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May 21, 2025 Web Exclusive By Matt Conner

Best known for his long-running role on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, actor Paul Guilfoyle has enjoyed a prolific career across stage and screen. His latest work, Any Day Now, is a grounded, Boston-set drama directed by Eric Aronson and co-starring Taylor Gray. The film draws from an actual art heist from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum—the single largest unsolved property theft in the world.

We recently caught up with Guilfoyle to discuss the making of the film, the challenges of independent cinema, and what continues to drive his work after decades in the industry.

Matt Conner (UTR): You’re a native of Boston and the city itself feels like a character in Any Day Now. Was that something you all discussed intentionally?

Yeah, that’s exactly right. I was on a popular TV show set in Las Vegas years ago, and I always said the city was a character in the show. Same here. Boston is authentic. These events actually happened there—it’s a Boston institution in the story. The film’s set in 1990, and it really taps into the class distinctions I grew up with. There’s a very specific way of speaking, a way of being—it’s in the air. This is a real Boston story, with all its dirty laundry.

Did you, Eric, or Taylor talk about that intentionally from the outset?

That’s a good question. With the time and budget constraints of an independent film, we didn’t really have those explicit conversations. But we didn’t need to. Eric’s a smart guy, and Taylor’s very sharp too. We all understood each other. We were more focused on the interstices of the scenes—the dramaturgy, how to shoot efficiently. Sometimes it’s better not to intellectualize everything. You can end up opening Pandora’s box.

Have you learned that the hard way over the years?

I wouldn’t say the hard way, but yes, especially on the corporate side of moviemaking. You’ve got producers who are financially invested, so there’s pressure for things to “work.” They show up in Bentleys with tags still on the scarves. It becomes more about the money than the art. That kind of environment can squash the intimate conversations that help shape a film emotionally.

That’s why independent cinema is so vital. It gives us freedom from those commercial metrics. I mean, sure, I’ll watch a Marvel film—they can be fun, even tongue-in-cheek. But culturally, we’ve shifted to caring more about opening weekend numbers than how a movie makes us feel. We’ve lost some of our critical thinking in that. I appreciate that Eric is marketing this to people who still want to think independently and see something meaningful.

The capitalistic metrics can just be overwhelming.

Exactly. You said in a sentence what took me a long monologue to get across.

So how did this project find its way to you? Did you already know Eric (Aronson)?

I didn’t know Eric beforehand, but I’ve known Jan Egleson for 50 years—he’s Eric’s mentor and lives near him in Cambridge. Jan’s a theater guy, a filmmaker, and a professor at Boston University. We’ve worked together a few times. He introduced me to Eric and was insistent that I play this role.

Like most directors, Eric initially wondered if he could land a big name—someone who could guarantee ticket sales. It’s a commercial reality. But to his credit, he ended up making the artistic choice, choosing someone he thought could do the role justice. That turned out to be me.

And I’ve said this before—actors have to be chosen. You can’t just wake up and decide you want to play Willie Loman. It’s like hockey—you don’t get to just walk onto the Winnipeg Jets and say you want to play center.

You’ve done so much in your career. What felt new about this role?

This actually reminded me of when I was young and doing theater or small indie films. I’ve been working since I was 19, and I used to say yes to everything. Elaine May once told me I say yes too much. But I love working. I love making something better than it was on the page. Leonard Nimoy once told me I made everything better, and that’s my goal.

I remember how it feels to be in that position, to lead a cast and crew. The vibe of the entire set follows the lead of the main actor. If you’re curious, open, and professional, it lifts the whole experience. That’s what I tried to bring back with this role.

So the challenge wasn’t something new, but maybe something returned to?

Exactly. The challenge is always to deliver. And it’s like sports. If I’m given the space to get into my rhythm, the discoveries come naturally. Acting is about the doing of it, in real time, with another person.

You’re portraying someone from a “true-ish” story, but the character doesn’t offer a lot of internal monologue. What freedom did you have to bring yourself into it?

That’s a great question, and forgive the long answer, but it’s worth digging into. I actually met the real guy years ago when I was 19. He was in the rock and roll scene—completely wild, in and out of prison, drove a psychedelic milk truck named Uncle Meat. He had a deep disdain for authority, but he was functional within his dysfunction. That contradiction was really compelling.

So I tried to bring that to the role—the personal drive, the wariness, the confrontational edge. He’s the kind of guy who challenges small talk. If someone says, “Oh my God,” he says, “What does God have to do with this?” That’s a line Eric wrote, and it gets to the heart of this character. He’s always in the moment, not playing nice or pretending to be charming. He’s already maneuvering.

Looking back, there are a few moments of sentimentality I’d probably cut. I think that was me trying to balance the character too much. But overall, finding that internal engine, that defiant, no-bullshit energy. That’s what drove the character.

Any Day Now will release on digital platforms on May 20.