July 26, 1985 –
The award-winning drama, The Kiss of the Spider Woman, directed by Héctor Babenco, based on the 1976 novel by Manuel Puig, and starring William Hurt, Raul Julia, Sônia Braga, José Lewgoy, Milton Gonçalves, and Denise Dumont, was released on this date.
During rehearsals, the two actors had trouble finding the chemistry they needed for their scenes together. To better understand what each needed from the other’s role, William Hurt suggested they try an experiment where they would switch roles, with Hurt as Valentin and Raul Julia as Molina. The role-switching rehearsal went so well that Hurt initially suggested to director Hector Babenco that they should switch parts for the film as well. Obviously, the switch did not occur, but Hurt states that it was a very useful experiment in helping them more fully understand their own characters.
The Haus of Dcaligari 