The film 鈥淭he Friend鈥� tells a story of two creatures who lose someone they love 鈥� and find each other. She鈥檚 a writer. He鈥檚 a dog.
Actress Naomi Watts gets top billing, but her screen partner 鈥� Bing, a Great Dane 鈥� is also getting a lot of attention for his performance in the film, which opened nationwide Friday.
Bing is a star thanks to a 海角换妻-based animal trainer, Bill Berloni. For decades, Berloni has tracked down dogs and other animals and trains them humanely to perform in film, TV and theatre.
Berloni spotted Bing in Iowa. He and Bing鈥檚 owner worked together to transform the Great Dane into a canine actor for his on-screen debut.
鈥淲e were looking for a dog that had been trained humanely,鈥� Berloni said. 鈥淥ne who would listen, who was friendly with strangers and one who liked treats!鈥�
Bing was a natural. The filmmakers call him 鈥渢he Cary Grant of dogs.鈥�
Bing appeared with Watts at a recent press event in New York City. He laid sprawled out on the floor.
Watts describes her charismatic co-star as 鈥渟ensitive and responsive.鈥�
鈥淭his dog knows when a human is having feelings,鈥� Watts said. 鈥淲hen I started to cry on him, he鈥檚 suddenly, 鈥榃hat can I do to fix this?鈥� Or 鈥楽omething鈥檚 wrong.鈥欌��
'Have to find the right dog'
鈥淭he Friend鈥� is based on the novel by Sigrid Nunez. The book鈥檚 cover features a Harlequin Great Dane, a distinctive dog covered in white with black spots.
The filmmakers wanted that dog for this film.
They turned to Berloni. But he had some concerns.
鈥淲hen I read the script, I called the filmmakers back and said, 鈥榊ou can鈥檛 make this movie the way you鈥檝e written it,鈥欌�� Berloni said.
Berloni is the only animal handler who鈥檚 ever won a Tony Award. And he knew the breed could be tricky to work with.
鈥淕reat Danes are very sensitive,鈥� Berloni explains. 鈥淎nd then, you know, we鈥檇 have to find the right dog.
鈥淎nd you鈥檇 have to build the film around the right dog.鈥�
The filmmakers were adamant.
The dog had to be a visibly male Great Dane who could appear soulful and expressive, but also funny.
Berloni鈥檚 nationwide search was on.
A Great Dane that's truly great
He contacted hundreds of breeders. He pored through headshots and traveled across the country for tryouts.
Finally, he rolled into Iowa, where he spotted Bing.
This gentle giant had it all. Regal bearing. Mournful expression. Testicles intact. And humanely trained. He even knows how to sing on cue.
鈥淚 turned to the filmmakers and said, 鈥業f you don鈥檛 hire this dog, I鈥檓 going to hire him and take him to New York,鈥欌�� Berloni said.
In 鈥淭he Friend,鈥� Bing plays the role of the Great Dane Apollo. Watts plays Iris, a writer and teacher who is grieving. Her closest friend and mentor, played by Bill Murray, has suddenly died and bequeathed his beloved dog to her. Iris lives alone in a tiny apartment in New York City that won鈥檛 allow animals. And it鈥檚 not like she can hide Apollo 鈥� he鈥檚 about the size of a small pony.
Berloni wanted the dog鈥檚 connection with the actress to be real. When he works on Broadway, Berloni teaches performers to become animal handlers.
Stage dogs don鈥檛 act, he says. They live. In real time.
Their attention should be on stage and not on a trainer in the wings, he says. But movies are different. Dog actors often meet human actors right on set, with trainers hidden off-camera.
Berloni asked if they could approach 鈥淭he Friend鈥� like a piece of theater. Watts agreed.
鈥淚 needed to start on a training path,鈥� Watts said. 鈥淎nd I鈥檓 a dog person. I鈥檓 not squeamish. Slobber all over me! You know, like, whatever.鈥�
Experiencing grief with a dog
Still, it was complicated.
鈥淏ecause he鈥檚 twice my size, nearly,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e weighs 150 pounds. He鈥檚 incredibly strong.鈥�
Watts and Bing spent several weeks getting to know each other. And once cameras started rolling, they got gold.
鈥淭here was something really beautiful about experiencing grief with another species,鈥� Watts said. 鈥淚t was very healing.鈥�
Near the end of audiences hear Iris thinking about what her dog was like before she met him.
Iris tells Apollo: 鈥淣ot to have known you as a frisky young dog, to have missed your entire puppyhood, I don鈥檛 feel just sad. I feel cheated.鈥�
But audiences won鈥檛. 鈥淭he Friend鈥� has opened to glowing reviews.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated how Bing was referred to by filmmakers. He was called the "Cary Grant of dogs," not the "Clark Gable of dogs."
