Most people seem to know actor Vincent D'Onofrio from one of two roles: Either as Pvt. "Gomer" Pyle from Kubrick's Vietnam War epic "Full Metal Jacket" or as Detective Robert Goren in "Law & Order: Criminal Intent." Maybe to a lesser extent his role in the campy Will Smith vehicle "Men in Black," too perhaps. D'Onofrio dropped by Morning Joe last week to discuss his return to "Law & Order" and a "slasher musical" he's directed.
Sounds riveting indeed.
As with most people I photograph in the Morning Joe green room, I had just a few moments to snap a suitable picture of D'Onofrio and then get out. Or so I thought. I found that D'Onofrio was pretty darn genial, and he was in the mood to chat before his interview. He was quick to point out what a fan he was of the show as well.
Somehow we got on the subject of the times when Manhattan was far grittier than it is now and when he used to work as a bouncer in famed Manhattan clubs like The Ritz (now the popular Webster Hall) or the legendary CBGB's (now closed). He talked about being a fan of Patti Smith before he asked if he could watch a segment on Morning Joe. Naturally, I obliged.
So what you have here is a capture of a very famous actor dutifully watching the show, enjoying his coffee, and doing his best to forget a photographer was there to record the moment.