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Interviews

INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL O'DEA
by Jacob Sanders

IIE: When in life, and how, did you begin writing?

O'DEA: Wow, that goes way back to when I was a kid. I used to write in notebooks, and I'd date the pages. Some people might call that a journal, but to me it wasn't anything more than something to write in. Tough guys don't dance and they don't sing, and I'm pretty positive they don't write in no diaries. [laughs] Not that I think I'm a tough guy or anything

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IIE: What did you write about?

O'DEA: What was in my mind, not what was on my mind. I'd write everyday for long periods, and then I'd eventually throw the notebook in the trash. See, it didn't matter to me if I could read it again later. I only wanted to get what was in my head, out of it, and my notebooks were a means of doing that. After I tossed a notebook out, I wouldn't pick up a pen until I felt that urge to write again. I do the same thing now. If my creativity isn't flowing, I won't write.

IIE: Do you have any notebooks remaining from when you were a kid?

O'DEA: I did, but I shredded them up, bagged them, and tossed the remains in a dumpster after the ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) came to my house sniffing around about a gun trafficking beef my friend at the time was involved in. [laughs] They claimed I was a ‘wheel man' for a crew that shook down drug dealers. Hey, I took that as a compliment because I do consider myself a pretty good driver. Fortunately the gun trafficking charges had no connections to me. Nonetheless, I wasn't taking any chances that the Feds would search my house, find my literature, and then store it in their secret files.

IIE: Did you ever imagine that you would be screenwriting professionally?

O'DEA: No. It never really crossed my mind. I had no idea what a screenwriter was, and I was all set with writing a 300 page book. With my grammar? Never happen.

IIE: You were All Set?

O'DEA: Yeah, that's how people from around Boston say “no thanks” or “I wasn't interested.” You'll hear that in Townies a few times.

IIE: What did you do for a living in the “real world” before screenwriting and filmmaking?

O'DEA: Oh, you mean like a job? I only have an eighth grade education, so I ended up working every odd job under the sun; paving, iron working, factory work, demolition, laboring, painting houses, and car repossessions, and that's just to name a few. I liked being a repo man a lot. I got a kick out of walking into police stations, and letting the cops know I was about to steal a car, and there was nothing they could do about it. We had to forewarn the police before each repo.

IIE: What research (or life experience) did you have to do, or witness, to get the true, raw feelings of your story?

O'DEA: I didn't do any research at all. I wish I could say that I never lived in six-by-eight-foot cell, but I have. I can't hide that, its part of me. Mark Wahlberg did some time, and look at him now. He put his past behind him and moved mountains. Its local guys like Mark, Matt (Damon), and Ben (Affleck) that gave me the sense of certainty that I could do it to. Those guys have a lot of heart and I got nothing but respect for them. Some people may read my screenplay and not know what to make of it because all they can relate to is “The Godfather” and “Goodfellas.” See, you can't just read a few books or watch a pile of mob movies, and then expect to write an authentic crime story. You have to have lived it. I was deep in the shit, and Townies is the only good thing that came out of it.

IIE: Was writing your first screenplay easy for you?

O'DEA: At first I thought it was a breeze until I had a professional screenwriter look at it. I was doing everything wrong. I wrote how characters feel instead of describing it visually. All the characters sounded the same, they talked too much, and there was no structure. The screenplay read more like a novel than a screenplay. But I was obsessed and determined to learn. I started reading every produced screenplay and screenwriting book I could find. Screenwriting became a full time job. After eight months of studying and writing for ten or more hours a day, I finished the script.

IIE: Do you have advice for others who want to write a screenplay?

O'DEA: My best advice would be to start writing, get feedback, and learn as you go. That's how I did it. But don't do it unless you are willing to let it consume your life. You need to be willing to wake up everyday and write for endless hours. You have to be committed to staying home to write while your pals are out having a great time. Everyone has a story to tell, but telling it is extremely difficult to do in screenplay format, especially if you want to sell it, or have it made into a movie. The pros can spot an amateur on page one.

IIE: Why did you title your screenplay “Townies”?

O'DEA: The story takes place in Charlestown, Massachusetts. It's a small, predominately Irish town just north of Boston, and the people who live there are called Townies.

IIE: What are some of your immediate thoughts about Charlestown?

O'DEA: I love Charlestown. Its like heaven for the Irish. I'm really excited to show off its beauty and character in the movie. But masked behind its beauty is a great deal of darkness and sadness too. If only the Bunkerhill Monument could talk, I bet it knows of more horror than we could ever imagine. I think even if the Monument could talk, it would'nt dare, not if if knows any better.

IIE: Are you referring to Charlestown's famous "Code of Silence?" Can you describe what it is to us?

O'DEA: It means, "keep your mouth shut." For many years Charlestown policed itself. Everyone kept quiet about crimes commited there. It wasn't uncommon for a gangster to shoot a rival down in broad daylight in front of 100 witnesses, and even then not a single person would raise their hand. The media likes to think the code of silence is dead in Charlestown because of few informants that testified against the big crime leaders there. But the C.O.S. still exsist today. New leaders are always formed, and the majority of the people who live there still refuse to talk to the police.

IIE: What happend to the people who did talk to the police?

O'DEA: The Irish mob would terrorize their families until they were to scared to show up to court. And that's if they were lucky enough to live through the ordeal.

IIE: Are people from Charlestown more likely to be involved with crime?

O'DEA: I don't think growing up in Charlestown makes it any more likely that you would become a gangster or a bank robber, but you sure will know them.

IIE: Are there a lot of bank robbers living in Charlestown?

O'DEA: There are more convicted bank robbers from Charlestown, Massachusetts than any other square mile on the planet earth. Remember the Brinks Job? They were from Charlestown.

IIE: You are starring in Townies as Mickey Callaghan. Is he much like you?

O'DEA: Mickey Callaghan is a great deal like me, but Townies is not my life story, and it is not everything I have been though. The script is only small fragments of my life. But Mickey has that same dream I had, to get out of that life, find a good girl, and move to Florida.

IIE: Once Townies the movie is complete, what is your next step?

O'DEA: I am throwing around some ideas for a sequel. I love the idea of franchising. Sin City is already in development of a part two, and it feels like part one just came out. I have two scripts in development that are very different from Townies, but they are all Irish stories. That will always be my product, and my trademark. Scorsese does his thing with the Italians. I'll do my thing with the Irish.

IIE: Do you plan on venturing into directing.

O'DEA: Initially I was going to direct Townies like Ed Burns who writes, stars, and directs his own movies. But, the reality is if you want a famous actor in your movie, they usually won't be interested unless you have an experienced director. So for now I am trying to find a director that I can learn from, someone like me, but with a lot of experience in this racket.

IIE: I understand that the late James Cagney was a great influence to you in writing Townies. Can you tell us about that?

O'DEA: James Cagney was not only one of the greatest actors of all time, but he was the first to portray a gangster on the silverscreen. My all time favorite movie of his is "The Public Enemy." He portrayed a cocky, fast-talking, bootlegger named Tom Powers. My other favorites Cagney films are "Angels with Dirty Faces" and "White Heat," all of which his characters were Irish gangsters. I love the dialogue back then. It's snappy and to the point, unlike what we hear today in gangster movies. The creation of the character Mickey Callaghan in Townies was influenced by James Cagney, and Mickey himself is also a big fan of James. He watches old Cagney films in his spare time, and he even has an autographed headshot of Cagney hanging in his bedroom. That is my tribute to the greatest gangster of motion picture history, and it's my way of saying, "we won't forget you, Jimmy."

IIE: Is Townies going to be a film with a message?

O'DEA: When you live a life of crime, there are no happy endings.

IIE: Who would you like to see Townies?

O'DEA: The Irish the world over.

IIE: Thanks for taking the time for this interview, Mike. Is there anything else you would like to say?

O'DEA: Yes. Hi to my Ma and Dad. "Top of the world!"

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