Cusack's High-Flying Role
If you think your job is stressful, you might want to see the new film Pushing Tin, a revealing look at the world of air traffic controllers. CBS This Morning Co-Anchor Mark McEwen reports.
No wonder John Cusack's character, Nick Falzone, seems a bit high-strung. His day job is helping 7,000 flights a day navigate the skies above New York City. To prepare for the role, Cusack spent time watching air traffic controllers do their thing. "They're kind of like they are in the movie, maybe not as extreme as Nick, the character I play," the actor says. "They're energetic, you know. Really lively."
If you're afraid of flying, Cusack promises that Pushing Tin won't make it any worse. Says Cusack, "I don't have any fear of flying. The movie for me is sort of more about modern stress, you know? About what stresses us. But it's not about -- flying is still safer than driving. Statistically, it's still really safe. It's just that the job is so mentally grueling that what it does to those guys is very intense, and sometimes very comical."
The experience gave Cusack less respect for airline pilots, and more for the guys who he says really keep the planes in the air. "One of the shocking things is how little pilots have to do," he says. "I mean, they land 'em and they take them off, but everything else is those guys in those rooms. "
Pushing Tin also stars Cate Blanchett, Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton.
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