(Interview with Barry Primus): An Altruistic New York Talent

 INTERVIEW WITH BARRY PRIMUS: AN ALTRUISTIC NEW YORK TALENT

By Jerry Saravia

Barry Primus in Scorsese's "New York, New York" (1977)

Barry Primus is a New York character actor who has made his mark in films from directors many dream to work with. We are talking the likes of Martin Scorsese, Sydney Pollack, Martin Ritt, Paul Mazursky and Mark Rydell. His film credits are complemented by theater work on/off Broadway with talents such as Arthur Miller and Elia Kazan, television ("Cagney and Lacey," "21 Jump Street," "The X-Files," for starters), not to mention being a writer and film director ("Mistress" is one of the best films ever made about the difficulties of financing an independent film script). He has also been an active producer, casting director and an acting and directing teacher, specifically the American Film Institute, The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, the UCLA campus, and at The Maine Media Workshops.

1.) So let's start off with the basics: why did you want to become an actor and where did you learn to hone your craft? 

Barry Primus: Instinct and seeing some great theatre and movies while I grew up in NY. Plus my family had been involved in the theatre and loved it. I trained with Uta Hagen and then with Lee Strasberg and many disciples from the actor's studio, Elia Kazan and Jerome Robbins.

Barry Primus and Barbara Hershey in Scorsese's Boxcar Bertha (1972)

2.) Tell me about the experience with working with director Martin Scorsese on "Boxcar Bertha" and later "New York, New York." I know the latter was a bit of a troubled production, wasn't it?

BP: Marty is a wonderful director. He gives complete confidence to the actors and supplies them with a great deal of excitement about what they are doing.  

"Boxcar" - was a total joy and so was "New York, New York" but it was the 70's so there were some excesses and it was a very long and ambitious shoot. I did a part in "Taxi Driver", which was a lot of fun but was finally cut from the film due to length.  

3.) I want to ask about the highly underrated American masterpiece, "Heartland." To me that film was the definitive statement on the arduousness of frontier life. Was it a bit arduous to shoot that film as well? 

BP: "Heartland" is really one of my favorite films. It was written by the people who really knew that world and being on the real location in Montana inspired everyone to find real behavior and to get away from any cliche cowboy ideas. Richard Pierce is a wonderful director, who won the Berlin Film Festival.

Mistress (1992), one of Primus' four directing credits

4.) You have directed four different films, the most notable being 1992's "Mistress" which I assume is based on actual experiences on the difficulties of getting a film financed. Did you have the same difficulties in getting "Mistress" financed or did it get easier when Robert De Niro got on board? 

BP: Yes, it is always hard to get any film financed. It would have never gotten made with out Robert De Niro's interest. He was the first to read it and started his Tribeca Film Company with it.  

Barry Primus as Tommy Tessler in Night and the City (1992)

5.) Speaking of Robert De Niro, you have worked with him six different times, including my fave character of yours as a sports writer in "Night and the City," to the aforementioned "New York, New York," "Guilty By Suspicion," "Righteous Kill," "15 minutes," and of course "Mistress." Tell me about the experience of working with De Niro, is it always challenging and are you two close?

BP: Robert De Niro is a wonderful actor, is always behind whatever a director is trying to accomplish. It is inspiring to work with him because he has a tendency to "up" everything; your ideas, your challenges and bring everything closer to the core of what you want. Acting with him is always exciting because of his upmost connection. I have had some history with him so that always gets in the mix to.

Barry Primus and Charles Robinson in Jackson (2008)

6.) Any particular role of yours that stands out, that you are most proud of, from your vast television or theatrical film credits? 

BP: I like very much the movie "Jackson" directed by JF Lawton. It has won many festival prizes along with the actors in it, like Charlie Robinson and myself. Steve Guttenberg pulls his weight in the film. It was wonderful to make and took a very long time and is still seeking distribution. It can be found online on Amazon.com. It is a unique in its depiction of homelessness. It is a comedy but has a lot of original ideas.

7.) Lastly, I noticed you got a special thanks for "Inglourious Basterds." What was your contribution to that film?

 BP: I played a part in the film but was cut from it - a part that he may put into the sequel he would like to make some day. He didn't want to put it into the Directors Cut.