IR Interview: Ruby Wolf & Keir Gilchrist For “The Featherweight” [MTuckman Media]

The Inside Reel

Actors Ruby Wolf & Keir Gilchrist talk to The Inside Reel about approach, environment and motivation in regards to their new period docu-drama “The Featherweight” from MTuckman Media.

Transcript

00:00I was ready to die in that ring, or kill, hear me out, I'd like a fight.

00:29You know, with a film like this, it's about putting yourself in the headspace, both with

00:34obviously Linda, but also with Billy, who are in two very different points in their

00:39life.

00:40Could you tell me, from each of your perspectives, what you did to sort of get yourself to that

00:46space?

00:47Obviously, Ruby first, with Linda, because it's a physical, it's an emotional, it's

00:52an intellectual exercise, but I would think it would be the same with you, Keir, with

00:57Billy.

00:58Yeah, I think Rob Cullodney really felt strongly in terms of casting the role of Linda, that

01:06it be an actor that could relate to the experience of wanting to break into the industry, and

01:13so therefore viewing the documentary crew that comes to film Lily as being that opportunity

01:19for her, and really being able to relate to that.

01:21So it's kind of a metacognitive thing, right, of me being I, as Ruby Wolf, and being given

01:26this incredible opportunity as an actor to sort of take the next step in my career.

01:31And Linda, as a character, in this moment, feels the exact same way, and is going through

01:35the exact same thing that I am going through.

01:38And so there was this gorgeous synergy that allowed me to really relate to her on a very

01:42deep level, just from my first cursory read of the script.

01:45And so that immediately, I was like, yes, this feels really, really correct.

01:51But then, you know, like also, I think...

01:53Because you're dealing with period, and you're dealing with all these things, you know, so...

01:59The dialect, the period, all of it.

02:02I'm a little bit nerdy in my approach.

02:04Like I think the things that I kind of looked into was like, I was like, you know, when

02:08we're doing a theme in a club in New York City, I was like, thinking about an improv

02:13that we were going to do.

02:14And so I looked up like, what are restaurants that Linda would have wanted to go to that

02:18were in the Times Square area in 1964?

02:20And where would Willie have wanted to go?

02:22And like, you know, things like that, very granular, very specific things, because they

02:25helped hook the interview into feeling really lived in and true.

02:30And that sort of thing was all bolstered by our incredible designers, you know, our amazing

02:34wardrobe department that had these gorgeous costumes on loan that were actually from the

02:3960s.

02:40We were on sets that were decorated in 360 degrees to allow the camera to really have

02:45that documentary feel and follow the actors.

02:49That meant that if I open the drawer in Linda's vanity, which never even appears on camera

02:53in the film, but if I open the drawer in Linda's vanity, there's Linda's hairbrush and her

02:56diary with handwritten diary entries and lipstick.

02:59So like it really had been built out to make us feel like we were living in that moment.

03:05And that's a credit to our incredible designers, especially Sonia Foltarch, our production

03:10designer, because I think they really like nailed that period.

03:14And that really helped us as actors be able to just drop in and go.

03:18That night against Salad, I was different.

03:22He took the one thing that no one could ever take from me.

03:26And my title.

03:28My title.

03:30Listen to me, you can't run.

03:32Give them everything you've got.

03:34You've got everything.

03:36You have no choice.

03:41The first time in my career, I'll tell you, I really wanted to hurt the other guy.

03:48With you, was it a different process?

03:50Was it organic?

03:52Because he has to feel like this is almost a mundane existence to him.

03:56And how he sees his dad.

03:58I mean, could you talk about sort of that back and forth or how you approached it from

04:02your perspective?

04:04Well, so yeah, I mean, I think there's a lot.

04:06There was a lot to take on with Billy.

04:10You know, the one, you know, and this is on paper, but it's like he shows up unannounced,

04:16unwanted.

04:18They essentially try to quietly walk him through the back door so that he doesn't ruin his

04:24father's image in this documentary.

04:26And he decides, you know, partially to get back at his father and partially, I think,

04:32to get his father's attention, which is complicated.

04:36He, you know, inserts himself into the documentary and basically refuses to leave.

04:43And so it was very interesting for me in this because I was, you know, presented with the

04:47offer to meet Billy.

04:49He still lives in Hartford.

04:51And they said, you know, we talk to him all the time.

04:53If you want to meet Billy, you can.

04:55Maybe you don't want to.

04:57I wasn't sure if I wanted to or not.

04:59I didn't want it to turn into an impersonation.

05:01And so I chose ultimately to meet up with him.

05:03And he was very open with me.

05:05And I just asked him a lot of questions about his dad and that time in his life and, you

05:12know, what his life looked like.

05:14I mean, he was at rock bottom at that point, pretty much rock bottom when we see him in

05:18the doc struggling with his heroin addiction.

05:20And, you know, I asked him what his life was like.

05:22And he was, you know, explaining to me, like, how he'd have to be stealing stuff to buy

05:28dope.

05:30And, you know, like, it was kind of this constant thing.

05:32And then I also, you know, so there's sort of, like, who he was.

05:34And then the addiction side itself, I really wanted to get as close to reality as possible.

05:40So I met up with a friend who's a recovered heroin addict and really just kind of picked

05:46his brain about, like, the day in, day out, like, the life of someone who is actively

05:50in addiction.

05:52And, you know, he's like, the thing is, it's this roller coaster, basically.

05:56It's like, one second you score drugs and you're high and you feel good and then you

06:00get sick.

06:02You know?

06:04So that was something I was always checking into with, like, Rob.

06:06And we were filming it.

06:09At this point, like, is Billy sick right now?

06:11Is he getting desperate?

06:13Like, is he...

06:15As a trigger for you to be able to play that, right?

06:17Yeah.

06:19And, like, where, you know, how is he in this scene?

06:21There are some scenes where Billy seems really out of it and is quite sick or quite on edge

06:23because he's going through withdrawals.

06:25And there's other times where he's high and feels great.

06:27You know?

06:29So there was a lot to constantly kind of check in with and make sure we were, like, at the

06:33right point.

06:39Right now, if there is...

06:41Get away from me, Billy!

06:43I quit.

06:45I think you're better than me.

06:47This is the best job I know.

06:49I'll apologize now.

06:53You cannot buy my forgiveness, will you?

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