SUSAN SARANDON AND RALPH FIENNES STAR IN HBO FILMS’ BERNARD AND DORIS, DEBUTING FEB. 9 ON HBO; GROWN-UP FAIRYTALE ABOUT AN IMAGINED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TWO VERY REAL PEOPLE IS DIRECTED BY BOB BALABAN AND WRITTEN BY HUGH COSTELLO

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Film About Socialite Doris Duke Is Executive Produced By Bob Balaban, Jonathan Cavendish, Adam Kassen And Mark Kassen; Along With Kevin Spacey And Dana Brunetti; Co-Executive Produced By Mark Olsen
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In 1987, Irish butler Bernard Lafferty arrived at the doorstep of tobacco heiress Doris Duke. Fresh out of rehab and without a penny to his name, he faced an uphill battle in convincing his notoriously demanding boss to keep him on staff. A mere six years later, he had not only managed to remain employed, but had been granted control over Duke’s billion-dollar fortune.

What might have happened during those in-between years is the subject of BERNARD AND DORIS, debuting SATURDAY, FEB. 9 (8:00-9:45 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. While the film explores issues of money, class and sexuality, at its core this HBO Films’ presentation is the imagined story of an extraordinary relationship between two real-life individuals who don’t fit into each other’s worlds.

Starring Susan Sarandon as Doris Duke, the richest woman in the world, and Ralph Fiennes as Bernard Lafferty, her devoted Irish butler, BERNARD AND DORIS is directed by Bob Balaban (producer of Gosford Park, director of The Exonerated) and written by Hugh Costello. The film is executive produced by Bob Balaban, Jonathan Cavendish, Adam Kassen and Mark Kassen; along with Kevin Spacey and Dana Brunetti; and co-executive produced by Mark Olsen.

While Duke’s decision to name Lafferty her estate executor was the subject of multiple lawsuits and headlines, BERNARD AND DORIS goes beyond this sensationalism to tell a witty and endearing tale about the unconventional bond between a society “princess” and her flawed “pauper” of a butler.

“To me,” explains director Balaban, “BERNARD AND DORIS is a love story between a reclusive grand dame destined to fall in love with all the wrong men and a penniless servant who shared the same fate. Our writer, Hugh Costello, imagined a six-year courtship, invented characters and situations, and made us understand how this unusual relationship might have actually come to be.”

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

BERNARD AND DORIS filmed on Long Island for six chilly weeks on a miniscule budget. Jokes director Bob Balaban, “Doris Duke left her dogs more money than we had to make the movie!” Old Westbury Gardens, once the estate of the Phipps family, was used as the main set.

According to Susan Sarandon, “Getting this movie made was almost like a Judy Garland movie. ‘Let’s put on a show in a barn,’ you know? There was absolutely no money involved in making this film, and we shot four scenes a day. It’s an absolute miracle that it pulled together, but there is something very freeing about guerrilla filmmaking.”

Favors were called in from everywhere. Clothes were borrowed from the closets of high-powered friends; Fendi sent furs; Bulgari lent jewels worthy of a billionairess, plus a guard to watch over them. Cristolfe lent silver. Balaban met a young fashion designer in the subway who admired the actor-director’s career. Two weeks later, Balaban returned the compliment and Sarandon, as Duke, was running down the steps in one of Eric Gaskins’ original creations.

Balaban notes, “Susan finds a way to inhabit this elusive character and makes the audience feel as though they are meeting the real Doris Duke. She gives a flawless performance. Ralph Fiennes manages to make Bernard eccentric, emotionally volatile, and yet strangely vulnerable and likeable. Getting these two great actors in the room together was the reason why I made this movie. It is magical watching real chemistry when it happens. I imagine that the chemistry between Susan and Ralph might have been something like the chemistry between Bernard and Doris. Of course, no one really knows what they saw in each other. And so we set out to invent the details of their personal relationship.”

“Every movie that I’ve ever done has been a love story of some sort, and BERNARD AND DORIS is no exception,” says Sarandon. “For me, one of the bravest things two people can do is reach out and in some way, open themselves up to another human being. This is the story of two people who are terribly damaged and very different, but for whatever reason, the ‘funny foot needs a funny shoe’ philosophy kicks in and they find each other. They have similar pain and similar humor, and found a way to pair up and make their lives a lot richer. It’s clear that they adored each other.”

Ralph Fiennes describes the relationship between Bernard and Doris as “a platonic love story - the deep friendship between two very unusual people. She needed him and he needed her.” He continues, “Bernard, I think, was an eccentric, lonely, fragile, generous, extravagant spirit. And I think the same could be said of Doris.”

Of working with director Balaban, Fiennes says, “Bob is a lovely, easy, gentle spirit who, being an actor himself, is completely in tune with whether or not something doesn’t feel right. It’s wonderful to hear a director say, ‘Now tell me, what’s not working for you?’ He’s very flexible and intuitive. This film was a labor of love for Bob, and quite frankly, for all of us.”

SYNOPSIS

Doris Duke [Susan Sarandon] was a legendary society maverick, known for her inherited wealth, her extravagances, her philanthropy, and her bon vivant social lifestyle. When tobacco baron James (”Buck”) Buchanan Duke died - at the hands of her conniving mother - as Doris would tell it, he left his 12-year-old daughter a multi-millionairess who would want for nothing and would live a life of privilege, position and luxury.

Doris’ two failed marriages, a child who died at birth, and a lifestyle of eccentric spending, meaningless trysts and an abundance of alcohol and drugs leave her lonely and emotionally unfulfilled. Her only solace and real pleasure comes from her beloved orchids, which she tenderly mothers. Until Bernard Lafferty [Ralph Fiennes] enters her life.

Bernard, a shy, unassuming, penniless Irish butler, has served famous celebrities and is now a recovering alcoholic. Like Doris’ orchids, the very formal, quiet Bernard blossoms in the glow of the friendship and playful affection that Doris bestows on him. In turn, he showers her with attentiveness and concern, tending to her every whim, becoming a helpmate and constant companion.

Doris uses her money to travel the world, communing with spiritual advisers and Indian mystics. When Doris enjoys an extended solo trip, it becomes clear that the fixated Bernard is completely lost without his muse and the day-to-day ritual of tending to her. He allows himself to sink into his alcoholic past, becoming careless with his usually impeccable appearance and his professional duties.

Upon her return, and after an especially flagrant display of Bernard’s drunkenness, Doris sends him back to rehab, insisting that he cannot return to work until she says he’s ready.

After Doris suffers a crippling stroke, Bernard rushes to her side to learn that she is dying of degenerative heart disease and malnutrition. Bernard is once again her butler, taking on the normal household duties and administering her medications. In his diligence to oversee her recuperation, Bernard bans all visitors and phone calls, including those from her lawyer Waldo [James Rebhorn]. Fearing for Doris’ safety, Waldo and the police barge in, suspicious of Bernard’s motives. Waldo is concerned about Bernard’s influence over Doris and worries that the butler might be manipulating her fortune. After he persuades Doris to hire a live-in nurse, Bernard revolts, insisting that he alone can care for her and threatens to leave if she brings in anyone else. During this emotional confrontation, Doris admits she would not risk losing him and would choose him above all others.

The ever-doting Bernard sees to Doris’ comfort and care right up until the end, attending to her final needs and easing her transition into death. The next day, Bernard takes her ashes to the beach and scatters them over the water.

Prior to her death, Doris made Bernard sole executor and primary beneficiary of her massive estate, setting into motion a tumultuous lawsuit and various allegations surrounding her death. Bernard died three years later.

BIOS

Susan Sarandon (Doris Duke) has made a career of choosing diverse and challenging projects in both film and television. Her film credits include: Bull Durham; Oscar(r)-nominated performances in Thelma and Louise, Lorenzo’s Oil, The Client and Atlantic City; and her Academy Award(r)-winning and SAG Award-winning role in Dead Man Walking.

Sarandon made her acting debut in the movie Joe. Her early film roles also include The Great Waldo Pepper, Lovin’ Molly, The Front Page and the 1975 cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show. In 1978 she played Brooke Shields’ mother in Louis Malle’s controversial Pretty Baby.

More recently, Sarandon has been seen in Moonlight Mile, Igby Goes Down, The Banger Sisters, Twilight, Stepmom, Illuminata, Cradle Will Rock, Anywhere But Here, Joe Gould’s Secret, Shall We Dance?, Alfie Noel, Romance and Cigarettes, Mr. Woodcock, Enchanted and In the Valley of Elah. She recently finished production on Speed Racer.

Sarandon also lent her vocal talents to the animated features Rugrats in Paris, James and the Giant Peach and Cats & Dogs, and served as narrator for Laleh Khadivi’s documentary 900 Women.

Her additional feature credits include: “King of the Gypsies,” “The Hunger, Compromising Positions, The January Man, White Palace, The Buddy System, Sweet Hearts Dance, A Dry White Season, The Witches of Eastwick, Bob Roberts, Light Sleeper, Little Women and Safe Passage. Sarandon’s TV credits include the HBO productions Earthly Possessions and Mussolini: The Decline and Fall of Il Duce. She also appeared in the TV movie The Exonerated, directed by BERNARD AND DORIS director Bob Balaban.

Ralph Fiennes (Bernard Rafferty) has twice been nominated for an Academy Award(r), for Anthony Minghella’s The English Patient and Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List, both of which won the Oscar(r) for Best Picture. He also received BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for The English Patient; he also won the BAFTA and a Golden Globe nomination, among other honors, for Schindler’s List.

Fiennes attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, after which he began his professional acting career on the stage. He performed at London’s Regents Park, the Theatre Clwyd, and the Oldman Coliseum. Two years after graduating, he joined Michael Rudman’s company at the Royal National Theatre, and later joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, where for two seasons he appeared in such plays as Henry VI, King Lear and Love’s Labour’s Lost.

An appearance on the original Prime Suspect miniseries, directed by Christopher Menaul, led to his being cast by the director to portray the legendary T.E. Lawrence in the TV movie A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia, followed by the starring role in another TV movie, The Cormorant. Fiennes made his feature film debut as Heathcliff starring opposite Juliette Binoche in Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights.

His subsequent films include Quiz Show, Strange Days, Oscar and Lucinda, Onegin (which he also executive-produced), The End of the Affair, The Good Thief (cameo), Red Dragon, Maid in Manhattan, Spider, The Chumscrubber, The White Countess, Chromophobia, Robert Edwards’ Land of the Blind” and Steve Box and Nick Park’s Academy Award(r)-winning animated feature Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit, contributing one of the starring voices. He earned the European Film Award for Best Actor for István Szabó’s epic Sunshine and a BAFTA nomination for The Constant Gardener, appearing opposite Rachel Weisz.

He has starred in two movies as the dreaded Lord Voldemort: Mike Newell’s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and David Yates’ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Fiennes’ upcoming films include The Duchess, and The Reader, starring opposite Nicole Kidman.

For the past 15 years, Fiennes has consistently alternated stage and film performances. He starred in Jonathan Kent’s Almeida Theatre staging of Hamlet, the subsequent Broadway engagement of which won him a Tony Award, and returned to the Almeida for the director’s staging of David Hare’s modern translation of Chekhov’s Ivanov, which was honored with an invitation to Moscow for a special weeklong run. His other theatre credits include: The Talking Cure, Brand, Julius Caesar and the roles of Richard II and Coriolanus in rotating repertory for the Almeida Theatre Company. Most recently, Fiennes starred in Faith Healer on Broadway.

Bob Balaban (director and producer) produced and co-starred in the Oscar(r)-winning film Gosford Park, produced, directed and wrote The Last Good Time, and directed Parents and the film version of The Exonerated. He is the creator-writer-producer of the animated series Hopeless Pictures and recently executive produced the series Celebrity Charades. He also produced and directed the pilot of the series The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman. Balaban also writes the best-selling McGrowl series of children’s books for Scholastic.

As an actor, Balaban has appeared in more than 50 movies, including Midnight Cowboy, Catch-22, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Altered States, 2010, Absence of Malice, Prince of the City, Deconstructing Harry, Jakob the Liar, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, The Mexican, Ghost World, Capote, Lady in the Water and For Your Consideration. He was most recently seen in No Reservations and Dedication, and is currently filming Recount for HBO Films.

Hugh Costello (writer) counts Holby City, Thin Ice, Auto da Fe, On Home Ground, The Ambassador and The Rope Trick among his writing credits.

Jonathan Cavendish (producer) lists Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, Bridget Jones’s Diary, Dirty Tricks, St. Ives and Moondance among his many credits.

Mark Kassen’s (producer) credits include The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman, Mr. Gibb, The Sasquatch Gang, Celebrity Charades, Hopeless Pictures, The First Amendment Project: No Joking, Looking for Kitty, Slogan and Trigger Happy.

Adam Kassen’s (producer) credits include The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman, Why Not…, The Sasquatch Gang, Mr. Gibb, Celebrity Charades, Hopeless Picture, Slogan, Trigger Happy and Faking It.

Kevin Spacey’s (executive producer) production credits include Columbus Day, 21, Fanboys, Mini’s First Time, Mr. Gibb, The Sasquatch Gang, Beyond the Sea, The United States of Leland, Uncle Frank, Interstate 84, The Big Kahuna and Swimming with Sharks. He is currently shooting Recount for HBO Films. As an actor Spacey has appeared in more than 50 films, including American Beauty and The Usual Suspects, for which he won Academy Awards(r) for Best Actor.

Dana Brunetti (executive producer) produced Columbus Day, 21, Fanboys, Can You Hack It?, Mini’s First Time, Mr. Gibb, Beyond the Sea, America Rebuilds: A Year at Ground Zero and Uncle Frank.

Mark Olsen (co-executive producer) counts The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman, Why Not…, Mr. Gibb, Hopeless Pictures, Celebrity Charades, The First Amendment Project: No Joking and Slogan among his credits.

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