Andy García Talks 'At Middleton' New Film, His Comedic Chemistry With Co-Star Vera Farmiga [EXCLUSIVE]

If you don’t think Andy García is the perfect actor to portray the role of an uptight heart surgeon who is secretly a hopeless romantic -- then you’d be so wrong. The actor who is best known for his iconic roles in “The Godfather Part III,” “The Untouchables” and more recently as Terry Benedict in the “Ocean’s Eleven” series, has shed his villainous persona and emerges as a genuinely funny, heartfelt and endearing character in his latest film, “At Middleton.” Starring alongside, Vera Farmiga, the new romantic comedy combines thoughtful literature with witty comedy to create a whole new film in this rather tired and true genre. The new film will be released Jan. 31. It is an honest and touching romance that takes place all in one fateful day. García’s character George brings his hesitant son Conrad to the campus of Middleton College for the traditional college campus tour. However George’s tour of Middleton becomes anything but traditional when he meets Edith, played by Farmiga. Edith is also at Middleton for a tour. In comparison to George’s unsure son, Edith’s daughter Audrey is more determined and wound up tight. Following initial introductions, George and Edith soon discover that their offbeat sense of humor and zest for life melds together seamlessly. Latin Times sat down with Andy García to discuss his new comedic role as George in “At Middleton.”

LT: George is very funny. Do you think your character is funny?

AG: I think George is funny. When I read him, he was funny to me. George is a very proper man. He wants to make his father proud, he marries the first women he falls in love with and he is committed. But, as Glenn German puts it, there were times that both he and Edith’s marriages were at a 10, but for a long time they have been at a 5. George and Edith are vulnerable for this to happen [for them to fall in love while at Middleton.] The tone of the script echoed some of the French romantic comedies of the 60s. I saw that humor in the shenanigans the characters find themselves in. It wasn’t predesigned. I knew George was going to be in situations where the comedy was going to come alive.

LT: Both you and Vera Farmiga made a funny pair. How did you prepare?

AG: There was no rehearsal. Vera came from filming another film on Saturday. We did a wardrobe test on Sunday, I came out dressed as George and as soon as she saw me, she started literally laughing out loud and I immediately realized that I could make her laugh. That’s a main theme of the film that George can make Edith laugh, and she gets George out of his shell. Edith is kind of a vortex throughout the movie, and George just gets sucked in her wake. He’s always following her, and he doesn’t even know why he is doing it. We didn’t rehearse, we didn’t even look over the script together. I asked Vera that Sunday if she wanted to look over the script, and she said, “No, I just want to execute.”

LT: How long did it take to film “At Middleton?”

AG: The whole movie was shot in 20 days, and me and Vera completed shooting in 17 days.

LT: The chemistry is very natural between you two. Is that something that came effortlessly between you and Vera?

AG: It has to do with a lot of things. First of all, as an actor you commit to the need to have chemistry with each other because it’s inherent to the story. As an actor, you are committing to the design of the situation, so we are both coming together with that commitment to each other. And what will help that is a great script, a director that gives you room to play and is willing to experiment with the tone of the movie, which Adam [Rodgers] did. I think chemistry comes from having all these great elements already on the page, but also making a commitment to each other, taking the performance off your fellow actor, while maintaining generosity and respect. All those things help chemistry between actors. You are generous and respectful to your fellow actor. It’s a reciprocal relationship and that creates chemistry.

LT: A major scene in the movie was the acting class. I was shocked by how raw and emotional it was …

AG: It’s a turning point in the movie, the stakes get elevated. The tides turn, and he becomes more of the leader in the relationship, and he challenges her to question what is going on between them. Because he is a proper man at heart, he understands it and says “Goodbye Edith.” And then one of the most beautifully written lines in the movie occurs, and he tells her they said their goodbyes, and Edith responds that he said goodbye, not her. It’s a beautifully written exchange, in the scene in the projection room with the projection girl, Daphne, who is my daughter Daniella.

LT: It was a serious family affair on set. What was that experience like? [Not only was Daphne portrayed by García’s real life daughter Daniella, but Vera Farmiga’s younger sister, Taissa Farmiga, also has a starring role as her on-screen daughter Audrey.]

AG: Daniella is great, I have done three movies with her [“At Middleton,” “The Lost City,” and “Just the Ticket”]. One half of your heart is being the prideful father, and the other half of my heart is viewing her as a colleague. I’m looking at my daughter but she is also my colleague. It’s a blessed situation to have. Two of my daughters are actresses, [both Daniella and her older sister Dominik have stared alongside their father, both actresses appeared in “The Lost City” with Dominik also appearing in “City island”] and my younger daughter Alessandra was on set with us. Behind the scenes, she is studying film in New York at Eugene Lange.

LT: Do you give them any advice?

AG: My advice early on was to study hard, and practice your craft. Otherwise, you will not get any work. There is nothing that I can do to get you work, other than opening a few doors here and there, but the door is going to close behind you and then you are on your own. I did not give Daniella this job, Adam Rodgers gave her this job, and the same with Dominik in “City Island.” I am eager to work with them because they are great actresses, but they blaze their own path.

LT: Why this role? What drew you to “At Middleton"?

AG: This movie is about romance. The characters have experienced a day of bliss, and they recognize each other as their respective soul mates, but it still ends badly. They have to make a crucial life decision, probably the most important one to make, because your kids are waiting, and your life is waiting. I think that’s the power in the script, and that’s what always touched me, and I always thought that would make a very beautiful movie. I’m very proud to say that I think we made a very beautiful film.