I have been a fan of Vincent D’Onofrio before I knew what his name is. Perhaps most identified by his role in Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket, D’Onofrio would distinguish himself in a variety of noteworthy films that have included The Player, The Thirteenth Floor, Men In Black, Ed Wood, Strange Days, The Whole Wide World, Impostor, and The Cell. However for a generation of fans he is also known for his role as Detective Robert Goren on the hit television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent. It seems like it was only yesterday when I saw the first publicity shots of D’Onofrio along with other cast members for this extension of the franchise created by Dick Wolf. I thought the casting was excellent and I really was surprised that he was doing television since he always struck me as more of a feature film actor. Then I saw the ensemble cast and realized to be a part of any of the Law & Order programs is truly an honor.
With the tenth and final season premiere of Law & Order: Criminal Intent debuting on USA Network on Sunday, May 1, 2011, I was invited to participate in a conference call interview with Vincent D’Onofrio and Dick Wolf. I was only allowed to ask a few questions and I tried to squeeze in as much as I could, in particularly asking him about Full Metal Jacket, which I was not sure if he would be open to discussing or not and I feared how he might react to a question about it because it had nothing to do with Law & Order, but I figured I may never get the opportunity to speak with D’Onofrio again so I’d take the chance. I’m glad I did too because I felt great after the interview was over and hope to cover his upcoming genre projects in the near future. Now though is my portion of my interview with Law & Order: Criminal Intent Star Vincent D’Onofrio and Series Creator Dick Wolf.
Mark Rivera: Hi, to me it seems like ten years flew by overnight. I still remember when the show first premiered and I can’t believe ten years have passed so fast. Mr. D’Onofrio, I had no idea you were from Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. I’m from the neighborhood next door, Bay Ridge.
And I have been a fan of your work since even before I knew your name, since I saw you in Stanley Kubrick’s, Full Metal Jacket. I have a couple of quick questions. One time I interviewed Bruce Campbell and he said to me, he’s a character actor stuck in a leading man’s body and you’ve done a lot of character work, especially in genre films like The Thirteenth Floor and Men In Black as well as the Law & Order franchise, which in itself is a huge genre. I want to know if you see yourself as a leading actor on both film and television or as a quasi character actor, you know, that sort of thing? And if you are still attracted to genre films and television outside of Law & Order and, you know - because I understand you have some features and some other projects that you’re working on. If you could speak about any of it I’d really appreciate it.
Vincent D'Onofrio: Sure, I’m a character stuck in a character actor’s body. And, yes, I love film. I love all the genres. You know, as long as the script is good and there’s something challenging in it for me to do I love it. You know, it’s just what I do.
And the - as far as projects I have coming up I think the announcement goes out today about the next film that I’m producing called Mall. It’s an adaptation from an Eric Bogosian novel. We - the announcement today will have - announcing that Chelsea Handler is doing it, Eric, myself, and a guy named Joe Hahn is directing it. I’m producing it with Erika Hampson and (Sam Madu) of the Collective.
I have a film that I wrote and directed, a slasher/musical, which was bought by Tribeca Films, which is going to be released this coming - around Christmas, this Christmas coming. That’s what I’ve been doing, I’ve been writing and producing and directing and acting. I have a film out now called Kill The Irishman that I’m in with Ray Stevenson and Val Kilmer and Christopher Walken, that’s what I’ve been up to.
Mark Rivera: Okay, Mr. Wolf, I wanted to ask you, what attracts you to the crime drama genre if you don’t mind me asking? And is there a difference between working on Law & Order on, say, network television and then a difference between what you can get away with and what you can do with the storytelling on basic cable television like USA?
Dick Wolf: I’m sorry, the last part of that question I missed.
Mark Rivera: Okay, I would like to know first off what attracts you because you have a...
Dick Wolf: I got that part.
Mark Rivera: Okay, the second part is in crafting a show like Law & Order: Criminal Intent, I would like to know is there a difference in terms of the types of stories you can tell between - on broadcast, you know, free TV that anyone with rabbit ears can get and a cable television on a network like USA, which, has commercials but, you know, also has its own original programming including the Law & Order franchise?
Dick Wolf: To go backwards, there is no - there is really no difference between basic cable and network in terms of language or content anymore. Premium cable, HBO, sure, you can, you know, use four-letter words and have frontal nudity but that’s really about it.
There aren’t the same content restrictions because, A, there’s too much to monitor and, B, there is a natural system in place with advertisers. So it’s not really an issue except with, you know, people who want to write about it. It’s just not an issue at a creative level anymore.
The reason that I love cop shows, very simple, it’s I’m essentially at core a writer and the form of writing that I’ve been doing for 35 years is dramatic screenwriting of one sort or another. And the bottom line is that drama works best when the stakes are highest and cop shows, the stakes are oftentimes literally life and death. So you’re starting out with the bar at a level that if you get over it there are going to be people who want to see it.
Mark Rivera: I have a - one more question for both of you because you both - in looking up your backgrounds and stuff, I see you have both worked with or known in a way most of us will never know, people who are historical figures as well as being famous in your own right. So forgive me if this is a little bit off topic but for Mr. D’Onofrio, if you don’t mind my asking, after all these years, what was it like to work with a director like Stanley Kubrick?
And Mr. Wolf, what I wanted to ask you is I saw that you went to High School with George W. Bush. Now that he’s no longer the President of the United States, for lack for a better expression, did you ever expect him to become the President? Or did you ever see his mannerisms on television when he was President and say, “Yes, you know, I remember how he used to be in high school and he used to do the same thing” or something like that?
Dick Wolf: No.
Mark Rivera: Okay, sorry.
Dick Wolf: That was just, you know - that’s just not - I don’t think anybody knows in high school who’s going to succeed. I think that the biggest danger in high school is peaking too soon but that’s probably based on my academic experience.
Mark Rivera: Mr. D’Onofrio?
Vincent D'Onofrio: Kubrick was amazing. You know, I’m talking to you on the phone right now because of Stanley Kubrick.
Mark Rivera: I got you.
Vincent D'Onofrio: It’s something that - in my heart and in my mind will - it’s a feeling that will never change. It’s something that is imprinted in my emotional life. And it’s - he was a great guy to work for and I was - I worked with him for 13 months and it was like going to film school. The things that I learned in that 13 months have stuck with me to this day.
Mark Rivera: Okay, well, thank you so much, both of you, for your time and for answering my questions. It’s a pleasure to speak to both of you.
Vincent D'Onofrio: Sure.
The premiere of Law & Order: Criminal Intent will be on Sunday, May 1, 2011 at 9 pm with the episode entitled “Respeto” and guest starring Jay Mohr.
Big thanks to Farrah Hersh at USA Network and Jason Eskin at Electric Artists.
© Copyright 2011 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
