The casting of Kate's young lover took a long time. Producer Lee Thomas describes the character of Jed as "the cool stranger who rides into town." After an extensive search, writer/director John McKay knew as soon as he saw Kenny Doughty that he'd found the perfect 'Jed.' "He has the right energy - sensitive rather than macho, attractive but strong and still. While the women do all the fussing, he just carries on. He looks like trouble but the kind of trouble you'd like to get into - he's very sexy."
KENNY DOUGHTY (Jed)
What attracted you to this movie?
The original title was "The Sad F***kers Club." I thought it was going to be interesting. I thought it was a very unique script. I liked the way it dealt with females' relationships. I'd never actually seen a script like that. I had been brought up by my mom all my life so I'm kind of in tune with women's ways and how they are. I've spent a lot of time around women. I thought it was a very true, honest script. When I read 'Jed' - I thought he was the kind of character I'd really like to get involved with. He's not a mystical character but he's a very sensitive guy. He had his reasons and was very true to himself. He was a very grounded kind of chap.
But he also had a rebellious streak?
Yes, he was just himself. He didn't feel like he had to follow anybody else in his life. He led his life by his own heart and by what he felt was right for him, without having to prove anything to anybody. I like that a lot. He was very grounded and I admired that. When he believed in something, he wouldn't be pushed over.
How did you feel about your love scenes with Andie MacDowell?
It was terrifying. You have to have a good sense of humor to get involved and throw yourself into the deep end. We had a good laughing joke about it.
Do you really play the organ?
I didn't until the film and then I had lessons for about 3 hours every day. We learned each piece of music. We got most of it down. Then with the ones I couldn't do because they were too complicated pieces of classical music, the idea was to learn it as a dance of the hands. They could put the music in afterwards, if I've got the right movements.
Do love stories always have to have that big fight scene?
Well, they happen. There are not many relationships where people don't have them. In the early days of most relationships, there's a territory where you have understand each other. I think sometimes that comes out when you have a fight. You begin to understand what the boundaries are for the relationship. I think sometimes that happens and you have to come to terms with that. One of the ways to understand what those boundaries are is to have a fight. In each relationship, you kind of test each other to find out what happens.
Was there anything about getting into your role, or in making this film, that you found particularly difficult?
The only thing I was really nervous about was doing all the organ stuff and making sure that it looked absolutely, organically natural. The character - I'm not sure 'stoic' is the right word - but he has a quality that is very different to me. I'm quite spontaneous with my emotions and thoughts and every day life. He often would suck it in, keep it inside, and digest it. To understand him, from my point of view, I had to make sure that [I could contain] all the emotions that were happening within him, but convey them at the same time. That was quite a challenge. The director said to trust the work and trust that you've done the work. You don't have to express it and show it too much. I was on a learning curve throughout the shoot. I was terrified at first when me and Andie did all that kind of sex scene stuff; that was challenging. We had to find a comfortable zone to make that real and make that relationship real.
Did you eventually feel comfortable doing the sex scenes?
We had some time rehearsing together, which was really good. We got to kind of know each other. She's a very calming influencing, very down-to-earth, and she made me very relaxed. We got along very well.
Would you be interested in doing more mainstream films?
I find the most important thing is the script itself, the quality of the script, and if I believe in the script. It's also going to depend on what mood I'm in at the time these scripts are given to [me]. I feel like I'm in this acting for life. I feel that the best way to do that is with the quality of the script and the director. If I can be involved in a script whether it be film, theatre or television, and it's going to help me grow as an actor, that's why I'd be involved in it. But also, I'm an actor who needs to work because I've got things to pay for. There will be jokes and films that I'll be criticized for because I have to work to pay the rent. I'm not ashamed of that. It would be great to say I didn't want to do a project. I'm not in the position to say no to certain things.
How do you prepare for a role?
Every time I've worked, I've had a different process of working. I think each script requires something different. I read the script hundreds of times. I put a nice pair of clothes on that are really comfortable, get a mug of coffee, and just read it and read it and read it. Every time I read it, something happens. There are questions that need to be answered and you can start to find out where [the character] needs to be. With each script there's an atmosphere, a feel for something, and that's where your imagination takes over and tells you what the world of the script is. Once you've tapped into that, you can find out what questions need to be answered. In this one, it was the practical things. He obviously plays the organ so there are certain aspects you have to train yourself to do for him.
