Eric Roberts' Experience on Star 80: A Methodical and Unsettling Journey
In a recent podcast episode of It Happened in Hollywood, Eric Roberts shared his experience making the 1983 film Star 80, directed by the late Bob Fosse. The actor recounted a particularly memorable moment during production: spending the night in the actual apartment where Dorothy Stratten, a real-life Playboy Playmate of the Year, was murdered by her husband and manager, Paul Snider, the role Roberts played in the film.
Roberts was initially hesitant, but Fosse insisted, wanting him to immerse himself in the character's reality. The apartment, located off a busy highway, was noisy and disruptive, and Roberts couldn't sleep. The next day, he filmed one of the movie's most challenging scenes, which Fosse intended to make the audience feel the weight of the tragedy.
Roberts' path to Star 80 was not straightforward. The year before production, he had a serious car accident, leaving him in a coma and with lasting memory and coordination issues. He feared his acting career might be over. Then, his manager passed him a script for Fosse's next project, which had not yet widely circulated. Roberts admits he wasn't immediately grabbed by the script, but the name Bob Fosse was enough to pique his interest.
He went in to audition repeatedly, reading for Fosse five or six times before getting a straightforward offer. Fosse kept his cards close to his chest, never tipping his hand. Then, one day, he just asked if Roberts wanted to make a movie. This unusual immersion process continued for three months, with Fosse walking Roberts through key locations connected to the true story, including the Vancouver Dairy Queen where Snider first met Stratten, her childhood home, and the Playboy Mansion. Rehearsals were held in a church on Highland Avenue in Los Angeles, where Fosse taped out full set layouts on the floor.
Fosse's focus was on avoiding a one-dimensional portrayal of Snider. He wanted someone real, and Roberts agrees, noting that people like Snider are all around us. This attention to detail extended to pre-production, where Roberts stayed at a motel with Fosse in West Los Angeles. There, he received a phone call from the late director Peter Bogdanovich, who had his own connection to Stratten. Bogdanovich had cast her in 1981's They All Laughed, leading to an affair between filmmaker and muse. Snider, obsessed with Stratten, hired a private investigator to follow her. When he discovered her plans to divorce Snider and marry Bogdanovich, Snider murdered Stratten and killed himself. Bogdanovich is depicted in Star 80, renamed Aram Nicholas and played by Roger Rees.
The strange, sensational surreality of the real-life tragedy is further emphasized by the fact that, on December 30, 1988, the 49-year-old Bogdanovich married the 20-year-old Louise Stratten, Dorothy's younger sister, sparking a tabloid frenzy. Bogdanovich's involvement in the film adds a layer of complexity to the story, as Roberts describes the conversation with Bogdanovich as condescending, with Fosse urging him to keep talking. This interaction highlights the intricate web of relationships and motivations that Fosse aimed to capture in the film.
When Star 80 was released in November 1983, the industry's response was notably muted. Roberts suggests that this was due to the fear of saying something negative about Hollywood or not wanting to hate a great film. The movie received strong reviews but limited awards recognition. Roberts earned a Golden Globe nomination for best actor in a drama but was not nominated for an Oscar, a detail that didn't fully register with him until years later.
Fosse died in 1987, four years after the film's release, without directing another feature. Roberts now considers Star 80, alongside All That Jazz, as defining works. Working with Fosse, he realized that real geniuses are rare and don't work the way anyone else does. This experience left a lasting impact on Roberts, shaping his understanding of the art of filmmaking and the power of immersive storytelling.
The full conversation can be listened to on the It Happened in Hollywood podcast.
