Get out
Columbia Pictures
Reflecting about the incident after a long career, the heralded performer couldn’t even remember what production he was having the meeting about! The rings you would have to jump through and the games the higher-ups play with young auditioning actors was starting to take its toll on Dreyfuss. He grew frustrated after what was probably a power move by casting director and talent executive Milt Hamerman at the time. Recounting the story to TCM:
“I was there for the meeting. And I was on time. And when they came they were 45 minutes late. And I went to get a drink of water, and when I got back to Milt Hamerman’s office, the director said, ‘Why are you keeping us waiting?’”
Most actors would have just sucked it up and taken the insult to try and salvage the meeting and any chance to land another paying role. Instead, something just snapped inside of Dreyfuss who couldn’t take any more crap.
“And I blew. And I really blew. And Milt calmed me down, brought us in. And he said, ‘Okay, Richard, tell us what you’ve done.’ And I said, ‘No. No. Milt, you know what I’ve done. I’ve been here 1,000 times and it’s insulting. The whole thing is insulting, the way you treat us.’”
There was a beat inside the room and then they told Dreyfuss to “Get out.”
It Didn’t Take Long For Richard Dreyfuss To Learn You Don’t Always Say ‘Yes’ To A Role
Universal Pictures
During a recent interview with TCM’s Ben Mankiewicz, Dreyfuss joked about making up a much-needed skill for a cowboy. “It’s the actor’s oath. You know, the actor’s oath is you do whatever it is they ask you to do and you say, ‘I was raised on a ranch outside of Las Vegas. Of course I know how to ride.’” (Dreyfuss was raised in New York.) At that time, Dreyfuss didn’t turn down any part, although he learned fairly early on that sometimes it’s better to stick to your guns and keep your integrity intact.
Get out
Columbia Pictures
Reflecting about the incident after a long career, the heralded performer couldn’t even remember what production he was having the meeting about! The rings you would have to jump through and the games the higher-ups play with young auditioning actors was starting to take its toll on Dreyfuss. He grew frustrated after what was probably a power move by casting director and talent executive Milt Hamerman at the time. Recounting the story to TCM:
“I was there for the meeting. And I was on time. And when they came they were 45 minutes late. And I went to get a drink of water, and when I got back to Milt Hamerman’s office, the director said, ‘Why are you keeping us waiting?’”
Most actors would have just sucked it up and taken the insult to try and salvage the meeting and any chance to land another paying role. Instead, something just snapped inside of Dreyfuss who couldn’t take any more crap.
“And I blew. And I really blew. And Milt calmed me down, brought us in. And he said, ‘Okay, Richard, tell us what you’ve done.’ And I said, ‘No. No. Milt, you know what I’ve done. I’ve been here 1,000 times and it’s insulting. The whole thing is insulting, the way you treat us.’”
There was a beat inside the room and then they told Dreyfuss to “Get out.”
Most actors would have just sucked it up and taken the insult to try and salvage the meeting and any chance to land another paying role. Instead, something just snapped inside of Dreyfuss who couldn’t take any more crap.
“I was there for the meeting. And I was on time. And when they came they were 45 minutes late. And I went to get a drink of water, and when I got back to Milt Hamerman’s office, the director said, ‘Why are you keeping us waiting?’”
There was a beat inside the room and then they told Dreyfuss to “Get out.”
“And I blew. And I really blew. And Milt calmed me down, brought us in. And he said, ‘Okay, Richard, tell us what you’ve done.’ And I said, ‘No. No. Milt, you know what I’ve done. I’ve been here 1,000 times and it’s insulting. The whole thing is insulting, the way you treat us.’”
I set a different goal for myself
Fortunately for Dreyfuss, the jump from television to movies wasn’t an impossible task. He had impeccable timing and came up during a magical time in California when George Lucas and Steven Spielberg were coming into their own. Promising to be more selective in the roles he went out for, Dreyfuss was at a crossroads in his very young career. The direction he chose allowed him to cross paths with two filmmaking giants. The same year he appeared in a walk-on part in “Gunsmoke,” he landed the role of Curtis Henderson in George Lucas’ coming-of-age classic “American Graffiti.”
“So, on my way to the car I remember distinctly knowing that I felt better doing that than I would have doing the role. And so, I set a different goal for myself which was to be very picky. And when you’re doing one-day parts and two-day parts, the little ones, you’re not picky.”
