More of this Feature ANDY GARCIA INTERVIEW (Continued): • Nudity, Mick Jagger, Music, and George Hickenlooper • Working With Julianna Margulies, Film Festivals and Producing • "Ocean's 11," "The Lost City," and "Godfather 4" ADDITIONAL "The Man From Elysian Fields" INFORMATION: • "The Man From Elysian Fields" Production Photos • "The Man From Elysian Fields" Trailer, Credits and Websites • Andy Garcia Movie News and Websites

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With roles in such critically acclaimed films as "The Godfather Part III" and "The Arturo Sandoval Story," Garcia's proven there's much more to him than smoldering good looks and an innate sexiness.

Moviegoers know him best for his in front of the camera, however Garcia is also a Grammy Award-winning record producer and composer, director, and movie producer. He made his directorial debut with the feature-length documentary film, "Cachao...Como Su Ritmo No Hay Dos (Like His Rhythm There is No Other)" about Mambo co-creater Israel Lopez 'Cachao' and will soon step behind the camera again for "The Lost City," a movie that's close to his heart.

As Byron Tiller in the stylish morality tale, "The Man From Elysian Fields," Garcia portrays a dedicated family man who must betray his own morals in order to support his wife and young son. The film features Garcia as a reluctant male gigolo, a role that's unusual in its treatment of the subject matter.

Intense, passionate and private, Andy Garcia has typically let his body of work do all the talking. Because of his commitment to "The Man From Elysian Fields" and pride in the finished product, Garcia is actively promoting this film. I recently had the opportunity to speak with Andy Garcia about "The Man From Elysian Fields," his costars, and a few other topics (including his thoughts on a possible "Godfather 4"). Here's what the multi-talented actor had to say about the film, Mick Jagger, and balancing his family and career:

ANDY GARCIA

What was it about the script that attracted you to the part of Byron Tiller?
It was his journey, for one, and the uniqueness of that journey - the freshness of the premise. But also the intelligence and wit, and the bit of sarcasm and bit of dry humor that prevail throughout the screenplay.

You've said this character had a "fulfilling arc." Is it difficult to find characters with an arc?
Yes, but also an arc that moves you, that you can somehow relate to or are enamored with, or that provokes you to explore that arc and to play the character. I mean acting is a very personal thing so you're attracted to things in a very personal way. You have to find things that obviously stimulate you in that regard.

The film details your journey into the world of male gigolos, however that's not the essence of the film. How would you describe "The Man From Elysian Fields?"
It's a dark, comedic, morality tale. It has the qualities of a fable.

You're a dedicated family man. Could you in any way find empathy for this character?
Sure, I could relate but also I think in general we all have had moments in our life where we've come to crossroads and decisions - to certain degrees. I've known moments of despair or of low self-esteem and those are the moments when you are most vulnerable to making the wrong choices in life. That is a major issue in Byron's decision, his despair and his low self-esteem in regards to how he measures up to his family as a provider.

Yet he comes across as basically a good person.
Yes, basically he is a good person but that doesn't mean that a good person doesn't make the wrong decisions.

Do you feel he gets caught up in things he can't control?
He betrays his own morality and that was a bad decision. Now it's because of the nature of the fable - it is a Faustian deal, with the sort of Faustian character played by Mick Jagger - the predators prey upon their prey especially when their prey is in a weak condition. They don't attack the healthiest animal in the herd, they attack the one that is hurting or slower or has a limp or is the youngest, which is the most naïve and can't keep up or run as fast as the other ones can. That's who they attack first. In our fable, he comes in for the kill when he sees a person who is in that moment of weakness.

Do you see him as a naïve person?
I see him as someone who, out of despair and very low self-esteem, gets manipulated into making the wrong decision.

Getting inside of 'Byron's' mind, how does he justify sleeping with another woman?
He's in denial. He thinks he is doing it for the right reason, which is to provide for his family, but his thoughts get all confused. Now he's not only earning money but he's also getting a chance to prove himself and write with his idol. His priorities, as he says in the movie, they get all screwed up. You get sucked deeper and deeper into that Faustian world, you know? That deal, with no end in sight basically.

The movie looks at the life of a male gigolo from a perspective that is rarely seen on film. What did you discover about that life?
I tried to stay as naïve to that life as possible because I wanted my reaction in those scenes to be as fresh as possible. I think Byron is a man who is completely over his head. That's one of the things I worked on in the screenplay when we were developing it; once I got it, it was one of the adjustments I made. Initially in the screenplay, he had a lot of prowess in that arena. I suggested to them, and they agreed, that it should be just the opposite, that he should be in completely over his head. A real fish out of water when it comes to being a professional male escort.

So you were actually in on tweaking the script?
When I got the script I worked on it with the writer - we had no director at the time - it was just the writer and my co-producers, Donald Zuckerman and Andrew Pfeffer. We worked on the script for about six or eight months.