Bradshaw returns to the big screen
Thursday, March 9, 2006
By Teresa Varley
Steelers.com
http://media3.steelers.com/article/63178/
Former (4 time Superbowl champion) Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw will return to the big screen this weekend with the release of "Failure to Launch," a comedy from Paramount Pictures.
Bradshaw, who co-starred opposite Burt Reynolds in "Hooper" and "Cannonball Run" in the 70s, is part of an all-star cast in the movie that includes Matthew McConaughey, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Bates. Bradshaw and Bates play the role of McConaughey's parents and are on a mission to have their 35-year old son move out of their house.
"Our son lost his fiancé when she died," said Bradshaw, explaining the plot of the movie. "He is our only son. He moves back in with us, we bring him back into the fold to help him get over the tragedy he has experienced. He gets over that and in the process of dating and so forth he found out he couldn't hurt people, he couldn't break up with anyone. But if he told them he was bringing them to his house, they thought he was coming to his house, but it wasn't, it was our house. The girls then realize he is living at home and they wonder what is wrong with him and they would leave.
"Finally we decided we have to get him out of the house. We don't have the heart to tell him that. We brought in Sarah Jessica Parker to help give him the self esteem and courage to move past his pain and get on in his life. There is a romantic thing that goes on with them. We paid her to come in. The whole thing backfires."
Bradshaw tried to keep his movie career going after his roles in "Hooper" and "Cannonball Run," but he didn't have the success he hoped for. He read for some roles, but nothing materialized.
"The role I did in this movie is the kind of role I wanted years ago," said Bradshaw. "It's a small role and I would have liked to have done more of them then. I had closed the book on ever acting many years ago. It's not something I am sitting here waiting for my phone to ring. I have a good job, I ranch and that's plenty."
When his phone did ring, again and again, about the role in "Failure to Launch," he turned down the chance to audition in Los Angeles and then again in New Orleans. He just wasn't interested. But when the director kept pursing him, he finally agreed to give it a shot.
"They called again and said if the director flew to your ranch and brought a film crew and an actress would you then let them let you read for it," said Bradshaw. "I thought, well, if they are going to come here and do it I don't have a problem with that. I still wasn't interested. I had read for other roles and never gotten anything so you get to the point where you realize this isn't going to happen and you move on. I had done that many years ago. You go through the process of elimination and I got a call from my agent and they said they picked you."
It was full speed ahead from there. Bradshaw spent five weeks working on the movie, finishing before football season started and he had to return to his spot as a co-host on NFL on Fox.
And while he was hesitant about the role at first, he took on the role with the same enthusiasm and sense of humor that is visible on Sunday's on the NFL on Fox.
"Kathy and Terry are a dynamic pair," said McConaughey. "They got along so famously that you couldn't help but get caught up watching them interact onscreen and off."
Bradshaw felt comfortable working with the cast, especially McConaughey who he knew going into it, but it was Bates that intimidated him.
"She was extremely intimidating because she is an Oscar winner," said Bradshaw. "I know every scene I did with her she had to be shaking her head saying you've got to be kidding me. It was scary. But she was a sweetheart."
Bradshaw is ready to get out of the movie business just as quickly as he got back into it, but did say he learned a lot about it this time around.
"I found out it is hard. It's really hard," he said. "If I could do this movie again with the same people I would be better. It's like being a rookie in the NFL. You don't know what you are doing and you make lot of mistakes, but as you get comfortable and start understanding things your talents take over. Do I have the talent to be a really good actor, I probably thought so many years ago but at this stage of my life it doesn't matter."
There are many directions, after footy, that some of our x-AFL stars can look to.
Thursday, March 9, 2006
By Teresa Varley
Steelers.com
http://media3.steelers.com/article/63178/
Former (4 time Superbowl champion) Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw will return to the big screen this weekend with the release of "Failure to Launch," a comedy from Paramount Pictures.
Bradshaw, who co-starred opposite Burt Reynolds in "Hooper" and "Cannonball Run" in the 70s, is part of an all-star cast in the movie that includes Matthew McConaughey, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Bates. Bradshaw and Bates play the role of McConaughey's parents and are on a mission to have their 35-year old son move out of their house.
"Our son lost his fiancé when she died," said Bradshaw, explaining the plot of the movie. "He is our only son. He moves back in with us, we bring him back into the fold to help him get over the tragedy he has experienced. He gets over that and in the process of dating and so forth he found out he couldn't hurt people, he couldn't break up with anyone. But if he told them he was bringing them to his house, they thought he was coming to his house, but it wasn't, it was our house. The girls then realize he is living at home and they wonder what is wrong with him and they would leave.
"Finally we decided we have to get him out of the house. We don't have the heart to tell him that. We brought in Sarah Jessica Parker to help give him the self esteem and courage to move past his pain and get on in his life. There is a romantic thing that goes on with them. We paid her to come in. The whole thing backfires."
Bradshaw tried to keep his movie career going after his roles in "Hooper" and "Cannonball Run," but he didn't have the success he hoped for. He read for some roles, but nothing materialized.
"The role I did in this movie is the kind of role I wanted years ago," said Bradshaw. "It's a small role and I would have liked to have done more of them then. I had closed the book on ever acting many years ago. It's not something I am sitting here waiting for my phone to ring. I have a good job, I ranch and that's plenty."
When his phone did ring, again and again, about the role in "Failure to Launch," he turned down the chance to audition in Los Angeles and then again in New Orleans. He just wasn't interested. But when the director kept pursing him, he finally agreed to give it a shot.
"They called again and said if the director flew to your ranch and brought a film crew and an actress would you then let them let you read for it," said Bradshaw. "I thought, well, if they are going to come here and do it I don't have a problem with that. I still wasn't interested. I had read for other roles and never gotten anything so you get to the point where you realize this isn't going to happen and you move on. I had done that many years ago. You go through the process of elimination and I got a call from my agent and they said they picked you."
It was full speed ahead from there. Bradshaw spent five weeks working on the movie, finishing before football season started and he had to return to his spot as a co-host on NFL on Fox.
And while he was hesitant about the role at first, he took on the role with the same enthusiasm and sense of humor that is visible on Sunday's on the NFL on Fox.
"Kathy and Terry are a dynamic pair," said McConaughey. "They got along so famously that you couldn't help but get caught up watching them interact onscreen and off."
Bradshaw felt comfortable working with the cast, especially McConaughey who he knew going into it, but it was Bates that intimidated him.
"She was extremely intimidating because she is an Oscar winner," said Bradshaw. "I know every scene I did with her she had to be shaking her head saying you've got to be kidding me. It was scary. But she was a sweetheart."
Bradshaw is ready to get out of the movie business just as quickly as he got back into it, but did say he learned a lot about it this time around.
"I found out it is hard. It's really hard," he said. "If I could do this movie again with the same people I would be better. It's like being a rookie in the NFL. You don't know what you are doing and you make lot of mistakes, but as you get comfortable and start understanding things your talents take over. Do I have the talent to be a really good actor, I probably thought so many years ago but at this stage of my life it doesn't matter."
There are many directions, after footy, that some of our x-AFL stars can look to.
