Nolte back in action after battling personal demons

The last time most Americans saw Nick Nolte was last September,
when the mug shot from his arrest for drunk driving was splashed
across the media.

But today Nolte is sober, happy and eager to talk about his new
film, Neil Jordan’s “The Good Thief.” He is
up-front about his arrest.

“You’ve seen my picture … there’s no hiding
there!” he chuckled.

In “The Good Thief,” inspired by Jean Pierre
Melville’s film “Bob Le Flambeur,” Nolte plays
Bob Montagnet, an aging thief and heroin addict living in southern
France. After losing all his money at the races, Bob forms a motley
crew to perform one last heist at a Monte Carlo casino. It’s
a role that gives Nolte room to express and channel his personal
life.

“I’m attracted to films that deal with what my
psyche is going through,” he said.

Unlike the character Bob, Nolte says that he has never used
heroin, but his personal struggle with drugs and alcohol helped him
feel connected to his character.

“It’s something you deal with; it’s like
having a disease,” he says of alcoholism.

“You deal with it and you take care of it and you keep it
under control,” he added.

Director Jordan is quick to reaffirm the fact that Nolte, as an
actor, can transcend whatever drama is going on in his real
life.

“He’s a really hardworking actor,” Jordan
said. “He came totally prepared.”

Nolte says he has grown tired of doing big-budget studio
features. He also recently starred in “Northfork,” an
independent film featured at this year’s Sundance Film
Festival.

“The largest studios have such obligations that they
compromise their scripts,” he said.

Although he prefers smaller, character-driven films, Nolte will
be seen in this summer’s much anticipated “The
Hulk,” playing the title character’s father. However,
he does not see this as just a comic book movie. Nolte views the
relationship between father and son as a deep, tormented one, on
the level of a Greek tragedy.

Nolte gravitates toward deep and tormented characters. Even in
movies like “48 Hours,” which could have been just
another silly buddy comedy, Nolte was able to bring a nuanced
intensity to the screen. In “The Good Thief,” his
character is on the other side of the law, but his dedication to
his performance isn’t afflicted.