JFK
Oliver Stone's JFK
The Cast: In Their Own Words
Brian Doyle-Murray (Jack Ruby)
"I love the way [Oliver Stone] works. He works fast. One of the banes of being an actor is waiting, waiting. It's intrinsic in the process, so it's great when somebody works fast. I remember sitting there watching his crew and they were running! Lighting people were running. People carrying camera cases moving at a full trot. I've never seen that on a film before. Then, all of a sudden, Oliver pops up and goes, 'C'mon, hurry up, step on it!' And they started running faster! I don't know how he pulls it out of them, but he does. Involvement, I guess. He's a leader."
"[As I was preparing for the role, I kept remembering how the entire roomful of police jumped on Jack Ruby the moment after he pulled the trigger.] When I got on the set, I saw some of the people who were going to be in the scene. Some of the stunt guys and extras were thugs. I thought to myself, 'These guys are gonna hurt me. They're going to want to look good for Oliver and they're going to pounce on me with everything they've got.' So I started putting the word out, 'If anybody hurts me, I got a knife in my pocket and I'm going to get you.'
"So, we start the scene, and I shoot him and then I get jumped by all these guys. But they weren't too bad. Of course, they're all on top of me. Well, we did a couple of takes and then Oliver came over, shaking his head. And he goes up to the stunt guys and says, 'I don't know, I don't believe you guys. It don't look real to me.' And I thought, 'Great, now I'm in for it. I'm gonna get hurt.' I knew it was coming and it came. Wham! I got hurt. But you know, that's part of it. Oliver lets you know that the stakes are high. You might even get hurt. That's how big a deal it is for him, and he wants you to match his energy and commitment. Which I like. That's part of what makes him great." (1)
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You may wish to see:
Who's Who in the Jim Garrison Case
Jim Garrison's New Orleans Photo Gallery
Articles and resources on the JFK assassination
1. James Riordan, Stone (New York: Hyperion, 1995), p. 389.