From The Straits Times    |

Best-known for his brilliant direction on the political thriller drama 24, Jon Cassar takes on yet another controversial project about America’s most well-loved and possibly most-cursed family – the Kennedys.

And with big names like Greg Kinnear, Katie Holmes and Tom Wilkinson behind the project, there was no doubt that media attention was a sure deal, with critics ready to pounce on Cassar and the cast, should it have failed.

But The Kennedys, a mini-series aimed at chronicling the lives, tragedies, triumphs and heartbreak of the family behind the usual glitz and glamour, turned out to be a resounding success. Gauging by the number of Emmy nominations garnered – 10 in total – all the scepticism before the project started had disappeared.

We spoke to Jon Cassar, director of the series and got a sneak peek into the makings of this much-anticipated series.

hw.com: Congratulations on the numerous Emmy nominations! Did you expect it at all?
Jon Cassar: Yeah! We’re all very excited! Well, I did expect the actors to get nominated, the actors didn’t surprise me at all. Even on first day we started working, I had already said these are unbelievable performances.

But I wasn’t sure about getting a nomination for the show because there was great competition and also for the technical awards – it was all very exciting! We couldn’t be happier.

Hw.com: What was your aim for making The Kennedys and what did you hope you can achieve from it?
JC: There have been a lot of movies made about the Kennedys, but no one ever really dealt with the personal life of the Kennedys. No one really got into the “bedroom” of the Kennedys, what was happening “upstairs”, not downstairs in the White House. So I think when I first saw the script that was what interested me. Our goal for The Kennedys was to get inside to show them like a family which anyone can identify with.

hw.com: Your portfolio is usually skewed towards action thrillers like 24, so how tough was it to deliver a historical drama like The Kennedys?
JC: It’s not all that different; I think some directors and actors get pigeon-holed very quickly. For me as a director, I tell stories. That’s what I do. I’m a story teller. And whether the story has exposure to helicopters or has the President of the United States back in the 60s, you’re still telling a story. I don’t think they are that different.

hw: How tough was it to cast the show?
JC: Greg (Kinnear) was virtually our first choice, we thought “this was the guy”. He was the perfect JFK and he didn’t prove us wrong! He really took it on and embodied JFK.

I think the others too. Katie was a beautiful choice for us and Barry – we all just loved Barry as an actor. We love the kind of actor Barry Pepper is – emotional and completely dedicated. He even had recordings of Bobby Kennedy in his iPod so he could get his voice pattern down and used the phrases that Bobby uses all the time.

If any body didn’t look like the character he was playing, it would have to be Tom Wilkinson who looks the least like Joe Kennedy. Joe was very skinny and tall while Tom has a strong built. But we know he embodied that power that Joe had, and so Tom sort of fit right into that.

hw.com: What was it like to work with such a talented host of actors?
JC: It was an absolute pleasure, I couldn’t be more excited about the cast. I was a very lucky director. They were all playing iconic political well-loved figures in the American history, so everyone took on the responsibility very seriously.

Our set was like a library. We had so many books, videos and movies on the Kennedys, and the research done by everybody was unbelievable. Katie Holmes just dug in to Jackie, like I’ve never seen any actor dig in to anybody, as did Barry Pepper with Bobby! I was dealing with some of the best actors bringing their A-game to set everyday. 

 

Hw.com: Katie Holmes as Jackie O. Those are some pretty huge shoes to fill, were you surprised with Katie’s transformation?
JC: I had the feeling that Katie would be as good so it wasn’t a total surprise. What surprised me was the amount of research she did and how prepared she was. She was really into making this the best Jackie that has ever been on screen. I think she did an amazing job!
I think she had a really tough part because it’s a boys’ movie, it’s all about the brothers and father. She did a wonderful job.

Hw.com: 20 years from now, which first family would you consider to be interesting to make a mini-series out of? The Obamas, the Clintons, Bushes?
JC: Well, you hit all three of them I think! (laughs) All for completely different reasons. I think everybody who is in that position would have a story to tell. At the end of the day, as superhuman as these people may seem, they are all just people. They’re not any different from you and I. Whether it’s the Clintons, whether it’s Obama and his wife or the Bushes, you’re dealing with your children, ambitions and love, anyone of those I think, will make a great story.

The Kennedys will premiere on HISTORY Channel on Sept 19, Monday 9pm


 

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