Nick Rolfe never dreamed that he’d find himself practically naked on a movie set, pretending to make love with an A-list actress. However, this suddenly became his reality a couple of months ago when he was cast as Ben Duffy in the independent film “Bernard and Doris,” starring Susan Sarandon and Ralph Fiennes.
Rolfe grew up playing the piano, not acting. But he was called in for his very first acting audition when he was discovered in a most unusual way.
“They were looking for a musician who had a certain look, so they contacted Joe’s Pub in New York City,” Rolfe says of landing his first movie role. “I know the woman who books people to play there, and she told the casting director about my website.
“I was a little nervous because I had never done [acting] before. I kept telling myself that if this were meant to be, I would get the part. They asked me to play piano, sing, read lines and do some improv.”
After the initial audition, the director asked Rolfe to come in the next day to meet with Sarandon. The two hit it off immediately, and within the span of three days, Rolfe had secured the part of Sarandon’s lover, a sexy jazz musician.
The film is about the twilight years of tobacco billionairess Doris Duke (Sarandon) and her gay butler (Fiennes), to whom she left her entire fortune.
The role was perfectly suited for Rolfe, as he had the opportunity to play his music and sing, as well as step out of his comfort zone and into the acting world.
“I like to branch out and diversify,” Rolfe says. “[Susan, Ralph and I] sang together, and everyone was relying on me [musically]. But I really put myself out there as a first-time actor. It was a beautiful experience.”
Throughout most of the movie-making process, Rolfe remained at ease. He found that his background in music helped him with his performance in the movie.
“The twelve years I’ve spent performing music really prepared me for performing in a film,” he says. “Susan and Ralph are very good at what they do. Working with them helped me to push myself and raise the bar to the highest level possible. They are very open and supportive people. They made my job very easy. They played off whatever I did.
“My favorite scene includes all three of us. I come out of the bedroom and Ralph’s character is there. There is an intense interplay (between our characters), but then his character wins my character over. It isn’t a very long scene, but it’s cool because it included all three of us.”
