Interview: WAMG Talks To Actor Jonathan Silverman From BEETHOVEN’S TREASURE TAIL

Get ready to howl with laughter in this all-new family comedy starring America’s favorite St. Bernard, the one and only Beethoven. Produced by Universal 1440 Entertainment, the production arm of Universal Studios Home Entertainment, BEETHOVEN’S TREASURE TAIL is on Digital HD now and on DVD and Blu-ray Combo Pack with DVD, Digital HD & Ultraviolet on October 28, 2014.

The new movie is a follow up to Beethoven’s Big Break (2008), the sixth installment in the Beethoven film series.

After a doggone disaster of a movie shoot, the big-hearted pooch and his trainer, Eddie (Jonathan Silverman, Beethoven’s Big Break), are heading home when they get stranded in a small coastal village. When Beethoven befriends a local boy (Bretton Manley, Ted), he helps him find a pirate map to lost treasure and together they em-bark on an adventure that brings the whole town together. Co-starring Morgan Fairchild (Flamingo Road), Kristy Swanson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), and Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator), it’s a heartwarming “tail” about finding fun wherever your nose leads you.

WAMG recently spoke with actor Jonathan Silverman on the phone about his latest movie.

WAMG: Many of us know you from WEEKEND AT BERNIE’S and BRIGHTON BACH MEMOIRS. Now comes your second film in the BEETHOVEN series, BEETHOVEN’S TREASURE TAIL.

You recently starred in the movie CRAWLSPACE and now you’re headlining the family friendly BEETHOVEN movie. How did you get involved with this series?

Jonathan Silverman: I’ve been lucky to be doing this now for 30 years and I’ve never considered myself to be anything more than a working actor. I have been pigeon holed in any direction, so if I jump from one genre to the other I’m okay with that.

The first BEETHOVEN movie I did alongside my wife, Jennifer Finnigan, and we had a blast together. 

Universal hadn’t done a BEETHOVEN movie in a while and a friend of mine, Mike Elliott, was making his directorial debut. We had met years earlier on Queen Latifah’s movie, THE COOKOUT.

I got a phone call from him and he asked me to play the lead in this new BEETHOVEN film. My wife and I starred in it and we knew that after we had children one day, it’d be nice to able to show them a movie with mommy and daddy. (laughs).

BEETHOVEN’S BIG BREAK was well received and successful and Universal wanted to make another, so here we go again. It’s adorable.

WAMG: Definitely – especially if you have children.

JS:  It’s geared toward family audiences and was made for kids and their parents. It’s cute and funny. With all the cartoonish situations in it, there are a lot of laughs. Families young and old will enjoy it.

WAMG: What was it like working with Kristy Swanson and Morgan Fairchild?

JS: Oh they’re great! I’ve known Kristy for decades. She is such a joy. Morgan is just terrific! She came in for a few days and ready to play. She developed this really great character, perhaps slightly based on talent agent Sue Mengers wearing this wild outfit with big glasses. She was talking in a thick accent, virtually unrecognizable and really funny. Morgan is such a beautiful woman and so nice to everyone.

WAMG: How did the filming go?

JS: All the folks in Halifax, Nova Scotia were so welcoming and beyond lovely. It made the shoot such fun. From the people on the street to the people feeding us lobster three times a day, it was a joy!

WAMG: Will there be anymore BEETHOVEN movies?

JS: If there’s another one, I’d love to be involved with it.

WAMG: What can you tell us about your new TV show?

JS: I did a pilot which is called “Significant Mother.” We shot it in Portland a couple months ago. It’s looking good and the fine folks over at the CW network are negotiating to air it. It’s a half hour, one camera comedy and awfully funny. We’ve actually shot three episodes so far, so we’re hoping they’ll pick it up.

WAMG: You and your wife directed OPPOSITE SEX – how was it to work on and helm a film together?

JS: I did! It went just great. I had only directed one other movie before, but Jennifer was so helpful with all the shooting, editing and post-production. When this opportunity came my way, I told her we should work on it together.  We were told it’ll either be the end of your 10-year relationship after working 24 hours a day together OR it’ll be the greatest thing ever – and it was. I think she’s an amazing director.

The movie got sold and it’s coming out in January 2015 in theaters.  Its stars Mena Suvari, Eric Roberts, Kenan Thompson, Kristin Chenoweth – we got a whole bunch of friends to be in the film. It’s an adult romantic comedy.

WAMG: Your wife is on Twitter – you’re on Instagram. Having been an actor for a couple of decades now, what do you think of the world of social networking to promote films?

JS: I’m fascinated by it. I don’t think I understand how half of it works. I’ve always stayed away. I’m the guy who hung onto his Betamax years after they went away. I’m old-fashioned when it comes to that, so I’m still not on Twitter.

When my wife went to work on FX’s “Tyrant” in Morocco and then in Turkey, I joined Instagram so I could see how she was doing and communicate with her thousands of miles away. Plus she could see what I was up to.

If it wasn’t for her living so far away, I probably would have never joined, but now I’m hooked.

WAMG: Moviefone wrote an article over the summer on who they would cast in a WEEKEND AT BERNIE’S remake. The film recently celebrated it’s 25th anniversary.

They’d like to see Bradley Cooper cast in Andrew McCarthy’s role and Kevin Hart in the part you played. Sounds funny. What do you think?

JS: (laughs) That makes a lot of sense. I can see the connection!