There’s nothing more egregious than making a living legend feel old.
When there sits not one, not two, but three Academy Award-winning actors before you, one can’t help but feel overwhelmed at the combined level of talent sitting idly by, waiting for a chat. The filmmaking giants aren’t just walking wondrous displays of acting–they are also a delectable trio who have the same sort of levity and vitality that their twenty- or thirty-year-old selves might have had had they appeared together in film a few years back.
From the arrogantly ignorant manner in which some critics discuss their age to the stones it took to keep hacking away at such a brutally unforgiving career, the three icons have lived through it all. Now starring together as pension-less old-timers fighting the system in “Going in Style,” the actors bring their thespianism to the light-hearted comedy realm. Read the full interview below:
On Working Together with Living Legends
It’s not often that an actor has the chance to work with some of the greatest actors that have ever graced the screen. And while the vivaciously funny Ann-Margret has also been nominated for her great work in “Carnal Knowledge” (1972) and “Tommy” (1976), she admits there is still much to learn. Having worked primarily with the the side-splitting Alan Arkin, the two exuded a great chemistry, including a never-ending barrage of jokes about the octogenarian’s belated birthday.
“I’m a hundred-and-six-years young” said the buoyant Arkin. Mrs. Margret humorously added, “And I’m a hundred-and-three or something…” That was when Morgan Freeman chimed in to say “nevertheless, Michael and I were extremely jealous.” Mr. Caine added, “yes, we were very jealous.” Ann-Margret could not help but shower the three with adoration, saying “To watch these three, I see them as seventeen-year-old teenagers the way that they acted. It was so much fun. It’s all about friendship. To be on a photoshoot with these three while they’re making jokes, they’re teasing me–I had a hell of a time.”
Stick to the Script Kid
When you see the intangibly great relationship that the three actors have, it’s not surprising that many thought that perhaps they were going off-script and just letting the material take them wherever it may. But for these acting icons, it never crossed their minds. They’re much too professional.
“We didn’t do any improvisation,” said Arkin in his typically comic deadpan delivery. “Yeah, we stuck to the script. We’re too lazy to improvise,” added the charming Caine. Arkin went on to say, “this shows you why there was no improvisation in the movie.” Everyone began humorously arguing amongst themselves, saying improv “is terrible” according to Caine. “You never know what the other person is going to say!” The laughing Ann-Margret interjected, saying “this went on constantly…”
Aging in the Topsy-Turvy Industry
Much like other professions, many would assume that acting is no different. Sure, it’s glamourous, fun and enriching (both emotionally and monetarily), but there comes a time in all careers when you hang up your gloves and live on the laurels of your past. And no one is more deserving of that retirement than these lauded actors. From the multi-billion dollar grossing films they’ve starred in to the critical recognition for their work, these leading men have most certainly had a fantastic career. And it appears like Hollywood can’t seem to recognize that virtue–and Freeman, Caine and Arkin isn’t letting that stop them.
The rightfully peeved Freeman replied, “who’s going to retire?” Caine intelligently put it by saying, “the movies retire you.” He went on to hilariously add, “you don’t get a script, or the script is crap, or the money is no good and you say to yourself, ‘I’d rather stay at home and watch TV.’ And that’s where serials get their customers from.”
But Arkin was perhaps the most astutely funny in his comments about the ageism in Hollywood, revealing, “For the past six, seven years I would open a script and I’d say, ‘what page do I die on? Oh! Look at that! I made it page 64–not bad.’ People ask ‘isn’t that depressing?’ and I say ‘no, it’s good practice.'” Michael Caine saw the silver-lining in these geriatric deaths, saying “I look at all these parts and say to myself, ‘I get to go home early on that day.'”
Alan Arkin (Rightfully) Hates Ageism
This was the moment that Alan Arkin decided to showcase his philosophy regarding how the entertainment industry, and to a larger extent, American culture deals with older people. “I don’t know what it is–it’s a weird thing, you hit a certain age and all of a sudden you get talked about like you’re not a human being. To me, it’s like another version of prejudice.” The revered actor went on to say, “all of a sudden, you get talked about as if you’re another species. I don’t feel any different than I did when I was seventeen. I may be a little slower but I’m a person! You don’t ask a 36-year-old, ‘what does it feel like to be 36?’ All of a sudden, you hit 70 and people ask, ‘what does it feel like to be 70?’ That’s the strange part.”
Arkin went on to recall a moment when he realized how different cultures react and live with older people. “I remember being in Spain for the first time and I said to myself, ‘what’s weird about this restaurant?’ It was 8 PM and the weird thing about it was that I see families together, old people and young people. They were talking to each other. You just don’t see that in this culture anymore. Everyone gets put in their own little niche and it’s very strange.”
It’s too bad to hear that such an incredible actor–someone who has achieved more in his lifetime than most would dream for–has to suffer such incredulous age bias.
“Going in Style” is set to be released April 7.
