from Latin Style, February, 1999
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Tall, dark, and handsome, Andy Garcia is more than the quintessential "Latin-lover". An avid music fan with a house full of drums, the 42 year old actor has starred in nearly twenty films and earned an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of the not-so-nice, illegitimate nephew of Don Corleone in "The Godfather, Part III". Voted "Star of the Year" by the National Association of Theater Owners, Garcia achieved stardom playing the good cop in the thriller "Internal Affairs".
Born in Havana, Cuba, Garcia moved with his family to Miami Beach, Florida, at the age of five. No matter what role he finds himself playing, (Irish, Italian etc.) whenever he gets excited the Cuban in him comes out and that is fine with him. "What should come out, the Israeli in me?" he jokes.
In his latest film "Just the Ticket", Garcia stars as Gary Starke, a ticket scalper extraordinaire. An expert in maneuvering though the concrete jungle of New York City, Garcia's character is out to make one last big score, scalping tickets to the Pope's upcoming Easter Mass at Yankee Stadium, to win back the heart of his true-love played by Andie MacDowell.
Garcia has been attached to the project for nearly ten years. Taking the creed, "if you want something done right, do it yourself" to heart, the actor served as the film's producer. Teaming up with longtime friend and close collaborator, Director Richard Wenk, "Just the Ticket" gives the actor hope that you can make something worthwhile on your own. At a time when "quality and quantity are not necessarily cousins," Garcia has made an entertaining film that is both romantic and funny.
LS: Is it true that you actually scalped tickets to prepare for the role?
ANDY: We actually shot test footage about five years ago which we used to raise money for the movie. We were here in Los Angeles and I went out to scalp tickets at local events. We did it with hidden cameras very much in the style of the movie. That was one of the reasons I was really attracted to the movie; the way we could shoot the film. We went to New York and were able to exist amongst the real life of New York. All the people in the scenes aren't extras.
LS: Was this character easier to get into than other roles?
ANDY: Well, you try to find a parallel between your own life experiences and the characters that you're playing. Ultimately it's your emotional fabric that has to feed that character. It came to the point where we were no longer talking about who (Gary Starke) was, we knew (laughs). We knew everything that he would do because the original story is based on someone that Richard knew and someone that I got a chance to meet.LS: Did people recognize you while you were filming?
ANDY: Sometimes they did. I remember one specific time, outside Shubert Alley, I was selling some tickets and a lady came up to me and said, "You don't need to be doing this." And I said, "You don't know how much I need to be doing this."(laughs).LS: You're first directing effort, "Cachao...Como Su Ritmo No Hay Dos", was a labor of love. Are you planning to direct again?
ANDY: Yes, I do plan to go direct again. I have a project that I've been developing that I want to direct. It's called "Lost City". It's about Havana and the turn of the revolution. The Cachao documentary was interesting because we did the entire thing in four days. It was really shot around rehearsals and a concert I had put together to honor him. I just decided to film it for posterity. It was very organic.
LS: Do you like to work at a fast pace?
ANDY: Oh yeah. It's better to work on the run. I think it keeps you energized and keeps you out of your head. It becomes more instinctual and keeps everybody more loose and spontaneous.
LS: You've said in the past that "the fact that the movie exists is enough success for you." Do you ever worry that if enough of your movies aren't financially successful you won't be able to do the projects you want?
ANDY: Oh yes, it's definitely a factor, but it doesn't tamper my reasons for doing them, or the value of the film. Some of the greatest movies of all time were financial disasters. I can't equate quality filmmaking with box office. But that's something that's really out of my hands. All I can do is try to make the best movie possible and someone else can drop the ball along the way. It really has no reflection upon the film. "Night Falls on Manhattan" is a perfect example. There couldn't have been better reviews given to a movie. What do you attribute the difficulties to getting people to see it? Maybe because the sequel to "Jurassic Park" was out at the same time. I can't tell you why people don't show up to good movies, or why they show up to mediocre ones. You have to make the movie you want to make for artistic and emotional reasons. I can't let commerce dictate my life. I think it's unfair to blame movies on actors, whether they are successful or not.
LS: Your next project is the ABC telefilm "Swing Vote". What attracted you to do television?
ANDY: I was making a movie, the fact that it's on television is secondary. To me it's still a movie. What attracted me was the extraordinary quality of Ron Bass' script and the subject matter, the fictitious reversal of Roe vs. Wade. The quality of his material was so strong and the compassion and fairness in the decision, and the issues that it bring up were very moving. To me it was one of the best scripts I've ever read. That's why I made the movie. I didn't care whether it was a feature or for television or cable.
LS: Who do you play?
ANDY: I play the protagonist who is a litigator who gets appointed in an emergency appointment to the Supreme Court because one of the judges has gotten ill. I've been representing the pro-life movement, and politically they feel I might vote in that direction. I become the swing vote and basically my decision influences the new law. There's another issue that's dealt with, the issue of unwanted and unloved and unadopted children. It's a very compassionate piece of work.
LS: You've played several non-latino roles in your career. Did that come easy?
ANDY: Not at all. When I first came to pursue work here in Los Angeles in '78 it took me six years to get a job. It was very hard for me to get an agent and very hard for me to get auditions. And when I did get them I didn't look Hispanic enough to play a Hispanic. And my name wasn't Anglo enough to play an Anglo. So you have that subtle stereotype and racism that exists in all the casting process It was very difficult and to this day it still is for all the actors, even for myself. I think it's a natural struggle of an actor to constantly try to expand his range. And the actors with a more distinct ethnic background, if the part is not written that way, it's very hard for them to be seen for those parts.
LS: Who were your heroes growing up?
ANDY: My parents. And the more I look at it, they're even bigger heroes. I think you have people that are influential in the media while you grow up, but they don't formulate your life. I've met many people in my life that I feel do very heroic things on a daily basis, and I grew up with two of them in my household. I was blessed to have that kind of example.
LS: Are you comfortable that you might be a hero to someone else?
ANDY: I'm aware that people sometimes look to you that way, and I feel a responsibility to be the best example to those I'm not even aware I'm example for. First of all, I'm conscience of it everyday for my own family; for my daughters. If I can be a good example for my daughters then hopefully that will permeate if someone is looking from the outside. Some kids do need that kind of example from outside of their home. If there is some menial way that I can contribute, I'm flattered to be considered. There is that responsibility when you're in the media, even if you don't have a family, to live your life with class.
