pride and glory production notes

7/31/2019 Pride and Glory Production Notes

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Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, Jon Voight and Noah Emmerich star in Pride and

Glory, a gritty and emotional portrait of a multi-generational police family who find

themselves on opposite sides of an incendiary corruption scandal in the New York CityPolice Department.

Four New York City cops are dead, killed in an ambush that has the entire police

department on alert and on edge. With a cop killer on the loose and so much riding on

the case, Chief of Manhattan Detectives Francis Tierney, Sr. (Jon Voight) asks his son,

Detective Ray Tierney (Edward Norton), to lead the investigation. Reluctantly Ray takes

over the case knowing the cops who were lost had served under his brother, Francis

Tierney, Jr. (Noah Emmerich), and alongside his brother-in-law, Jimmy Egan (Colin

Farrell).On the surface, it looked like a routine drug bust gone terribly, tragically wrong.

But as Ray delves deeper into the case, he realizes someone had to have tipped off the

drug dealers that the cops were coming. Someone on the inside. Worse, the evidence

starts to point in an unthinkable direction: to his own brother and brother-in-law.

As the questions mount, the case forces the family to choose between their

loyalties to one another and their loyalties to the department.

Pride and Glory is directed by Gavin OConnor (Miracle). The screenplay is by

Joe Carnahan & Gavin OConnor, story by Gavin OConnor & Gregory OConnor &

Robert Hopes. The film is produced by Gregory OConnor, with Toby Emmerich, Cale

Boyter and Marcus Viscidi serving as executive producers. Josh Fagan is the co-

producer and Robert Hopes is the associate producer.

Rounding out the main cast of Pride and Glory are Jennifer Ehle, John Ortiz,

Shea Whigham, Frank Grillo, and Lake Bell.

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Collaborating with Gavin OConnor behind the scenes were director of

photography Declan Quinn, production designer Dan Leigh, editors Lisa Zeno Churgin

and John Gilroy, costume designer Abigail Murray, and composer Mark Isham.

New Line Cinema presents a Solaris Entertainment/OConnor Brothers

Production, Pride and Glory. The film is being distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a

Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. Pride and Glory has been rated R by the MPAA

for strong violence, pervasive language and brief drug content.

For downloadable general information and photosplease visit: http://press.warnerbros.com

www.PrideAndGloryMovie.com

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

THE BLUE WALL

The sons of a New York City cop, director and screenwriter Gavin OConnor and

his twin brother, producer Gregory OConnor, possess a special understanding of the

family ties - both personal and professional - that bind police officers. In creating Pride

and Glory, Gavin OConnor offers, I wanted to tell a story about the New York City

Police Department and examine the alternative universe in which they exist. I also

wanted to tell a story about family. As the son of a cop who had a deep sense of loyalty

to his fellow police officers, I understood the internal conflicts my father struggled with. It

was one way or the other; there was no in-between.

Gregory OConnor adds, On some level, weve always wanted to be part of that

world, maybe because a lot of sons of cops become cops and, obviously, we never did.

But we grew up with it and its a part of who we are, so maybe this was a way for us to

live in it vicariously for a time.

Edward Norton stars in the film as NYPD Detective Ray Tierney, whose

investigation of a police homicide involving his own family becomes a serious test of

loyalty. There are no easy answers and whatever choice he makes will inevitably hurt

the people Ray loves most. I thought the story had an interesting morality tale at its

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heart, Norton says. It is about people confronting the necessity of telling the truth, and

the difficulty of doing that at times. Rays core dilemma was a compelling one - having to

decide between family loyalties and institutional loyalties, between the law and a kind of

higher law. Without offering any judgments, its a fascinating dilemma for someone to

have to confront. The main question that is raised is what is the tipping point? When is

he no longer going to stand for things he knows are not right? When does he reach that

moment when the scales tip in favor of telling the truth, despite the cost and the pain to

his own family?

Colin Farrell stars as Rays brother-in-law, Jimmy Egan, who straddles a

dangerous line as a cop working both sides of the law and whose actions set the story in

motion. The actor says he can understand the frustration of cops who are fighting an

uphill battle. Theres always going to be drugs, theres always going to be violent crimes,

and theres always going to be criminals. And theres always going to be police who are

getting paid not a lot of money to put their lives on the line every day. I would imagine

that if I were a police officer, it would get very frustrating to bust someone one day, and a

week later theyre out on the street doing the same damn thing. That is part of the

reason Jimmy does what he does.

There are many examples of good people who do really terrible things in the

name of an institution, Greg OConnor asserts. The institution itself is not evil, but by

virtue of trying to protect its own, the people within are capable of bad things, even if it is

ostensibly for the right reasons.

Gavin OConnor emphasizes that, despite the characters and setting of Pride

and Glory, the police have no monopoly on closing ranks against those on the outside,

especially in the face of corruption. He notes there have been many examples in major

institutions apart from law enforcement, including those in governments and big

business. Institutions often define their own rules. I wanted to use the police department

as a metaphor to explore that idea, he explains. Growing up, we always heard about

the blue wall of silence. I wanted to explore the idea of that impenetrable code of honor

between cops, and how words like pride and glory can be used to co-opt a good cop intoparticipating in things he knows arent right. They say cops bleed blue, because they

have their own blood ties. But outside of that blue wall, within their own families, they

bleed red. If those two entities clashed, what would happen? Where would your loyalties

lie? That was the genesis of the story.

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The OConnor brothers worked with retired New York City Detective Robert

Hopes to craft the story of Pride and Glory. Hopes also served as an associate

producer and technical consultant on the film, noting, Gavin wanted it to be authentic.

He wanted the terminology and the look to be right on the mark.

Gavin then collaborated with his friend Joe Carnahan, the writer/director of such

films as Narc and Smokin Aces, to write the screenplay about a multi-generational

cop family who become embroiled in a murder/corruption scandal that rocks the entire

New York City Police Department.

BEHIND THE BADGE

The first actor cast in Pride and Glory was Edward Norton. Gavin and I have

always thought that Edward is among the finest actors in the world, so he was always at

the top of our list to play Ray, Greg says.

Gavin adds that Norton was integrally involved in the development of his role.

We did a lot of biographical work on the character of Ray, who was a rising star in the

NYPD until an earlier incident compromised his integrity and sent him into a kind of self-

imposed exile, working in Missing Persons. For a detective in the NYPD, Missing

Persons is like being banished to Siberia. A cop on the rise doesnt go to Missing

Persons.

Rays voluntary banishment comes to an end when his father, the Chief of

Manhattan Detectives, comes to him on a volatile narcotics/homicide investigation

involving the murder of four NYPD officers, including Rays onetime partner and best

friend. Knowing it could have far-reaching ramifications for his department, the Chief

practically begs Ray to take over the case and, reluctantly, Ray agrees.

Norton says, I think Rays father, brothers and colleagues all think that Ray

wants to get back into the game, but Rays secret is that hes more than ready to leave it

all behind. I dont think anybody realizes the degree of his disillusionment because of the

burden of another incident in his past. Rays dilemma is different from anything Ive everplayed. Its a conflict between his own interests and his internal sense of right and

wrong, between his loyalty to his comrades in arms and his loyalty to his family.

It was an interesting challenge for me as an actor, Norton continues, because

at first youre wondering, Whats with this guy? And then theres a slow peeling away of

the layers leading to the truth.

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The truth hits a lot closer to home than Ray ever imagined when the evidence

begins to implicate members of his own department, including his brother-in-law, Jimmy

Egan. Colin Farrell plays Jimmy, a cop who has allowed frustration and greed to chip

away at the things he most valued, causing him to compromise both his career and his

family, which are inextricably linked. Farrell relates, Jimmy is a cop who married into a

family of cops - his wifes father and her two brothers are all cops. But somewhere along

the way, he took a step over to the wrong side of the law. Just a little bit at first, but then

he took another step, and another...and before he knew it, the line he crossed was

completely out of his view. In many ways, he is a contradiction: with his family, there is a

softness to him and a great ability to love, but he also has a great deal of anger and

fear.

Ive always been a big fan of Colins, says Gavin. I met with him and we talked

at length about the story and what we were going for with the character of Jimmy. Our

goal was how to convey the humanity in him and help the audience see what drove him

over the line. After so many times of arresting guys and then seeing them right back on

the streets, it kind of beat Jimmy up inside. When youve been bumping up against

criminals for so long, you can go one way or the other. Jimmy finally came to this huge

rationalization about how he could take advantage of his job in order to survive.

The way Jimmy has run his life outside the house starts pervading through the

walls of his home and touching his family. Thats when it all really hits the fan, Farrell

states. There are absolute consequences for his actions; everyone involved has so

much to lose.

The far-reaching consequences of Jimmys actions go all the way up to the

highest ranks of the police department and to the head of his family. For Jimmy, both are

embodied in the same person: his father-in-law, Francis Tierney, Sr., who is the Chief of

Manhattan Detectives.

Jon Voight, who plays Chief Tierney, observes, Hes a man who loves his family

and is also fiercely proud of the police heritage that he has passed down to his two sons,

as well as his daughter, who married a cop. But now he has to deal with the fact that hisown family may be involved in something that goes against everything he has stood for

all his life - the idea of having pride in this vocation that is, by definition, self-sacrificing.

We depend on the police to protect and take care of us, to keep our streets safe

for our families, Voight adds, and they sometimes have to wade into very dangerous

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territory to do this work. Its very important that they have ideals and are strong enough

to hold onto those ideals under tremendous pressures.

Jon really felt the spirit and energy of this movie and understood what we were

trying to say, Gavin says. It was a joy and honor to work with him, and I think he gave a

beautiful performance.

Every one of us was excited about working with him, Greg affirms. Lets start

with the fact that Jon is a legend. He brings a certain dignity and presence with him

when he walks into the room; you believe he is the patriarch of this family. He represents

a certain ethic of what it means to be a cop, and he taught that ethic to his sons.

Noah Emmerich plays the elder of the Tierney sons, Francis Tierney, Jr., a police

inspector who is dealing with crises on two fronts. The tragic murder of four of New

Yorks finest is exploding into a scandal that could destroy his career and his family, and,

all the while, his beloved wife, Abby, is in the end stages of cancer. This guy is such a

tortured character, says Emmerich. His wife is dying, his career is falling apart, and he

is being forced to come to terms with the choices hes made, which could lead to his own

fall from grace. There is so much pain in this character, but there is also growth; he

really changes over the course of the film. Thats always interesting to navigate as an

actor.

Pride and Glory marks Emmerichs third movie with the OConnor brothers,

following Tumbleweeds and Miracle. We kind of feel like Noah is part of our acting

troupe, Greg laughs. Hes just a great actor and, from the beginning, Gavin always had

him in mind for the role of Francis Jr.

The director offers, In some ways, Francis Jr. is the most difficult part in the

movie because he has two internal conflicts going on that he has to somehow find a way

to reconcile. He has the war going on at home to cope with his wifes illness, and he has

the war going on in his precinct, which is imploding. That made it a very complicated role

to play, which is why I wanted Noah.

Abby Tierneys illness turns out to be not only a crucible but also a catalyst for

her husband. One of the ironies about Abby is that even though she has cancer and isin the last stage of her life, in my opinion she is the strongest and most grounded

character in the movie, says Emmerich. In fact, her strength resonates so palpably that

it transforms Francis and gives him the strength to be a better man. Their relationship is

so beautiful; its a true love.

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Abby is played by award-winning stage actress Jennifer Ehle, who comments

that in coming to terms with her own approaching death, Abby reminds her husband of

his own moral code and lets him know that the most loving thing he can do for her now is

to be the man she married and trusts with the lives of their children.

Jennifer is an incredibly gifted actress, says Gavin. She was totally committed

to the role. I hope I have the opportunity to work with her again; shes one of the greats.

Jimmy Egans wife, Megan, at first has no idea of the depth of her husbands

involvement in the police department scandal that is making headlines and driving a

wedge between her brothers and her husband. But as the situation deteriorates, she

cant help but become aware. Lake Bell, who plays the role of Megan, notes, She

represents for Jimmy the ultimate consequences of his actions. He prides himself on

being a wonderful husband and father, but hes starting to realize that what hes done

could cost him his wife and children.

Gavin recalls, The second Lake walked in, I knew she was Megan. She is a

wonderful actress, and she embodied the character exactly as I had pictured her in my

mind. I could also imagine her opposite Colin Farrell.

The main cast ensemble of Pride and Glory also includes John Ortiz, Frank

Grillo and Shea Whigham as, respectively, Ruben Santiago, Eddie Carbone and Kenny

Dugan, three cops who, together with Jimmy Egan, have been working both sides of the

law. Manny Perez plays Coco Dominguez, who, unfortunately for him, is holding

information Jimmy wants and will do anything to get. Ramon Rodriguez plays Angel

Tezo, a drug dealer and cop killer who is the target of a citywide manhunt, and Rick

Gonzalez is Eladio Casado, a rival drug dealer, who is using the cops as much as they

are using him.

Every member of the cast brought so much to their roles, states Gavin. My

attitude has always been that even if an actor is in only one scene, that character has as

much value to the story as any of the leads. Every piece of the puzzle means so much

because all those pieces accumulate to complete the story. I was so proud of all the

actors in the movie because they truly poured themselves into their characters.

TAKING IT TO THE STREETS

Weeks prior to the start of principal photography, members of the cast began

preparing for their roles, in both an emotional and practical sense. Authenticity was vital

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to Gavin OConnor, which applied to the actors playing a family, as well as portraying

cops.

The central characters are a family with a shared history going back decades,

the director explains. It is not just in the dialogue; its in the subtext. You have to feel it

in their behavior and the way they relate to one another. So how do you create that

feeling of familiarity in a relatively short amount of time? You do it by putting people in

situations where they have to rub elbows day in and day out. We engaged in a

workshop, where we created the back stories of the family and did a lot of

improvisational work. Most importantly, it was all of us just hanging out and breaking

bread together.

The actors all agree that the workshop period greatly contributed to their family

dynamic. Edward Norton confirms, The time spent together translated into a level of

comfort and the kind of shorthand that families have. Scenes as a family are very

challenging because its not about things being articulated; its about energy and flow.

Emmerich recalls, It was a rolling continuum of exploration, improvisation and

discussion. We really dove into the script, scene by scene, line by line. And we were

able to come at it from different angles, which is hard for a writer alone in a room to do.

Gavin encouraged us to question anything and everything and to feel free to speak up

about any problems or ideas we had. We all responded to that pretty enthusiastically. It

was very collaborative.

A screenwriter and director in his own right, Norton says that kind of collaboration

called for an uncommon commitment and generosity on the part of Gavin OConnor

because it was not just about directing; there was authorship, too. Gavins level of

passion for this project was really high. He was willing to have the material tested by

everyone involved and handled it with an impressive amount of equanimity. I dont think

he ever put the brakes on anyone. But that kind of rigor is also really good for a film

because generally something really interesting comes out of the process. Even within

the best laid plans, you have to embrace surprise and discovery.

Gavin loves working with actors, and he wants them to be as fully invested in themovie as he is, Greg OConnor states. He also wants to get every detail right, both

aesthetically and emotionally, beginning with the cast spending time together. In the

case of our actors playing cops, he had them spend time with real cops, driving around

with them, training where they train. It was all about getting into the skin of a cop,

speaking the way they speak and understanding how they think.

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We tried to have all the guys hang out with cops who were representative of who

they were playing, Gavin reveals. Edward was hanging out with homicide detectives,

Colin was riding with guys in the Special Narcotics Enforcement Unit, and Noah was with

deputy inspectors. Our senior technical advisor Rick Tirelli was extremely helpful on that,

as was our technical advisor, Tom Pilkington, and, of course, Robert Hopes. Tirelli,

Pilkington and Hopes were also instrumental in recruiting several NYPD veterans to play

police officers in the film, so many of the policemen in the opening crime scene

investigation are actually retired cops.

Several of the main cast members also traveled to the NYPDs training facility in

the Bronx, where, Norton relates, We did a certain amount of weapons and tactical

training because you want to try to move the way these guys are trained to move. That

was really interesting, but in large measure, my preparation involved just talking to cops,

hearing how they do what they do, and also drawing them out on how they would

respond emotionally in these types of situations. I always find that aspect fascinating

because, in a way, the best part of being an actor is what I call the classroom - learning

everything you can about being a New York City police officer in four months. It was

amazing.

What was most impressive to me was the great camaraderie the police have,

relates Colin Farrell, who was in a special position to observe their unique bond while

training with the actual NYPD football team - The Finest - for the films opening scenes.

You hear about the camaraderie between cops, but when you spend time with them,

you really feel the vibe. We shot for a week in freezing cold on Coney Island. It was

tough on those guys because they were still working their regular shifts as police

officers. They gave me a hard time - as they should since I was the rookie in the group -

but it was great fun. I loved it.

Pride and Glory is set in the winter and was filmed in the winter. But despite the

cold weather and the challenges that came with it, Gavin chose to film Pride and Glory

on location on the streets of New York City. The director asserts, It goes without saying

that the elements, the textures and the ambiance are different on location than they areon a soundstage. It obviously looks more authentic to film in the actual locations, but it

also feels more authentic to the entire cast and crew. So, despite having to deal with any

obstacles, filming in New York was an important decision we made early on, and we

stayed committed to it.

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In capturing the gritty atmosphere of the streets and bringing it to the screen,

Gavin worked closely with his creative team, including director of photography Declan

Quinn, production designer Dan Leigh, and costume designer Abigail Murray.

I spent a lot of time with Declan even before we began pre-production, says

Gavin. He and I broke down every beat of the script and developed a very distinct visual

style. One of the first things I said to him was that I wanted the audience to feel like they

were inside the movie...like the story is swirling around them. From there, we started

working with Dan and Abigail on the production design and costume design because we

had come up with a very specific color palette.

In post-production, Gavins attention turned to editing, working primarily with

editor John Gilroy, and scoring the film, collaborating with composer Mark Isham.

Gavin reflects, The process of making this movie with such talented people

brought me so much joy and satisfaction. Everyone on the cast and crew was working

together as a family to push the story forward and squeeze as much emotion and truth

out of it as we could. Thats the magic - knowing you worked hard and gave it everything

you could. After that, all any filmmaker can do is let it go and hope for the best, he

smiles.

# # #

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ABOUT THE CAST

EDWARD NORTON (Ray Tierney) has acted in the films Primal Fear,

Everyone Says I Love You, The People vs. Larry Flynt, American History X,

Rounders, Fight Club, Keeping the Faith, The Score, Death to Smoochy, Frida,

Red Dragon, The 25th Hour, The Italian Job, Down in the Valley, The Illusionist,

The Painted Veil and The Incredible Hulk.

He has been nominated for two Academy Awards, for Primal Fear and

American History X, and won a Golden Globe for the first. He has also received

numerous other awards for his film performances. The film Frida, for which he wrote

the screenplay (uncredited), was nominated for six Academy Awards and won two. On

the stage, Norton won an Obie Award in 2003 for his performance off-Broadway in Burn

This, by Lanford Wilson.

He produced and directed Keeping the Faith and also produced Down in the

Valley, a 2005 Cannes Film Festival selection, and The Painted Veil.

Norton also founded and runs Class 5 Films, in partnership with writer Stuart

Blumberg and producer Bill Migliore. Class 5s first two features were Down in the

Valley and The Painted Veil. Class 5 is currently in production on the film Leaves of

Grass, written and directed by Tim Blake Nelson and starring Norton, Susan Sarandon,

Alfred Molina, Tim Blake Nelson and Richard Dreyfuss. Class 5 is developing

adaptations of Dan OBriens Buffalo for the Broken Heart and Jonathan Lethems

Motherless Brooklyn, for which Norton is currently writing the screenplay.

Class 5s documentary productions include: The Great Rivers Expedition, a film

made by Jim Norton for the Outdoor Life Network about an historic whitewater adventure

that took place in China in 2003; and Dirty Work, a film by David Sampliner that

premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival and aired on the Sundance Channel last

spring. Class 5 also collaborated with the Sea Studios Foundation on their highly

acclaimed, multi-million dollar series about earth system sciences for National

Geographic, Strange Days on Planet Earth, which Norton hosts and narrates, and

which premiered on PBS in April 2008.

Class 5 is currently shooting a feature-length documentary film about Barack

Obama and the 2008 Presidential campaign, produced by Norton, Migliore and

Blumberg and directed by Amy Rice and Alicia Sams.

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Class 5 also formed a partnership with Brad Pitts Plan B and National

Geographic to produce an epic 10-part series for HBO, based on Stephen Ambroses

acclaimed book Undaunted Courage, about the Lewis and Clark expedition. Norton and

Pitt will executive produce the series.

Apart from his film work, Norton has been on the Board of New Yorks Signature

Theater Company since 1994. In June of that year, Signature was selected by New

Yorks then-Governor Pataki as the theater in residence at the new World Trade Center

Arts Complex.

Norton is also a committed social and environmental activist. Among his many

philanthropic endeavors, he serves on the Board of Trustees of the Enterprise

Foundation, which works to move families up and out of poverty and transform low-

income communities through the development of decent, affordable housing and social

service networks. He also conceived and negotiated a groundbreaking arrangement with

BP Solar to provide solar power technology to low-income homeowners in Los Angeles

and New York. Another of Nortons projects is the Peacemakers Fund at Yale University,

which will provide travel study grants that give college undergraduates opportunities to

study in the Middle East in the interests of increasing our understanding of the people

and cultures of that region. Norton is also one of the founding Board members of Friends

of the High Line, an advocacy group working to convert an abandoned freight rail line

into a spectacular park in Manhattans industrial West Side.

COLIN FARRELL (Jimmy Egan) is an internationally renowned actor who has

been recognized for his work in major studio releases and smaller independent features.

Farrell is currently filming the fantasy drama Ondine, under the direction of Neil Jordan.

The story revolves around an Irish fisherman who discovers a woman he thinks is a

mermaid. He also recently completed production on Terry Gilliams The Imaginarium of

Doctor Parnasus, alongside Jude Law and Johnny Depp, and the thriller Triage, for

Bosnian director Danis Tanovic. All three films are due out in 2009.

Farrell most recently starred opposite Brendan Gleeson in the independent filmIn Bruges, which premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. The dark comedy

follows a pair of hit men who hide out in Bruges, Belgium, after carrying out a difficult job

in London. His recent film work also includes the Woody Allen film Cassandras Dream,

which premiered at the 2007 Venice Film Festival; Michael Manns Miami Vice; and

Robert Townes Ask the Dust, based on the novel by John Fante.

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Early in his film career, Farrell earned a London Film Critics Circle Award for his

work in Joel Schumachers Tigerland. He later reunited with Schumacher in the thriller

Phone Booth. Farrell was also nominated for an Empire Award for Best Actor for his

role in Steven Spielbergs Minority Report. His other film credits include Terrence

Malicks The New World; Oliver Stones Alexander; A Home at the End of the World,

based on the novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Cunningham;

Intermission; S.W.A.T.; Daredevil; Roger Donaldsons "The Recruit," opposite Al

Pacino; Harts War; and American Outlaws.

A native of Ireland, Farrell was born and raised in Castleknock, the son of Eamon

Farrell and nephew of Tommy Farrell. Both Tommy and Eamon Farrell played for the

Irish Football Club Shamrock Rovers in the 1960s and it was Colins early teenage

ambition to follow in their footsteps. However, his interest soon turned towards acting

and he joined the Gaiety School of Drama in Dublin.

Before completing his course, Farrell landed a starring role in the miniseries

"Falling for a Dancer," adapted by Deirdre Purcell from her own novel. He went on to

star in the BBC series "Ballykissangel," and had a featured role in Tim Roth's directorial

debut, "The War Zone."

Farrell currently makes his home in Dublin, Ireland.

JON VOIGHT (Francis Tierney, Sr.) is an Oscar-winning actor who has been a

motion picture star for four decades, beginning in 1969 with his role in the

groundbreaking Oscar-winning Best Picture Midnight Cowboy. Voight earned an

Academy Award nomination for his performance as Joe Buck in the film, also winning a

Golden Globe, a BAFTA Award, and Best Actor Awards from the New York Film Critics

Association and the National Society of Film Critics.

Voight won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his work in the 1978 drama

Coming Home. For his portrayal of a Vietnam veteran who was paralyzed in the war,

he also won a Golden Globe Award, as well as Best Actor honors from the Cannes Film

Festival, the New York and Los Angeles Film Critics Associations, and the NationalBoard of Review.

Voight received his third Oscar nomination, for Best Actor, for his performance in

Andrei Konchalovskys thriller Runaway Train. He earned his latest Oscar nomination,

in the category of Best Supporting Actor, for his portrayal of Howard Cosell in Michael

Manns biopic Ali, for which he also gained another Golden Globe nomination. In

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addition, he has garnered Golden Globe nominations for his roles in John Boormans

classic actioner Deliverance, Franco Zeffirellis The Champ and Francis Ford

Coppolas The Rainmaker.

Voight was more recently seen in such films as the blockbuster Transformers,

for director Michael Bay; the hit National Treasure and its sequel, National Treasure:

Book of Secrets; Glory Road; and Jonathan Demmes remake of The Manchurian

Candidate, with Meryl Streep. He also makes a cameo appearance as himself in the hit

comedy Tropic Thunder. He is currently in the political comedy An American Carol,

and will next be seen in the holiday comedy Four Christmases, due out in November.

His long list of film credits also includes Andrew Davis Holes; Lara Croft: Tomb

Raider, alongside his daughter, Angelina Jolie; Michael Bays Pearl Harbor; Ben

Stillers Zoolander; Varsity Blues; Baby Geniuses, also serving as co-executive

producer; Tony Scotts Enemy of the State; John Boormans The General; Oliver

Stones U Turn; John Singletons Rosewood; Brian De Palmas blockbuster Mission:

Impossible; Michael Manns Heat; Table for Five; The Odessa File; Conrack; The

Revolutionary; and Mike Nichols Catch-22.

Voight has also been honored for his work on television, most recently earning

an Emmy Award nomination for his performance in the title role of the biopic John Paul

II. He was previously Emmy-nominated for his work in the two-part drama Uprising. He

was recognized by his peers with a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for his work

in the telefilm The Five People You Meet in Heaven, based on the book by Mitch

Albom. Voight also received a Golden Globe nomination for his role in the HBO movie

The Last of His Tribe. His many television credits also include such longform projects

as Jasper, Texas, Second String, Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story, Noahs

Ark, Return to Lonesome Dove, and Chernobyl: The Final Warning. He made his

directorial debut in 1995 with the Showtime movie The Tin Soldier, which was named

Best Childrens Film at the Berlin Film Festival.

On the stage, Voight made his Broadway debut as Rolf in the original production

of The Sound of Music. In 1965, he starred opposite Robert Duvall in the acclaimedrevival of Arthur Millers A View From the Bridge. He later starred at Los Angeles

Ahmanson Theater in A Streetcar Named Desire, and was more recently seen off-

Broadway in Chekhovs The Seagull.

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and Sunshine, with Ralph Fiennes, directed by Istvan Szabo. Ehle was nominated for a

Best Supporting Actress BAFTA for the role of Constance Lloyd Wilde in the Oscar

Wilde biopic Wilde, in which she appeared alongside Stephen Fry, Jude Law and

Vanessa Redgrave, and was among the stellar female cast of Paradise Road, which

included Oscar-winning actresses Cate Blanchett, Glenn Close and Frances

McDormand.

For her work on the small screen, Ehle received the BAFTA Award for her

starring role as Jane Austens beloved heroine Elizabeth Bennett in the acclaimed six-

part BBC miniseries Pride and Prejudice, opposite Colin Firth.

Frequently returning to the stage throughout her career, Ehle recently

worked with Liev Schreiber in New York Citys Central Park as Lady Macbeth in The

Publics Shakespeare in the Park production of Macbeth. Her other numerous stage

credits include a season at The Royal Shakespeare Company; The Philadelphia Story,

at Londons Old Vic opposite Kevin Spacey; Summer Folk, directed by Trevor Nunn at

the National Theatre; and Tartuffe, under the direction of Sir Peter Hall.

JOHN ORTIZ (Ruben Santiago) is an award-winning actor who honed his craft

on the New York stage. He earned an Obie Award for his work in the off-Broadway

production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play References to Salvador Dali Make Me

Hot, and a Drama League Award for Jesus Hopped the A Train. He co-founded the

LAByrinth Theater Company with a dozen fellow actors, among them Philip Seymour

Hoffman, and has since appeared in numerous LAByrinth productions, including the lead

in Jesus Iscariot, which Hoffman directed.

Ortizs list of film credits is extensive, and in 2009 alone he will be seen in the

Michael Mann feature Public Enemies, with Christian Bale and Johnny Depp; Fast &

Furious, with Vin Diesel; and Two Lovers, with Joaquin Phoenix and Gwyneth Paltrow.

His most recent work includes Ridley Scotts American Gangster, with Russell Crowe

and Denzel Washington; AVPR: Aliens vs. PredatorRequiem; El Cantante, starring

Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony; and Manns Miami Vice, with Colin Farrell andJamie Foxx. Ortizs impressive list of film credits also includes Steven Spielbergs

Amistad; Brian De Palmas Carlitos Way; Ron Howards Ransom; and Before

Night Falls, directed by Julian Schnabel.

On television, Ortiz recently completed work on Anatomy of Hope, a telefilm

written and directed by JJ Abrams, and also stars in Blue Blood, a police drama from

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director Brett Ratner. He has appeared in Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims

Unit, and CSI: Miami, and was a regular in the series Clubhouse and The Job, with

Denis Leary.

A Brooklyn native, Ortiz has continually returned to the theatre in such

productions as Broadways Anna in the Tropics, The Skin of our Teeth, with John

Goodman at New Yorks Public Theater, and Cloud Tectonics at Playwrights Horizons.

He has appeared regionally at the Mark Taper Forum, The Goodman, Hartford Stage,

Arena Stage, Yale Repertory, South Coast Repertory and Cincinnati Playhouse. Ortiz

has been seen internationally in The Persian and The Merchant of Venice, both

directed by Peter Sellars, and has also performed in such cities as Paris, London, Berlin,

and Edinburgh.

LAKE BELL (Megan Egan) was last seen in Tom Vaughn's "What Happens in

Vegas," with Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher, and co-starred in "Over Her Dead

Body," with Eva Longoria Parker and Paul Rudd. Bell received the Newport Beach Film

Festival Award for Outstanding Performance in Acting for her work in the independent

film "Under Still Waters." She has acted in a variety of indie films, including Speakeasy,

from Project Greenlight alumnus Brendan Murphy, and writer/director Adam Goldbergs

I Love Your Work, with Vince Vaughn, Jason Lee, Christina Ricci and Joshua Jackson.

She will soon be seen in the upcoming Alex Gregory/Peter Huyck feature A Good Old

Fashioned Orgy, with Leslie Bibb, Will Forte, Lindsay Sloan and Jason Sudeikis.

On television, Bell had starring roles in Boston Legal, with William Shatner and

James Spader, reprising her role from the The Practice, and in the sci-fi series

"Surface." She also co-starred in Miss Match, with Alicia Silverstone. Additionally, Bell

starred opposite Jeff Goldblum in the telefilm "War Stories," which followed journalists

covering the civil war in Uzbekistan in the wake of the US. campaign in Afghanistan.

Bell is a graduate of Londons prestigious Rose Bruford College, where she

acted in productions of The Seagull and The Pentecost. Her additional London

theatre credits include "Six Degrees of Separation" and "The Children's Hour." A nativeof New York City, Bell currently splits her time between New York and Los Angeles.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

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GAVIN OCONNOR (Director/Screenwriter) first gained attention when he

directed the independent feature Tumbleweeds, starring Janet McTeer and Kimberly

Brown. OConnor also co-wrote the screenplay with Angela Shelton, based on Sheltons

childhood diaries. The mother-daughter road drama brought OConnor the Filmmakers

Award at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival, and went on to earn widespread critical

acclaim. In addition, McTeer earned several Best Actress honors for her performance,

including Oscar and Independent Spirit Award nominations and a Golden Globe Award,

while Brown won an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actress.

OConnors next directing effort was the critically acclaimed 2004 hit Miracle,

which was also his first major studio feature. The film starred Kurt Russell in the inspiring

story of the US. Hockey Teams Gold Medal triumph at the 1980 Winter Olympics,

including a stunning victory over the seemingly invincible Russian team.

OConnor is currently in pre-production on the independent feature Warrior, a

drama he co-wrote and will direct. In Warrior, the worlds fastest growing sport, Mixed

Martial Arts, is explored in the cathartic tale of two estranged brothers on a collision

course for the heavyweight championship of the world.

Additionally, he is developing a comedy-drama titled Sunny and 68, about a

professional poker superstar who suffers an epic meltdown on national television that

ruins his career. Disgraced, in debt and on the run, he reluctantly returns to the blue-

collar hometown he fled after high school, where he finds love and redemption through

three generations of women who teach him what it is to be a man. OConnor also has a

wide range of projects in various stages of development for different studios and

production entities.

A native New Yorker, OConnor began writing while studying at the University of

Pennsylvania. After graduation, he moved back to New York, where he began his career

writing short films and plays. OConnor made his screenwriting debut with the award-

winning short film The Bet, which also marked Ted Demmes film directorial debut.

OConnor then wrote and directed the short film American Standoff. He also wroteseveral stage plays, including Rumblings of a Romance Renaissance, in which he co-

starred.

OConnor has also directed several television projects, most recently including

the telefilm The Prince. In addition, he served as a producer on the independent film

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The Slaughter Rule, starring Ryan Gosling, and as an executive producer on the

documentaries The Smashing Machine and Mule Skinner Blues.

JOE CARNAHAN (Screenwriter) most recently wrote and directed the dark

action comedy Smokin Aces, featuring an all-star ensemble cast, including Jeremy

Piven, Ben Affleck, Ryan Reynolds, Andy Garcia, Ray Liotta, Peter Berg and, in their

motion picture debuts, Common and Alicia Keys. He previously wrote and directed the

critically acclaimed police drama Narc, which premiered at the 2002 Sundance Film

Festival. Carnahan earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Director for

his work on the film.

His first feature film was Blood, Guts, Bullets & Octane, which debuted at the

1998 Sundance Film Festival. Carnahan wrote, directed, produced and also starred in

the film, which he financed with his own money. In addition, Carnahan wrote and

directed BMWs innovative short internet film Ticker, starring Clive Owen, Don Cheadle

and F Murray Abraham.

Carnahans upcoming films include screen adaptations of James Ellroys White

Jazzand Mark Bowdens Killing Pablo, both of which he is writing and directing. He is

also a producer on The 4th Kind, a thriller starring Milla Jovovich, due out in 2009.

For the small screen, Carnahan directed and executive produced the ABC crime

drama Faceless.

ROBERT HOPES (Story/Associate Producer/Technical Consultant) counts

Pride and Glory as his first film credit.

Born in Evanston, Illinois, and raised in New York, Hopes attended college at

CW. Post and entered the New York City Police Academy right after graduation. He

started out with the NYPD as a uniform police officer, eventually moving up to a

plainclothes anti-crime unit. Hopes went on to be promoted to Detective, and worked in a

variety of units, including Homicide, Narcotics and Robbery. In 1996, after 14 years with

the NYPD, Hopes was injured in the line of duty and retired from the force.Hopes is currently the Senior Vice President of FJC Security Services, the

largest privately owned and locally operated security services provider in the Tri-State

area, where he oversees operations and quality.

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GREGORY OCONNOR (Producer) most recently produced the independent film

The Speed of Life under the banner of Solaris Entertainment, the film and television

production company he formed with his brother, director Gavin OConnor.

Gregory OConnor previously co-produced the 2004 hit Miracle, starring Kurt

Russell, Patricia Clarkson and Noah Emmerich, under the direction of Gavin. The film

chronicled the stunning Gold Medal victory of the US. Hockey Team at the 1980 Winter

Olympics, including their historic win over the dominant Russian team.

The OConnor brothers founded Solaris Entertainment in 1999 following the

success of their indie hit film Tumbleweeds, which Greg produced and also helped

finance. Written and directed by Gavin, Tumbleweeds won the Filmmakers Award at

the 1999 Sundance Film Festival and earned widespread acclaim. In addition, stars

Janet McTeer and Kimberly Brown were both honored for their work in the film, with

McTeer earning Academy Award nomination and winning a Golden Globe, and Brown

winning an Independent Spirit Award.

Greg OConnor went on to serve as an executive producer on the independent

film The Slaughter Rule, starring Ryan Gosling. He also executive produced the

documentaries Mule Skinner Blues and The Smashing Machine.

OConnor is next producing the features Warrior, Boudicca, and Born to

Rock. His company, Solaris, also has a wide range of film projects in development with

various studios and independent financing companies.

OConnor is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and currently lives in

New York City and Los Angeles.

CALE BOYTER (Executive Producer) joined New Line Cinema in 1998 as an

executive assistant, working his way up the ranks to Senior Vice President and

shepherding along some of the studios most successful films, including Elf, Wedding

Crashers and A History of Violence. He also spearheaded the recent New Line

Cinema releases Journey to the Center of the Earth, starring Brendan Fraser, and

Semi-Pro, starring Will Ferrell.In early 2008, Boyter joined Metro-Goldwyn-Mayers newly-formed Worldwide

Motion Picture Group, where he is Executive Vice President, responsible for the

oversight of new film projects currently in development.

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MARCUS VISCIDI (Executive Producer) most recently produced The Last Kiss

from director Tony Goldwyn and Rendition, starring Meryl Streep, Reese Witherspoon

and Jake Gyllenhaal. Viscidi will executive produce the upcoming project Ghosts of

Girlfriends Past, currently scheduled to hit theatres in 2009.

Viscidis other production credits include "Shopgirl," directed by Anand Tucker,

an adaptation of Steve Martin's novel; Richard Linklaters update of "Bad News Bears,"

starring Billy Bob Thornton; "Wicker Park" starring Josh Hartnett; and William Friedkin's

"The Hunted," starring Tommy Lee Jones and Benicio Del Toro. Viscidi has collaborated

four times with director Tom DiCillo, for the films "Living in Oblivion," "The Real Blonde,"

"Double Whammy" and "Box of Moonlight."

In addition, Viscidi served as a producer on John Schlesinger's "The Next Best

Thing," starring Madonna and Rupert Everett; "Mad Love," starring Drew Barrymore and

Chris O'Donnell; "Courtship," written by Horton Foote; Daniel Petrie's "Rocket Gibraltar,"

starring Burt Lancaster and Macaulay Culkin; "Signs of Life"; and the screen version of

Lanford Wilson's "Lemon Sky," which won a Special Jury Award at the Sundance Film

Festival.

Viscidis television producer credits include the American Playhouse productions

of Katherine Anne Porter's "Noon Wine," Eudora Welty's "The Wide Net" and Keith

Reddin's off-Broadway play "Big Time." For the stage, he was a producer on the Tony

Award-nominated Broadway play "Honour," which starred Jane Alexander and Laura

Linney.

DECLAN QUINN (Director of Photography) is an award-winning

cinematographer, earning Independent Spirit Awards for his work on Mike Figgis

Leaving Las Vegas, Jim Sheridans In America and Mira Nairs Kama Sutra. He

received an Emmy Award nomination for his work on Nairs telefilm Hysterical

Blindness, and took home the Sundance Film Festival Cinematography Award for the

feature drama 2by4. He recently completed work on the ensemble film New York, I

Love You, and on writer/director Rebecca Millers The Private Lives of Pippa Lee.Throughout his career, Quinn has repeatedly worked with such notable directors

as Jonathan Demme, on his upcoming documentary Neil Young Trunk Show, the

recent feature release Rachel Getting Married and on the documentary Cousin

Bobby; Figgis, on Cold Creek Manor and One Night Stand; Sheridan, on Get Rich

or Die Tryin; Nair, on Vanity Fair, Monsoon Wedding and her segment of the

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upcoming ensemble film 8; Neil Jordan, on Breakfast on Pluto; Louis Malle, on Uncle

Vanya on 42nd Street; Julian Schnabel, on his documentary Lou Reeds Berlin; Joel

Schumacher, on Flawless; Betty Thomas, on 28 Days; and Neil Burger, on his recent

release The Lucky Ones.

Quinn still enjoys the hands-on experience, operating the camera for Martin

Scorsese on the Rolling Stones documentary Shine a Light and for Demmes docs

Neil Young: Heart of Gold and Jimmy Carter Man From Plains, which won multiple

prizes at the 2007 Venice Film Festival, including the Collateral Award for Best

Biography.

DAN LEIGH (Production Designer) recently completed the Kate Hudson starrer

Bride Wars, for director Gary Winick, and the HBO film Taking Chance, directed by

Ross Katz. Leigh designed both Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Be Kind

Rewind for Michel Gondry. He designed three films for director Tony Goldwyn: The

Last Kiss, Someone Like You and A Walk on the Moon.

Leighs other film credits include: Moiss Kaufmans The Laramie Project, for

HBO; two films for Boaz Yakin, A Price Above Rubies, starring Rene Zellweger, and

Fresh, starring Samuel L Jackson; Julian Schnabels Basquiat; and two films for Joan

Micklin Silver, Loverboy, with Patrick Dempsey, and Crossing Delancey, with Amy

Irving and Peter Riegert.

Leigh has also designed for television, including the pilot episode of ABCs Dirty

Sexy Money, starring Peter Krause. Leigh began his design career working in the

theatre on and off-Broadway, regional theatre, Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center

for the Performing Arts.

LISA ZENO CHURGIN (Editor) earned an Academy Award nomination for her

work on Lasse Hallstrms The Cider House Rules. She is currently at work on The

Ugly Truth, directed by Robert Luketic and starring Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler.

Her other film credits include Mark Pellingtons Henry Poole Is Here, Tony Goldwyns

The Last Kiss and the upcoming Tenderness, starring Russell Crowe. In addition, she

has edited such diverse films as Curtis Hansons In Her Shoes; House of Sand and

Fog; The Wedding Planner; Brad Silberlings Moonlight Mile; Waking Up in Reno;

200 Cigarettes; Gattaca; Bob Roberts and Dead Man Walking, for director Tim

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Robbins; Unstrung Heroes; Ben Stillers feature film directorial debut Reality Bites;

and Closet Land.

As an assistant editor, Churgin earned her stripes on such highly acclaimed films

as Lawrence Kasdans The Accidental Tourist, Peter Bogdanovichs Mask, Milos

Formans Ragtime, Martin Scorseses Raging Bull, and Walter Hills The Long

Riders and The Warriors.

JOHN GILROY (Editor) counts Pride and Glory as his third feature film

collaboration with Gavin OConnor, having previously teamed with him on the sports

drama Miracle and the acclaimed independent film Tumbleweeds. He recently edited

Michael Clayton, a feature written and directed by his brother, Tony Gilroy, for which

John was nominated for both a BAFTA Award and an AC.E. Eddie Award. He is

currently working with Tony Gilroy again on the upcoming film Duplicity, starring Julia

Roberts, Clive Owen, Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti.

Gilroy has also worked several times with writer/director Joe Carnahan, editing

the police drama Narc and Ticker, a short film in BMW Films The Hire short film

series. Gilroy won a Clio Award for his work on the latter.

His other editing credits include Trust the Man, starring Julianne Moore, David

Duchovny, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Billy Crudup; First Born, starring Elisabeth Shue;

Suspect Zero, starring Aaron Eckhart, Carrie-Anne Moss and Ben Kingsley; Shadow

Magic, starring Jared Harris and Yu Xia; and Billy Madison, starring Adam Sandler.

Gilroy graduated Dartmouth College and came up through the editing ranks in

the 80s, working as an assistant editor on numerous features, including two by Francis

Ford Coppola, Peggy Sue Got Married and Gardens of Stone. His first editing credit

was The Luckiest Man in the World, written and directed by his father, Frank D Gilroy.

ABIGAIL MURRAY (Costume Designer) is director Gary Fleders costume

designer of choice, having worked with him most recently on The Express, and on his

previous films Runaway Jury, Kiss the Girls, Things to Do in Denver When YoureDead and Imposter. Murrays other feature credits include Masked and Anonymous,

Scream 3, Dogma, For Richer or Poorer, The Proprietor, Airborne, True

Identity, Tremors and Bloodhounds of Broadway.

A native of Philadelphia, Murray studied in New York City at the prestigious

Parsons School of Design and Fashion Institute of Technology. She began her career in

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theatre both on and off-Broadway and in opera. She counts among her many stage

credits productions of A Man for All Seasons, The Hotel Play, Moon for the

Misbegotten and As You Like It. She started her film career under the tutelage of Tony

Walton, on Sidney Lumets Deathtrap.

Murray has also designed for the small screen, most notably on the acclaimed

series The Black Donnellys, with Paul Haggis. She worked with director Fleder on The

Evidence, Finnegan and Life on Mars.

MARK ISHAM (Composer) is a Grammy, Emmy, and Clio Award-winning

musician, honored for his work as both a composer and a recording artist. In 2006, he

received ASCAPs Henry Mancini Award for Lifetime Achievement, and he was earlier

recognized with Oscar and Golden Globe nominations. Some of his latest work can be

heard in the October release The Express, which marked his fourth outing with director

Gary Fleder, for whom Isham also scored Kiss the Girls, Dont Say a Word and

Imposter. His other recently completed film scores are for The Women, The Secret

Life of Bees and the upcoming film Crossing Over, from writer/director Wayne Kramer,

starring Harrison Ford and Sean Penn.

Isham collaborated with Gavin OConnor once before, scoring his film Miracle.

The composers style is also evident in his memorable scores for such films as Robert

Redfords A River Runs Through It, which brought Isham an Oscar nomination; Michael

Apteds Nell, for which he received his Golden Globe nod; and the Oscar-winning

Crash, for which Isham's score was named Best Soundtrack of 2005 by

Cinescape.com.

Ishams many other film career highlights include Bobby, The Black Dahlia,

Eight Below, The Cooler, Men of Honor, October Sky, Blade and Reversal of

Fortune, to name only a few. To date, Isham has composed more than 80 film scores,

exploring a wide range of musical styles, including a traditional orchestral approach,

modern minimalism, big band swing, avant-garde jazz, Americana, world music, ambient

electronica, and others that defy categorization.As an accomplished trumpet player, Ishams solo recordings span from electric

jazz and classic acoustic jazz to New Age and ethnic world music. His solo albums have

received critical acclaim all over the world. He received a Grammy Award for his release

Mark Isham, and nominations for his albums Castalia and Tibet. The London Times

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named Miles Remembered the Best Jazz Album of 1999, and his CD Blue Sun was

chosen by Downbeat Magazine as one of the Top 100 Jazz Albums of the Decade.

Isham has collaborated with some of the top artists in the music business, and

his classic trumpet voice has graced the albums of such diverse performers as Bruce

Springsteen, Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Ziggy Marley, Joni Mitchell, the Rolling Stones,

Chris Isaak, and Van Morrison.

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