Josh Hartnett Ingores Tom Cruise and Talks Brecht
London Stage Debut For Hollywood Star
The eagerly awaited London stage production of Rain Man starring Josh Hartnett is set to open this week. The stage play is loosely based on the hit film that starred Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. In anticipation of that event, Hartnett and Adam Godley spoke with the Telegraph’s Jasper Rees about the production. In the interview, Hartnett said that the last time he was on-stage it was in Bertolt Brecht’s The Threepenny Operaat theater school. In London, Hartnett plays the role that Tom Cruise played on film. He speaks directly about Tom Cruise in the production, telling the Telegraph:
My job is to not pay attention to what Tom Cruise did with the role in a similar way that Adam’s is not to pay attention to what Dustin did. Is it going to be better? I’m not even thinking about that. The film came out in ‘88, right? I was 10. I’ve seen it twice in the last 20 years.
It is a revealing conversation, and Hartnett clearly has been quite thoughtful about the role, production, and getting on-stage. He makes a strong case for a stage version, and gives some insight on a few of the changes. Rees didn’t ask if Hartnett and Godley might bring the show to Broadway, but our hope is that they will. Again, tickets for the production of Rain Man will be “about a hundred dollars.” Read the full text here. Photo by Kambouris/WireImage.com
-Broadway Magazine, Broadway.tv
Tags: Adam Godley, Bertolt Brecht, Dustin Hoffman, Jasper Rees, Josh Hartnett, London, Rain Man, Telegraph, The Threepenny Opera, Tom Cruise
