By: debbie lynn elias
For every reporter or journalist, there is always that one interview that you covet. The
one that you want above all others. For me, that interview has always been David Boreanaz. To those that know David’s or my background, or anyone affiliated with WPVI-TV, that may seem strange, given the fact that our fathers worked together for over 30 years at the very familial WPVI and that David and I first met some 30 years ago. With an 11 year age difference, the irony is not lost on the fact that we both had similar college majors (i.e., film, tv, communications), both ended up in Los Angeles, both worked in television albeit on different sides of the camera, both inducted our fathers into the Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame, and both grew up as children of tv broadcasters – a truly unique experience. We also have a deep love for family and Philadelphia. But, despite these aspects of shared history, father friendships and an occasional bumping into each other on various tv sets, we never managed to hook up for an interview; that is until now.
Starring David, along with Carla Gugino and Marley Shelton, THE MIGHTY MACS is the true story of women’s basketball coach Cathy Rush and the Mighty Macs of Immaculata College in, where else, Philadelphia. Set in 1971-72, Immaculata was near bankruptcy and struggling to stay afloat. A woman ahead of her time, and now forever immortalized in basketball history, Cathy Rush was hired as women’s basketball coach, and in true Cinderella fashion, in her first year took this second-lowest seed team to the very first women’s AIAW (NCAA) tournament and title, in what would become an Immaculata dynasty.
Although David Boreanaz was only 3 years old at the time, I was in junior high and remember Immaculata fever sweeping Philadelphia. Some years later, in his teens, David met and was befriended by NBA referee Ed Rush. Little did he know then that some 25 years later, the stars would align and he would be portraying Ed Rush in the story of Ed’s wife, Cathy.
So it seems only fitting that I finally catch up with David in a laughter-filled chat on family, the business, Angel and Booth, as he promotes his latest film, THE MIGHTY MACS.
Hello.
Well, hello son of WPVI‘s Dave Roberts!
[Laughing…a lot] Okay….Who’s this?
You have daughter of WPVI‘s Ed Elias on the line.
Oh my God! That’s classic! If only I did the weather, huh? [STILL laughing] You know what? If I had any opportunity, I probably would have loved to have done sports. That would have been fun.
I can so see you slipping into Joe Pellegrino‘s or Steve Levy‘s old chair!
Nooo!! [laughing] Don Tollefson, baby!
Yeah, Tolley. But Joe preceded Tolley though.
Oh he did?
The ladies loved him even more than Tolley.
I’m a papa! Come on now!
So, how the hell are you? How’s Dad and Mom? [Note: Dad is famed WPVI weathercaster Dave Roberts. Mom, Patti, was a singer.]
They’re very very well. They’re great. Fantastic. They are actually in DC right now. They went there to meet with the Irish ambassador and for a private party with all the senators.
Ooohhh!
Aren’t they just mucking it up? [laughing]
Your dad is something else. My dad treasured his friendship until the day my dad died.
Yeah. It’s fantastic.
And your dad has always been so kind to me over the years.
The salt of the Earth. I can’t hold a flame to him.
You do quite well.
Oh, no! [laughing]
But he‘s got a couple years on you though.
He’s the man!
I still remember the first time I met you. You were probably 14 or 15 running around the station [WPVI].
That’s classic.
And wearing polyester, I might add!
I was wearing it in this movie, so I just rolled right into it. [laughing]
Your part as Ed Rush has to be a dream come true for you.
In a lot of ways it was. Inspirationally, it was because I was able to read something….I’ve always wanted to do a sports project. I still do. I love sports, any kind of sports. But this has a lot of heart to it. I didn’t know anything about the story. Then I read it and it just hit me. This is a really great opportunity. This is a really great script that had depth and heart and character, and itfs a true story. And this woman, and the evolution in the 70’s and the movements and everything that was going on at the time. Just to be a part of that, whatever it was, I was excited.
Then when I found out it was the role of Ed Rush, I’m putting things together. Ifm like, I met this guy. That’s where it became too strange for me; going in and meeting with Carla [Gugino] and then reading for it and knowing that in the back of my pocket, I know this guy. I’m sending out [vibes] to all the good juju gods that I really wanted to do this role. And I was just fortunate to get it. Knowing that I met Ed Rush when I was a freshman at Malvern Prep, and he took me to basketball games and I met Charles Barkley, Dr J on the floor and Darrell Dawkins in New Jersey when they [the 76’ers] were playing the Nets. It was the time in basketball when it was really pure and there were incredible “just athletes” on the floor that were spectacular from Julius Erving to just ballet moves in the air. It was just an outstanding time to watch basketball. Now, it’s like they’re on strike! It’ ridiculous. And to do a sports film that has quite a degree of conflict and evolution rather than just a straightforward shot, for me, it’s really just to great to be a part of it. I was happy.
I‘e got 11 years on you age-wise and I remember the Immaculata explosion. A girl I went to school with was actually courted by Immaculata to get her to join Cathy Rushfs team.
That’s crazy!
Now, one of the big scenes, where you’re wearing the brown leather jacket…
[laughing] Oh yeah! The outfits are great. And Terry Binder who did the costumes, she’s a Philadelphia person. She went to high school with my sisters Bo and Beth, who she is friends with. So I knew all these people.
And you got to be at home and eat cheesesteaks and hoagies.
Yeah! I felt like the Mayor of Philadelphia!
And Action News did a really nice feature piece on you [and the filming].
It was great! I expect them on the red carpet tomorrow night. [Note: Our interview took place on October 13th, and yes, Action News was there Friday night.]
Where’s the premiere going to be?
Kimmel Center. I’ve never been there so I have no idea what it is
I wish I was able to be there for it. I just got back from Philly about 10 days ago. So, how do you keep changing up your career? You started with some smaller roles, you really made a name for yourself as one of the most beloved vampires in history…
Yeaaahhh…
…and you move on to “Bones”. Then in between you stick in there Alan Cummings’ movie “Suffering Man‘ Charity”, “Valentine” and a few other things. Do you like to mix it up like that?
I did. There was a time after I shot “Angel” where I was kind of really burned out. Just the time frame. I talk to directors and producers and show runners in the business and gaffers and people that have worked on that show, and your Friday night just went right to Saturday morning. Their turnarounds were crazy. We’re talking 14 hour days. Shooting stuff that was just beyond what they expected. Free falls and stunt moves and flying in front of green screens….we were shooting mini-films at that time. And the time that we had and the budget was greater because of just the situation we were in. But it was just so draining. It was a very very physically hard show to do and just to be able to step outside of that and step into small little films and work with Dennis Hopper and then I did “These Girls” in Canada. That was a cute little movie. And I enjoyed all these little roles.
Then I struck out a development deal at ABC and had a show that I really liked. It was a hit man for hire series that Pat Kelly had written. But once it got to print, ABC decided not to pick it up. There was another pilot I was involved in called “Pros and Cons” and then I read “Bones” and was immediately struck by the character development. It felt like “Romancing the Stone”. [I] was just immediately drawn to the sensibility of it and the characters. I had a meeting with Gail Berman and she offered me the role and I was excited and thrilled because “Pros and Cons” didn’t go anywhere. It got cancelled. [laughing]
Even so, it was an entertaining time in solidifying a lot of personal goals that I had; to be able to transform from one series to the next series. I was very fortunate to do that and make an imprint in television and be comfortable in doing that, and going on as a producer and a director. Now I find myself just creatively exploding with newer goals and ideas that I want to go after. So, it’s given me the opportunity to open so many doors. I am so fortunate and been behind it with a lot of love and laughter and having the family has been great. To be able to share this success with your family is really what itfs about.
Without a doubt. Over the years I know the two dads would chat about us.
Yeah.
My dad told me a funny story years ago where somebody had walked up to your dad and asked, “Are you David Boreanaz’s father?” It was like the first time anybody had said that to him. And he cracked up.
[laughing] Wow! This is funny!
And then some years later my dad calls me up and says, “Well, now I know how Dave [Roberts] feels.” Someone had been reading my reviews and asked him, “Is Debbie Elias related to you?”
That’s funny! [chuckling]
With our background, I think we have a unique perspective that other people don‘t get.
That’s true. It’s very true.
With “Bones”, you have really made Seeley Booth into an iconic character, especially through wardrobe with the socks, the belt buckle, sense of style, etc. What do you draw on to create Booth?
For me it’ always been the relationship with Emily Deschanel. To be able to work off of her and her energy is really an adventure for both of them [Temperance Brennan and Seeley Booth]. We’ve worked extremely hard with our acting coach [Ivana Chubbuck] for many seasons and I’ve always checked in with her. We don’t want to rest on our laurels as far as being comfortable with it.
[I] take on a sense of style with [Booth]. Like the socks. I brought all that stuff to the pilot. And when we shot it, it was, “What kind of character do I want to bring? What do I want to bring? Sense of style? Alright.” We’ve got the belt buckle, which was never the “cocky” belt buckle, just a different belt buckle. The funny pens and the socks are all just little things that add to give him a different step and a different feel when he’s in those shoes. He’s not your normal FBI guy in a lot of ways. People that I’ve worked with, some U.S. Marshals and some undercover cops, told me what they did. Instead of the notebook being open, you get index cards, different colored ones, and you through them around the desk and put a picture together. That’s the kind of stuff that I would take on and add to my character. So, you draw on experiences from what you feel from other people who have worked in that line of work.
You‘ve also ventured into directing. You‘ve done, what, 5 episodes of “Bones” already?
I’m gonna do an off-shoot show, “The Finder.” I start prep on that October 31st. Then I’ll direct one of those, which will be fun. And I’ll probably do two “Bones” in the back half [of the season].
Will you be jumping to the big screen?
[Laughing] Well, I am with this film [THE MIGHTY MACS]…
To direct, David, to direct!
[Laughing] It would be nice. I think I would like that. I think I’d like to start off with a short. Nothing too crazy. I would love that. I would love to shoot a pilot. That would be fun. I find that to be a strong sense of something I would definitely key in on. I love both aspects of it. I love the process of directing and acting. I can do it both. It’s tough but it’s fun. As crazy as it sounds, there’ a lot on your plate and I’m good at just going around and using both subjects.
I love to ask second generation entertainment people, and given our common thread past, it means even more, “What‘s the greatest thing you’ve learned from your father that has helped you get through this business?”
The greatest thing I’ve learned from my dad…hmm. Just to be there for other people. Just to listen. He’s such a great listener. One of his most amazing qualities is to be able to take time and listen. And listen with your heart rather than anything else. Not your mind, but your heart. That’s very hard for people. So, I take that from him.
And what did you take from working on THE MIGHTY MACS?
A sense of community. A sense of ”you can get it done.” It’s been awhile to get this film made, to get it released, to get it to the place where everybody seems comfortable with it in a way that it should be. For me it was just a sense of strength and working together as a team, inspiration and that you can overcome obstacles.
I know you’re on a tight schedule but before you run…
Yeeesss?
Other than the fact we need to hook up and do a real in-depth interview at some point when you‘re back in LA, what is the greatest gift that acting has given you?
Just to meet people; the opportunity just to meet so many great people and to work with some pretty amazing people – Bruce Dern, Dennis Hopper – just to hear other people’s experience and stories and to know that wefre all human.
I can‘t thank you enough for finding a few minutes for me today. Give my love to your dad and mom.
No, thank you so much, I really appreciate it. Love to you and we’ll continue down the road to figure something out [for another interview]. We’ll do it!
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THE MIGHTY MACS opens Friday, October 21, 2011.
