The film was written and directed by Brando Benetton. “It was great from the beginning and it only got better,” he said. “Brando had a singular vision. He believed in the story and he got us all to Italy, and my wife Becky and I were sold. We believed in Brando, and we were thrilled to take part in the journey. He really knew what he wanted and he knew how to get it. I was just astounded by the drone shots. Brando is such a great guy.”
He acknowledged that his character, Olivetti, looked like “such an interesting guy on the page.” “Olivetti is very complex. He obviously is a deep dive to fit in. It was a fascinating ride and I enjoyed all the different languages and the accents. It was a lot of fun,” he said.
“If you like a great ride with a lot of excitement, crashes, and explosions, Brando Benetton will take you there, and you will be happy you went,” Baker said about Nightfire.
For Baker, The Good Wife was a “lovely show to work on.” “Julianna Margulies was the perfect person to be at the head of the show. She made everyone feel good and welcome,” he said. “We would laugh and tell stories. I had a great time on all those episodes that I did on that show.”
On being an actor in the digital age, he said, “We are all trying to figure it out as we go along. It was fun doing Al Pacino’s Hunters show on Amazon Prime, though I didn’t have any scenes with him. Hopefully, I will get the chance to work some more in this crazy time.”
For young and aspiring actors, he said, “Work on your stage work since it’s good to touch base with the stage if you are trying to be a film and TV actor. The stage can keep you honest and your skills honed. In this day and age, it looks like theater will be the last thing that will come back. Now is a good time to work on your camera technique. Also, do anything you can to hone your craft at home in regard.”
A career-defining moment for Baker included doing the black comedy film Happiness. “That was a real game-changer for me. I will always be proud of it, and I will always be appreciative of director Todd Solondz for giving me the chance,” he said.
He listed Park Sparks and Stephen Root (Office Space) as the two actors he would love to someday work with as his dream collaboration choices in acting. “I am a big fan of character actors,” he admitted.
Baker defined the word success as “taking care of his family.” “Making sure that my daughter is in good shape and that my wife is happy, that’s success to me,” he concluded.
Nightfire is available for streaming on Hulu and Amazon Prime on May 1.
Read More: Emmy-nominated actress Becky Ann Baker chatted with Digital Journal about Nightfire.
