TORONTO – Barry Pepper says winning an Emmy for his role on “The Kennedys” is vindication for the beleaguered Canadian production.
The miniseries, which Pepper says was unjustly slammed by critics in the United States, picked up four Emmys.
The British Columbia-bred actor earned the best actor in a miniseries or movie trophy for playing Bobby Kennedy on the show.
Pepper was camping with his family in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains when his name was called, and got the good news as he watched a herd of elk walk through the B.C. bush.
Pepper says he was surprised to win since the Toronto-shot miniseries earned sharply divisive reviews south of the border, and was dogged by rumours that Kennedy supporters were unhappy with the project.
“The Kennedys” starred Greg Kinnear as John F. Kennedy and Katie Holmes as Jackie. It aired in Canada on History Television and on Reelz Channel in the United States.
“When it aired in the U.S. the critics were very polarized, as is the politics in the United States – you’re either Democrat or Republican and never the twain shall meet,” Pepper said Monday, reached at his campsite in British Columbia.
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“And the critics were evenly split – they either loved it or they hated it. It was quite painful for all the people involved reading those reviews. One would say it was a ham-fisted hatchet job and another would say it was the most brilliant thing ever put on television. So you pretty much have to stop reading reviews at that point and step back and recognize that we all put a tremendous amount of passion and artistry into that production.”
He noted there were several setbacks during the process of creating “The Kennedys.” The title floundered for some time without a U.S. broadcaster after its original network, History Channel, suddenly dropped it from the schedule.
History Channel commissioned and partially financed the $30-million drama to be its first scripted program. “The Kennedys” ultimately found a home with the upstart Reelz Channel.
“It was this uphill battle, just pushing this giant boulder up the hill … trying to prove ourselves,” said Pepper, who wore prosthetics to transform his face.
“I think that because the Kennedys were American aristocracy people either really loved them and respected them or were politically opposed to them.”
The Emmy win follows a Gemini Award that Pepper earned last month from the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.
Pepper was also unable to attend the Gemini bash, but that time it was because he was in Texas working on a film with Terrence Malick.
He wouldn’t discuss details, but said the movie is in addition to an untitled Malick project expected to be released by the end of the year.
Pepper said he’s become very good friends with the acclaimed director.
“I really loved working with him and we have a very similar ideology,” he said.
“I hope to continue working with him throughout my career. He’s one of the greatest artists that we have in this business.”
Meanwhile, Pepper said he’s hoping to start production on “The Lone Ranger” with Johnny Depp at the end of the year and hints that he may be reuniting with the Coen brothers – who cast him in their western “True Grit” – for another feature.
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