BrendanW
I got the opportunity to speak with Larry Cedar who you may know as Leon the drug addict from Deadwood and maybe even Chevy Chase’s extremely racist father on the show Community but I mostly talked to him about his role in a beautiful new film currently touring the festival circuit in the USA – “She Sings to the Stars.”
Right off the bat, I’d like to briefly mention some of your previous work – the one that people would probably most recognize you for is the role of the opium addict Leon on the show “Deadwood.” Do you still get people that bring that up to you every now and then?
I will occasionally be approached by a fan of the show and it’s always such a pleasure to hear how much they loved the series. It is particularly satisfying because playing Leon was one of the luckiest breaks of my career. My character was only supposed to appear in one episode, but was ultimately brought back for twenty three more, or basically for the entire three year run of the show. I’ll also never forget how about midway through the run my character was scripted to be murdered by Al Swearengen (Ian McShane). I’d prepared to move on when the night before the scene was set to film I received script rewrites which made a different character the target of Al’s rage. And although I ultimately was stabbed to death by my boss, Tolliver (played by Powers Booth) it was in what turned out to be the series’ final episode, so I just made it across the finish line.
You have been everywhere – from Constantine to Paparazzi to a spot on Mad Men. Would you say that your career has been fairly diverse up to this point? It sure doesn’t seem like you’ve been pigeon-holed as any particular type and that’s refreshing!
I’ve been extremely fortunate to play a very wide range of characters in my career. Fortunate, not only because my versatility has opened more acting/work opportunities, but because I enjoy the variety that playing so many different types of roles provides. Simply put, I love to mix it up, it keeps things interesting.
So now we move on to the film that is making its way to theatres again this year and that is a wonderful little film called “She Sings to the Stars.” How did you become attracted to this project in the first place?
I had just finished a one-man play in LA when I was contacted from New Mexico by writer/director Jennifer Corcoran about a playing one of the leads in her directing debut, She Sings to the Stars which was set to begin filming in two weeks. Jake Pokluda, the producer of another film I’d acted in in New Mexico the previous year apparently liked my work and had recommended she give me a call. Needless to say, I was flattered and thrilled and jumped at the opportunity.
Would you say that this was a completely unique film for you? Unlike anything you’ve previously done?
Without question. The experience was almost indescribable in its uniqueness. Every day was full of surprises, challenges, joy, stress, exhaustion, and supreme satisfaction. Rarely have a worked on a project of such creative purity, i.e. where everyone involved, from cast to crew to cinematographer to director and producer, was completely and passionately committed to capturing the story in the best way possible. Add to that the sheer magic of working in the vast expanses of the New Mexico landscape under the cover of what seemed like a billion stars, and you have a fairly intoxicating creative brew.
It’s certainly a beautiful film and I would like to add that you and your fellow cast members are excellent in it as well.The film has a very small cast – three people, in fact. Do you find that made things easier or perhaps more difficult?
Thank you, and yes, it was much easier. The challenge of successfully playing a role in a film is in quickly establishing good chemistry between the characters, which in turn makes for more believable scenes. With only the three of us, we readily fell into a natural connection which deepened as the weeks progressed. At that point the film sort of took on a life of its own. Of course the hope is always that the imaginary film world we’ve created will seem so real that the audience will willingly come along for the ride. It certain helped having the film shot by talented cinematographer John DeFazio whose eye for the mystical infused the piece with a real sense of wonder.
Do you think a story like this works better in this kind of intimate setting with limited cast?
I most certainly do. I’m a big fan of simplicity in film and believe that there’s nothing more captivating than a straightforward story which captures the beauty, complexity, and truth of the human condition in an open, direct, and honest way. Ultimately, I believe art exists to help us understand ourselves. And while it may not always succeed, it is a noble goal.
Describe your role in the film.
I play Lyle, a down on his luck magician on his way to a shopping mall and what may be his very last gig. Bitter, heartbroken, and down to his last $20, his car breaks down in the middle of the New Mexico desert. There he encounters Fannie, a Native American grandmother and practitioner of real magic and guide to mysteries of the universe which Lyle struggles to understand. His is a story of revelation and enlightenment, of being forced by circumstance to really listen to the world, and learn.
You play the lead, which we don’t often get to see from you as you’ve tended to play a lot of strong supporting roles over the years. Was this a rather daunting task and a giant leap?
Absolutely, and the first couple of days were rather harrowing in that regard. Remember, as an actor your surrounded by dozens of crew, actors, producers, all of whom are counting on you to deliver the goods, which you pray you will successfully do. But Jennifer couldn’t have been more reassuring and supportive, And once we recognized that we were all on the same page, with the same goals and vision it was full speed ahead. When it comes down to it, it’s really all about the work and everyone making a complete physical, emotional, and spiritual commitment to telling the story. From there, the rest will hopefully just take care of itself. And I like to think that in this case, it did.
Your character is a magician. Did you have to learn some basic card tricks and sleight of hand in preparation for your role or was it something in which you already possessed some knowledge?
Interestingly, I had done some work with playing cards in preparation for my role as Leon in Deadwood as that character was supposed to deal Faro, a 19th century gave of chance. But aside from that, I have little background in magic tricks of any kind. I do know a simple disappearing coin trick that I used to show my kids which I managed to slip into one particular scene. Other than that I pretty much faked it with the help of brilliant Props Master Phyllis Detrich and Art Director RA Arancio-Parrin.
What were filming conditions like? You were in the desert so it was either long days in the extreme heat or cold, I would imagine.
You are absolutely correct. There’s an expression in the film business which says, “If you’re not freezing and wet, or filthy and fried, you’re not making a movie.” So yes, in that sense we were definitely making a movie. The downside? When we weren’t boiling under the hot New Mexico days we were shivering in the frigid, rainy New Mexico nights. The upside? True atmospheric conditions (as opposed to room temperature sound stages on studio lots) have a wonderful way of really pulling you physically and emotionally into the role and film. I felt the same way about working on Deadwood which was shot on the muddy streets of Melody Ranch. Once you’ve stepped into that “real” environment you feel that much closer to having truly entered that fictional world, and this in turn can really help your performance. So it’s all good.
I have to ask before I let you go because it is something I noticed while I was looking up information about your past roles. You played Chevy Chase’s extremely racist father on “Community.” It’s a very funny 2-episode role and I was wondering if you could tell us a little bit about that experience.
Another opportunity of a lifetime. Chevy Chase has been one of my idols since I first started watching Saturday Night Live back in the late 1970s and he couldn’t have been nicer or more fun to work with. For Chevy, it’s all about the funny, and that’s fun. Great cast as well, super creative and intelligent bunch of actors. Despite having to wear a ton of makeup and an ivory hairpiece, I’d do it again in a second.
Do you have anything in the works that you can tell us about? Anything you’d like to plug?
Thanks for asking. I’ll be leaving to work at the Arizona Theatre Company next month to reprise my role as Thomas Jefferson in the play, “The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord” (written by Real Time With Bill Maher producer Scott Carter) which had a previously successful run at The Geffen Playhouse in Westwood, California. After that, I’m looking to do another staging of my one man show, ORWELLIAN, based on the works of my favorite author, George Orwell. Other than that, looking forward to She Sings to the Stars getting out there at various film festivals around the country.
Thanks for the opportunity to talk about the film!
