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It was real-life political drama made for the big screen. In 2003, CIA
spy Valerie Plame's classified identity as a covert agent was revealed
in the Washington press, an incident that launched a media explosion
and full-scale fire fight between Plame, along with her husband, former
U.S. Ambassador Joe Wilson, and key players in the Bush Administration.
 According to the Plame/Wilson camp, the public "outing" was a direct retaliation for Wilson's New York Times oped article on July 6, 2003 entitled "What I Didn't Find in Africa." Wilson boldly states in the piece that, based upon his experience with the President's administration in the months leading up to the war (March 2003), he believes "some of the intelligence related to Iraq's nuclear weapons program was twisted to exaggerate the Iraqi threat." Wilson's article argues that intelligence reports, and the President's now famous statement in the January 2003 State of the Union address, regarding Iraq's attempt to purchase yellowcake uranium from Africa, were completely contrary to the results of the fact-finding mission Wilson made to Niger in 2002 at the request of the CIA.
Fair Game, filmed in New York; Kuala Lumpur; Aman, Jordan; and Cairo, is part spy thriller, part political intrigue, and the movie version of Valerie Plame's memoir of the same title. Among the cast of characters are many of the same players as the real-life version that played in the media around the world; including Plame, Wilson, Cheney, the CIA and prominent media figures. Sean Penn plays Ambassador Wilson and Naomi Watts portrays the attractive CIA operative Plame. One of Wilmington's own took on another key figure in the drama; David Andrews, a Wilmingtonian since 2000, portrays none other than "Scooter" Libby, the right-hand-man and Chief of Staff to former Vice President Dick Cheney. A central character in both the book and the film, and, of course, in the events as they actually happened in 2003, Libby is to date the only person ever indicted and convicted of any crime relating to the disclosure of Valerie Plame's identity. He was charged with obstruction of justice, perjury and making false statements to federal investigators in the subsequent investigation surrounding the leak. When asked about the challenges of portraying a real person versus a fictional one, Andrews says, "It cuts both ways in a sense that, in playing a real person, you might have sources of information and research available to you such as news real footage or other media coverage of the actual person might being interviewed and you can use that to build your character. But, in another sense, it's also more diffcult because there is a certain responsibility and obligation when you're playing a person that other people out there actually know, to get it right."
"In From the Earth to the Moon, I played astronaut Frank Borman. I listened to cockpit recordings of his voice to find his cadence and rhythm, watched interviews of him on 60 Minutes, and found some specific characteristics I could incorporate. That one happened to be successful for me because I later spoke to some of his fellow astronauts that knew him well, and they said I really captured him." "For Scooter, it was a bit harder. While everyone is familiar with that image of Scooter Libby getting out of the black car and walking into the courthouse, in terms of interviews or recordings, the only single thing I was able to fi nd was a 2002 interview of him by Charlie Rose, publicizing the paperback publication of a novel he'd written some years earlier. Libby was someone who worked behind the scenes and didn't particularly seek the spotlight. But I saw a keen intellect and precision to Libby, and a certain rigorousness to him that I wanted to capture." This highly anticipated role is one of many in a thirty-year acting career. Andrews is perhaps best known for his work in the films Terminator 3, Apollo 13, Wyatt Earp and cult classic Cherry 2000. He has appeared on television, asMajor General "Bigg" Cresswell in the final season of JAG, and as the title character in Pulaski, an A&E/BBC production for which he earned an ACE nomination. He starred in the award-winning HBO mini-series From the Earth to the Moon as astronaut Frank Borman He has starred in off-Broadway productions and in prime time series, done countless television
guest-star appearances, and worked with some the biggest names on big budget Hollywood films.
Originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Andrews was an unlikely thespian, never taking an acting or drama class throughout high school, or college at LSU. After earning a law degree from Stanford Law School, he practiced law for eight months before leaving the profession for a shot at acting, a road that has been both hard and fruitful.
People frequently ask Andrews about following their own dreams of acting, or about getting their children into the profession. "Let me ask you this," he sardonically replies. "Would you encourage your children to juggle three cocked bear traps? Being an actor is a lot like that." Fair Game, directed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Swingers), will likely be released in early 2010.
Leigh Williams has been a freelance writer since 1996, writing magazine articles of all sorts, as well as copy for newsletters, advertisements, brochures and websites. Besides writing, she loves movies. |
