The co-star John Goodman waited 38 years to work with: “We didn’t miss a beat”
He might be one of the industry’s most recognisable, dependable, popular, and prolific character actors, but John Goodman has never been in a position where he’s been able to pick and choose his co-stars.
There’s always been a distinct difference between actors and movie stars, with Goodman falling firmly into the former category. Not that there’s anything wrong with that when he’s built up an eclectic and acclaimed filmography that’s won him adulation and awards, but he’s rarely in charge of his own destiny.
It’s been over 40 years since Goodman made his screen debut, and he’s only been credited as anything other than an onscreen performer once, when he co-produced the 1995 made-for-TV biographical drama, Kingfish: A Story of Huey P. Long, where he played the titular politician.
Essentially, he goes where the work is, and thanks to his status as one of Hollywood’s favourite supporting players, he rarely has to look too hard to find it. One notable downside was that it took him almost four decades to finally share the screen with an old friend he’d first encountered when they were trying to break into the business, and they both did alright for themselves.
Goodman met Bruce Willis in the late 1970s when they had big dreams and less than two pennies to rub together, with the latter working as a bartender. He did manage to snag a guest spot in an 1987 episode of Moonlighting, though, even if he and the future A-list megastar didn’t actually share any scenes.
Goodman even stayed at Willis’ house when he was shooting the show, which is where he’d always rest his head when travelling to Los Angeles for jobs or auditions. Somehow, their paths wouldn’t cross again until 2017, despite the pair becoming household names in the interim.
The straight-to-video action thriller Once Upon a Time in Venice was a typical late-career Willis vehicle that went through the motions, and Goodman understandably admitted the only reason he agreed to do it was the chance to collaborate with his old buddy: “I honestly didn’t know if I’d have the chance to do it again,” he said.
“It was just goofy and it meant working with Bruce,” he explained to CBS. “I’ve known Bruce since 1979, and we’ve never worked together. I worked on Moonlighting, but the two of us never actually worked together on a project.” It was a long time coming, and Goodman knew their chemistry would be instant.
“We didn’t miss a beat,” he continued. “We just jumped right into it, and it was just very relaxing, which mostly was the battle, I think.” Not only that, but there was another late ’70s connection to their New York days that made it an even more worthwhile experience.
“Bruce’s producer, Steven, used to bartend with him at the Café Central in New York, and now he produces for him,” Goodman recalled. “So for me, it just felt like hanging around with the home team again.” Once Upon a Time in Venice wasn’t very good and not a lot of people saw it, but for the Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe winner, it was a bucket list item finally getting checked off.
