USA/FILE: Veteran actor Frank Langella tells Reuters how playing former US president Richard Nixon has affected him

Record ID: 393406

  • Title: USA/FILE: Veteran actor Frank Langella tells Reuters how playing former US president Richard Nixon has affected him
  • Date: 14th January 2009
  • Summary: LONDON, UK (RECENT) REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) FRANK LANGELLA, SAYING: "Nixon awoke a lot of my own worst fears, things I needed to overcome in my life to succeed. I think he's sort of the poster boy for that you know, you look at him and think, my God this man is so obviously tormented. I can't think of another politician in my lifetime that you could watch stand in f
  • Embargoed: 29th January 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Reuters ID: LVACHTD39QW80LT8NGN48QL76XJP
  • Story Text: 'Frost/Nixon' shows the interview between British journalist Sir David Frost and disgraced US president Richard Nixon in 1977.
    It follows the two men as they meet during a course of a series of interviews culminating in Nixon's seeming admission of guilt over the Watergate scandal.
    Taken from the play by British writer Peter Morgan in 2006, the big-screen adaptation sees Sheen and Frank Langella take on their West End roles.
    Langella told Reuters how much playing Nixon -the man- has affected him: "Nixon awoke a lot of my own worst fears, things I needed to overcome in my life to succeed. I think he's sort of the poster boy for that you know, you look at him and think, my God this man is so obviously tormented. I can't think of another politician in my lifetime that you could watch stand in front of a camera and you know he was making an effort to be presidential, he was using his fists to look strong and he was using his wrist to cover ..the inner turmoil was so clear and even the politicians today when you watch them they are so much more guarded and you don't get as many extraordinarily human moments out of them as you got out of Nixon which is why he was such an object of derision."
    He added: "I've done several parts for that long period of time but no part have affected me as long as Nixon has. He stayed with me longer than anybody. Most roles by the time I get out of the costume out of the theatre they're out of my head but he stayed with me because the depth of his pain was so enormous."
    Michael Sheen, know for his excellent portrayal of former british prime minister Tony Blair in 'The Queen', portrays Frost and said meeting the man, was a joy: "I just saw him (Frost) yesterday and I said look you have to tell me what you thought of the film because everybody is asking me what you think and I have to have some kind of a response and he is so positive about the thing and always so optimistic and generous so he is a big fan of the film and he said to me 'how long are you in Britain Michael?' and I said 'I'll be here for 2 weeks' and he said' how wonderful for the people of Britain.' And that's sort of typical for him, no cynicism, no irony, no sarcasm just straight."
    The Frost/Nixon interview is said to have attracted the largest audience for the a news program in the history of American TV. More than 45 million viewers tuned in to watch the confrontation of the two men. The film already world premiered at the London Film Festival last year.
    One last thing, that Michael Sheen will take away from it, he said jokingly, is an increased sympathy for journalists who go through the process of interviewing politicians trying to get answers.
    Frost/Nixon is released in the UK on January 23.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register