AMERICANWAY

ITINERARY TOP TO BOTTOM: MATHIEU YOUNG/FOX; CHAD KEIG; COURTESY COPPOLA PRESENTS 3 0 N OV E M B E R 2 01 4 A A .CO M/A M E R I C A NWAY M O V I E S Landing the Punch MICHAEL PEÑA is kicking his career into high gear with this month's big-screen Fury. I old, Michael Peña has had a sing ular mission: Chase good writing. As a result, the 38-year-old actor has appeared, often in indelible supporting roles, in a stunning run of award-nominated films: Crash, Million Dollar Baby, Babel, End of Watch, American Hustle. Peña is cranking up the heat with a breakout role in the World War II drama Fury, out last month, and with Fox's recently premiered TV series Gracepoint. AMERICAN WAY: You've spoken candidly in the past about the lean times that have led to this year's big breakthrough. How did you stay focused during those difficult times? MICHAEL PEÑA: It's almost like when you're boxing and you're trying to find your jab and trying to close the distance, but it's not working, so you keep making little adjustments with your team, and get in there, and you finally land the punch. I've got a great team that has supported me and reminded me why I'm in this whole thing. They've reminded me what I know and believe: It's about chasing good writing and then doing your best with it. AW: In Fury, you play an alcoholic tank driver during World War II, teaming with Brad Pitt, Jon Bernthal and Shia LaBeouf. MP: If you do a David Ayer movie, it's never going to be an easy job. He wants it real. He wants your innermost demons. He wants what's deep inside. He wants to know where you hurt. But at the end, it makes for a fully satisfying movie. He gets down to the nitty-gritty, and it's very, very demanding. I'm very grateful for the experience and for getting to work with some of the best actors around. AW: On Gracepoint, you play a father whose child was murdered. How does being a father yourself inform a performance like that? MP: I usually try to act from a place of imagination. I imagine all of the things my character has been through and how it informs who he is today, but on Gracepoint, I didn't want to imagine any of it. I don't ever want to imagine harm coming to my son. But it would creep in sometimes, and I think it made my work even better. —J . R EN T I L LY The Accidental Tourist As the writer and director behind dozens of films (including the Godfather trilogy and Apocalypse Now), FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA is among the most acclaimed auteurs in cinematic history. But in recent years, he's been busy developing his "Francis Ford Coppola Presents" lifestyle brand, which includes the Francis Ford Coppola Winery, San Francisco restaurant Cafe Zoetrope and five upscale resorts. Here, Coppola discusses with American Way his latest ventures and his future film plans. AMERICAN WAY: What influenced your interest in the hotel industry? Are you an avid traveler? FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA: Not really, but movie directors often go to locations and pick out beautiful spots. I think I got started in the tourism industry that way. I wanted to have a place to go off in the jungle and write. AW: The Palazzo Margherita in southern Italy makes perfect sense, given your family background, but your other resorts are all in Latin America. What drew you to that region? FFC: I've always resisted anything that tends to force you into one area. With resorts, I like to put them wherever I find myself. I have one in Buenos Aires [where he filmed 2009's Tetro], and of course Italy is where my family comes from. AW: From wineries to hotels to restaurants, you juggle a lot of different projects. Any plans for a return to filmmaking soon? FFC: In fact, I'm doing a lot of writing and focusing on new projects for cinema. It takes a long time to write an ambitious original screenplay, and that's mostly what I am doing these days. — B R E T LOV E EXCLUSIVE! To celebrate the release of Tammy (Warner Bros. Home Entertain- ment, ), we're giving digital downloads of the movie to lucky readers. To enter, go to aa.com/ americanway and click on "Deals and Steals." FROM ABOVE: Coppola Winery; Turtle Inn Resort GEYSERVILLE, CALIFORNIA STANN CREEK, BELIZE

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