Danny Glover has had a career of contradictions. While he has appeared in the highly successful Lethal Weapon franchise, he has also been very politically active on issues involving minorities in the U.S., global human rights and AIDS. He was also appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Program.
Of course thats besides the point, because he has a starring role in the balls out sick and twisted horror thriller SAW. A young man named Adam [Leigh Whannell] wakes to find himself chained to a rusty pipe inside a decrepit subterranean chamber. Chained to the opposite side of the room is another bewildered captive, Dr. Lawrence Gordon [Cary Elwes]. Between them is a dead man lying in a pool of blood, holding a .38 in his hand. Neither man knows why he has been abducted; but instructions left on a microcassette order Dr. Gordon to kill Adam within eight hours. If he fails to do so, then both men will die, and Dr. Gordon's wife, Alison [Potter], and his daughter will be killed. Recalling a recent murder investigation by a police detective named Tapp [Danny Glover], Dr. Gordon realizes he and Adam are the next victims of a psychopathic genius known only as "Jigsaw."
Check out the official website for SAW
SAW
Daniel Robert Epstein: What made you want to do SAW?
Danny Glover: I saw an interesting short film by the young director. Many times on occasion I have been able to see the work of a young director, so I decided to take this journey with him. That was the whole premise of doing this because the movie was made for very little money. I think the closest thing Ive done to a fright movie was Predator 2.
DRE: How was it working with [SAW co-writer/director] James Wan?
DG: It was wonderful. He looks about 15 and hes very excitable. He knew the kind of story he wanted to tell, and hes very direct. I think some of what you saw in the film was pretty self-evident. He had the premise of people being terrified by the unknown, and most of it was dealt with as psychological danger. The fear changes the characters, and the value of that, was the way he used the violence graphically, but mostly it was the internal fear that was very important. He used silence and the camera to create a world.
DRE: Recently youve done two very different films, SAW and The Cookout. Were you consciously trying to do very different roles than youve done in the past?
DG: This is a point in my career where I get to do what I want to do. I dont see as much work as I used to and most of the work I do is stuff that I get approached to do. I was approached by Queen Latifah to do The Cookout and I said ok. The people were fun to work with. Then the same sort of thing happened with SAW. These are films that are independent so its not about the box office.
DRE: You play a much more disturbed cop in this than you did in the Lethal Weapon films. Do you think those fans will embrace this?
DG: In my work Ive done everything from police officers to homeless men to cowboys to sharecroppers. Its a different film than the Lethal Weapons, but its not a major concern.
DRE: Are there movie roles you wouldnt take?
DG: There have always been roles I wouldnt take. Ive been consistent about deciding based on the story itself and the values that are inherent in it. Some people had very interesting feelings about me taking on the role that I did in The Color Purple. I wasnt at looking at the role but the actual story.
DRE: Were you happy with the finished film of SAW?
DG: I think that given the limited schedule that he had to shoot in, I was very satisfied. I think audiences will enjoy the film.
DRE: Would you do another Lethal Weapon movie?
DG: Thats an oxymoron in some sense because, who knows if there will be another Lethal Weapon movie. I know there isnt going to be another Lethal Weapon movie, so thats a moot point. I think it lived its life, and was a part of my life at one point.
DRE: How was working with Lars von Trier on Manderlay?
DG: I think that Manderlay is going to be a movie that will create a lot of dialogue. Ive seen Dogville and watched a couple of his other films, so I like him and I think he has a fascinating process of filmmaking. I think Manderlay will be very interesting.
DRE: Is it a sequel to Dogville?
DG: I didnt ask him, but I think hes making a trilogy about the US. Dogville was the first and Manderlay is the second. Its a European vision of how he looks at American values and the hypocrisy within those values.
DRE: Recently you protested at the Republican Convention. How did that go?
DG: I did that because I was opposed to the policy of this administration. I was opposed to the war and Ive been opposed to the war since before it even started. I dont like his foreign or domestic policy and everything thats come down the pipe. I found an opportunity to be in solidarity with the people whose beliefs I share. Im a very strong advocate of unions and their right to organize. I support the right for the unions to make wages livable around the world. Just the week before I was in Washington DC, I was arrested during a protest against the humanitarian crisis in Sudan's Darfur region. I didnt help organize it, but I was just a member like the thousands of other people there. My lifes work is trying to make a world that works for all.
DRE: Do you feel speaking out politically has hurt your standing in Hollywood?
DG: Its really difficult to talk about a career. Maybe the analogy of a baseball player will work. A baseball player can get 0 for 4 one day, but he also knows that he could get 4 for 4 the next day. On the one hand the forces that define my career are often outside my control anyway. Do you know that if at a certain point in a career, if speaking out for something you believe in will have an impact or not? I dont know. I know for people like Paul Robeson in the 50s during the McCarthy era when he spoke, it did have an impact on their careers. I think its a waste of my energy to think about it because I will do what I think is the right thing to do.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
Of course thats besides the point, because he has a starring role in the balls out sick and twisted horror thriller SAW. A young man named Adam [Leigh Whannell] wakes to find himself chained to a rusty pipe inside a decrepit subterranean chamber. Chained to the opposite side of the room is another bewildered captive, Dr. Lawrence Gordon [Cary Elwes]. Between them is a dead man lying in a pool of blood, holding a .38 in his hand. Neither man knows why he has been abducted; but instructions left on a microcassette order Dr. Gordon to kill Adam within eight hours. If he fails to do so, then both men will die, and Dr. Gordon's wife, Alison [Potter], and his daughter will be killed. Recalling a recent murder investigation by a police detective named Tapp [Danny Glover], Dr. Gordon realizes he and Adam are the next victims of a psychopathic genius known only as "Jigsaw."
Check out the official website for SAW
SAW
Daniel Robert Epstein: What made you want to do SAW?
Danny Glover: I saw an interesting short film by the young director. Many times on occasion I have been able to see the work of a young director, so I decided to take this journey with him. That was the whole premise of doing this because the movie was made for very little money. I think the closest thing Ive done to a fright movie was Predator 2.
DRE: How was it working with [SAW co-writer/director] James Wan?
DG: It was wonderful. He looks about 15 and hes very excitable. He knew the kind of story he wanted to tell, and hes very direct. I think some of what you saw in the film was pretty self-evident. He had the premise of people being terrified by the unknown, and most of it was dealt with as psychological danger. The fear changes the characters, and the value of that, was the way he used the violence graphically, but mostly it was the internal fear that was very important. He used silence and the camera to create a world.
DRE: Recently youve done two very different films, SAW and The Cookout. Were you consciously trying to do very different roles than youve done in the past?
DG: This is a point in my career where I get to do what I want to do. I dont see as much work as I used to and most of the work I do is stuff that I get approached to do. I was approached by Queen Latifah to do The Cookout and I said ok. The people were fun to work with. Then the same sort of thing happened with SAW. These are films that are independent so its not about the box office.
DRE: You play a much more disturbed cop in this than you did in the Lethal Weapon films. Do you think those fans will embrace this?
DG: In my work Ive done everything from police officers to homeless men to cowboys to sharecroppers. Its a different film than the Lethal Weapons, but its not a major concern.
DRE: Are there movie roles you wouldnt take?
DG: There have always been roles I wouldnt take. Ive been consistent about deciding based on the story itself and the values that are inherent in it. Some people had very interesting feelings about me taking on the role that I did in The Color Purple. I wasnt at looking at the role but the actual story.
DRE: Were you happy with the finished film of SAW?
DG: I think that given the limited schedule that he had to shoot in, I was very satisfied. I think audiences will enjoy the film.
DRE: Would you do another Lethal Weapon movie?
DG: Thats an oxymoron in some sense because, who knows if there will be another Lethal Weapon movie. I know there isnt going to be another Lethal Weapon movie, so thats a moot point. I think it lived its life, and was a part of my life at one point.
DRE: How was working with Lars von Trier on Manderlay?
DG: I think that Manderlay is going to be a movie that will create a lot of dialogue. Ive seen Dogville and watched a couple of his other films, so I like him and I think he has a fascinating process of filmmaking. I think Manderlay will be very interesting.
DRE: Is it a sequel to Dogville?
DG: I didnt ask him, but I think hes making a trilogy about the US. Dogville was the first and Manderlay is the second. Its a European vision of how he looks at American values and the hypocrisy within those values.
DRE: Recently you protested at the Republican Convention. How did that go?
DG: I did that because I was opposed to the policy of this administration. I was opposed to the war and Ive been opposed to the war since before it even started. I dont like his foreign or domestic policy and everything thats come down the pipe. I found an opportunity to be in solidarity with the people whose beliefs I share. Im a very strong advocate of unions and their right to organize. I support the right for the unions to make wages livable around the world. Just the week before I was in Washington DC, I was arrested during a protest against the humanitarian crisis in Sudan's Darfur region. I didnt help organize it, but I was just a member like the thousands of other people there. My lifes work is trying to make a world that works for all.
DRE: Do you feel speaking out politically has hurt your standing in Hollywood?
DG: Its really difficult to talk about a career. Maybe the analogy of a baseball player will work. A baseball player can get 0 for 4 one day, but he also knows that he could get 4 for 4 the next day. On the one hand the forces that define my career are often outside my control anyway. Do you know that if at a certain point in a career, if speaking out for something you believe in will have an impact or not? I dont know. I know for people like Paul Robeson in the 50s during the McCarthy era when he spoke, it did have an impact on their careers. I think its a waste of my energy to think about it because I will do what I think is the right thing to do.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
VIEW 7 of 7 COMMENTS
Ashlynn said:
If you spend any amount of time with anyone, you will find some things you like about them or that you have in common. Hate the man all you want for his political pals, but we're calling him a good actor.
The opening of the article seemed to concentrate way more on the politics than his acting...
Danny Glover has had a career of contradictions. While he has appeared in the highly successful Lethal Weapon franchise, he has also been very politically active on issues involving minorities in the U.S., global human rights and AIDS. He was also appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Program.
hence my opinion.