UNITED STATES
Parade
JERYL BRUNNER
The film Spotlight was nominated for three Golden Globe awards, including Best Motion Picture—Drama. The riveting film unveils the true story of the fiercely intrepid Spotlight team of Boston Globe reporters and editors who exposed a massive cover-up of child abuse by more than 245 Catholic clergy.
The film stars a dream team cast including Michael Keaton, Liev Schreiber, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, John Slattery, Brian d’Arcy James, Stanley Tucci, Billy Crudup and Neal Huff. Huff plays Phil Saviano, a key figure in the film who was abused by a priest when he was 11 and came forward to the Boston Globe.
Saviano founded the New England chapter of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP). He brought names of child molesting priests and evidence to the Boston Globe and was instrumental in helping the Boston Globe’s Spotlight team uncover the scandal.
Huff, who was a series regular on The Wire as Chief of Staff Michael Steintorf and is currently in the film Nasty Baby with Kristen Wiig, took time out of his busy schedule to answer our questions about Spotlight.
When you learned that you were going to play Phil Saviano in Spotlight, what went through your mind?
I have to meet this man.
Why?
One of the great privileges of working on this film was that I was playing a real person in this production. Co-screenwriters Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy (who also directed the film), were in close contact with him. Within days, I was up in Boston and Phil was walking me through his life. Phil’s story alone could fill a book.
What inspires you most about Phil?
He hung in there and didn’t give up. Though Phil is one of the most gentle people I have ever met, when you sit next to him and he’s talking about what’s important to him, there is a focus and life force that he just radiates. It’s almost intimidating. His strength of character is extraordinary.
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