LOS ANGELES — If one man named Neil Bogart had not stopped betting and believing in himself, then perhaps the music world would never have known Donna Summer, KISS, Gladys Knight, Parliament and the Village People.
“Spinning Gold” is the story of Neil and his son, Timothy Scott Bogart. The younger Bogart, who said that every single bit of the film is true, even the parts that aren’t, wrote and directed it.
For Bogart, “Spinning Gold” is a personal experience that allowed him to learn more about his father.
“Most kids know who their parents became. I don’t think they know who they were on the way to becoming. To suddenly be tasked with telling his story sent me on this forensic investigation into who my father was, and that was unbelievably revelatory,” he said in an interview with Spectrum News.
Bogart says he saw his father as a larger-than-life character, but as a child, he didn’t see how scared he was or how hard it was for his father.
“The greatest lesson was how committed he was to the struggle,” said Bogart.
Never giving up and always following your dream is a strong moral in the movie, said Jay Pharoah, who in the film plays Neil’s best friend, Cecil Holmes.
“Bet on yourself. Believe in yourself no matter how many people don’t believe in you,” said Pharoah.
In the film, Neil is played by Tony Award nominee Jeremy Jordan, who says he had to learn everything about him because he knew little about Neil before making the film.
“I think I really learned his heart,” said Jordan.
To prepare for the film, Jordan submerged himself in the music of the time period.
“I went back through all the KISS albums, all Donna Summer albums and the Parliament albums. There is some wild music that he but together,” he said.
Bogart says his father’s mission was to live life big, and not only did Neil live big and large, he also gave the world some of the biggest music artists, including Donna Summer, who in the film is played by Tayla Parx.
For Parx, stepping into Donna Summer’s shoes was an exciting challenge.
“We know the famous version of Donna, but what was happening along the way to becoming Donna? That’s what this film really focuses on,” she said.
And for the record, those are Parx’s vocals in the film.
As for the film’s message, Bogart says he wants people to dream big and persevere.
“I think if people can walk out of the theater going, ‘Wow, those people did an awful lot,’ and then think, ‘What did I do today? Okay, I am going to do more tomorrow.’ You only get one life. Live it big, live it large. I think that is the message,” said he said.
The film’s cast includes Michelle Monaghan, Casey Likes, and includes performances by Jason Derulo, Wiz Khalifa, Ledisi, Alex Gaskarth and Pink Sweat$.
“Spinning Gold” is out in theaters.
Click the arrow above to watch the full interview.
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