Franky G Interview Transcript (Dec '03)

Franky G Transcript Virtually no independent actor had a better breakout in 2003 than Queens, New York native, Franky G (it stands for Gonzales... don't ask). The seventh letter of the alphabet starred in Manito, The Italian Job, Wonderland and Confidence. (December '03). article coming soon

CHRIS NEUMER: Hi, is this Franky?

FRANKY G: Yes it is.

CHRIS NEUMER: Hi, this is Chris Neumer.

FRANKY G: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. What's going on?

CHRIS NEUMER: Nothing. Just wanted to talk to you about a couple of things we touched on when we were shooting the photos in Flushing. The year 2003 was a pretty good year for you.

FRANKY G: Right, right.

CHRIS NEUMER: What kind of response did you get from fans and critics about your performances this year?

FRANKY G: It was great. Like I said before, I do the best I can. If the critics like it, fine. If the fans like it, fine. That said, I feel like I've been doing my job. I've been doing my job.

CHRIS NEUMER: Do the critics or fans appeal to you more? Does respect from either group satisfy you more?

FRANKY G: With money or…

CHRIS NEUMER: Just for a sense of personal satisfaction.

FRANKY G: (laughs) Well, that's when the fans and the critics like my work. All I care about--the money will be there--but it's about doing good work. Working with good people satisfies me. And making sure I did my homework.

CHRIS NEUMER: I think you mentioned this before, the homework, but what does that consist of for you?

FRANKY G: In Confidence you played a tough guy, in The Italian Job you played wrench and in Wonderland you played a detective. Some people--I went to California--they couldn’t believe that was me in Wonderland because I look totally different because I'm always in a suit. But then they see me in The Italian Job and they're blown away because I'm totally different. Then they see me in Confidence and forget it, you know. Wherever I go, I try to find a difference between my characters, you know what I mean? Sometimes I try to bring in some personal experience from my life, like friends of mine who act that way.

CHRIS NEUMER: In Manito you played a guy who is just out of jail, I can't remember if you had a criminal in The Italian Job--

FRANKY G: Yeah, he was an ex-con in The Italian Job, you know because Jason Statham tells Wahlberg that I'm a friend that he did time with.

CHRIS NEUMER: Do you want to get away from the criminal roles to play more roles in suits, I guess even criminals in suits?

FRANKY G: Yes I do. I want to do some comedy. I spoke to some people in Hollywood, they love my personality… well, you know, we've met. They could see some comedy because of the way I act, but that's just me. It's not because I want to do comedy, it's just the way I am, and if I could do comedy I would. I love comedy. One time I went to an audition for a Ben Stiller movie and I walked in and they'd seen me in Confidence and Wonderland, they saw me as a tough guy. I went in because I liked the script, I think they're shooting already, and I went for one of these characters. I knew I wasn't going to get the role, they just wanted to see what I could do, but I had them laughing and they couldn't believe that, but that's just the way I am. It's like I kid around all the time. That's my personality. But that's not what they were thinking. They were thinking I'd come into the meeting, here's this tough guy and that I'd have this attitude, but when I walk in it's like, I'm a breath of fresh air. They think I'm a tough guy, but I'm really cool, you know, we've met.

CHRIS NEUMER: Do you think the fact that--I look at your performance in Manito, I think it's the best work you've done. I think part of that comes from the fact that it's also the longest performance you've give. You're the lead. You're on the screen far more often than anything else.

FRANKY G: I have a bigger part in Wonderland.

CHRIS NEUMER: I haven't seen that yet.

FRANKY G: And I was written into The Italian Job.

CHRIS NEUMER: If you can get Sherry Lansing to go to bat for you, why not? How did you first hear about that?

FRANKY G: I had just finished Confidence and got a call from my agent and they told me that Sherry Lansing wants me to be in this movie called The Italian Job and they don't know what part to give me. I read the script, it was a remake, and I loved it. I met with a couple of people and asked, what part is there for me in this? And they said, we're going to write you in a part. They'd seen Manito, loved it and that's how it came about.

CHRIS NEUMER: Do you think that the fact that played such a strong role in Manito and that you did such a good job as an ex-con that that might hinder you in the future because people will look at you and say, Maybe he could do comedy, but damn he nailed the role of the ex-con really well.

FRANKY G: Yeah, but there's some comedy in Manito as well. In the van. When my emotions are coming, there's anger and other things. There are ups and downs, you know? You hate me or you like me. That's it. I don't always want to be thought of as a tough guy, you know, because I can do other stuff. I just have to prove it. That's all I have to say. People who've met me in meetings and stuff they can't believe how I am. It's a totally different story. People see me in Wonderland and they say "That's you? I can't believe it! Omigod! That's totally different than what you did before.

CHRIS NEUMER: That's when you tell them, "That's why it's called 'acting',"

FRANKY G: (laughs) Exactly. That's what I enjoy. If you're believing it, then I did my job.

FRANKY G: I wanted to be a professional football player, that was my ambition. I played semi-pro for a while. I played for the Long Island Tomahawks.

CHRIS NEUMER: Who?

FRANKY G: The Tomahawks. They're not around anymore, they folded, but it was division two semi-pro. I love the game and I used to kid around with my friends at the job and they told me I should try the acting thing. I never really thought about it. I did some little bits and some extra work and got the feeling. Then I said let me try so I got some headshots done and all that crap and then I got a callback on some off-off-off-off Broadway play and did some other plays, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Does the Tiger Wear a Necktie? I had a little stinkin' small role in New York Undercover. It was alright, but it wasn't for me. I got called for other things but I turned it down because they were sending me to these things for their 10%, these agents, do you understand what I'm trying to say? I rather do off-Broadway plays and get my experience that way than to get sent to these auditions that aren't going to do anything for me. I decided, "I don't want to do this anymore." Because if this is what I have to do, this is corny. I said, "If I have to do plays and not get paid for them, I'm gonna do that." Because that shows you flavor, you're working. If you're just doing these little things that's not going to get you anything, what's the sense of doing it? These small agents just want their 10%. It's not for me. I'm in here for the long haul. I don't want to be considered this big mulk, this musclehead. There's more behind the muscle that you can see. I quit for two years, I got braces on, I started studying in school, I wanted to see if I could get my computer certification as a computer programmer or technician or engineer. So I was getting bored with that and it was for me anymore--the acting was still in me--so I decided to pick up Backstage Magazine and there was Manito. The role sounded good to me. I had like four headshots left so I sent one out. When you send out 120 headshots and no one calls you back, it's like… Well, this time, it was a blessing. This time they called back. So I didn't know what [the film] was about so [writer/director] Eric Eason spoke to me and about 40-60 other guys for the lead role and I never thought nothing about it. Two weeks later, I got another call to read in front of the producers and himself and people who had jobs in the movie. The following week I got the lead in the movie. I prepared myself--I read the script twice because I really, really liked it--and I thought of a friend of mine that went through almost the same way. He has a kid and he he's married, but he's a very religious man now. He did five years in prison and he worked in the Bronx. Now he lives in Queens. I took all my energy from that and tried to prove I'm not just a musclehead and that I have talented and went out and bam. Eric Eason was a plus. The guy, he is very serious about his work. I like that. I like people who are serious about their work because I'm serious about my work. I come prepared, even if I wasn't getting paid. I didn't care about the hours, doing the work was a joy, do you understand? I really wanted to prove to a lot of people, behind this, there's talent. So that's what I did. But with Manito, I didn't know where I was going to go and you've got people criticizing you negative, saying, "You think you want to be a movie star?" I don't think about being a movie star, I'm just doing something that I enjoy doing and it will all come. If it doesn't, I just have to work harder and go to other endeavors. I just want to prove people wrong. If I can do it, anybody can do it. I think you can reach that goal if you believe in yourself and do your homework.

CHRIS NEUMER: You feel that people have a negative perception of you because of the way you look when you first meet them?

FRANKY G: In movies or when I started?

FRANKY G: When I started people didn't believe that I was going to make it. They were like putting me down. These were my own friends, friends I worked with at this job. These were my own people and friends that I like. Some of them didn't support me, some of them even put me down. They didn't believe that I could reach that goal. They say I'm going to be a security guard or going to school forever. You're not going to reach that. But you know what? All the racism. Ah, man. I didn't go in there with the mentality of racism, I go in with the mentality to go in and show what I can do as an actor. But people in Hollywood realize that as a Latino I'm totally different than a lot of people think. I don't want to be stereotyped as just a drug dealer, you know? Other scenarios where they look at me a tough Latino. I can't take the movies like Empire or other drug dealing movies, movies I've seen thousands and thousands of times. It's good in some ways but the next thing you're getting the negative feedback of Latinos. It's like, "Is that all you can do?" We can do other things, but we have to prove it.

CHRIS NEUMER: So you've turned down roles that won't portray you, or Latinos, well?

FRANKY G: I'll turn it down. If it gives me some negative feedback, I won't do it. Show me positive and I'll do it. Then I'll consider it. If you're just giving me negative, what's the sense, man? I saw this again. Is that what Latinos are all about? No. And I don't want that. I want to be different from all that.

CHRIS NEUMER: Going back a topic or two, I just wanted to clarify, you actually got into acting because your football teammates were teasing you?

FRANKY G: Not my teammates, my friends at my job.

CHRIS NEUMER: They were teasing you.

FRANKY G: Yeah. Some of them supported me, don't get me wrong, some of them had my magazine articles on the locker room wall, but these others, this handful was putting me down. If I'd have quit, Chris, I think they would have won. If I gave up they would have said, "I told you so."

CHRIS NEUMER: You had been acting prior to that, correct?

FRANKY G: Yeah, but I took a two-year layoff.

CHRIS NEUMER: Then you got back into it and--

FRANKY G: And Manito came around.

CHRIS NEUMER: Okay.

FRANKY G: Hollywood now knows me. When I first got there I didn't want to sign with no agent. People compared me to Vin Diesel. And let me tell you something, I respect the guy, but don't get me wrong, me and him are two totally different actors, as you know. He does his thing, I do my thing. Two different people. I don't mind doing action if the script is good, but I want to have a longevity as an actor. The money will be there if I can show them that this guy can act. When people given me an opportunity like James Foley did they won't regret it. I give them 110%, just like F. Gary Gray and now John Wells is doing for me. I take my job seriously. I go to Hollywood to work, I don't go there to go to clubs and drink. I don't drink and I don't smoke. I bounced in clubs and that's enough, you know what I mean? It's time to go to work.

CHRIS NEUMER: That's an interesting point. When you go to LA, since you live in Queens, you really do go to work. You don't want to be there any longer than you have to be, but when you're there you're giving it your all.

FRANKY G: That's right. After meetings my friends used to ask me to go out, you know, Franky, c'mon and I'm like "no". I've got scripts to read, I go to prepare. When I get two or three scripts to read I read them and give my analysis of them. I like to talk about my character. What do I think about him? How do I perceive him? I'm doing my homework.

CHRIS NEUMER: You also have your head on straight.

FRANKY G: I grew up in that way. I come to work. The minute I wrap a movie, the minute I have a day off, I'll hang out with you guys. Dinner, whatever. I fly home the next day, I come home. I relax with my girlfriend and my friends and chill.

CHRIS NEUMER: The last thing I've got for you (chuckles)--

FRANKY G: What are you laughing at Chris? What are you laughing at?

CHRIS NEUMER: I'm laughing about the next topic, actually.

FRANKY G: Okay.

CHRIS NEUMER: We were talking about Hollyhood.

FRANKY G: That's it! That's it! This is Hollyhood and that is Hollywood!

CHRIS NEUMER: I have a pretty good idea of what the difference is between the two, but unfortunately nothing you said on tape. What is the difference between the two?

FRANKY G: Hollyhood is when you do a small independent film, like that film I just did I-95. I did that with my girlfriend and nobody got paid. We took actors that were from the hood or what-have-you. It didn't cost much money and was very low budget. New York's got Hollyhood. We joke around like that. Hollywood is with the big monster camera and the hundred million-dollar films and the fifty million-dollar film but when you have a $10,000 film that's Hollyhood! If it gets picked up then, well, then it's Hollywood. (laughs) Manito was Hollyhood. It was shot in the hood! It was shot on the Lower East Side. It was shot in the Bronx, it was shot in the hood and then it went Hollywood. That's it! It took it to a different level. That's my theory on Hollywood and Hollyhood.

CHRIS NEUMER: You'd mentioned I-95, that's the film you made, right?

FRANKY G: Yeah, I produced it. My girlfriend wrote it and co-directed it. It's about four Latino women driving off to Florida, taking I-95 to Florida. Things happen along the way. They decide on Memorial Day Weekend that they want to do something to excite their lives so they decided to go to Florida. How do they get to Florida, no one has a car? So one of them borrows a car and they take I-95 straight. When they're going there things happen. It gets really crazy.

CHRIS NEUMER: Has it played anywhere?

FRANKY G: They're editing it right now. I have to look at it. It was shot on DV, one camera, you know, so the guys who are doing it--some of it was shot inside a studio. It's not going to be, it's not going to look like Manito or what-have-you, but if these guys can edit it right it'll look good, but I gotta see it first, you know what I mean? I helped my girl in that respect. She wanted to get in front--I helped her out. I got the vans, this and that, I'll buy the food. Every little bit counts, but that's Hollyhood. Borrow friends' home, shoot outside without any permits. I'll try to get permits for other things though. You gotta sneak in and sneak out.

CHRIS NEUMER: The very last thing, what are you going to be in next?

FRANKY G: Right now I'm going to be in this pilot called Johnny Zero, John Wells has signed me to a whole deal. That's just the name of the TV shows. I'm the lead. It's about a guy getting out of prison and trying to change his life in the positive way. The story is really interesting and that's what got me. He doesn't want me to stray away from my movies, but working with John Wells is like working with the Steven Spielberg of TV. I couldn't give up that opportunity. It might be shot here in NY too. I'm reading scripts right now and I'll get a green light soon. I just have to wait and see. Hopefully 2004 will be even better than this year. I can't wait for that.