Bill Gerber


Q & A with Bill Gerber

Q: What is the story that this movie tells?
A: The story that we are telling is multi-faceted. It is not just a life story, which I do think is well-depicted in this movie. It is also a behind-the-scenes look at the craft of acting and the craft of filmmaking. I think people will get a real sense of what filmmaking consists of and the work the actors must do in order to be successful.

Q: To get back to the story line, is there anything new to reveal that people don't already know about James Dean?
A: We certainly aren't trying to shy away from any of the controversial aspects of his life. However, there are many things that people don't know about James Dean. I don't think it is common knowledge that he brought so much of his personal life to his work, and this movie makes a very strong connection between his private and film lives.

Q: Was Mark Rydell your first choice to direct because of his personal friendship with James Dean?
A: I didn't know that Mark knew James Dean. Mark was our first choice as a director based on his previous work. It just turned out to be an added bonus that he knew James. But the best part was having someone who felt an obligation to make a great movie because it was about a friend of his.

Q: How did you pull James Franco in to the project?
A: Mark Rydell saw a tape of James Franco. We had seen more than 500 tapes of actors, and he was the clear choice. He became James Dean. He bears a striking resemblance to him physically. But even more so, he is an incredible actor who is very impassioned about James Dean and that clearly came across in the audition.

Q: Was it also an opportunity for Mark to take an actor that isn't quite as well known and shape him so he isn't compared so roughly to James Dean?
A: I think that's a real aspect of it. I think Mark wanted a little bit of clay to work with, which he got with James Franco. I also think people will come to see the movie without any preconceived notions and they'll start with a clean slate watching a guy become James Dean.

Q: I understand that it has been a few years getting the movie to this stage. How were you involved in this process? A: It was a very long road to finally getting this movie made. It was in development for a long time at Warner Bros. studios where James Dean made his three films. I actually used to be at the studio as an executive and I was involved with this project when on several occasions it was about to be made. The other actors that considered the role were Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Steven Dorff. Everyone agreed the script was wonderful. But the project really got off the ground when Mark Rydell got involved with Israel (Horovitz).

Q: Why is it that so many years after his death, a man who only made three films is still a legend?
A: James Dean is such an everlasting icon and significant to every new generation simply because he represents a timeless cool aura. He typifies the pain of adolescence, the uncertainty of gigantic change that everybody experiences in those coming-of-age years. He was the first person to really personify that angst in films.