Colleen Camp (Actress and Producer) on Longevity as a Hollywood Chameleon

Podcast: Don't Kill the Messenger with Movie Research Expert Kevin Goetz 
Guest:  Actress and Producer, Colleen Camp
Interview Transcript:

Announcer (00:02):

There's a little-known part of Hollywood that most people are not aware of known as the audience test preview. The recently released book, Audienceology, reveals this for the first time. Our podcast series, Don't Kill the Messenger, brings this book to life, taking a peek behind the curtain. And now, join author and entertainment research expert, Kevin Goetz.

Kevin Goetz (00:24):

Real character actors are chameleons and completely change from role to role. I mean, they disappear and transform. My guest today is indeed a master of transformation, but not just as an actor. Colleen Camp, who has enjoyed a six-decade career in front of the camera, has also had a five decade career as a movie producer, seamlessly switching between the spotlight and the producer's chair. As an actor, Colleen has graced screens in over 150 roles including such diverse films as Clue, Die Hard with a Vengeance, Wayne's World, and American Hustle. As a producer, she's helped to orchestrate cinematic magic on over 25 titles, including She's Funny that way. Father Stu, and Monstrous. You, my dear, are a force to be reckoned with. I love you. I had to say it first. Welcome, Colleen.

Colleen Camp (01:20):

I love you. I love you. Why did you say it first? <laugh>. Because I wanna tell you, I love you and you've actually been in my life because when I've been at the focus group screenings, which you're brilliant at, and most recently in a movie I had that just came out, which I love, and you were so enormously helpful At the Gates, which just opened, and I'm an executive producer on it, and I really want people to see the film. It's won three festivals, including the Savannah Festival, and it's also won a Latin American film festival in New York. But what's interesting and, and why I bring it up is because distribution, as you know now, which is so much of your field in how movies get placed, marketed and distributed, is very challenging. And I don't know why I'm extrapolating on this, but I just produced also a film called Day of the Fight, which is Jack Houston's directorial debut, which is brilliant really. And it was in competition in Venice and it stars Michael Pitt, who was from Boardwalk Empire. And because Jack and I worked on a film that I produced called Above Suspicion.

Kevin Goetz (02:35):

Oh, I remember that. 

Colleen Camp (02:36):

You remember it? Wonderful picture, thank you. With Amelia Clark and Jack. And then I put Jack in a play that Barbara Broccoli and I produced called Strangers on a Train at the Gielgud in London. 

Kevin Goetz (02:49):

They have remade that movie, Strangers on a Train, I mean so many times because it's such a great story. It's a great story, a lifetime, like multiple iterations.

Colleen Camp (02:57):

I know. It's a great, great, great.

Kevin Goetz (02:59):

And I wanna mention Barbara Broccoli, it happens to be one of your best friends, best friends. And you just said you stayed over last night for your girls' night. 

Colleen Camp (03:05):

Well, we do because when

Kevin Goetz (03:06):
Whenever she's in town.

Colleen Camp (03:06):

She said, when I stayed there, it's like having triplets, <laugh> talk about defining other roles. I love what you said because the other day I was talking to somebody and they were talking about Apocalypse Now, and of course I did Apocalypse Now, Smile, and the Game of Death, and Death Game all in the same two years. And I was thinking about such diverse.

Kevin Goetz (03:29):

The variety, the diversity.

Colleen Camp (03:30):

Diversity of those parts.

Kevin Goetz (03:32):

Let me ask you something, Colleen. So you are just a force, Barbara describes as having triplets, but when you walk into a room, I mean the room changes, it stops. You're like a gravitational pull that you have. I love you. And as an actress I find you terribly concentrated and so immersed. How do you compartmentalize like both parts of yourself?

Colleen Camp (03:59):

I love that question. For some reason lately I've been surrounded by many Geminis. I'm a Gemini and Barbara's a Gemini and Angelica, her daughter's a Gemini. And I don't know hugely about astrology, but I do know that Geminis have multiple personalities, dual personalities, meaning that they are able to compartmentalize in a sense. I can be very, very regimented and extremely concentrated on something and when I'm creating a character, whether it's the French Maid in clue or whether it's, uh, a, a movie called, uh, the Game of Death opposite Bruce Lee, who was dead when I did the movie, or whether it's the last movie Betty Davis did called Wicked Stepmother, or American Hustle, where I play The Wire Girl. And it's interesting because in that movie, Alexander Payne, who I worked with on election, and I played Reese Witherspoon's mother and the mother's very controlling and you know, under the guise of being of course very supporting, supportive of Tracy Flick, you can really see how Tracy Flick is driven because the mother's driven.

Kevin Goetz (05:11):

I wanna, can you promise me you'll donate your brain to science <laugh> how you retain names, information, credits. It's really astounding. I so admire you for that. And you remember important facts. There is a, there is an authenticity to you people that don't know you would describe you as chaotic and they would describe you or dismiss you even as a whirling dervish. And I have to tell you, there is so much depth to you. I get you in such a real and authentic way. I love being around you and we vibe, you know.

Colleen Camp (05:50):

Oh, I love being around you and what I appreciate is the way you feel about me or Barbara or David or Russell would say someone who doesn't get Colleen, I don't trust. Ooh. And it's an interesting statement because…

Kevin Goetz (06:04):

It is an interesting statement.

Colleen Camp (06:05):

And Jerry Bruckheimer said, yeah, crazy Colleen, it's the best cloaking device. That's a very interesting way of saying.

Kevin Goetz (06:12):

It's almost like sending you in for reconnaissance. 

Colleen Camp (06:14):

Yeah, that's right.

Kevin Goetz (06:15):

And then going, okay, here's the real skinny on that.

Colleen Camp (06:18):

Do you know what's very funny about what you just said?

Kevin Goetz (06:20):

That's so funny. Yeah.

Colleen Camp (06:21):

Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>, Fred Rus at this screening of At the Gates the other night at The Grove said, you just got the biggest compliment I've ever heard. This CIA operative that I brought, I said, you brought a CIA operative. He said, yes. And he pointed out that you'd be a great spy. And it was only because I asked somebody a question, but it was like an obvious question. I asked him how it was working with somebody and he worked with them. So it wasn't like I was asking some clandestine question, but the way the person responded was, why are you asking me that question? It would be like saying, Colleen, do you have a daughter? Why are you asking me that question? But you could learn a lot from people, and maybe that's because of acting and or I've always felt like that acting depends on behavior and idiosyncratic behavior.

Kevin Goetz (07:09):

Living Truthfully under imaginary circumstances.

Colleen Camp (07:12):

Sandy Meisner.

Kevin Goetz (07:13):

Sandy Meisner,

Colleen Camp (07:14):

Love you, love that. You know Sandy Meisner, so I study

Kevin Goetz (07:16):

With you, I studied with Bill Esper, bill Esper

Colleen Camp (07:19):

And Captain Galey.

Kevin Goetz (07:20):

Yeah. A genius. Yeah, genius.

Colleen Camp (07:22):

Genius. But you are genius. 

Kevin Goetz (07:26):

And what's interesting is that Meisner was your primary.

Colleen Camp (07:28):

There was a woman named Joanne Baron.

Kevin Goetz (07:30):

Oh, Joanne, of course.

Colleen Camp (07:31):

I brought her to Los Angeles. She had worked with Bill Esper. Oh yes, she did in New York. And I brought her out here to do her first class ever. And she started the Joanne Baron, Baron School School before she married DW and Martha Coolidge and I were in that class.

Kevin Goetz (07:48):

Is that where I met you at Martha's wedding?

Colleen Camp (07:50):

Oh my God, I met you. I was at Martha's wedding. 

Kevin Goetz (07:54):

Of course. I know. So was I and so was Neil. And Joanne was there.

Colleen Camp (07:56):

Yes. But I introduced Joanne to Martha. But didn't I know you before that?

Kevin Goetz (08:00):

No, you didn't. I, Martha, I knew before because I knew her from Rambling Rose even before that. But you and I go back maybe to your ex-husband, John Goldwyn.

Colleen Camp (08:10):

Yes. 

Kevin Goetz (08:13):

And like you used come with John to so many of the screenings that we've had years,

Colleen Camp (08:14):

All of those. I was at all those post and

Kevin Goetz (08:16):

I did all your father-in-law's screenings. In fact, my husband worked for Sam.

Colleen Camp (08:20):

I know he did. And what's crazy, I was with Howard Cohen yesterday. Howard used to work for Sam too.

Kevin Goetz (08:26):

Howard and Eric.

Colleen Camp (08:27):

Yes. And Howard used, I was going to see

Kevin Goetz (08:30):

Howard Cohen and Eric Daroff, by the way.

Colleen Camp (08:31):

Amazing. And Howard, of course, they had…

Kevin Goetz (08:34):

Roadside attractions.

Colleen Camp (08:35):

The best. And I had worked with them on Manchester by the Sea. Oh. But that was a whole other, the capacity. Oh, not as a producer or as an actress, but somebody who was helping them with a campaign on that. Yes, yes. And we are so connected because the genius of you, and I really do mean that when I say about distribution, and I bring it back to Kevin Goetz because this year I understand 400 movies were in Toronto, and three were sold. And I believe that movies are communal. And I believe that movies still should exist in theaters. And I believe it's proven that they can. And what was interesting to me about a little movie called At the Gates, which cost under a million dollars, it's timely. It's a, it is a wonderful story. It's about a woman that is working in an affluent house in Hancock Park, and basically she is threatened with deportation and the couple hides her, and she has her son with her. And the son starts to suspect, why are we being hidden in this house? And they come from El Salvador and I love a movie like that. Or I love a movie like Day of the Fight. And these movies are more challenging to get distributed.

Kevin Goetz (09:52):

Well, Irena's Vow I just saw, have you seen?

Colleen Camp (09:54):

Wait, how is that?

Kevin Goetz (09:55):

Wonderful? And it's again, about a Polish woman who hid 11 Jews during Nazi Germany at the Major's House, the Nazi major's house.

Colleen Camp (10:10):

What?

Kevin Goetz (10:10):

Under his floorboards. 

Colleen Camp (10:12):

How is that possible?

Kevin Goetz (10:12):

I know, it's unbelievable. And it's a quite a wonderful story. Oh my gosh.

Colleen Camp (10:16):

Well wait, where do I see it? And has it?

Kevin Goetz (10:17):

We'll get into it afterwards. I'll tell you. I know Jeff Sackman produced it and it's, oh God, he just sent it to me. And I'm hoping that it really takes hold. I want to ask you, of all the directors you've worked with, and I wanna name a few of them here. Francis Ford Coppola, Herbert Ross, Peter Bogdanovich, Martha Coolidge, Philip Noyce, John McTiernan, Ang Lee, Alexander Payne, Rob Reiner, David O. Russell. I mean, does it get any better? Who have we missed? Well, there's a few, but really?

Colleen Camp (10:48):

Well, Nicholas Rogue.

Kevin Goetz (10:50):

I know it's crazy.

Colleen Camp (10:51):

Uh, the Whites brothers, Paul Whites, Jaylee Thompson.

Kevin Goetz (10:54):

Is there a particular director that really got you well, and as a result of that, you really delivered a performance that you're quite proud of?

Colleen Camp (11:05):

You know, it's interesting because I'm thinking about Jonathan Lynn and I'm thinking about Peter Bogdanovich and Alexander and David O. Russell and Herbert, but all in very different ways. And, and I'll clarify, Peter Bogdanovich wrote the part for me and they all laughed. And he wrote it because he thought I had a specific cadence and a rhythm and a humor that was almost like a thirties actress, whether it was Rosalyn Russell or

Kevin Goetz (11:32):

Like the

Colleen Camp (11:33):

Howard Hawks kind of banter.

Kevin Goetz (11:35):

Like banter

Colleen Camp (11:36):

Banter.

Kevin Goetz (11:36):

His Girl Friday kind of thing.

Colleen Camp (11:37):

His Girl Friday. And in fact, what's interesting is that later, Jonathan Lynn, when I was cast in Clue, which is the antithesis of the part in They All Laugh, but Jonathan asked everyone to watch, and we watched his girl Friday as a research before he went into Clue. Now why would His Girl Friday? Because Jonathan Lynn as a brilliant theater director in London, a national theater, and he wanted a rhythm and he wanted the people in clue the actors to overlap. It's brilliant, Clue. I've seen it recently. And it really holds up. Does it hold up? It not only holds up, it's a classic. And then I did another movie with Jonathan Lynn called Greedy with Michael J. Fox and Kurt Douglas and Phil Hartman and Ed Bagley and, and Jerry Worms and Kristen Dunst played my daughter. And if you look at those movies, Jonathan Lynn, very specific rhythm. Peter had me playing a very different type of character because They all Laughed is hey dogs, honey, I can lock him up, <laugh>. You know, it's like, whereas in Clue. But duck upstairs and I'm frightened of the dark, will anyone go with me? I will, I will. No, thank you. So it's Michael McKean was so funny in that Chris Lloyd. So I'm thinking about rhythm and I'm thinking about character and…

Kevin Goetz (12:58):

And the great directors understand rhythm.

Colleen Camp (13:01):

They understand rhythm. Herbert Ross understood rhythm. When I went and auditioned for Funny Lady and I was also in My Blue Heaven. He and Nora Kay interviewed me and I had just played the human slave in Battle for The Planet of the Apes

Kevin Goetz (13:18):

<laugh>,

Colleen Camp (13:19):

God opposite Ronnie McDowell and Kim Hunter. 

Kevin Goetz (13:22):

Oh God. How great.

Colleen Camp (13:22):

And it was hysterical. And it was really funny. And, and, and I went in to meet with Herbert. I was 19. And Nora, who was a force of nature, and I went into the audition and the lines were, I, I'm in bed with James Cann and I see Fannie Bryce and I go, oh my God, you're Fannie Bryce. And Nora said, do it with a southern accent. And I said, okay. Oh my God, you're Fannie Bryce. I, every time I see you, I laugh so hard. I can't. She laughs hard you fall outta bed because she is. So, it was a very funny scene. And it was all about rhythm. It was all about an accent. And I had done an earlier film right after that. 

Kevin Goetz (14:02):

Of course you could have played it. 

Colleen Camp (14:04):

Well that's true.

Kevin Goetz (14:05):

Is are you Fannie Bryce?

Colleen Camp (14:07):

That's correct.

Kevin Goetz (14:08):

You're I am just,

Colleen Camp (14:09):

You're right.

Kevin Goetz (14:10):

So taken with you <laugh>,

Colleen Camp (14:12):

By the way, what I love about what you just did. Yeah. Because it's true. And I did another film where I called Sissy Spacek, 'cause it was the Nick Roe film. And I played a character with Gary Oldman and Theresa right after Russell, after Gary had done Prick Up your Ears. He said, your name's Orlando. He said like, that sounds like the name of an airport. And I go,

Kevin Goetz (14:32):

<laugh>,

Colleen Camp (14:33):

I don't like that <laugh> the name of an airport. What do you mean the name of an airport? 

Kevin Goetz (14:40):

So that sound and how much funnier is that than that quicker rhythm? Yes. 'cause it's like,

Colleen Camp (14:44):

Yes, it's, so, you're right. It's very different. And I was in a movie with David Carradine and Jennifer O'Neill called Cloud Dancer. And I actually was in an airplane that flew upside down and I was doing a Texas accent. It was very funny. I'm, I don't like flying in this kind of airplane, you know? And so that was a different kind of an accent. Accents define class, they define character depending on how you do that accent. When you think about Vivian Lee and Gone With The Wind, it was an accent that was, you know, oh, I just don't like going into parties. It's, you know, like, or whatever. Her accent…

Kevin Goetz (15:24):

Had that pouty has that, it was a different kind of accent that that, but when she, what's so interesting, that fragility that she had. Oh yeah. But then, but then when she asserts herself towards the second half of the film, you're like, she uses that and she grounds her voice.

Colleen Camp (15:38):

Oh, she uses that. Yes.

Kevin Goetz (15:39):

And her voice gets grounded. It does. And she uses that and it's suddenly like there's a woman that comes out.

Colleen Camp (15:44):

I don't care about that. It's like, they're right. Yeah. It's like when Rhett turns her and says, wait, those aren't the hands of a woman. And she's, I don't care, just gimme the money. <laugh>. It's like all of a sudden. Exactly.

Kevin Goetz (15:55):

You know what I mean? Yeah. On a dime, just gimme money.

Colleen Camp (15:57):

On a dime. But I mean, it's brilliant.

Kevin Goetz (15:57):

Are there any particular lessons, gimme one actually, that some director taught you that has stayed with you for your career because you work with so many geniuses?

Colleen Camp (16:09):

Well, I'll tell you two directors to go back to say favorite directors. Peter Bogdanovich was one of my best friends and a genius. And I produced with him and I wrote a script with him and I was in, of course, They all Laughed with him. And the department's just funny that way. And I think he's an absolute genius.

Kevin Goetz (16:27):

Well, you know, Ben Menkiewicz was a guest of mine just recently, and he did that incredible multi-part podcast on Peter Bogdanovich. You've gotta hear it if you haven't. It's really outstanding.

Colleen Camp (16:41):

Well, I want to, because I would say Peter taught me a lot in I said rhythm. And I remember in one of my scenes, and They all Laughed, which was a scene with John Ritter where I touched his body because he said he wasn't feeling very well. And I said, why don't I give you a massage? Why don't I give you a touchasis, and I give him this very funny touchasis, it's my way of seducing him. But Peter said, we had seven minutes and it was a four page scene without a cut. He said, let's just try to get it before lunch. And Peter was…

Kevin Goetz (17:11):

Wait, did you do it?

Colleen Camp (17:12):

We did. I did it. And I found from Peter, my first take was always the best, my first or second take. Now that isn't always the case because the way he works.

Kevin Goetz (17:23):

Well what, why did he rehearse first?

Colleen Camp (17:26):

I wish there were rehearsal. There was no rehearsal. I mean…

Kevin Goetz (17:29):

So then why with him was your first best?

Colleen Camp (17:31):

There was kind of an energy, ah, kind of an excitement. Ah, it was kind of a, you were just revved up. Whereas in other things, like, I remember doing a movie called Smile, and Conrad Hall was the DP and Michael Richie was the director, and it was incredible film. And he wanted the characters extremely natural as though they were not actors because the, many of the actors in that movie were acting opposite locals in Santa Rosa. It was this American. 

Kevin Goetz (18:00):

So to match the energy in a way.

Colleen Camp (18:01):

It was an American Miss Pageant. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. It was Bruce Dern and Barbara Felden. And, and I packed a suitcase as a talent. And I remember when I auditioned for the part, I had a different kind of rhythm. Like, hi everybody, I'm packing a suitcase. And I got the part that way. But when we were filming it, it almost was though Michael Richie did a docu style because he didn't want it slick. So I remember one of the lessons I learned, he said, you've gotta do it my way. Because he wanted it very natural. So I would say, uh, hi everybody, I'm Connie Thompson and I, I packed my suitcase and I put my naughtiest nighty right on top. So it was like scared and there was a different cadence. But to go back to what you said about lessons, I learned something on a Happy Days episode where I never did more than the one episode. And I 

Kevin Goetz (18:58):

With Gary? Yep. Gary Marshall.

Colleen Camp (18:59):

Yeah. And what was really, really interesting is this particular episode, it was directed by Jerry Paris.

Kevin Goetz (19:07):

Okay.

Colleen Camp (19:08):

And who I later recommended to Direct Police Academy two, which I starred in and Police Academy four.

Kevin Goetz (19:15):

Was that what Sharon was in?

Colleen Camp (19:17):

Yes. Sharon was in four, and I learned a big lesson. I made a mistake and I learned from it. But I stopped myself after doing a scene with the Fonz. And I was Rose and they were filming, and I had a mulch and I brought it out to the car and I spilled it by accident all over 'em <laugh>. I went, oh, I'm really sorry. And they said, why did you do that? You should have kept going. It was a happy accident. Absolutely. You spilled something. That is a great lesson. It was a great lesson. And I learned from that point, and it really, really helped me. Because when you work with David O. Russell, David O. Russell likes happy accidents. David O. Russell's very improvisational. So other people

Kevin Goetz (19:59):

He's sort of brilliant. Isn't he?

Colleen Camp (20:00):

Brilliant. And so you're working with David, and I remember I was doing a scene playing The Wire Girl, and I'm all excited and I'm in a scene and I'm getting to a wire. No one's made me important. And Amy Adams and Bradley Cooper come in and they go, oh, wit champagne, and we need you to send this wire. I go, oh, you know, I I'm the wire girl. Nobody ever asked me to do anything like that. And then David goes, you love cats, off camera. And I mean, it's like he'll throw you something and all of a sudden I'm like, looking up. He goes, don't say the lines, but you love cats. So all of a sudden I look up and on my desk, David O. Russell has put four pictures of cats, I mean, just outta the blue. And I went, oh, there's Barnaby, he likes to play the piano. So it was kind of a spontaneous moment. Oh gosh. Is that great? And so that's also…

Kevin Goetz (20:49):

I love those stories.

Colleen Camp (20:50):

That's a great lesson. But with Alexander Payne, he's very precise about words and he's really smart about words. And Bob and Lou Lowell Gant on Greedy were also, you know, they, they loved the words. And of course they also…

Kevin Goetz (21:08):

Well, they're writers.

Colleen Camp (21:08):

They're writers and they offer improv. But, but David was much more improvisational. So I would say lessons to be learned is always be ready to improv. If you have a scene that happens and that's something happens in a scene that's an accident, and you just go with it.

Kevin Goetz (21:24):

Absolutely becomes very human. Human.

Colleen Camp (21:26):

Becomes very human, becomes authentic.

Kevin Goetz (21:28):

And, and, and when writers, I mean like great writers, they wrestle with a period with a comma. Right. They don't just arbitrarily. Correct. So it's important to respect that. I think. And you know, I'm curious because you are like this ball of energy. Do, do you have a particular fun moment on set where you were like, this is a ball, I don't want it to end. Please God, let's bottle this up. 

Colleen Camp (21:53):

Oh, do many times, like on Clue, I think on Clue, because the actors were so brilliant. Madeline Khan, Eileen Brennan, dude, Eileen Brennan.

Kevin Goetz (22:03):

I mean, how much better do you get? 

Colleen Camp (22:05):

You don't.

Kevin Goetz (22:05):

Better Eileen Brennan.

Colleen Camp (22:06):

And, and Leslie Anne Warren and Jim Curry and

Kevin Goetz (22:09):

Leslie Anne Warren.

Colleen Camp (22:09):

And Chris Lloyd and Michael McKean and Martin Mull. And when you are working with Genius in the same way that Phil Hartman and, and Michael J. Fox on, on, we didn't know he was ill or even on, They all Laughed, to work with Audrey Hepburn and Ben and John Ritter and Patty Hansen and Dorothy Stratton.

Kevin Goetz (22:28):

They make you better.

Colleen Camp (22:29):

They make you better. And those are actors that are, they make you better. Yeah. That are generous and they make you better. And even Rob Reiner, when I worked with him briefly, these are brilliant, brilliant directors. And when you are working opposite brilliant actors, they really, really make you better. Wow. By getting to know these directors is how I merged into producing. And I think that on Death Game, the movie that I did in 1975 was Sandra Locke and Seymour Cassel, it was Eli Roth who saw that movie and flipped over it and said, oh my God, this is incredible. You're brilliant. I said, what are you talking about? He said, Death Game. Death Game that was done in 1975. And Jack Fisk was the production designer and Sissy Spacek and Bill Paxton did the props. And he said, I wanna remake it. And then we did Knock Knock. I wish to God you'd been in those previews. I put Anna de Armas in it and oh, it was Keanu Reese and Eli directed it.

Kevin Goetz (23:25):

Eli is so wonderful.

Colleen Camp (23:26):

Eli's movie came out, Thanksgiving.

Kevin Goetz (23:30):

Oh, successful. Very. I know. So he's unbelievable. He's terrific. And I loved working with him on it. And so funny when we had lunch.

Colleen Camp (23:36):

He Loved working with you.

Kevin Goetz (23:36):

He's a really terrific guy. And I remember when we had lunch a few weeks ago, it was like Eli, Lee Daniels.

Colleen Camp (23:43):

I know Lee. I just worked with Lee.

Kevin Goetz (23:44):

I know. And you were so good in that movie. You, you so really are terrific in it. And I just wanna say that thank you. We, we know everybody. It's like between the two of us, it's almost nutty.

Colleen Camp (23:55):

I could spend like a week with you and then you wrote the brilliant book and you're a brilliant writer. And you also gave me amazing advice once, I mean more than once, but you know, because I've acted in 200 films and because I've produced movies, I am so passionate. Like you and I enter an arena where if I love a movie, if I love The Pianist, or I love Brokeback Mountain, or I love Slum Dog Millionaire. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative> or I love Parasite. When I love a movie, I really want that movie to have the opportunity. And so when I look at movies that aren't getting the full distribution, they should, it's not purposeful. Sometimes it's because of so many things that have happened with streaming with COVID.

Kevin Goetz (24:43):

When we come back, I want to really get into that. And that's kind of your sort of next iteration of your career. We'll be back in a moment,

Announcer (24:58):
Get a glimpse into a secret part of Hollywood that few are aware of and that filmmakers rarely talk about in the new book Audienceology by Kevin Goetz. Each chapter is filled with never-before-revealed inside stories and interviews from famous studio chiefs, directors, producers, and movie stars, bringing the art and science of audienceology into focus. Audienceology, How Moviegoers Shape the Films We Love, from Tiller Press at Simon and Schuster. Available now.

Kevin Goetz (25:30):

We're back with the great Colleen Camp, the funny and hysterical Colleen Camp, the marvelous advocate for emerging filmmakers, young filmmakers and legends alike. She's just extraordinary. And Colleen, during this little commercial break, asked me to give her a back massage.

Colleen Camp (25:49):

<laugh>.

Kevin Goetz (25:49):

And she just started with, tell us what you just said.

Colleen Camp (25:53):

No, it's so funny because David O. Russell said what he wants to do is film me all over the world asking anybody for a massage. Now that could get you in trouble because it's literally…

Kevin Goetz (26:03):

A hundred percent.

Colleen Camp (26:04):

It could get you in trouble. They can't do that anymore. No, you can't do it. But the funny thing is, is it has nothing to do with any sexuality. My back hurts. So I need a full-time trainer I know to be walking around with me. And it's ridiculous.

Kevin Goetz (26:16):

I've got a great one too, I'm gonna send you a a person.

Colleen Camp (26:19):

It could be because I have a little gravity going on above, but my back hurts.

Kevin Goetz (26:24):

And talking about gravity in your particular gravity, you were a Playboy centerfold. 

Colleen Camp (26:30):

Well, yes and no. I was that, I was never a centerfold. I was an, excuse me, I was an ersatz centerfold. What does that mean? It means that I was, well, if you see Apocalypse Now, I play a Playboy bunny. I know that. And so then in order to do that, they had to replace a photograph on a boat, which is the, the boat that they were traveling along the river in. And they had to have a shot of me in a black wig with my top off to match the original centerfold on the boat, which was of Linda Carter. And Linda Carter was Oh wow. Had a Wonder Woman series. And I originally…

Kevin Goetz (27:09):

My father has an obsession with Linda Carter.

Colleen Camp (27:11):

<laugh>. Well, she's incredible. I've only done nudity in three movies and they were all in the same year. In Apocalypse Now, Smile, and which is bizarre, and Death Game. Death Game was the, as I told you, the, it was the movie I did with Seymour Castell and Sandra Locke. The other movie, of course, Smile was, you didn't see me front on. It was Melanie Griffith, me, Michael Richie.

Kevin Goetz (27:34):

There were no, there were no intimacy coordinators there?

Colleen Camp (27:36):

Oh no. And it was very tiny nudity. And then Apocalypse Now.

Kevin Goetz (27:39):

Did it make you uncomfortable or?

Colleen Camp (27:41):

Well, it did. And on Apocalypse Now, when I first met on it, and they said, would you do nudity? I said, no. And then Linda Carter was cast, it's a true story. And then Linda Carter couldn't do it. And Linda Carter had a big contract with Wonder Woman, they called.

Kevin Goetz (27:59):

And she already had done some of it. That's what you said, you had a match.

Colleen Camp (28:01):

She had already done this ersatz phony centerfold. Gotcha. Because she was never a playmate. And so in order for legal reasons, oh, they had to replace a prop on the boat. And so I had to do this ersatz centerfold. Gotcha. 'cause it was a centerfold on a boat. And so I was never actually a playmate. And the irony is I'd been asked for years to be a Playboy centerfold.

Kevin Goetz (28:25):

And are you friends with you Hefner? Were you friends with Hugh?

Colleen Camp (28:28):

I had a known, a photographer named Mario Castelli. And Mario Castelli shot a lot of the Playboy Centerfolds and through Cunningham and Associates, and a woman named Pauly Paluso, believe it or not. I did a lot of modeling during that period. When I say modeling, you know, Touch of Sweden Hand lotion, fashion, Max Factor, Maybelline, you know, and it was great 'cause I, I'll never forget it because I was a bird trainer at Bush Gardens and I made $2.

Kevin Goetz (29:00):

Macaws. Right?

Colleen Camp (29:00):

Macaw Parrots and Cockatoos. And I made $2 and 67 cents an hour. And then I was, before that I worked at Navi Knits and I made $1 and 65 cents an hour.

Kevin Goetz (29:11):

That was like a knitting store?

Colleen Camp (29:13):

It was a clothing store, and it was called Navi's. And it was in Panorama City. And so when I got a modeling job where I could make $50 an hour, and I mean crazy stuff like resort or magazine, fork, truck, <laugh>, you know, like fork truck lifting, fork trucks. I mean, I I'm saying it wrong.

Kevin Goetz (29:32):

You were, you were in college then?

Colleen Camp (29:35):

I was. I only went to one year of junior college, which was Valley Junior College. I started working professionally when I was about 19. And the first show I ever got was Love American Style. And it was my first agent.

Kevin Goetz (29:49):

Love American Style.

Colleen Camp (29:49):

That's right. It was with Karen Valentine. And it was my agent was Mary Grady. And so I was able, 'cause I was singing in this group called Peter Lance and Peter Lance had this group of girls, and Mary Grady came to see me there and said, can I see you any place else? You’re a great singer. I said, oh yes, you can come to my bird show. So I performed bird acts at Busch Gardens.

Kevin Goetz (30:13):

Busch Gardens was in the Valley, huh?

Colleen Camp (30:14):

That's right. In Northridge. So I had a great show there. It was very, very, very funny. And, but I know you asked me an important question a minute ago.

Kevin Goetz (30:23):

No, I asked, you said, becoming a Playboy centerfold.

Colleen Camp (30:26):

Oh, right. Of course. The massage, the centerfold and all of that.

Kevin Goetz (30:28):

No, no. I, I wanna segue though to something that's important. Okay. Uh, because you and I can kibbitz like all day afternoon. Exactly. So you have a business that for the last, I don't know, decade or so, or if not a little bit more than that, has really been an advocate for so many movies. You love filmmakers.

Colleen Camp (30:50):

I love filmmakers. You love movies. And that's why when you said who's the best director you've worked with, here's what's interesting about that statement. I feel all of these directors, and I really, really, really mean it. I feel I've learned so much. You know, Nick Rogue said he cast me in Track 29 because he saw me in a movie called The Joy of Sex. And Martha Coolidge, who I love, and she's brilliant. I watched Valley Girl recently, and I was in Valley Girl and I was in Anna Joy and I was in Joy of Sex. And Nick Rowe cast me. He said, you're a character actress. And he said, I saw you in Joy of Sex and I thought you were incredible. And when I think of Martha Coolidge…

Kevin Goetz (31:28):

And you say that because you were quite a looker, and so you, you were more than an ingenue. Correct. Is that what you mean to say? Right. You, yes. You were a character actress. Yes. You could play. Yes. And that goes back to my introduction as a chameleon.

Colleen Camp (31:40):

And so that's,

Kevin Goetz (31:41):

And any actor wants to be a character.

Colleen Camp (31:42):

That's true. Let's face it. And so though I had a, a, a kind of a look that was a, you know, a femme fatale type look. And it, I really always loved playing characters. And I was 26 when I did Valley Girl. And Sheila Benson wrote an article in the, I believe it was the Harold Examiner, where she said, you know, Colleen Camp looks younger than the Valley Girl daughter. And, and we were pretty much the same age, about three years apart. But the thing is, not that I looked younger, but she was making a statement. And I loved character parts. I loved doing the seduction with David Schmoller and Morgan Fairchild and Andrew Stevens. I loved doing parts where I would play a lot of different characters. And even in Sliver with Sharon, I played a character named Judy Marks. I have red hair, I'm her right hand. And I, I love playing character parts. But I think that because I, I've always thought a big picture when I'm in a movie, I don't think of just my part. I think, and this is a producerial skill and probably why I'm passionate about supporting movies, because I always looked at, the director has the hardest job on that set because he has to keep it and the producer, but the director has to keep everything going. And he has to have all of the storylines in his head.

Kevin Goetz (33:06):

And make every decision.

Colleen Camp (33:07):

Make every decision and deal.

Kevin Goetz (33:09):

And thrown upon her or him.

Colleen Camp (33:11):

And deal with different personalities. Exactly. And personalities and actors work in different ways. And so it's hard because I, my dream is working with David O. Russell is spontaneous and wonderful and Alexander Payne incredible, Peter Bogdonavich incredible, Jonathan incredible. Martha Coolidge, incredible Penelope Spirits in Wayne's World. I mean, she's a genius. Yeah. And I mean, I have been so lucky and I think really lucky Francis Ford Coppola Apocalypse to be in seminal films. And I think the one thing is you never know whether it's Wayne’s World or Valley Girl or Police Academy two Jerry Paris Game of Death, the last Bruce Lee movie, Bob Klaus. I brought John Berry into that film. That's how I met Barbara Broccoli. I mean, I helped John Berry score that movie 'cause John Berry was going through a very difficult time and he needed to get a huge payday fast for a movie. And I called Andre Morgan and Raymond Chow, and he ended up scoring the Game of Death. He had never scored a kung fu action film. He was doing the Bonds. And I was at a party. And that's where I met Barbara Broccoli with him after I had helped get him that, that uh, that gig, that job. So I think I've always been a person that loves to put people together.

Kevin Goetz (34:31):

Ph yeah. Galvanizer, that is a superpower of yours.

Colleen Camp (34:34):

And so I think I have such a love of directors and Oliver Stone said to me recently, I wanna really tap into your brain 'cause your memory is incredible. And it's almost like you're a research machine because I think though, as you said, people might think it's chaotic. I'm actually present, though it may appear that I'm operating on, on multiple levels. Like as Bob Thurman. Correct. A Tibetan scholar would say it's like a tornado. Yeah. In a good way.

Kevin Goetz (35:04):

Like a tornado in a good way.

Colleen Camp (35:06):

Absolutely. But I'm actually absorbing the information because I'm passionate. And I found that filmmakers would have a movie like say The Pianist. And there was all these other movies, whether it was Gangs of New York or About Schmidt or you know, all these other movies of Michael Caine movie. And I thought that Adrian Brody was so brilliant in that film. Oh. And I thought the film was such a masterpiece. I really felt it was a little bit of an underdog film. So, and I got very passionate about it.

Kevin Goetz (35:36):

And that's what it is. You see,

Colleen Camp (35:37):

It's about passion.

Kevin Goetz (35:39):

It is. And then you'll get behind something. 'cause you can't sell something if you're not passionate about it.

Colleen Camp (35:43):

A hundred percent.

Kevin Goetz (35:43):

You just said to me today, we won't get into the specifics, but there was an award show which you were asked to fill with talent, and your line was, well, I don't do that. I can only do it organically. I can invite someone to a movie that I love. That's right. To show up. That's right. But I can't wrangle talent. That's someone else's job.

Colleen Camp (36:02):

Well, it's true. And I think that what you just said is very smart, because unless there's a motivation.

Kevin Goetz (36:09):

And by the way, people want to work with you and do favors for you or show up for you, thank you. But they wanna do that because there's something that they're gonna gain a good movie experience.

Colleen Camp (36:20):

Exactly.

Kevin Goetz (36:20):

Help their charity.

Colleen Camp (36:21):

That’s true, whatever it’s gonna be. Right. Thank you. And that's the point, what I said.

Kevin Goetz (36:25):

So you don't want that currency that's e expensive and that's, that's meaningful currency. And you don't wanna give that away.

Colleen Camp (36:32):

Or give that away. And, and what I said, which was very interesting, and I said, because I love the people that were asking me that I said, but unless I know, and there were some illustrious people that were being awarded, but I said, I am not a person that just delivers somebody.

Kevin Goetz (36:47):

No, but tell me about your business now. I want to hear. 

Colleen Camp (36:50):

Well, I'll tell you what that is. So it's

Kevin Goetz (36:52):

And how did it evolve? What's it called by the way?

Colleen Camp (36:54):

It's not even a business. It's, here's what's,

Kevin Goetz (36:56):

You have six or seven employees.

Colleen Camp (36:58):

Yes. Here's what it is. I run three different operations and that is producing movies. Like I just produced them. Right. I produced five movies this year. Right. Which is unusual. One was in competition in Deville, which was a little movie called Wayward, which I love. One was in competition in Venice, Jack Houston's directorial debut. Right. One was called, Here's Yani, A little tiny piece with Julia Armand, Rosanna Arquette, and Joey Cortez. One is a movie I love with Don Johnson and, and Jack Houston that Andy Tenet directed one was this little movie At the Gates. And one is a movie with Margot Robbie that I did. And Tom Ackerley called Borderline. Now what's interesting,

Kevin Goetz (37:40):

You produced that with them?

Colleen Camp (37:41):

Yes. I executive produced.

Kevin Goetz (37:43):

We worked on that. Yeah. Three of those movies. Terrific. It's a beautiful movie.

Colleen Camp (37:46):

And I, I wanna talk to you about that in detail. But what's interesting is that it, I don't even how to describe it. I'd see a movie like The Fighter, and I'd say, this is brilliant. And relativity had never had any movies that had had awards. And I believed it was award driven. And because I have a shorthand with directors, 'cause I'm an actress and a shorthand with producers because I've acted in so many films and produced and produced yourself. And I know the lay of the land that I would say, no, this has to be done like this and we need this person to do this q and a. And no, David, I believe that this is a better strategy. And so I kind of, by accident almost, it's a producorial skill mixed in with your…

Kevin Goetz (38:36):

Connections, with your passion for movies, with your, and

Colleen Camp (38:39):

Putting people together a,

Kevin Goetz (38:40):

Whatever it is.

Colleen Camp (38:42):

Whatever it is. 

Kevin Goetz (38:43):
Or whoever it is.

Colleen Camp (38:43):

Yeah, exactly. So I think what happened is for many, many years I was doing this out of love and commitment. And then what happened is…

Kevin Goetz (38:53):

You started to be good at it.

Colleen Camp (38:54):

Well, and what would be crazy? Like some,

Kevin Goetz (38:56):

And you'd start to see results.

Colleen Camp (38:57):

Well, and you'd see, okay, Black Swan, it's really hard. What are we gonna do? But no, I know what we do. We do this. Or Parasite's a perfect example. I saw the movie June 1st, 2019 with Miky Lee, and nobody had seen this film in California yet. And, but it had just won Cannes and I was blown away. Wendy Goldberg wanted me to meet with Miky Lee.

Kevin Goetz (39:22):

Miky is just a force of nature.

Colleen Camp (39:23):

And brilliant.

Kevin Goetz (39:24):

A force of nature. She just invited me over to her house for one of her dinner salons.

Colleen Camp (39:28):

Oh, she's amazing. 

Kevin Goetz (39:29):

And she's an extraordinary woman. She gave me, uh, homework to watch five or six movies.

Colleen Camp (39:34):

Oh, she's a genius.

Kevin Goetz (39:35):

And last night I just wrote her, I said, I finally finished the last movie.

Colleen Camp (39:39):

Oh, she should be on your podcast because there's no one. She's a visionary. And Bong Joon-Ho told me actually something very interesting. He said that Miky Lee in a cultural environment where women haven't always been first, the first in in line. And that's everywhere. And I, I would say in the world, and I'm not saying that to belabor, but I'm saying the strides she's made in Korea, where…

Kevin Goetz (40:04):

It's unbelievable.

Colleen Camp (40:05):

That she's had,

Kevin Goetz (40:06):

It's a multimedia empire. 

Colleen Camp (40:08):

Oh, multimedia empire. And by the way, she's a genius and is revered and knows movies and is a cinephile and went to Harvard and…

Kevin Goetz (40:17):

Did she go to Harvard?

Colleen Camp (40:17):

Oh, a hundred percent. 

Kevin Goetz (40:19):

And you know, you know, I just saw this, she showed us at, at after dinner, she showed us a video of all of the different verticals that are within, I guess CJ Entertainment.

Colleen Camp (40:27):

Oh, she's a genius.

Kevin Goetz (40:27):

But the overall company, there's food element, there's, it's crazy. 

Colleen Camp (40:31):

Well, there's no one like her. And when I saw Parasite, I wept uncontrollably and I said, this is the perfect tale of karma.

Kevin Goetz (40:39):

And you really were instrumental. I just want to say for our listeners, in the success of that movie, what did you do? Thank you. What did you do specifically that you think helped drive interest and that award kind of imprimatur?

Colleen Camp (40:52):

Well, I think because I had worked on some international films, and I think that because I believed in a lot of international films where it was Cold War or Roma, or movies that I, I worked on passionately. The thing that struck me about this film was I knew it needed, uh, a certain caliber of q and a. If you're doing a q and a, if you're trying to figure out who Bong Joon-Ho is, who could do that q and a, Bob Avan, David O. Russell, Guillermo del Toro, who are those auteur directors that are on a very different playing field, but are interesting and they're interesting.

Kevin Goetz (41:32):

By getting by that kind of gravitas behind that movie, I think is even in the moderator who's…

Colleen Camp (41:38):

Correct. Because if you have David O. Russell, like he did, we did something with Spike Lee and it was like a happening because his enthusiasm and his genius about film. And so you are watching happening, you're watching David O. Russell at the Writer's Guild do an interview with Bong Joon-Ho. So this was like the most exciting thing because when you're going through a campaign or you're going through trying to get people to see your movie, it can be exhausting. It's a lot of work. But if you're energized by it and you're dealing with people that give you energy, energy is everything. I said this to my daughter who's amazing. I said, Emily,

Kevin Goetz (42:18):

Hold on, Emily, let's talk about Emily. Stanford graduate. Love her. I remember her into horses. Right. Because,  when she was a kid, she was.

Colleen Camp (42:27):

She loved horses. She loves, because I know that's from Martha.

Kevin Goetz (42:29):

Because Martha's into horses.

Colleen Camp (42:30):

Because Martha, she had her own horses, but she's only been on horses a few times. She wasn't like a big horseback rider. She was into basketball and swimming and musicals. And she was starred in Bat Boy.

Kevin Goetz (42:43):

She's a show runner?

Colleen Camp (42:44):

Well, she is an executive producer writer. And she did Emily in Paris. She was in Spell, she did Amy Schumer show. She just wrote a script for Karen Roosevelt and Elizabeth Gabler, which is a wonderful wedding story, which is fantastic. She was in the Sunday company of the Groundlings and she did…

Kevin Goetz (43:04):

As a performer?

Colleen Camp (43:05):

Oh, she's brilliant. I'm saying to Emily, why are you not writing your own show? She is truly one of the funniest, brilliant.

Kevin Goetz (43:14):

Well look at the background that she has with her mother as Colleen Camp. Her father is John Goldwyn. I mean, it's pretty impressive. John's a super, super impressive guy. He is. And you are another force of nature. So there's no surprise that Emily is as accomplished as she is and as gifted as she is. Thank you. What do you think is going to be the movies to look out for? Not yours, because we've already talked about yours. What are some others that you're excited about?

Colleen Camp (43:43):

The funny thing is when you talk about mine, which is interesting, I feel a little guilty because of the strike and because I was gone for two months in Savannah producing a movie with Rebel Wilson called Bride Heart, which is a combinations of Bridesmaids and Die Hard. I came back and my little movie opened and Bob Bernie's opening it. And of course these distribution companies need funding to make sure these movies can come out. I have to literally sit down and watch the movies I have not seen.

Kevin Goetz (44:16):

Do you see The Holdovers?

Colleen Camp (44:18):

I love Holdovers. I love that movie. I think it's brilliant. Me too. I think the movie is incredible. I put Da’Vine in Bride Heart, a comedy based on her performance in Holdovers. It's the antithesis in Holdovers. But Alexander Payne is a genius. It's such a simple movie. It's such a simple story, but it's emotional.

Kevin Goetz (44:39):

When I saw that movie, I told Alexander, I said, your genius is that within the first five minutes you craft a world. Yep. Like a universe.

Colleen Camp (44:49):

He does.

Kevin Goetz (44:50):

That we are immersed in through the camera work, through the angles, through the Yes. Just the panning shots and the rhythm. You wanna talk about Rhythm, rhythm. He understands,

Colleen Camp (45:01):

He understood that, oh, he's a genius.

Kevin Goetz (45:02):

Rhythm of the movie from the get go. And I said, I so appreciated that. And I think he really was very.

Colleen Camp (45:08):

He loves,

Kevin Goetz (45:09):

Uh, grateful for that comment.

Colleen Camp (45:10):

He loves your input. 

Kevin Goetz (45:12):

That they, he's been, I've worked on almost all of his movies, I think maybe all of them.

Colleen Camp (45:16):

Well, I love working with him in Election.

Kevin Goetz (45:18):

He's just, he's such a talented man and and a really good, good guy too.

Colleen Camp (45:22):

A good person. And incredibly smart. He speaks like seven languages. I mean, Alexander is so thoughtful and you know, Alexander, to his credit, when we were looking, he called me up nine months ahead of Emily's college tours. And he, he said, hi, it's Alexander. I said, I wanna take you on a college tour. I said, what? He said, we're gonna go to Stanford and Berkeley 'cause he went to Stanford undergrad. And I'd gone back east with John, my ex-husband, who I was married to for 19 years to, we went to the East coast, but Alexander and Emily and I went to Stanford in Berkeley. And it was so funny. I said, well, oh, I'm all excited you went to Stanford. Oh, who do I call to school? He said, call the touring office and just ask someone. The tour times are, I mean, he didn't pull rank. He never, there's no pretense to Alexander. And I think, and, and we went and it was, and Emily chose Stanford, I think based on the experience, to be honest. Wow. That we had going with Alexander on that tour. I think it's an incredible movie. And did you see AV Rockwell's movie? No. Which is wonderful. It's 1,001 out there.

Kevin Goetz (46:29):
No, there's so many very good movies.

Colleen Camp (46:31):

Good movies. And have you seen, I mean, I what other movies were you working on that you were doing previous? 

Kevin Goetz (46:37):

Oh, so many, so many.

Colleen Camp (46:38):

I mean, how do you do that? Because I…

Kevin Goetz (46:40):

I don't talk about, I can't talk about. You can't about individual movies', but I can tell you it's a really, movies are alive and well is all I can say. And we are very excited to have some very good things that are opening. And that's a great thing for…

Colleen Camp (46:55):

No does that box office and Holdovers? 

Kevin Goetz (46:58):

No, not just box office. I'm talking about just beautiful content. 

Colleen Camp (47:01):

Yes. 

Kevin Goetz (47:03):

Beautiful pictures, beautiful movies. Yes. And as you know, the American Cinematheque is near and dear to my heart.

Colleen Camp (47:07):

I know it is. And you had to postpone it, right? Because of the strike. Yeah. Yeah. Because Helen Mirren, who is a genius. Oh, wonderful. And was being honored. Yeah. But that had to push…

Kevin Goetz (47:15):

Yours truly.

Colleen Camp (47:17):

I know.

Kevin Goetz (47:17):

Along with yours truly.

Colleen Camp (47:19):

Well, you deserve that honor and spades. Ah, thank you. Thank you so much. And that was probably very disappointing for you to have to postpone it.

Kevin Goetz (47:26):

Well, the good news on the postponement is that I got to raise a little bit more money. And so we will be well over a million dollars. Well, towards a really good cause that is near and dear to both of our hearts, Colleen, which is going to a movie and seeing it on a big screen.

Colleen Camp (47:46):

A hundred percent. 

Kevin Goetz (47:47):

And enjoying that experience.

Colleen Camp (47:48):

And that's why, I mean, we have to, when I say box office, it's because I wanna prove, and Barbara Broccoli and I were talking about this and David and I were talking about this. If a movie has some box office is how it's gauged, then more movies will be distributed. 

Kevin Goetz (48:05):

Gotcha. More movies be beget. More movies. More movies and more good movies beget even better movies. Like that's, it's a, it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. Creativity is at all-time high. I refuse to say that things are, yeah. They're not the way they were, but they're, I refuse to say that they're worse than they were. That quality is going down. It's just not true. It's just not true.

Colleen Camp (48:26):

I agree with you. And I think that…

Kevin Goetz (48:29):

And you and I are supporters of those young Yes. Emerging. Oh. Because we still need to be,

Colleen Camp (48:34):

Well, that's right. And, and what I, to go back to that on this award show, you know, was very interesting because what I said was, have you seen a movie called The Accidental Getaway Driver? I said, because my dear friend's best friend in the world, Barbara Broccoli and Kimberly Stewart, who are always about quality, diversity, different kinds of films. And they used their power. I said, Barbara had wanted to make Chill for 19 years, 18 years. And because she's such a brilliant producer, and I think because she's done so many diverse things, I'll see her names on movies where she's executive producer. I said, you did the Muhammad Ali documentary. I said, oh, oh no, I, I helped. But she, when I was really thoughtful about, was thoughtful, is that when the director won Sundance, I said, why is this movie not had domestic release yet?

Colleen Camp (49:28):

It has foreign with Sony. And it's a true story. It's about a driver that picked up three fares late at night, and they held him hostage. They were, they were escaped convicts. That's a true story. And it was, it's a beautiful film. And what I said, interestingly enough to the people that were doing this show, I said, you know, this is an important movie and this is an important movie because this director won Sundance. It says something. And I believe what you just said about American Cinemathequ is that if you can raise money, raise it for the quality of what you love and the passion of what you love.

Kevin Goetz (50:09):

Because there's so many good causes.

Colleen Camp (50:10):

There's so many good causes.

Kevin Goetz (50:11):

But do what's near and dear to your own heart.

Colleen Camp (50:14):

And so what I said to this, and I, I feel very grateful to them. 'cause I said, why don't you honor some movies that haven't necessarily been splashed all over the, the place. Correct, correct. But are those little engines that could, you know, when you think about what Gary Getzman and Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson did a Nina Olas on my Big Fat Greek Wedding. I've never seen anything like it. That movie opened soft and they went on this tour like a whistle stop.

Kevin Goetz (50:42):

Nia’s amazing. She's gonna also come on this show. I just talked to her the other day and and she's gonna be a guest here.

Colleen Camp (50:48):

Isn't that wonderful?

Kevin Goetz (50:49):

I so appreciate that, Colleen. We can talk forever. I have to just say, you are a treasure in my life.

Colleen Camp (50:54):

You're a treasure in my life.

Kevin Goetz (50:56):

I love you so much. You are a gift to the industry. I think truly a whirlwind of passion, of energy, of talent, of making people feel good about who they are. And that's a gift. My love. And I love you.

Colleen Camp (51:15):

You're making me cry, <laugh>. You really are. Because you care. And you know, I have to say something, Kevin, I love you so much and you're making me cry because it brings to mind something I read in Walter Isaacson's book about Steve Jobs and someone named Lee Klau is coming in to pitch something to him. It was for the Mac account. And Lee Klau said, I'm never gonna get this. I'm never gonna get it because I'm not with. And Steve Jobs said, no, I want you to come in. I think you're gonna come up with a good campaign. And it was, of course, think different. And what was interesting is what grabbed Steve Jobs who was crying spontaneously, buckets of tears. Walter Isaacson said, is when, and it's so interesting, he pitched it with passion, purity, and excellence. And that's a very rare combination to have those three things.

Kevin Goetz (52:09):

Well, you have them, my dear, in spades. You do. And well, thank you so much. To our listeners, I hope you enjoyed our interview. I encourage you to check out some of the films that we discussed here today. For other stories like this one, please check out my book Audienceology at Amazon or through my website at KevinGoetz360.com. You can also follow me on my social media @KevinGoetz360. Until then, I'm Kevin Goetz, and to you, our listeners, I appreciate you being part of the movie-making process. Your opinions matter.

Host: Kevin Goetz
Guest: Colleen Camp
Producer: Kari Campano
Writers: Kevin Goetz, Darlene Hayman, and Kari Campano