More of this Feature "THE ITALIAN JOB" PREMIERE COVERAGE: • Mark Wahlberg ('Charlie Croker') • Seth Green ('Lyle') and Franky G ('Wrench') • Special Celebrity Guest Margaret Blye from the Original "The Italian Job" • "The Italian Job" Premiere Photo Gallery MORE INFORMATION ON "THE ITALIAN JOB": • "The Italian Job" Photo Gallery • "The Italian Job" News, Trailer, and Websites • "The Italian Job" Credits

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The director of "Friday," "The Negotiator," "Set It Off," and now "The Italian Job," F. Gary Gray began his career as a freelance cameraman. From there, he moved on to directing music videos for stars such as Whitney Houston, TLC and Mary J. Blige.

One of "The Italian Job's" stars, Mark Wahlberg, had this to say about his director: "The story is great for today's audience, especially with Gary Gray directing. He really brings a lot of new elements into the film."

DIRECTOR F. GARY GRAY

There was a little bit of controversy surrounding the filming in Venice. Can you address that?
There's always controversy when you're shooting but I think ultimately, the city of Venice, everybody was great. It was great. We had to do a lot of speeding in those canals that are only built for slow boats, so we had to do some negotiating, but once we got past it, it was fine.

The original "The Italian Job" didn't have boat chases, correct?
Right, but the original didn't have the same story either. It's a completely different story but we borrowed some great moments from the original.

Such as?
The Minis, the gold heist, and the traffic jam.

Did you really close down Hollywood Blvd.?
We closed down this whole entire block for a week and we turned it into, essentially, a set.

What do you think of Mark Wahlberg saying this is his best movie?
I think it's a compliment because Mark is a great actor and for him to say that, I love him for it.

Donald De Line at the World Premiere of "The Italian Job"
Photo ©Rebecca Murray. All Rights Reserved.