The evolution of William Mapother took a giant leap in January of 2001 when the film in which he was starring, Todd Field's "In the Bedroom," became a sensation at the Sundance Film Festival. Audiences and critics clamored so favorably for the tiny picture, which was shot in 30 days in the serene setting of Camden, Maine, that Miramax reevaluated their strategies and began heavily promoting "Bedroom" rather than its original selection, Lasse Hallström's "The Shipping News."

When "Bedroom" opened last Christmas it was being uttered in the same sentence as "Academy Award."

It's hard to imagine that Mapother could have ever dreamed of such a scenario back in September of 1983 when he moved into the tower of Grace Hall as a lowly freshman at Notre Dame.

After a less than spectacular experience in Grace Hall, he got a guiding hand from some old high school friends.

"[They made] one of the biggest sacrifices someone ever made for me: they went to the very bottom of Morrissey's room-pick list to pull me in," Mapother said.

William settled into Morrissey for the next three years while he pursued an English major. He became a voracious reader, picking up texts from writers as diverse as Rabelais, Thomas McGuane, Evelen Waugh and Shakespeare.

Ultimately, however, Mapother chose English because his inclinations were (and still are) for screenwriting. He credits his major as being an invaluable source for his current aspirations. Even though Mapother is the first to admit he hasn't had anything produced, he is excited about his current project, a rewrite of a comedy for Paramount.

Mapother's yearning for acting may have started at Notre Dame, as well, even if he never considered being a FTT major. He fondly recalls a life changing experience with Gregory Kucich, an English professor who introduced him to the writings of John Keats, another writer Mapother would come to admire. Kucich introduced Mapother to the author's theory of "negative capability," which refers "to the artist negating his own ego to make himself invisible in that work."

Unfortunately for Mapother, his first allotment of acting jobs were invisible in another fashion – they were often only brief appearances on screen. He had the rare opportunity to work with legendary directors such as Oliver Stone, Paul Thomas Anderson and Cameron Crowe, but none realized the enormous acting potential that he had; not that Mapother squandered the opportunities he had on the sets of those big movies like "Born on the Fourth of July," "Almost Famous" and "Magnolia".

"[Actors can] learn a lot from working with great writer-directors, even inadvertently," Mapother said. "Even without asking, 'How'd you do this?,' the way they are talking to you as an actor reveals how they think about the scene and how they perceive the characters and how the scene is constructed. You can't help but learn unless you're really trying hard not to."

Mapother realized this enormous potential for learning from another writer-director, Robert Towne, who cast Mapother in his first substantial role in "Without Limits," a biography of runner Steve Prefontaine. Mapother remembers talking to Towne at length about screenwriting, seeking his advice not only on the "Without Limits" set but also when they met again during the production of "Mission: Impossible 2," which Towne wrote and in which William had a minor role.

Mapother is also extremely glad that his interactions with Cameron Crowe aren't limited to "Almost Famous" and "Vanilla Sky;" he has developed a social relationship with Crowe that he finds irreplaceable.

Shortly after completing "Without Limits," Mapother found himself at a dinner party with Todd Field, an accomplished actor who is most notably known for his role as Nick Nightingale, the piano player with the secret password in Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut."

"[There was a] very intense two hour conversation between the two of us and at the end of it, he [Field] said, `are you interested in playing this role in a movie that I'm trying to make?' And I said, 'You know, I'm an unemployed actor. Of course I'm interested in any role,'" Mapother said.

He was handed the script for "In the Bedroom," a movie that had enormous potential but no financial backing in 1999.

Mapother worked on "Mission: Impossible 2" only to receive a phone call from Field in the spring of 2000.

"We've got the money. We're going to make the movie. Are you still interested?" the director said.

Without hesitation, Mapother said yes.

Of course, the producers of the film weren't as optimistic about Field's decision to cast Mapother in the role of Richard Strout, the abusive ex-husband who acts as a catalyst for the entire film.

"Todd fought for me. He said, 'This is the best guy for the role.' And he drew a line in the sand and he got me the role," Mapother said.

Field's unwavering certainty has a familiar tone; in 1972, the career of an unknown actor named Al Pacino was launched after director Francis Ford Coppola fought the producers of "The Godfather" for the actor's inclusion. Mapother said that Field always tells people that Richard's character was the first role cast.

"Something about me sparked the thought of this character Richard," Mapother said. "Considering the way the movie turned out and the fellow cast members, it was daunting now in retrospect."

Those fellow cast members turned out to be five-time Academy Award nominee Sissy Spacek as Mrs. Ruth Fowler, Academy Award winner Marisa Tomei as Richard's soon-to-be ex-wife, Natalie, and the highly regarded British actor Tom Wilkinson as Dr. Matt Fowler. They were joined by Nick Stahl as Frank, Fowler's son.

"In the Bedroom" is an emotionally charged story that centers on Mr. and Mrs. Fowler, who are forced to confront the schism that is slowly developing in their marriage. Their quiet existence is thrown into turmoil when Frank starts dating the recently separated Natalie. Natalie's inability to completely detach herself from Richard escalates the growing conflict between her two lovers. Richard, who Mapother portrays, is emasculated by the younger, more intelligent replacement lover, Frank.

On the screen, Richard is given life by Mapother's intuitive methodologies.

"I wanted the character to look worn," Mapother said. "It has been 10 to 15 years since graduating high school and he's let himself go to sea. The anxiety and the unhappiness and everything else are going to be manifest in his face and in his body. All the unspent emotion of his life, all his anger and all his frustration is manifest in his being. He's carrying all that around with him."

Mapother deprived himself of sleep, gained weight and added blonde highlights to his hair to give the character a discomfited look.

In the movie, Richard finds himself at odds with Natalie because he does not know how to operate as an adult.

"He's a very irresponsible person," Mapother said. "He was very successful in high school as an athlete and thought he had the rules down. And obviously, adulthood requires a different approach than high school. He realizes that he doesn't know how and he's angry at himself for the choices he's made to put himself in the position he's in."

When Frank begins to court Natalie, Richard is consumed by a sense of possession.

"He certainly doesn't want anyone else to have her and that's an essential part of his makeup," he said. "There's a [childish quality], an almost infantile aspect to Richard, that, not only exists as an arrested young adulthood from high school, but also as an arrested childhood. He was spoiled as a child, and he has this sense of possession that a four to five year old might have."

Mapother thinks that because of his character's abusive tendencies and occasional frightening attitude, audiences might be quick to label him as the film's antagonist. The actor, however, hopes audiences will also notice the sense of fear that exists in Richard. For instance, some of the character's more negative reactions are the result of threats by Natalie or Frank to separate him from his two children.

According to Mapother, the dynamic characterization of "In the Bedroom" is what should be heralded.

"It's a very complex film. It reflects the moral ambiguity we find in life. I don't see Richard as [a] villain by any means. He's flawed like anyone else in the film." Indeed, director Todd Field is able to capture all of Richard's nuances because of Mapother's ego-less performance.

Field extracts that type of performance from the other actors, as well.

"The script and the performances are all carefully constructed to create a complex web of relationships and dynamics as opposed to a usual one-sided characterization," Mapother said. "The movie is about what is not said and what is not shown. It forces the audience to participate in the creation of the story and the characters, both intellectually and imaginatively. Because the lines aren't simply drawn, it forces the audience to emotionally participate so that they have to sort out these feelings."

Because of this unique interaction with the audience, it is not surprising that the performances are receiving recognition from critic circles and voting organizations such as the American Film Institute and The Golden Globes.

Most importantly, "In the Bedroom" has been a giant steppingstone for Mapother as an individual talent. He has long been overshadowed by his very well-known cousin, Tom Cruise, although he insists the connection has been nothing but a blessing.

"He's as thoughtful and generous and supportive as he's reported to be," Mapother said.

Mapother acknowledged that the road to being a screenwriter and actor is not always easy, even with his connection to Cruise. He shared this advice for anyone wishing to follow in similar footsteps.

"If you have to wonder if it is for you, then it is probably not. You have to be passionate and it is going to take a really long time," he said. "My second piece of advice is: exercise every possible talent and skill you have to open as many doors as possible. Get over your fear and get started as soon as you finish school."

Looking back, Mapother is happy he made the sacrifices to be in the position he is in today.

"I can't imagine doing anything more rewarding with my life."

While the road may have been arduous, the path ahead looks to be paved with potential.

"In the Bedroom", starring William Mapother '87, is currently playing at Kerasotes Showplace 16 on 450 W. Chippewa at 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Contact Jude Seymour at seymour.7@nd.edu.

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