Billy Schneider: It was everything. We have box loads of memorabilia, like boxes in our crawl space full of Olympic stuff. We have all the tapes to all the games. Me and my brother would religiously watch them when we were younger. We knew all the Russians, all the Americans. Just growing up, they were my dad’s friends so we’d see them throughout the years.
Was it inevitable that you’d follow in his footsteps?
Billy: I never got pushed into anything I didn’t want to do. I loved hockey. I loved playing it. For me, I was always in sports. I love winning. I always wanted to win and be number 1, and be on top. It was always a goal of mine to be an Olympic player, to be a professional athlete, to be the best that I can be. And I couldn’t do that but through this movie. I got to experience one of my dad’s best experiences through his eyes. I got to live a part of my dream a different way.
What do you think are the biggest mistakes of hockey movies?
Buzz Schneider: I think what Gavin [O’Connor] did on this one is that he took kids that could play and maybe act, instead of vice versa. He stuck his neck out, I think. I think he stuck his neck out a little bit like what Herb Brooks did on our team. He took the European system, which was unheard of over here, and implemented it amongst us guys to play the best teams in the world and actually win. So I think they both actually stuck their necks out.
How did it come about that you decided to try out for "Miracle?"
Billy: I found out through my mother. I was up in my cabin in Northern Minnesota. She calls me up and is like, “Hey, they’re doing a movie on your dad’s team. It’s an open casting call for non-experienced actors that can skate.” So I’m like, “Sure, I’ll go up there and try and make a few hundred bucks, be an extra and skate.” That was all I was thinking. I went into the auditions, they handed me a script, and there’s a camera. I’m like, “I didn’t sign up for this.” There’s no intention for me to do that. “Just read it and try it out.” So I tried it and just got called back from one audition to another. Before I knew it, I was up in Vancouver.
How often did you talk to each other about this process once you got cast in this movie?
Billy: We talked quite often just, “Hey, how’s it going? What did you guys do this week?” That kind of stuff. I called a few times for just like maybe, “What was the atmosphere like in the locker room? Did this really happen?” That kind of stuff might come up. Every once in a while Gavin would come up and say, “Billy, did your dad ever talk to you about this certain situation? Do you happen to know…?” If I didn’t, I just gave him a call up and said, “Alright Gavin, here you go. Here’s the phone.” Other than that, I didn’t really have to.
When you watched the movie and saw all the drills, was it as intense as you remembered?
Buzz: Yeah, I thought they came across in the movie pretty good. He pushed us hard, though. I mean really hard. I mean that scene in Norway… Fortunately in that game I got thrown out of the game so I stood and watched them. I was standing next to Craig Patrick, who was played by Noah Emmerich in the movie. I felt so guilty for those guys on the ice that I asked if I should put on my equipment and go back out there. He goes, “No, just cool it.” In fact, Dr. Nagobads came up to Herbie numerous times and said, “Herbie, you better quit. You are going to kill one of these kids.” It was intense; he pushed us hard.
What do you think was the greatest lesson you learned from Herb Brooks?
Buzz: He was the most prepared coach I’ve ever played for. He’d get up at 3 in the morning and start diagramming plays. He was obsessed with the game. If you want to win, you’ve got it give it your all.
Did you keep in touch with him?
Buzz: Yes, I did. Before he passed away, I lived in St. Paul about a half a mile away from him. I saw him a lot at stuff. He always checked to see how Billy was doing and my other boy. He’d ask how my wife was doing. He mellowed a little bit. I think towards the end he started to mellow.
How would Herb have treated you guys if you hadn’t won that Russian game?
Buzz: I don’t think he was going to let us [lose]. I think he was going to win that game whether we were with him or not. He had us so well prepared and so well conditioned. I don’t know. He gets you in that zone and you know you’re not going to lose. I don’t know what it is. He enabled us to learn how to take that one extra step. Why that is, I don’t know. I’m not sure how he would have acted had we lost.
ADDITIONAL “MIRACLE” CAST INTERVIEWS:
Kurt Russell / Eddie Cahill and Jim Craig / Nathan West
Additional “Miracle” Resources:
“Miracle” Photo Gallery
“Miracle” Trailer, Credits, and Websites
