Eric Bogosian
"Under Siege 2" - The Inside Story
July 27, 1995.
I just got back from Columbus, Ohio, where a lovely production of "subUrbia" is ongoing. This group (Catco) has done an amazing job with the play and I'm very happy. The whole cast is very sexy which adds to the pleasure of watching the show. The director, Dennis Rohmer, has done the play well.
I talked to Geoff Murphy, the director of "Under Siege II" a couple of nights ago. (By the way, if you are reading this and have not gone to see this magnificent film, one that is destined to become a cult hit by the year 2025, you should not be reading this.) Geoff is this gruff New Zealander who laughs a lot. It's his demented sense of humor that is peppered throughout the movie. Anyway, I talked to Geoff and he's happy because the movie is making piles of money and this means he's on the hot list in Hollywood. I'm happy because I loved working with Geoff.
So I'm done with the publicity campaign on the film. I've done Tom Snyder, Charles Grodin (a very bad time for me), Greg Kinnear, Cheryl Washington here in New York, and Conan. Also I did some stuff for BLENDER which is a CD-ROM format magazine.
I enjoyed Conan because he's fun in this weird way. I enjoyed Grodin the least because I actually like him and thought I was going on to talk about things and ended up getting squashed between Grodin and funnyman Richard Lewis and the whole thing was a total waste of time.
Anyway, I'm done with all that and a chapter in my life is coming to a close. A year ago, I was at Yale performing "Pounding Nails in the Floor with My Forehead" when my agent called me: "Eric, before you say anything, don't say anything. Now listen: Action movie. Stop, don't talk. Sequel. Stop. Steven Seagal. Stop" That was how the conversation went.
I said "Send me the script and how much are they paying?"
After getting hired, I planned all this stuff I was going to do with the role. I was going to drag all this sound equipment into the train with me and have "White Zombie", "Type O Negative", and "SoundGarden" blasting as I destroyed the world.
Of course, my character would have tattoos and a ring through his dick. He would wear black, have bad posture and read "Lobo" comix all day.
I got to the set and learned the rules of the game: "Steven wears black." And that was the end of the discussion. No comic books, no tattoo, no thrash metal. I got to pick the necktie. I insisted. If you go to see the flick, note the necktie. Only a psycho would actually pick out and buy this tie. And I did have my dick pierced.
It has all turned out very well. I think the movie is right up there with "Planet of the Apes" and "The Swimmer" as one of the great films of the late twentieth century.
Also, I just wrote an essay for American Theater magazine. They'll let us put it online in October, so if you're really cheap, you can wait until October to read my words of wisdom. Otherwise, cough up the money in about three weeks.
I'm writing a TV pilot for Steven Spielberg about cops in the suburbs. This is an enjoyable thing. I'm working with Spielberg and two writers Mike Pavone and Dave Johnson who are very smart. This is going to be a smart show. Hopefully I'll get rich from it.
I've been working with director Dan Algrant ("Naked in New York") on a film version of my novella "Notes from Underground." The script is a pisser. The movie is going to be very good. Dan and I smoke cigars and try not to work too hard.
And I have a small part in the film version of Robbie Baitz' play "The Substance of Fire" which will star Ron Rifkin. I play an agent in the film. Robbie is an excellent playwright and I am honored to be included in the ensemble for the film. Besides Ron, Sarah Jessica Parker and Tim Hutton are starring.
By the way, if you've gotten this far, you are obsessive. I've gotten some e-mail from people calling this a fan club. This homepage is not a fan club. Instead, it is an attempt to bypass the normal media machine. I can't promise to answer all e-mail that comes in, but I appreciate feedback on the work that's out there. I'm especially interested in excellent theater productions happening around the country and the world.
Speaking of which, if you live in the New York area, make sure you see "Ecstasy" at the Judith Anderson theater on 42nd Street. This is the best theater I've seen in awhile.
Yours truly, E.B.
