PRESS CONFERENCE – Michael Douglas: “Steven gave me the gift of this incredible role”

Steven Soderbergh, Matt Damon, Michael Douglas, Richard LaGravenese and producer Jerry Weintraub attended the press conference for the biopic about Valentino Liberace: Behind The Candelabra. Selected extracts.

About Valentino Liberace

Jerry Weintraub : I am the only one old enough at this table to have known him personally. He led an extraordinary life. There was just the secret of his homosexuality. There were a lot of women in his audiences and they were all in love with him, which made his coming out difficult at the time.

Michael Douglas: I met him when I was twelve. I bumped into him at Palm Springs with my dad who knew him a little. He was wearing so much jewellery that he sparkled in the sun. He was the predecessor of stars such as Elton John.

About filming:

Michael Douglas: It was just after my cancer and Steven gave me the gift of this incredible role. I am very grateful to the whole team for waiting for me.

Matt Damon: This is the seventh time I have worked with Steven. During filming, he went even further than usual from a technical point of view. He created a website that allowed the team to follow filming in real time. In the evening, I could see the result of what we had filmed that day. As an actor, it’s important to have access to all this information.

Steven Soderbergh on his retirement:

I want a break. I can’t say if it’s my last film or not. Behind The Candelabra has a direct link with my first film: they both talk about people living in their own world. In terms of style, I think I have made some progress, my mise en scène is clearer and more direct than at the time.

Quotes collected by LR