In real life, the Junods adopted a daughter after the profile was published and Janet never met Fred Rogers. Tom Hanks' mannerisms seem very accurate as well, including his slow way of speaking and use of silence, considering each word carefully and giving his audience time to ponder them. After all, Rogers woke up daily at 5 a.m. to pray and read and swim; he famously even ensured that he weight the same exact amount143 poundswithout fluctuation. Junod was living in East Cobb, married and childless, when he got the assignment. "They sang, all at once, all together, the song he sings at the start of his program, 'Won't You Be My Neighbor?' Correction, Dec. 3, 2019: This article originally misstated how long the moment of silence in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood lasts. Co-screenwriter Micah Fitzerman-Blue said that while the personal struggles the journalist experiences in the movie are fictional, his relationship with Fred Rogers is "very accurate," which appears to be true (minus the moments when Rogers is helping him with his personal conflicts). When you see elderly couples, you are amazed by the durability not only of their love but also of their animus because from what you know of marriage, you know they are still fighting. I was really struggling with that. They told him, "Yeah, but it's not good for the fish. The real-life journalist, Tom Junod, admits that he was broken back then, but he says, "I had never uttered those words to Fred in my life." He was born on April 9, 1958, in Wantagh, New York, in the United States of America. In the cinematic version, Vogel lives in New York City with his wife and newborn son. Though Hanks Mister Rogers is the storyteller in Marielle Hellers new film, the movies inspiration, a 1998 Esquire cover story, positions him instead as a subject. I had a lot to learn when I first met Fred.. The question is not who can win, because anyone can win if they're willing to go far enough if they're willing to win at the cost of love and respect. Junod says it was with tools like his notesusing discipline to be a good friend or a good partnerthat he was able to uphold such goodness throughout his life. The documentary offers a much more comprehensive look at the life of Fred Rogers. And hes still going even, Junod is currently a senior writer at ESPN, where hes written about his, When he met Mr. Rogers, he was married, but had no children. Ive had people say, I know a lot of people who are really kind, but theyre just not media people, so no one knows about their kindness. I mean, the point is that Fred was a media person, and he did have a platform, and he spoke to an extremely large audience that he made into an even larger audience. After another long awards season of Hollywood doing what it does best ignoring Black art I, This story contains heavy spoilers for Creed III. I would love to remove that but I dont know. Im just wondering on your end, where has your relationship with prayer landed now, and do you think it will continue to change? But do you think there will be one? But fighting matters to a marriage because what matters most to a marriage is forgiveness, and forgiveness doesn't come for free. Junod worked as a writer for Esquire magazine beginning in 1997, after following editor David Granger to the magazine from GQ. Fidelity matters to a marriage. I thought to myself that Fred would be proud of thisthat Freds ideas about journalism were not in vain, Junod says. During a 1987 interview with Rick Sebak, Fred said that he gave up fish in the 1980s after hearing someone's reply when he said, "I heard that fish was very good for you." You fight about what you always have fought about. In fact, Rogers helped give them the. Im at my best as a father when I try to think what Fred Rogers would do, and Im probably at my worst when I think what my own father would do., He looks back at 2015, when his article was optioned for the big screen, with nostalgia, referring to it as the age of relative innocence., I certainly did not know that Donald Trump would be elected in 2016 and that, all of a sudden, the example of Fred would come to matter so much more, he said. Tom is 64 years old born on April 9, 1958, in Wantagh, New York, in the USA. In Junods Atlantic piece, he writes that Isler hadnt wanted Fred to cooperate with my story, because he had read my stories and knew the cruelty I was capable of. And though there is a real clip of Rogers fumbling with a tent for a solid two minutes, its from 1975about two decades before Junod did his profile. Yes, at least much more accurately than any of the other main characters. Mr Rogers is an American television host, author, producer, and Presbyterian minister. Terry Like the real-life Fred Rogers, the movies Rogers married an accomplished pianist named Joanne and fathered two sons. Twenty minutes later, I got off the train, chose the closest of the stations 14 exits to start my Junod scavenger hunt from, reached the top of the stairs, turned to cross the street, and, wow, okayover on the other end, red turtleneck, black suit, there he is. And I think that audience is sort of self-selecting and limited by definition, almost. In Atlanta, new indie outlets are finding ways to make it workand bringing in important voices, Jonathan Majors and Michael B. Jordan talk about Atlanta-filmed Creed III, How young trans peopleand their families and medical providersare contending with a wave of animus, Junkmans Daughter owner to open Virginia-Highland coffee shop this summer, Warren Doyle and the life-changing magic of the Appalachian Trail, The scent of water: Searching for hidden springs in downtown Atlanta, Hell and high water: A harrowing journey from Myanmar to Clarkston, Georgia. Instead, the film focuses much of its time on the skeptical Lloyd (Matthew Rhys) trying to figure out if Fred Rogers is the real deal. Tom Junod indeed found himself opening up to Fred Rogers, asking him his "deepest and most troubling questions." Tom Junod does credit Fred Rogers with giving his wife Janet and him the courage to adopt their daughter. The photo above shows Tom Junod, Tom Hanks and Matthew Rhys at the world premiere of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood in Toronto. And then my editor, Denise Wills said, Could you try to think of an answer to that question? And I thought about it, then I had to read the story again for the audiobook of this collection of Freds writings and sayings. He was the host and creator of the preschool television series Mister Rogers Neighborhood. 0. All rights reserved. The Real-Life Lloyd Vogel: Tom Junod is the real-life reporter on whom the character of Lloyd Vogel is based. Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys) is a heavily fictionalized and re-named version of journalist Tom Junod. This was a deeply disciplined man. Tom Hanks stars as Mister Rogers in 'A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. But I mean, Fred and my dad could not have been more different. He joined the station in July 2016. Cast your vote in the reader poll. Rogers team was hesitant, too. Well, the one that doesn't end, obviously. And yet, here I am. This story is around 1,400 words.) Of course you are. Mister Rogers spots him first, naturally, amidst the swarm of New Yorkers, about the five-hundredth happy coincidence in a life full of them. We soon learn that hes recently become a father, and theres a palpable discomfort in his interactions with his wife, Andrea (Susan Kelechi Watson), and his newborn son. Tom and his wife have been together for over 35 years. Tom wrote an article, on a celebrity profile, but the celebrity is the man in the gold cardigan who showed you how to tie your shoes. "It is a truism by now that there was no difference between Fred Rogers and Mister Rogers," says Tom Junod, the real-life journalist who loosely inspired Matthew Rhys character (The Atlantic). Hes obviously having trouble zipping up his sweater, its not easy for him, and I know that it took like many, many takes to do that. During a youth baseball game on June 1, 2018, a car driven by Carol Sharrow careened onto the field nearly missing players and umpires while family and friends watched in . Toms salary is $83,540 annually. Just as in the movie, he did often say he wouldnt eat anything that had a mother, though it doesnt seem like he ever used that line with Junod. Magazines, Digital With the film adaptation of Junod's legendary Esquire story out today, we talked to the writer about the man who changed his life. [8], Among his controversial articles, Junod came to regret the tone of his 1997 profile of Kevin Spacey for Esquire that "more or less outed the actor". As such, Tom Junod's observations from his interview with Fred Rogers are the fuel for Marielle Heller's drama about learning the very lessons that "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" taught children and adults in the show's 33-year history. He prayed every day of his life. Here is how you know you and your wife are going to have a fight: You haven't had sex. While conducting our A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood fact check, we discovered this to be false. 25 Best Tom Hanks Movies, Ranked . That light just burned out and there was I mean, that was on fire. UNTOLD scroll BY Tom Junod and Paula Lavigne Editor's note: This story contains explicit language and graphic descriptions of sexual. Upon realizing the answer, he stopped to appreciate how he had come to take Rogers lessons with him. The things themselves are not important; what's important is that you both always do them. Write to Rachel E. Greenspan at rachel.greenspan@time.com. While we represen, Major spoilers ahead. Here is how you know that the fight is finally over: You have sex. TJ: Thats a great question. ESQUIRE: In your Atlantic piece, you talk about how theres no true successor to Mister Rogers. I bring up the Pam Bondi thing in the The Atlantic piecewhere they actually use Fred to hound somebody. I mean, one of the great surprises of my life is doing this. Mister Rogers' Neighborhood did this regularly with children, using puppetry, songs and straightforward talk to help children understand their feelings. No. While researching the A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood true story, we discovered that the real-life journalist and his wife did not have a newborn child. The way Matthew [Rhys] played it, I recognized myself in the character.. On the set of "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood," Tom Hanks (who portrays Fred Rogers) meets with reporter Tom Junod (center) and actor Matthew Rhys, who plays Junod in the movie. But, in that same way, do you think he could have became what he did with social media instead of TV? As we spoke by cellphone, he walked the family's dog, Dexter, a pit bull rescue, around the neighborhood. The writer has no idea whether these were meant as pieces of advice, lessons or notes Rogers perhaps learned from Junod himself. The Slate Group LLC. Not that it's messy, or that the accumulated water glasses and coffee cups tend to . Before ESPN, he spent over 19 years as a Writer At Large at Esquire magazine. With Fred Rogers, Margaret Whitmer, Tom Junod, Joanne Rogers. Does it mean anything? And you don't say what can't be unsaid. Tom Junod, whose magazine article inspired the film, on the set of 'A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.'. Scene transitions show toy cities, just like those used on the legendary childrens show, only Lloyds story is unfolding in Manhattan, rather than Pittsburgh. Discover Tom Junod's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. He did eventually go to the Pittsburgh set as well as Rogers childhood home in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Theres fire up there guys! They sang, all at once, all together, the song he sings at the start of his program, Wont You Be My Neighbor? and turned the clattering train into a single soft, runaway choir. I said sure, hung up, and realized I didnt exactly catch where in Bryant Parkanother New York capital of constant, nightmarish pedestrian overflow. Further, he had a controversial article about Kevin Spacey for Esquire that more or less outed the actor in 1997. "They just sang," wrote Junod. Then view a trailer for the Fred Rogers documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor? ESQ: One thing I was really interested in how in the The Atlantic piece, you spell out masculinity as defined by your father. ESQ: Thats where Im at right now. "Like Fred's wife Joanne tells Lloyd in the movie, Fred started every morning by swimming and praying for people by name. Junod, who stayed friends with Rogers until his death in 2003, credits their relationship with making him a better writer. "My sister didn't have a wedding. Copyright 2023 HistoryvsHollywood.com, CTF Media. To Vogels surprise, Rogers decides not to retape, saying that children need to see that when adults make plans, sometimes they dont work.. Many times my wife and I ask each other, What would Fred Rogers do? And Im not kidding, Junod said. Strangely enough, when interviewing Fred Rogers, Junod recalled that the questions were always turned . As the movie depicts, Bill Isler (played by Enrico Colantoni), whom Junod refers to as Rogers majordomo, ran Rogers production company. The problem with this approach is that the answer has already been well established. And I just think that its a trap; I think its false. And my essay from 1998 is the intro for that. JOURNALISTS, USA JOURNALISTS' BIOS In an excerpt from his 'Press Box' interview with Bryan Curtis, Tom Junod discusses his Esquire story about the image of a man who fell or jumped from the North Tower on September 11, 2001. Photo illustration by Slate. And Ive tried to do it so that Im not just repeating the same line, trying to kind of live in the moment. I expected to have some distance from it, Junod tells TIME of his experience watching the film. This is all somewhat accurate, though no woman was editor in chief of Esquire in the 90s, and its staff was not as diverse as it is in the movie. Do you see masculinity as different endslike you could be this person or this person? Perhaps it's because I grew up in Pittsburgh, where Fred Rogers lived and his show was created, but no one I know has ever questioned his sincerity. While Junod says that Fred Rogers did see something in him that he didn't see in himself (namely that he was a good person), he wasn't the cynical journalist consumed by anger who Matthew Rhys portrays onscreen. Tom Junod, who wrote the 1998 article in Esquire that the movie is based on, would talk about the way his interactions with Fred Rogers changed his life. And so what I try to pray really is that I represent his message accurately and wholeheartedly. And I dont know which take they use, but it was hard for Tom to do that. Yeah, he would. (Which, in journalism these days, is quite long. He joined ESPN in 2016 and has specialized in deeply reported stories on subjects ranging from Muhammad Ali's funeral to Tom Brady's desire to play forever. There, Lloyd confronts his father, who we later find out cheated on his dying wife before abandoning her and their children, and father and son get into a fistfight. His son John said that his dad had probably seenForrest Gump100 times. TJ: I mean, I dont know. he murders Sullivan's wife and other son. Firstly, Vogel's wife's name is Andrea, and she is somewhat modeled after Junod's wife, Janet. Meaning that there should be mistakes, there should be accidents, and if that was filmed, then it should stay filmed. Instead, the plot focuses on the real-life friendship between Rogers and cynical journalist Tom Junod (renamed Lloyd Vogel in the movie and portrayed by Matthew Rhys). Yes, Jonathan Briley might be the Falling Man. I think he did the scales every day., If Mister Rogers were alive today to see A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Junod is pretty sure that he would enjoy the film. He is hitched to his amazing wife Janet Junod. . The writer had developed a reputation as a mens-magazine bad boy by penning controversial articles like his 1997 Esquire profile of Kevin Spacey that more or less outed the actor. You don't want to, but you do. 3,177 likes, 16 comments - soltana beauty center (@soltana_beautycenter) on Instagram: "La jolie @the_good_wife__ que pensiez vous de son maquillage " Tom idolized his father, despite his shortcomings. Toms estimated net worth is $1 Million. Though the main narrative of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is largely fictional, interspersed through the film are scenes that are lifted directly from the profileincluding a few of the most unbelievable ones. The acclaimed Mister Rogers documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor?, which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, was not part of the basis for 2019'sA Beautiful Day in the Neighborhoodstarring Tom Hanks. TJ: I mean, I never had that nightmare, but very interesting. In the movie, Joanne reveals to Vogel that her husband begins every morning by swimming and praying for people by name, and at one point, Rogers discloses that hes a vegetarian. Matthew Rhys' character, the cynical Lloyd Vogel, is only loosely inspired by real-life journalist Tom Junod, hence the name change. Now you see their point. In addition, he is a two-time National Magazine Awards winner. In real life, he won two National Magazine Awards, but earlier, in 1995 and 1996. If you want to stay married, you don't have to be able to stop fighting; you have to be able to keep fighting, in the same way. And I called Joanne [Rogers] after that and said, What do you think about that? And she was like, You know, Fred would never represent that. That seems so obvious, but I think to a lot of people its not obvious because I think that the temptation of being able to think that yelling at somebody on the street, youre somehow striking a blow. 2023 Tom Junod was born on 9 April, 1958 in United States, is an American journalist. This is one Mr. Rogers story you dont have to take on my authority, or Junods, because you can watch it yourself. In 2020, an old theory resurfaced on the internet hypothesizing that world famous composer Ludwig van Beethoven may have actually been Black, sparking cont, Rarely do I watch a movie that leaves me truly perplexed. Playing Andrea Vogel, (but really Janet Junod, Tom Junod's wife), is This Is Us breakout star Susan Kelechi Watson. Junod was brought to tears by "A Beautiful Day": "From the moment Tom begins talking to you in the audience, I just bought in," he says. In real life, Rogers was an ordained Presbyterian minister. 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