâ€s a great running gag. Great writing.

 RVO: What other projects are you working on these days? 

CP: Beginning Oct. 3^rd on Wednesday nights from 6-to-7 p.m. Iâ€m doing my talk show Ask Chazz on Sirius XM 104 where you can ask me anything you want, any advice you need on how to be an actor. I wanted to give people really good advice from a real professional. People can ask me questions about the business, sports or just life.  I also have my website www.askchazz.com where you can email me any questions you like about the entertainment business.

 RVO:  Youâ€re also a restaurateur?

CP: I have a new restaurant Chazz located in the Harbor East in Baltimore where we make one-of-a-kind, “Bronx –style” pizzas baked in a coal-fired oven. My pizza was voted one of the top three pizzas in the U.S. by Esquire magazine. And Iâ€m going to open a new restaurant in Manhattan.

 

RVO:  And youâ€ve written a new play?

CP: Itâ€s called Human; Iâ€m still working on it.

 

RVO:  What made you choose a new venue like The Harbor Lights Theater Company for A Bronx Tale?

CP: Iâ€m a big believer in theater and thatâ€s why I want to put The Harbor Lights Theater Company on the map. As a country, we need to support the arts.

 

IF YOU GO:

Sat, Sept 29^that 8 p.m.

A Bronx Tale

At The Harbor Lights Theater Company

The Music Hall at Snug Harbor CC & BG

1000 Richmond Terrace

Staten Island

TIX:  $49, $69, and $129*

(*includes VIP Reception after the show with Chazz Palminteri)

Box office: (866) 811-4111

Online: www.theharborlightstheatercompany.org

Large Photo of Chazz Palminteri source  http://wallpapers.brothersoft.com/chazz-palminteri-61063.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post The Play’s the Thing for Chazz Palminteri first appeared on River View Observer.

When I heard that Dennis Hopper had died, my first thought was, “We won’t see his likes again.”

 Much has been written about Dennis (meet him for five minutes and he insists on first names), but what hasn’t been said is how genuine and kind he was.

 It was early 2004 and we had met, unexpectedly, at Ago, the trendy restaurant on L.A.’s Melrose Avenue.  The restaurant was crowded, noisy, and vibrating with energy of the celebrities, who were at home in the place owned by a consortium which included Robert DeNiro.

 Suddenly, I recognized a familiar voice. I turned and there was Dennis Hopper at the next table, close enough to touch. “Hey Dennis,” I said. “How’s it going?” I had spoken to him at many Hollywood events and he always greeted me as if he remembered every time.

Photo of Mr. Hopper by: Alice O’Neill

 “Great,” he said. “How about you?”

“Same here,” I said and reminded him that I was still Alice O’Neill, and still writing the syndicated column, Hollywood Behind-The-Scenes. 

 Dennis smiled, saying, “I know. I’ve read it. You’re good!”

  I was with a man and his wife, who’d bought the Hollywood trip I annually donated as a fundraiser for Chicago institutions, DePaul University’s Theatre School and The Joffrey Ballet. We ordered drinks and toasted an exciting day in Hollywood. We talked about the Joffrey, the couple’s work in supporting the Chicago dance company, and my work interviewing and writing about the stars. I had married a Chicago businessman and moved from L.A. to live in Winnetka, IL. The marriage meant I had to do a good bit of traveling to keep up with happenings in the movie industry.

 I introduced the couple, explaining their “angels in the industry” status, a designation of people who pay money to support the arts.

 Dennis’ eyes lit up as he stood and shook hands and introduced his adult daughter Marin (a full-figured woman with an American accent), and his wife, Victoria (very fine-boned and slender, despite being seven months pregnant). Victoria, who had a distinct British accent, seemed too young      to be the mother of Marin. I made a note but never got around to asking who was Marin’s mother. I later learned it was Brooke Hayward, Dennis’ first wife.

 I ordered a round of drinks and Dennis led an animated discussion about the Joffrey, internationally known for its excellent dancers, superb choreography, and innovative programs. “I love Chicago,” Dennis said. “What a city, and what great people.” He spread his arms to indicate the couple as if they were royalty. They beamed. You could tell that they were in a moment they’d keep as a special memory all their lives.

 And it didn’t stop there. Dennis and Victoria both thanked me for also supporting the arts. “So, you donated a Hollywood trip?” Dennis said, appreciation evident as his eyes twinkled and he stroked his white goatee.  “You’re good, Alice!”

 “What are you working on?” I asked, remembering that actors need publicity to get out information to fans, to sell movie tickets, and to give columnists new material.

 “Well, The Last Ride is ready for release in a few months,” he said, adding that it wasn’t very good but that he enjoyed some parts of it.  “I play an ex-con who recruits his grandson to help get revenge on the cop who sent him off to prison.”

 “Sounds interesting,” I said.

 “Yeah,” he agreed. “I figured that would be interesting to explore. It was, but not enough to save the picture.” His shrug said he couldn’t win ’em all.

 “Hey,” he added, “I’m working on another film that promises to be better, Land of the Dead, written and directed by George Romero. “It’s a horror flick, science fiction, probably be out next year (2005),” he explained, adding that costars were John Leguizamo and Simon Baker.

 “Why do you think it’s good?” I asked, thinking it sounded like a war movie.

 “It’s a really good zombie movie, about the living dead taking over the world,” he said.

 At my raised brow he quickly added, “No, no. Really. It’s got a lot of heavy psychology entwined with the action.” His trademark smirky smile gave no hint of whether he was serious or not.  I scribbled a note, nonetheless.

 Well, as it turned out, he was not exaggerating. The film has since gained cult status as one of the best horror/sci-fi films of all time. His Easy Rider with Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson stands as the dominant film that defines a generation. And his brilliant portrayal of a drugged-out photographer in Appocalypse Now stands as a defining character in a film that is part of Hollywood history. His work in those films as well as his early work opposite James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause and Giant solidify his place in the story of Hollywood filmmaking at its best.

Rest in peace, Dennis Hopper. Your total honesty, kind heart and prodigious talent make you unforgettable.

The post Dennis Hopper Remembered – Alice O’Neill first appeared on River View Observer.

Amish Grace Sunday Night March 28th-8pm on the Lifetime Channel

By Sally Deering 

 Emmy-award winning actress Tammy Blanchard recalls growing up in the 1980s a shy girl who cherished Judy Garland’s performance in “The Wizard of Oz,” and dreamed of her own stardom in her tiny bedroom.  In the past ten years, Blanchard’s break-out performances as Judy Garland and other complex women have received critical acclaim and respect from her peers. And like Garland, whom Blanchard calls her “angel,” when it comes to playing a role or singing a song, her shyness disappears and she becomes a chameleon blending herself into the part and in the process turning in dynamic, edge-of-your-seat performances that are anything but shy.

 This week, TV viewers can tune in to see Blanchard in two sensational roles in a TV movie on the Lifetime Movie Network and in NBC’s Monday night line-up. On Sunday, (March 28^th) Blanchard takes on the role of a young wife dealing with anger and guilt after her husband kills five young Amish girls in the TV-movie “Amish Grace” on LMN (Lifetime Movie Network, 8 pm;) and, on Monday, (March 29^th) Blanchard plays another young mother in the “Law & Order,” episode “Brazil,” (NBC, 10 pm.)

 

A new mom herself, Blanchard, 33, brings a sense of truth to the mother roles she plays.  She says this comes from her deep relationships with her own mom, Patty Rettig, and her 2 year-old daughter, an adorable toddler and Blanchard’s bundle of sheer joy.

 

“Now that I’m a mom, it’s not about me anymore, it’s not about the goal to be a movie star,” Blanchard says. “I wanted to be a movie star, now its condensed to I want to give and receive love and this talent that God has given me is like this child he has given me, something I need to nurture and respect and use with good intentions.”

 

Although she’s never taken an acting class, Blanchard’s natural talent is as evident as her natural beauty. Off-camera, she wears no make-up and comes across as quiet and somewhat serious. On-camera, she can explode with emotions that are so raw, they make viewers feel like their hearts are being ripped out of their chests – she’s that good! And the TV and film credits Blanchard keeps racking up on her resume are strong indicators of the high-quality of her work and the increasing demand for her talents.

 

Channeling Garland

In 2001, Blanchard earned an Emmy Award for her spot-on portrayal of the sweet, yearning and deeply-troubled Judy Garland in “Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows,” that also starred Judy Davis. This role garnered Blanchard raves from critics and started opening doors, like the movie “The Good Shepherd,” directed by Robert DeNiro and the Broadway production of “Gypsy, The Musical Fable” where Blanchard transformed from a gawky 13 year-old girl to the elegant striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee and earned a Tony award nomination in the process.  She recently completed filming “Rabbit Hole” playing the younger sister to Nicole Kidman’s character. Kidman is also producing the project.

 

Immersing herself in the characters she plays seems to be Blanchard’s trademark. A self-described “sponge,” Blanchard knows she has acted with some of the best in the business and has chosen to observe the masters in action, soaking in their knowledge, listening to their perspectives, applying what they’ve taught her and then letting it rip. Blanchard channels the emotional pain of the characters she plays with an uncanny depth that seems to be rare in most actresses her age.

 

Blanchard attributes her acting ability to a somewhat lonely childhood growing up in Bayonne, a “Pleasantville” type of New Jersey community in the shadow of New York City.  Like her favorite movie character, Dorothy in her favorite movie, “The Wizard of Oz,” Blanchard has traveled to faraway places, but there’s still no place like home.

 

“For me, Bayonne is my family, my hometown, my safe place, and I love this place more than anything,” Blanchard says from the porch of her cozy house on the first sunny day of spring. She is joined by her Calico cat, “Deva,” who plops down next to her to sunbathe while through the window, Blanchard keeps an eye on her daughter playing in the living room under the watchful eye of her dad and Blanchard’s partner of 11 years, Damon Chasmer.  “Most of us are from all the same background in this town. We grew up together. We’ve all been through the middle-class trial and error and we understand it. This town should feel pride in every success I’ve had. This town gave me everything I have inside me. If I grew up in another place and time, it would all be different.”

 

It was in public school when Blanchard, a sixth-grader, first felt the inspiration to become an actress from friend and family members’ reactions to her solo rendition of “Over the Rainbow” in an assembly program. When she finished, there was complete silence at first and then a roar of applause.

“It was like a way for me to express what I was feeling, all the joy and hope that I really had in my heart as a child and it was a way to bring joy to my family,” Blanchard remembers. “That’s when I realized, wow, maybe I can do this.”

 

The Wonder Years

Blanchard doesn’t hail from a theatrical family and she didn’t really have connections to show biz’s movers and shakers, so if you ask her how she managed to carve out a serious acting career, she says without hesitation that it was her mother Patty, who inspired her. Patty Rettig saw that her daughter Tammy had talent and when Tammy was 13 and in high school, she wanted to compete in the Miss Teen New Jersey pageant. She didn’t win the crown, but a manager was impressed enough to get her an audition with a talent agency that signed her and sent her on commercial auditions. Patty Rettig accompanied Tammy to her auditions while raising two other children with Tammy’s father, a Vietnam Veteran. These were tough times for the family, Tammy says.

 

“My mom would scrape 20 bucks together and we would drive into New York for an audition,” Blanchard remembers. “It was a broken down car and she would sit in the car for hours, waiting for me to come down from my audition. She would do anything for me.”

 

Blanchard spent the next several years doing commercials for Domino’s Pizza and other products, while going on TV and film auditions. Her first big break came in 1997 when she landed the role of spoiled brat Drew Jacobs in the soap opera “Guiding Light.”  She worked on the show for 3 years and credits actress Patty D’Arbanville – who played her biological mother on the show- for teaching her about acting for the camera.

 

“Because she was such a natural actress, I learned a lot from Patty,” Blanchard says. “She allowed me to open up and find my own instrument; it was great to work with her. I’m always working with great women – Patty, Jessica Lange, Bernadette Peters, Blythe Danner …”

 

But it was her breakout role in “Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows,” that earned Blanchard an Emmy for her uncannily spot-on performance as a young Garland. She signed with one of Hollywood’s biggest talent agencies, ICM, and began attracting the attention of some of Hollywood’s biggest stars.

 

Robert DeNiro Directs

In 2006, DeNiro cast Blanchard alongside Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie in “The Good Shepherd,” a spy film about the birth of counter-intelligence in the CIA.  Blanchard played a girl who was hearing-impaired and during filming, she remembers DeNiro being extremely particular about his direction, sometimes doing 20 takes until he was pleased.

 

Once satisfied with the take, DeNiro would nod his head, Blanchard says, illustrating her point by scrunching her eyes, lowering her voice and saying, “That was good. That was good.” It’s a dead-on DeNiro impression.

 

“He was fatherly to me,” Blanchard says. “He gave me the advice that enhanced my performances for (the film) ‘Bella,’ and probably saved me from a lot of bad performances in my life. He told me (when playing a role) to never play the victim. The point is to not know you’re being victimized and always try to keep your dignity. He definitely changed my career.”

 

Playing 16 Characters in One

In 2008, Blanchard gave a heartbreaking performance as the title character in the TV redux of “Sybil,” based on the real-life experiences of a young woman who splintered into multiple personalities to deal with the abuse she suffered as a child. In a review of the work, “New York Times” critic Neil Genzingler wrote, “The film has fine performances by Tammy Blanchard in the title role and Jessica Lange (as) the psychiatrist. It is crisply told and full of powerful scenes…”

It’s been a little more than a year since “Sybil,” and in that time, Blanchard has landed plum roles in TV shows like “Law & Order,” and films including “Rabbit Hole,” starring Nicole Kidman and directed by John Cameron-Mitchell – director of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.”  Blanchard has acted with the some of the biggest stars in show business and she hopes one day to work with her favorite actress, Meryl Streep.

There’s No Place like Home

And now that she’s proven herself in the industry and enjoying a fulfilling acting career, Blanchard talks about fulfilling one more childhood dream.

 

“I want to build homeless shelters, stock the shelves with food and employ the mothers and fathers,” Blanchard says. “This is a big dream I had when I was a little girl. I remember my mom struggling to get by cleaning other people’s homes.  I always felt compassion for single mothers with children. I’ve always wanted to help.”

 

Amish Grace

LMN (Lifetime Movie Network)

Sun, Mar. 28^th, 8 pm

 

“The Amish Community of Nickel Mines is forever changed when a gunman senselessly takes the lives of five girls in a schoolhouse shooting before taking his own life. What transpires afterward takes the community by storm, as the media descend on the town and criticize its Amish leaders for their notion of unconditional forgiveness of the shooter and their outreach of support to his widow, Amy Roberts (Tammy Blanchard.) Devastated by her daughter’s death, Ida Graber (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) finds herself struggling with her community’s belief in the transcending power of forgiveness. Deeply conflicted and unable to forgive the gunman and his family, Ida is tempted to leave the only life she’s ever known before re-embracing her faith,” – www.lmn.tv

The post TAMMY BLANCHARD “Amish Grace” Actress Follows Her Yellow Brick Road first appeared on River View Observer.