Vecernji List Magazine Vecernji List (Croatia), Nov. 24, 2001 by Arsen Oremovic/Translated by Tommy GORAN VISNJIC TALKS ABOUT HIS CAREER AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IS DISCOVERING HIS PLANES IN HOLLYWOOD Even though, Goran Visnjic had sacrificed more then a half of his lunch break for this interview, he approached us, and still fighting with the last bites of food in the mouth. Apparently in a good mood and cheery. He's currently in Zagreb due to filming of the movie DUGA MRACNA NOC ( A Long Dark Night ) by Antun Vrdoljak. In a way, he's always surprised about the interest of the media in every move he makes when he's in Croatia, as it was the case in a last couple of days. This is just a part that has been going on, because Vrdoljak is not allowing for any editorial to visit the set and the filming is leaving Visnjic hardly no free time whatsoever. Those rare moments he wants to share in the circle of his family. Judging by his good mood, he's carrying a burden of fame easily then ever before. Some time ago, a certain reporter taught him that he's obligated to answer questions to the nation he is coming from and he agreed with that, but he choose to pick the media he is talking to very carefully and this time around he gave the advantage to " Vecernji List ". - When I was in America I prayed to god for finally to come home, to take a break and finally to act in Croatian - Visnjic started the conversation, where he seemed very honest and he talks about his work and fame that surrounds him without any mystification: - But, I was a little afraid, because I haven't worked here in a long time and because of the material. I am shooting every day, I'm almost in every scene and it takes a lot of time for me to memorize just the text. * WHAT IS YOUR CHARACTER ALL ABOUT AND IS IT EASIER FOR YOU, BECAUSE YOUR FATHER-IN-LAW IS DIRECTING THIS MOVIE? - Most definitely it's easier, but not because we are related. It has nothing to do with that. What makes my work easier is the fact that Antun was an actor himself and he loves the actors. And about my role, I play this good guy, very honest, that hasn't change neither because of the consequences that World War Two has left nor because other things, no matter how hard and impossible that sounds. LUKA'S NON GENTLEMANLY SENTENCE Just recently, in " New York Times " a certain article appeared, where the reporter talks about the relationship of Luka and Abby, in very erotic manner as the hottest romance ever seen on TV shows in the last couple of years... - My agent joked that she was the one who wrote the script. It couldn't be better. The only thing that this reporter didn't like was the way how Luka and Abby are breaking up. * HERE IN CROATIA, THOSE EPISODES HAVEN'T BEEN SHOWN YET, I THINK YOU WON'T SPOIL ANYTHING IF YOU DISCOVER TO THE PUBLIC WHAT WAS IT THAT HAPPENED IN THAT BREAKING UP SCENE? - Only one sentence, where Luka tells Abby: " You aren't beautiful and charming enough and fun to be with, to take all the crap that you are doing to me ". This is the line, that I had many discussions for a month with the director, the actress that plays Abby and the producer who wrote that part of the text. And the producer specifically asked that those lines must stay. * WHAT BOTHERED YOU THE MOST IN THAT SENTENCE? THE FACT THAT IT'S NOT VERY GALLANT? - Absolutely, it's not gallant at all. No matter in what situation. Neither Luka or any normal person would say something like this to a woman, no matter how much she provoked him. The producer thought how that isn't such a big deal and as it turned out a pretty important reporter from " New York Times " noticed exactly that as the main weakness. * HOW DO YOU CARRY THE FAME IN HOLLYWOOD? ALL THE POSING FOR MAGAZINES, PUBLIC APPEARANCES...AS MUCH AS I KNOW, IN A BEGINNING YOU DIDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE DOING THAT. - We are attending only the award parties, if it's about our show, or if somebody from the cast is nominated. It's only fair that the whole cast & crew members of ER are there for a support. That's perfectly normal. Sometimes it's a burden to go to attend those things, because one is forced to talk to reporters all the time and I'm not always up to it, because I have worked for the last 5 days for 13-14 hours. Those kind of things can be really be stressful, no matter how nice and tempted that seems for somebody, because I think it is not so normal that so many reporters, photographers and fans are there just because of one or several people. Then it's not possible for me to feel normal. Quite honestly, when after my first "Hamlet" performance, somebody recognized me on the street in Zagreb, I was on my 3rd or 4th year of the Academy, I was proud as hell, but when the things started to become a little bit more crazier, when I can't go anywhere without being recognized, when I'm for example in a different city and after the shooting I want to go to have dinner in a restaurant and the whole restaurant is staring - For sure that isn't pleasant, it's not natural. Try to imagine that when you are eating. * DO YOU FEEL AT TIMES, THAT YOU MIGHT WAKE UP AND REALIZE THAT ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING FOR YOU, IN HOLLYWOOD, IT'S JUST A DREAM OR YOU GOT USED TO IT? - Probably, I would react like this if this happened over night. But, I went step by step. I made one movie, I spend there couple of months, I returned to Croatia and staid for about a year, then I went there again and got another movie offer, then I came home again...The first time I staid there a bit longer was when I first started with ER. All those things, in those 4 years were happening step by step and not over night. * I'M GLAD YOU EXPLAINED THAT, BECAUSE IN YOUR BIOGRAPHY THERE IS ALWAYS POINTED THAT YOU'VE MADE " WELCOME TO SARAJEVO " WITH MICHAEL WINTERBOTTOM AND THAT YOUR INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS BEGAN AFTER THAT MOVIE?! - I would like it to be like that, but it hasn't. Ivana and I packed our bags in L.A. several times, because we didn't have enough money to stay, then we would return to Croatia and waiting for my agent to call me that I got an offer for another job. Then we would get back again. More or less, those were only low budget pictures, where you don't make much money. They are only important for your career. I LIKE " INDIANA JONES " TYPE OF MOVIES *IF THE THINGS DIDN'T GO SMOOTH AFTER " WELCOME TO SARAJEVO ", WHERE DID YOU GET THE FAITH AND IDEA THAT YOU CAN MAKE IT IN HOLLYWOOD? - If I as an actor am liking the movies such as " Star Wars " or " Indiana Jones ", and I like to do movies like that one day and If I have the idea how I would like to make a movie like these, I start to wonder can I make this type of movie here? In this situation, there's no way to make it here, it costs too much. I as an actor am interested in doing these type of movies and it's not possible to make them for 100 000 $ when it costs 100. Millions of dollars. * THAT MEANS YOU WON'T BE SATISFIED UNTIL YOU GET TO THESE TYPE OF FILMS? - If nothing else happens, I'm satisfied. The matter of status depends from what perspective you are looking at it. In one of our newspapers, once I read how Visnjic is making some low budget films and TV and the only thing I can say to this is: " Okay, what more do you want?! Ha, ha....Wait a minute, I moved there four years ago and as far sa I know, there aren't many people who started in this business and they had it going over night. And what my wishes and planes are concern, I will stay in ER for 3 more years, that's for sure and after that I would like to make one good movie project per year and once in two years, maybe more often to do a theatre play in Croatia. That's my dream. And how the things will turn out to be...??? I just wouldn't want to work on television unless I start my own project as a producer with some studio. * IN CROATIA, YOU ARE THE MOST POPULAR DOMESTIC ACTOR AND THE PROVE IS THAT YOU ARE WINNING "VECERNJI LIST ROSE AWARD", YEAR BY YEAR, BUT YOUR LAST TWO MOVIES "COMMITTED" AND " THE DEEP END " DIDN'T WIN MUCH AUDIENCE, HOW DO YOU LOOK AT THAT? - " Committed " simply wasn't a good movie and that's all to it. " The Deep End " was a good movie and why the audience doesn't want to see it, I have no idea, but the American critic accepted it great. I have never been in a movie before that got so many praises and that it was so acclaimed. It made $ 8 million in United States and it was made for only $ 3 million, which is a great result. We are all satisfied with it and now we are waiting to see what will happen on "The Golden Globe" awards and on "Oscar's". CAREFUL CHOICE OF ROLES * IN GENERAL, ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH YOUR FILM CAREER SO FAR AND WITH THE MOVIES YOU HAVE MADE BY NOW? - I think, I haven't done any bad move by now. " Committed " was a bad movie, but what my agent and I expected from that one was just a good relationship with " Miramax ", which we made. The part that I did in that movie was okay, I didn't stuck anywhere. It's all about the career making politics. Everything is done with a purpose. The first movie was " Practical Magic " and let's be honest here wasn't too good either, but it was high A production which cost $ 70.000.000 with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman in it. For me personally, that was a big deal. Now I made " The Deep End " a movie that had a big response between the studios and the producers, because over there the total amount of how much the movie has earned is not that important, what's important is how much it cost. If the movie cost $ 200 Million and it earned $ 210 Million it's not considered to be a good deal, but if it cost $ 3 Million and it earned $ 8 Million, it's considered that it made a good money. Just recently, I got an offer for a movie where I'm suppose to play an American from the south, which means a guy from Texas. So, where's the problem now? A director is French, his English is good, but not very good... * WHO IS THIS DIRECTOR? - I don't want to talk about this project just yet, because...Never mind. The thing is that he thought how my English is very good, that I can carry a southern character, but I told to my agent that I can't play a southern just yet. My English became good, but the American ear can still sense that I am a foreigner. So, let's say I accepted this offer, it could turn out to be a catastrophe for me, even though we are talking about a big project, all the big names will be in it. The budget is around $ 60.000.000 I consider this to be a stupid move on my part. Some people would say that they don't care and they would went out to do it, but I think differently. I'm more realistic. I have enough money from ER and I'm in no rush. One more time I want to build my career by going step by step. The paranormal thriller " Doctor Sleep ", that we made in Great Britain, it might not be a big movie. It's a British movie, there aren't any American stars. It's made with a budget of total $ 10-10 Million. It might not be a perfect project, but it was perfect for me, because the people will have a chance to see me for the first time playing a lead role with a British accent. So, my agent can take it and to show it around: " See, he can play the lead roles as well ". * ALL THIS SOUNDS REALLY CALCULATED AND ALMOST WITHOUT ANY ROOM FOR A REAL ART. - The art comes with a choice of projects, especially after signing the contract. This is how I am looking at building a career, but things don't always go like this. For example, I could of have more luck if they needed a foreigner for a movie where Tom Cruise would be my co-star and that the movie would earned like $ 150.000.000 and where after that I can pick on my own the movies I want to do. COMING HOME * 90 % OF PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO WORK IN OTHER COUNTRIES ARE SAYING THAT THEY ARE LEAVING JUST FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, UNTIL THEY MAKE MONEY AND AT THE END THEY ARE STAYING THE WHOLE LIFE TIME. DO YOU THINK THIS COULD HAPPEN TO YOU? - Those things happens in other jobs. If it's creative, this job can pay off as well in years to come. Usually, it depends on how much money you want to earn. Some of us needs more and some less.