It must have been a very irresistible opportunity for you to play this character.  Did you know much about him before you took this on?

ROB BROWN: No. I knew that he went to Syracuse. I knew he won the Heisman and that was it, but people keep asking me oh, what attracted you to the role.  IÕm like man, what didnÕt attract me to the role?

Did you do a lot of research? 

ROB BROWN: Mostly just watching film.  Game film actually, because thereÕs not much medium on Ernie.  Gary gave me a disc of Ernie speaking for the first time like a month before we wrapped, so I havenÕt heard it.  I havenÕt even listened to it.

Now, you played a wide-receiver was it much of sort of head trip for you to go to wide receiver to running back?

ROB BROWN: ItÕs football. At the end of the day if anything I was like a kid in a candy store because playing receiver, you know, youÕre in a parameter, youÕre on the outside, youÕre on an island so to speak.  You run a route.  YouÕve got to run your route.  GuyÕs got to protect it, got to pick up blitzes.  The quarterback has to make a great throw.  You catch the ball and thatÕs it.  You play running back, youÕve got the ball in your hands for most of the time.  It was a lot of fun.  I kind of felt like why didnÕt I play running back?

There is a huge difference between playing football in real life and obviously playing footballÉshooting football scenes in the movie, what were the biggest challenges for you in still being adrenalin charged on film take after take after take?

ROB BROWN: No, we played.  The differences were in the game today as opposed to playing ball 45 years ago.  That was the difference, so a lot of guys lead with their head these days, or their chest.  Back then people used their shoulder more often so Coach Allen Graf had to stress things like that.  Little things like if I was to score today IÕd give my friend a high-five.  This movement didnÕt exist back then.  People didnÕt do this all these chest pumps and stuff so things of that nature were different.  But playing itÕs just football and coaches say things all the timeÉsay things like no disrespect to Saved by the Bell but weÕre not trying to make no Saved by the Bell football movie here.  WeÕre trying to get it cracking, so in a lot of ways we just played and we had a lot of guys who are basically division one ball players.  A lot of USC guys because Coach Graf heÕs an SC guy.  He wears his ring all the time and his son played center.  HeÕs like IÕm Carson PalmerÕs center, things like that.  So we had some real deal football players and football isÉwell at least I hope looks pretty real.  Looks great to me.

Did you get any real hits?

ROB BROWN: Whenever I could I tried to stick a shoulder in somebody or you know try to do something I wasnÕt supposed to do.  I was told very early on that I couldnÕt take any hits because that would jeopardize the production.  If I get hurt weÕre messing up, so I did as much as I could and then up until they said no and then brought in one of 4 doubles I had. 

How about research on ErnieÕs family? Could you talk to any of ErnieÕs family at all?

ROB BROWN: No.  First time I met them was in Atlanta at a screening.  I didnÕt know they were going to be there and ErnieÕs nephew stood up and basically—mind you my heart was pounding—he was satisfied with the film.  So in a lot of ways we were just trying to just capture ErnieÕs spirit and ErnieÕs essence and not worry about an impersonation because you know there isnÕt that much of a blueprint out there because heÕs not in the media and he passed away so early.  So we just wanted to capture his spirit and still maintain his legacy without disrespecting his family.

With the emotional stuff you had to do in the movie, because itÕs a veryÉyou had very emotional momentsÉwere they more challenging for you than physical football differences as an actor?

ROB BROWN: Yeah, football is football and thatÕs all fun for me.  But either way I just wanted to be prepared so whenever I work I just try to be as prepared as possible, you know, even for auditions I just like to think that IÕm so prepared that I have to book it.  So I treated this no different.  I just wanted to be prepared every day I worked.

Ernie had a kind of father-son relationship with the coach ultimately—Coach Schwartzwalder—and IÕm just wondering working with Dennis on this what was your relationship like on and off the screen? How did you guys get along?

ROB BROWN: Similar because you know heÕs a more tenured guy so I just try to soak up as much knowledge as possible and whenever I had a question I would just ask him and he was very responsive.  In a lot of ways itÕs a father-son relationship because just of where he is in his career and where IÕm at now. I have a healing blister on my thumb because he took me out with Dr. Gross and Jim Beheim to the golf course last week.  You know, IÕd never played before and itÕs a wrap for me now. IÕm hooked soÉ

How did it go?

ROB BROWN: It went well for my first time, you know?  I think IÕve got a knack for it.  I double-boogied a hole.  I had a chance for a birdie putt.  It felt good, so I think IÕm going to get after it. 

Give it a few more games, youÕll start hating it.

ROB BROWN: All right.  IÕll keep that in mind.

What do you find most inspiring about ErnieÕs story?

ROB BROWN: Most inspiring to me is just his effect on people.  People whoÉthereÕs people my age in Syracuse even last weekend when we were up there, there are people my age—IÕm 24—with anecdotes about Ernie that were passed down from their parents and so forth.  And it sticks with them until this day and itÕs like well, how could this guy who passed away at such a young age make such a huge impact on people?  You know, I think the most inspiring thing is the fact that people look at him as such as example.  They ask themselves what would Ernie do?  You know those bracelets What Would Jesus Do bracelets?  Now blasphemy aside, thatÕs the kind of impact he had on people.  People would think about things and say well what would Ernie do in this situation?  I find myself doing that even up until this point I think IÕm more mature as a function of getting to know Ernie a little bit.

Is it more daunting for you as an actor to play someone who actually did exist at one time and is no longer here so that you canÕt really draw?

ROB BROWN: It was a gift and a curse as an artist because there was no blueprint to go off of.  It was kind of a curse but it was kind of a gift because thereÕs no blueprint.  I can get to kind of do what I want and I have the flexibility to be an artist.  So, you know, I think the thing thatÕs daunting is just the responsibility associated with the role to him, his family, to Syracuse, to the BrownÕs organization, to Jim Brown--definitely donÕt want to get him upset—but with that responsibility I took it on because I figured it was a dream role and it was an honor to walk in his shoes for a minute.

Did you meet Jim Brown?

ROB BROWN: Yeah, last week for the first time.  I spoke to him over the phone a few times.

Was that scary?

ROB BROWN: Yeah, but I was like a kid in a candy store.  I got to meet Jim Brown. So when I met him, this was right before a press conference, I kind of had to bottle up my emotions because IÕm too cool to go like ahh, Jim Brown in front of all these people at a press conference!

Now, do you look at life a little differently knowing that ErnieÕs character—he died at the age of 23 or 24—how does that make you look at life right now?

ROB BROWN: I turned 23 while we were shooting so I put that in proper prospective.  That definitely affected how I approached things and I definitely had that life is precious approach and I needed to be dedicated and fully committed to the role, you know, keeping in mind that you know what, I could not be here right now.  And that goes along with the maturity I was talking about that I gained as a result of getting to know Ernie a little bit.

What are you working on now?  Do you have anything?

ROB BROWN: Nothing. Nothing.

So you didnÕt start anything else after you finished this?

ROB BROWN: No. After I finished this I had another semester of school to get done.  So I got my degree.  I walked in May so that was my next project.

WhatÕs your degree in?

ROB BROWN: Master of Psychology.

Do you want to use that?  You use psychology as an actor though donÕt you?

ROB BROWN: Yeah. 

What university.

ROB BROWN: Amherst College in Massachusetts.

One of the most poignant scenes in the movie was the talk about the white girl talking in the movie.  What was that like for you because the director spoke highly of that scene and it was the honesty that you portrayed in listening was the part to watch as opposed to the dialogue that you had between him.  What was the preparation like or what was the mindset you were in in that particular scene?

ROB BROWN: Reading that screen that would definitely would strike a chord especially if youÕre a black male, so Gary just stressed donÕt play the end of the scene at the beginning of the scene and thatÕs something that if you read it itÕll piss you off and I just didnÕt want to go in there and get there too early.  And that was all.  Other than that, you know, I knew what it was so I just didnÕt want to as Gary says play the end of the scene at the beginning of the scene.

What do you think audiences will get from this film emotionally?

ROB BROWN: At lot.  What I want them to get is just general knowledge of Ernie. I just want to generate that interest of Ernie because everyone knows about Jackie Robinson. Nobody knows about Ernie.  I didnÕt know about him and I played college football.  In a lot of ways, heÕs responsible for whatever success I have, you know, as a college athlete and Emerson is not the most diverse place either so I felt kind of embarrassed that I didnÕt know about him and I just want people to know about ErnieÕs story and itÕs kind of like a lost history lesson.

He wasnÕt able to go to certain places on campus.  Did that come up inÉ?

ROB BROWN: You know what?  I doubt that because the way he looked at everythingÉhe looked at people as if race didnÕt exist.  He joined a Jewish fraternity.  Okay, thatÕs crazy especially for an African-American.  Just think about it.  So there was resistance definitely like there was aÉhe got in due to a voting I guess loophole and he had to be accepted because he was just the type of guy that you couldnÕt deny him.  You couldnÕt deny him like you couldnÕt deny him the Heisman. 

What kind of perspective do you have as a young man who was born after the civil rights era and then going back and having to encounter it through the movie?  Did he give you any kind perspective that you didnÕt have before?

ROB BROWN: Yeah and basically itÕs like this.  Stop whining.  So things I complain about today being put in that situation on-set is like man, I really have nothing to complain about.  So I just feel as though if Ernie could overcome those odds and such diversity, you know, in the late 50Õs and throughout his life then I have no—I really have no excuse.  I should succeed despite any adversity I face today.

He was always running to something, never from something.  I think thatÕs a line from the movie and thatÕs great.  Is that how you try to live your life?

ROB BROWN: Well, that implies a lot of ambition.  I realize IÕm an ambitious guy but I just try to take things as they come, you know for the most part.  I think I went after this so vehemently because I just identified with it, you know, upon reading the first 10 pages, that you know I read this script like 3 years ago and I was just on people. WhatÕs going on with it?  WhatÕs going on with it?  WhatÕs going on with it?  You know? And thatÕs a long time to think about something and for it to come finally come into play.  ThatÕs huge.

Why did you decide you wanted to study psychology at college?

ROB BROWN: Well, in high school I thought I wanted to be....well just typical, you know how it is. People figure it out when they get to college.  You think you want to be an astronaut and then after a while youÕre a geo-major for whatever reason.  ThatÕs just the way it is in college.  I guess thatÕs what happened.  I started out wanting to be an engineer and then I was taking computer-science.  I figured I wanted to do that.  Shut that down once I got to school.  Tried econ, didnÕt like it. Shut that down.  Then I realized all these psychology courses I really liked, so let me just stick to what IÕm drawn to.

As someone who played the game, and Gary mentioned this, like sometimes you watch sports films, particularly footballs films, and you see casts that you know canÕt play the game.  Have you ever seen any of those films and just kind of went eehh and were you happy to kind of be in this situation where you did have some D1 players around you to make it look a little bit more authentic.

ROB BROWN: Yeah definitely, but youÕre not fooling anybody.  WeÕre at the point where if you make a sports movie you canÕt just cut to a ball going in or cut to somebody making a catch.  You canÕt do that anymore because audiences arenÕt going to respond to that, so IÕm glad we got Coach Graf on here and he hadÉhe talked a lot about SC, SC but IÕm glad he had those guys around there, you know to make the film look good.

I was going to ask you what did you enjoy most about making this film.

ROB BROWN: I canÕt pick any one thing because itÕs a tough film to make.  They donÕt make films like this all the time and the conditions in Chicago were such that sometimes it made production a nightmare.  Just trains, planes and automobiles and sirens. A lot of sirens in Chicago and I thought that was—being a psych major—I just thought that was a function of the Chicago fire, you know, they still have that mindset like ohÉanyways.  Sorry to go on that tangent but it was a hard film to make so much like football which a lot of people say is the ultimate team sport because if one out those 11 guys screws up you jeopardize the integrity of a play and ultimately of the success of the team.  YouÕve got the whole crew working on this and for it to finally be here, IÕm just glad we got the film made and that itÕs coming out because people worked hard on this film.

When you were up in Syracuse, IÕm sure thereÕs a lot of emotion going on the night at the premiere and people that had known him and those that had grown up admiring him in that area, was there anything or anyone in particular that came up to you that night and said something to you that just, you know, or was it just kind of the whole experience of being up there surrounded by 40,000 of his closest friends and admirers?  I mean, what stands out for you about that night?

ROB BROWN: Again, nothingÉthe whole time it was crazy.  The whole time we were up there it was pretty surreal.  I guess I didnÕt know what I was getting into.  And honestly that weekend did it for me in terms of talking about how much money the film will make or whatever.  That money will be spent. The film is forever and people who were around Ernie, who were close to Ernie, they think we got it right and thatÕs all that really matters, so you know, IÕm satisfied.  IÕm good.

Making a period piece like this, does it make you look at football today, you know, whereas you have your athletes bringing Sharpies on the field and things like that?  Does it put you in a different perspective to appreciate the old game of football or does it turn you off from football the way itÕs become?

ROB BROWN: No, I definitely took that mindset. You know old school coachesÉa lot of my coachesÉwould say things like when you come on the field donÕt walk—run. And thatÕs the mindset I kind of took because itÕs Ernie Davis.  You canÕt just be slapping around with your helmet off on the fieldÉthatÕs another thing—donÕt take your helmet off on the field.  I donÕt know if anyoneÕs from Cleveland but Dwayne Rudd did that a couple of years ago—lost the game.  He was celebrating, took his helmet off, you know thatÕs just disrespect.  ItÕs a rule thatÕs in the rule book but no one calls it became itÕs just like you just donÕt do that.  So I kind of looked at the overall culture of the sport and I really wanted to respect it as Ernie did, down to shoelaces being tied.  My doubles were sagging something, hey man tuck that in.  You know, donÕt disrespect the game. 

WasnÕt there so issue with his statue at Syracuse because they put NikeÕs on him and the helmet was wrong?

ROB BROWN: Yeah.  It was bad.  I watched Jim RomeÉyou know that show Jim Rome is Burning?  Anyone know?  I watch that show religiously so I was like ironing a shirt and his final burn was about thatÉthe statute of limitations.  I was like oh man.  But itÕll get corrected.  People make mistakes.  ItÕs a bad mistake to make but itÕll get corrected.

But back to psychology for a moment.  What are you going to do with the degree?

ROB BROWN: IÕm not sure.  IÕm not fresh out but I havenÕt just had any free time in a long time.  IÕve either been in school or working for so long that IÕm just going to kind of let it breathe.  I might get my MasterÕs in Social Work.  I donÕt know.  I really donÕt know.  IÕm just taking life as it comes to me.

Is this like a backup in case you decide you donÕt want to act anymore or do you want to do something else besides acting?

ROB BROWN: ItÕs not a backup.  ItÕs just something IÕm interested in doing.  My motherÕs a social worker as well so I really admire how she serves her community.  She works with a lot of people with the virus and substance abuse people as well, so I look at that I see a lot of good that she does and I figure, you know what, I can definitely use my celebrity to the extent that I can give back to my community and on top of that if I had my MasterÕs people really canÕt tell me nothing, soÉ

You can use it to get into the heads of your characters canÕt you if you know psychÉ?

ROB BROWN: Yeah, definitely.  Yeah.

 

Paul Fischer is originally from Australia. Now he is an interviewer and film critic living in Hollywood.

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