While also an accomplished writer, producer and director ("The Brothers McMullen", "She's the One" and "Ash Wednesday"), Ed Burns is best known for his work in front of the camera. He's starred in Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan", and opposite Robert De Niro in "15 Minutes". Now's he's playing the lead in James Foley's "Confidence".
Playing such an unscrupulous character, were you worried about being able to secure the audience's sympathy?
I thought the audience's reaction to my character would be similar to my own when I first read the script. Conmen are essentially bad guys but there's something charismatic and charming that audiences warm to.
Was James Foley more interested in the cons or the characters?
The characters, definitely. He likened that part to "Glengarry Glen Ross". As much as "Glengarry" was not just a film about salesmen and steak-knives, he never saw this one as just a con film. He thought, Let's hit those con plot points but after that, let's get into the juicier stuff.
What was it like preparing for scenes opposite a great screen legend like Dustin Hoffman?
The first scene you do with Dustin can be terrifying and you think, Yes, I'd better be totally prepared opposite him. But you relax more as the shoot goes on. Dustin delivers non-stop great stories off-set, and he often takes part of a story and incorporates it into a scene.
Was it difficult to be genuinely terrified by Dustin, given your obvious differences in height?
Dustin, it's true, didn't think people would buy him grabbing me by the shirt, so he looked for another way to seem intimidating without physicality. Once he realised my character couldn't handle sexual ambiguity, he locked into his and fed off it.
Would you be a grifter or an easy mark?
Well, years ago, I was the victim of a con. I was in 9th grade, 14-years-old, and we took the train into Manhattan to get fake IDs so we could get into bars. Three kids came up to us in 42nd Street, we were easy marks and slowly got conned out of $50 each. That was my introduction to the con world.
Finally, can we safely assume you didn't ask for a stunt double for the intimate scenes with Rachel Weisz?
Uh, no. That wasn't necessary.
"Confidence" is released in UK cinemas on Friday 22nd August 2003.
