That is one of the greatest scenes in cinema history. I’ll give you a little history about that scene. I’m an actor, I lived in LA for about 18 years, so one night my roommate says Kevin Spacey is coming over to look at something he filmed. So I leave them alone, but afterward Spacey introduces himself to me and we start talking about acting. I told him I did a role in a play of a character he created on Broadway, Neil Simons “Lost in Yonkers” and I got in the play when it came to Chicago, we both played the same character Uncle Louie.
So I asked him about Glengarry Glen Ross, and he said Mamet and the director wanted Al Pacino to play Romo, but Pacino was doing another movie at the time, so they cast Baldwin, who was new at the time as Romo. And they were rehearsing the movie for about two weeks, so Mamet, the other producers and the director, James Foley really liked what Baldwin was doing as Romo. Then out of the blue, Al Picino calls them, his movie was done early and he’s now free to do Glengarry Glen Ross. So now Mamet, the producers, and Foley go with a name actor, and give Romo back to Pacino. But they really loved what Baldwin was did in rehearsal, so Mamet, who wrote the play too, wrote that scene for just for Baldwin. That scene is not in the play. I think it’s the scene that sets the tone for the entire movie. About 10 years ago Steppenwolf Theatre company put on the play Glengarry Glen Ross and asked Mamet if they could put that scene in the play. Mamet said yes.
Good story, thanks for sharing. I like hearing from and reading Mamet. He fills the Hitchens void for me somewhat, if that makes sense.
Thank you for the story, and they’re always appreciated.
I also really like his Malice speech, Pacino’s Scent of a Woman speech, and the Good Will Hunting Robin Williams “Tasters Choice” speech.