Bruce Edwin: So like many artists, you seem
kind of just like a sponge for what’s around you...
Michael Levine: Right. You have to train your
eyes to be very observant, very kind of curious. I've said to
actors a million times, I meet actors you know, all the bloody
time, they want to know what acting class they should take, and
what they should do, and I tell them, listen, if you want to be a
better actor, don't take any more acting classes, just agree to
go, in the next 30 days, either to A, an emergency room, B, an
A.A. meeting, or C, a strip club, in the next 30 days, just for
one hour, do one of those three things. And in the next 30 days
if you do one of those three things, you'll become a better
actor, because each of those things are environments where people
are very real, and it’s an interesting emotional
transportation device.
Bruce Edwin: That’s profound. Looking at
some of the women that you have represented, particularly Cameron
Diaz and Demi Moore, most men I would say, and probably even some
women too, would just have a huge crush on these amazingly
beautiful and talented women in Hollywood, my question is, how do
you separate in terms of your work, your personal respect or love
or allurement of their beauty? In what way do you keep that
separate, and have you developed a crush on any of them?!
Michael Levine: Oh, I'm sure if I thought about
it from time to time, that it's very normal, and reasonable and
understandable that people, they work closely together, they have
momentary, temporary fascinations or crushes with people they
work with, it’s very common, and any one reading this will
have the same experience, I do think it’s important also to
have a sense of detachment as well, both I think are good and
valuable.
Bruce Edwin: That makes sense. You’ve been
doing this for a long time, I had the pleasure to speak with you
and work with you for years through the music industry, how would
you say you have become a better publicist, and how to do want to
be better, and I want to extend that question to a personal level
as well, how you think you have become better as a person, and
how do you want to be better?
Michael Levine: I think at the core of
betterment is through curiosity and the capacity to look at the
world through eyes that are curious. I am very concerned about
our civilization currently, in large part because of distraction,
there are too many people walking around the planet that are
perfectly pleasant people, but they are distracted to the point
of even an inability to function in any meaningful way, and this is
very worrisome. You know, why if civilizations wisdom or
brilliance is born of contemplation, and contemplation is born of
time, and we don't have any time, then we're a pretty stupid
bunch, and I think we have been functioning in pretty stupid,
very frequently distracted ways, that are not good for reflection
or growth.
Bruce Edwin: Yes...
Michael Levine: The other thing is of these
devices, technology devices, most of them, many of the ones we
carry around, give us human beings permission to hide, and since
most human beings don't like difficult conversations, and they
now have a tool that will give them permission to hide, they
avoid difficult conversations. Well that's pretty cool, except
these difficult conversations are the gasoline that drive the
engine of growth, of understanding, of learning, and of teaching
moments, so if we avoid all difficult conversations, which is
what we're certainly trying to do by facebooking every body, we
are going to end up with a very inconvenient truth. And the
inconvenient truth is, you aren't going to learn a damn thing,
except masturbate much of your life away, on facebook and
twitter!
Bruce Edwin: (laughs)
Michael Levine: Now if that's what you want to
do, you're free to do it of course, there's no American law that
prohibits it, but you will be one sorry human being as the
journey goes along, so yeah there you are... I hope this is of
some help. I would love to hear from your readers. They can send
me an E-mail at mlevine@lcoonline.com.
I also want to issue an open call, we have an absolutely
fantastic, I think even life changing intern program, if you have
the people reading this that want to learn more about the
entertainment industry and media and how it all works, and how
they can get it to work for them, we'd love to hear from them
about the intern program.
Bruce Edwin: Thank you.
Those interested in the intern program may contact: Tel:
310-300-0950 x 230
For more information on the A-list public relations firm of
Michael Levine, Levine Communications Office, visit: www.LCOonline.com
For more information on Michael Levine, be sure to visit his
website at www.MichaelLevineWebsite.com
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