by Cary Elwes
Next is our superlative producer, Norman Lear, who I thank not only for his wonderful epilogue, but for providing me with all the call sheets and script notes, which he said would help jog my memory. He was right, they most certainly did. I also have to thank him for sharing all the wonderful photographs from Act III’s private collection, which now grace this tome. Indeed I am truly grateful to all the folks at Act III—especially Julie Dyer, Penny Wright, Jackie Jensen, and their archivist, Jean Andersen—for assisting me in the research for this book.
I have to thank Rob Reiner for his great foreword, and also thank him, Andy Scheinman, and the whole cast—including Robin Wright, Billy Crystal, Mandy Patinkin, Christopher Guest, Chris Sarandon, Carol Kane, Wallace Shawn, and Fred Savage—for contributing their memories to the book. This book might have my and Joe Layden’s names on the cover as authors, but these guys all took time out of their busy schedules to share remembrances about their personal experiences on the making of the film, without which this book would not have been possible. I am also grateful to André’s family, friends, and associates, who helped fill in his feelings about the film, especially to Robin Christensen and Marc Spiegel. I am also deeply indebted to my dear friend, Birgit Michelini, for making all those visits to the Vatican archives on our behalf.
I have to thank my publisher, Touchstone, for having faith in me to pull this off in the first place. Thanks go to my editor, Matthew Benjamin, who gently nurtured my writing journey, and to all the other folks at Touchstone and Simon & Schuster who helped in the creation of this book and supported me and taught me a great deal in the process, including Sophie Vershbow, Brian Belfiglio, Meredith Vilarello, David Falk, Jessica Chin, Laura Flavin, Elaine Wilson, and last but not least, Susan Moldow and Sally Kim.
I am seriously indebted to the talented Shepard Fairey for designing the magnificent poster for the sleeve. And to his wife, Amanda, for helping to make it happen. It turned out greater than we could have imagined. (And if you would like to learn a little bit more about Shepard Fairey, just turn the page.) I need to thank my manager Ben Levine, who suggested the idea for this book in the first place and never wavered in his belief that it would come to pass. And I want to thank my other manager, Ryan Bundra, and my agent, Katherine Latshaw, for helping make the deal happen.
I would be remiss if I didn’t give thanks to my incredibly patient wife, Lisa Marie, who had to endure my being sequestered for weeks at a time in order to make the many deadlines for this book. Being apart from my family was perhaps the hardest part of the process of writing this mini-memoir and I am grateful to her and our daughter for being so understanding (and to Skype for helping make it a little less unbearable!).
Finally, I want to thank the incredibly loyal fans of The Princess Bride, who now span generations. You are the ones who have continued to keep this film alive after a quarter century, and thus made this book possible. I am forever indebted to you all.
Your humble Westley,
C. E.
Shepard Fairey was born in Charleston, South Carolina. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island. While at R.I.S.D. he created the “OBEY GIANT” art campaign, with imagery that has changed the way people see art and the urban landscape. His work has evolved into an acclaimed body of art that includes the 2008 “HOPE” portrait of Barack Obama, which can be found in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.
Since the start of his career in 1989, he has exhibited in galleries and museums around the world, both indoor with his fine art and outdoor with his street art and murals. His works are in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Boston Institute of Contemporary Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and many others.
For more information, visit www.obeygiant.com.
LANCE STAEDLER
CARY ELWES is a celebrated English actor who starred as Westley in The Princess Bride as well as in Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Glory, Days of Thunder, Twister, and Saw, among many other acclaimed performances. He will always be indebted to The Princess Bride for changing his life and giving him a career that has spanned decades. He lives in Hollywood, California, with his family. Find out more about Cary Elwes at Twitter @Cary_Elwes.
JOE LAYDEN has authored or coauthored more than thirty books, including multiple New York Times bestsellers.
MEET THE AUTHORS, WATCH VIDEOS AND MORE AT
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authors.simonandschuster.com/Cary-Elwes
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INDEX
Note: Italic page numbers refer to illustrations.
Academy Awards, 16, 33, 51
The Academy of the Sword (Thibault d’Anvers), 66
Act III Communications, 22
Actors Studio, 12
Adventures in the Screen Trade (Goldman), 218
Adventures of Don Juan (film), 200
The Adventures of Robin Hood (film), 78
Agrippa, Camillo, 66
Alamo Drafthouse cinemas, 9
Albrecht, Chris, 231
Ali, Muhammad, 122
Alice Tully Hall, 3
Alien (film), 36, 37
Aliens (film), 137
Allder, Nick, 37–38, 95–98
Allen, Woody, 24
All in the Family (TV show), 20, 22, 27
All That Jazz (film), 51
All the President’s Men (film), 16, 91
Almost Famous (film), 131
American Film Institute, 9
Anderson, Bob, sword fighting and training, 67–69, 72–79, 81–84, 85, 86, 89, 126–27, 187, 196–203, 206–8
André the Giant:
attitude toward life of, 117, 118–19, 127, 224–25, 227–28
boyhood and youth, 119–21
breaking wind and, 123–26
casting of, 28, 30, 48–51, 242
cast’s table read and, 50–51, 53
Cliffs of Insanity scene and, 158–59, 160
as connoisseur of fine food, 130
Billy Crystal and, 120, 166, 167
death of, 3, 227, 234
drinking adventures of, 62–64, 223–27
Cary Elwes and, 116–26, 167, 174–76, 211, 223–28
health problems of, 51, 61–62, 118, 159, 174
heat and cold and, 116–17
hotel fire alarm and, 140
laughing on set and, 124–26
Miracle Max scene and, 168, 169
NYPD and, 223–25
Mandy Patinkin and, 119, 120, 124–25, 167
Rob Reiner and, 48–51, 120, 124–26, 213
Andy Scheinman and, 48–49, 50–51, 62, 63, 117, 120, 122
Wallace Shawn and, 159, 160
shooting final scenes and, 212–13
Mel Smith and, 197
wrestling and, 49, 61, 118, 119, 120, 121–22, 130, 227
Robin Wright and, 63, 117, 118, 148
Angels (costume house), 33
Annie Hall (film), 163
Another Country (film), 13
Archie Bunker’s Place (TV show), 22
Atkinson, Rowan, 197
Barron, David, 53–54, 106, 129, 130
Beckett, Samuel, 119–20
Bessette, Carolyn, 231
Best in Show (film), 188
Bewkes, Jeff, 231
Biddle, Adrian, 137
B. J. and the Bear (TV show), 53
Blackner, Danny, 104–10
The Black Pirate (film), 78, 200
Boorman, John, 22
Bradford, Andy, 97, 100, 102, 103, 186, 211
The Brady Bunch (TV show), 24
Brasi, Luca, 233
Brazil (film), 40
A Bridge Too Far (film), 91
British Academy of Fencing, 68
Brooks, Mel, 52, 123, 163, 164, 217–18, 227
Brothers in Arms (album), 191
Bruegel, Pieter, 36
Buckinghamshire, 187
Burwell, Lois, 88
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (film), 16, 60, 91
Buttercup’s Baby (Goldman), 237
Cahiers du Cinéma (film journal), 17
Cameron, James, 137
Capo Ferro, Ridolfo, 66
Captain Blood (film), 67, 200
Captain Kangaroo (TV show), 115
“Captain Kangaroo” fire warden, 114–15, 126
Carnal Knowledge (film), 163
Carter, Helena Bonham, 13
Catch-22 (film), 52
Cave Dale, 174
Chernobyl accident, 14–15, 16, 26
Citizen Kane (film), 237
Cliffs of Insanity, 4, 41, 57, 127, 158, 191, 198, 202
Cliffs of Moher, 158, 159
Clinton, Chelsea, 232, 233
Clinton, Hillary, 231, 232
Clinton, William J., 230–33
Collins, Michael, 230
Colomby, Bobby, 192
Columbia Pictures, 19, 21
Columbo (TV show), 171
Conan the Barbarian (film), 37, 219
Conan the Destroyer (film), 53
Connery, Sean, 78
Cook, Peter, 9, 126, 144–45, 234, 242
Cosby, Bill, 27, 30
The Count of Monte Cristo (film), 200–201
Cranston, Bryan, 231
The Crimson Pirate (film), 200
critical reviews, 7–8, 220–21
Crossland, Sue, 97, 100, 186
Crowe, Cameron, 131
Crudup, Billy, 131
Cruise, Tom, 93, 173, 175
Crystal, Billy:
André the Giant and, 120, 166, 167, 227
casting of, 23–24, 41, 164, 242
cast’s table read and, 54
Cary Elwes and, 31, 161–62, 168
on film’s charm, 238, 239
Christopher Guest and, 113, 163
imitating accents and, 143
improvisation of, 198
Carol Kane and, 42, 166, 167, 171
Miracle Max role and, 159–69, 162, 198
Peter Montagna and, 161–63
Rob Reiner and, 93, 155, 164, 165, 166
sword fighting scenes and, 205
twenty-fifth-anniversary screening and, 4, 235
Dalton, Phyllis, 33–36, 90, 156
Davis, Jeff, 201
Days of Thunder (film), 6
Derbyshire, England, 7, 111, 127, 140, 148, 174, 224
De Vito, Danny, 153, 155, 157, 158
Diamond, Peter:
Cliffs of Insanity scene and, 158
Fire Swamp scenes and, 95, 97–100, 102–5, 107
sword fighting and training, 67–69, 71–84, 85, 86, 89, 126–27, 161, 186–87, 190, 196–203, 206–8
The Dick Van Dyke Show (TV show), 24
Diller, Barry, 222
Doctor Zhivago (film), 33
Dog Day Afternoon (film), 51, 163
Dorchester Hotel, 47, 63–64, 86, 128, 140
Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall (film), 112
The Draughtsman’s Contract (film), 88
Dreyfuss, Richard, 153
Dr. Strangelove (film), 36, 144
Ebert, Roger, 220–21
Edgar Award, 14
Edward VI (king of England), 13
Eisenberg, Deborah, 152
The Elephant Man (film), 36
Elizabeth (film), 113
Elwes, Cary:
André the Giant and, 116–26, 167, 174–76, 211, 223–28
Battle of Wits scene and, 155–58
birthday party for, 192–93
casting of, 11–16, 24–31
cast’s mutual affection and respect, 3–4
cast’s table read and, 47–56, 59–61
Bill Clinton and, 230–33
costuming and, 33–39, 88–89
Billy Crystal and, 31, 161–62, 168
end of production and, 215–16
Peter Falk and, 170–71
fan mail from children and, 9, 239
filming of final scene, 211–15
film’s popular resurgence and, 239
film’s release and, 217–19
Fire Swamp scenes and, 37, 40, 85–107, 109, 110
William Goldman and, 16
grandfather’s death, 209–11, 215
Christopher Guest and, 146, 188, 191
Tom Hanks and, 230–31
imitating accents and, 143–44
injuries during filming, 173–87, 189–91, 196, 202, 206, 211, 224
John Paul II and, 229–30
Carol Kane and, 165
laughing on set and, 124–25, 168, 198
Norman Lear and, 241
Miracle Max scene and, 168–69
“mostly dead” and, 115, 123, 168
on movie-making as circus, 131–33
Rob Reiner and, 11–16, 25, 113, 137, 141, 144, 161, 177–79, 181–85, 189–91, 198, 211, 237
Andy Scheinman and, 11, 14–15, 103, 144, 183
sets and, 40–41
Wallace Shawn and, 153
sword fighting and training, 65–84, 85, 126–28, 177, 186–87, 195–208, 202, 211
twenty-fifth anniversary screening and, 3, 9, 234–36
Robin Wright and, 41–45, 60–61, 96–99, 143–49, 183, 186
Elwes, Lisa Marie, 231, 232
The Empire Strikes Back (film), 37
English weather, 135–37
Enter the Dragon (film), 81
Ephron, Nora, 233
Evans, Ceri, 199–200, 214
Everett, Rupert, 13
Evita (film), 71
Fairbanks, Douglas, Jr., 31, 35, 67, 78
Fairey, Shepard, 245, 247
Falk, Peter:
alternate ending scene and, 212
casting of, 242
death of, 3, 234
Cary Elwes and, 170–71
film’s poster and, 219
Fred Savage and, 7, 170–71, 210
twenty-fifth-anniversary screening and, 235
The Fall Guy (TV show), 53
Fatal Attraction (film), 8
Fawlty Towers (TV show), 144
Ferrer, Mel, 201
Festival of Festivals (Toronto), 4, 218–19, 220, 221, 235
A Few Good Men (film), 93
Fiddler on the Roof (film), 22
Film Society of Lincoln Center, 236
Firth, Colin, 13, 16
A Fish Called Wanda (film), 144
Fleming, Ian, 210
Flynn, Errol, 30, 31, 35, 67, 68, 78, 210
Ford, Harrison, 78
Forman, Miloš, 52
For Your Consideration (film), 188
Foundas, Scott, 236
The 400 Blows (film), 18
From Russia With Love (film), 68
From the Earth to the Moon (TV show), 230, 232
Fugit, Patrick, 131
Gandhi (film), 36
Garwood, Norman, 40, 115, 164, 200
Get Smart (TV show), 52
Gilliam, Terry, 40
Gilligan’s Island (TV show), 24
Glory (film), 6
The Godfather (film), 233
Golden Globe awards, 71, 148
Goldman, William:
actors’ insecurities and, 86
André the Giant and, 48, 49, 117
as author of novel, 12, 17, 26, 34, 44, 241–42
as basketball fan, 52
Battle of Wits scene and, 157
casting Buttercup role and, 43
cast’s
table read and, 47, 47–48, 52–56, 59–60
circus influence on, 133
Count Rugen character and, 188
on cynics, 221
Cary Elwes and, 16
film’s popular resurgence and, 236, 239
film’s screenplay and, 7, 9, 16, 55, 57, 92, 145, 155, 162, 242
Fire Swamp scenes and, 89–92, 94, 95, 98–100, 101
love of storytelling, 237–38
Miracle Max character and, 161
“mostly dead” and, 58–59, 115
on movie-making, 218
The Moving Target screenplay and, 14
Mandy Patinkin and, 216
presence on set of, 90–92, 93–94, 95, 98–100
purchase of movie rights and, 21–22
Rob Reiner and, 20, 21–22, 23, 88, 91, 94, 95
Chris Sarandon and, 42, 52
Wallace Shawn and, 152
stage directions of, 190
storming the castle scene and, 126
sword fighting scenes and, 66, 69, 77–78, 195, 202, 203, 205, 206
twenty-fifth-anniversary screening and, 235–37, 241
Robin Wright and, 43, 44
“young auteur” term and, 19
Goldwyn, Tony, 231
Goodfellas (film), 233
Good Times (TV show), 22
Gotti, John, 233
The Graduate (film), 52
Granger, Stewart, 201
Gray, Maggie, 114
Grazer, Brian, 231
The Greatest American Hero (TV show), 53
Great Representation of the Art and Use of Fencing (Capo Ferro), 66
Grey, Jane, 13
Guest, Christopher:
“Captain Kangaroo” fire warden and, 115, 129
casting of, 23, 41
cast’s mutual affection and respect, 113, 132
cast’s table read and, 52
Billy Crystal and, 113, 163
Cary Elwes and, 146, 188–91
end of production and, 216
film’s catering and, 129
imitating accents and, 143
Carol Kane and, 163
Rob Reiner and, 139, 140
Wallace Shawn and, 154
Mel Smith and, 198
on strength of cast, 199
on strength of script, 60
sword fighting scenes and, 196, 206
This is Spinal Tap and, 18, 23, 188, 216
twenty-fifth-anniversary screening and, 4
Robin Wright and, 146
Guinness, Alec, 78
Haddon Hall, 99, 111–15