WSRS 96-1’s Tony Bristol interviewed Cary Elwes, who comes to The Hanover Theatre October 14 for “An Inconceivable Evening” of questions and answers following a showing of the film, “The Princess Bride.” Listen to the entire interview below or scroll down to read highlights.
Cary: I love interacting with the fans of the film. Whole families show up to these events. Mostly I get asked about working with Andre, was it as much fun working on the film as it looks, about a possible sequel, what’s the strangest fan interaction I’ve ever had, why wasn’t the film a success when it came out, and sometimes, “Would you sign a body part?”
If I had a nickel for every time somebody asked me, “Did you think your movie was going to be massive?” I could retire. If I knew what made a successful movie, I would retire and become a producer.
Tony: You’ve been in maybe 70 movies. When you read the script for “The Princess Bride,” what was your initial reaction?
Cary: I’d read the book when I was 13, so I knew the material. And I was a huge fan of Bill Goldman and Rob Reiner. I really wanted the part. And here we are 30 years later, still talking about it.
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Tony: Is there anything that you learned from working with Rob that you still apply to your craft today?
Cary: Rob likes to create an atmosphere of fun, and making the actors feel comfortable, like they can try anything. That’s a great atmosphere for an actor to work in. Being an actor, he understood that. I think creativity comes from people being completely relaxed. And he has a very disarming, wonderful sense of humor, and he’s extremely smart.
Tony: How do you keep a straight face with people like Billy Crystal?
Cary: Being such a close friend of Rob, with Billy he basically told him he could throw away the script. So Billy just launched into medieval standup in character as Miracle Max. I can’t remember a single day without laughter on the film.
Tony: You even wrote a book called “As You Wish.” What’s next?
Cary: I’m looking to see if there’s another book I can write now. I have a movie out right now called “The Queen of Spain.” It’s actually with Mandy Patinkin – first time we’ve worked together in 27 or 28 years. I am looking to direct a feature film very shortly. I love working. I love the profession I’m in.
What is your favorite Cary Elwes film?