{"id":71374,"date":"2015-03-11T11:43:25","date_gmt":"2015-03-11T11:43:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/0de2709a84.nxcli.net\/0-kjasnb\/2015\/03\/11\/the-cobbler-press-conference-interviews\/"},"modified":"2018-12-18T03:48:53","modified_gmt":"2018-12-18T03:48:53","slug":"the-cobbler-press-conference-interviews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.blackfilm.com\/read\/the-cobbler-press-conference-interviews\/","title":{"rendered":"The Cobbler Press Conference Interviews"},"content":{"rendered":"

Comic Adam Sandler Steps Into Other Shoes In The Cobbler<\/strong>Posted by Brad Balfour<\/p>\n

March 11, 2015<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Funnyman Adam Sandler<\/strong> doesn\u2019t usually find himself in front of a gaggle of journos. Yet his apparent enthusiasm for his character Max Simkin \u2014 his latest starring role \u2014 in The Cobbler brought him, co-writer\/director Tom McCarthy<\/strong> and several cast members, Steve Buscemi<\/strong> (Boardwalk Empire), Ellen Barkin<\/strong> (Sea of Love), and Method Man<\/strong> (Wu Tang Clan), before press people in the London Hotel. Or maybe he conveniently appeared because he was in town for the three-hour plus SNL40 anniversary broadcast.<\/p>\n

First spotlighted as a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler has starred in many Hollywood hits with a combined gross of over $2 billion. Never a Hollywood darling either for his comedies or political affiliation (he\u2019s registered Republican who performed at their 2004\u2019s national convention), Sandler has nonetheless, become one of the most successful comedians as well as screenwriter, actor, entrepreneur, producer and musician, in recent years.<\/p>\n

Besides 2014\u2019s South African-filmed rom-com Blended \u2014 in which he starred with Drew Barrymore \u2014 the 48 year-old Brooklyn native has most recently been a star in more indie fare such as Jason Reitman\u2019s Men, Women & Children, and the soon-to-be-released The Cobbler.<\/p>\n

\"Cube<\/a><\/p>\n

Also an actor, Oscar-nominated creator McCarthy has appeared in such movies as Meet the Parents and Flags of Our Fathers as well as TV series such as The Wire, Boston Public, and Law & Order. The New Jersey native received critical acclaim for his writing\/direction on such indies as The Station Agent, The Visitor and Win Win; he also got an Oscar nom for co-writing the animated mega-hit Up.<\/p>\n

The Cobbler\u2019s storyline follows shoe repairman Simkin who\u2019s labored in his family\u2019s New York shop\u00a0 for ages. Disenchanted with the daily grind, Max discovers a magical heirloom that allows him to literally step into others\u2019 lives, particularly his customersso he sees the world in a new way. For Max and the rest (Dascha Polonco, Dan Stevens, Melonie Diaz, and Dustin Hoffman are among the cast), walking in another person\u2019s shoes is the way one can discover who they really are.<\/p>\n

This Q&A is culled from that press conference before a set of journalist late this past February.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

In this movie, you become a lot of different people. In real life, if you could spend the day in someone else\u2019s shoes, look like them, get away with whatever, who would it be and why?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Adam Sandler:<\/strong> It would be my grandma. Just the pleasure she has in making me soup. Just to see it from that side \u2014 turning on the vaporizer when I\u2019m sick. To see what that must be like for her.<\/p>\n

All of you are used to trying out other peoples\u2019 lives for a living as an actor but what was it like exploring the idea of really assuming another person\u2019s body?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

AS:<\/strong> It was very easy because once I put on the shoes another actor came in.<\/p>\n

Method Man:<\/strong> I haven\u2019t thought about it; but I\u2019ve wanted to put on other people\u2019s shoes before, for sure, especially Adam\u2019s [laughs]. Basically, Tom walked me through it; I came to the assessment that I wasn\u2019t trying to be Adam\u2019s character, I was trying to be Adam in that character\u2019s body.<\/p>\n

SB:<\/strong> One of the first things I asked Tom [was], \u201cHow is this going to work? Like do I \u2018do\u2019 Dustin [Hoffman]?\u201d And he said, \u201cNo, because it\u2019s your voice, and it\u2019s the person who steps into those shoes who, sort of, inhabits that person.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

So I was very nervous thinking about it, and I just had to stop thinking about it. I can\u2019t be Dustin \u2014 I\u2019m\u00a0walking here! It was pretty [much] fun watching these guys play around with that, though in their own different ways, [we all] had to deal with it or think about it. I think there was one moment, where we all got confused a bit, especially Dustin. I remember at one moment he said, \u201cAm I me, or am I Adam? I don\u2019t know!\u201d<\/p>\n

AS:<\/strong> Ellen never knew! [All laughs.]\n

One great thing about the film being shot in New York is seeing its locations. Were there any places and of you wanted to visit, or places you recognized?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AS:<\/strong> The Lower East Side was great to be shooting in. A lot of my family is from the LES. There\u2019s good food there, nice people\u2026 It just brought back all those memories for me \u2014 just driving around New York and hanging out with my parents and always talking about, \u201cGrandma lived there, and that happened here\u201d and that kind of thing.<\/p>\n

\"TC_122013_MP-3754.nef\"<\/a><\/p>\n

EB:<\/strong> It was nice to shoot downtown, on the LES because in some way it is the last place in the city that to me still looks like the New York I grew up in, and I think it\u2019s just that little pocket. Just getting to the East Village, you are getting into a very different part of New York, so it was nostalgic in a lovely way and it also sort of angered me, as I walked around and thought, \u201cWhy don\u2019t I live here anymore?\u201d<\/p>\n

Tom, you co-wrote the Oscar-winning animated feature Up \u2014 which is about a helpless person who has his house taken over by big corporations. This film touches onto that as well. Is this something you are concerned with; is this something you feel compelled to write about?<\/strong><\/p>\n

TM:<\/strong> I guess so\u2026 Though I haven\u2019t thought about that connection too much. But I do appreciate [the] character of [classic NYC]. I live in TriBeCa right now, and they\u2019re ripping down these little buildings and building glass towers now.<\/p>\n

Ellen\u2019s right: if you walk around the pockets in the LES where we shot, there are still vestiges of it, but it\u2019s sad to see the city lose all that. I understand development is inevitable, but it is sad when you think that we are losing all of this charm and texture that is the very reason we chose to live here I the first place.<\/p>\n

\"TC_121213_MP-2699.nef\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It was fun working it into the story, have a context for it, so we could be lighthearted with it. Like all these shopkeepers and stuff, there something in geek side of me that really appreciates it and exploring that with these wonderful actors.<\/p>\n

How have your views on filmmaking changed since people now see things on smaller screens? A lot of physical comedy works best in terms of film; how do you think we will know you suffered for your art?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AS:<\/strong> I\u2019m just excited for people to see this movie, and I did see this movie in Toronto at a film festival on the big screen. There were a lot of people in the room and it was neat because it played like a comedy there were a lot of laughs and it is always fun in the theater, hearing group laughs, being on the same wave length and having a great time.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

And this movie is coming out in some theaters, right? Which will be cool to see. But the fact that you can see it at home, it\u2019s great. You work hard, and you make the best movie you can, and you just want as many people to watch it as possible. And that\u2019s nice.<\/p>\n

I never want the theater go away \u2014 it is the greatest [for audiences] to go, it\u2019s the greatest time out on the town, it\u2019s a great place, great hand, date, a great place to hand with friends. But as an actor who works hard at making movies, I think that no matter what people can see movie on; it\u2019s hard to keep a theater for long, there are so many movies, so, when you leave a theater\u2014you\u2019re just glad there\u2019s a light fare for a movie.<\/p>\n

\"TC_112113_MP-1261.nef\"<\/a><\/p>\n

How was the physical comedy for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

MM:<\/strong> I dislocated both my thumbs trying to grab Adam\u2019s foot. Both of them. Luckily I had three days off, so I could rest.<\/p>\n

AS:<\/strong> That was a good fight we had [deadpans].<\/p>\n

Did you want to be this movie because you have bad landlord stories?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AS:<\/strong> My landlord now is always yelling at me. \u201cPay up. Where is your 250 bucks?\u201d And I\u2019m like, \u201cTalk to my wife. She\u2019s got it.\u201d<\/p>\n

SB:<\/strong> I actually once talked my landlord down from rent, because I knew that he was overcharging me, because I got in the mail the previous tenant\u2019s rent, and it was still a hundred bucks less than what I was paying.<\/p>\n

\"TC_122113_-3858.cr2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

So I made a deal with him because I had two roommates, and he said I wasn\u2019t supposed to have two roommates, so he let me have the two roommates and I also got the markdown, the hundred bucks.<\/p>\n

EB:<\/strong> You know, I live on 12th Street, right across from where the old St. Vincent\u2019s [Hospital] was, so when I read the script, I had a very personal connection [with it] because of where I live. I am watching the entire nature of my neighborhood change with the taking down of one building. It\u2019s a big fucking building and it will change the entire neighborhood. Is it going to happen? Yeah. Can you stop it? I don\u2019t know. But does it feel terrible? Yeah, it does. And most of the people on the block, who\u2019ve been there for a while are all trying to get out as soon as they get in.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s just an interesting thing to think about. It\u2019s like what Adam was saying about the VOD. Yes, going to the movies is a great experience, but you\u2019re not going to stop now that there are new ways to watch movies, and more people get to watch it.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

I saw the movie both ways. I saw it in Toronto, and I saw it in my living room last night, and I have to say, it felt the same way. If it\u2019s some IMAX movie then you want them to go to the theater, but this movie held up beautifully.<\/p>\n

Adam, if your character were to ask you for advice on how to be happier with your life, what advice would you give someone?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AS:<\/strong> How would I try, as Adam, to cheer up my character? I don\u2019t know. I like to think that he is good at what he does \u2014 but I can\u2019t cobble as well as that guy. You know, he\u2019s got a loving mom. He\u2019s got the house, [but there\u2019s] the bills that mom didn\u2019t pay.<\/p>\n

I think the best thing he\u2019s got going for him is the plastic on the couch. He doesn\u2019t have to clean up if he spills. I\u2019d just tell him, \u201cEverything is going to be alright, Max. Believe me. You\u2019re a handsome man in a beard. Enjoy it.<\/p>\n

\"TC_112113_MP-1192.nef\"<\/a><\/p>\n

What do you think would make a great double-feature with this film?<\/strong><\/p>\n

EB:<\/strong> I\u2019m going to double-feature it with It\u2019s a Wonderful Life. I think it\u2019s a same feel.<\/p>\n

MM:<\/strong> Freaky Friday.<\/p>\n

SB:<\/strong> Did you ever see the movie the Landlord? It\u2019s a different kind of feel.<\/p>\n

TM:<\/strong> One inspiration for Paul [Sado, co writer] and I in writing this film was Marty. We felt that Max had a bit of Marty in him, especially with his mom.<\/p>\n

AS:<\/strong> And I think one movie we\u2019re all forgetting is Caligula [[which is very x-rated]]. Let Caligula go last though. [Everyone laughs]\n

\"TC_120613_MP-2146.nef\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Do you feel that shoes say something about a person; are shoes important?<\/strong><\/p>\n

SB:<\/strong> There was a big controversy about those shoes [I wore on Boardwalk Empire], because they weren\u2019t the right time period. When we shot the opening credits\u2026 But I still have people come up to me and say, \u201cHow could you walk in those shoes?\u201d<\/p>\n

MM:<\/strong> In my culture, it\u2019s more or less like, that\u2019s the first thing women look at. Women look at the build, and then they look at the shoes. If you don\u2019t have nice shoes, you don\u2019t have money. For me? It\u2019s lawyers. First thing I\u2019m looking at is his shoes. If he has good shoes, this dude\u2019s getting money. We\u2019re going to do this thing. If he has terrible shoes? [He\u2019s a] Public Defender. [Laughs.]\n

\""The<\/a><\/p>\n

EB:<\/strong> As an actor, I think the first thing I ask for is my character\u2019s shoes. It\u2019s the first thing I think on about myself, and it\u2019s the first thing I work on with the costume designer, because I think it\u2019s how you are grounded. I think it\u2019s different if you\u2019re wearing Aldo\u2019s or a six-inch heel.<\/p>\n

Does it matter what type of shoes you wear?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AS:<\/strong> I don\u2019t wear shoes a lot. When that happens, my vocabulary goes up. I feel like my father, like I\u2019m worthy of having children. When I\u2019m in my sneakers and my kids ask me a question, I say \u201cAsk your mother.\u201d<\/p>\n

When was the last time you wore shoes \u2014 not sneakers?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AS:<\/strong> I\u2019m wearing shoes to the Saturday Night Live thing. I rented a tux \u2014 no, I bought a tux! They gave me shoes. That was the first thing I asked for.<\/p>\n

MM:<\/strong> I\u2019ve got only one pair of shoes.<\/p>\n

AS:<\/strong> One pair?<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>MM:<\/strong> One pair, I wear them everywhere.<\/p>\n

AS:<\/strong> And the rest are sneakers?<\/p>\n

EB:<\/strong> And how many pairs of sneakers do you have?<\/p>\n

MM:<\/strong> Maybe about 50 pairs.<\/p>\n

SB:<\/strong> You could sell them on eBay.<\/p>\n

MM:<\/strong> Nah.<\/p>\n

Have any of you ever had custom-made shoes made for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

EB:<\/strong> It feels like the most indulgent thing you could ever do. But when you do it, I thought I could give up five winter coats to do this again. My grandfather I remember had a pair of custom shoes, and I was thinking about it, and it\u2019s because he had a cobbler. But it feels good, like they trace your foot on a piece of paper\u2014it\u2019s made for you.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

SB:<\/strong> I did have a pair of boots made for when I did Boardwalk, and same thing, they trace your foot on a piece of paper. These things hurt more than anything else. I could only wear them for one season, and then I said, \u201cPlease, I\u2019m tired.\u201d I don\u2019t know what happened, it just didn\u2019t work for me.<\/p>\n

AS:<\/strong> I have custom orthodics. They work well. I\u2019m wearing them right now. I\u2019ve got a question for you guys: when I was growing up, you just wore one pair of sneakers to shreds. When were you allowed to get the next pair? My parents were just like, once a year!<\/p>\n

EB:<\/strong> Once a year.<\/p>\n

SB:<\/strong> I remember my first pair of sneakers. [They were] Flyers. The commercials for them were great: you felt you could jump higher.<\/p>\n

MM:<\/strong> My first pair of sneakers was a pair of Paul McClydes.<\/p>\n

\"Steve<\/a><\/p>\n

SB:<\/strong> Come on! They were your first?<\/p>\n

MM:<\/strong> They were my first.<\/p>\n

SB:<\/strong> You were cool at that age.<\/p>\n

MM:<\/strong> Before that, it was Buster Brown.<\/p>\n

Following up on your comment about SNL\u2026 What has SNL meant to you as a fan and as an actor?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AS:<\/strong> [Turning to Ellen] Did you use to go to [those parties]?<\/p>\n

EB:<\/strong> I was a waitress, when they were rehearsing. It was called the Locale. We all hung out. I have the first-year shirt in my house.<\/p>\n

AS:<\/strong> That\u2019s amazing. You know, as kids, it was what we talked about. What was funny, like Mr. Bill\u2026 Everything about it rocked. It was cool. It was cool enough that your parents weren\u2019t sure if you should be watching it, and then they were excited to get in there and you had to stay up late for it, so that was a big deal.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Over the years, it\u2019s there. It\u2019s there for you, for me. It\u2019s comforting, it\u2019s exciting, you know it\u2019s happening live. It\u2019s an amazing thing. Forty years\u2019 worth of meaning something. Everyone talks about it \u2014 if the show was good or bad.<\/p>\n

Even if a show falls flat, it\u2019s still exciting to see you know that something\u2019s happen. Pretty awesome. And the best thing will be that Ellen will be bringing us all a drink.<\/p>\n

Even with so many diverse and wacky characters in this film, Dustin Hoffman has a reputation of being an eccentric \u2014 but who in the cast really made people laugh the most or goofed off the most?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

AS:<\/strong> Cliff [Samsara who played Max] brought a great energy. Ellen made me laugh all day \u2014 every other word was \u201cf\u2014k this\u201d and \u201cf that!\u201d I loved it. Bruce Chandling? He was surprisingly not funny.<\/p>\n

TM:<\/strong> He was like the black hole. Certainly no one up here liked Dan Stevens. [Actually he\u2019s a] terrifically likable guy. When you get to write a really wacky story like this and get to call [in] all these great actors, sit down with them and settle a script and say, \u201cHey, let\u2019s go try and do this,\u201d it\u2019s a great privilege. You really get to have a lot of fun. We all worked really hard on it and no matter the story, we cared a lot and I think we all feel lucky.<\/p>\n

\"Adam<\/a><\/p>\n

Adam has a way of quietly leading in that way. He\u2019s been doing that for a while because he\u2019s good at it and he enjoys doing the hell out of it and he works very hard, so you know he sort of sets the bar and we all have fun under that.<\/p>\n

And you have Dustin walking in, and he\u2019s eccentric, but only because he cares so much about everything. We had a day of rehearsal, and he just cared about everything, every beat, every moment \u2014 he digs into everything \u2014 like Caligula. It\u2019s really, really, inspiring to watch a guy who\u2019s been working that hard for so long at that level and brings it, still. It\u2019s cool.<\/p>\n

Adam, was there a list of who you had to have in this film. Was it like you\u2019re saying, \u201cMethod Man, I want Method Man\u201d Or something like that?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AS:<\/strong> [The casting?] That was all Tommy.<\/p>\n

What are the basic elements that turns a comedy into a classic?<\/strong><\/p>\n

TM:<\/strong> I don\u2019t know. If there was an equation for that, there would be a lot of classics right now. I think it has something to do with being original and how it connects with the audience. Adam spends a lot more time in the comedy world than I do, and I think he might have more answers on that.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s comedy or drama, or in this case a combo of both, our job is to keep telling stories and see where they land with audiences. See what how they continue on\u2014movies and shows have long lives now. It stops there for me. Like I love making, I like collaborating with people and I love sharing with audiences, but then I sort of let go of it, and what happens, happens.<\/p>\n

AS:<\/strong> For me, it helps to have Steve Buscemi here. My mother says to me, I swear to god, when I\u2019m making a new movie, she says, \u201cOh, is Steve Buscemi in it?\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019d say, \u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

And she, \u201cOh, then it\u2019s going to be a good one.\u201d<\/p>\n

I swear, every time. And when I say Steve\u2019s not in it, she says, \u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n

So Steve, how was it leaving Nucky behind \u2014 are you seeking roles that serve as a break in from him?<\/strong><\/p>\n

SB:<\/strong> It was hard to say goodbye to that character, but I also feel like I don\u2019t know where we could\u2019ve gone. I felt that five seasons were just the perfect amount of time to do for the show; I loved playing the character and I certainly miss it, but it was time to move on.<\/p>\n

Were you deliberating looking for something not like that character?<\/strong><\/p>\n

SB:<\/strong> Well, I don\u2019t usually get offered that stuff [in the first place] so it wasn\u2019t like, \u201cNo, I don\u2019t do that anymore.\u201d It was a real privilege to play him, but I like playing all kinds of characters. I was thrilled when I got the call from Adam and Tom do this, and I guess I don\u2019t really think about it. I just see where this life leads the work and have fun.<\/p>\n

TM:<\/strong> When I was casting, first Adam\u2026 Paul and I were talking about who we would pick for this role. Adam asked us who were thinking about and I said that I was really thinking about Buscemi, not realizing that these guys had known each other forever.<\/p>\n

It really paid off because these guys had a history together and sometimes you forget that these guys are used to working at such a high level. And it\u2019s cool to see where their careers intersect like that. It was fun to watch.<\/p>\n

SB:<\/strong> Before, we weren\u2019t playing anything for laughs, it was really just so cool.<\/p>\n

Since there\u2019s a transvestite in the film, were there any good drag stories?<\/strong><\/p>\n

MM: He was a cool guy. I didn\u2019t know he was trying to rattle me one day when we were in rehearsal and he kept grabbing my private area, so I told Tom, \u201cDude, we\u2019re at rehearsal, could you tell him to tone it down a little bit?\u201d<\/p>\n

By the time we got on set, Tom had already given him the one-two\/one-two and he knew not to grab my genitalia. But he was getting into it. Method, I guess. Dustin tied my shoe for me, because it was untied. He cares a lot, that guy. He cares a lot.<\/p>\n

Tom, what about your wonderful cast members who aren\u2019t here, like could you talk more about the women?<\/strong><\/p>\n

TM:<\/strong> We were a little restricted by the shoes, size 10 1\/2 \u2014 and men\u2019s shoes. But yeah, they\u2019re two terrific actresses. Melonie Diaz\u2019s from the neighborhood, from the LES, grew up there, started acting there, but she\u2019s working in Boston so she couldn\u2019t be here.<\/p>\n[Melonie and Dascha] are both working actresses who we loved to have and were a lot of fun. Especially with Melonie\u2019s character, that sort of straightforward eagerness of really trying to fight the system and that sort of relentless positive energy, I just found very appealing. She certainly connected with that character being from that neighborhood. All good things. A lot of wonderful actors. We were lucky in that regard.<\/p>\n

And Tom, was there a message you wanted to convey in terms of race?<\/strong><\/p>\n

TM:<\/strong> Ultimately, I don\u2019t know if I had a message to convey. I was just trying to reflect the New York around me. You know, we had a light-hearted approach to a lot of the themes in the movie, in terms of development and race and heritage and all that. So, I can\u2019t say that I had a specific message, other than trying to represent a little bit. We all talked about that, like who was playing what. It was really more about character than anything else \u2014 and storyline.<\/p>\n

I wish I had a deeper answer to that, but I was really trying to be true to the characters as much as possible. So, when you live in New York that comes out \u2014 which is one of the great things about living in New York City. When you go to the LES, it\u2019s just\u2026 Everyone\u2019s there. We have every race, sex, heritage, country represented, it\u2019s just what\u2019s so great about the city.<\/p>\n