He's always in control - that's what makes Chili a really cool character for me 
After debuting with the sleeper hit comedy Friday in 1995, 34-year-old Gray moved onto the feminist caper movie Set It Off, suspense thriller The Negotiator and the surprisingly decent remake of The Italian Job. Next on his CV is Be Cool, set a decade after Get Shorty it follows the adventures of former loan shark turned movie producer Chili Palmer in the music industry.
Was it daunting to be working on the sequel to a big hit like Get Shorty?
Well, it all starts with the script, and when I read it I thought it was hilarious. If I was adapting the book myself, I think I'd have been a little more daunted. But because the script was so funny, and I was working with one of my favourite on-screen characters in Chili Palmer, I wasn't as nervous as the average person would be.
You include an eye-catching performance from Vince Vaughn as the wannabe gangsta record producer Raji. Was it easy to convince him to go out on a limb for you?
It didn't take a lot of convincing at all. Everyone had a chance to do something completely different and play something against type. We all figured if we stayed smart and didn't perform every cliché, you would expect it would be fun to watch. We both agreed that for him to go too over the top would be the wrong route. But we decided we wanted to work with each other. It was very simple actually.
How about the various musicians you recruited, were they easy to recruit to a film that aims so many arrows at the music industry?
We had some problems with scheduling. Over the course of a few months pre-production, and actually well into production, we had to make some changes based on the Black Eyed Peas and Aerosmith and their schedules.
Did they all warm to the tone of the film?
They loved it. They all loved it. Steven Tyler was really nervous at first; this was his first time on film and it took him a while to relax. But I think everybody else was really comfortable with it. Everyone joined in and had a lot of fun.
Do you have a favourite character in this rich ensemble?
It's hard for me to say, because I love them all for different reasons. I love Chili's character because everyone aspires to have the right thing to say at the right time. I'd love to think everyone would love to be 10 steps ahead in every situation in every environment. That's what is really appealing about Chili Palmer, he's always in control, that's what makes him a really cool character for me.
