[00:00:00] Jeff: Welcome listeners to the spooler country podcast today on the show we have Jeanette Goldstein and William hope. Special, thanks to Eva Inc. And pros and cons booking for setting this up for us. How’s it going?

Mr. Hope and Ms. Goldstein,

William Hope: because you said the names that way I, things are great. It’s kind of late here. I’m actually in London and it’s, what is it about buys nine at night? Things are really good apart from the planet being in a pandemic.

Darn weird, but other than that, I’m pretty good. Thank you for asking, how are you?

Jenette Goldstein: I’m doing very well. I’m in Atlanta, Georgia and the United States and it’s four 30 in the afternoon. So it’s a very. Very normal.

Jeff: We’re crossing a few times zones here. We have Mr. Hope all the way in England. And we have Ms.

Goldstein in Georgia. And I don’t know where you are, Melissa, but I’m in Rhode Island. So I’m the same time zone as good as

Melissa: this [00:01:00] I’m actually in Northern California. So it’s about one 30 here.

Jeff: All of this Western hemisphere is represented here. Apparently. Ms. Garcia. So I’m, I’ll start asking you a couple of questions first.

So I noticed that you want to start an award for playing private Vasquez. How did that feel and how did you, when did you know that your role was going to be a very famous, iconic role?

Jenette Goldstein: Well, let me see first question, the Saturday award you know, I had never heard about the Saturn award. All I can say, have you ever seen what it looks like?

Jeff: I have no idea.

Jenette Goldstein: Penis wearing a sombrero.

Incredibly honored. That was great. It was, it was great to be with everyone and all the fans and, you know, I had no idea this was going to be on like iconic role. I thought it was a great role when I, when I read it and audition. So I’m glad everybody liked as much as I did.

Jeff: I heard that the audition that you went to was very [00:02:00] interesting that you didn’t know what actually was about it.

You thought it was about illegal immigrants when, when you first applied for it.

Jenette Goldstein: Yeah. I didn’t know. I didn’t have an agent. So I was not I don’t know if bill, did you get a

William Hope: script to read or anything?

Jenette Goldstein: I wasn’t sure you don’t have much sides or just, I think, you know, they keep it pretty close to the chest, but I didn’t even know it was, you know, the second part of, of alien.

I, yeah, I thought it was about illegal aliens in the UK, because they were specifically looking for Canadians and Americans who lived in the, in the, in the UK. And, you know, in, in the, in England, they call your green card is called your resident alien card. I don’t know. I was trying to, you know, make whatever, since I could out of the audition, so I was wrong.

Jeff: Well, the only thing is that I was like, I’m interested is that you’re like me you’re of Jewish heritage, you’re playing private Vasquez. How was that? Was there any issue with that or how did you get. When did you realize you were [00:03:00] playing against a Hispanic character? And was that a surprise for you?

Jenette Goldstein: I mean, you know Jews come from many cultures, there are shocking, there were Jews in Spain or Jews in Mexico, there are Jews everywhere.

So but When did I know I was playing Vasquez? I, you know, I didn’t know. I auditioned with her lines because I actually wasn’t auditioning for Vasquez. They had told me it was already cast and the roles that they wanted to see me for one of the smaller roles, but they gave me her scenes to read.

And so I, you know, I read them as Vasquez and. Things just kind of came about where they decided to. I don’t know. I don’t know what happened to the other gal, but

Jeff: that’s awesome. And, and Mr. Hope I read that you turned down a role in full metal jacket to play Lieutenant Gorman in aliens. Is that correct? Yep.

William Hope: Yeah, that’s true. That’s absolutely true. I had just finished a play playing a [00:04:00] vet, a Vietnam vet who was really crazy and Stanley Kubrick was casting his full metal jacket.

And I auditioned like three or four times for Leon Vitali, who was Stanley’s casting director at the time you never met Stanley. He sent the kind of sides and. Scripts along to people who were you know auditioning. So they were pretty extensive auditions. And I went back a lot and then his casting director rang up and said his family really loves William.

Really wants him to be in the movie, et cetera. So I, as far as I was concerned, I was working for Stanley Kubrick, which at that time was, you know probably arguably the best director in the world or one of the best. And you think, wow, I’m a dream come true. And then my agent called me and said bill there’s a Audition here for a science fiction movie called aliens.

And I said, Sally, I’m, you know, I don’t want to go for a science fiction movie. [00:05:00] I’m working with Stanley Kirby. She said, don’t be an asshole to release God’s alien. I said, Oh my God. Yeah. Yeah. Anyway, so I and Jim camera and then Gale Anne Hurd work virtually nobody’s in the global scene having produced Terminator, which was, you know, a rocket ship and people adored it, but it was kind of a small RD movie.

And they said, you got to go meet. And I said, yeah, okay. I’ll come along and meet these guys. And I met Jim and Gail and I, I I’ve heard this before. They said, Oh yeah, I want you to read Hudson, because they, they played that I’d done that kind of really. Crazy guy, unstable PTSD guy. And I just finished doing all that stuff and I was kind of pumped in short hair and Marine life.

And so there’s no, we won’t be to read Hudson. And then he said, no, no, no, go back and read Gorman. Anyway, I met them once and kind of two days later they rang my agent and Mary’s hallway. The Gorgeous a very deeply [00:06:00] respected casting lady in England at the time rang my agency. You’re not gonna believe this, but they want William for one beliefs.

And I, you know, it’s just like dream come true. But the point is with Stanley Kubrick. You were not given a definite contract dates. They wouldn’t say, you know, we’re going to hire you for a month, two months, whatever you’re on, as long as you’re on. And when, when we’re finished, we’re finished and it’s going to be like, you know what do you call it as cast?

Everybody gets paid the same apart from Matthew Modine. And so you’re in it. And so then aliens came along and they sent me a script and I just couldn’t believe it. Unspeakably special. And there was no choice far as that is concerned now. And

Jeff: it must’ve been an incredible feeling to know that a director like Stanley Kubrick, his reputation is amazing.

And then also now you have James Cameron who became this amazing director, how that must be a massive level of validation for you as an actor to know that [00:07:00] those directors looking at you, going, we want him in our movie.

William Hope: Yeah, except in those days, you know, Jeanette, I can probably say safely that we were young actors kind of, you know, struggling to make our Mark and.

It takes a while before you get, you know, perspective and confidence and you think, Oh yeah, yeah. I’m Stanley and James. And what jam, whatever those days he was just like, what, what me?

Jenette Goldstein: Yeah. Okay.

William Hope: Yeah. Go look at this script. Yeah, that’s good. And you read the scripture now. This is amazing once validation, but the point is. How long does it take for an ICER to become competent and then goes, yeah, this is really good. It takes a long time. Okay.

Jenette Goldstein: I’ve never, I’ve been screenplay. I’ve never read a screenplay before,

William Hope: because that was your first screenplay.

Jenette Goldstein: Yeah. I mean, yeah, I never, why would I read a screenplay? I, I, you know, I didn’t go to college and I didn’t, you know, I wasn’t in any film, so I was, I’ve been, I read [00:08:00] plays, but I’ve never, I’ve never read a screenplay.

William Hope: What did you think? I thought it was great.

Jenette Goldstein: I thought it would really, I mean then definitely my cat is jumping on there, but after, you know, the screenplays read really well, don’t they, I mean, they’re just exciting and get all that character definition right there.

So, okay.

Jeff: When, when you first were looking at the roles for both of you guys, is the script that you read close to what was actually shot? How closest games came around to hold to the script?

William Hope: Been

Jenette Goldstein: a long time. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, you know, bill improvised as much as he could as always bill Paxton,

William Hope: but,

Jenette Goldstein: No, no, it’s very, very close.

I mean, he’s the writer, so I’m going to change things.

William Hope: That’s as far as I was concerned, what you see on the screen was what. Jim Rowe. And of course, really, you know, we [00:09:00] all, I remember one time, I, the, my first name with Paul and Sigourney and I said to Jim, as we were rehearsing the film, I said I’ve worked in the scene.

I said, Jim, can I say, thanks for the coffee.

Jenette Goldstein: Yeah.

William Hope: Thanks for the coffee had to get cleared through Jim’s forensic idea of what? Yeah. Right.

Jeff: The other thing that’s interesting about once again, about aliens, is that an in, in a real, in a way it is definitely an ensemble movie. I mean, there’s definitely, I mean, it’s going to Weaver, obviously it was the no-name from the previous movie, but it’s pretty much an ensemble and you guys had two extremely memorable characters of Gorman and Vasquez.

Was there ever a rivalry on the set to get the extra attention on camera to make sure that you’re the one who kind of stood out more.

William Hope: Always, I used to be elbowing your way to the front of the thing. I used to fight her, but [00:10:00] I couldn’t, I lost,

Jenette Goldstein: I had the biggest gun, so, you know, they just sent me.

Melissa: Speaking of that. Hi, Jeanette. I wanted to ask you your character, so physical in this film. How much of that was you or a stunt woman? Did you have to train beforehand?

Jenette Goldstein: Oh, well, there was no stuntwoman there was never no, no, there was, there was no stunt woman. So that was me. I actually was in that shape before getting the role, I had been working out for two years in a bodybuilder’s gym.

Not knowing that I would be in this movie, but I had just, I lived near this gym where Mr and Mrs. Briton trained and I was just kind of keeping fit. And there were like, you know, back in that day, there were no women who went to work at it at gyms. But I always, I did that in high school. I love lifting weights.

And so I just, you know, it was. Unemployed actor, just sorted. I would run around the [00:11:00] downs and I’d go to the gym and I’d work out. And then I just kinda got thought, Oh, this is really fun. And I was good at it. So, but that was the product of two years of incredible training. And then it just kind of like dovetailed with getting the role.

So I’ve never been in that kind of shape.

That’s great. Yeah, memorialized on film.

Melissa: That’s awesome. That’s your Terminator moment and you, and you were actually in Terminator

William Hope: to

Jenette Goldstein: Germany or to yeah, the foster mom.

Melissa: That was a great role. Did that kind of spur from your relationship with James Cameron that you built from aliens?

Jenette Goldstein: Yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah, absolutely.

Afterwards. I mean, he does, he does like to work if he can, if it, if it works for the film with people he’s worked with before, like most, most people do. But yeah, no, he He offered me that role. And well we had always joked around that. I, he, when I moved back to Los Angeles, he’d asked, you know, how, how are things going?

And I told him what I was [00:12:00] auditioning for. And I was saying, you know, it’s kind of hard. I’m sort of weirdly typecast against my type. So when I walk in. They say, my God, you’re supposed to fall. And I’m like, no. So he’s, he said, I’ve had a kid then. And he said, you’re such a nice mommy. Do you ever go from other roles?

I was like, no, not unless they’re like killing them or selling them for crap, you know? And he goes, he should have a really nice mother mother role. And so that was a joke. He goes, okay. I guess you’re a mom. You’re not the nicest mom.

Jeff: So Mr. Hope. When you’re in the movie, you’re very famously described by Vasquez as being an asshole.

When you were, when they described the role to you, when you were, when you got it as Lieutenant Gorman, how do they describe it as you’re basically an asshole? Or what, how did they describe it?

William Hope: No, there was no, there was no role description. Basically, you’re talking about a major blockbuster for 20th century Fox and you meet Jim and [00:13:00] Gail, Gail.

And I met them once and I think actually the reason I got the job, well, I probably a reasonable audition, but Jim said what are you doing now? And I said, well, I’m going to go work for Stanley Kubrick. And I think Kubrick was Jim’s hero at the time. And he stopped studying physics to make movies because he saw 2011.

So I, I think so the point being that They, you don’t have to sell young actors and we really liked to do this and then unless you’re famous and kind of, you know, real up and coming stuff. So nobody told me or sold me or whatever. Thanks. Nice to meet you. Thanks for your audition. And then next thing I know.

Two days later, there’s a offer through my agent and they, yeah,

Jenette Goldstein: I know they take me every role though. I was like,

William Hope: I remember sitting on the John at 3:00 AM, unable to put the script down. It was [00:14:00] just, unputdownable. And so nobody told me, sold me. They just here’s the script. Do you want to do it? And I read it and my only kind of caveat or, or question was how on earth are they going to make these spaceships dropping out of this guy?

Not puppets. I said, it’s going to be like,

Jenette Goldstein: right.

William Hope: That was the only thing about the script.

Jeff: And, and I th I think about Lieutenant Gorman is that I always find that he’s totally misunderstood, that he kind of has, he’s kinda shaded in kind of a negative way, but he’s just a guy who doesn’t have a lot of experience. He is the officer who’s not in the field very often. And do you feel that the character.

Is viewed more negatively as a negative aspect of that character, then the character deserves for his back.

William Hope: I think I actually, truthfully I don’t pay attention to what it is, but I can tell you a story which was amazing. One of the common cons, I don’t go to a lot of them, but this officer full [00:15:00] Marine uniform came up to me.

And said, sir, I have to congratulate you on the truth of your portrayal of an LT, a hitting action for the first time he said, ah, I’ve been in Iraq and I’ve been in Afghanistan. I have to tell you, we see the film it’s, you know, me and my platoon squad, whatever. We, we see this a lot and I have to congratulate you on the truth of your performance.

And this guy was, you know, a battle-hardened Marine in full uniform. And I was just . But to receive that acknowledgement acclamation that what I had portrayed, what I want to say. I, yeah, it’s all ensemble Jim’s script our group betrayal and what we ended up doing was a representation of somebody who had actually seen action and whatever I think and for whatever reason I’ve done A fair number of military projects and done lots of, and I have friends who were bets and all the rest of it.

And I think it’s, it’s kind of a [00:16:00] given that the first time you see action, real hardcore action it’s totally, and completely natural to go into shock shutdown or post-traumatic stress or whatever. And it’s now acknowledged that. And so, you know, no in and analysis realistically of his, the character state and what’s happened, of course, he freaks out and then comes around and thinks, okay, you’re a Marine you’re trained.

So just get on with a man. And so I go back for that’s kids have to. You know that scene where Michael and I are crouching. And where is she? And she’s not there. Okay. I’m going to go and get her. You gone take care of the folks. That’s what a train soldier does after he got through the fire of your entrance into action.

Melissa: So speaking of the ensemble cast, another great character was played by Carrie [00:17:00] Henn who played Newt. I’m curious, how, what was that like working with, I mean, you have all these guns and you have all this, the aliens and the special effects, and then you have a child onset. How

Jenette Goldstein: did that work

Melissa: out?

Jenette Goldstein: Yeah, well, it was, it was kind of interesting to have a, have a little child on onset. I mean, you know, they always have the teacher and her mother was always there. But I mean, it’s funny because you know, that was, she was not an actress. She was not a theater kid or a movie, which was great,

You know, her, her whole sort of attitude. It was just, she was, it was fun. And it was the first time she’d ever done anything like that. And she just, she was really, she wasn’t acting, she was just reacting to the situation and it was great.

You know, Sigourney was a really mother leap. Type of CA you know, presence there. So that’s great.

William Hope: And Mr. Also wasn’t saying, I don’t know, Jeanette, I don’t know if you’d agree. Actors, whether it’s theater or movies, TV, whatever it is. There’s no, [00:18:00] age-ism 80 year old, 60 year old, 40 year old, eight year old gets treated as adults grown ups.

Everybody’s, you know, Everybody’s contribution is completely acknowledged and validated and you just go, yep. We’re a member. So it’s family. So like having your daughter or your niece or your cousin or whatever, and she just happens to be publishing eight.

Jenette Goldstein: Yeah. Yeah. I just saw an old picture of the premiere of my, my husband found it in a box and there was just, no, I mean, he was tiny.

She’s this tiny little you blonde. This is a little bit of four. Yeah.

Melissa: So what were some, the memorable moments that you did to sort of kind of lighten the mood and crack up and have fun in such, you know, such a serious atmosphere? What are some funny remote moments you recall?

Jenette Goldstein: Well, I, [00:19:00] what I remember was was Shane and John, the guys who were the special effects guys and they took them, took me and bill Paxon into this, the lab where they had all of the creatures under glass.

And so they were like, Hey, take a look at it. You know, look at, look how intricate it is. And so of my we’re like sticking our nose into it. And of course there’s somebody back there with it. You know,

William Hope: I remember that actually the crew, all my heat Pinewood folks, they were all, we’re talking about another era of filmmaking. They were like families, you know, the props guys and the action guys and whatever. And I just remember being kind of pulled into this world. I had no experience of, of families and you were accepted as a member of the family and it was just I mean, everybody was super focused because Jim and Gail were like we knew that this was a big deal because number one, the script was [00:20:00] terrific.

And number two, that their lives depend on getting it right.

Jenette Goldstein: And,

Yeah,

William Hope: it was a little accident. I remember Roger. Our first AB was basically when he wasn’t barking commands, he was like a bit of a standup comedian and would crack one-liners and zingers all the time and just really being impressed by how Flexibility.

Wasn’t how much fun it was, but at the same time being super serious,

Jenette Goldstein: because it really was Paul riser. Could I as man in the world? I mean,

William Hope: yeah, totally. Yeah. And still,

Jeff: I want to add another great thing about that movie and I think aliens holds up better than. The most movies ever pushing Saifai freshly from the eighties, the special effects were absolutely incredible with the practical effects as actors, because now it is or stuck with the green screens.

But back then you had the more practical effects as active. How much did it help you to [00:21:00] see the actual alien special effects right in front of you with that ad made it easier to perform against them? Well,

Jenette Goldstein: you weren’t, I mean, you were, you were, it wasn’t on the actual alien. It was it was a guy in a, in a suit.

Yeah. Well, I guess, although we would always catch him, you know, by the tea trolley with his head off and unpeel under his arm while he was asking, you know, like kind of, kind of ruined the moment, but you know, so. There was like one sort of green screen thing, right. When we were like escaping the crashing ship or something like that.

But you know, you’re still looking out the window in some ads going and boom, you know, you’re at, you’re seeing explosion, so

Jeff: So same question for Mr. Hope.

William Hope: . You know what I mean? I think their shooting schedule was like four months, four and a half months. We were there. I don’t know Jeanette, we lost you on boom. [00:22:00] You’re back.

Jenette Goldstein: That’s zoom let’s tomorrow.

William Hope: But so the when you’re there every day, I mean, what blew me away was just a scale and Epic quality of the sets. And, you know, it was just like, This is a brick and block blockbuster. This is the definition of blockbuster. So you kind of took that on board somehow and being I was remembered the planet surface, you know, landing in the rain and the wind will go in.

I was just, it was there.

Jenette Goldstein: We were there though acting necessary. I’m not this, the staff soundstage is so enormous and every know you’re yeah, the wind and the rain. And when you walk into the different sets, that was completely

William Hope: feelings like gone because it’s all mist and rain. So you’re actually there. So when you come up against the, you know, the STEM guys or [00:23:00] whatever It’s just, I guess, I guess it’s kind of like bubble of professionalism.

Everybody’s just totally focused and you’re totally there. And whether or not you’re acting or not acting, you just get doing your job as best you can. So now I think we’d been there too much. And too long ago. Oh my God, there’s an alien. Oh wow. There’s we kind of figured all that stuff out and but this year artistry and Epic quality.

Was never left this for me. I was just going there. Wasn’t a day. I went on. Didn’t go on stage and golf. Huh? Oh my God. This is just unbelievable.

Jenette Goldstein: Yeah.

Melissa: That’s awesome. Yeah. So this question is for both of you actually, what did doing this film do for your career in terms of, did you notice you it was easier to get roles afterwards?

Was it more difficult? How did that, how did that role change your life?

Jenette Goldstein: Well, [00:24:00] I’ll start. Okay. So this was my, well, I was a theater actor. And I was living in England like bill and he’s married to an English person, Englishman English woman, and had never thought of going back to the United States or being in a fit, being in front of a camera and. So, yeah, this really changed a lot.

So from this, I decided to go back to the U S for the premiere, and there was just so much interest in, in me and the film and everybody, and it was great to sort of see my, my friends and my family again. And I spent a little time going back and forth, but really I decided to stay in the us. And so yeah, it launched it completely launched my acting career.

You know, you never know what I probably would have stayed in England and back, and probably I would have, I most likely I’m almost positive would have moved back to [00:25:00] New York. That’s, you know, instead of Los Angeles. So yeah. Change things around. Yeah.

William Hope: So it was different for me. Number one, I’m not American I’m Canadian, but So I was like Jeanette, a theater actor, and I had actually done a whole ton of theater.

So I actually really was as far as I was concerned, a theater actor, and this just happened to be a really big movie that I was in. But and everybody, I remember people saying, Oh man, this is it. You’re on your way. And I was like, Oh yeah. And then, so I couldn’t actually get to. LA for the premiere because I was in the West end and a terrific play about AIDS.

I think it was 85. What was it? A normal home Martin sheen and So I was doing lots of theater and it was amazing doing it, but I, I, I just and once the film came out and we’d seen it, we went, Oh my God, this is like a, a global [00:26:00] event. This is unbelievable. So you’re going to have to go to LA and cause how often do you get.

Such a springboard to go to Los Angeles and go, hi guys, how are you? I’m

okay. So I moved to LA and I had a good buddy, Mike Campbell, who had Peter loins in Benedict Canyon. And so I lived in Hollywood for, you know, I think about six months and Yeah, it was kinda kind of six months, but the thing was that as a Canadian, I didn’t have a green card. And so if you’re going to work as a Canadian and you got to have a visa, right, you got to have number one, you got to have somebody say, I want William Hall.

We know him and they go, okay, you want him? Okay. So you’ve got to go through immigration lawyers and that process, unless you throw serious money at it, it’s about 10 days, maybe more. So my agent, then I had a great agent and said, I can’t send you with TV. Cause they meet you on Friday. They want you on set by a Monday or Tuesday and you’re like a 10 day window.

So they’ll only send you [00:27:00] four features. And so I was in LA and after the premier had happened and I kind of came late comers to the party and we were socializing and stuff. And I just thought so I can only go for movies. And I came close to some really wonderful movies, but I couldn’t go for TV.

So there was kind of like one arm tied behind my back. And anyway, no, they were married, but didn’t tell anybody didn’t have kids and actually working with your grades up on it. And Mandy said you can go and live in LA. I am not. I really was on the cost. I’m saying I am now going to be an LA actor, that’s it with Europe.

And I’m going to be in a ma I’m going to be in California.

Jenette Goldstein: Yeah. You have to cheat. You really cannot go back and forth. Yeah, it’s hard because

William Hope: I’m going back and forth, but that option and choice was there for me. And after about six months somebody offered me a play, I think, 12th night in Sheffield.

And anyway I came back because I was really, really, really [00:28:00] loved doing theater. And I came close to some big movies. Didn’t get them and had something gone. But one thing I can remember, Jim asked me one day, he said, I’m going to go to The Bahamas and we’re scouting. The, my next movie is going to be underwater.

I’ll be a BIS, I think you don’t want to come diving with us. And to this day, it’s very interesting. Cause I thought. I turned around and said, yeah, Jim was going to pay for it. I need my stupid thing to say. I mean, what kind of a young actor wouldn’t say? Yes,

Jenette Goldstein: of course.

William Hope: So for whatever reason that didn’t happen and I’ve ended up loosely speaking, English, wife, two English kids, two gorgeous girls.

I’m profoundly proud of a life on this side.

Jenette Goldstein: Do you ever go back to Canada? Do you ever work in Canada?

William Hope: Minimally. Well, that’s a whole other discussion, but for some reason my destiny karma blah-blah-blah has ended me up in London and I go in and out of LA occasionally. [00:29:00] And New York in and out, but you know, people, I mean, I think I’m going to stop talking about it, but people say, you know, to whoever, why did you choose that movie?

Or why did you do this cruise or you’re Dr. Nicholson, or, you know, then you choose. But if you’re not. Do what comes under your nose and you make a decision right then and there. And for some reason, I, you know, it’s an, a longer conversation. I ended up in London doing a long view and a lot of other things.

And somehow my life has ended up in Europe. I don’t know why.

Jenette Goldstein: Well, that’s so funny. Cause that’s what I thought. That was my plan that I, I grew up in LA and I never wanted to be on TV or film because I grew up, all I wanted to do is go to New York and London. The thing just take, they take, you know, your life takes you in crazy, crazy places and you want to go where the work is and where your family is.

And yeah,

William Hope: my view is now [00:30:00] we think we’re driving a car with our hands on the steering wheel. I don’t think we got as much control as we think

Jeff: anyway. Well, what I always wonder what’s accurate is when you’re. Preparing for when you’re in a role and reading the script and performing the scenes. Do you know when a movie is going to be great?

You know what I’m saying? Like, is there a feeling on set when it’s the chemistry is right. The movie feels right and you know, this is going to be something special, just like with aliens is something that turned out to be special. Do you know it or do something that you kind of find out later when you get the reactions from

Jenette Goldstein: people?

I don’t, you know, I have so much less experience film, film wise, and especially, you know, it was interesting. A lot of the guys who were on this film had just come off of revolution, where you in revolution did

William Hope: they

Jenette Goldstein: had shot that. And, and, you know, that was a big, you know, they were like, Oh, you know, but she knows America, how could it [00:31:00] fail?

You know? Films fail for tons of reasons, you know, great films, you know, don’t get the audience, the marketing, whatever, you know, so they, it’s not in your hands. You know, it’s really isn’t. I certainly know when you’re in a stinker,

that’s the best when you’re in a real I’m in a really bad, are you, I’m sure. You’re just some of that. Some of that, and I haven’t a really bad movie.

I was in one with Well, you know, one of the reasons I took it, aside from it was good money and it was in Miami, it was Steven Berkoff. I was acting with Steven Berkoff and I, I was like, that’s amazing. Yeah. I was like, absolutely sign me up. But boy, that was a, this was a stinker. It was called a fair game with Cindy Crawford.

Jeff: Oh, yeah.

Jenette Goldstein: Oh yeah. Oh my God. It’s so eighties. It’s it’s actually, it’s actually so bad. It’s good now, right?

Melissa: Exactly. I call it a

Jenette Goldstein: classic. You remember me in it? Oh God.

I would read every review, just like, [00:32:00] please, please, please pay still safe.

William Hope: I think there’s a kind of a loose agreement in the industry that if it’s a top shoe and it’s really hard and people are, you know, Not having a whole ton of fun. You probably got a better chance of something of that succeeding as opposed to it’s great.

Everybody’s having a great time. Yeah. Terrific. That’s got less of a chance. That’s a kind of moose principle, but I don’t think anybody ever knows, you know what’s his name? William Goldman. No adventures in the screen trade famously. He said, nobody knows anything. I didn’t agree. Or he, he anyway, long story,

Jeff: actually I have one on the, in my opinion, when the best scenes in the entire Allianz movie, it’s the tunnel scene. When obviously Vasquez shoots, the alien gets asked on her leg. Government, like you said, it goes back the two, [00:33:00] and then you see the two millions closing on you. Do you have the well, the explosive in your hand?

How, I mean, that’s a very powerful scene when you view it, how was it acting? How did you guys prepare for it? And I guess the other question is was it even difficult to shoot that scene for yourselves and I, not sure if Ms. Goldstein froze.

Jenette Goldstein: Oh, no, they are. I have no control over this. The machines are winning. Let me tell you yeah, and it was great. I mean, the, the, the thing about about Bill’s character, I mean, at least as far as, you know, there’s that tension between the core and the, the higher ups. I mean, you know, you’re, you obviously went to West point. College, all those sort of things and everybody else, you know, or just, you know, didn’t finish school or whatever.

And so, but at the end, the, my, there. Yeah.

William Hope: Yeah, we can hear

Jenette Goldstein: you those frozens, but, but I, I think I remember about that [00:34:00] scene was it was so cramped and longer in this tube and had to be crouched the entire time off holding the weapons and just a really uncomfortable, the whole shoot was hard, really just hard, physically hard, which, you know, made sense for what we were doing, you know?

Melissa: do you remember how many takes you had to do for that scene then? I

Jenette Goldstein: know.

I’m sure. Not that many. I mean, this is a low budget film, so not going to be burning through, we shot like low budget, you know, she said it was good. They’re moving on.

William Hope: No, and I think by the time we got to that stage of the shoot The chemistry of the team and kind of, I always liken it to, there’s a whole other story, which we’re probably not going to hear, but Jim wired our first Ady Derek now as Roger previously, it’s not Derek.

Anyway we had shutdown for about, I don’t know, three days, and then we got back up and to me, post shutdown. [00:35:00] It was like being on the Olympic team. And by the time we got around to shooting and stuff, it was like everybody was almost telepathic or hyper professional. And we didn’t have, I mean, sure.

We had fun goofed around, et cetera, but everybody is my memory was that every single person on that set wanted to do nothing but their best to work. So they didn’t need that many tapes.

Jenette Goldstein: You know, it’s one of those things, you know, a death scene is always like, you know, you don’t want to make too much of it.

I mean, you know, it’s this huge thing. It’s your death scene, but if you put too much spin on, I mean, you it’s Terry, you want to make, I just kept thinking simple, simple, simple, I mean the whole situation. And it’s as much, it’s a point of just, you know, calmness right there at the moment of connection of those two people.

William Hope: It’s very clean. I remember there was nothing messy. About being on that set, it [00:36:00] was super clean. Of course there were you know tuning in communication differences. There was cultural differences, you know, Jim and Gail coming straight from LA into the middle of England. There was a you’re talking about humor.

Okay. Best humor. Memory is, I dunno, Flory the tea lady four. O’clock it is massive, you know, huge soundstages massive, huge, big old rusty doors. That would slide over four o’clock. Laurie would come in with this like world war II, tea, tray, channeling, lots of sticky buns on it. You know, donuts. And the crew would look up and leave and go and jump on the dominance.

Cause if they didn’t get there first, there wouldn’t be any left. And Jim went ballistic. He couldn’t believe that his team was jumping on, you know, at four o’clock and a cup of tea, because that was more important than his movie. It’s very funny. Anyway, [00:37:00] I don’t know.

Jeff: But, and I, and I think one thing, one reason that’s scene is just so perfect is that it offers a perfect.

Moment of redemption for Gorman and also kind of conciliation between Gorman and Vasquez. And I, I do know that sometimes actors do feel kind of a ownership of their characters at some level. Did you feel that that was a good ending for each character, that they, each character got the nice, that proper ending to their arc in the movie?

Jenette Goldstein: Fantastic arc. I mean, yeah, the two of them, absolutely. I mean, it was great. It was a great character arc for both of them. And you know, we met, we had, we had all these, I bet probably about three points, touch points, you know, at the beginning eye to eye. And then when you, you screw everything up and you’re knocked out that point and then the end there, you know, very, very simple.

Three reacts.

[00:38:00] Jeff: So the only thing interesting, when you have a movie like aliens, is that when did you have that huge cast and characters are being killed are actually being killed off actually in the movie throughout. Do you guys win when each character got their death scene and left, and obviously they’re gone from the set as well.

I imagine. Is there a sendoff for those characters actors who had their final scene, like, Hey, you’re, you’re, you’re now dead to goodbye or was it just, you know, they just had their scene walk up to Sephora, the rest of filming and that was it.

William Hope: Well, it’s not always sequential. Right? So just because it’s our last scene and we die, it doesn’t mean that that’s, we’re finished.

I how you schedule shooting the sequence of scenes has got a lot of other factors

Jenette Goldstein: when it’s, when it’s an actor’s last shot. There’s always, and that’s a wrap for Mr. You know, people. People apply. They that’s pretty traditional. Right.

Jeff: What was that? The last shot for both of you or was that not your last scene in the film?

And

Jenette Goldstein: I can’t [00:39:00] remember. I don’t think so though.

William Hope: No, I don’t. I certainly don’t remember that the last scene. I don’t remember my last name, but I don’t remember. Oh, well I’ve gotten by Jeanette. Nice to meet.

Jenette Goldstein: Yeah, no, no, no, I don’t. Yeah. I don’t remember the first thing, but I don’t remember the last, I don’t remember the last

William Hope: one.

What was your first name?

Jenette Goldstein: It was walking into the atmosphere processing, walking in there. I remember that. So, yeah. Well, cause I was terrified, terrified

William Hope: like, well, what coming in actually getting out of the APC I’m getting in, in the rain.

Jenette Goldstein: That was, that was terrified. No, no, it was, it was What was it?

I guess it wasn’t in the rain. It was standing up in a line walking in, I guess we’d been, we were already inside. It was

William Hope: right

Jenette Goldstein: before the, where he says that you’ll give us your ammunition because it’s going to catch fire. It was right before that. Yeah, no, the, the rain and that was, that was terrifying because it was like one take.

Right? Because you, [00:40:00] you were sopping wet. It was. If you, if you blew it, if you miss your market, I mean yeah, you can see a on film,

William Hope: is that all of us. I was in a state of semi panic all the way through and kind of yeah, it was the character in

Jenette Goldstein: general.

William Hope: Yeah.

Jenette Goldstein: Yeah. I mean, that’s the whole thing you use, what you, what you have, you know, I was, yeah.

Sydney panic, but of course everybody was, I mean, you just cover it up and. Yeah, pretend that you’re not afraid of. And that’s what a soldier would do. You just rely on your training.

So,

Jeff: so Ms goes to the you played once again prior Vasquez. It’s a very powerful female at a time when that wasn’t very common, still have a lot of girls and women coming to you saying that was an inspirational role for to them. I think seeing the movie. And what was it like for you?

Jenette Goldstein: Oh, it’s you know, it’s, it’s pretty amazing.

It’s I do, you know, conventions. I have another one [00:41:00] for a while, but People come up. I mean, it’s funny, you know, like you’re my grandmother’s hero, but I mean, it’s actually more surprising when I get, you know, young girls, you know, they’re just movies, 35 years old and, but Oh, absolutely. I get, I get boys young boys say, Oh, you know, I dressed as you, you know, for Halloween, you know, so but yeah, I’ve had tons of women come up and say that they, they think about Vasquez, it got them through a divorce or through chemo or something like that.

I mean, yeah, it’s, it’s pretty incredible.

Melissa: Yeah, the best I think iconic lines from the film, as well as when you know, Vasquez is, it’s one of your opening scenes in the film where he’s like, are you do you ever get mistaken for being a man? And she says no to you? I think that’s such a great powerful moment.

And at the time when you were filming that, did you realize the impact that Your character was going to have on women and being in this strong role and being able to be, [00:42:00] you know, come back with these men that you were, you know, stationed with

Jenette Goldstein: what was a great line. Got it was a great line. I mean the whole, the whole film is written great, great writing.

You know, I just. I think when I read as the role it’s in the future and it made perfect sense of course, because the future is now that a woman would be a Marine. If she can, if she’s strong enough and she’s toughing up, you know, it didn’t, it didn’t make any sense at that point where that women should not be in the Marines.

It was just, you know, that’s how the world was. So I don’t know that the logic of it was know the world, how, how it was didn’t make sense. The movie did And yeah. You know, it’s, it’s kind of amazing. There’s really, there weren’t any kind of women roles like that. There was, I was always saying there was superheroes like the Sheena queen of the jungle or wonder woman, that kind of thing.

But not I though that, I remember seeing the movie, Gloria Gena Rowlands, and that I loved to me, that was the. [00:43:00] The only strong woman, one of those few strong women role, what else did I like miss 45 type of films that I like, but but yeah, no, I’m, I’m amazed. I’m and I’m really pleased that people people liked her as much as I did.

Jeff: And now, and now have you gone from being an actor? You’re not an entrepreneur, you own Jeanette’s bras, which is how did, how did how’s it different to go from being an actor to being an entrepreneur? And which one did you have a preference of being a business person or an actress?

Jenette Goldstein: Hm. Well, I think I go back and forth.

I go back and forth. It’s different in many ways. I mean, I, I like the lots of different things I get to do. It’s like when I got to direct, I loved it. You know, I love doing this part that I love, how things all come together and strategy and What did I, you know, what the, how it came about is I [00:44:00] just had this I suppose, like, why doesn’t anybody do this?

You know, it was that moment of like, you know, that I didn’t, you know, why, why, why isn’t there a place like this? This is ridiculous. Why doesn’t somebody? And my husband said, why don’t we do it? It was as simple as that. And so but definitely, you know, learning, I mean, I didn’t, I don’t know anything about finances and profit and loss, and I didn’t even know anything about the business.

I, I, you know, It’s the clothing business I had to learn as I went, but I love learning. And I think I don’t know, in, in a, in a certain way, in a real way, business is so much easier than acting. I mean, you, you work hard. You, you treat people well. You deliver a good product and then they give you money.

I mean, there’s a, there’s a cleaner, you know, whereas when acting, you know, you could, you could be an incredible actor and you work hard and you do everything right. And it doesn’t, you know, we all, we all know that as artists. I mean, [00:45:00] that’s, that’s the world that I was used to. It’s like, you could, you know, there’s one who’s picked, who’s chosen and everybody knows that.

And it’s not fair. There’s there’s a little bit more, I think, although now it’s kind of a big shit show, but there’s. It’s clear in a way, you know, I’m, I’m buying this and I’m giving you this service and you want to pay me for it. And then I take the money and then. You tell your friends and they come back.

I don’t know. I like that part about it. But the, the, my favorite part about what I do as a business woman is the relationships meeting people, telling stories creating a good environment for people to be in. I really enjoy crafts. And then ship and the, the brands that I have a pillow, it is I, I, I sell fine lingerie and it’s in most of it’s from France and just the laces and the embroidery and the hand work and [00:46:00] everything is incredible.

The tradition behind it. And I just love quality products. And I like talking about them.

Jeff: Now, is there a website that you, that you want to plug for your business?

Jenette Goldstein: Yes, it’s a Janette bras, J E N E T T E B R E S. Jeanette browse.com and that’s our website. And it’s a little unique in that. It’s a beautiful website.

You can see all of the products and about what we do, but you can’t buy them. What you can’t it’s you, if you come to our stores, we have five stores or in Los Angeles and one in Atlanta, Georgia, you come, it’s a service it’s broth fitting. So just like you can’t get a haircut over the internet, you cannot.

A bra is one, an item that you cannot buy online. But however though, we are, [00:47:00] we are rolling out a new section of our website called Jeanette and we and you it, and it’s, you can, there will be a way you can buy and that’s going to be nightwear.

Jeff: Mr. Hope you now provide voices for shows such as Thomas and friends, boys acting over film acting, or is there, how does that, how does voice acting challenge you differently than acting in front of the camera?

William Hope: I think, you know, an actor skills is your body, your voice, your mind, your imagination, and a whatever job or environment that you’re asked to contribute to, or be a part of, you use all those things. And From a, you know, Jeanette, the theater actors, and anybody who’s in the theater, you realize that all of your skills sets are to be developed like an athlete.

You know, you want your, your packs [00:48:00] in your abs, in your whatever else in your thighs strength in your so you’ve got to develop all that stuff and I’ve always love microphone work. I, you know, have cartoons and audio books and. All kinds of it, a lot of mocap now. And it’s I think in a way microphone work and that’s this a script just using your voice is very close to film in the sense that the only thing that you have to communicate is the truth of your character and that you get it every syllable.

Right or full of truth then, and it’s got to be very simple, very straightforward. So I love, I love, you know, people say, do you like theater better than movies and whatever I, my answer basically is I like good writing, good writing is your challenged. And you can have a shot at being really excited and doing something powerful.

Whether it’s voice or, you know, I don’t know a [00:49:00] cartoon or a theater piece or a TV thing, or a independent movie or a blockbuster or whatever you want. Good writing. You want to be able to, hence, you know, I look at Jim Cameron, look at aliens. It’s an immaculate piece of writing. Hence I mean, how many.

Moody’s do you have the last 35 years with a huge cast and you’re following rooting for every single character or following every character equally. I mean, it doesn’t happen very often and that’s a Testament to a lot of, a lot of things, but fundamentally it’s the writing. Yeah.

Jeff: When you’re, when you’re doing a show like Thomas and friends, that’s so important to children.

So that make the show and the performance you’re doing just extra special, knowing that you are helping these kids with, by literally watching you become better.

William Hope: Yeah, I think that’s part of it.

I do it a, where have you been when your kids, you had one

[00:50:00] Jenette Goldstein: cancer in their thirties.

William Hope: So I know I, so they’re in their thirties and I’ve been doing it kind of 10 years. So they were grownups. So you didn’t, so no, I, I do like about 10 characters. Yeah. It’s really fun. But you know, again, it goes back to the quality of the writing.

If you’re being truthful with the writing, the impact, the message, it lands the story lands and people get it and it goes in their heart and they get effective and that’s, you know, that’s where it starts and it’s But I’ve just released something else talking about plugs. I’ve just finished an amazing piece of work which is released on audible called the Sandman by Neil Gaiman, who it’s I think it’s second month, top of the New York times bestseller list for audio drama.

It is amazing. And I play this kind of, I think a Warner brothers about the Doobie TV series. They’re about to start shooting that. And we did the audio. [00:51:00] Oh, Alma for that. Anyway, this is movies of the mind through voice. And as he a huge cast major all-star cast, look at it, just go to audible and type in the Sandman.

But I played this fantastic character for four episodes that have led 11, who was this raving maniac and very comedic and whatever, but the writing was so good. And so rich You, you, you, you feel you’re doing your job as an actor, as an artist and you think good. I now done my job properly and fully like an architect will build a house and go great.

That’s how, it’s exactly what I wanted. When you get the opportunities to do something really beautiful and wonderful. It’s a, it’s a huge gratification. And you build you know, so whether it’s voice or theater, movies, DV, it doesn’t matter. You want to do Good job.

Jeff: I absolutely love the salmon is one of my favorite stories of all time.

The comic book by [00:52:00] Neil Gaiman.

William Hope: You’ve got to get this man. It’s unbelievable. And I’m not just plugging this. It is. I mean, come on second month and I think maybe third month, top of the New York times, best seller, it is Dirk Maggs who produced it old time collaborator with Neil Gaiman. He’s a master.

Jenette Goldstein: Right here. William hope is Dr. Destiny.

Jeff: Oh, he’s a brilliant character. I love that

William Hope: character. Yeah. It’s kind of

Jenette Goldstein: cool.

William Hope: Yeah.

Jenette Goldstein: Did voice work also? Yeah, I just auditioned a lot. I’ve done. I was I’m the actual, they haven’t done it again, but I’m the voice on Starship, Starship enterprise. I was the voice match for the old enterprise computer

is imagine rod Roddenberry. Yeah, no. Yeah. So I, I am she, I am her and you know, so yeah, no, I love [00:53:00] it. I love, I love working with the mic. And doing like cartoons and things like that. Amazing.

William Hope: Let me look at Pixar. Oh my God. Thanks. Sorry, Pete.

Jeff: Absolutely. That is absolutely awesome. And I definitely want to hear the audio from the Sandman.

Like I said, it’s a brilliant, actually wrote a college paper on the Sammy and graphic novel. Yeah. If

William Hope: you have good such a treat, it’s unbelievable. Anyway,

Jeff: had you read the comic book prior to taking the role

William Hope: zero? I had absolutely nothing dark and I, the, a amazing director. We’ve done a lot of work in the past. Various things. And he asked me to do it and it was a privilege. I mean, I was the work, the actors I was working with were amazing.

And fantastic skirts. I knew Neil Gaiman, but I don’t know, you know I was doing something today. What was I doing? Dr. Dread. I was doing some Dr. Fred stuff. And I didn’t know, I knew of Dr. Greg you [00:54:00] know, huge followings of these people, but you catch up with them later. And Neil Gaiman was something it’s been too busy and doing other things to really understand, but this particular.

The sound man from the nineties was when Neil was a young writer. And there’s a great purity to it. There’s a kind of mythical quality, but you’re in for treat ya. Yeah. Weapons interest.

Jeff: Well, I’m definitely gonna check that out. Like I said, I’m a huge fan of everything Sandman. But I wanna thank both you Mr.

William Pope and his Jeanette Ghostine for talking with me and Melissa, you guys were both fantastic and I don’t, and I want to stress just how fantastic you guys were in aliens by far one of my favorite movies of all time. You guys are, you guys were both. Absolutely brilliant.

Melissa: Thank you for being here with us.

Thanks

Jeff: so much.

Spoilerverse.com

William Hope and Jenette Goldstein – Lt. Gorman and Pvt. Vasquez from Aliens!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply