Our people in Hollywood: Dmitry Korniychuk about working with Mickey Rourke

Having visited the USA 10 years ago, Dmitry Korniychuk immediately realized that this was his country. He told his story of immigration - how he accidentally became Mickey Rourke's personal assistant and life in Hollywood - to Victoria Aronova, the author of the publication "Median«.

Photo: Shutterstock

- What did you expect in terms of work?

- There were no blanks - I flew, in fact, to nowhere. At first he stopped at a friend and thought that with my English and experience in show business I would easily find work. But everything, of course, did not go so smoothly. Starting from the search for housing. Immediately, basically, everyone rented apartments with room-mates, but I did not want to live with anyone. And for renting an apartment, in addition to money, you must at least have social security and a credit history - everything is built on it. I, of course, did not even have a credit card. On the first day I phoned the apartments, probably 100 - my head just swelled up, I could not understand how people in America rent apartments in general! And only 101-th home manager went to meet me: they say, I myself 10 came back from Korea years ago and I understand what it is. She just made a photocopy of my passport and visa, and I paid her in cash. By the way, if you think that former compatriots or people from the CIS can help you here, then don't think so. They are here - the last people to count on.

- But? ..

- But one fine day - I had already lived in America for two months - a familiar guy from Russia called me: “What do you do at all?”. I honestly admitted that nothing, and stocks of money are close to zero. And he suddenly began to ask very strange questions: “Do you like dogs?”, “Do you know etiquette?”, “Do you know how to drive?”, “Do you understand boxing?”. I did not understand what honestly admitted. “Why do you ask?” - “A friend of mine is looking for an assistant” - “Well, you can try. How old is he? ”-“ 62 ”. Well, I think, normal, adult uncle.

The next day, a friend drove after me, drove somewhere ... And only when we entered Beverly Hills, did I realize that I didn’t even ask who I was eating, what was the person doing, what would we talk about?

I decided to quickly find out: “Tell me, who are we going to?” - “Well ... you know this person.” - “How do I know him, if I don’t know anyone here?” - “Well, well ... Well, this is Mickey Rourke.” And I heard: "microsurgeon". And I clutched my head: “What a microsurgeon! What should I talk about with a microsurgeon? .. ” True, then a friend explained that we were going to the actor Mickey Rourke. Of course, I was slightly taken aback ... Although I saw a lot of stars by the nature of my activity. But there was nowhere to go.

In general, after a couple of minutes, that Mickey Rourke opened the door for us: “Hi, I am Mickey” - “Hi, I am Dima”. We talked for an hour and a half: I told where I worked, what I did, how much I was already here ...

At home, I realized that I did not even ask: I’m coming up, I’m not coming up, what work schedule - I didn’t even ask about salary! But a friend soon sent me a screenshot of his correspondence with Mickey: “Well, how do you know my friend?” - “I'm waiting for him tomorrow at 10 in the morning.” Well, here: from 10 in the morning of 10 in October of 2014, I work for Mickey Rourke.

- And how was your first working day?

- I had to first understand what was happening. Mickey did not work for a long time as an assistant his nephew, and on the first day he brought me up to date: he gave a full schedule for the week, wrote down where some rooms are ... Mickey has boxing in one gym, fitness in another, he floats in third place , strength training - in the fourth, something else - in the fifth ... I could not remember which of the coaches are their names, who does what ... Plus - Mickey has his own diet: for breakfast he should eat it, for lunch - then dinner is this. I had to control that he ate clearly in time, took a set of vitamins, did not forget about sports nutrition. If Mickey goes to the doctors, then here is the list of doctors ... Then they gave me the coordinates of all his tailors - Rourke sews a lot on order, the shoemaker also has his own ... In general, this guy completely “leaked” me all Mickey's surroundings. Of course, I had a notebook with me, but my head was still swollen. I did not understand how this assistant keeps everything in my head. Well, nothing, it's been a couple of years ... (laughing)

Then we went with Mickey to the training session, and while he was training, the assistant showed me where he was doing the procurement, what was where ... In general, I returned home at 7 in the evening, clutched my head and thought, “How can I remember all this ??? "...

- Now your responsibilities have expanded?

- Much. Household questions remained, but all communication with Mickey passes through me. Rourke now has a new agency and a new agent, a lot of offers: advertising, series, films, interviews. But these proposals are not sent directly to Mickey: the information is first sent to me, and I already discuss all the nuances with Mickey. Agent Ruhrka and I talk on 6-7 once a day, not counting the correspondence. Plus, I have a power of attorney to sign contracts instead of Mickey. Just recently he was on vacation, and I myself went to a meeting with the director. The director brought me the script, the contract, we discussed all the details, I called our working conditions, the rider, and after agreeing with Mickey and his lawyer, we all signed - I could only send the contract to the lawyer for confirmation.

- The number of current proposals Rourke associated with a new agent?

- I think yes. Mickey has an unreal agent, a woman. I have not seen such people for a long time: just bursting! She is a very significant figure in the world of the movie business, everyone knows her. If she calls Brad Pitt on 3 at night, he will answer her. Plus she is very sharp and clearly understands what the actor needs. Somehow she calls me: “Today we had four sentences, I eliminated three at once.” - “Why?” - “I read the script: this is not this, this is not so, this will be bad ...”. She reminds me of Meryl Streep in “The Devil Wears Prada”: she lifted an eyebrow - and everyone knew right away what she meant.

By the way, she will definitely read our interview: all agents have a Google Alert program, and they automatically receive notifications about the mention of the names of their clients.

- So what are the proposals now make Rourke?

- With the advent of the new agent, there have been a lot of big proposals: big roles in films with cool directors, cool partners, the main roles - now, of course, I can’t just tell. One shoot should be in a couple of weeks, other big shootings start in March, then in April there should be shootings in Canada - this year promises to be very rich. Do not compare with last year: the work, of course, was, but, basically, small supporting roles.

- And at the expense of what, in general, do live famous actors, who are not particularly in demand now? Old savings?

- Mickey, for example, can work for a week and then not to deny himself anything for almost a year.

- In what conditions does Mickey Rourke live?

- Since he lives alone now, he has a normal three-bedroom house, a huge living room, a kitchen, and his own garden - good, comfortable. By Hollywood standards - the usual. Previously, Mickey lived in a huge, simply unreal size house with a swimming pool and a huge parking lot. But it's stupid to live in a castle if you are alone and use a maximum of two rooms and one bathroom. What for? So now it is an ordinary house with parking for 2 cars. And there is also a huge apartment in New York - it occupies an entire floor.

- And if the actor has no shooting, his assistant also relaxes?

- I don’t know who is relaxing where, but Rourke, for example, has a schedule that sometimes I want to slow down a little.

He has a 3-4 workout per day. The first - swimming - begins in the morning. Then a light breakfast, after which we go to the box. After boxing, he can drink coffee with friends and goes to a regular gym. Then - home, snack - and running training. But, given that unrealistic distances in Los Angeles, we spend a lot of time on the road. And the days when Rourke would be idle at home simply do not happen. His only day off is Saturday: there is no training, he can sleep, go to a restaurant, meet friends, watch a movie at home. The rest of the time is painted.

Well, in general, it makes itself felt:

I would like my body to be in the same condition in 64.

“He took it upon himself after those years when, in fact, he killed himself?”

- Well yes. He says that at one moment he looked at himself in the mirror and realized that this could no longer be the case.

- Does he even trust you? Are you friends or do you have a working relationship?

- Mickey generally loves the Slavs. At first, of course, the relations were purely workers: I came, did my job and went home. And literally a month later we sat and talked, and I realized that the time had come when we ... it wasn’t that we became friends, but we began to communicate closer. Now Mickey is my employer-friend. We discuss everything! He has no secrets from me, I know his every step from the moment when he opens his eyes in the morning to the moment when he goes to bed. In addition, there are times when he gives me his phone during workouts, and I answer all his calls, messages - no matter they are working or personal. I know absolutely everything.

- By the way, does he miss his old appearance?

- Sometimes misses. Says: "Look how handsome I was." But now for his age, he looks pretty cool, considering what kind of life he had.

For the 2,5 of the year that I work with him, he did not make a single plastic. Now his looks are endless diets and sports.

- They say, in LA, Beverly to a healthy lifestyle, everyone is just obsessed ...

- There is. Here at every step "organic products", vegetarian restaurants ... As for me, this is nonsense: organic matter is very little from nonorganics. Here lies the store with a tomato with the inscription "organic", and next to it - exactly the same with the inscription "locale". If you mix them up and carry them to the cashier, no one will distinguish them - and both of them look like they are made of plastic. Moreover, there is no black soil in LA - what kind of "organic"?

But yes: on a healthy lifestyle here everything is turned, in LA - the cult of the body. I live in the beginning of the Hollywood hills, and 90% of the people I see on the streets are vigorous and fit. Everyone goes to the "hiking", run - cool!

- Surely you, like all of us, had your own idea of ​​Hollywood. How justified is it?

“When I was young, Hollywood seemed to me like a street, on both sides of which houses of stars stand. With age, I realized that Hollywood is just one of the residential areas of the city. The same as Beveri Hills, Santa Monica, Pasadena, etc. - an ordinary residential area. Nothing to do with what we are accustomed to consider Hollywood. Well, the inscription on the hill - well, ok.

For me, Hollywood is absolutely ordinary people. I can say with the example of Mickey or any Hollywood stars: they eat absolutely the same food that I eat, dress in the same stores where we all dress, just walk the streets, also talk on the phone, play sports ... And most often you don’t recognize them - sometimes you just don’t pay attention to what is close, for example, Alec Baldwin.

Of course, when they appear on the red carpet on Hollywood Boulevard in their tuxedos, cool evening gowns and diamonds, leaving security limousines, this is another story. But in everyday life it's not at all like that. And I am once again convinced that the larger the star, the less Ponte - so everywhere.

- And what, after all, Mickey Rourke rider?

- He has no global super rider. The biggest request is first class flight for him and me. At the shooting, we definitely take a personal trainer, because workout Rourke does not miss. And sometimes, depending on the film and budget, the makeup artist flies with us. But these are not super queries.

The car ... Well, as a rule, everyone drives the same here, regardless of status. The hotel is Mickey's choice, the main point in the rider is that the room has orange juice, carbonated and still water, coffee. Everything. Mickey can quietly go to dinner with everyone. Here is a catering that not all restaurants can eat. Separately, cold and hot appetizers, first, second ... And if there is a long queue, he can say: "Let's go to McDonald's!"

Well, okay, we never went to Mac. But in any other fast food we can. He does not require frills: as a rule, he asks for fillets, steamed vegetables, rice, and, perhaps, some good Thai food. Or steak. He is absolutely unpretentious.

“How do you and the paparazzi understand?”

- There are, of course, quite arrogant. But, as a rule, Mickey is very loyal to them. Not that he was friends with them, but we happen to leave the restaurant on Saturday afternoon, I see that there are a lot of people at the entrance, paparazzi, I propose to leave through the back door, but he says: “No, it's normal.”

Naturally, the crowd is piling up, they throw it with questions, often provocative. Previously, he reacted to them very badly, and lately he simply does not respond if he does not want. He does not like to talk about his personal life and the current president of America. Just silent and does not say anything.

- Well, they, in Hollywood, Trump do not like that?

“Mickey has his own reasons.” Once upon a time in New York, he and Tupac Shakur broke something in a hotel — either a tabletop or something else. It cost, say, $ 7 thousands. Trump wrote a crazy article that Mickey and Tupac almost blew the entire hotel. Therefore, Rourke does not like him. In general, it is apolitical.

- Mickey introduces you to your fellow stars? By the way, do they have it?

- There is: he communicates with Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Alec Baldwin. Now here goes to the same room with Ricky Martin, of course, they became friends.

Alex Pettifer, Paris Hilton, Darren Aronofsky ... Few people believe in Hollywood friendship, but it exists.

- And how do you, for example, Schwartz?

- Honestly, I spoke with him many times already, but I never took pictures with him. And about a month ago, when we and Mickey and I were sitting in a restaurant, I asked: “Can I take a photo with you? I want parents to send a photo. And he was surprised: “You saw me so many times, and only now decided to take a photo?”.

Arnold is a very sweet, pleasant uncle: very smiling, calm. There is no negative in it. Here is a good one!

- Judging by your stories, there are all good.

- At least, I have not met people who would be unpleasantly surprised.

- And what are they talking about? Discuss colleagues, for example?

- Of course - absolutely, like us: who had a good movie, who had a bad one ...

- Does friendship in Hollywood affect your work?

- Yes and no. Darren Aronofsky, on the other hand, doesn’t film Mickey in every picture, although they are friends. On the other hand, a star can influence the choice of a partner, based on personal preferences. And if, for example, an 2 actor aspires to the role, preference will be given to the one with whom the star wants to work - this is simpler and more constructive.

Although I know a picture in which people who hate each other with fierce hatred played lovers. And they were not allowed to come closer to each other closer than 50 meters under contract during out-of-camera time. But who it was, I will not say - they will bury me (laughing).

- And a lot of these relationships in Hollywood?

- I did not come across this. I think that there is simply a certain envy of each other - this is especially evident when Oscar is awarded. As for me, this is a little "political" award. But here everyone understands this.

- And were you with Mickey on the Oscars?

- Not yet. Mickey is in the "Oscar" committee, and every year he receives an invitation to the ceremony. But last year we had shooting, and we didn’t get it, but it’s still not clear how that will be. But I have an invitation.

- They say that even the road to work is included in the working time?

- It's true. For example, Mickey’s contract shooting day lasts 10 hours, and the countdown starts from the moment he got into the car and closed the door. All, the watch has gone - exactly through the 10 hours Rourke must close the door of his house.

- How is the work with actors in Hollywood? What if the actor, for example, is not given a scene?

- He is given as many duplicates as necessary. Here is one of the partners of Rourke in one of the films of duplicates 12 could do. But this is not very professional. Because, in principle, here no one clearly speaks the text word for word: they usually ask to speak as closely as possible. And Mickey also has a quota of corrections that he can make to his dialogues. For example, he says: "I know what they say in the boxing gym - if you need a real gym, then it should be like this."

And I do not remember that he had problems with directors - as a rule, he does everything from the first take. The second and third are already doing purely technical.

- What is the attitude of the Stanislavsky system in Hollywood?

- Rourke only recognizes her! So he played the legendary boxing coach and, to get into the role, he talked with this coach for a long time, went to him to train. Plus - Mickey is removed only in his clothes, orders it himself. And we were looking for the same cap as that of the coach, sewed the same coat, boots to order. Mickey ordered a special cataract lens, although the director said: “Don't, this is superfluous!”. But Rourke was necessary.

Sometimes I say: “Mickey, no one will see this pin that you put on.” He says: “No! Those who need to see. " He thinks everything up to such trifles! Up to the point that the strand, for example, should fall on the right eye. I am surprised: "Yes, what's the difference?" - "No, it is on the right!". In general, he advises all novice actors: “Remember the words 2:“ The Stanislavsky system ”. Everything else is bullshit. ”

- And how does he teach the role?

- He is first brought the entire script, then - directly to his dialogues, marked by the scenes with the schedule of their filming. And I teach it with him. He makes his corrections, coordinating them with the director, reads it all a few times, and then we teach him the role, as in school, learned the lessons. I read the text for other heroes, and he is his own, no longer looking. Or a little spying. I'm checking…

- Doesn't he want to promote you to the cinema?

- Mickey writes a lot of scripts. One of them is based on real events, and this is from the category of the case of his life. The new agent Rourke is doing everything possible and impossible to launch these shootings - I hope they will begin a maximum next year. And in this film there is a role for me.

- Are you getting ready, take some acting lessons?

- I work with Mickey Rourke! (laughing) And this is a school. Recently, at one shooting, Mickey played some crazy professor, and needed an actor for the role of a police officer who would lead the interrogation. The guys at the site were a little scared: Mickey had to shake, yell at him. Sdreyfili. And with us was our friend, Anton from Russia, in combination - the trainer Mickey, a pumped up, healthy guy. And Rourke said: "Let the policeman play Anton." In the role of Anton you had to be furious. Mickey took Anton aside, said something to him ... And the scene was shot from the first take! He threw Mickey, screamed at him, tugged at him ... The group was stunned!

Then it turned out that Rourke told him: “Imagine that you come from a business trip, and your girlfriend is with your best friend. Close your eyes and imagine. ” It helped.

By the way, a similar story happened to Rourke himself. Darren Aronofsky shot the film "Wrestler" and wanted to get the right emotion from him. And Mickey had a favorite dog Loki - he even named his company after her.

And after dinner Darren runs to the site: “Mickey, what's your dog's name?” - “Loki. And what? “Well ... let's shoot, and then I'll tell you.” I just just called your assistant ... ". Mickey starts: “Please tell me what's up with my dog?” - “Come on, we’ll finish the double now, I’ll dial an assistant and you’ll talk to him. And more ... When you play, just think about Loki at this moment ... ".

Darren said it in such a tragic voice that Mickey understood: his dog died. She was old, sick ... In the frame, he sobbed tearfully, avidly! And then pulled to the phone. And Darren said: “Yes, all is well with your dog. I just needed an emotion. ”

- By the way, about your debut. There is an opinion that Hollywood for the Slavs is closed for many reasons. In the first place - because of the accent.

- Nonsense! If you now talked with Sasha Egorova, and after - with a native American woman, you would not feel any difference.

Firstly, in the Academy, where Sasha studies, there is a special discipline, thanks to which the emphasis is completely removed. Sasha is now talking so cool! In life, you will not guess that she is from Ukraine. For all this, there are specially trained people.

- That is, in Hollywood to get all the same real?

- There is nothing unreal at all. Of course, connections play their part, but globally - the same coach Rourke has already starred with Britney Spears, in the video clip by David Guetta, in “American Horror Story” ... And my friend recently starred in the film with Will Smith. There is an “LA Casting” site where you fill out a form and you are called in to take pictures. And you do not know where you are taken and for what. She was summoned to the shooting, she comes - and there Will Will. Well, then agents and casting managers monitor your progress. Everything is very real. It is unreal only for those who are afraid.

In general, I hope you understand everything: learn English and do not be afraid to take risks. Who knows: maybe you have been waiting for a long time in Hollywood !?

The material was first published on the portal. "Medianian". Reprinted with permission from the publisher.

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