Caporegime
Cinema's least recognised star died today, at the age of 75. Born in the English village of Begby Flant in 1936, Neville Gorman specialised in walk-on roles and barely spoke three lines throughout a screen career spanning almost 50 years. An intensely private man, he gave no autographs and always refused interviews.
Gorman's autobiography - Perpetual Extra: My Life as Hollywood's Invisible Man - was released last year, but a media blackout ensured the event was only attended by Hollywood insiders. Thus, a man famous within the industry remained virtually unknown by the public.
It was a paradox appreciated by many who worked with him, and today the world's best directors were lining up to pay their respects.
"A lot of the films I've made probably could have worked just as well 50 years ago, but only if I'd had Neville," said Steven Spielberg. "He was a man with old-fashioned values."
Woody Allen agreed. "I used to say to my film crew, 'Eighty percent of this movie's success is Neville Gorman showing up.'"
Gorman's genius was to be "the un-present other", a term he coined in 1983 while shooting Terms of Endearment. This added depth to a scene without upstaging the foreground. When combined with his exceptional consistency, it allowed directors to extend the length of their takes far beyond the industry standard.
According to Tim Burton, "There were no cuts when Neville was on set."
Gorman's passion for walk-on roles at the expense of a mainstream career is legendary. Nobody knows how many films he was involved with; his agent kept no records, and most of his roles were uncredited. Gorman fans have been known to buy random movies from as early as 1959 in the hope of glimpsing a mere 2 minutes of "Neville Time", as his scenes are now called.
"You didn't give Neville lines", recalled Philip Kaufman. "He spoke through his acting."
In 1989, Quentin Tarantino spoke passionately about his admiration for the quietly modest "invisible man" of modern film. "Everything I learned from Neville, I have basically applied to writing." Tarantino went on to become a household name. Gorman remained anonymous.
Not every director found it easy to work with a man who sometimes appeared to vanish even when in full shot.
"It took me a long time to realize that you have to have a bit of an interlanguage with actors," said James Cameron. "Gorman knew this instinctively. Yet sometimes, when we replayed the footage, it was almost as if he didn't exist. I can't explain that. All I know is: he was the best."
Cameron's praise was echoed throughout Hollywood tonight.
Asked if Gorman had ever appeared in one of his Star Wars blockbusters, George Lucas paused for a moment and then answered, "I honestly don't know. That's how good he was."
Some of you will know I'm a big Neville Gorman fan, and have reviewed many of his films. These include:
- ¡El Guapo Tomato!
- Collateral
- State of Play
- Triangle
- The Tournament
- Doubt
- Abre Los Ojos
- The Illusionist
- The Hurt Locker
RIP Neville!
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