Barry Levinson
Barry Levinson
Barry Levinsonis an American filmmaker, screenwriter, and actor. Levinson's best-known works are comedy-drama and drama films such as, Diner, The Natural, Good Morning, Vietnam, Rain Man, Bugsy, and Wag the Dog. He won the Academy Award for Best Director for his work on Rain Man, which also won the Academy Award for Best Picture...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionDirector
Date of Birth6 April 1942
CityBaltimore, MD
CountryUnited States of America
I always think that there is the good and the bad of it all.
I think we are seeing a radical shift in the business in general. The studios are making much more of the real big extravaganzas and there are other kinds of films that are coming out. I think you are going to begin to see more diversification that we've seen in the past.
All I try to do is create an atmosphere that seems comfortable enough, that it removes tension and everyone feels free. If they feel free then behaviour happens, small moments happen and that's what ultimately works the best for me.
When I began to think about the head of the family, the storyteller, the rise of television which became the new storyteller, the break-up of the American family as an idea and then Avalon came.
I think it's a promising time which will show a lot of diversification that we've seen in the past.
I got a chance to work with Mel Brooks on two of his films: Silent Movie and High Anxiety.
I worked at a local television station and I got a chance to direct and do all those things - worked kiddie shows, Ranger House show with the hand puppets and things like that.
I never really wanted to be an actor. And that was the beginning of it, I began to write things down and eventually became a writer on a television show.
It's always hard to explain why an audience ultimately responds to a movie.
They're intimidating the networks and levying these fines, so the networks are not sure of what they can or can't do.
A lot of time mistakes are very interesting - you look for the behaviour that's not the one you expect.
First of all, just to get Diner made would have been an achievement in that I got a chance to direct.
I think certain movies work and that is part of the magic of it all. We can't truly define why something succeeds.
Some actors are supposed to be very difficult, but I've not found that to be the situation.