Stoltz discovers 'The Passion of Ayn Rand' as co-star in Showtime home video biopic

Billboard Magazine ( Apr 14, 2001)

The recent Showtime Home Video release The Passion of Ayn Rand dramatizes the 15-- year affair between philosopher/novelist Rand and her protege, Nathaniel Branden. While Helen Mirren walked away with an Emmy for her portrayal of Rand, her co-star Eric Stoltz gained a new respect and understanding of the troubled writer.

Billboard talked with Stoltz as he was editing his directorial debut, My Horrible Year, a Paramount/Showtime comedy due this summer.

What attracted you to this film?

It was one of the more interesting scripts that I've read, and it contained a rather shocking approach to an adulterous affair in that all the parties involved got permission from their mates. Also, Helen Mirren was doing it, and I liked the director. So there were many elements.

My favorite scenes in the movie are yours with Helen.

She was the best. I found it very interesting and difficult to keep up with her, frankly. She's better and smarter and more attractive. It's like all of a sudden you're playing tennis with Andre Agassi. You have to fight to keep up. You can learn within that, but it certainly makes your heart race.

Was working in such a claustrophobic '50s setting a challenge,too?

It certainly seemed a much more repressed world. These characters had extraordinary courage in trying to break through that repression and be honest about their feelings of lust and love. They were breaking through those boundaries, which is what made them interesting, dangerous, and miserable.

Do you think the affair would have played out any differently today?

I don't think there would have been such a big deal about it. Perhaps I'm wrong, though. It's rare that you read about couples who've agreed to open relationships. Perhaps it would still be shocking.

What else might surprise people about Ayn Rand?

What the movie shows that few people realize is that she was a very conflicted, tormented, and difficult woman. Her philosophy can be a very simple one, but she was, in fact, a quite complex and amazing woman.

So, ultimately what was the passion of Ayn Rand?

I think she was most passionate about humanity and her belief that we need to break free of 2,000 years' worth of training and try to become free.

CATHERINE CELLA