Robin Williams is a surprising choice for the film. How did that come about?
Robin’s name came up when we’d already cast Pacino. We’re sitting there saying, “OK, we’ve cast Pacino as a veteran cop, and that establishes a very large presence, a monolithic figure, at the centre of the movie. And yet the second half of the film is all about the tension between two characters of equal weight. How do we balance Pacino’s presence with somebody who’s similarly interesting as a movie star – but for completely different reasons?” When Robin’s name came up I immediately thought it was a fantastic idea, but I always assumed somebody would say, “No, hes a comedian.” But no one did. Williams’ role is something of a departure for him, isn’t it? I wasn’t interested in any kind of inversion of his comic persona, some kind of manic villain. What I wanted him to do, and what he was excited to do, was to play a character the likes of someone he’s never played before – an unexceptional character. He’s a guy who, if he was sitting next to you on the bus, you wouldn’t give a second
