1997
Rainmaker Interviews
When John Grisham’s The Rainmaker was released, Paramount Pictures conducted interviews with several of the principal actors, among them, Mary Kay Place. These interviews were presented in short video clips on the official Rainmaker web site (now defunct).
Below are the audio portions of those clips transcribed for this page. The interview is painfully brief, but nonetheless, offers a tiny window into what makes Ms. Place tick.
In reference to the role of Dot Black, she has this to say:
“I was just moved by her character when I read it, her integrity, her strength, her fortitude.”
In terms of approaching the acting of the role, here is what she said:
“There was a lot to do to prepare for it. But it was interesting, you know? Because I’ve been working with this woman, an acting coach, and she has a particular technique used to approach these kinds of difficult, emotionally difficult, roles. And because I had that, it really became this kind of exciting adventure in a way.”
Discussing co-stars Claire Danes and Matt Damon:
“I’d worked with Claire before in ‘My So-Called Life,’ and I just was stunned by her brilliant ability. (Laughs) So, I was looking forward to being in a movie with her again. I’m a huge fan of her work. I just think she's an excellent actor. And then, I really had seen Matt in Courage Under Fire, and he was the one actor in that movie that I went, ‘Who is that kid?’ He's the one that got me in that film. So, I was thrilled that he was going to be playing the part of Rudy.”
On working with director Francis Ford Coppola:
“It was a gift from heaven. It was just a blast. We had so much fun, and he was excellent in every way.”
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