Gianni Russo--Rare 1993 TV Interview, The Godfather

[Music] Jani Russell's Staten Island tell me growing Rose that an island I love it great place before the bridge that I know the bridge is really populated it did it really I think so well you said you were you I work clubs are casinos in Miami club as a comic many years ago and I love that town he's to travel back and forth Staten Island now Robert Louis from Stanley is he really know what she do top high school steady acting when you were there no no no I should have maybe cuz you you were you you came to New York is that it in Manhattan dude no what happened was that my first film was the Godfather that Godfather II of course yes and I just read publicity that they were gonna use unknowns right Jewish doctors would be Jewish doctors Sicilians a piece of scenes over to find out that it was a publicity stunt there were gonna definitely use big actors right as we all know they did so I shot a screen test for myself and submitted it to Paramount and I played Michael Carlo and Sonny uh-huh and was fortunate enough to get to the role of Carlo never did a film never did acting never did anything really but you had a club in Vegas at the time didn't you earn all that without afterwards really yeah the club I yeah I do things in seven years cycles so we're talking about the Godfather being alright 21 you want when years ago made it what were you doing before that though well I was in a London cover you on the cover right no no go ahead I did a lot of business basically and always wanted to be an actor always as as a kid and just was fortunate enough and now I'm back in it after being out of it 14 right right right but that's how I started my career I never studied and it's that now I was just - just a boy Juliano down on South Beach Brandel working with Brando unbelievable experience first everywhere yeah the first filming when you think about it because the first day's work was rehearsal I remember 119 street patsies restaurant in New York City and they said we were just gonna do a cold reading of the script right and everybody read from the page me not being an actor I thought they were gonna turn the air conditioning on or something I know what a cold reading is ha ha and I walked into this room and they were such legends like sterling Hayden and Richard Conte and Marlon Brando and on and on and on then the newcomers the Jimmy Caan's and the Al Pacino's and Diane Keaton's and to see you know the ensemble of those people and I sat down Brenda was very funny because Brenda came up to me and he said I just saw you in something what was it I said I don't know he says it was a film he just did a film that's no he's you have a TV series let's know you I know you didn't do Broadway and everybody on Broadway uh-huh I said no he says what are you doing here I sent playing the role of Carlo that's my son-in-law I said yeah he said Francis come over uh-huh and great he's a wonderful guy all right so family if he likes you he's fabulous I consider him would you consider him the best actor there is around no I would think the best I would think in the last three decades actually there isn't any better and I just had the privilege of working with him again about a year ago and Godfather to know in the freshman a freshman Matthew Broderick and Bruno Kirby it was funny what part did you do in there I did a part that I knew they probably couldn't use and I kept telling Andrew Berg when I said how could you get a release from para Monte Carlo again aha and the character was called and I ran the club for him that he had I see where the fancy dinner was at the end right and I was up there for a long time but unfortunately I only have about one or two minutes at the end of the film right but just being on the set and working with Brando's in education in itself he could teach you more in an hour than the most dramatic teachers wish the Godfather one filmed in New Yorker here it was a Godfather one which is so ironic was filmed most of my part was filmed on Staten Island was it really in your hometown yeah which was scary to go back that way right because you know it's it's as I say I believe in numbers I'm I mean I believe in God but I'm into numerology and this was like a fourth cycle of sevens and to go back because my life changes so drastically every seven years it does yeah it's not a situation where maybe you know I'll just change location I have the same profession my whole life changes its weight loss its careers it's everything and to go back to Staten Island you know and do this film because the wedding scene was on stat know when I married her right my death scene was on Staten Island the baptism was on stat now there was so many things really other than the fight scene with Jimmy and I in the streets that was up in Hall you know right on lights at all but most of my stuff was shot on Staten Island I'd like to see a clip from the Godfather one you brought that saw in Staten Island yeah I'd love to see that clip right now I'd love to see it I think it's great okay what's it pausing it's a car waiting for you outside take it to the airport I called your wife tell her that you he's gonna get out of my sight hello caller Oh buddy that's great Staten Island must been a hero well I was after this film came back oh yeah it must have been a hero there well everybody was so funny because even with Jimmy Caan and all of us we got friendly obviously in rehearsals right and going to Staten Island every day we're all living in New York City at the time because they house most of us in the city and every time we'd get on the island and get on location all your friends all my friends were there we were yelling to me and Jimmy said but who was this guy Island but they didn't realize you know this is where I was born and raised so remarried then when you know this you're married you're single yeah I've been single most of my life you have fortunately ten children come on how can be single we can't publicize ten children you have ten any other honing any other hobbies I mean god you're married now married and very happily married very fabulous little little baby Hondo Antonio a new one a new baby that's the tip ten you're ten weeks old why the Italians always have a lot of children they love children don't they they love kids I guess it I don't know if they love children or they love romance the children are an after product AHA snake but you know I really don't like speaking of the way I'm not proud of the way I have my children really nice I'm very proud of having this baby because I did it right I got married and you know it's wonderful didn't you you had a club what happened after Godfather one what happened - Jionni Russo you disappeared from somewhere I did fro oh yeah why I did I came to Hollywood and I was just not mature enough I guess you know coming out of a film that size and my head wasn't right and it just came here and I just you know what the rolls-royce cars and all the you did it all Hollywood affected me like you wouldn't believe really really and it was it was devastating after you know three or four years I had a big big management and agents are suing me because I had no agent when I signed the film right I just signed myself cuz I ain't have acted before and I went with a good Italian I felt let's take this agency because there's an attack called Jack Gilardi Jack Gilardi I see him yeah he's one of the Shelly winters right the best and Jack was my agent and I guess as I said you know I wasn't ready for California right on I did a lot of films I did a fabulous film right after the Godfather with Tony Curtis called Lepke when I played Albert Anastasia right I've worked with the greatest actors fortunately and I did the four deuces with Jack Palance and on and on and on in fact I just finished working with the director that I worked with 17 years ago Peter Hyams Peter Hyams yes we did a film back then called goodnight my love right would Victor Buono and Richard Boone and Michael Dunn and Barbara Bane's a fat guys pairs casts yeah and 17 years later I'm working as we speak in fact on a film called stay tuned uh-huh that'll be out this summer in July a feature and I was kidding Peter I said I work for you every 17 years but I want to get into something before we go into them film I want to talk about Gianni Russo studying acting did you after Godfather after you looked at yourself on the screen did you just say hey I got a study or or did you study at all no I still haven't studied you still haven't no what I what I'd rather do and maybe I'm wrong about that i I feel that there are so many actors out there right and basically it's what I can contribute to the RO Gianni Russo right in a soul so what I try to do basically I got to know myself better and now I Know Who I am and I feel that I'm very flexible I can become like an enigma how I can become a chameleon I can I have different facets to my own personality now so it gives me the opportunity to take on I just played a German across Gerhardt I do different things now and trying to get out of that gangster pigeon right is that because Johnny Gianni Russo is a loner yeah because you definitely consider a loner here in Hollywood oh why is that I don't know I always was a loner though I've collected very few friends in my life and my best friend right now is my wife and it's a situation where I never had to have these false egos and the entourage is and all of that and I think now approaching my maturity I'm also maturing as an actor and I'm taking on different situations I just did a 2-hour Perry Mason where I play a clothing designer aah-ha-aaaaah Halston or whatever right one room glasses and and I think you know in years to come I will become a great actor and I had the privilege of working in front of a camera and not the theatre groups and not you know the workshops so Gianni Russo really knows himself within himself he found himself he knows himself I don't know if that's marketable well yet yeah I I think I am but again now it's to get it to the marketplace one other time right you know and I think acting is such a privilege when you think of the profession and how many people who want to be actors right and there's only a select few and I've been fortunate enough to support myself with it we're a lot of actors aren't you're kind of spiritual aren't you yeah very yeah yeah I believe you know that and and I'm not one that has negativities you know I'm not thinking I'm constantly positive thinking I like my friends take a role even if it's my role you know I just met an actor on the way over here and I told him about a part that I'm up for this morning to share go get it you know try it you could do it and it's Joe Cortez in fact right and you know I think that's what it should be and this this business right is so so strange the people out here let's see the way I could define them they're just you just did this film right now you're working in this film just tell me about this film you we have the clip you brought no that was completed completed that ones with I have always been a fan of this man since man Flint James yes James Cole Bert it's called the Silver Fox Silver Fox a Tom Selleck produced it did he really really which was interesting and a director that I love is fabulous rod Holcomb oh yeah I've worked for rod so many times with Stephen Canales wise guys when we did the pilot and Riptide and greatest American heroes and he took a chance with me because you know a lot of actors out here once you categorized which I am I'm basically a gangster does that upset you because you are an Italian I'm Italian too you know that's kind of it doesn't really upset me but it does get bother me just a little that they always channels gotta be gangsters well you know I think it's our own fault to the why because I think the majority of the Italian population like to create this mystique whether they are or aren't and I think we're guilty of that you know instead of looking at the Marconi's or the Columbus's of the people of right right you know of the great prestige and great notoriety you know we'd rather associate ourselves to the dark side right right and so I can't say that you know I'm not guilty that either huh so you know I and to cast me as a gangster it's very easy and I've played so many I mean I've done 23 films as a gangster yeah I like to see this next one you're doing right now this is it's a shocker a shocker yeah I like to see it let's say I'm in drag you're in drag yes you are I love it what is as man and wife for the rest of your life [Music] [Applause] waiting to forget something - darling [Music] you got great legs that's all I could tell you see I always wanted to throw somebody through the window I've gone through more window the last one you did yeah you went through it now you throw someone no Barbara Bane's threw me out of window TG relevent Milo yeah I've gone through like I think six windows so when I read the script do you actually go through them or do you have a snap oh yes oh sure yeah of course I do The Godfather was the hardest one to Toby Liza Francis is such a perfectionist and the camera was mounted on the hood of the car right he tried regular car windshields ah as he didn't want the sugar glass you'd see it just break away and everybody knows the old windshields had that heavy plastic and yeah so they waited down my shoes I had steel shoes on the sole shoes so it was kicked that window out tell me about your club in Vegas come on Gianni State Street was it was popular yeah I love Vegas what happen I did it seven years I opened the club in 1981 was a fabulous club and I always wanted to own a club and you shared this club with a lovely singer oh no no that's a myth most people thought that on war Dionne Warwick owned the club or was my partner hi she was my best friend I still consider she's your lover wasn't you know that girl's got a taste of the Dan were working on oh yeah met on a game show a lot of celebrity sweepstakes prank Sugarman's show right after the Godfather soon after it was about 15 16 years and I this is a true story I don't know if you could put this on the air go ahead I leaned over to her and I said you know I've made mala I made love to more women to your music just have to thank you because between her and Johnny Mathis you get a girl in an apartment in New York City and so if that music was great mood music sure and she thought that was very funny we cultivated a friendship and we've done some business ventures uh-huh and that friendship I I mean I have to I mean I have to be honest with you I did Kindle a fire right and she was married at the time and then bill passed on and I got very close to the boys right our two sons which I love yet and a great kids and these are some of the things unfortunately you know when you have a friendship that rolls into a romance right right right it these voids of not being able to see the kids again and all of that because you know you spent 15 years with people that's a long time and I know she's bitter and she should be why should she be better tell me I I because I think I didn't handle it right you know I'm man enough to say I didn't handle the the ending of it right I see and but you know Dionne was very supportive aha to the club and because of her Sinatra and Sammy Davis did my commercials they all came in your clouds all the stars Sinatra everybody he got it they did my commercials Dean Martin Sinatra Sammy Davis in fact every every professional fight in Vegas right Eddie Murphy used to come in with a party afterwards and then perform get on stage great effect Don Rickles who's been a friend of mine forever is the first time he heard me sing was in my own club as a because a good on stage there you and Rickles worked together he got you on so he took me on the road one for a year you know I lived on in Washington DC at the club called the wine room and he was called the glass head Rickles at the time and I was the emcee and he was the star of the show and I brought him on and that's the last time I could not believe I worked with this great guy after yeah and then all of a sudden we came back from Europe arretez Don Rickles in Vegas was a big I mean his act is so unique he's you know where they could do it I mean insulting doing but he's but you can take it from him I've watched audiences on the East Coast in the West Coast much privilege of you know work you're in his opening act singing I was his opening act the Golden Nugget and then also at Resorts International a gimmick City and I used to watch the audiences because you know again I'm a student uh-huh and I like watching reaction what gets reaction course and I don't know how he gets away with it that's but you saying great oh thank you st. great I love to see a clip right now if you you did this where this clip we're showing a show now know this this clip was a a privilege again that Donald Trump gave Donald Trump and the Trump Organization made me a headliner at the New Jersey after a year of traveling with Rickles ie what kind of guy is Donald Trump I don't know him I mean I couldn't say that I know him I just know his ation I think he believed in me and he had a wonderful party for me this is it yeah I'd love to see it love to see this clip right now from you had your turn June say and until home your honor to say what Tamar just say I need black roses need rain and so mushrooms all in vain if you see chance to meet up anytime anyplace anywhere say I was a fool to leave much this book okay and sheet she's alone laying on them told you to say [Music] okay [Music] you bullion glazes the Italian wholly-owned basis well we were both Latin your Latin and romantic and sophisticated you have to correct that a lot of people say that hooyo yeah remind you of me I'm older you're you're not older than this are you really oh yeah God you look I'm older than over really sure so people go up to Julio say you know who you remind me of January so yeah I'd like to see his face uh-huh tell me about films writing directing would you like to do that I like to write I've written you several things but nothing's been produced I like to write producing and directing to me I think you know it's my grandfather used to say you know do what you know that's what I don't even know acting yet I'm still you know pursuing that leave it to the producers and leave the directors and you go there and you just do it now there'll have to be the character and take on the character and you listen to the actor and you react and that's what you do right I'm a reactor based reactor Brando told me that that's it Brando says don't act react that's that's acting I've always tried that you know a lot of times I'll go through lines and I'll talk with the director and I'll say can I lose this line and I says it's always so much verbage let me if I can convince you that I can do it without the dialogue would you let me and cuz it looks you know you take a look you can do things and I think the expression and that's more what I do I think Gianni Russo would you say you had a good time looking back over your life look I said you Grievous like no I think you've had a good time I've had all the privileges and I'm doing what I want to do and you have two children that's wonderful Skippy I don't know how about 20 no but it's wonderful I think it's a wonderful look at you God you look you've had a good time Oh would you do it the same way yeah I think you would change it I would change it a little bit I think I just spent too much money too fast never thought it would end you know I've been broke three times in my life it's as I say that for the IRA but you do marketing but you do marketing right now yeah I love I love cultivating products I left taking new business public and that's fun for me aha acting to me is like someone going to play golf right and it's the greatest pastime of all and at my age I could say you know someone calls me up and says let's go on location for three weeks a month this weeks I can do that uh-huh my associate right now I have a guy in Connecticut that just runs everything I could leave tomorrow morning is my partner and everything here in California you live or in I live in California and my house well basically I'm in three three position really yeah I'm in New York City Las Vegas in California do you have a good time in Las Vegas when you were there and have your club I liked Vegas in the old days I mean Vegas is Vegas and I can't knock it's been there did you were with the best people Sinatra Sammy Davis when the sands are great and at the Riviera Hotel and yeah people used to dress with seats and toys and well that's you you're elegant Wilson you're elegant you're sophisticated you know that is you you like to dress you're not just an Italian guy with a leather jacket on there is isn't there a lot of leather yeah tell me about Sinatra what kind of guys not sure it I don't know him at all oh come on you've been in his cup and you don't know him no he took my baby the other night in Mateos restaurant my little boy it was 10 days old two weeks ago he was there at the time yeah no this is pride he's always there and right and Maddie and I've been friends for a long time and you know I've crossed paths with Frank and Frank has made pasta and we've you know I the greatest time I've had it was in my restaurant with him we sat down one night for hours just talking because Frank Sinatra and I shared the same date of birth the same men at the same hour really 12 miles apart Jersey Tim Logan does that no that's right and as I said I'm I'm into numbers sevens and 12s motivate my life we're both born twelve twelve and when he started to talk to he didn't realize because I became the fan of his when I was 7 years old uh-huh seven years of age he was my alter-ego I was hospitalized with polio at the time and that was his big heyday in the 50s you're paramount Harlan and I read in the newspaper that he was born December 12th and that more or less made me like I had to be real hot and one of the greatest pleasures I have is that the other night he took my little baby ah and was holding on ha ha and you know I wish he held me but he was holding tagging guys you are you kiss each other and hug each other it's been very polite nice you know I can't say he's a friend I really don't know I think Frank Sinatra is so complex I don't think his kids know he's so I mean he's a very very complex man what makes chili and Sinatra so close I'm chilly and II have to ask Julie really because that's something about jelly and Sinatra so tightly closed well I think they neighborhood guys is that what it is yes they grew up together as buddies you have some lawyers you have somebody like that back in Staten Island don't you yeah no I lost him those close friend of uh-huh but songs come on what's your favorite song you like to sing other romantic romantic I love romantic too what's gonna happen with Giovanni Russo you're gonna be doing my mom's cabarets I really uh you know I I think I'd like to capitalize on next year you know 500 years Columbus discovered America I don't care what anybody said I believe he discovered it I mean if they gonna start looking into that ah I'm gonna change the whole world around they're gonna say Alexander Graham Bell didn't does give the Italians a bad name don't they have one thing you know that's really great ha ha but you know I always disputed that Marconi discovered the telephone or not Alexander

Channel: Alan Eichler

Views: 359,574

Rating: 4.7976656 out of 5

Keywords: Gianni Russo (Performer), Skip E. Lowe (Performer), The Godfather (Film), Interview (TV Genre), Television Program

Id: fwHjkkwGSDw

Length: 29min 28sec (1768 seconds)

Published: Tue Apr 10 2018