Ving Rhames (INTERVIEW)
Ving
Rhames
The
“Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation” Interview
with
Kam Williams
A Ving Thing!
Ving
Rhames was born and raised in Harlem, New York. His career as
a thespian began at the New York High School of Performing
Arts, followed by training at the prestigious Julliard School of
Drama.
Soon
thereafter, the talented actor landed his first role on Broadway in
"The Winter Boys." In 1985, he made his first TV appearance
in Go Tell It On the Mountain.
Ving
subsequently segued to feature films, and was eventually cast as a
merciless drug dealer opposite Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta in
Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. That performance helped him land
the role of Luther Stickell in Mission: Impossible opposite Tom
Cruise.
Ving
has since starred in many other blockbusters, such as Rosewood and
Con Air. In 1998, he won a Golden Globe for his powerful portrayal of
Don King in Don King: Only in America.
From
there, he went on to star in Out of Sight with George Clooney and
Jennifer Lopez, Entrapment with Sean Connery and Catherine
Zeta-Jones, and Bringing Out The Dead with Nicolas Cage, Patricia
Arquette and Tom Sizemore.
Other
films on his impressive resume include Baby Boy, Undisputed, Dark
Blue and Dawn Of The Dead. And he ventured behind the camera in 2005
as a producer for the USA series "Kojak." His producer
credits also include: “Back In The Day,” “Animal” and
“Shooting Gallery.”
Here,
Ving talks about reprising his role as Luther in Mission: Impossible
Rogue Nation.
Kam
Williams: Hi Ving, thanks for the interview. I'm honored to have
another opportunity to speak with you.
Ving
Rhames: When did we last speak, Kam?
KW:
It was for the release of Mission: Impossible III.
VR:
Okay, brother.
KW:
I will be mixing in my own
questions with some sent in by fans. Kevin Williams says: You've been
one of my favorite actors, ever since seeing Pulp Fiction. I'm glad
to see you back in this latest installment of Mission:
Impossible. Since you play weapons expert Luther Stickell on the IMF team, do you try to keep up with what is going on with military hardware in the real world? VR: Quite honestly, I play a computer expert, not a weapons expert. Luther's a computer geek,
so I don't know where Kevin got that misperception from. But I don't really keep up with developments
in quote hand-to-hand combat type weapons or other military technology, except drones. However, I do
gang intervention in California, and there are a lot of those military weapons in the 'hood with the Crips
and the Bloods. I hate to say it, but you can find almost anything there in terms of military weaponry,
even grenade launchers.
KW: How did you
enjoy reuniting with Tom Cruise to make Rogue Nation?
VR:
Kam, we did the first one
eighteen years ago, so I feel very blessed and very privileged. And
outside of Tom Cruise, I'm the only person who's been in all five
films. And I think that I might have made history for an
African-American. I don't know whether any black actor has been in an
original and four sequels. You know what I'm saying? So, I really
have to thank Tom, and I'm glad to be a part of this process.
KW:
Marilyn Marshall says: Why do
you think the Mission: Impossible franchise has been so successful?
VR:
I really think it's because of Tom Cruise's passion and energy,
and the fact that he deals with every facet of production. He's
involved with the writers... he has a certain vision... and I think
he knows what his audience wants, which I think is a by-product of
his being in the business for over thirty years, since he started
young as an actor. He really has a grasp of what both American and
foreign audiences want to see. So, I give 95% of the credit to Tom
Cruise.
KW:Editor/legist
Patricia Turnier asks:What was your favorite scene to shoot in Rogue
Nation?
VR: The scene where the four of us, Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner, myself and Tom, are sitting in
a bar. It almost looks like just four guys hanging out. But it was really four friends.
The simplicity of that scene, which is surrounded by so much action, makes it special to me,
especially given the good chemistry among the four of us.
KW:
Professor/filmmaker/author Hisani Dubose says: An
African-American actor once told me that it is extremely difficult
for black males with deep voices and a strong presence to get work.
So, how did you manage to succeed in spite of that?
VR:
First of all, I don't agree with that assumption. But here's how
I feel about it. I attended the High School of Performing Arts, and I
graduated from the Juilliard School. So, I believe in being trained,
just like you have to do with any profession. As a professor, she had
to get a master's degree. I find that a lot of aspiring actors never
really train, and yet think they can just act. Being a black man with
a deep voice is actually more of a plus. I do voiceovers for Arbys,
ADT, and other companies. So, I make a lot of money by basically
using not only my voice, but also my size, as far as the camera is
concerned. But train, go to school and train. Become a craftsman.
KW:
Harriet Pakula-Teweles says: Giving your Golden Globe award in
1998 to Jack Lemmon was an amazing demonstration of generosity and
respect for another actor.
VR:
Thank you, Harriet. That was
some years ago, but I always tell people: God laid it on my heart.
Besides, awards don't validate me, positively or negatively. It's
like reviews. You can get ten different opinions about the same
performance, ranging from great to not so good. So, I don't really
listen to people's opinions. Instead, I just set a standard for
myself. And what I was trying to do with the award was to show my
appreciation of Jack Lemmon and, like I said, God laid it on my
heart. To me, there's really no such thing as a best actor, just as
there's no such thing as a best artist. Rembrandt... Van Gogh...
Picasso... Who's the best? You can't really say. They each have a
different style, and you might prefer one to another. But that
doesn't mean any one is the best. So, I don't ascribe to the whole
idea of voting one artist as the best. I think that tends to
undermine the purpose of art.
KW:
Harriet asks: With so many classic films being redone, is there a
remake you'd like to star in?
VR:
Yes, Brother John, a very old Sidney Poitier film I caught one
night It didn't do well. It was barely seen. He plays a Christ-like
character who returns to the small town where he was raised. You have
to check it out.
KW:
Will do. Steve Kramer
asks: How would you describe your work ethic today?
VR: I'm learning to work now, and I'll use the analogy of working out in the gym. When I was
25 or 30, I worked out one way. Now, at 56, I work out another way.What I think I've learned
to do is use my energy more wisely. I'm a better actor now in terms of conveying the dramatic
arc of a character and my overall intention. Because I'm more seasoned, I know my instrument
better. And often, less is more. That's the major lesson I've learned. A lot of young actors expend
energy unnecessarily on things that don't need that much energy.
KW: When you look
in the mirror, what do you see?
VR:
Potential.
KW:
The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?
VR:
Braiding my mother's hair. I
was the baby in the family, and she taught me how to braid her hair.
What she would do was give me a brush when she wanted to take a nap.
That way, she could get some rest and know I wasn't getting into any
trouble. That's one of my fondest and most powerful memories.
KW:
Who loved you unconditionally during your formative years?
VR:
Mom! My mother has always been the one person on this planet who
has always been supportive of me and believed in me when maybe a lot
of other family members didn't. So, her faith in me is the main
reason why I'm where I'm at today.
KW:
If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be
for?
VR:
Peace on Earth. I'm especially talking about all the violence
we're witnessing today with police officers and black youth. I would
just say peace, an end to all violence.
KW:
Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone
would?
VR:
Yes, what is the secret to life?
KW:
Okay,
what
is the secret to life?
VR:
I can't speak for anyone else but, for myself, I have to help
people and love people, sometimes, in spite of themselves.
KW:
What’s in your wallet?
VR:
I carry very little cash. Honestly, I don't normally even travel
with a wallet. So, I'd have to say just a credit card.
KW:
Thanks again for the time, Ving, and congrats on the success of
Rogue Nation. .
VR:
Thanks a lot, Kam. God bless.
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