Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Thursday 21 November 2019
Mark Ruffalo on playing the lawyer who took on DuPont

By LINDSEY BAHR believes the film "misrepre- a big fan of his. I thought he
Associated Press sents things that happened would do something really
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mark years ago, including our beautiful with this. It needs
Ruffalo learned about history, our values and sci- that kind of spaciousness
corporate attorney Rob ence." The company also and depth to really make
Bilott, who for 20 years said it supports regulating it work because there's so
battled DuPont to expose the chemicals spotlighted much legalese and data
the harmful effects of the in "Dark Waters." that unless we're attached
chemical PFOA, along with Ruffalo spoke to The Asso- to this character and really
most of the country: In 2016 ciated Press about the film. understand him, no one will
through an article in The Remarks have been edited stay with this story. (Haynes)
New York Times Magazine. for clarity and brevity. would figure out a way to
A cold call from a West Vir- ___ bridge 20 years in a movie
This image released by Focus Features shows Mark Ruffalo in a
scene from "Dark Waters." ginia farmer in 1998 who AP: Was it difficult to get elegantly and he would
Associated Press believed his creek was the rights? make the most gorgeous
being contaminated and RUFFALO: I was in the pro- version of this movie.
his animals poisoned by cess of acquiring the rights AP: When did you meet
DuPont runoffs began the after reading (the article) Rob Billot and start to de-
long investigation that end- and I got a call from my velop a relationship with
ed in 2017 when DuPont friends at Participant Media him?
and Chemours Co. agreed who said, "Hey I think we're RUFFALO: Very early on.
to pay more than $600 mil- actually bidding against While we were in talks of ac-
lion in a class action lawsuit each other for this story. quiring the story, I wanted
on behalf of thousands. We love it. Would you like to talk to him about it. I was
The result, "Dark Waters," to join forces with us?" I'd on the phone with him for
directed by Todd Haynes done "Spotlight" with them quite some time laying out
and co-starring an impres- and I was like, "I would like my vision for it. But I wanted
sive ensemble including that." And then we started to know more. I felt like the
Anne Hathaway, Tim Rob- to develop it ... This thing whole story wasn't really in
bins, Bill Camp, William happened in record time. that New York Times article.
Jackson Harper and Bill It (usually) takes 5-7 years Especially concerning his
Pullman opens Thursday to get a movie made. relationship to (his law firm)
night in theaters. Bilott also AP: Why did you think of Taft and what that must
authored a book about the Todd Haynes to direct? have been like and how
ordeal, "Exposure," which hit RUFFALO: We'd been difficult that must have
shelves in October. DuPont bumping into each other been. The article doesn't
said in a statement that it for years and I'd been such get into that.q

Michelle Obama, Gaga, J. Lo

to join Oprah on wellness tour

By MESFIN FEKADU
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Oprah
Winfrey's going on tour,
and she's bringing a rock-
star lineup with her, includ-
ing former first lady Michelle
Obama and Grammy- and
Oscar-winner Lady Gaga.
Live Nation announced
Wednesday that Winfrey's
wellness arena tour with
WW (Weight Watchers
Reimagined) — dubbed
"Oprah's 2020 Vision: Your
Life in Focus" — will also This combination photo shows, top row from left, Oprah Winfrey,
include guest appear- former first lady Michelle Obama, Dwayne Johnson, Lady Gaga,
ances from Jennifer Lopez, bottom row from left, Jennifer Lopez, Tina Fey, Tracee Ellis Ross
Dwayne Johnson, Amy and Amy Schumer.
Schumer, Tina Fey, Tracee Associated Press
Ellis Ross and Kate Hudson. lanta (Johnson); Brooklyn, clude Winfrey discussing
On the tour, Winfrey will New York (Obama); Dallas her own wellness journey;
hold one-on-one conver- (Ellis Ross); San Francisco a dance exercise from
sations with the superstars, (Hudson); and Los Angeles choreographer Julianne
first with Gaga on January (Lopez). Winfrey will wrap Hough; talks from inspira-
4, 2020, in Fort Lauderdale, the tour on March 7 in Den- tional guest speakers; a
Florida. The nine-city tour ver with BFF Gayle King. pre-show dance party; a
will also visit St. Paul, Minne- In addition to the celeb- WW-customized box lunch;
sota (Fey); Charlotte, North rity interviews, each full- and interactive concourse
Carolina (Schumer); At- day wellness event will in- activations.q