Local News
Benjamin Bratt: The ‘Snitch’ Interview
B
Kam Williams: Hi Benjamin. I’m honored to
orn in San Francisco on
have a chance to interview you.
Dec. 16, 1963, Benjamin
C ELEBRITY Benjamin Bratt: It’s totally my pleasure,
Bratt’s career has success-
I NTERVIEW Kam.
fully spanned movie and television
for over 25 years. His impressive
KW: What interested you in Snitch?
resume includes the critically
by Kam
BB: A few things, actually. I really liked the
acclaimed Piñero, in a powerful
Williams
script. [Director] Ric Waugh happens to be an
portrayal of poet-playwright-actor
old friend of mine. We sort of came up together.
Miguel Piñero; Steven Soder-
His father, the great Fred Waugh, was the stunt
bergh’s Traffic; and The Woods-
coordinator on the first series I ever did, Nasty
man, a festival and critical favorite
Boys. And Rick, believe it or not, was a kid who
starring Kevin Bacon.
Television audiences recognize Benjamin from his award- happened to be a great stuntman. It was a family business
winning role of Detective Rey Curtis on NBC’s long-run- for him and his father and his brother. Since we became
ning drama Law & Order. He also starred in A&E’s friends way back when, I didn’t want to pass up the oppor-
miniseries The Andromeda Strain, based on the novel by tunity to come full circle working together again, but in an
Michael Crichton, which garnered seven Emmy nomina- actor/director relationship. You might look at my part on the
tions. Additionally, he served as series lead as well as pro- page and think, hmm, it’s a little small, and maybe not
ducer on A&E’s The Cleaner, for which he received an worth flying to Shreveport three times for just a few days’
worth of work. But the truth of the matter is I was excited
ALMA Award in 2009.
A veteran of dozens of films, Benjamin’s other work to reconnect with him and also to play a part that certainly
includes The River Wild opposite Meryl Streep; Blood In, looms large over the story as a kind of ominous presence of
Blood Out with director Taylor Hackford; Clear and Present danger, not unlike the role I played in Traffic.
Danger with Harrison Ford; Abandon opposite Katie
KW: I have some questions for you from my readers.
Holmes; The Great Raid; Miss Congeniality with Sandra
Bullock; and the screen adaption of Nobel Prize-winning Larry Greenberg asks: When you play a hardcore bad guy
author Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s Love in the Time of like El Topo, is it a different mindset from when you play
someone in law enforcement?
BB: One might think so, Larry but, sur-
prisingly, the answer is “No.” I think most
law enforcement people would tell you
that there’s a very fine line between going
one way or the other. On some level, as a
career criminal, you’re a soldier. And cer-
tainly a police officer also has that sol-
dier’s “us or them” mentality where the
delineation between black and white is
very clear. My brother-in-law happens to
be a detective on the East Coast. Having
played a man in uniform several times,
it’s always been a fascination for me. And I’ve spent hours
Cholera.
In La Mission, Benjamin re-teamed with his writer/direc- talking to him over the years about the mindset of someone
tor/producer brother, Peter Bratt, to star in and produce a on the force, and it’s very clear. There’s no gray area in law
story which recalls the culture, people and beliefs of their enforcement. Evil exists in the world and it must be dealt
childhood in the Mission district of San Francisco. He and with. And those on the side of good can feel righteous in
Peter joined with producer Alpita Patel to form 5 Stick their approach to eliminating evil. There’s no ambiguity
Films, a production company geared towards film of con- there. So, in the case of someone like El Topo, it’s not so
science, to tell stories with passion, vision and personal much that he’s evil, but that the director is very keen to
point out that he’s a man, a father, just as Dwayne Johnson’s
reflection.
Benjamin is married to actress Talisa Soto Bratt. They character is. He has a job to do. He’s a businessman. Yes, he
live in Los Angeles with their two children, Mateo and happens to sell drugs but, at the end of the day, he has to get
Sophia. Here, he talks about his latest outing as El Topo in the job done and take care of his family. I thought that was
Snitch, an action thriller co-starring Dwayne Johnson, a unique take on this kind of villain. Although we don’t get
to spend much time with him, we get the sense that, yes,
Susan Sarandon, Harold Perrineau and Barry Pepper.
he’s capable of a great deal of violence, and yet, he’s just
KW: When you look in the mirror, what do
you see?
BB: I see a father, and a husband, and
someone who is very content.
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Benjamin Bratt
taking care of business.
KW: Editor/legist Patricia Turnier would like to know:
What message do you think people will take away from
Snitch?
BB: I think the message that resonates most, and defi-
nitely the one that resonates with me and my wife as par-
ents, is that there is no length that is too great to go to in
order to protect your child. So, it’s fascinating to see how
Dwayne Johnson, who is a formidable, mountain of a man,
is reduced to feeling powerless when his son is suddenly in
danger. It’s very compelling to watch the process of his
coming to terms with what he has to do to get his boy
released from jail.
KW: Kate Newell says: I love Benjamin Bratt! You’ve
done such amazing work, but I’m going frivolous, here.
Will your character, Javier Delgado, be returning to Modern
Family?
BB: [Chuckles] Yeah, rest assured, Kate, he will be back.
We don’t have an air date
yet, but I just filmed an
See BRATT on page 8
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S EATTLE 2013
out flowers from 11:30 a.m. – noon at the corner
of 4th and Pine St. at Westlake Park For the 16th
year, Pike Place Market brightens up corners of
downtown Seattle.
If you have an event you want to share
with the community, email it two weeks
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Friday March 15
ST. PADDY’S DAY PARTY FOR KIDS. Join us for arts
and crafts, cookie decorationg and a lucky
story. $5 per child. 1 – 2:30 p.m. Loyal Heights
Community Center, 2101 NW 77th St.
Saturday March 16
16TH ANNUAL DAFFODIL DAY! Students from the
Pike Market Child care and Preschool will hand
Page 2 The Seattle Skanner March 13, 2013
COMMUNITY PORTRAIT DAY! Get inspired by
Rembrandt, Van Dyck Gainsborough: The
Treasure of Kenwood House London during this
afternoon of art making for all ages. $5 will get
you into all the galleries. Lots of fun activities for
all ages. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Seattle Art Museum.
KID’S DAY AT NAAM. Come celebrate NAAM’s fifth
birthday with a performance by Ugandan
Orphan’s Choir at 2:30 p.m. All ages welcome.
Art activities and picture book time in the
reading rooms throughout the day! Admission is
free, though a donation of $5 is warmly
appreciated. 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. NAAM, 2300 S.
Massachusetts St.
GET MOVING WITH AARON NIGEL SMITH TOWN
HALL SEATTLE PRESENTS. A joyful beat and
multicultural, pop funk vibe. 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Children 12 and under free, adults $5. Town Hall
Seattle, 1119 8th Ave.
Saturday – Sunday March 16 – 17
SEATTLE CENTER FESTAL IRISH FESTIVAL: Explore and
experience the cultural roots and contemporary
influences of Ireland through live performances,
visual arts, hands-on activities, foods, games and
much more. Noon – 6 p.m. Saturday. 10 a.m. – 6
p.m. Sunday. Seattle Center, 305 Harrison St.
Saturday March 23
FREEWAY PARK TREE WALK: Everyone is welcome!
Tree Ambassador Natasha Mann will lead a tour
of the trees in Freeway Park – home to many
interesting species. 9:30 a.m. Meet on the patio
on the south side of the Washington State
Convention Center, 800 Convention Place.