J K Simmons & Tom Brittney talk with Patrick Stoner about creating the violent but tightly knit world of the real life Irish gang of 1980’s Hell’s Kitchen NYC.
Flicks is a program devoted to exploring the latest creations from Hollywood. Each week, WHYY film critic Patrick Stoner provides up-to-the-minute coverage of top films, stars and moviemakers.
This discussion explores the production of a project centered on the Westies, an Irish gang in 1980s Hell's Kitchen. The conversation highlights the group's internal bonds, their struggle as underdogs against the Italian mafia, and the immersive environment and collaborative spirit the actors experienced during filming.
We're all friends here, Mickey. Put down the gun.
Let's talk. I am telling you, we've kind of let this guy go.
You and I both know I ain't got nothing except for you.
In the early 1980s, there was a gang in New York, in Hell's Kitchen, called the Westies. They were Irish,
largely, and there was an old school and a new school.
J.K. Simmons
represents the older ones, and Tom Brittany, the younger ones, but they were the Westies.
I think especially the young Westies, as like this group of like wolf.
Yeah, like these little puppies who are just, there's so much love.
There's so much love between that group of friends, and we see it, you know,
in all the main groups in the show, but then, you know, also capable of the ferocity that is
required for survival. And it's more
powerful because of the bonding, because the Westies were not in the
majority, if you will, of the gangs at the time, right? Give us a feeling for what they were up against.
Well, I mean, the statistics were, what is it, 100 to 1 with the Italian man?
Depending on who you ask, 50 to 1, 100 to 1. Vastly outnumbered. Vastly outnumbered, and
yeah, and just really, really underdogs trying to hold on to this
small little patch of Manhattan with everything they've got.
One of the things that always helps an actor is if the environment is conducive to it.
To what extent was that the case in making Westies?
What we gravitate towards is what we see on the page, the characters, and the relationships,
and the story, and all that. But if you don't feel immersed physically in this reality of
1980 Hell's Kitchen, then it makes your job more difficult.
Every single actor, I mean, Chris Brancato told us this at the beginning,
was that he'd never had as many actors who heard about this project wanting to be in it.
Everyone was working together as a team because they just truly cared about this project.
It wasn't just a job. It was more than that.
I saw this guy when they did Oz, and he scared me so much. I would never have wanted to be in
the same room with him. Fortunately, maybe you didn't have that initial experience,
but I bet you know about it, don't you?
Yeah. I mean, you helped me up against the wall when I said hello to you.
I mean, just a little greeting, just a little, this is the pecking order.
Yeah.
Who's the alpha?
Okay. Okay. As the beta, I thank you both.
I appreciate it. Thank you. Seriously.
Thank you so much.
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