Having begun this project nearly 3 years ago speaking with Marshall Herskovitz, it seems fitting that I near completion of the interview phase now with his My So-Called Life executive producing partner Edward Zwick, whom I had the pleasure of speaking with yesterday afternoon.
I’m grateful to him for filling in additional details, offering keen insights into the contributions of creator Winnie Holzman, as well as for helping me better understand the “safe haven” that he and Herskovitz created for the production team on that show. The clout the two gained following the success of Thirtysomething enabled them to shield MSCL from network interference, something they did to an extent never seen before or since. The results speak for themselves.
“Grateful” also characterized his attitude yesterday – a gratitude for the opportunities that have enabled him to do what fulfills him artistically.
Even as far back as 1994 he expressed this. I distinctly recall Senta Moses Mikan (Delia) telling me that he once observed how lucky they all were to be able to do what they do for a living. It was, she explained, a sentiment that has stuck with her throughout her career.
Despite film and television successes too numerous to name, Zwick says he’s never forgotten what it was like being an aspiring director in the very beginning.
“When I was in college I thought I’d be at a repertory theater in upstate New York,” he admits, “and damned happy to have the job.”
....... Photo at top by Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan - Jack Reacher: Never Go Back Japan Premiere Red Carpet: Edward Zwick, CC BY 2.0 So Beautiful it Hurts’ is neither endorsed by nor affiliated with ABC, The Bedford Falls Co., nor anyone involved with the making or distribution of “My So-Called Life.”