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CNN Sunday Morning
Interview With Bernhard Goetz, Glenn Andreiev
Aired May 11, 2003 - 11:16 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: A look this morning at cashing in on notoriety. We're told Bernhard Goetz, also known as the subway vigilante, was cast in the new film "Every Move You Make" for his celebrity appeal. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BERNHARD GOETZ, CELEBRITY: For example, you could get in trouble if you're carrying a gun illegally in the city. But if you suspect a struggle, you could just walk around like this, or put your hands in your pockets if you thought any trouble might come, and you can take the gun and fire it. Now, yes, you may have a hole in your coat or your jacket, but the perp will have a hole in him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Yes, that's him, Bernie Goetz, giving tips. To talk more about money, and notoriety, is the movie's director Glenn Andreiev. And, Bernie Goetz is on the telephone with us.
But first, let me begin with you, Glenn. Why Bernie Goetz?
GLENN ANDREIEV, DIRECTOR, "EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE": Well, we just needed to get the film out there with a celebrity, and we wanted to go really unique with it. So I, you know, just found Bernhard Goetz through the Internet and I talked to him about the film, and he agreed to do it. And we shot the film, and all of our lead cast members such as Aaron Comiskey, John Roberts, and Shawna Bermander said, wow, this guy is a professional. He's really good at acting.
WHITFIELD: So you didn't just want somebody who had some notoriety, someone who was well known. But you kind of wanted somebody who would be a believable character, you know.
ANDREIEV: Yes.
WHITFIELD: Obviously he is giving tips on how to use a weapon, and everyone knows by now that Bernhard Goetz was involved in the shooting of four people on a subway. And his defense was that it was self-defense, hence the name subway vigilante.
So how much did you instruct Bernie Goetz in his acting role here, or how much did he actually bring to the character?
ANDREIEV: It was sort of like half-and-half. You know, we were following a basic screenplay, and then he added a lot of elements of his own. And it was like half scripted, half improv.
WHITFIELD: Were you a little concerned about the publicity that you might be getting, that perhaps Bernie Goetz would be making money off being involved in this crime?
ANDREIEV: That really didn't bother us. I mean, we didn't like really say, you know, yes, guns are great in the film.
WHITFIELD: OK. Let me ask Bernie Goetz, because he is on the telephone with us. Mr. Goetz, you know, how surprised were you, A, to get a telephone call asking for your acting ability?
GOETZ: I wasn't surprised. I've gotten calls before. By the way, I was a second choice. Glenn's first choice was Amy Fisher, and she would have attracted a lot more attention.
WHITFIELD: The Long Island Lolita, as she's known.
GOETZ: She would have attracted a lot more attention than I did.
WHITFIELD: OK, well, you have gotten a little attention on this. Why don't you tell us how you prepared yourself for this role? And were you drawing upon your own personal experience, or were you getting guidance some other way?
GOETZ: Well, Glenn already described it. There was a basic format, and he let me ad lib, and it worked out fine. Actors need good scripts. Movies need good scripts. And I think it's important if you let the actors use lines that they themselves feel are credible lines.
WHITFIELD: And obviously you weren't too concerned about getting attention or getting paid for playing a role, and really cashing in on your celebrity that came as a result of being the subway vigilante.
GOETZ: Well, it's not really cashing in. The money is insignificant compared to the legal costs of the trial. You know, my prosecution costs the government about $2 million, and my own prosecution I put, let's see, $150,000 of my own money in it. The NRA contributed $120,000. Members of the public contributed...
WHITFIELD: Why did you do it then? Well, if it's costing everyone money, then what did you do it for?
GOETZ: Well, the movie, for the money. What I'm saying is, the money involved in the movie was minor, compared to the money involved with my legal expenses, so I wouldn't -- if anything, I wouldn't call it cashing in. The reason, the fact that I did the movie, is because I was financially wiped out with my legal expenses years ago, and I have to work for a living. So I did the role for the money.
WHITFIELD: Besides the acting role, what have you been doing lately?
GOETZ: Well, I advocate getting vegetarian options in the New York City public school system. I'm advocating rebuilding the twin towers down at the World Trade Center site instead of the Libeskind plan, which I believe is a step backwards. Also, I take care of injured squirrels, and orphan squirrels, and I run an electronics business.
WHITFIELD: Keeping busy, huh?
GOETZ: I wish I had 30 hours in the day.
WHITFIELD: Keeping busy, but at the same time it sounds like this was probably a lot of fun to be involved in this movie, "Every Move You Make."
GOETZ: It was OK. The girls were pretty. That was fun.
WHITFIELD: Do you think you're going to be featured in any more movies coming up?
GOETZ: Possibly.
WHITFIELD: Looking for any more scripts and roles?
GOETZ: Not actively looking, no.
WHITFIELD: OK. All right, Bernie Goetz, thanks very much for joining us on the telephone and being a good sport about it. And director Glenn Andreiev, thanks for your participation, as well, as the director of "Every Move You Make."
Good to see both of you. Or at least, hear from one of you, see one of you. Thanks a lot.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired May 11, 2003 - 11:16 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: A look this morning at cashing in on notoriety. We're told Bernhard Goetz, also known as the subway vigilante, was cast in the new film "Every Move You Make" for his celebrity appeal. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BERNHARD GOETZ, CELEBRITY: For example, you could get in trouble if you're carrying a gun illegally in the city. But if you suspect a struggle, you could just walk around like this, or put your hands in your pockets if you thought any trouble might come, and you can take the gun and fire it. Now, yes, you may have a hole in your coat or your jacket, but the perp will have a hole in him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Yes, that's him, Bernie Goetz, giving tips. To talk more about money, and notoriety, is the movie's director Glenn Andreiev. And, Bernie Goetz is on the telephone with us.
But first, let me begin with you, Glenn. Why Bernie Goetz?
GLENN ANDREIEV, DIRECTOR, "EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE": Well, we just needed to get the film out there with a celebrity, and we wanted to go really unique with it. So I, you know, just found Bernhard Goetz through the Internet and I talked to him about the film, and he agreed to do it. And we shot the film, and all of our lead cast members such as Aaron Comiskey, John Roberts, and Shawna Bermander said, wow, this guy is a professional. He's really good at acting.
WHITFIELD: So you didn't just want somebody who had some notoriety, someone who was well known. But you kind of wanted somebody who would be a believable character, you know.
ANDREIEV: Yes.
WHITFIELD: Obviously he is giving tips on how to use a weapon, and everyone knows by now that Bernhard Goetz was involved in the shooting of four people on a subway. And his defense was that it was self-defense, hence the name subway vigilante.
So how much did you instruct Bernie Goetz in his acting role here, or how much did he actually bring to the character?
ANDREIEV: It was sort of like half-and-half. You know, we were following a basic screenplay, and then he added a lot of elements of his own. And it was like half scripted, half improv.
WHITFIELD: Were you a little concerned about the publicity that you might be getting, that perhaps Bernie Goetz would be making money off being involved in this crime?
ANDREIEV: That really didn't bother us. I mean, we didn't like really say, you know, yes, guns are great in the film.
WHITFIELD: OK. Let me ask Bernie Goetz, because he is on the telephone with us. Mr. Goetz, you know, how surprised were you, A, to get a telephone call asking for your acting ability?
GOETZ: I wasn't surprised. I've gotten calls before. By the way, I was a second choice. Glenn's first choice was Amy Fisher, and she would have attracted a lot more attention.
WHITFIELD: The Long Island Lolita, as she's known.
GOETZ: She would have attracted a lot more attention than I did.
WHITFIELD: OK, well, you have gotten a little attention on this. Why don't you tell us how you prepared yourself for this role? And were you drawing upon your own personal experience, or were you getting guidance some other way?
GOETZ: Well, Glenn already described it. There was a basic format, and he let me ad lib, and it worked out fine. Actors need good scripts. Movies need good scripts. And I think it's important if you let the actors use lines that they themselves feel are credible lines.
WHITFIELD: And obviously you weren't too concerned about getting attention or getting paid for playing a role, and really cashing in on your celebrity that came as a result of being the subway vigilante.
GOETZ: Well, it's not really cashing in. The money is insignificant compared to the legal costs of the trial. You know, my prosecution costs the government about $2 million, and my own prosecution I put, let's see, $150,000 of my own money in it. The NRA contributed $120,000. Members of the public contributed...
WHITFIELD: Why did you do it then? Well, if it's costing everyone money, then what did you do it for?
GOETZ: Well, the movie, for the money. What I'm saying is, the money involved in the movie was minor, compared to the money involved with my legal expenses, so I wouldn't -- if anything, I wouldn't call it cashing in. The reason, the fact that I did the movie, is because I was financially wiped out with my legal expenses years ago, and I have to work for a living. So I did the role for the money.
WHITFIELD: Besides the acting role, what have you been doing lately?
GOETZ: Well, I advocate getting vegetarian options in the New York City public school system. I'm advocating rebuilding the twin towers down at the World Trade Center site instead of the Libeskind plan, which I believe is a step backwards. Also, I take care of injured squirrels, and orphan squirrels, and I run an electronics business.
WHITFIELD: Keeping busy, huh?
GOETZ: I wish I had 30 hours in the day.
WHITFIELD: Keeping busy, but at the same time it sounds like this was probably a lot of fun to be involved in this movie, "Every Move You Make."
GOETZ: It was OK. The girls were pretty. That was fun.
WHITFIELD: Do you think you're going to be featured in any more movies coming up?
GOETZ: Possibly.
WHITFIELD: Looking for any more scripts and roles?
GOETZ: Not actively looking, no.
WHITFIELD: OK. All right, Bernie Goetz, thanks very much for joining us on the telephone and being a good sport about it. And director Glenn Andreiev, thanks for your participation, as well, as the director of "Every Move You Make."
Good to see both of you. Or at least, hear from one of you, see one of you. Thanks a lot.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
