DANNY HUSTON
The actor-director gives us a snapshot of his wondrous career…
It feels natural – like getting back in the saddle,” says Danny Huston, who returns to directing with poignant drama The Last Photograph after a 20-year hiatus. Not that he’s been idle. The son of legendary filmmaker John – and brother to Anjelica – has spent the intervening years acting for icons like Scorsese (The Aviator) and Iñárritu (21 Grams). At least he’s not been saddle-sore…
How do you find directing yourself in
The Last Photograph?
I mean, one of the reasons I cast myself was because I knew I was available! I wanted to shoot the film in different periods, to get different seasons. And it would have been hard for me to get an actor to stick around. I started filming in London with the Christmas lights… [and] it was difficult at times, but from a directing standpoint, it was quite useful to know that the actor was on call!
Your directorial debut was 1988’s
Mr. North. How did you manage to assemble that cast?
I was able to get them because of my father: Robert Mitchum, Lauren Bacall, David Warner, Harry Dean Stanton, among others. I had a great cast. My
father was supposed to play Mitchum’s role. And he fell ill. He called Mitchum up, who came to visit my father in the hospital and said, “I’m here, John, sorry about the circumstances, but I’m here.” And when he left the room, my father lowered his oxygen mask and looked at me and said, “Biggest hoax I ever pulled!”
You got into acting late. How come?
It was my friend and collaborator, Bernard Rose, who really, in a way, launched my career with a film called Ivansxtc. And we keep working together.
And that’s a good relationship to have. We think out of the box. He’s quite a rebel. And we do stuff which is not – by any means – painting by numbers.
Since then, you’ve worked with Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott, Sofia Coppola and more. How does that make you feel?
Initially, it was my credo to work with people I respected and admired. And as a director, this was an opportunity for me to – however big or small the role was – observe them at work, and possibly steal something from them. And the roles got bigger, and suddenly, I had to consider myself an actor!
Recently, you starred in HBO’s
Succession. Was it special working with Brian Cox?
I have a massive crush on him! It’s just so wonderfully wicked, the material, and the writing is superb and it was great to have been part of it for that one season. I’m looking forward to what they do next. They’re a shrewd, cunning lot!
You and Cox both played General Stryker in two different X-Men films. Did you ever discuss that with him?
Absolutely! Yes! It was in Edinburgh… I was part of the [film festival] jury one year and Brian Cox was there talking to Sean Connery. He pointed at me and I walked over, and he said: “You played me!” I was slightly taken aback!
Your father directed Connery in The Man Who Would Be King. Was that a favourite of yours?
Yes, it was. I was a young boy visiting the film set Atlas Mountains, Morocco. And there was Connery, Michael Caine, Christopher Plummer. It was the best possible adventure that a young boy could have. And that really cemented my ambition to be in the film business and to become a director.
You’ve also crossed over from Marvel into DC, when you played the villain in
Wonder Woman…
Talking about every film being a different universe, these are definitely different universes! And a few people have been chuffed by that. Wonder Woman with Patty Jenkins at the helm was a lot of fun. She’s such an infectious and gung-ho director! And I think the timing of that movie was perfect. JM
ETA | OUT NOW / THE LAST PHOTOGRAPH IS AVAILABLE ON DEMAND.
‘ONE OF THE REASONS I CAST MYSELF WAS BECAUSE I KNEW I WAS AVAILABLE!’