Guttenberg, Steve - actor/director
By: Dominick A. Miserandino
After building a career out of making us laugh in films like Police Academy and Three Men and a Baby, Steve Guttenberg added a few more challenging roles of Writer, Producer, and Director in his latest creative endeavor.
DM) So I heard you have this new project?
SG) Yes, "PS, Your Cat Is Dead." A terrific play and novel by James Kirkwood, who is a great writer. We optioned the piece, tested it, and the audiences seemed to like it.
DM) And you basically did this all on your own?
SG) Right, it was directed by me, co-written by me, co-produced by me, and
co-starred me. But nobody does anything alone; you always do it with other
people.
DM) But still, more alone than the typical movie anyway?
SG) It's hard to say typical movies. There really isn't one. It's such a
collaboration, and it's such a live animal that they all have their own
stories. But I don't look at this as all on my own. I had a great amount
of help.
DM) You've worked on big budget pieces. Is this a change being an "indie" film?
SG) This is really exciting because you get to meet so many new people in
the independent world. You get to form new relationships and learn all
kinds of new techniques. It was really a thrilling experience.
DM) How does this compare to the major movies you've done?
SG) About the same. Making a movie is like cooking. You can either cook
on a hot plate or in a 5-star kitchen. But overall, cooking is cooking,
and acting is acting. Filmmaking is filmmaking. The rules of filmmaking
are the important part of it. It's the art, the craft. It's being an
artist. The illusion that everybody in the audience gets is that it's about
the money and the budget size. It's not; it's about the theme. It's about
what the movie stands for. We [as society] are just so excited about reading
the numbers about how much people make and how much it costs. The
importance of film, the importance of art is to make a social comment, to
help make people's lives better after they leave the movie.
DM) You've really had a diverse career from the early 80s Police Academy
movies to directing and producing your own film.
SG) Passages--you must go through passages in your life. And it's a
journey. You must enjoy the journey.
DM) Do you like this passage that you're in right now?
SG) It's great; I'm very, very lucky. Everybody at every age has their own
passages.
DM) Which role do you prefer in taking with this film?
SG) Making a film is like being a restaurant owner. The director is the
owner--the producer is the owner. So, you do what it takes. If you need to
fill a napkin holder, make cordon bleu, fix a hole in the roof--you do
whatever it takes, whatever you need to you do because you want to make
that restaurant work. If you talk to any good producer/director, they'll
do whatever it takes to make the movie. They'll carry lamps, they'll put
peoples' makeup on, and they'll drive a truck. They'll do whatever it takes.
DM) How have your previous experiences affected this one?
SG) Fantastic--because you get so much knowledge from osmosis just by
sitting in a room with great people and seeing how they make a film. The
leadership qualities, principles, values--I've been lucky sitting with
such great people.
DM) Who did you learn the most from when it came to movie making?
SG) My mother and father who never made a movie, but they gave me principles
and values, and that's where everything starts from. And you can go into
any situation and handle any situation if you have the right principles and
values. If you believe in yourself and have good self-esteem, and you
believe in what you're doing.
DM) What principles and values did they give you?
SG) The Ten Commandments, basically. The Golden Rule.
DM) I didn't realize you were a spiritual man in that sense.
SG) It's a part of my every day. You have choices all day. Life is a
series of choices. You just have to make the right choices no matter what
business you're in.
DM) Is it hard doing this in Hollywood?
SG) No, it's hard in life. It's hard not having the extra hamburger at
lunch; everybody battles that. It's hard not to lose your temper--the
more you practice it, the easier it gets. You're on line, and you're
impatient in traffic; it's all about how you react. It's all the same.
Everybody on the planet is doing it. It's all human relationships.
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