‘The Offer’ Star Colin Hanks Knows His Character is Easy to Loathe: “He Stands for a Lot That I Am Against”
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[Warning: This story contains spoilers for the initial three episodes of The Offer.]
Colin Hanks knows his character in The Offer is not going to be popular among viewers — and he is totally fine with that takeaway. That is, after all, exactly what he was going for in the Paramount+ miniseries about the making of The Godfather.
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Hanks plays one of the few fictional characters in the series, Barry Lapidus, who is Gulf & Western found Charlie Bluhdorn’s right-hand man. Barry is a buzzkill in general and incredibly skeptical of The Godfather. Still, Hanks told The Hollywood Reporter that Barry’s trepidation that The Godfather will be a money pit disaster was not wrong.
The actor took great delight in playing the “asshole” who represented the old studio system, which so many of the films out of the 1970s were rebelling against. And, the actor assures Barry is not all bad. He has an arc. But for the initial three Offer episodes, he’s a total pill.
Hanks discusses with THR what the project meant to him, how it altered his perception of The Godfather, and which of his fellow actors was the most impressive in their Hollywood icon transformation.
How did you feel about The Godfather before doing the series, and did your perception change afterward?
It is a movie that you can go back to at any chapter of your life, and you’re going to view it differently than you did the previous time. And that is why it is The Godfather. I know what it is like to make a movie. I know what it is to take on an artistic, creative endeavor. But it never really occurred to me the obstacles that they had to go through. So there was a certain amount of shock learning how much stuff they had to go through to get the film made. I knew about the issues with casting, but was not aware of all that [producer Albert S.] Ruddy had to go through. The series really made me admire the choices that those actors and Mr. Coppola made, knowing how much was stacked against them.
Barry is one of the few fictional characters in the series. Was that better for you in a way, since it meant not portraying one of these Hollywood icons?
Barry is a composite of a bunch of different people. There were a handful of people [inside Paramount] who did not want that movie to get made. So I had no problem shouldering that. But yes, it was helpful to me because I did not have that additional burden of worrying about what to look like or what to sound like. I could just focus on Barry’s overall arc.
How was it to play a “suit” who, in reality, would be a natural nemesis and drive you nuts on an actual project?
He stands for a lot that I am against, such as artists never truly being in control and making decisions based on business as opposed to art. But what I thought was interesting is that he represents an older way of doing things. He represented what the old studio was. And whether anyone wants to admit that, that is what those ’70s movies were rebelling against. It’s kind of funny because I think a lot of people like to have it both ways: “The studio system, it was the golden age of Hollywood! But the ’70s, they really rebelled!” And it’s like, which side are you really choosing? I thought that era should be represented. What Barry is talking about, from his perspective, is 100 percent a legitimate argument. He has very serious reasons as to why The Godfather should not get made. He’s not wrong.
I like Barry because he drives me nuts, and you need that in a good story. But through the first three episodes, I couldn’t determine if he was just a tight money man or if there was an attached bitterness and spite for Paramount studio head Robert Evans. Is that what you were going for?
What I wanted was for people to take one look at him and say, “I know what this guy’s all about” and think of him as an asshole, actually. He’s the guy who, as soon as he comes into the room, everyone is on edge and unhappy because this guy is combative and vindictive and not on the team. But as the series progressed, we could find moments where we could relay Barry’s experiences and where Barry is coming from. Later on, you’ll get a better idea of what his mentality is for the film industry and where he stands. I think he wants Bob Evans’ job, but knows he is not smart enough for it. He will have an arc.
Speaking of team, I am curious which of your fellow actors really blew your mind in their transformation because they’re all fantastic.
I was only able to see a little bit of Justin Chambers’ performance as [Marlon] Brando, but I thought it was incredible. And I was only able to see a little of Anthony Ippolito’s [Al] Pacino, who’s great. But the one I enjoyed the most, and that’s probably because I had a front-row seat, was Matthew Goode’s Bob Evans. It really was an inspiration to see a fellow actor just go for it. He took it all and made his Bob seem completely real but at the same time, larger than life, which is a hard thing to do. Watching the episodes, he is a living human being, and I can see his brain work. And it was also so much fun working with him.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
New episodes of The Offer stream Thursdays on Paramount+.
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