ME: Oh yeah, this is Drastic Radio. We're coming at you live from Comedy World.
I'm Mark Ebner.
PC: I'm Pete the Cripple.
ME: We are indeed blessed to have with us -- as part of our pre-Sundance extravaganza -- Billy Wirth and Tyrone Atkins.
Tyrone is the inspiration and writer on Billy's directorial feature debut
MacArthur Park and we are going to be going deep into your life, Tyrone, as portrayed as the character Cody in this film MacArthur Park. In just a few we are going to talk about the genesis of the film and all -- but first we need to bust Billy Wirth's cajonies a little bit here at Comedy World.
All right. It's the Tiger Beat portion of drastic radio. Join us won't you.
All right. Well, Billy's he's been -- well heck -- you've been a model coming out of what -- Brown University? You gotta' correct me if I'm wrong on any of this because you know what I mean, I'm Mr. Cut & Paste boy, here.
BW: Yeah, right, right, right.
ME: You were born in New York, you went to Brown University like a business and econ major there or something.
BW: Yes, I did. And I guess (it was) my junior year I was walking around New York City looking to get some extra work as a model and ran into a guy named Omar Alberto who got me started. Tracy Fitzpatrick, Tara Fitzpatrick and LizAnn Faulk, were friends of mine -- and they were making money as models and they said I should check it out. So I ran into this guy, Omar.
ME: Is that the guy Omar's Models?
BW: Yeah he's got an agency out here but he started me out way back when then he sent me over to Click cause he couldn't really get me work. He was with a small agency and he sent me over to Beth Ann Hardison who's Kadeem Hardison's mom.
ME: Kadeem
BW: She really got me going into the acting by sending me over to Michael Slessinger who's still my agent. So I was doing a little modeling in the summer time and got an agent, theatrically, through Beth Ann and I've been with Michael ever since.
ME: What was the relationship between you and Mr. Glossy, Bruce Weber?
BW: Oh, I actually did a photo shoot with my family, my mom and my three ah two brothers. We did a thing in GQ about brothers. I did a
shoot with him and then I did another shoot with him for like ParLouis or something with Tracy Fitzpatrick back in the day.
ME: Yeah, and you were lining your pockets too and making some bucks.
BW: Yeah, I was making a good coin. Yeah.
ME: That's nice now you're known for breaking out in the quintessential 80's movie that would be Lost Boys. Ya' know, Pete in fact, he's been out there doing research on this and he's discovered that there's a die hard fan somewhere, he's a Lost Boy's fan, who says you can sync up the soundtrack with the film Fantasia. Much in the same way Dark Side of the Moon can sync up to the Wizard of Oz.
BW: Wow.
ME: Wow. That's exactly what I said.
PC: This guy had to pages on a web site talking about the different ways to compare scenes in Fantasia with the Lost Boys soundtrack. It was real creepy actually.
BW: That's pretty interesting. I have to try that sometime.
ME: So you got quite the fan base out there in the www land.
BW: Yeah I had a lot of good support from all the fans out in the web land.
ME: Yeah can we bump that website? What is it Billy's Fan Club?
BW: It's billywirthfanclub.com that Cyndie Greer and Maxine Monterville, and they've been really supportive in pumping my stuff out there. They even took out an ad on the ticker tape, the Joe Boxer thing in Times Square for my birthday last year and then they're doing it now for MacArthur Park. Congratulations on the movie and MacArthur Park.
ME: Sweet! Especially getting into the Indie spirit and MacArthur Park is indeed an independent film. God Bless you for that.
BW: Truly
ME: Listen, in terms of the web fan base and all that, it's like -- thank God you have a fan base because otherwise the kind of stuff that's going on out there. Two days ago in my mailbox I download this thing. Ya' got the actor, Toby McGuire, sitting there with that magician guy from New York, David Blaine and Leo DiCaprio and I don't know what happened there but Toby McGuire had a kimono on all opened up and stuff and something was hanging out that I don't think was his. Have you run into any of those problems?
BW: Ya know, I've heard a couple of things like I think my brother just got a postcard yesterday (pause) some weird stuff. It was a normal picture of me but I've heard that there's been some sort of weird dealings with putting heads on bodies and stuff. I haven't seen any because I don't really go on the internet but one day I will. I know Alyssa Milano had a big case on that whole thing and I think she won some sort of dispute but that's the technology we're in. Soon they'll be making movies where they'll just take a head and they'll make the whole movie and you won't even need an actor.
ME: It's out of control. You been to the internet at all Tyrone Atkins?
TA: Once in a while. I dip and dab just to see what's available.
ME: Just for a little electronic taste. All right. Well this is Drastic Radio and we're coming at you live from Comedy World. We got Billy Wirth and Tyrone Atkins joining us in the clubhouse.
PC: Billy there was weird thing that I saw on the internet. There's some girl who has a website that's dedicated to how she met you after you made your short film and got an award for it.
BW: Wow.
PC: How she met you and you answered two of her questions and that she was basically trembling in her panties during the whole time. (Billy & Tyrone are laughing in the background). It's this erotic read through over just getting to shake your hand.
ME: What is this power that you have over women?
BW: You know, I don't know. I'm not really sure.
ME: Yeah what's your magic? What's the secret? Tiger Beat time. What's your favorite color?
BW: It might be the oil I wear. I've got this magic oil I put on every day. (Laughter in the studio)
ME: Allright we are talking to Billy Wirth. Back to Lost Boys. I mean was your breakout in that film? I know it wasn't your first film but was that a blessing or a curse in terms of your acting career hence?
BW: That was a great experience and I thank Joel Schumacher and Richard Donner for that. When I went in to read for that they said "you're not going to have the lead but we are going to feature you as a Lost Boy and you're going to get a lot of play out of this" and it certainly has been the case. I mean, I've received fan letters from all over the world for the last 15 years or 12 years however long it's been.
ME: Yeah, that film and Lost Boys and Weird Science are my two favorite films and Better Off Dead are my three favorite films of that 80's genera. Now, I don't want to diss this kid too heavily cause God bless him, I hope he gets better -- but the Corey factor. Last time I saw Corey Feldman he was passing out flyers at a pornography function (which says something about me if I was there in the first place)-- with this vacant look in his eyes. What's your recipe for survival Billy Wirth?
BW: Ahh well, ya know, my recipe for survival is keeping the faith, having a good family and being positive and staying in the love zone?
ME: Yeah, I know and it's working for you and we're glad to have you here on Comedy World. You also did War Party with Kevin Dillon?
BW: Yes, I did.
ME: And you were heavily involved with the development process of that.
BW: Well actually that movie, Franc Roddam directed.
ME: Who also did ah...
PC: The Bride and he also did The Lords of Discipline.
BW: Franc's a great guy. He's one of my mentors. We didn't have an ending that we were all satisfied with in that movie, so I basically was always thinking about how this movie is going to end and Franc was very open to suggestions and as it turned out the idea I came up with he implemented for the ending. It really got me thinking about story, and how to tell a story, and got me thinking about making movies.
ME: Good 'cause a lot of actors, ya know, a lot of actors just remain their entire careers as just models. Literally just coming up and posing before a camera. Getting into story at that point may explain how you've made the arc to being a filmmaker today. Maybe not, I don't know.
BW: I respect the actors who stay as actors and they really work on their craft. I mean they're not just models or whatever. The good actors work their asses off and they're disciplined and dedicated and it's just what they choose to do. I just felt something that was pulling me over to do more than act and got into directing. When I was directing this movie I felt like a quarterback in the Superbowl on the line of scrimmage calling audibles. Thinking three, four plays down the line and it brought me an incredible focus and it was just my path.
ME: Well, back to War Party just a second. Being involved with calling the shots in terms of how this movie's gonna end.
That's the development. But in terms of promotion how do you live up to appearing on a 42 foot billboard in a loin cloth?
BW: Ah, you've done your research. (Laughter)
ME: A little bit here and there.
BW: Yeah, that was pretty exciting. I got a big billboard up on Sunset Boulevard. After that I was able to walk into any club, anywhere and not have a problem. (Laughter in studio while they play a sound byte of Tarzan)
ME: Oh my God. Drastic Radio. 866-comedy3. Those are the digits to dial if you want to get in on this. Our conversation with Billy Wirth and Tyrone Atkins of the film that they're bring to Sundance and we're following you there to Park City.
BW: Excellent.
ME: You know we're following you all the way up there? That's coming not 'til, when is it that coming up? The 18th through the 28th?
BW: Yeah, the 18th through the 28th.
ME: Park City, Utah. We will be there. We'll be broadcasting semi-live from Park City. Allright now -- I believe your first film and correct me if I'm wrong -- was a little gem called Seven Minutes in Heaven.
BW: That's correct.
ME: Zoo Knudson.
BW: Zoo Knudson.
ME: Baseball player. All right. Was Jennifer Connelly as hot then as she is now?
BW: Yep. She was hot. (Laughter in the studio)
ME: Man, my thoughts on Jennifer Connelly is she should be an independent staple for sure because of the work she does. Waking the Dead, Requiem for a Dream, have you seen this film?
BW: I saw Requiem, yeah.
ME: Tyrone have you seen Requiem for a Dream?
TA: No, I haven't seen it.
ME: I've got a copy of it. Let me get that to you at one point or another. This is the greatest anti-drug film ever made. It's like the Evil Dead 2 of drug movies. (Billy is in the background agreeing with Mark). It will scare you. It's one of those things, coming back from a drug addiction background myself, I can tell you that it doesn't get my stomach rumbling to see the way he portrays drug use on this movie, in fact, it repels me. But, Zoo Knudson, Jennifer Connelly, I hope she keeps making independent films.
PC: But he did Boys On the Side. Got flashed by Drew Barrymore.
BW: Yes, that was quite an experience. Drew is a beautiful woman and a great actress and a real supporter and I love her.
ME: That's right and Relax It's Just Sex in 1998. Drastic Radio 866-comedy3 will be right back to talk about MacArthur Park with Billy Wirth and Tyrone Atkins is his last name. And ah, who am I ?
