Carlton White, first vice president and branch manager of Wachovia in Durham, was 33 years old and owned a local business when Orion Pictures Corporation asked him twice to take a role in its new movie. White, whose wife, parents and sister are Duke alumni, had worked for the Durham Chamber of Commerce as the Bull in local parades and ribbon-cutting ceremonies until Durham became the City of Medicine. For a while, he retired the Bull City mascot-until 1988 and "Bull Durham." As the film celebrates its 20th anniversary, The Chronicle's Lindsey Rupp asked White to reflect on his breakout role.
The Chronicle: As a non-actor, how did you get involved with "Bull Durham?"
Carlton White: Well, it's the story of a costume.... [Orion Pictures] tracked me down, and they said, "We understand that you have this fabulous, wonderful bull costume.... Can we use it?" And I said yeah, absolutely. And so they came by my office and picked up the costume and took it away.... [The next day someone in casting called and] said that the director has seen the costume, and he really liked it, and he definitely wanted to use it, but they were in trouble because no one had answered the casting call that could fit into [his 6-foot-8-inch] costume. So they asked me again.... They said, "Well, we'll pay you." And that got my attention.... And so the rest is history. But as an aside, I am still working another job as a barnyard animal, but there just aren't a lot of openings for acting jobs for a barnyard animal.
TC: You did not pursue acting further after "Bull Durham." Did being in a movie color your thoughts about your career?
CW: The movie had nothing to do with it, I just hung up the Bull costume and just moved on. I can't give it any credit or noncredit for helping me.
TC: Directors usually require several takes to get a scene right. Two pitches in the movie hit your character-how often were you actually hit by the baseball during filming, and was Nuke [Tim Robbins] the one pitching at you?
CW: Well in the one scene I'm standing in front of a rack of bats, and I was able to see the ball there so I could jump out of the way. I never did get hit on that one, but the one where I am standing there and it hits me in the back of the head-they did nine takes on that one.
It wasn't a real baseball, though, that's another piece of movie magic. It was the same size and color as a baseball, but it was like a softball. And actually, to tell you the truth, they had a guy, Tommy Green, he was a minor league player somewhere, but he went up pretty high in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. He didn't throw his fastball, he kind of lobbed it.... I'd just stand there, and when I heard it hit my head, I just fell down.
TC: You remove the head of your costume only once in the movie. How did you feel preparing to film the scene that identifies you?
CW: You know, it's funny because... they probably told me 10 times, "Don't look at the camera," because I guess that really would have looked goofy if someone was looking right at the camera. I'm walking across the field and its raining-fake rain, the Durham Fire Department was squirting water on us-and I go down in the dugout and I take my head off, and I turn my head just a little bit, and about six people yell, "Don't look at the camera!" I didn't look at the camera. But I tell you what, it's quick. You can't be reaching for the popcorn, or you'll miss my big moment.
TC: Kevin Costner and his band played in the new Durham Bulls Athletic Park for a Fourth of July concert and celebration of the 20th anniversary of "Bull Durham." How involved were you in the event?
CW: I wasn't, I was really disappointed, [Costner] should have called me. No, let me tell you seriously about Kevin Costner. At the time... he wasn't a big star like he is now. But the thing that really impressed me about him was that he was always with the people... He didn't have any of that Hollywood snobby stuff that you sometimes hear about. And I remember thinking, "He's going places because he understands who buys the tickets."
TC: In an interview with WRAL this July, "Bull Durham" producer Thom Mount suggested the possibility of a sequel to the film. Is there any chance you would put on the Bull costume again?
CW: I did hear about that. I'm not sure-you know, bringing a bull out of retirement, it takes a lot of money to do that... Wool E., the new Bull, I like to think of him as my son. I don't know if you've seen the movie, but he looks a lot different than me. We're not real sure who the mom is.
TC: How has your experience in what Sports Illustrated has voted the top sports movie of all time affected you over the 20 years since it premiered?
CW: It has been a great story to tell, you know I've been interviewed a few times... but I really don't take it that seriously.... I haven't been able to parlay it into any big Hollywood career, but that's just the way it is. Like I said, not a lot of need for barnyard animals. If they do the sequel, you never know.
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