BRENDA VACCARO’S JOIE DE VIVRE

Actress Brenda Vaccaro is ensconced in her suite at the Four Seasons looking at some of the pieces she’s  selected to wear for her photo shoot the following day. “Isn’t this so Auntie Mame?” she exclaims as she flips a feather boa dramatically around her neck. “But it needs to be a bit more colorful...hot pink would really fit the bill, don’t you think so, darling?”

Vaccaro is very much like Rosalind Russell’s legendary character — resplendent with that famous raspy voice. She is gregarious, outgoing, and even a little bawdy at times. She doesn’t put on airs, or pontificate about folderol. In essence she’s a real down to earth, New York broad. She’s also a great storyteller, recounting tales of her time with actors like Melina Mercouri (Once is Not Enough), Jimmy Stewart (Airport ‘77), and of course, Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman in Midnight Cowboy— the film that made Vaccaro a star.

The actress began her career, which encompasses television, stage and screen, in the late 1960s. She began on stage, and was nominated for three Tony Awards for her turns in “Cactus Flower” (1966), “How Now, Dow Jones” (1968), and “The Goodbye People” (1969). Her big movie break though, came in 1969 with the seminal film, Midnight Cowboy, directed by John Schlesinger. For those unfamiliar, the movie chronicles the tale of a rather naïve young Texan (Jon Voight) who is determined to take New York City by storm as a stud in cowboy garb. Within days, Joe quickly falls victim to the seedy underbelly of the big city — being taken by a low-life con man, Enrico “Ratso” Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman). Unlikely though it seems, the two opposites form a friendship and Rizzo becomes Joe’s ‘manager.’ One night at a swinging ’60s psychedelic affair (filled with some of Warhol’s real-life cronies) Joe has a chance encounter with a beautiful socialite, who pays him $20 for a night together. When she recommends Joe to her friend, it appears Joe’s career as a budding young stud is about to take off. But as fate would have it, this was not meant to be. The film won not only Best Picture, but Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Director for Schlesinger at that year’s Academy Awards.

Just as Auntie Mame proclaims to her nephew, “You gotta live live live! Life’s a banquet and most poor suckers are starving!” Vaccaro has that same joie de vivre, whether talking about her friends, her experiences or her directors. So it is a great irony that her latest film, HBO’s “You Don’t Know Jack,” deals with assisted suicide…or is it? The film stars Al Pacino as the infamous Dr. Jack Kevorkian, the former pathologist who launches a groundbreaking and provocative program to help the terminally ill end their lives — by way of assisting in their suicides. Vaccaro plays Kevorkian’s sister, Margo Janus, who becomes his right hand (along with his best friend Nicol, played by John Goodman), recording the deaths on camera, and as well as being Jack’s sounding board. (Never does she participate in the actual act). Kevorkian is repeatedly arrested, but with the help of his lawyer, Geoffrey Fieger (Danny Huston), he is also repeatedly released. Despite the legal roadblocks Kevorkian continued his crusade, assisting over 100 people in ending their lives. For him, it wasn’t just a matter of ending the pain, it was a matter of maintaining their dignity. And even though Jack and Margo have their struggles as all siblings do, it is she who stood by him, despite her brother’s being called “Dr. Death.” Ultimately, Kevorkian does go to jail, but he was released in 2007. He is now 81 years old.

Certainly “Jack” has to be one of the more unusual films Vaccaro has acted in, but all told, her career has been nothing short of diverse. She won a Golden Globe (and garnered an Oscar nom) for her role in then syrupy sweet sex romp, Jacqueline Susann’s Once Is Not Enough and played opposite this month’s cover subject, Pierce Brosnan, in The Mirror Has Two Faces (which also starred our December/January cover subject, Academy Award winner, Jeff Bridges). No matter what the role, her recounting is always hilarious, lyrical, and candid. (Needless to say, the Melina Mercouri story I heard is too blue for these pages.)

For Ms. Vaccaro, this actor’s life that she has built over the last forty years is completely inherent — she was put on this earth to entertain, and she’s not about to stop anytime soon.

Venice: “You Don’t Know Jack” is certainly going to cause a stir.

Brenda Vaccaro:

 I’m sure it will. But the movie’s real intention, I think, is to explore the real person. People think of Jack Kevorkian as an icon, a leader, a maniac, and a killer. He was a very interesting man besides all of that, and mostly had been forgotten, and now this film brings forth a very clear perspective on him and on the issue of assisted suicide. Nobody else had the sense to recognize that this was right — and each one of us has earned this right. [The film]’s about Jack, first and foremost, and how he became incredibly famous because of the purpose he had in life… it’s  like finding your calling — like a monk, or a priest. He didn’t care about money or fame or any of that. He was a simple and understated man, who loved Bach, played the flute, and loved his sister dearly. He is a man who has left an incredible legacy. You have to respect it.

Al Pacino just didn’t strike me as the man to play Jack Kevorkian.

That’s the first thing that people are going to think, I just know it. But he was wonderful and he looked so perfect, don’t you think? The mannerisms, the gait, everything. And he didn’t want to meet with Kevorkian before filming either; he wanted to make his own way.

When I told a friend of mine that Al Pacino had done a new film she said, “Is it another cops and robbers flick?” and I said, “It’s the farthest thing from that.”

You completely forget he’s Al Pacino; the sign of a great actor. Barry (Levinson) did a brilliant job; it’s almost a bit of a thriller in a sense...it’s fair and balanced.

Stylistically, it’s really stunning. You almost feel like you’re watching a documentary the way he shot it.

Completely. It’s eerie, moving, eccentric... and all part of uncharted territory. Is Kevorkian brave? Or crazy? Or just [pause] purposeful? I think losing his mother — and I did a lot of reading on him before we started shooting -- was major, as it is for everyone. He saw her withering in terrible pain. And he begged those doctors, as did his sister Margo (Vaccaro’s character) to let her go. Kevorkian found his calling through this, I think. And found a higher cause. He had nothing to hold him back— no wife, no children— he was free as a bird to pursue this.

But his sister Margo was really his glue.

That’s right. She was his rudder. Anyone with a sibling they’re close to will understand. We fight passionately with our family because they know us, and they can take it as much as we can dish it out. And sometimes we fight with mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, and things never get resolved. My father used to say, “I want you to respect me, because you respect me. I just happen to be your father.” I have never forgotten that. He’s a person first. As was my mother. I’ll tell you something interesting since you saw the film. I went through a journey with my mother’s death, because I couldn’t take her life in my hands, even though [the doctors] told me to let her go — she was 92. I had the worst 20 days of my life, weighing what to do. And I couldn’t take her life... and I think I made a terrible mistake. I was so scared to let her go. When I did this movie I was so scared a couple of times because I started thinking about her. I told Barry the story about how I saw her struggle and all the pain she went through, and he wanted it in the film. That’s why the film means so much to me.

Did you have a chance to meet Dr. Kevorkian?

No, and I’m dying to meet him! You know that fight scene between us, that was shot in a Bob’s Big Boy? Kevorkian turned to Barry and said, “The thing between me and Margo — That scene? Was just about what it was.” I was so complimented.

You’ve done a lot of television.

That’s an understatement.

You did an episode of “Nip/Tuck.”

With Catherine Deneuve. I wanted to do it so much; especially for the chance to do it with her. She was the mistress; I was the wife. In the episode, she was getting her breast implants done with the ashes of my late husband — Thank god that wasn’t part of my role! I just went around screaming, “You can’t do this!”

You seem to be drawn to controversial material, like Midnight Cowboy. Not a lot of people know that that movie was the only X-rated film to win an Oscar for Best Picture. Did you think when you made it that it was going to cause such an uproar?

Maybe because of the nudity… but it was 1969! Look at the times! I remember John Schlesinger saying to me, “Oh my god, we’re making a blue movie!” But with that British accent of his, it sounded so much more high class instead of blue, that’s for sure. Originally, for my sex scene with Jon (Voight) I was supposed to wear pasties on my breasts. John (Schlesinger) told me that when he directed Julie Christie in Darling she refused to wear them and took them off and threw them across the room. But he said I could have them if I wanted and I responded, “No, no, no! Nobody’s putting glue on my nipples!” We took a lot of risks. 

And the whole crème de la crème of Andy Warhol’s Factory gang seemed present in that party scene with you…Viva, Ultra Violet. At that time, they were all celebrities in their own right. That Schlesinger had the foresight to include them was proof that he, as a director, could tap into every possible resource of controversy to make his films pop.

He opened the doors to every eccentric in the city for that scene. To tell you the truth, it was kinda scary because New York back then is nothing like it is now. During that scene, he would look around and bellow, “Brenda! Isn’t this just divine?”

Let’s talk about your director on “You Don’t Know Jack” — Barry Levinson.

Barry Levinson gave me back my sense as an actress and gave me back my heart for it. And to be perfectly honest, how could I not do it? I mean, Al Pacino? When I heard I was going to be working with him I nearly dropped the phone; we’ve known each other since we were kids. Last time I saw him was when I did “Jake’s Women” with Alan Alda back in 1992. Al came backstage and I said, ‘When are we going to work together?’ and he said, “We will, we will!” So fast forward a lot of years and Barry Levinson wants me to meet with Al after my audition. Al says, “Barry, I know her.” But Barry insisted, so what can you do? It was just heaven seeing him; we talked about life, love, women, men. Then next thing you know, I’m in New York shooting with Barry and Al.

I hear you’re teaching these days in your spare time.

Yes! At John Ruskin’s [Group] Theater in the Santa Monica Airport area. I’m teaching these young kids — they’re 18, 20 years old — and I just love it. Ed Asner, Paul Sand, Bruce Davison — we’re all teaching master classes. Tony Hopkins has taught there too.

When people come up to you, is it mostly for Midnight Cowboy?

Not always. There’s enough variation in my roles... Someone might come up to me and say, ‘Oh, I loved you in that George Hamilton movie!’ No matter what the role, I'm always grateful. Mostly with men, though, they remember me for Midnight Cowboy because it was so sexual. You know, I met Quentin Tarantino— talk about a film buff! I was at a party for Inglourious Basterds and I raved about his film and he said, “What about House by the Lake (Death Watch, 1976)? Bill Fruet! One of my favorite directors!” And then he said, “What about Once is Not Enough? You were amazing!” Here he was talking about my roles but this night was supposed to be all about him. I think he’s so brave. He liberates his actors. Barry’s that way too. He liberates you. His ego is not in the way.

And John Goodman and Susan Sarandon — they have pivotal roles in the film too.

Goodman’s a real guy. He’`s smart and everything he did was brilliant. He’s one of those actors who knows how little to do. We had scenes where we hardly even spoke to each other; there were virtually no lines. I said, “Every Christmas I’m going to call you and say, ‘Merry Christmas, it’s Brenda Vaccaro. Remember me? We didm six scenes without a word.’” I think Susan is kind of flawless. I believe everything she does. I think she’s simple and she knows how to work that. Hal Holbrook, who I did three movies with, said to me once, “Brenda, if I’d known how little you have to do to be good, I’d have saved so much energy.” [laughs raucously] And Susan? She’s already learned that.

One last question. You mentioned you’ve known Al Pacino for the majority of your life. What was it like to finally work with him?

Are you kidding? What was it like?!? It was like going to creative heaven. ▼

You Don’t Know Jack premieres Saturday, April 24th on HBO.