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Cary Elwes Wanted to Work with Gus Van Sant, but Brother Said No
When Cary Elwes found out that his elder brother Cassian was producing a movie called Dead Man’s Wire which was to be directed by Oscar-nominated Gus Van Sant, the actor hoped to see the iconic phrase “As you wish” or something similar from his brother.
The English actor told PEOPLE that upon getting the news, the first thing he did was to ask Cassian, “Cass, you’ve got to let me have a meeting with Gus.”
Though the siblings are very close and often joke around with each other, Cassian said no to the request.
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Cary Elwes Coaxes Brother to Fix Meeting with Gus Van Sant
Cassian Elwes, who at one time was probably the agent of director Gus Van Sant, was reluctant at first to let his brother Cary meet Van Sant because that might have embarrassed Van Sant. However, Cary did not give up and told Cassian, “He’s not going to quit the movie because you asked if your brother could meet with him. If he says no, I’ll accept that, and we’ll move on.”
About a week later, Cary received a message that everyone would like to hear: “I talked to Gus and it seems he’s really a fan of your work.”
After mesmerizing the audience as Westley in the 1987 fantasy-adventure The Princess Bride, Cary Elwes, now 63 years old, has been continuously admired by the film industry for his handsome blue eyes and charming acting.
Cary Elwes Melds Role in Dead Man’s Wire and a Career Retrospective
“I was very lucky with that film,” Cary Elwes admits when The Princess Bride is mentioned. He’s been changing his roles gradually throughout the years showing that he is able to handle all kinds of genres – from comedy (Robin Hood: Men in Tights, 1993) to horror (Saw, 2004) and sci-fi (Stranger Things season 3, 2019).
The Londoner, the youngest of the three siblings of interior designer Tessa Kennedy and the painter Dominick Elwes, says that he is “the living embodiment of all my childhood dreams when I was lying in bed as a 6-year-old kid and thinking, ‘I hope I get to do that one day’.” He also says, “You can’t imagine how much I’ve manifested this.”
In the upcoming true-crime drama Dead Man’s Wire, Elwes will be playing the character of Det. Michael Grable, a cop in Indianapolis who finds himself trying to get a disgruntled landowner (Bill Skarsgård) away from a hostage situation after the mad man kidnaps the son (Dacre Montgomery) of a mortgage lender (Al Pacino) whom he accuses of having cheated him.
Gus Van Sant Praises Cary Elwes’s Dramatic Change For Dead Man’s Wire During The Time Of Personal Tragedy
Director Gus Van Sant even noted how Cary Elwes went the extra mile and physically transformed for the Muted Dead film and that his shaggy hair and thick beard made him, a “quite a sight” in the role that was very different from Westley in The Princess Bride.
Unfortunately, the house that Elwes shared with his wife of 25 years, Lisa Marie, 54, and their daughter Dominique, 18, in California, was destroyed in the wildfires just before they started shooting in January.
On Instagram, Elwes posted a video of the evacuation from the nearby fire, which showed that the flames were really close to the house. After losing the clothes, furniture, and other personal things, he said, “We had nothing,” but nevertheless, he also remembered the great kindness and support of the locals in that situation.
Cary Elwes Turns to Acting for Comfort after Losing Home to Wildfires
Cary Elwes revealed that the tremendous support from the community after his house was destroyed was “powerful.” He said the locals were so kind that they even helped his family get clothes and other basics. Later, he flew out to the Louisville Dead Man’s Wire set. At the same time, he found deeply acting helped him get a break from the constant re-living of the trauma.
“As soon as I removed the makeup and wardrobe, the first thing that came to my mind was how traumatizing that whole event was,” Elwes revealed. “So it actually felt good to be somebody else.”
The star believes in some way the experience has changed him for the better, looking at the fire disaster as a positive challenge. He’s currently in a temporary house, and the actor says that although the fire has changed him, it is only a small part of who he is. “In fact, I think I’m a better person for it. I also believe I’m not just going to rebuild a house,” he explained. “I’m going to rebuild me. I got two for one.”
Cary Elwes Opens Up about the Highs and Lows of Life through Milestones and Challenges
When Cary Elwes looks back at the last 12 months, he sees the image of a “roller coaster” of life as it held his 25th wedding anniversary and his daughter graduating from high school.
He also shared that feeling with his wife, Lisa Marie, when they had their first date in 1991 at the Malibu Chili Cook-Off, a festival that included carnival rides and live music.
“We went on one ride together,” Elwes recalled, “and I told her right after that, ‘This is pretty much how it’s going to be. It’s going to be a crazy ride.’”
