Quote of the Day (William Friedkin, on Casting Jimmy Breslin in ‘The French Connection’)
“He [legendary newspaper columnist Jimmy Breslin] had
exactly the look I had in mind [for tough New York police detective Jimmy ‘Popeye’
Doyle], a Black Irishman. The first day, he was great, great, great. The second
day, he forgot what he did on the first day. The third day, he didn't show up.
Comes Friday, he shows up and says, 'Hey, isn't there a car chase in this
movie?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ He said, ‘You know, I promised my mother on her
deathbed I wouldn’t drive, so I don’t know how to drive.’ I said, ‘You’re
fired.’”—Director William Friedkin, on fumbling his casting of the lead for The French Connection before giving the
role to Gene Hackman, quoted in Maureen Dowd, “We Need an Exorcist!,” The
New York Times, Apr. 15, 2018
“He [legendary newspaper columnist Jimmy Breslin] had
exactly the look I had in mind [for tough New York police detective Jimmy ‘Popeye’
Doyle], a Black Irishman. The first day, he was great, great, great. The second
day, he forgot what he did on the first day. The third day, he didn't show up.
Comes Friday, he shows up and says, 'Hey, isn't there a car chase in this
movie?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ He said, ‘You know, I promised my mother on her
deathbed I wouldn’t drive, so I don’t know how to drive.’ I said, ‘You’re
fired.’”—Director William Friedkin, on fumbling his casting of the lead for The French Connection before giving the
role to Gene Hackman, quoted in Maureen Dowd, “We Need an Exorcist!,” The
New York Times, Apr. 15, 2018
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