Summary
Audiences have been watching the work ofWilliam Goldenbergfor decades.
He’s been nominated for three Oscars and took home Best Editing forBen Affleck’sArgo.
Steve also asks the group about fan favorites likeHeat,Marvel’sAvengers: Secret Wars, and theSpider-Versetrilogy.
Custom Image by Nimesh Niyomal
You were one of the editors on Michael Mann’sHeat, which is incredible.
GOLDENBERG: It sort of changed my life.
It was very early in your career.
Image via TIFF
GOLDENBERG: It felt like something special while we were making it.
This is your first time making a feature.
GOLDENBERG: What I learned more of whattodo.
Image via Amazon MGM
I worked with some of the best directors in the world.
I’ve been really lucky.
It was like going to the finest graduate school in the world.
Image via Prime Video
I had this incredible wealth of knowledge to draw from, so it was a big help.
Jumping into the cast.
It became a film about family, it became a film about struggle.
Image by Photagonist at TIFF
Anthony Robles wrote this really great book about his life.
By the time I had the book, of course, it was extraordinary.
It’s just a terrific book about perseverance and commitment and all those great things, and family.
Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
Then I thought the script was just really on point and really great.
I found out who was doing it, and it was an easy decision.
DON CHEADLE: I had a similar experience.
Image by Photagonist at TIFF
Ben [Affleck] and Matt [Damon] called and said, Hey, there’s this role.
I’m a fan of these guys.
Billy was an X-factor [laughs].
Image via Marvel Studios
It’s the truth.
I had some cursory knowledge about Anthony before this because I saw his ESPY speech, as well.
I had seen this match, this infamous, final match.
Image by Photagonist at TIFF
I was just really pleasantly fulfilled once we got to do it.
Bobby, you play someone that the audience might not like at certain points in the film.
Is it fun playing someone that the audience is gonna wanna possibly punch in the face?
Centers around the life of wrestler Anthony Robles, who was born with one leg and won a national championship in 2011 while competing at Arizona State University.
CANNAVALE: I’ve had some experience playing those kinds of characters before.
From the mouths of babes, but in a way, they’re right.
So, I think those characters tend to pop in a way that is interesting to me.
You’re like, Oh, okay.
Or you mentioned in the car, It’s more than I ever had.
It’s like, This is a broken human being.
CANNAVALE: You hope they keep that in.
That’s directorial, though.
That’s where Billy has done so many really great movies.
That gives the character some shades.
That kind of helps the audience be a little bit conflicted about how they feel about the guy.
And like Don said, he’s somebody who doesn’t have the tools, he’s not equipped.
That’s what Bobby and I talked about that at length before we started shooting.
William Goldenberg’s directorial debut is a riveting sports drama about fighting back.
You didn’t edit this, you hired an editor.
Did you ever think, Do I want to edit this myself?
I wanted somebody who I could trust and I wanted somebody who would be completely honest with me.
If something was horrible, they would say, It’s horrible.
You gotta do this again.
I knew he wouldn’t.
We have a relationship where we can be 100% honest without hurting each other’s feelings.
At the end of the day, every director is an editor.
Ultimately, it’s storytelling and how to portray that story in the best way possible.
Being in that other chair gives you an objectivity that was really valuable.
It may not be in great shape.
I watched it, and I was just in tears at the end, just because of the movie.
I was relieved and happy.
We wanted to capture all that.
It’s so seamless.
CHEADLE: I was excited about all of it, honestly.
I was just really concerned because I was a neophyte to wrestling, I never really did it.
So, it was very intimidating for me.
I gotta really be on my game because they’re so on point.
To see Anthony all the time was also really inspirational and amazing.
He’s just a great person to be around.
CANNAVALE: I was really lucky.
GOLDENBERG: It was an intense two weeks.
I mean, I’m with Don, and I couldn’t wait to work with Jharrel.
I was a huge fan of Jharrels.
The scenes are really dimensional.
It’s a family life.
It’s before cell phones and all that.
But I really had a good time with the family and creating that life.
JEROME: For me, itd probably be all the major wrestling moments the finals and the semifinals.
It’s everything I worked up to.
[Laughs]
CANNAVALE: They’re not gonna ask you to do it when youre our age.
They won’t even ask you to take your shirt off.
CHEADLE: Can you walk?
Can you get to the set on your own?
JEROME: This happens a lot.
They get real reminiscent over here.
But yeah, just the wrestling moments.
I knew that this was what it was all coming down to.
It’s also just a big kudos to the set designers and the production design.
They felt like they were actually in Philadelphia when we actually shot in a college in Cali somewhere.
And we were in there day after day after day.
I remember being excited for those, and then when it came, it completely exceeded all my expectations.
CANNAVALE: Interesting that none of his exciting moments at work had anything to do with you and me.
CHEADLE: He didn’t mention either one of us.
JEROME: But I appreciate you guys for wanting to work with me.
I got a list of actors I wanna work with.
GOLDENBERG: Also, we did all the wrestling during the Christmas holidays the way the schedule worked out.
Everybody gave up their holidays, gave up their vacations to finish the film.
It just felt like a family.
You know what I’m saying?
What is that like?
What does that actually mean to you because the films are so beloved and so successful?
For me to be a part of it is an honor.
The films are incredible.
JEROME: Yeah, they’re also just kickass films.
Also, some people are like, My son loves you, or, My daughter loves you.
Even though they lying because they didn’t see my face.
CHEADLE: Its all hype.
JEROME: It’s just word of mouth for these kids.
CHEADLE: They’re trying to take advantage, for sure.
JEROME: They want my money.
CANNAVALE: Yeah, I just wrapped that.
I am a huge fan of Richard Linklater.
What can you tease about the project, and what was it like working with him?
CANNAVALE: It was awesome.
It’s my second time working with him, and it’s a movie calledBlue Moon.
It’s about the late Broadway songwriter Lorenz Hart, who was Richard Rogers partner.
The rest is history.
Lorenz Hart died in the street in New York; he was an alcoholic and he died pretty young.
Andrew Scott plays Oscar Hammerstein, Ethan Hawke plays Lorenz Hart, and its myself and Margaret Qualley.
But then again, it is Richard Linklater.
It’s great performances and we shot it in Ireland and did that over the summer.
I’m looking forward to it because he’s a great director.
He is criminally underrated.
Hes a true American artist.
CANNAVALE: He totally is, and I don’t think you’ll ever have seen Ethan like this.
It’s an incredible performance.
I can’t wait for people to see it.
The second I can see that film.
I think that so many of his films are, as I said, just so underrated.
CHEADLE: I’m not sure what you’re talking about.
Are you familiar with the Russo Brothers?
CHEADLE: I’ve heard of one of them.
Ive heard of a Russo Brother.
CHEADLE: I always thought it was just one guy bouncing around changing costumes.
[Laughs] You know I can’t talk about that stuff.
CHEADLE: I was like, What the fuck?
I think that’s exactly what I said.
But everything is clay right now.
They’re rewriting, they’re reworking, and so I honestly can’t even tease anything.
Just for saying that.
CHEADLE: The red dot.
CHEADLE: You know more than I know.
Hes filmingCitadelSeason 2 right now through the end of the year.
CHEADLE: Congratulations, Joe.
Whichever one you are.
[Laughs] Individual question for you, [Billy].
You did a great job with this.
Are you already looking at other scripts?
Are you thinking about, Do I wanna continue editing?
What are you thinking about for the future?
GOLDENBERG: There is something.
The thought is equity for hopefully next spring or this coming spring.
My plan is to try and do both.
That’s my plan, and we’ll see how it works.
But yeah, I wanna continue to direct and continue to edit.
CHEADLE: Are there parts for us?
CHEADLE: I mean, you’re talking about this like we’re not sitting here.
It’s just weird.
GOLDENBERG: [Laughs] I cant say yet.
CHEADLE: Good dodge.
You’re picking up on how to do this.
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