“Almost Famous” Cast Reunites for the 20th Anniversary
Today (July 13th) is Cameron Crowe‘s birthday and for a guy who is only 63 years young, he’s got an encyclopedia of stories to tell! Lucky for us, some of his best tales as a teen music reporter are written into the rise and fall of the faux-band Stillwater we know way too well thanks to the countless viewings of Almost Famous we’ve jammed into the two decades of our lives.
To celebrate the movie’s 20th anniversary, the cast did a pandemic-style reunion on James Andrew Miller’s Origins podcast. The five part series provides an oral history of the film through interviews with Kate Hudson, Billy Crudup, Zooey Deschanel, Jimmy Fallon, Frances McDormand, Jason Lee, Patrick Fugit, writer/director Cameron Crowe and co-writers of the film’s music, Peter Frampton and Nancy Wilson.
Grab a seat by the window, extinguish all flammable items and do return all seats and tray tables to their full upright position because… IT’S ALL HAPPENING!
Ep 1: Casting, Casting, Casting
- “Almost Famous” was almost a very different movie. Can you imagine the film with Meryl Streep, Brad Pitt, and Natalie Portman? Here’s the full story of the casting saga that took place before filming ever started.
- Cameron Crowe’s script for “Almost Famous” was semi-autobiographical; if you think that made it easier to write, consider its 10 year incubation. In Episode 2, we go back to Cameron’s real life upbringing, and follow him as he never gives up on bringing his most personal story to the screen.
Ep 3: Rock School & Pre-Production
- Nancy Wilson and Peter Frampton tutor Billy Crudup, Jason Lee, and others on being rock stars, including how to figure out how to play the guitar in just six weeks — while the others start rehearsals and get to know one another.
- Come behind the camera and the scenes as the entire cast shares stories from their favorite and most difficult days during the long five month shoot of “Almost Famous.”
- Cameron Crowe and the cast of “Almost Famous” answer big 20th anniversary questions like, “Why are we still talking about this film now?” What is the legacy of “Almost Famous?” “How did the film change your career? Your life?”
