Bryan Singer is a true friend

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Bryan Singer is a true friend

Every 20 years I am cast in a film which remains at the top of the most favorite watched films worldwide by audiences. In 1971, it was The Godfather in a minor role as an usher.

In the early 1990's I was very involved in producing evenings with IFP West now known as Film Independent, with directors Robert Altman, Stephen Frears and many other filmmakers. I ran their screening program and I met Bryan Singer at the screening of his first feature, Public Access, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 1993. I tried to find a distributor for his film and suggested an agent ,Larry Becsey , to represent him at The Agency and Victoria Wisdom was his agent.
One night when I was producing an evening at the Santa Monica Laemmle theater with director Pedro Almodovar which has Quentin Tarantino moderating, Kenneth Kokin who was a friend of Bryan Singer and his producer wanted to get into the event and as I was escorting him in ,he mentioned to me that Bryan Singer was directing a new film, The Usual Suspects and there was probably a role in it for me. So I called my agent buddy, Larry Becsey and he sent me a copy of the script. I was so intrigued by the script that I had to read it twice to see what I missed in my first reading. Then Bryan and I chatted on the phone and we shared stories about other movies and he set up an audition with the casting director Francine Maisler. After I did the audition for the part of Daniel Metzheiser ,the casting director asked Bryan and the writer Christopher McQuarrie if they wanted me to do it again but Bryan said no because I had the part.
Over the years, Bryan and I had been in touch and he also cast me in a Diet Coke commercial with Salma Hayek.
When Bryan contributed millions to the USC film program, and there was a screening of The Usual Suspects ,he would be there and share his stories.
In 1993 when I was directing a play in Leicester Square theater in London he invited me to the set of Jack the Giant Slyer shared the difficulties in shooting the film because of the location.
A few months ago ,at the San Pedro Film Festivals they had a 20th anniversary of The Usual Suspects which was filmed in San Pedro and Bryan shared more stories and discussed his new film ,X-Men :The Apocalypse ,praising the actors. The most touching part of the evening for me is when I was standing outside the theater and Bryan sees me and walks over to me and hugs me and says thanks for coming to support me. Imagine how I felt when this happened . After twenty years the relationship never changed and shows you how a friend who becomes a huge star director is still the same as when you first met.