20th January 2004.

Tony Bill Interview.

Q. First of all, thanks for doing this Q&A! Please tell us a little about your company, Barnstorm Productions and the type of work you hope to make.

A. WE MAKE FEATURES AND FILMS FOR TELEVISION. THEY ARE ABOUT PEOPLE; NOT CARS, SPACESHIPS OR GHOSTS.

Q. Many people will remember you for producing the Oscar-winning movie The Sting, but Adam Baldwin fans have come to know you as the man who discovered Adam and directed him to his best performance in the classic My Bodyguard, which do you prefer - famous producer or cult director (or is that unfair)?

A. IF I HAVE TO CHOOSE: CULT DIRECTOR. I'D PREFER TO ELIMINATE THE CULT PART; MAYBE MY NEXT FILM WILLDO THAT.

Q. How did My Bodyguard come about and exactly how did Adam get cast in the film? (bearing in mind this is the holy grail of questions for us Baldwin fans, so...details ;)

A. I READ A NEAT SCRIPT ABOUT A LITTLE BOY WHO WAS AFRAID OF EVERYTHING, ESPECIALLY THE BULLY IN HIS SCHOOL. IN REWRITING THE SCRIPT, WE CHANGED HIS AGE TO HIGH SCHOOL. THIS WAS MAINLY MY FRIEND AND PRODUCER, DON DEVLIN'S IDEA. TO SAVE MONEY, I DECIDED TO GO TO A CITY WHERE WE COULD FIND THE RIGHT LOCATIONS AND SIMPLY FIND REAL KIDS - NOT ACTORS - FOR AS MANY ROLES AS POSSIBLE. IN FACT, MANY OF THE ADULTS IN THE FILM ARE NON-ACTORS. ADAM WAS ONE OF MANY KIDS - HUNDREDS, WHOM WE INTERVIEWED AND READ FOR THE PART. I WANTED WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE A VERY DIFFICULT QUALITY: A HULKING, INTIMIDATING PRESENCE (IN A 16 YEAR OLD) WITH A HIDDEN VULNERABILITY. I TESTED KIDS FROM ALL OVER THE U.S. I REALLY ONLY FOUND ONE: ADAM.

Q. You must have been happy with the film and Adam's final performance but is it just us Baldwin fans that think it's something special? Oscar worthy maybe? ...I know the film was pushed for an Oscar.

A. I HOPE ADAM GOT ENOUGH RECOGNITION, BUT IT WAS A LITTLE, INDEPENDENT, PRIVATELY FINANCED FILM, NOT PUSHED AT ALL BY ITS DISTRIBUTOR.

Q. What was it like working with such a diverse cast, including many greats (i.e. Ruth Gordon & Martin Mull) and lots of talented young stars (Adam Baldwin, Chris Makepeace, Matt Dillon).

A. EVERYONE BEHAVED LIKE A NEWCOMER, SO THAT MADE IT FUN.

Q. What was the length of the final cut compared to the released version and if there were extra scenes, what will become of them (a new DVD release maybe, the original lacks extras)?

A. NOT MUCH WAS CUT, AND I DON'T THINK I'D LIKE TO SEE ANYTHING ADDED.

Q. The 'My Bodyguard' writing credit goes to Alan Ormsby, but rumour has it that Tim Kazurinsky and Denise DeClue contributed, could you correct me on this?

A. TIM AND DENISE DID WORK ON THE FILM WHILE WE WERE IN CHICAGO.

Q. Of course, you also also worked with Adam again in the Dean Devlin/Roland Emmerich created TV series The Visitor in the episode aptly named "Reunion", how did this come about, was it through Dean Devlin (who I know was in My Bodyguard) or Adam?

A. THROUGH DEAN.

Q. What us Baldwin fans really want to know is, would you ever consider using Adam again in one of your productions, or indeed, do you ever plan to?

A. I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO THAT, BUT I HAVEN'T FOUND THE RIGHT ROLE FOR HIM YET. SOMEDAY I WILL.

Thank You, Tony Bill.