Joy Behar Asks Richard Dreyfuss How He Found 'Satanic Spot' to Play Cheney; Actor Says He Found His Inner Hitler
On Monday's Joy Behar show on Headline News, the host promoted the latest work of
liberal actor Richard Dreyfuss, but soon turned the conversation
to Dreyfuss playing Dick Cheney in the 2008 Oliver Stone flop "W." and
how he could find the "satanic spot" in his soul to play Cheney.
Dreyfuss said you can "find all the villainy in the world in your own
heart," and said he tells students to focus on the Hitler inside
you when playing a bad guy. Cheney as Hitler: this is just another
night on the Joy Behar Show.
BEHAR: Now, you played a bad guy in "Red" and you also played a bad guy in "W," one of my favorite movies. So funny.
DREYFUSS: Which you said I would never do. He would never do that. He would never play Dick Cheney. He's a liberal.
BEHAR: I was wrong. I was wrong. But was it hard to play Dick Cheney?
DREYFUSS: It's a big person -
BEHAR: Where did you find in yourself - because I know that you're not a fan of Cheney. I know that.
DREYFUSS: I'm not a fan of Cheney's.
BEHAR: OK. Where did you find it in yourself to go down and find that satanic spot that we all know so well?
DREYFUSS: Are you leading me somewhere? First of all, every actor likes the play bad guys.
BEHAR: Yes.
DREYFUSS: And it just so happen in the last few years I played all Republican bad guys.
BEHAR: Oh, yes.
DREYFUSS: That's just a coincidence. And to play Dick Cheney, all I had to do was find my Dick Cheney. And you can find all the villainy in the world in your own heart, and that's what an actor`s job is.
BEHAR: That's right.
DREYFUSS: I always say to kids, inside you is Hitler and Jesus. And you got to find the appropriate person and bring them out.
Since
Cheney was being discussed, it was inevitable that Behar would refer to
the recent Washington Post story strongly suggesting that Cheney never
apologized to the man he accidentally shot while hunting, Harry
Whittington. This is apparently endless grist for hilarity:
BEHAR: OK. You know, it just so happens while we're on the topic of Cheney, the guy that he shot a few years ago, remember that guy?
DREYFUSS: Yes.
BEHAR: He just emerged yesterday or something or the day before.
DREYFUSS: Does he have a hole in his face?
BEHAR: Last week, whenever it was. I don't know about a hole in his face, but he has buckshot, still has like 30 shots. And the way I read it, Cheney has still not apologized for that.
DREYFUSS: In my research, you know, to do Cheney, I started to hunt and I wanted to invite you to go hunting with me.
BEHAR: Me?
DREYFUSS: Yes. Just stand over here and I'll stand over here. I promise not to hit you.
- Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.
