| Passion Runs Deep Undercover |
| Written by Bristol Macdonald |
| Thursday, 21 September 1995 10:21 |
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Bill Duke, actor; writer and director speaks from the heart about commitment, faith and belief in his craft. Surrounded by his vast collection of eclectic art work, Duke appears relaxed and content as he sits in the living room of his Pacific Palisades home overlooking the ocean. His intimidating, 6 ‘5” towering eyes seem in complete contrast to the warmth and tranquility that exudes from this giant of a man. He speaks deliberately, carefully selecting his words, yet when the subject turns to his craft, an exquisite passion ignites within him. “To watch a real actor or actress work is a privilege. It’s like a perfectly designed entity,” he says and goes on to praise the works of Pacino, DeNiro and Brando. “They create characters that are totally believable human beings. That’s something to strive for. That’s the icon, but you have to understand the craft of acting to do it.” There is no doubt that Duke possesses that understanding. A 25 year veteran of the entertainment industry, his impressive list of credits both in front of and behind the camera, undeniably places him among the rising talents to be reckoned with. He is most recognizable for his performances as the heavy in such films as American Gigolo, Predator, Commando and Bird On A Wire.  Photo By Rod Goodman/Casting Call With the encouragement of a friend, he decided to take a chance on himself. He looks back on those early days with amusement. “The next semester I was in dance tights dancing across the ballet floor. That’s how I first started in terms of the arts.” He smiles. His family, although reluctant, supported his new career choice. “Being very practical people, they thought I was totally out of mind. Totally crazy,” he bursts out laughing. Crazy or not, Duke went on to master in fine arts at New York University’s prestigious Tisch School of the Arts. He also studied with Tony Award winner and acting teacher, Lloyd Richards, who was a very influential force in his life. Duke leans forward in his chair. His voice grows stronger as he stresses the importance of training. “A good acting class gives you the opportunity to fail privately rather than on screen or stage where critics are watching you. It gives you the privilege of growing and evolving in terms of your talent,” he adds. Duke strongly believes that every aspiring actor not only study with a good acting teacher, but also have a solid theatre background in order to have a greater appreciation of the craft. The theatre involves training the voice, speech, body movement as well as technique. When Duke began he was required to learn fencing. “These things may seem unrelated, but it gives you all the bells and whistles you need,” he says. In this industry, which is constantly changing, extensive training, a pretty face and even talent may not be enough. Success did not come easy for Duke. At a very low point in his life, struggling to make ends meet, he honestly admits to having pan-handled on the streets of New York. Something he is not proud of. “I had given up on myself and my self worth. It’s very easy sometimes when you’re in the thick of trying to survive to lose focus. It’s very difficult to be courageous, brave and clear all the time,” he says. In this industry, which is constantly changing, extensive training, a pretty face and even talent may not be enough. Success did not come easy for Duke. At a very low point in his life, struggling to make ends meet, he honestly admits to having pan-handled on the streets of New York. Something he is not proud of. “I had given up on myself and my self worth. It’s very easy sometimes when you’re in the thick of trying to survive to lose focus. It’s very difficult to be courageous, brave and clear all the time,” he says. Finding the courage to pull himself out of that black hole, Duke found jobs teaching acting, directing and writing. He did anything that was necessary in order to survive and pursue his dream. “You must have a tremendous faith in your own talent. You have to continue to believe in yourself. That’s not a very tangible thing, but whatever you sense yourself to be and your talent to be, you must commit to that,” he says with determination. It is that type of determination commitment and pure belief in himself that has led Duke to join the ranks of a small group of actors that have successfully made the transition to director. Building a solid training ground for himself in theatre, Duke went on to become a prolific television director with over 70 prime time episodes to his credit including Miami Vice, Hill Street Blues, and the pilot for New York Undercover. It is Duke’s clear vision and unique style that have ultimately thrust him to the forefront of feature film directing. His body of work includes A Rage In Harlem, Cemetery Club, Sister Act II: Back In The Habit and the critically acclaimed Deep Cover. In part, he credits his success as a director to his extensive knowledge and experience as an actor. “In directing actors, I know acting is not a painless thing. It hurts. Actors have to dig into and remember and to reinvoke feelings that the average person pays a psychiatrist to forget,” he says laughing at the absurdity of his craft. “Doing that everyday it’s no wonder actors are a little wacky and act a little strange,” he adds. “Insanity’ is how a friend once described his unwavering determination to succeed,” Duke smiles, still amused by this philosophy. “There may be a little bit of truth to that,” he says mischievously, but in retrospect the explanation is quiet simple he adds, “I really love what I’m doing. I believe in what I do.” |
| Last Updated on Monday, 08 February 2010 01:28 |