Mann Rescues Fainting Actor

Great to read some anecdotes about Michael Mann (hmmm, in posting all things about Michael Mann, one starts to become obsessive about these details). Here is a positive story relating Mann's softer side on the set of Public Enemies ; -). See below, but if you want it in full click here:

Finally, in full wardrobe, we were taken to the capital (FBI) steps. We rehearsed for a good two hours while the camera operators, sound guys, video play-back technicians, and a bunch of other crew members set the necessary “shots” up. The scene was supposed to take place in October. It was at least 75 degrees where we were at, and wearing all of those wool clothes and overcoats made it feel like it was 100 degrees. I met Christian Bale (MELVIN PURVIS), Billy Crudup (HOOVER), and Director Michael Mann. They couldn’t have been nicer.

All of a sudden – just before we were going to start “shooting” the scene – I felt a good amount of sweat dripping down my back getting cold and clammy. Yes, here it is! My BIG Hollywood moment! And, I fainted, going down for the count! Michael Mann, watching everything from the video play-back tent, saw me going down and ran out to me – literally catching me before I hit the ground. In seconds, a crew member put a bag of ice on my neck and I was given, oh, about a hundred bottles of water. I didn’t completely lose consciousness (THANK GOODNESS), but they let me sit on a “crane camera” that was directly behind us, shooting a point-of-view shot from our perspective of J. Edgar Hoover and Melvin Purvis. Michael Mann kept saying, “David! Are you feeling okay now?” First of all, how cool was it that HE caught me, that HE was so concerned about my well being?