Alfred Molina looks back at 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'

Alfred Molina has an Oscar away from becoming an E-Got. However, his first major role in the movie came in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

In a chat with Still Here Hollywood, he said he was unknown in the industry when Steven Spielberg first cast him.

"I didn't understand the techniques, or cutting or editing. So we would shoot a scene, and then I would go to dailies the next day to watch that scene or takes of the scene," the Spider-Man star shared.

He continued, "I would see things that I did, that I didn't, that I thought, 'Oh no, that's terrible,' and then I would come in the next day to work trying to fix what I saw before."

Alfred said this experience caused problems for him at the start. "The focus puller would put tape on the floor, to give the actor a guide as to where to stand to stay in focus."

The star noted, "I had no idea what that was for. Nobody explained it to me. So, I I thought it was something to do with what they were doing. [I thought] it doesn't have nothing to do with me." 

"[Cinematographer] Dougie Slocombe, who was a legend, came around from behind the camera, like a real gentleman. He came around and said, 'We love what you're doing, but it would be absolutely wonderful if we could get it in focus.'"

Ultimately, Steven put an end to this practice, Alfred recalled. "After a few days, it was Steven Spielberg who suggested I don't go to dailies. Because I think he understood."

"He could see I wasn't understanding that dailies are essentially a technical reference. They're all about, did we get the lighting right? Is the makeup okay? Do the costumes work?"

"The contrast between the actors and the background. It's all of that stuff. That's all really what the dailies are about. But, of course, when I saw the film, the finished film, I was I was delighted, you know," he concluded.

Alfred played Satipo in the opening sequence of Raiders of the Lost Ark.