Brian Grazer Talks New Book Face to Face and How Tom Hanks Kept Him from Dropping 8 Mile
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Community Community Keeping Doha-based on top of British- P4 your mental P16 Pakistani health in today’s music composer taxing world can Razwan Bobby be tough. But a few Sarwar is fast changes can help. finding his feet. Friday, September 27, 2019 Muharram 28, 1441 AH Doha today: 320 - 370 COVER STORY Brian Grazer talks new book Face to Face and how Tom Hanks kept him from dropping 8 Mile. P2-3 Unplugged MANTRA: “I’m a very successful communicator, when I’m concentrating and focusing. It’s not a natural thing for me,” says Brian Grazer. CUISINE SHOWBIZ Exotic cherries, perfect fruit At HBO’s Emmy party, the to make juice, bake in pies. decor was as glitzy as ever. Page 6 Page 14 2 GULF TIMES Friday, September 27, 2019 COMMUNITY COVER STORY “Looking someone in the eyes enables great things to happen” PRAYER TIME Fajr 4.07am Shorooq (sunrise) 5.26am — Brian Grazer, film and TV producer Zuhr (noon) 11.27am Asr (afternoon) 2.52pm Maghreb (sunset) 5.27pm Isha (night) 6.57pm USEFUL NUMBERS Emergency 999 Worldwide Emergency Number 112 Kahramaa – Electricity and Water 991 Local Directory 180 International Calls Enquires 150 Hamad International Airport 40106666 Labor Department 44508111, 44406537 Mowasalat Taxi 44588888 Qatar Airways 44496000 Hamad Medical Corporation 44392222, 44393333 Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation 44845555, 44845464 Primary Health Care Corporation 44593333 44593363 Qatar Assistive Technology Centre 44594050 Qatar News Agency 44450205 44450333 Q-Post – General Postal Corporation 44464444 Humanitarian Services Offi ce (Single window facility for the repatriation of bodies) Ministry of Interior 40253371, 40253372, 40253369 Ministry of Health 40253370, 40253364 Hamad Medical Corporation 40253368, 40253365 Qatar Airways 40253374 ote Unquo Qu te “Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.” — Edmund Burke Community Editor My curiosity conversations have Kamran Rehmat defined my life. … Whether it’s with e-mail: [email protected] Princess Diana or John Nash, I always Telephone: 44466405 Fax: 44350474 knew you had to make a point of ‘ being completely present with them ’ Friday, September 27, 2019 GULF TIMES 3 COVER STORY COMMUNITY By Ryan Faughnder “We’ve expanded by or Brian Grazer, being being independent. … I a fi lm and TV producer isn’t all about name- think now, with multiple dropping celebrities and A-lister lunches at platforms of all types Fthe Palm. OK, some of the job is that make all sizes and defi nitely about that. But the Oscar winner behind shapes of narrative A Beautiful Mind and Apollo 13 and shows including Arrested content, we’ve come to Development and Empire says one key to his success has been to realise that stories are connect deeply with other people. everything” That’s probably no surprise coming from Grazer, who co-founded Imagine Entertainment with Ron Howard in 1986, establishing one of — Brian Grazer the entertainment business’ most enduring partnerships. In his 2015 book, A Curious Mind, Grazer drew on his habit of engaging in “curiosity conversations” with the likes of scientist Jonas Salk and writer Isaac Asimov. His new book, Face to Face: The Art of Human Connection, explores the virtues of getting people to open up in an era defi ned by social media and multitasking. In an interview at his Santa Monica home, the 68-year-old Grazer spoke about why he wrote What was a pivotal moment movie, and I’m thinking he could Pictures. How has that changed Face to Face, the future of his in your career where this skill be homophobic. I don’t want to do your business? company, and how actor Tom helped you? I’m thinking of an that.” And he says, “Are you crazy? We’ve expanded by being Hanks kept him from bailing on the awkward meeting you had with That’s another character. … That’s independent. … I think now, with Eminem movie 8 Mile. Eminem before making 8 Mile. Slim Shady. He doesn’t even take it multiple platforms of all types So I had an offi ce that was seriously. He’s not a homophobe.” that make all sizes and shapes of Why did you focus this new very comfortable, and I had a … And I thought, if anyone knows, narrative content, we’ve come to book on human connection? lot of success getting people to it’s this guy, Tom Hanks. realise that stories are everything. My curiosity conversations communicate in this offi ce. But … Unless you tell a story that have defi ned my life. … Whether when Eminem came in, he stared One of your most interesting becomes visceral and reaches it’s with Princess Diana or John straight out a window. I did upcoming projects is Hillbilly people, you’re not diff erentiating Nash, I always knew you had to everything possible. But he had this Elegy, based on the 2016 yourself from all the clutter. Even as make a point of being completely impenetrable icy glare. memoir by J D Vance about his recently as Empire, no-one wanted present with them, but not until Eventually, he decided he was diffi cult upbringing in rural a 90%-plus African American two years ago did I realise that is going to leave, after about 20 of Ohio. Why did you want to do cast show on network television. created through eye contact. If the longest minutes of my life. this adaptation? But we saw there were certain you’re immediately taking this Out of desperation, as his hand hit Ron and I like making movies ingredients that could make that simple step of looking at somebody the door to exit, I said, “Oh, come about family. Everybody roots for work within the equation of the in the eye, that makes a statement on, you can animate.” I don’t even family. show. People love watching stories to them: “I see you.” We’re reading know why I said that word. I guess of earned success. People like being people’s energy more than what because I’d seen the urban side of Imagine Entertainment has in glamorous environments, if it’s they say. By looking someone in him, and I’ve seen the really funny been an independent producer earned and juicy. Those are the the eyes, it enables great things to and fl uid side of him. And then he for several years, after a long ingredients that made Empire work. happen. paused and he came back, to my relationship with Universal — Los Angeles Times/TNS surprise, and we really opened up to Face-to-face communication each other. For the next 40 minutes is not something that always to an hour, he basically told me his came naturally to you. How did story, which became really the body you overcome that obstacle? of the movie. I was crippled by dyslexia, and I had a hard time reading, and What made you persist in that therefore I never wanted to be asked moment? a question in class because I knew I think I was just determined to I couldn’t answer it. So I developed understand him. He wasn’t yet even all these diff erent methods of near the peak of his career, but he diverting my eyes so I wouldn’t get was already at that time today’s picked. … But then I found that in genius rap poet, who was doing a college, I was one of the smart kids, really unique thing. and it felt really good to be one of I’ll tell you another story, but the smart kids. it’s unrelated. After a couple years I’m a very successful of working with Eminem, we had communicator, when I’m a script, we had a director, and we concentrating and focusing. It’s not were ready to make the movie. And a natural thing for me. Ron Howard it was when he was having an issue and I were working on our fi rst with Elton John, and he seemed movie together, Night Shift (1982) homophobic. And I thought, “If I with two writers, Lowell Ganz and make this movie, I’m empowering Babaloo Mandel. In meetings, I’m that.” often not looking at them because Then, serendipitously, I’m having I feel like I’m getting away with dinner with Tom Hanks at Giorgio multitasking. So Ron says gently Baldi. And I say, “I’m about to make to me, “You know, when you don’t this movie on this guy, Eminem, look at them, it makes them feel and I’m thinking I may be fuelling DOWN MEMORY LANE: From left, Jim Lovell, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, and Bill Paxton bad; it hurts their feelings.” his power source by making this during the filming of Apollo 13. 4 GULF TIMES Friday, September 27, 2019 COMMUNITY BODY & MIND Six ways to stay healthy when you’re stressed Keeping on top of your mental health in today’s taxing world can be tough. But a few changes can help lift the burden, writes Sirin Kale uman beings are fl ood your body with feelgood not built to endure endorphins. prolonged periods of To motivate yourself, the stress. If you want personal trainer Maiken Skoie to see an extreme Brustad advises you to “remember Hexample of what it can do to a how good you feel after you train. person, observe prime ministers After exercise, you’ll always feel as they enter and exit Downing better.” Street. Before, fresh-faced, If you can’t aff ord to visit a they simper for the cameras.