Columnists

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Liberace biopic a serious love story

By: Brad Oswald

Posted: 01/8/2013 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Matt Damon (right) and Michael Douglas discuss their roles for television critics. (CP)

PASADENA -- It might be campy. And it might be weird and funny, in an over-the-top, showbiz-excess kind of way.

But first and foremost, says Matt Damon, the story told in the HBO movie Behind the Candelabra is a serious love story, and Job 1 for him and co-star Michael Douglas was to treat it respectfully and get it right.

"There are aspects of the relationship that were absurd," he said of the film, which tells the story of the tempestuous pairing of legendary entertainer Liberace, known as Lee to his friends, and his chauffeur/lover, Scott Thorson. "But for me, it just kind of pointed out that there are aspects of all of our lives that are absurd. And they're just not absurd to us because they're our lives.... It was so complex, their relationship.

"If this was a relationship between a man and a woman, you'd feel at moments like, 'This is too intimate, maybe I shouldn't be here.' But it's between a man and a man, and I've never seen that movie before. So it was fun, but we weren't giggling about it. We took it very seriously. These were people's lives and we wanted to get it right."

Behind the Candelabra, which will air this spring on HBO, has Douglas in the role of the flamboyant pianist/showman and Damon playing Thorson, who was a teenager when he became Liberace's live-in companion. The movie, directed by Steven Soderbergh, is based on the younger man's tell-all memoir, written after he and Liberace had a very acrimonious parting.

Clips shown during HBO's portion of the U.S. networks' semi-annual press tour in Los Angeles feature Douglas and Damon in some very intimate situations. Douglas praised his co-star for the fearless approach he took to playing Liberace's deeply conflicted much-younger lover.

"I just want to commend Matt, because I don't think I would have had the courage at that point in my career to take this on," he said.

For his part, Damon said wardrobe -- period specific, and in keeping with Liberace's wildly outlandish style -- played a big part in allowing him and Douglas to get into their characters.

"I've always been somebody who goes into the wardrobe fitting and I just try to get out as fast as I can," he says. "When they ask me what kind of shoes (I need), at this point I look for the most comfortable shoes... I just kind of can't be bothered with it.

"But this was a very specific thing. And I probably spent more time in the wardrobe fittings on this thing than I had in the previous 15 projects, literally. Days and days and days. And I really enjoyed it."

Some have speculated that Thorson's interest in Liberace was motivated by material gain, but Damon said he believes the relationship was based on a real emotional connection.

"I think (Thorson's) love was genuine, but I think it was complicated," he offers. "He was somebody who was a foster kid and was looking for a family... and Lee gave that to him. And I think they had a profound love for each other and it ended badly, but there were a lot of wonderful moments and a lot of ups and downs and a lot of things that everybody goes through in long-term relationships.

"But I don't think Scott had an angle the whole time. I think he genuinely fell for him, which is why he was hurt ultimately at the end."

brad.oswald@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @BradOswald

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 8, 2013 D3

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Columnists

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.