Our mayor’s a fanboy — but for good reason
It was amusing, even a little endearing, to see Toronto Mayor John Tory acting like a star-struck fanboy at a Suicide Squad promo event this week in the Distillery District.
He was positively gushing over Hollywood celebs Will Smith and Margot Robbie, who respectively play Deadshot and Harley Quinn, members of the film’s crew of DC Comics villains, out to save the world from a menace badder than they are. (The movie opens Aug. 5.)
Tory led the red-carpet strut of Smith, Robbie and Suicide Squad writer/director David Ayer to the Fermenting Cellar venue — done up to look like a maximum-security prison (or madhouse) — for an arrival that rivalled the circus atmosphere of TIFF. The mayor seemed entirely at ease amongst the selfie-taking gawkers and professional media snappers.
And he was clearly delighted to participate in the official ribboncutting for the “Belle Reve Penitentiary Fan Experience,” emceed by CTV’s Ben Mulroney, which studio Warner Bros. had created within the room to mimic the Suicide Squad environment.
Tory bestowed official City of Toronto certificates of thanks to Smith, Robbie and Ayer, in recognition of the months they spent filming Suicide Squad in Toronto — and spending many millions of dollars locally — in the spring and summer of 2015.
Smith enthused, as did the others, about how good-natured Torontonians were about having major streets tied up during filming for action stunts that included explosions, fires and car and plane crashes.
He recalled how “everybody went crazy” in a good way when the Batmobile suddenly showed up for a key scene.
“We just want to say thank you to T.O. and thank you to you (the mayor),” said Smith, who also referred to the city as “The 6,” quoting homeboy Drake.
“Your hospitality was fantastic and I think you’ll enjoy pointing out your landmarks in this movie. The city’s a big part of it.”
Tory insisted that the pleasure was all ours.
“We want this to be a home for the filmmaking industry, but we also view it as an important part of making the city alive and vibrant . . . You are all welcome back anytime. This industry is hugely important to us.”
He seemed like a businessman who had accidentally wandered onto a film set. I tweeted a photo with the line, “One of these folks is not like the other.”
But then I remembered Tory actually is a businessman, not just a politician, and the making of entertainment is a huge business in this town. Selling Toronto is part of his job.
Film and TV companies spend more than $1 billion annually in Toronto, making the city North America’s third-largest screenbased production centre, a fact Tory proudly stated.
The Ontario Film Commission website shows dozen of productions currently underway and about to start here.
They include Guillermo del Toro’s Cold War fantasy drama The Shape of Water, starring Michael Shannon and Octavia Spencer, and the Sarah Polley-produced TV miniseries Alias Grace, adapted from the dystopian Margaret Atwood novel, directed by Mary Harron and starring Sarah Gadon.
So John Tory isn’t just a crazy fanboy, he’s crazy like a fox in applauding big movie and TV productions in Toronto. If General Motors were to announce a $1-billion investment here, there would be politicians of every stripe angling to be at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Still, such a fanboy he is! He announced that he was giving a special second present to Robbie, the Aussie actress who’s this year’s “It Girl” at the movies; she’s also co-stars in The Legend of Tarzan, currently in theatres.
“Yeah, of course!” Smith joked, chuckling at yet another male swooning for his blond co-star.
Tory declared, with theatrical flourish, that he’d done research on Robbie before the event.
He’s made the “horrifying discovery” that she’s a fan of the New York Rangers hockey team, not Toronto’s Maple Leafs.
He gave her a Maple Leafs cap to rectify the situation.
“I went to the Maple Leafs games. I love them!” Robbie insisted, laughing. “They’re my second-favourite team!”
Tory beamed and why not? He’s Toronto’s fanboy-in-chief. Peter Howell is the Star’s movie critic. His column runs Fridays.