“My dad had the biggest inf luence on me. He always approached his life and work from a very real place.”
Congrats on directing your 20th feature! What inspired you to tackle the Iraq War?
I was of draft age during the Vietnam War, and it was astonishing to me that twice in my lifetime we’d be going to war based on a lie. They lied to us about weapons [in Iraq] and the connection to al-Qaida. I saw this documentary in which they interviewed four journalists who couldn’t break through with the truth they uncovered, and I thought it was an amazing story.
Why take on a lead role again?
That was an accident. We’d been shooting for two weeks, and two days before [he was set to start], Alec Baldwin said he was dropping out. I was panicked, and my wife said, “Why don’t you play the part?” I don’t like acting when I’m directing because it splits my focus — but I was available!
I know she’s producing it with you, but did she give you any direction on how to play news editor John Walcott?
She said, “Just try to be less Jewish.” I don’t know if I pulled it off, but I tried.
Do you still enjoy acting once in a while?
Yes! It’s fun, there’s no pressure and I don’t have responsibility.
When did you first want to direct?
When I was 19 at UCLA, I started an improv group with Richard Dreyfuss where I was directing, and I directed a play with him. All in the Family was like a master’s in moviemaking. I learned how to structure a story and what audiences respond to.
Did you feel any pressure acting on All in the Family from 1971 to 1978?
Every week we had around 40 million people having a shared experience, so it had a tremendous impact. We were dealing with race relations, sexuality, Vietnam and talking about them in the most raw terms. It couldn’t have been more un-P.C. There was nothing like that ever before.
What was your relationship with Carroll O’Connor like offscreen?
Oddly enough, people don’t know, but he was way more liberal than I was! I learned a lot from working with him.
How about the rest of the cast?
You’re with them 12 hours a day, and you wind up spending more time with your TV family than your real one. It does become like a family. We loved each other and we were close.
You and Michele co-founded the I Am Your Child Foundation to support early childhood education. What’s it like being a dad to Jake, 27, Nick, 24, and Romy, 20?
That’s the most important role you have, and also the hardest. Any pain or struggle they go through, you feel. My biggest fault is that I want to make it not bad for them. That does them a disservice, because you need to struggle a bit in life, and you’ve got to let your kids fall down once in a while. I’m not good at that, maybe
because I had them late. I’m like a grandfather — they can do no wrong!
Are you looking forward to being a real grandfather?
My oldest has a girlfriend, but I don’t know if he’s going to get married. I’ll let you know!
You once shared that love can lead to self-discovery. Could you elaborate?
You have to learn to love yourself and not beat yourself up. Accepting your flaws allows you to enjoy life, and the more you can discover about yourself, the easier it is to love other people.
How’s fame been for you?
The pro is: you can get a good table. I’m not so famous anymore. People intrude, but that’s OK — it’s part of the game. I took my lead from watching Jack Nicholson. He always stops and lets people take the pictures. What’s the big deal? Be nice to someone for a minute. I was lucky, because I got to see how my dad handled fame, and you just take it in stride.
What else have you discovered at 71?
I can’t eliminate my flaws altogether, but I can blunt them by being aware of them and make it easier for people to relate to me. There’s a great line Mel Brooks has in [my father Carl’s act with him] The 2,000 Year Old Man: “Never run for a bus. There will always be another.” It’s that thing of: Don’t rush. Just try to live in the moment you have.