The small role was his big-screen breakthrough and netted him a Best Supporting Actor nomination.
Gregory Kirschling
OnThe French Connection, the casting director was Bob Weiner, who knew every actor around.
Bob Weiner brought him into my office and within five minutes I knew he was the guy.
Credit: French Connection: Everett Collection; William Friedkin: Chad Buchanan/Getty Images
Roy said, Dont you want me to read?
And I said, No, youre the guy.
I cant imagine theres anyone more right than you.
Thats very rare, by the way.
WithSorcerera couple of years later, I had tried to cast someone else: Steve McQueen.
So I told Steve to go f himself, and then I sent the script to Roy.
But that didnt work, so Roy got the script and he liked it, and we did it.
Roy was not easy to work with onSorcerer.
Roy was a creature of mood.
He would often go into these dark moods, and it was tough to get him out.
He wasnt like that onFrench Connection.
But afterFrench Connection, he didJaws, hed achieved some prominence.
But Id go over and explain what we were going to do and hed turn me off.
The thing was stretching out endlessly, and I think it finally got to Roy.
And he said, Oh no, Roys not right for that.
If you want to do it, go ahead, but I cant support it.
So I moved away from Roy, and I think he took that personally for a good many years.
It really is one of the finest performances by an American actor in a movie.
