THE MALE LEADS
The differences were not only apparent between the characters, but also between the actors and their approach to the material. The cast and director rehearsed for two weeks before start of production.
"Tony is extremely precise and economical," describes Gregory Hoblit. "There's no wasted motion anywhere, while Ryan's engine wants to warm up and get going in order to find itself. He goes from being good to being quite extraordinary when everything clicks."
Anthony Hopkins appreciated the director's economical style of shooting using several cameras at once to get the most out of every moment, rather than making his actors shoot take after take, in effect draining the scene of its very essence and flavor. "Greg is smart and very prepared, which is always best for the production. But he also has good instincts. We didn't do a lot of takes, which was a relief," says Hopkins.
Acknowledged for a wicked sense of humor, Hopkins would tease the assembled crew by barking like a dog and then sit innocently as a production assistant frantically searched to quiet the errant hound.
"He really does sound like a dog," declares Ryan Gosling. "He just one of those people who's good at everything – he paints, he writes music, he directs and he does great imitations of cats and dogs. He's a lot funnier than I thought he'd be, just a regular guy."
"You've got to have some fun," Hopkins says mischievously, "otherwise it's not worth getting out of bed in the morning."
"Tony is very collaborative," says Chuck Weinstock, "and he doesn't exploit the anxiety that most people feel in his presence. He just isn't interested in that."
Weinstock reports that Hopkins has the energy and stamina "of a 20-year-old at four or five in the morning, just roaring to go."
Billy Burke, best known for his role as Firefighter Dennis Gauquin in Ladder 49, plays Detective Rob Nunally, a married man in the midst of a torrid affair with Crawford's wife, Jennifer.
"Nunally falls in love with the wrong woman at the wrong time," says screenwriter Glenn Gers. "And the sad thing is, it's real love. They're trying to find a way out, even if it's going to be difficult, and once Crawford mixes in, Nunally is just doomed. You really feel for him."
"I knew going in that Nunally was going to be the hardest role to cast," says Gregory Hoblit. "He's a guy who goes from A to Z. Happy in love, optimistic and then in despair, and not a whole lot of scenes to get there. The role demanded a range that was considerable. I also needed to believe he was a cop who could attract a woman like Jennifer Crawford, who comes from a lofty station in life."
"Billy had the chops to make those transitions," Hoblit continues. "He's handsome and believable as Jennifer's lover, as someone who had some humanity along with the physical power, that kind of 'don't mess around with me' demeanor."
As luck would have it, Burke had recently completed a project during which he worked with professional hostage negotiators, so the actor was already up to speed when it came to his character's profession. For Burke, the challenge was keeping up to date with his character's moods.
"It's rare in a movie like this, where the audience sees only bits and pieces of a character, yet that character has an entire arc, so it's a great role, the kind I usually lose to a bigger name," jokes Burke. "But I was licking my chops at the thought of getting this movie."
"I don't often find myself coming to work, trying to figure out what's going on in the story," he explains. "I would work for a few days, be off for a few, come back and have to get back into the plot which wasn't always easy, so consistency was everything. Was this guy in a period of revelation? Depressed? Desperate? Resigned? It was a definite challenge, but it was also fun."
"Billy had the most difficult part," concedes Ryan Gosling, "but he handled it beautifully. It was a pleasure to work with him."
Anthony Hopkins is concise and enthusiastic in his praise for his co-star, calling Burke "a wonderful actor" and "one to really watch."
Gregory Hoblit, who has a long and respected history with the police genre in film and television, understands the chaos of a cop's life on the street and at home. He is attracted by the dichotomy of that life and by the dangers they face each day in making life choices.
Although Hoblit was blown away by Burke's initial audition, he wanted to be sure his performance was not a fluke and asked him to read a second time, making sure Burke could hit every emotional note of this complex character. "He was every bit as good, if not better," reports Hoblit. "For me, hiring Billy was a no-brainer."
More Production Notes:
THE ORIGINS OF FRACTURE CRAFTING THE SCRIPT THE LEADING LADIES SUPPORTING CAST ACHIEVING VERISIMILITUDE FILMING FRACTURE
