Rounders

Like poker itself, the story behind the making of ROUNDERS is not just one of luck, but one of skill. Two years prior to the day that ROUNDERS began shooting principal photography (December 15th, 1997), co-writer Brian Koppelman walked into a Manhattan poker club and knew instantly that there was a story to be told. "...I took a look around at the people I listened to what they were talking about. I watched the action, and at around two in the morning, I called [co-writer] David [Levien] and I woke him up and I said 'We have to write a movie about this.' And we started writing the next day." A year later, after the script was discovered by Ted Demme's and Joel Stillerman's Spanky Pictures, Koppelman and his writing partner David Levien scored a greenlight by Miramax Films. John Dahl was soon attached to direct the film which was to star Matt Damon, an actor he had been impressed with after watching some advance footage of the soon-to-be- blockbuster "Good Will Hunting." Damon and Edward Norton signed on to star in ROUNDERS, a film about friendship amidst the world of back room poker games, and one man's journey to find passion in life

Set against the backdrop of New York's high-stakes underground poker world, ROUNDERS is the tale of one man's journey to pursue his ultimate dream. Matt Damon ("Good Will Hunting," "John Grisham's The Rainmaker" and the upcoming "Saving Private Ryan") stars as Mike McDermott, a master card player who trades the poker-playing ways for a shot at a new life. Mike is attending law school and spending time with his girlfriend and classmate Jo, played by Gretchen Mol ("The Last Time I Committed Suicide," Woody Allen's upcoming "Celebrity"). For Mike, the law school route is a legitimate road to success, but it's short on thrills and the excitement of back-room poker games. Then, when a longtime friend named Worm, played by Edward Norton ("Primal Fear," "The People vs. Larry Flynt" and the upcoming "American History X"), is released from prison, Mike is faced with the high-stakes dilemma of dealing himself back into the world of the "rounders" for the sake of his friend.

ROUNDERS also stars John Malkovich ("Dangerous Liaisons," "The Killing Fields," "Of Mice and Men") as the seedy Russian card shark Teddy KGB, who runs the biggest and most dangerous game in town; John Turturro ("Barton Fink," "Quiz Show" and the upcoming films "He Got Game" and "The Truce") as Joey Knish, Mike's old-time poker guide; and Martin Landau ("Crimes and Misdemeanors", "Ed Wood," "Tucker") as Professor Petrovsky, Mike's law school dean and mentor. Famke Janssen ("City of Industry", "Deep Rising," Woody Allen's upcoming "Celebrity" and Ted Demme's upcoming film currently titled "Noose") also stars as Petra, a card player who runs the Chesterfield poker club. As the stakes rise, each of these people deals a hand in Mike's ultimate fate.

ROUNDERS is directed by John Dahl ("Red Rock West," "The Last Seduction"), and written by David Levien and Brian Koppelman. The film is produced by Ted Demme and Joel Stillerman of SPANKY PICTURES. Kerry Orent is the Executive Producer.

For Damon, the starring role in ROUNDERS came at perhaps the most exciting time in his career, when he had just begun his catapult to fame with the releases of "Good Will Hunting" (For which he ultimately won an Academy award for Best Screenplay with co-writer Ben Affleck) and Francis Ford Coppola's "The Rainmaker." As Mike McDermott in ROUNDERS, Damon plays a top rate poker player who is torn between two ways of life: law and poker. "I'm portraying a guy who's meant to be at the highest level of the game," states Damon. "The character I play should be a poker player. This is what he is meant to be. In that sense, the film is kind of a celebration of who you are." Damon further explains Mike's journey, "Mike is under a lot of pressure not to go back to the game. The trick for him is to try to keep the promises he has made, because in doing so, he will basically have to deny a certain part of himself... this kind of passion he has to play the game." For Damon, accepting the role in ROUNDERS was a thrill as it allowed him to work with many actors that he admired, "There are all of these interesting characters, played by some really remarkable actors; from Edward Norton to John Malkovich, John Turturro and Martin Landau. Like four of the greatest actors in the country right there where you can see them."

Himself an Oscar nominee for his role in "Primal Fear," Edward Norton joins Damon in the pivotal role of Worm. Norton took on the challenge of becoming a poker player with enthusiasm, "I thought it was a great script. The first time I read it, I finished the last page and said 'Great, let's do it and don't change a word.'" Norton was drawn to the role of Worm for the character's off beat qualities and sincerity beneath the surface. "I would describe Worm as a philosophical cheat. He believes in cheating as a way of life. It's not a matter of desperation, but rather a matter of course." In order to create the authenticity of the character, Norton requested a special make-up application, as he explains, "I had the make-up artists make me a tattoo of the ace of spades on my wrist because that's Worm's whole philosophy in life: always keep an ace up your sleeve." But the character is not all bad, in fact as Norton describes, Worm is convinced he knows what is best for Mike, "Worm has accepted who he is, and he knows that Mike needs to embrace the fact that he is a poker player at heart."

"They're like brothers," states Director John Dahl on the relationship between Mike and Worm, "They share a common bond which is the essence of their friendship. Therefore, as with a family member, one always feels compelled to help the other." For Director Dahl ("Red Rock West," "The Last Seduction"), this project is an exciting and new challenge. A departure from the neo-noir genre for which his previous films have so eloquently depicted, ROUNDERS is a drama about life, friendship and following one's dream. I thought David [Levien] and Brian [Koppelman] did a real nice script," says Dahl. "Like 'Rocky,' the character of Mike McDermott gambles with the fact that he is going to step into the 'ring'... In other words, in life we all feel as though we put ourselves at risk to achieve what we want to accomplish. It's just ironic that in this movie, poker is actually the metaphor for all those other things we see in films that have been more virtuous than playing cards." Dahl continues, "The idea of this story is that if you feel particularly compelled to do something - and it's not harmful to other people - you should go ahead and put it all on the line and find out if you've got what it takes."

Throughout filming, Dahl's objective has been "to remain as invisible as possible in order to let the actors explore their characters." With an outstanding troupe of actors to work with, Dahl also considers the experience to be a rewarding one, "It's such a great ensemble cast, and I feel lucky to be working with all of them." He continues, "... Matt and Edward, particularly, have brought such an enthusiasm to the set, that it has been in a way infectious, and has added to the overall enthusiasm throughout production."

Both the film's stars will attest Dahl's appreciative, supportive and visionary nature. As Damon explains, "I was excited at the chance to work with John because I have really enjoyed his films. I've realized [by working with him] that he's a really nice person, and that is important to me, to have a director who is calm, quiet and intelligent, and knows what he want, and is just nice about how he asks for it. John's just a wonderful director." Damon adds, "There's so much subtlety in what the characters are doing. By the fact that they're poker players, it is not in their nature to give anything away. Therefore, its a huge undertaking for John to tell a story between two people who may look at each other one way, but are actually communicating something totally different. There's just a lot of beautiful stuff happening that John orchestrates and figures out. He's extremely visual." Norton agrees that working with the director has been a rewarding experience, "It's so easy to work when someone is on top of their game [as John is] because, as an actor, you're just left to do your thing, and then there's a great feeling of bouncing everything off each other." Also observing Dahl in action is one of the film's producers Ted Demme, "I have always admired John Dahl for his style, his edge, and his independence... I admire the ease at which he directs. His dialogue with the actors and the crew is easy-manner and self assured."

While Dahl has focused on the dramatic elements of the story, as he describes, "what the characters are thinking, what they are feeling, what they are doing," writers Levien and Koppelman have been readily available on set for technical advice. "I visited poker clubs and spoke with many card players so that I could really get an understanding of the way the game is played," explains Dahl. "However, I realized that these guys [the writers] are an incredible resource because they have researched it so well." Agrees producer Joel Stillerman, "David and Brian have been valuable consultants, not only on the poker stuff but on the whole way of life." Levien and Koppelman have greatly enjoyed their involvement, "John [Dahl] has really encourages us and fostered a relationship between us and the actors," states Koppelman, "He's had us, at the beginning [of production], show them the game, and take them into the underground world of poker and, through that, he has encourages conversations about their characters and all those things. It's been amazing."

Levien and Koppelman have been fascinated with poker and gambling since their youth. (As an eight-year-old, Koppelman was determined to learn the game after losing his money at summer camp to his fellow bunk-mates; Levien also acquired a taste for betting after visiting the racetrack with his grandfather.) Now adults, the two have been known to frequent the poker clubs of New York, and have thus conducted extensive research for their script. However, Levien and Koppelman have never chosen the path of becoming professional card players, as their true passion is for writing. "We used to always dream about doing something like this together," states Levien, referring to himself and his writing partner, "We both wanted to be writers, so it wasn't hard for it all to come together this way."

Though both the film's stars had mild amounts of past experience with the game, learning the skill of high stakes poker, amidst the world of the true "rounders" was a new challenge. To prepare for their roles, Damon and Norton teamed up off camera, and ventured into the back-room poker clubs of New York. With Levien and Koppelman as mentors, Damon and Norton discovered that beneath the surface of what appears to be yet another form of gambling, lies a mind game played with utter skill. As both actors will attest, a philosophy exists behind the game, an unsaid theory to out-wit your competition in anyway possible in order to win the money. "What's going on is never what you think," states Damon, "If somebody's nice to you, they're just trying to take your money. If somebody's mean to you, they just want your money. They're just trying to get a reaction so that you go after them with a hand when you should have folded. It's very psychological." Norton further explains, "It's much more like chess, than it is like gambling . It's a game of strategy and skill, and it takes a very sharp mind. There's very little luck involved in poker."

But, luck played no part in both actors performances as true card sharks; rather it was sheer skill of learning the art of the game. Throughout production, games were played between takes as well as after hours. As Norton points out, "...I've gone at it pretty intensely to try to learn the game and to get really familiar with the feel and the gesture of the way these people play." States Damon, "...On down time, we've played a lot of cards... The only way to really get better at the game is to go out there and play it with these people who are really good... and the only problem is that you stand to lose a lot of money in the process... it's been a learning experience."

Co-starring with Damon and Norton are veteran actors John Malkovich, John Turturro and Martin Landau. For Malkovich, playing the part of Teddy KGB meant preparing to embrace the game, even though he admits he is not a natural, "I'm not a gambler. But the games are always interesting, and the psychology is always interesting." He continues, "Any time you get to do a film (or a play) where you go into a kind of microcosmic world, like poker, whatever it is, it's interesting and always informative." To practice for his role, Malkovich ventured into the poker clubs of New York to get an understanding of the real-life "rounders." "The first night I was here [in New York], I was with Edward Norton, but we weren't working. So, he took me around to some of the [poker] clubs, and I was watching him lose a little money... I think it was his per diem." Malkovich enjoyed the chance to work with Director Dahl, and describes him as a "very calm and easy-going director." As for his thoughts on continuing to play the game once the film wraps, Malkovich states, "They all [the other actors] play very well, and I don't play very well," he continues, "I just lost ten dollars playing pokers, but it was Matt Damon's money. He staked me, but as they say: it was a big mistake."

"We are the elder-statesmen of the film!" jokes Turturro, referring to the actors including himself, Malkovich and Landau who play opposite the young stars Damon and Norton. For his role as Joey Knish, Mike McDermott's poker mentor, Turturro portrays a man who know the poker "rounds" like the back of his hand. For him, the story was compelling, "It's about a guy pursuing his passion... who's willing to give up basically everything for his dream." Turturro confesses that, in reality, he is not a natural at poker, but does find the performance aspect of the game interesting, "It's that you have everything going on, but you don't show it... watch a performer, and you can observe how they appear to be at ease, when actually inside they're a nervous wreck. That's the challenge of poker players." Though it was a great experience, Turturro adds that he'll opt to remain a non-poker player off the set, "I gamble, the profession I'm in, that's my gambling."

Veteran actor Landau was drawn to the project for many reasons, "I liked the script a lot. It's one of the first I've ever read about gambling - and I've read many - that really depicts the game as it is.' Landau continues, "I also think John Dahl is a terrific director, and the cast is superb. For all those reasons, it was something that interested me." Landau plays Professor Petrovsky, the Dean of the law school which Matt Damon's character attends. For Landau, who has taught acting for many years (at the Actor's Studio in Los Angeles), the role of playing teacher is familiar ground. "My character is in a sense a mentor. He's been through a lot himself, and sees a lot of himself in Mike [Damon's character]." Landau will attest that the film is about pursing one's passion in life, "it's about a young man's search for his identity, a man who put his life on the line to do what he wants to do, but then finds himself in all kinds of conditions."

Playing the role of Jo, is Gretchen Mol (who will star next fall in Woody Allen's "Celebrity," opposite Leonardo DiCaprio). Mol, who was drawn to the film for the quality of the script, was also thrilled at the opportunity to work with director John Dahl whose previous film, "The Last Seduction," she had admired. As Mike McDermott's girlfriend and fellow law student, Mol's character Jo is a strong woman who is focused on her career. "It's sort of two different worlds," states Mol, "... straight and crooked. But, in the law there's a parallel to poker. Jo wants Mike to use his poker skills in the courtroom." However, her continued struggle to convince her boyfriend to remain in law school, is a constant dilemma, "My character's strength stems from caring so much about what happens to him [Mike]." Mol continues, "When Jo sees Mike going down what she considers the wrong path, it brings out a certain strength and conviction for everything she believes in, and tries to impart this to Mike." As for working opposite Damon, Mol says "I just had a really great time with Matt. Working with him is a comfortable and safe environment, while at the same time he's really spontaneous, which makes a difference."

For Famke Janssen ("City of Industry," "Deep Rising," Woody Allen's upcoming "Celebrity" and Ted Demme's upcoming film currently titled "Noose") playing the role of Petra was an attractive part for many reasons, "I thought the script was amazing. Then, when the cast came together it became even better because there was like every amazing actor involved. And then with John Dahl as director, I just couldn't find a downside to doing this film." As Petra, Janssen's character is the maven of the Chesterfields poker club, one of the high-stakes games in the city, and lives within the world of the "rounders." "There's a group of people that constantly get together to play poker, and she [Petra] is one of them. They're all hooked." In her preparations for the role, Janssen admits that she found the game to be catching, and it has since sparked her interest. "Actually, over Christmas time, my friends and I went skiing, and when we returned to the house each night, we would all sit around and play poker. I think you could say that I've got the bug."

Along with Dahl, the ROUNDERS production team includes the film's producers Joel Stillerman and Ted Demme of Spanky Pictures, and Executive Producer Kerry Orent - all of whom will testify to the smooth operation of getting the project together, from beginning to end. I can sum up the casting process in one word: easy," affirms Stillerman. "I don't think we got down to a second choice on any actor. On a certain level, we've been incredibly lucky. I' like to say that there's some secret skill that we have, but the truth is that it's a great script and everyone fell in love with it." In fact, as Demme continues, "As producer, I was extremely involved in the casting process of ROUNDERS. Joel and I knew we had an A+ script... and we wanted A+ actors. We were fortunate enough to have Matt respond prior to the excitement over 'Good Will Hunting.' As for Worm, I always thought that was an amazing part, and, with great help from his agent, Edward Norton joined us." According to Executive Producer Orent, "Every element, including the cast, fell into place so easily, that the film was green-lit right away. As independent movies go, this was one of those projects under a lucky star."

The shooting of ROUNDERS took place in and around the New York area, in various neighborhoods throughout Manhattan, as well as Brooklyn, New Jersey and Westchester. By shooting in these locations, Dahl was able to capture the authenticity of neighborhoods along the poker circuit, in which the players make their rounds. Additionally, to add to the realism, the production moved to Atlantic City for a week to shoot the pivotal scenes when Mike and Worm stake themselves into the games at the Taj Mahal Casino. Described by the film's technical advisor/poker expert Mike Selza as "the east coast Mecca of the big games," it was at the Taj Mahal where Damon and Norton's characters play against the current, world champion, Johnny Chan. Chan, who makes a cameo appearance in the film (portraying himself), was impressed by the film's authenticity. Like Damon's character, Chan is passionate about the game. His skill has thwarted him into the highest ranks of players, culminating in his victory as World Champion of the 1997 and 1998 World Series of Poker tournaments. While Chan will agree that the stakes at the Taj Mahal are the highest on the east coast, he affirms that the World Series in Las Vegas is "the most recognized tournament in the world." Therefore, it is a testament to their merit as players, that both Damon and Norton have been invited to participate this year at the annual tournament. Chan's advice for the newcomers is to "just play for fun and have a good time. If you get lucky you'll win it, if you don't get lucky, at least you get to meet the best poker players in the world."

To create the look of the back room poker games, Director of Photography Jean-Yves Escoffier ("Good Will Hunting," Leos Carax's "Les Amants du Pont Neuf," Cline Serreau's "Trois Hommes Et Un Couffin" and currently shooting Tim Robbins' "The Cradle Will Rock" with Susan Sarandon in New York) set to create the authentic mood of the poker clubs along the New York circuit through evocative, yet subtle camera angles and realistic lighting. Joining him on the creative team are Production Designer Rob Pearson ("Red Rock West," "Unforgettable") and Costume Designer Terry Dresbach ("Palmetto," "The Last Seduction", "Red Rock West"), both of whom have worked with Dahl in the past, and were pleased to be rejoined with the director. "I was drawn to the picture initially, by my loyalty to John Dahl," comments Pearson. "I talked to John [Dahl] very early on about a very rich, deep dark movie with a lot of black. Rembrandt was one of our lighting references and mood models. I wanted the movie to be very saturated and rich with reds for interior spaces. I thought it very important to give this movie a look, a visual bond that held it all in place, held it firmly in the film language we have come to understand as New York." For Dresbach, the goal was similar, "I went to some of the poker clubs, and saw that it's its own world. We transferred that look to the style and color of the clothes in the film. The whole look of the film is very rich. Almost like a Renaissance painting. There are lots of darks, and I know both Rob [Pearson] and I try to use a lot of red. People wear red velor and bright colors. It's a very rich, rich world."

Set against the backdrop of New York's high-stakes underground poker world, ROUNDERS is the tale of one man's journey to pursue his ultimate dream. MATT DAMON ("Good Will Hunting," "John Grisham's The Rainmaker" and the upcoming "Saving Private Ryan") stars as Mike McDermott, a master card player who trades the poker-playing ways for a shot at a new life. Mike is attending law school and spending time with his girlfriend and classmate Jo, played by GRETCHEN MOL ("The Last Time I Committed Suicide," Woody Allen's upcoming "Celebrity"). For Mike, the law school route is a legitimate road to success, but it's short on thrills and the excitement of back-room poker games. Then, when a longtime friend named Worm, played by EDWARD NORTON ("Primal Fear," "The People vs. Larry Flynt" and the upcoming "American History X"), is released from prison, Mike is faced with the high-stakes dilemma of dealing himself back into the world of the "rounders" for the sake of his friend.

ROUNDERS also stars JOHN MALKOVICH ("Dangerous Liaisons," "The Killing Fields," "Of Mice and Men") as the seedy Russian card shark Teddy KGB, who runs the biggest and most dangerous game in town; JOHN TURTURRO ("Barton Fink," "Quiz Show" and the upcoming films "He Got Game" and "The Truce") as Joey Knish, Mike's old-time poker guide; and MARTIN LANDAU ("Crimes and Misdemeanors", "Ed Wood," "Tucker") as Professor Petrovsky, Mike's law school dean and mentor. FAMKE JANSSEN ("City of Industry", "Deep Rising," Woody Allen's upcoming "Celebrity" and Ted Demme's upcoming film currently titled "Noose") also stars as Petra, a card player who runs the Chesterfield poker club. As the stakes rise, each of these people deals a hand in Mike's ultimate fate.

ROUNDERS is directed by JOHN DAHL ("Red Rock West," "The Last Seduction"), and written by DAVID LEVIEN and BRIAN KOPPELMAN. The film is produced by TED DEMME and JOEL STILLERMAN of SPANKY PICTURES. KERRY ORENT is the Executive Producer.

Acclaimed rising star Matt Damon is making his mark in film. Damon was applauded for his performance and co-writing of the award-winning "Good Will Hunting," the story of an orphan from South Boston who comes to terms with his life and genius through the relationship with a therapist. The film earned Damon, and longtime best friend/co-star/co-writer Ben Affleck, the 1998 Academy Award for Best Screenplay. In addition, Damon received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor, Robin Williams won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, and Minnie Driver was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Still in theaters, "Good Will Hunting" continues to receive tremendous acclaim.

Damon's rising career is filled with extraordinary performances. He starred as the crusading lawyer in Francis Ford Coppola's "The Rainmaker," based on John Grisham's best selling novel, and gave a vivid performance in "Courage Under Fire" (1996), in which he portrayed a guilt-ridden Persian Gulf soldier tormented by an incidence that happened in the heat of battle. Earlier, for director Walter Hill, Damon enjoyed a sizable supporting role as the green second lieutenant new to the West who narrates "Geronimo: An American Legend." In 1995, Damon appeared in "The Good Old Boys," directed by Tommy Lee Jones for TNT.

The versatile young actor made his feature film debut in 1988 with a small role in the critically acclaimed "Mystic Pizza." He went on to play Brian Dennehy's medical school dropout in the TV movie "Rising Sun" for TNT in 1990, and gained further attention in his return to the big screen, as one of the preppies in "School Ties."

This summer, Damon will star opposite Tom Hanks in the title role of "Saving Private Ryan," a World War II saga shot on location in London under the direction of Steven Spielberg. He is soon to wrap production in Pittsburgh on Kevin Smith's "Dogma" with Ben Affleck, Linda Fiorentino and Chris Rock. This summer he will begin production on Anthony Mingella's "The Talented Mr. Ripley," shooting in Italy, co-starring Gwyneth Paltrow.

Edward Norton is one of Hollywood's most versatile and captivating young actors. With his feature film debut in "Primal Fear," opposite Richard Gere, Norton received an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe award for Best Supporting Actor for his work in this film.

He was next seen in Woody Allen's "Everyone Says I Love You," a musical, opposite Drew Barrymore and Goldie Hawn. this was followed by Milos Forman's "The People Vs. Larry Flynt," opposite Woody Harrelson and Courtney Love, playing Alan Isaacman, Flynt's longtime friend and attorney. For his work in these three films, he received the award for Best Supporting Actor from the National Board of Review, the Los Angeles Film Critics, the Boston Film Critics, and the Texas Film Critics. In addition, Norton was given the Most Promising Actor Award by the Chicago Film Critics.

This fall, Norton can be seen in the lead role of New Line Cinema's "American History X" directed by Tony Kaye. Norton also recently closed a deal to produce "Keeping the Faith" for Columbia Pictures with his partner Stuart Blumberg who wrote the script. Norton is attached to star in the film, likely to shoot in the fall of 1998. This spring, Norton will begin shooting David Fincher's "The Fight Club" in Los Angeles, which co-stars Brad Pitt.

A member of the Signature Theater Company in New York, Norton has appeared in numerous plays including the premiere of Edward Albee's "Fragments" and in production of Brian Friel's "Lovers" and John Patrick Shanley's "Italian American Reconciliation."

The beautiful and talented Gretchen Mol is taking Hollywood by storm. Next fall she will star opposite two of Hollywood's hottest actors: Matt Damon in ROUNDERS and Leonardo DiCaprio in Woody Allen's "Celebrity."

This spring, Mol starred opposite Jude Law in the lead role of Anna in the romantic comedy "Music From Another Room," which also features Brenda Blethyn, Jennifer Tilly, Matha Plimpton, and Joe Tenney. In the independent film, "The Last Time I Committed Suicide," Mol starred opposite Keanu Reeves and Thomas Jane portraying a young Lolita named Cherry Mary. The drama, a slice of life, based on letters from Neal Cassidy to Jack Kerouak, opened last summer to critical acclaim.

Mol made her feature film debut in Spike Lee's "Girl 6" as Girl 12. She then appeared in such films as "Donnie Brasco" and Abel Ferrara's "The Funeral." Mol's Telefilm credits include "Calm at Sunset, Calm at Dawn." a Hallmark Hall of Fame Production, and "Dead Man's Walk," which aired on ABC. She also appeared in the debut episode of the ABC hit, "Spin City" and Abel Ferrara's HBO series "Subway Stories."

Mol will soon be seen in the upcoming Harvey Keitel film "Graceland," with Jonathan Schaech and Bridget Fonda, and "Too Tired to Die," with Mira Sorvino which premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival.

A graduate of the William Esper Studio and the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, Mol began acting professionally in numerous theater productions including "Bus Stop," "An Actors Nightmare," "No Exit," "Godspell" and "110 in the Shade."

Mol grew up in an artistic household in Deep River, CT. Her mother is an artist and her brother is an aspiring filmmaker. At an early age, she was the focus of her mother's photography and the subject of her brother's super eight movies. Combining dance school with the school of chorus, Mol confirmed her passion for performing, which allowed her to turn her hobby into a profession.

One of the world's most acclaimed actors, John Malkovich has impressed audiences and critics alike throughout his career in film and on the stage. His repertoire of performances are featured in films including "Dangerous Liaisons," "Empire of the Sun," "The Glass Menagerie," "The Killing Fields," "Object of Beauty," "The Sheltering Sky," "Places in the Heart" (for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor), "Of Mice and Men" and "In the Line of Fire" (for which he also received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor). Most recently, Malkovich appeared in the box office success "The Man and the Iron Mask" with Leonardo DiCaprio.

Born in Benton, Illinois, Malkovich joined the famed Steppenwolf Theatre Company of Chicago upon graduation from college. Between 1976 and 1982 he acted in, directed, and/or designed the sets for more than fifty Steppenwolf productions. Malkovich's debut on the New York stage in the Steppenwolf production of Sam Shepard's "True West" earned him an Obie award. Other notable plays in which he's performed include, "Death of a Salesman," "Slip of the Tongue,"; Sam Shepard's "State of Shock" and Lanford Wilson's "Burn This" in New York, London and Los Angeles. Malkovich has directed sixteen plays at Steppenwolf including the celebrated "Balm in Gilead," "Arms and the Man" and "Libra" which he adapted from Don DeLillo's novel. Malkovich continues to work as both actor and director in theater.

Acclaimed actor John Turturro is highly regarded for his work on screen as well as behind the camera. A native of Brooklyn, New York, Turturro is a graduate of Yale University's Drama School. He has worked extensively in film, impressing audiences and critics with his roles in features including "Do the Right Thing," "The Color of Money," "Miller's Crossing," "Barton Fink," "Jungle Fever," "Quiz Show," "Unstrung Heroes," "Clockers," "Grace of My Heart" and "The Big Lebowski." Turturro has directed and starred in two feature films including "Mac" and the upcoming "Illuminata." His acting credits also include "The Truce" for Miramax and Spike Lee's "He Got Game." Turturro will also soon be seen in Tim Robbins' "The Cradle Will Rock," shooting this spring in New York, with Susan Sarandon and John Cusack.

Turturro received the Cannes Film Festival's Camera D'Or prize in 1992 for Director of "Mac," as well as the Festival's Palme D'Or for Best Actor in 1991 for his performance in "Barton Fink." In addition, Turturro has been honored with the Sundance Film Festival's Piper Heidseick award in 1992 for overall excellent for achievements in film, and a David Di Donnatello award in 1991 for his performance in "Barton Fink."

Martin Landau, recipient of the 1994 Best Supporting Actor Oscar had been nominated twice before. The first time was in 1988 for his performance as "Abe Karatz" in Francis Coppola's "Tucker." The next time, in 1989, was for his role as "Judah Rosenthal" in Woody Allen's "Crimes and Misdemeanors." He won the Oscar for his work in Tim Burton's "Ed Wood," as "Bela Lugosi."

Landau, born in Brooklyn, New York, studied fine art at the prestigious Pratt Institute. At seventeen, he worked as an artist at the New York Daily News, where he served as an illustrator. In his twenties, seeking new challenges, he resigned from the newspaper and began studying theater.

Auditioning against two thousand other applicants, Landau was accepted into Lee Strasberg's world-renowned Actor's Studio. He and Steve McQueen were the only pupils accepted that year. While there, he gained plenty of experience under the tutelage of some of theaters great directors, such as Lee Strasberg, Elia Kazan, Harold Clurman, Bobby Lewis and Curt Conway. Landau soon moved into professional theater, playing "Juvan," a role that Alfred Lunt originated in 1926, in Franz Werfel's "GoatSong". Other successes followed, like "Stalag 17," "First Love," "The Penguin" and "The Middle of the Night."

Early in his career, Landau starred in several television network programs. He played opposite Eartha Kitt and Patricia Neal in Oscar Wilde's "Salome." Other appearances included Studio One, The Philco Playhouse, Goodyear Playhouse, Kraft Theater, Armstrong Circle Theater, Playhouse 90, plus dozens more during TV's Golden Age.

It was his national tour of Paddy Chayafsky's hit Broadway play, "Middle of The Night," which finally brought Landau to the West Coast. His performance garnered the attention of such film directors and producers as Alfred Hitchcock ("North by Northwest"), Lewis Milestone ("Pork Chop Hill"), George Stevens ("The Greatest Story Ever Told"), John Sturges ("The Halleujah Trial") and Henry Hathaway ("Nevada Smith"). He was also in Joseph L. Mankiewiez's "Cleopatra" along with co-stars Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and Rex Harrison.

Landau built his career in over seventy-five feature films with practically every important actor and director in Hollywood: Cary Grant, Glen Ford, Sean Connery, Natalie Wood, Richard Gere, Sharon Stone, Jeff Bridges, Robert De Niro, Barabara Stanwyck, Gregory Peck, Steven Spielberg, Francis Coppola, and Woody Allen. Furthermore, television viewers around the world know Landau from his work in two of TV's most enduring shows: "Mission Impossible" and "Space: 1999"

Another facet to Landau's career is his work as a director and teacher. He is currently Executive Director of the Actor's Studio's West Coast Branch, a post he shares with film directors Mark Rydell and Sydney Pollack. For more than a quarter of a century, Landau has guided the talents of such actors as James Dean, Warren Oats, Harry Dean Stanton, Angelica Huston and Jack Nicholson.

Landau's long career with theater, television, and films span over four decades. His rich and varied career has fittingly been honored with several awards in the past few years. In addition to his Oscar for "Ed Wood," that year he also received his third Golden Globe award from the Hollywood Foreign Press, the Screen Actor's Guild first annual "The Actor" award, the American Comedy award and the New York Film Critics award. Accolades for other performances include on Cable Ace award for his work in TV-Cable movies, three Cable Ace nominations, three Emmy nominations, the Belgian Viewers Best Actor award, the Brazilian "Saci" award and a biography in both "Who's Who in America" and "Who's Who in the World." Also, Landau recently received several prestigious Lifetime Achievement awards" The German Golden Camera award from the Berlin Film Festical, the REMI award from the Houston Film Festival, the Wedgewood award from the renowned Goodman Theater of Chicago and the Achievement award from the Charleston Film Festival.

Landau recently formed a major new production and management company, Silver Street Pictures, with four other partners. Future plans of the company include producing five commercial films in the next two years, each with budgets of $20 million or more. Silver Street also intends to produce other smaller productions, establish a management company and negotiate a number of first-look deals with writers and directors.

One of Hollywood's newest leading ladies, Famke Janssen refuses to fill a stereotype. Best known as the lasciviously lethal assassin, Xenia Onatop, in the Bond megahit, "Golden Eye," Janssen has since taken on many exciting roles. This stunning beauty insists on taking rich, diverse roles in both studio and independent features. This fall, Janssen can also be seen in Woody Allen's "Celebrity."

This past winter Janssen starred in action/thriller "Deep Rising", where she flexed her muscles as a kleptomaniac heroine starring opposite Treat Williams. Additionally, she appeared alongside Kenneth Brannagh as a southern alcoholic divorcee, in Robert Altman's "The Gingerbread Man," based on John Grisham's original screenplay.

Janssen also starred in John Irvin's "City of Industry," a dark action thriller, opposite Harvey Keitel, Stephen Dorff and Timothy Hutton. She made her feature debut in "Fathers and Sons," opposite Jeff Goldblum and Samuel Jackson. She also had guest roles on such successful television series as "The Untouchables" and "Star Trek: The Next Generation," in which she had a memorable turn as Captain Picard's love interest. Janssen made her first motion picture starring role opposite Scott Bakula in Clive Barker's supernatural thriller "Lord of Illusions" for MGM/UA.

Next up, Janssen will star in the upcoming film currently titled "Noose," directed by Ted Demme, in which she plays a lower class Irish-American Bostonian. This intense independent drama about Boston gang life also stars Denis Leary, Colm Meany, Martin Sheen and Billy Crudup. Finally, in the independent comedy "RPM," Janssen stars opposite David Arquette as a car thief with a fetish for disguise. Janssen is currently in production in Texas on Robert Rodriguez's untitled next project for Dimension Films.

Born in Holland, Janssen moved to the United States where she has made her home for the last eleven years. She majored in writing and literature at Columbia University and studied stage craft with Harold Guskin.

Michael Rispoli portrays Grama in ROUNDERS, the intimidating loan shark whose mission it is to collect the debts owed to him by Worm and Mike, played by Norton and Damon. Star of stage and screen, Rispoli is well known for his performances in independent films including "Household Saints," "To Die For" and "Feeling Minnesota" and has just wrapped productions of "It Had to be You" in New York. Rispoli has also appeared in studio feature films including "While You Were Sleeping," "The Juror" and "Volcano."

A native of Queens, New York, Rispoli attended the Circle in the Square acting program. His first acting job out of school was the role of "John" in John Malkovich's theatrical production of "A Balm in Gilead." Rispoli has performed in numerous off Broadway productions including Eugene O'Neill's "S.S. Glencairn Sea Plays," Shakespeare's "Macbeth," "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Twelfth Night." His TV credits include appearances on "Law and Order" and "ER."

Rispoli is the co-founder and an acting member of the Willow Cabin Theater Company.

Prior to ROUNDERS, John Dahl's filmmaking career was kicked off by three edgy thrillers, "Kill Me Again," "Red Rock West" and "The Last Seduction." With these films, Dahl has incited a revival down-trodden heroes who inhabit the mysterious shadows of film noir. He has also established his own neo-noir genre combining twisted plots, chilling villains and a moral landscape that is as scary as it is realistically contemporary.

Dahl made his feature debut with "Kill Me Again" (which he co-wrote with his longtime partner David Warfield), which starred Joanne Whalley Kilmer, Val Kilmer and Michael Madsen in an intricately plotted story of a trio trying to outwit one another for a large stash of cash. The film quickly developed a cult following and led to a second feature for Propaganda Films, "Red Rock West," which he co-wrote with his brother Rick.

Starring Nicholas Cage in the hard-boiled tale of a hapless guy mistaken for a hitman for hire, "Red Rock West" drew a substantial audience from an early release on video and subsequently became one of the most acclaimed independent films of the decade -- sexy, shocking and visionary. The success led to Dahl's third film, "The Last Seduction" (from an original screenplay by Steve Barancik), starring Linda Fiorentino. Named one of the best pictures of the year by many film critics, the film also garnered Fiorentino the Best Actress award from the New York Film Critics circle and an Independent Features Project's Spirit award.

Dahl next gave his thrills a scientific twist in "Unforgettable," a murder mystery for Dino De Laurentiis and MGM. Re-written by Dahl and his brother Rick (based on an original screenplay by Bill Geddie), the film stars Ray Liotta and Linda Fiorentino.

A native of Montana, Dahl had an early interest in art, music and drama which grew into a love of film. After earning a B.S. in film production at Montana State University, Dahl moved to Washington DC where he spent a year working in production as an assistant director. A desire to write and direct then led him to the American Film Institute in 1982 where he became a directing fellow. Upon graduation from AFI, Dahl worked as a storyboard artist on commercials and music video, eventually becoming known for his work directing the latter. He served as a storyboard artist for such features films as "Robocop," "Something Wild" and "Married To The Mob."

A seasoned producer, Stillerman's work includes television, video and feature film. He began his career as an executive producer at MTV. Within two years, he was named vice-president of Production and held that position for three years. While at MTV, Stillerman supervised a large portion of the channel's original programming including "Unplugged," "MTV Sports," "The MTV Video awards" and "Rock n' Jock." He has received an Emmy and two Cable Ace awards for his work. Following his career at MTV, Stillerman has served as co-chairman of Spanky Pictures, a production company which he founded with partner Ted Demme. At Spanky Pictures, in addition to his post as producer of ROUNDERS, Stillerman served as associate producer on "Beautiful Girls" for Miramax. He is the co-producer of the upcoming film currently titled "Noose," along with director Demme and Jim Serpico of Apostle films.

An established film director whose last three films include Miramax's "Beautiful Girls" Disney's "The Ref" and New Line Cinema's "Who's the man," Demme is currently in production on the Eddie Murphy/Martin Lawrence starrer "Life" for Universal. Demme's latest and most personal film, currently titled "Noose," premiered at Sundance this year (under the title "Snitch") and is slated for release in 1998. Demme is also an active commercial director whose recent clients include: IBM, AT&T, ESPN, ABC, MCI, GM/Cadillac. For television, Demme has directed episodes of the NBC series "Homicide" including the 1996 season opener, a segment of HBO's "Subway Stories," Showtime's "Denis Leary: No Cure for Cancer" and an episode of ABC's "gun," executive produced by Robert Altman. Demme is the co-chairman of Spanky Pictures with partner Joel Stillerman.

Screenwriters David Levien and Brian Koppelman met on a cross country bus trip as teens and have been like brothers ever since. Koppelman graduated from Tufts University where he distinguished himself by discovering singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman, and went on to a career in the music business. While working full-time, he gained a law degree from Fordham University at night. Throughout, he pursued the craft of writing at every opportunity.

Levien graduated from the University of Michigan where he had short stories published in the undergraduate literary magazine. He worked for a short while in the film business, writing screenplays and fiction in his spare time. Levien went on to live in Argentina and Paris, where he worked at various jobs, before settling in New York.

Levien and Koppelman decided to team up for a screenplay effort in October of 1996. The result was ROUNDERS, purchased by Miramax Films in 1997. Since selling ROUNDERS, the duo have written the original screenplays "Weasels" for United Artists, with Cary Woods producing, and "Guido's All-American," for Warner Brothers. They have also been hired by Hollywood Pictures to re-write two features, "The Disciple" and "Mandrake."

The two are in discussions to write and direct a film for a major studio in 1999. Also in April 1999, Levien's first novel, Wormwood, will be published by Hyperion/Miramax books.

Jean-Yves Escoffier, one of the world's most admired cinematographers, has worked extensively on both sides of the Atlantic. Prior to ROUNDERS, he has completed Miramax Films' "Good Will Hunting," New Line's "Gummo," Columbia's "Excess Baggage," Miramax's "The Crow: City of Angels" and Universal's "Grace of My Heart," directed by Allison Anders. His other American pictures include Paul Schrader's "Witch Hunt," Polygram's "Jack and Sarah" and Nicholas Kazan's "Dream Lover," his American film debut.

Escoffier, who hails from France, is perhaps best know for his groundbreaking work with director Leos Carax on the films "Les Amants du Pont Neuf," "Mauvais Sang" and "Boy Meets Girl." He has received numerous awards for his work including the European Felix for "Les Amants du Pont Neuf," a Cesar for Cline Serreau's "Trois Hommes Et Un Couffin" (Three Men and a Cradle) and the Louis Leduc award for "Mauvais Sang" (for which he was nominated for a Cesar). In addition, he won the Cesar for his work on the short film "Ulysse," directed by Agnes Varda. He also shot Martin Scorsese's six hour documentary "100 Years of American Cinema." Escoffier is currently shooting Tim Robbins' "The Cradle Will Rock" in New York.

Born in Lyons, France, Escoffier studied cinematography at l'ecole Louis Lumiere, graduating in 1973. He commutes between Paris and Los Angeles, maintaining homes in both cities.

Prior to ROUNDERS, executive producer Kerry Orent served as co-producer on films including James Mangold's "Cop Land," Jerry Zaks' "Marvin's Room," Ted Demme's "Beautiful Girls," David O'Russell's "Flirting with Disaster" And John Duigan's "Journey of August King." Additionally, he has co-produced films including James Gray's "Little Odessa" for New Line Cinema and "The Music of Chance" for IRS Media. Orent has held the post of Supervising Producer on features including Jim Kaufman's "A Star for Two," Mark Romanek's "Static" and Howard Brookner's "The Bloodhounds of Broadway." Orent's career includes production and post-production positions on films including "The Pelican Brief," "For Love or Money," "Reversal of Fortune," "Peggy Sue Got Married" and "The Cotton Club."

Orent is currently in pre-production, as co-producer, on James Gray's next film, "The Yards," starring Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix, Charlize Theron and James Caan, shooting in New York Miramax.

ROUNDERS marks the third collaboration between Rob Pearson and John Dahl. Prior to this film, Pearson served as Production Designer on Dahl's "Red Rock West" and "Unforgettable." Additionally, his credits include Dennis Hopper's "Chasers" and Graham McLean's "Lie of the Land." Pearson was the Assistant Art Director on Mike Newell's "Bad Blood."

Pearson has worked extensively as Production Designer on music videos for artists including David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Meatloaf and Heavy D, as well as television commercials. He has received the 1988 and 1989 Australian FACTS awards for his achievements in Production Design and the 1989 Australian Writers and Art Directors award for his work in Art Direction.

In addition to his involvement in Production Design and Art Direction, Pearson is an accomplished photographer.

Pearson, a native of New Zealand, resides in Los Angeles.

ROUNDERS marks the fifth collaboration between Terry Dresbach and John Dahl. Dresbach, whose background is an artist, "fell into" the film business upon moving to Los Angeles after working as a freelance painter in San Francisco. Since then, she has lead a distinguished career designing the costumes for numerous films.

Prior to ROUNDERS, Dresbach was the Costume Designer on John Dahl's "The Last Seduction," "Red Rock West," "Unforgettable" and "Kill Me Again." Additionally, she designed the costumes for "Very Bad Things" (starring Cameron Diaz), "Palmetto" (starring Woody Harrelson and Elisabeth Shue) and "Breakdown" (starring Kurt Russell and Kathleen Quinlan).

Dresbach is a graduate of San Francisco's Academy of Art.

A native of Montana, Scott began his film studies at Montana State University where he wrote and directed the short film "Orphans of the Storm," which was nominated for a Student Academy Award. One of the youngest directing fellows ever to attend the American Film Institute, Scott's work in film production ultimately led him to a highly successful career in editing.

As one of the earliest editors of music videos, Scott cut award-winning music videos for artists such as Eric Clapton, U2, Collective Soul, John Fogerty, Tina Turner, Keith Richards, Paula Abdul, Billy Idol, Joe Cocker and hundred others. Working with director David Fincher, he edited many groundbreaking videos such as Madonna's "Express Yourself" and Steve Winwood's "Roll with It." He is the only editor to have been nominated for three MTV Best Editing awards in the same year.

From music videos, he segued into editing award-winning commercials for Nike, Reebok, Pepsi, Mercedes Benz, Acura, Chrysler and Nestea.

As a film editor, Scott cut John Dahl's "Red Rock West," starring Nicholas Cage and Dennis Hopper. He is also responsible for editing the acclaimed memory and flashback sequences of Dahl's "Unforgettable" and "The Maker" for Tim Hunter. Scott is the second unit director on ROUNDERS and his additional credits in that post include "Red Rock West," "The Blue Iguana" and Beverly Hills 90210.

Scott currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and twin sons.

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