Vin Diesel - interview with new motion picture writer, director and producer and actor - Interview

Interview, Feb, 1999 by James Painter

Interview by Jamie Painter

Vin Diesel once worked as a bouncer in New York and he has written a script - Doormen - about his experiences. Right now, his talents are opening doors for him in Hollywood. After Steven Spielberg saw Multi-Facial, a short film Vin Diesel wrote, directed, produced, and starred in, he had a role created specifically for the thirty-one-year-old in Saving Private Ryan - that of the G.I. who takes pity on a child and is shot by a German sniper. Like Spielberg's war opus, Diesel champions such ideals as honor, dignity, and loyalty among men.

JAMIE PAINTER: What kinds of peer pressures did you experience growing up in New York?

VIN DIESEL: There's a certain level of machismo that most New Yorkers have ingrained in their personality. At fourteen, if you're still a virgin you've been lying about it for the past four years. The whole idea is to be as tough as possible. I grew up not only with the idea of wanting to be respected, but wanting to be successful - and those two don't always go hand in hand. Some of the people I grew up with - who were further along on the respect chart - ended up in jail or were killed. That's not to say those are the only kind of people I grew up with. I also grew up with people who were extremely artistic and cerebral. My parents were both very educated and always emphasized the importance of education.

JP: What was the most significant value your father passed down to you?

VD: My father taught me how to be a stand-up man, a man who fights for what he believes in. To me, my father is the pinnacle of what a real man is. In fact. it's hard to live up to him. He used to direct theater, but he put that dream on hold to raise a family. That's admirable - and a lot less selfish than I would be.

JP: Besides something as traumatic as war, what binds men together?

VD: I'm big on loyalty. That's why I have a small circle of friends. When it comes down to that real close circle, you don't have to be family; you just have to be loyal.

JP: It's often said that men don't share their most intimate feelings. Do you agree?

VD: My friends and I talk about everything. I've heard more women say that they can't confide in their female friends or they aren't to be trusted.

JP: When did you make the transition from boyhood to manhood?

VD: I don't think I'm a man yet. I'm learning and I'm getting a little bit closer every day, but I'm not there yet. I've still got immaturities. Being a man is an abbreviation for having ideals, being the best that we can be. That's a hard thing to learn, but it's a beautiful, sweet goal to aim for.

JP: What's the most admirable quality a man can possess?

VD: People can have all kinds of talent, but without conviction you'll never go anywhere. One of the most admirable things is honor, because honor never dies or grows old in a man - that's a quote from a man named Frank Perrone, who was a cop in the Bronx. I'm actually hoping to write, direct, and star in a film based on his true story. He's a man I respect. He stood up for his beliefs but never ratted.