Denis Leary Talks About Playing George Stacy in The Amazing Spider-Man
Posted 02.20.12 by Chris
Think Denis Leary looks perfect to play NYC Police Capt. George Stacy in the upcoming Spider-Man reboot, The Amazing Spider-Man? You're not the only one.
In an interview with the L.A. Times's Hero Complex, Leary said a childhood friend once told him he looked like the comic book character.
A good friend of mine – comedian and actor Jeff Garlin, who I’ve known for about 90 years — said when he first met me that I reminded him of George Stacy. True story. We were in our 20s at the time and I thought he was insane. After I got a call from director Marc Webb asking me to play the part, I called Jeff and filled him in on the news. His response? ‘You never listen to me! Ever!
In the interview, Leary talks about growing up a Batman fan but said he has grown to appreciate Spidey.
I never read Spider-Man comics as a kid. I was always more of a Batman guy. But my wife has always loved the Spider-Man character and found the working class ethos, the young teenager turning into a man melodrama and his orphan back story intriguing — as did I once she’d introduced me to the series. He’s far from a billionaire and he’s born of this world — it’s easy to struggle to identify with.
Fans will find out if Leary was the right person to play Stacy when The Amazing Spider-Man opens July 3.
Stacy is the father of Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), the love interest of Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield). In the movie's trailer, Leary is seen putting the pressure on not only Parker at the dinner table but also on his alter ego. Leary also has the trailer's best line: "38 of New York's finest verses one guy in a unitard." Watch the trailer again below.
The Amazing Spider-Man is based on the classic Marvel Comics character created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko that first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15 in August 1962. The screenplay was written by James Vanderbilt and Alvin Sargent. Rhys Ifans, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz, Irrfan Khan, C. Thomas Howell, Chris Zylka, Martin Sheen, and Sally Field also star.
Next Showing: The Amazing Spider-Man opens July 3