Now a legend in his own right, Judd Hirsch wasn’t an expected choice to star in a Best Picture winner in 1980. But he was tapped to play Dr. Tyrone Berger in the directorial debut of the biggest movie star in the world. Robert Redford’s Ordinary People, the story of a family that breaks down after the accidental death of one of the sons, would go on to win four Oscars, including a Supporting Actor nomination for Hirsch.
Hirsch spoke to Rolling Stone about Redford’s approachable style, and how it feels to lose “one of the biggies.”
He believed in honesty. He’s only been an honest actor, which is where I come from too. For me, it’s necessary for someone to do what they truly believe. Otherwise, we can see it. We can see it trying. He was interested more in the innocence of what you say – you didn’t know it before. He only came in as a director to take down anything that looked like acting. If I had an idea and something was more dramatic, he’d say, “No, just answer the question.” That’s why you need a director. You can have ideas as an actor to enhance something, and a director says no.
He never wanted to direct. He just understood everything from the other side of the camera. And I understood what he meant: “I’m going to use other people to do that part of it, so you guys don’t worry about that.” It was like doing a play. His direction was beyond the camera. I didn’t know why he even chose me for the part really. It took about a year – he had to rewrite or get it rewritten. He sent me the book, and I realized what the book’s about and what the character is.
When I read the book or even the script, I realized that the kid, in my estimation, was disappointed with his first interview with the psychologist, and he would not come back. If he comes back would be the dramatic point. And I know it was the dramatic point [Redford] was looking for also. We had to make the character kind of unseemly, not the kind of person that looks like he’s interested, but he’s got other patients and he’s kind of curt and he can’t fix his radio or whatever. He doesn’t remember his name. Whatever we’re going to work here, it’s going to be what we actually say and do.
I had a meeting with [Robert] and the only thing he really told me was he had a couple of kids who went through therapy and he never, ever agreed or liked it. He just never thought that therapy did anything for his daughters or son. He said, “They never said they were your friend. They never acted like your friend.” I said, “Well, I’m supposed to.” He said, “Well, this one will.” That’s the point of the whole narrative. I thought Redford has a great feeling for this story and how to turn it into a movie.
He had a very strong idea and was convinced this thing was going to go his way. And history is what it was. He changed the face of psychology. He never won an Academy Award for anything but this. He won for directing, the movie, and the kid.
He was the kinda guy who said, “I hope people don’t think I’m just a good-looking guy.” He started in television and small parts, but he knew he was going to be boxed in by his looks. When he wanted to become an actor, he snuck onto the Universal lot and pretended to be a stuntman. He had stories.
He was also a politician in his heart. He was very concerned with the country. I’d love to look like him too and use it that way. I will miss him very much. We will all miss him. I thought he would beat me to 90. He’s the last one I expected to not outlive me. I miss his youth.
This is one of the biggies. This is one of the guys you have to say, “We ran along with him.” It’s not Brando where we watched what he was doing from afar. We ran along with Redford and his movies and his ideas. He’s one of the guys who was carrying us through interest in the movies he did. Nobody got up and played trumpets when he walked in the room. He allowed us to run alongside him.
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