Contents:
- THE REAL RON WOODROOF 'HAD RELATNSHIPS WH GAY MEN,' SAYS A FRIEND OF THE 'DALLAS BUYERS CLUB' SUBJECT
- THE TE STORY BEHD DALLAS BUYERS CLUB: MEET THE REAL RON WOODFFWHAT REALLY HAPPENEDTHE STORY OF A TEXAS ELECTRICIAN WHO ALS EXPERIMENTAL AIDS DGS ONLY TOOK TWENTY YEARS TO MAKE TO HOLLYWOOD. AND ALL STARTED AS A SIMPLE ACT OF JOURNALISM.ANDREW ROMANOUPDATED JUL. 11, 2017 6:11PM EDT / PUBLISHED NOV. 03, 2013 5:45AM EST FOC FEATURTODAY DALLAS BUYERS CLUB IS A MAJOR HOLLYWOOD MOTN PICTURE STARRG MATTHEW MCCONGHEY AS A TEXAS ELECTRICIAN AND ROO HABUé WHO TRANSFORMS HIMSELF TO AN IMPORTER AND DISTRIBUTER OF EXPERIMENTAL AIDS MEDITNS AFTER NTRACTG HIV.BUT STARTED LIFE AS A SIMPLE ACT OF JOURNALISM. IN THE SUMMER OF 1992, BILL MUTAGL, A REPORTER FOR THE DALLAS MORNG NEWS, STUMBLED UPON AN ARTICLE ABOUT AIDS PATIENTS CI ACROSS THE UNTRY WHO WERE POOLG THEIR ROURC AND PAYG LOL ENTREPRENRS TO SUPPLY THEM WH DGS NOT YET APPROVED BY THE FDA. MUTAGL EVENTUALLY TRACKED DOWN RON WOODROOF, THE WIRY, MTACHED, FOUL-MOUTHED HEAD OF DALLAS’S HOMEGROWN BUYERS CLUB, AND NVCED WOODROOF TO TELL HIM ALL ABOUT HIS EXPLOS. THERE WAS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE TIME WOODROOF STALLED SPECIAL AIR SHOCKS ON THE REAR END OF HIS LLN CONTENTAL TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE THOANDS OF PILLS HE TEND TO SNEAK ACROSS THE MEXI BORR ONLY TO HAVE THE SHOCKS LLAPSE WHILE HE WAS BEG TERROGATED AT THE CHECKPOT. OR THE TIME HE BRIBED A JAPANE BCHEMIL WORKER WH $500 AND A FEW ROUNDS OF DRKS EXCHANGE FOR THE NAME OF A FISLLY TROUBLED PHYSICIAN WHO MIGHT SUPPLY HIM WH A FEW DOZEN VIALS OF TERFERON. OR THE TIME HE SMUGGLED THE TERFERON THROUGH CTOMS A SMOKG BRIEFSE FULL OF DRY ICE. ALL OF WHICH EVENTUALLY MA TO MUTAGL’S FEATURE FOR THE MORNG NEWS’ SUNDAY MAGAZE. IT WAS LLED “BUYG TIME,” AND WAS THE FIRST REAL PROFILE OF RON WOODROOF ANYONE HAD EVER DONE.SHORTLY AFTER MUTAGL’S STORY APPEARED, SCREENWRER CRAIG BORTEN DROVE TO DALLAS AND SPENT THREE DAYS TALKG TO WOODROOF. FROM THEIR NVERSATNS HE FASHNED A SCREENPLAY THAT EVENTUALLY BEME, AS THE LOS ANGEL TIM RECENTLY PUT , “THE STUFF OF LEGEND”—A 20-YEAR TALE OF “THE DOOMED MMENT OF SUPERSTARS LIKE BRAD PT AND RYAN GOSLG, THE DISSIPATED TERT OF FILMMAKERS AS DIVERSE AS MARC FORSTER AND DENNIS HOPPER, NUMERO SHAKY FANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS, TWO STUDS WH LD FEET, A WRER SO TORTURED BY REJECTN THAT HE SPIRALED TO ADDICTN, A BAILOUT BY MEN THE CIDLY UNGLAMORO BS OF TEXAS FERTILIZER, AND THE FILM'S EVENTUAL SALVATN BY AN ACTOR WHO FOR MANY YEARS HAD BT BEEN KNOWN FOR SEMI-NAKED BONGO DMMG.” MEANWHILE, MUTAGL GOT ON WH HIS REER, WRG BOOKS ABOUT GEE W. BH AND THE JFK ASSASSATN WHILE TEACHG JOURNALISM AT THE UNIVERSY OF TEXAS AT AT. THAT’S WHERE THE DAILY BEAST FOUND HIM LAST WEEK WHEN WE LLED TO TALK ABOUT THE TE STORY BEHD THE MOVIE—THE REAL RON WOODFF. “I’M GLAD THEY MA THE MOVIE,” MUTAGL TOLD . “I ADMIRED RON. I’M NOT AAID TO SAY NOW. HE JT WANTED TO LIVE A LTLE LONGER, AND HE WANTED THE SAME FOR OTHER PEOPLE, TOO. OUT OF THAT, HE CREATED A BS. IT KEPT HIM GOG FOR A WHILE. IT KEPT HIM ENERGIZED. HE WAS A FASCATG FIGURE AMERIN HISTORY.” EXCERPTS OM OUR NVERSATN:THE DAILY BEAST: HOW DID YOU FD OUT ABOUT RON WOODROOF?BILL MINUTAGLIO: THERE HAD BEEN ONE MENTN OF RON MY OLD NEWSPAPER, THE DALLAS MORNG NEWS, BUT REALLY THE THG THAT SPARKED MY TERT WAS READG THE VILLAGE VOICE OR SOME OTHER ALTERNATIVE WEEKLY ABOUT BUYERS CLUBS. THE ARTICLE MENTNED THAT THE GROUP DALLAS HAD A NATNAL REPUTATN: THEY WERE KNOWN FOR BEG MORE RISK-TAKG AND AGGRSIVE. I WAS ALWAYS LOOKG FOR STORI DALLAS THAT HAD SOME SORT OF NATNAL OR EVEN TERNATNAL SIGNIFINCE, AND I THOUGHT THIS ULD BE ONE OF THEM. SO I CLIPPED THE STORY OUT AND BEGAN MAKG SOME LLS.AND WAS REALLY EASY TO FD RON WOODROOF. HE WAS NOT HIDG. HE WAS NOT UNRGROUND. PEOPLE THE AIDS MUNY JT SIMPLY SAID, “OH, THE DALLAS BUYERS CLUB—HERE’S HOW YOU REACH THEM.”I LLED HIM, GOT TOUCH WH HIM, AND HE VED ME OVER TO HIS OFFICE. WHICH WAS KD OF SURPRISG TO ME. I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. I THOUGHT WOULD BE HIDN, OUT THE WOODS, OR SOME KD OF BACKROOM AL. THIS IS A GUY WHO IS SMUGGLG DGS ACROSS THE BORR.FRANKLY, YEAH. HE WAS A SMUGGLER. THERE’S NO OTHER WORD FOR . I THOUGHT HE WAS GOG TO BE AN OUTLAW BAND KD OF GUY WHERE WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE SECRET S AND HANDSHAK BEFORE WE ULD MEET. BUT FACT THE OFFICE OF THE DALLAS BUYERS CLUB WAS RIGHT OUTSI DOWNTOWN DALLAS, ABOUT A QUARTER-E OM THE SKYSCRAPERS. IT WAS ON SWISS, WHICH IS ONE OF THE FT, OLST, PREMIUM BLOCKS THE CY. IF HE WAS HIDG, HE WAS PLA SIGHT. AND THAT’S WHERE I MET RON. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST IMPRSN OF HIM? I PROBABLY ME ARMED WH THE THG YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO AS A REPORTER: PRENCEPTNS. I THOUGHT HE WAS GOG TO BE MYSTER. THAT HE WAS GOG TO LOOK LIKE A MOTORCYCLE GANG MEMBER. A SMUGGLER. WHATEVER A SMUGGLER LOOKS LIKE.BUT I MET A MAN A SU. THAT WAS THE FIRST THG THAT THREW ME OFF. HE HAD A NICE WHE SHIRT ON, AND A TIE. HE MIGHT HAVE EVEN HAD CUFFLKS. HE WAS REFULLY GROOMED. HE HAD A THICK, HEALTHY MTACHE. I REMEMBER THKG THAT LOOKED LIKE A HOLDOVER OM THE DIS DAYS. IN SHORT, HE WASN’T THE OUTLAW GANGSTER PIRATE PERSON I THOUGHT I WOULD SEE—FURTIVE AND ANKLY SRY. WERE YOU DISAPPOTED BY THAT, AS A JOURNALIST? THAT HE DIDN’T SEEM MORE LORFUL. NO, NO. I ACTUALLY BEGAN TO SEE THE POSSIBILI THE STORY. IT WAS UNTERTUIVE. HE WASN’T THE STEREOTYPE. PEOPLE WERE TELLG ME THAT THE DALLAS BUYERS CLUB REALLY WAS AGGRSIVE AND THAT THEY REALLY WERE VOLVED SMUGGLG DGS, AND YET HERE’S A GUY WHO LOOKS LIKE A CPA. AND THAT MAK MORE TERTG. I REMEMBER THKG, “THIS IS JT THE KD OF STORY I LIKE, BEE ’S SO UNLIKELY. IT’S YOUR AVERAGE MAN NEXT DOOR, BUT HE’S REALLY GOG ALL THE WAY. AN ORDARY PERSON UGHT UP SOMETHG EXTRAORDARY.” VERY EARLY ON, RON TOLD ME THAT HE WAS DOG THIS TO STAY ALIVE. AND LIKE MANY PEOPLE, THAT’S A STORY I LOVE: SOMEONE RISG TO THE OCSN AND BEHAVG REALLY DIFFERENTLY BEE THEY’RE FACED WH SOME UNBELIEVABLE THUNRCLAP THEIR LIV. THE GOOD NEWS WAS THAT RON DIDN’T TURN OUT TO BE TOO ORDARY, WHICH ACROSS YOUR STORY AS WELL AS THE NEW MOVIE. HE WAS AN CREDIBLY VIBRANT CHARACTER. [LGHS] WHEN HE OPENED HIS MOUTH AND BEGAN TALKG, HE CURSED LIKE FOUR SAILORS STEAD OF ONE. VERY BLUE. VERY SALTY. I REMEMBER HE WOULD BOUND UP OM HIS CHAIR AND MARCH AROUND THE ROOM AND SLAP HIS HAND ON THE TABLE. I THOUGHT HE WAS REALLY UNFILTERED. BUT WHAT HE WAS YELLG AND CURSG ABOUT WAS THE ERNMENT, AND THE PACE OF APPROVAL, AND HOW THE FDA DIDN’T REALIZE HOW SPERATE PEOPLE LIKE HIM WERE. IT WAS ONLY LATER THAT I REALIZED HE WAS DYG. I WAS WH A MAN WHO WOULD BE AD A FEW WEEKS. MY STORY ME OUT AUGT 1992. RON DIED EHER LATE SEPTEMBER OR EARLY OCTOBER. DID HE LET ON THAT HE WAS THAT CLOSE TO THE END? NO, HE WAS VERY VIBRANT, AND VERY TENSE, AND VERY ILED. BUT REALLY, REALLY ANGRY. IT WAS PALPABLE. ALMOST MANDG ANSWERS RIGHT THERE. THERE’S THE KD OF CURSG THAT IS LIKE BARROOM BANTER, BUT WH RON WOULD LATE. HE WASN’T BEG BLTERY FOR THE SAKE OF “SEE MY PERSONALY, I’M A TOUGH-TALKG GUY.” HE WAS JT REALLY TRATED—AT THE WORLD, AT THE ERNMENT THAT WAS FIREWALLG HIS ACCS TO THE MEDIC THAT HE THOUGHT ULD KEEP HIM ALIVE. HE WAS SPERATE—PERHAPS BEE HE KNEW THE CLOCK WAS TICKG. RON HAD TOLD ME HE HAD BEEN A MERCIAL ELECTRICIAN DALLAS. IN THE EARLY 1980S, DALLAS WAS JT ROCKETG. THE JOKE WAS THAT THE NATNAL BIRD OF DALLAS WAS THE CRANE, WH ALL THE BUILDGS GOG UP EVERYWHERE. PEOPLE WERE MOVG OM ALL OVER THE UNTRY, RPORATNS WERE RELOTG THERE, HUGE VELOPMENT. AND HERE’S RON. HE TOLD ME HE FELT HE WAS BEG OVERLAPPED BY ALL THE CIRCUMSTANC DALLAS—THAT WAS A GO-GO CY, BUT HE WAS LEFT OUT. AND THEN HE HAD THIS DISVERY THAT HE HAD AIDS, AND HE MA THE FATEFUL CISN TO GO GET THE DGS. WHAT WAS YOUR NEXT STEP? TO TRY TO VERIFY SOME OF HIS TAL BEE THEY WERE SO EXTRAORDARY. I WENT OUT TO LOOK OUT HIS R BEE HE WAS TALKG ABOUT GOG TO MEXI A LOT. SMUGGLG WAS A LOT EASIER BACK THEN. THIS WAS LONG BEFORE 9/11. RON WAS WARY OF ME IALLY. BUT HE QUICKLY BEME PLETELY UNFILTERED. THKG BACK, I’M LIKE, “WAS THAT JT THE WAY HE WAS? WHY WAS HE SO OPEN?” AS I READ YOUR STORY I WAS THKG THE SAME THG. RON WAS MTG CRIM—AND THEN TELLG A REPORTER ALL ABOUT THEM. I THK WAS THAT HE WAS DYG. SOMEONE WHO IS GOG TO BE THAT SELF-MEDITG, WHO’S GOG TO BE MIXG POTNS AND CHEMILS TO STAY ALIVE, IS GOG TO BE VERY ON TOP OF HIS MEDIL NDN. HE MIGHT HAVE KNOWN THAT HE WAS NEAR THE END. SO HE WAS OPEN WH YOU BEE HE WAS LOOKG OUT FOR HIS LEGACY? I THK RON WAS LIKE, “WHAT THE HELL. I’M NOT GOG TO HOLD THE STORI UNTIL I DIE.” I THK HE JT SAID, “I’M DYG. THERE’S NO REASON FOR ME TO FILTER. I DON’T GIVE A RAT’S ASS WHO KNOWS ABOUT THE THGS.” I DON’T KNOW THAT. HE DIDN’T SAY. BUT I ULD SEE HIM THKG THAT. “WHY DO I NEED TO HOLD THE RDS CLOSE TO MY VT? THERE’S NO TIME FOR THAT ANYMORE.” WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BUYERS CLUB? I DON’T KNOW. YOU MOVE ON. I HAVE TO IMAGE THAT THE AIR WAS KD OF LET OUT OF WHEN RON DIED. HE WAS SUCH A PERSONALY AND SUCH A RISK-TAKER THAT ’S HARD TO PICTURE ANYBODY TAKG HIS PLACE. DID YOU THK RON WAS A HOMOPHOBE? I DON’T KNOW. IN MY DISCSNS WH HIM I DON’T REMEMBER HIM EXHIBG ANGER OR EXPRSG PEJORATIV ABOUT GAY MEN AND WOMEN. HE WAS A BSMAN WHO NEED CTOMERS—TO FUND HIS TRIPS, TO BUY HIS DISGUIS, TO PAY PEOPLE OFF, TO KEEP GAS HIS LLN, AND TO KEEP HIMSELF ALIVE. HE HAD CEASED BEG AN ELECTRICIAN. THERE WAS NO MONEY G OM ANYWHERE ELSE. AND I FD HARD TO IMAGE THAT HE WOULD BE DISPARAGG OF HIS CTOMERS IF THEY HAPPENED TO BE GAY. THE MOVIE HAD A NVOLUTED PATH THROUGH HOLLYWOOD. HAVE YOU FOLLOWED THE NEWS OVER THE YEARS? I’D HEARD MORS ABOUT A FILM, BUT I WAS NEVER NTACTED. AND THEN A FEW WEEKS AGO I WAS WATCHG GRAVY WH MY SON AND SUDNLY THERE WAS THE TRAILER FOR DALLAS BUYERS CLUB. MY JAW-DROPPED. I THOUGHT, “WELL, I GUS THOSE MORS WERE FOR REAL.” DID MATTHEW MCCONGHEY REMD YOU OF RON? I SUPPOSE TO PTURE SOMEBODY OM TEXAS YOU’RE NOT GOG TO GO WRONG WH SOMEBODY LIKE MATTHEW MCCONGHEY. IF TOMMY LEE JON ISN’T AVAILABLE, GO WH MCCONGHEY. [LGHS] MCCONGHEY PLAYS TEXANS VERY WELL. HE’S PART OF THIS WORLD. I DIDN’T SPEND 24/7 WH RON, WEEK AND WEEK OUT. HE DIDN’T MENTN THAT HE HAD BEIEND A TRANSVTE, OR THAT HE WAS A ROO SPORTSMAN. HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD A GIRLIEND, AND I REPEATEDLY ASKED IF I ULD TERVIEW HER FOR THE STORY AND LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT HER ROLE MIGHT BE—HER FATEFUL JOURNEY. BUT HE NEVER STEERED ME TO HER. HE WAS A LTLE WARY ABOUT SOME THGS HIS PERSONAL LIFE, THGS I WANTED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT. IF YOU READ MY STORY, THERE’S NOT A WHOLE LOT THERE ABOUT HIS UPBRGG OR EVEN HOW HE GOT ILL. THAT’S BEE HE WOULDN’T TELL ME. IT WASN’T FOR A LACK OF TRYG. “HOW DO AN ELECTRICIAN GET TO THIS? WHERE DID RON E OM?” HE WOULDN’T SAY. I DON’T KNOW WHY THAT WAS. SO YOU’VE GOT TO GO SEE THE MOVIE, RIGHT? [LGHS] I’VE GOT TO SEE THE MOVIE. ANDREW ROMANO
- DALLAS BUYERS CLUB: HE HATED GAYS, GOT AIDS AND SAVED LIV
THE REAL RON WOODROOF 'HAD RELATNSHIPS WH GAY MEN,' SAYS A FRIEND OF THE 'DALLAS BUYERS CLUB' SUBJECT
The film picts Woodroof's efforts to make treatments more easily available spe his distaste for the gay muny, which viewers are remd of aga and aga.
THE TE STORY BEHD DALLAS BUYERS CLUB: MEET THE REAL RON WOODFFWHAT REALLY HAPPENEDTHE STORY OF A TEXAS ELECTRICIAN WHO ALS EXPERIMENTAL AIDS DGS ONLY TOOK TWENTY YEARS TO MAKE TO HOLLYWOOD. AND ALL STARTED AS A SIMPLE ACT OF JOURNALISM.ANDREW ROMANOUPDATED JUL. 11, 2017 6:11PM EDT / PUBLISHED NOV. 03, 2013 5:45AM EST FOC FEATURTODAY DALLAS BUYERS CLUB IS A MAJOR HOLLYWOOD MOTN PICTURE STARRG MATTHEW MCCONGHEY AS A TEXAS ELECTRICIAN AND ROO HABUé WHO TRANSFORMS HIMSELF TO AN IMPORTER AND DISTRIBUTER OF EXPERIMENTAL AIDS MEDITNS AFTER NTRACTG HIV.BUT STARTED LIFE AS A SIMPLE ACT OF JOURNALISM. IN THE SUMMER OF 1992, BILL MUTAGL, A REPORTER FOR THE DALLAS MORNG NEWS, STUMBLED UPON AN ARTICLE ABOUT AIDS PATIENTS CI ACROSS THE UNTRY WHO WERE POOLG THEIR ROURC AND PAYG LOL ENTREPRENRS TO SUPPLY THEM WH DGS NOT YET APPROVED BY THE FDA. MUTAGL EVENTUALLY TRACKED DOWN RON WOODROOF, THE WIRY, MTACHED, FOUL-MOUTHED HEAD OF DALLAS’S HOMEGROWN BUYERS CLUB, AND NVCED WOODROOF TO TELL HIM ALL ABOUT HIS EXPLOS. THERE WAS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE TIME WOODROOF STALLED SPECIAL AIR SHOCKS ON THE REAR END OF HIS LLN CONTENTAL TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE THOANDS OF PILLS HE TEND TO SNEAK ACROSS THE MEXI BORR ONLY TO HAVE THE SHOCKS LLAPSE WHILE HE WAS BEG TERROGATED AT THE CHECKPOT. OR THE TIME HE BRIBED A JAPANE BCHEMIL WORKER WH $500 AND A FEW ROUNDS OF DRKS EXCHANGE FOR THE NAME OF A FISLLY TROUBLED PHYSICIAN WHO MIGHT SUPPLY HIM WH A FEW DOZEN VIALS OF TERFERON. OR THE TIME HE SMUGGLED THE TERFERON THROUGH CTOMS A SMOKG BRIEFSE FULL OF DRY ICE. ALL OF WHICH EVENTUALLY MA TO MUTAGL’S FEATURE FOR THE MORNG NEWS’ SUNDAY MAGAZE. IT WAS LLED “BUYG TIME,” AND WAS THE FIRST REAL PROFILE OF RON WOODROOF ANYONE HAD EVER DONE.SHORTLY AFTER MUTAGL’S STORY APPEARED, SCREENWRER CRAIG BORTEN DROVE TO DALLAS AND SPENT THREE DAYS TALKG TO WOODROOF. FROM THEIR NVERSATNS HE FASHNED A SCREENPLAY THAT EVENTUALLY BEME, AS THE LOS ANGEL TIM RECENTLY PUT , “THE STUFF OF LEGEND”—A 20-YEAR TALE OF “THE DOOMED MMENT OF SUPERSTARS LIKE BRAD PT AND RYAN GOSLG, THE DISSIPATED TERT OF FILMMAKERS AS DIVERSE AS MARC FORSTER AND DENNIS HOPPER, NUMERO SHAKY FANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS, TWO STUDS WH LD FEET, A WRER SO TORTURED BY REJECTN THAT HE SPIRALED TO ADDICTN, A BAILOUT BY MEN THE CIDLY UNGLAMORO BS OF TEXAS FERTILIZER, AND THE FILM'S EVENTUAL SALVATN BY AN ACTOR WHO FOR MANY YEARS HAD BT BEEN KNOWN FOR SEMI-NAKED BONGO DMMG.” MEANWHILE, MUTAGL GOT ON WH HIS REER, WRG BOOKS ABOUT GEE W. BH AND THE JFK ASSASSATN WHILE TEACHG JOURNALISM AT THE UNIVERSY OF TEXAS AT AT. THAT’S WHERE THE DAILY BEAST FOUND HIM LAST WEEK WHEN WE LLED TO TALK ABOUT THE TE STORY BEHD THE MOVIE—THE REAL RON WOODFF. “I’M GLAD THEY MA THE MOVIE,” MUTAGL TOLD . “I ADMIRED RON. I’M NOT AAID TO SAY NOW. HE JT WANTED TO LIVE A LTLE LONGER, AND HE WANTED THE SAME FOR OTHER PEOPLE, TOO. OUT OF THAT, HE CREATED A BS. IT KEPT HIM GOG FOR A WHILE. IT KEPT HIM ENERGIZED. HE WAS A FASCATG FIGURE AMERIN HISTORY.” EXCERPTS OM OUR NVERSATN:THE DAILY BEAST: HOW DID YOU FD OUT ABOUT RON WOODROOF?BILL MINUTAGLIO: THERE HAD BEEN ONE MENTN OF RON MY OLD NEWSPAPER, THE DALLAS MORNG NEWS, BUT REALLY THE THG THAT SPARKED MY TERT WAS READG THE VILLAGE VOICE OR SOME OTHER ALTERNATIVE WEEKLY ABOUT BUYERS CLUBS. THE ARTICLE MENTNED THAT THE GROUP DALLAS HAD A NATNAL REPUTATN: THEY WERE KNOWN FOR BEG MORE RISK-TAKG AND AGGRSIVE. I WAS ALWAYS LOOKG FOR STORI DALLAS THAT HAD SOME SORT OF NATNAL OR EVEN TERNATNAL SIGNIFINCE, AND I THOUGHT THIS ULD BE ONE OF THEM. SO I CLIPPED THE STORY OUT AND BEGAN MAKG SOME LLS.AND WAS REALLY EASY TO FD RON WOODROOF. HE WAS NOT HIDG. HE WAS NOT UNRGROUND. PEOPLE THE AIDS MUNY JT SIMPLY SAID, “OH, THE DALLAS BUYERS CLUB—HERE’S HOW YOU REACH THEM.”I LLED HIM, GOT TOUCH WH HIM, AND HE VED ME OVER TO HIS OFFICE. WHICH WAS KD OF SURPRISG TO ME. I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. I THOUGHT WOULD BE HIDN, OUT THE WOODS, OR SOME KD OF BACKROOM AL. THIS IS A GUY WHO IS SMUGGLG DGS ACROSS THE BORR.FRANKLY, YEAH. HE WAS A SMUGGLER. THERE’S NO OTHER WORD FOR . I THOUGHT HE WAS GOG TO BE AN OUTLAW BAND KD OF GUY WHERE WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE SECRET S AND HANDSHAK BEFORE WE ULD MEET. BUT FACT THE OFFICE OF THE DALLAS BUYERS CLUB WAS RIGHT OUTSI DOWNTOWN DALLAS, ABOUT A QUARTER-E OM THE SKYSCRAPERS. IT WAS ON SWISS, WHICH IS ONE OF THE FT, OLST, PREMIUM BLOCKS THE CY. IF HE WAS HIDG, HE WAS PLA SIGHT. AND THAT’S WHERE I MET RON. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST IMPRSN OF HIM? I PROBABLY ME ARMED WH THE THG YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO AS A REPORTER: PRENCEPTNS. I THOUGHT HE WAS GOG TO BE MYSTER. THAT HE WAS GOG TO LOOK LIKE A MOTORCYCLE GANG MEMBER. A SMUGGLER. WHATEVER A SMUGGLER LOOKS LIKE.BUT I MET A MAN A SU. THAT WAS THE FIRST THG THAT THREW ME OFF. HE HAD A NICE WHE SHIRT ON, AND A TIE. HE MIGHT HAVE EVEN HAD CUFFLKS. HE WAS REFULLY GROOMED. HE HAD A THICK, HEALTHY MTACHE. I REMEMBER THKG THAT LOOKED LIKE A HOLDOVER OM THE DIS DAYS. IN SHORT, HE WASN’T THE OUTLAW GANGSTER PIRATE PERSON I THOUGHT I WOULD SEE—FURTIVE AND ANKLY SRY. WERE YOU DISAPPOTED BY THAT, AS A JOURNALIST? THAT HE DIDN’T SEEM MORE LORFUL. NO, NO. I ACTUALLY BEGAN TO SEE THE POSSIBILI THE STORY. IT WAS UNTERTUIVE. HE WASN’T THE STEREOTYPE. PEOPLE WERE TELLG ME THAT THE DALLAS BUYERS CLUB REALLY WAS AGGRSIVE AND THAT THEY REALLY WERE VOLVED SMUGGLG DGS, AND YET HERE’S A GUY WHO LOOKS LIKE A CPA. AND THAT MAK MORE TERTG. I REMEMBER THKG, “THIS IS JT THE KD OF STORY I LIKE, BEE ’S SO UNLIKELY. IT’S YOUR AVERAGE MAN NEXT DOOR, BUT HE’S REALLY GOG ALL THE WAY. AN ORDARY PERSON UGHT UP SOMETHG EXTRAORDARY.” VERY EARLY ON, RON TOLD ME THAT HE WAS DOG THIS TO STAY ALIVE. AND LIKE MANY PEOPLE, THAT’S A STORY I LOVE: SOMEONE RISG TO THE OCSN AND BEHAVG REALLY DIFFERENTLY BEE THEY’RE FACED WH SOME UNBELIEVABLE THUNRCLAP THEIR LIV. THE GOOD NEWS WAS THAT RON DIDN’T TURN OUT TO BE TOO ORDARY, WHICH ACROSS YOUR STORY AS WELL AS THE NEW MOVIE. HE WAS AN CREDIBLY VIBRANT CHARACTER. [LGHS] WHEN HE OPENED HIS MOUTH AND BEGAN TALKG, HE CURSED LIKE FOUR SAILORS STEAD OF ONE. VERY BLUE. VERY SALTY. I REMEMBER HE WOULD BOUND UP OM HIS CHAIR AND MARCH AROUND THE ROOM AND SLAP HIS HAND ON THE TABLE. I THOUGHT HE WAS REALLY UNFILTERED. BUT WHAT HE WAS YELLG AND CURSG ABOUT WAS THE ERNMENT, AND THE PACE OF APPROVAL, AND HOW THE FDA DIDN’T REALIZE HOW SPERATE PEOPLE LIKE HIM WERE. IT WAS ONLY LATER THAT I REALIZED HE WAS DYG. I WAS WH A MAN WHO WOULD BE AD A FEW WEEKS. MY STORY ME OUT AUGT 1992. RON DIED EHER LATE SEPTEMBER OR EARLY OCTOBER. DID HE LET ON THAT HE WAS THAT CLOSE TO THE END? NO, HE WAS VERY VIBRANT, AND VERY TENSE, AND VERY ILED. BUT REALLY, REALLY ANGRY. IT WAS PALPABLE. ALMOST MANDG ANSWERS RIGHT THERE. THERE’S THE KD OF CURSG THAT IS LIKE BARROOM BANTER, BUT WH RON WOULD LATE. HE WASN’T BEG BLTERY FOR THE SAKE OF “SEE MY PERSONALY, I’M A TOUGH-TALKG GUY.” HE WAS JT REALLY TRATED—AT THE WORLD, AT THE ERNMENT THAT WAS FIREWALLG HIS ACCS TO THE MEDIC THAT HE THOUGHT ULD KEEP HIM ALIVE. HE WAS SPERATE—PERHAPS BEE HE KNEW THE CLOCK WAS TICKG. RON HAD TOLD ME HE HAD BEEN A MERCIAL ELECTRICIAN DALLAS. IN THE EARLY 1980S, DALLAS WAS JT ROCKETG. THE JOKE WAS THAT THE NATNAL BIRD OF DALLAS WAS THE CRANE, WH ALL THE BUILDGS GOG UP EVERYWHERE. PEOPLE WERE MOVG OM ALL OVER THE UNTRY, RPORATNS WERE RELOTG THERE, HUGE VELOPMENT. AND HERE’S RON. HE TOLD ME HE FELT HE WAS BEG OVERLAPPED BY ALL THE CIRCUMSTANC DALLAS—THAT WAS A GO-GO CY, BUT HE WAS LEFT OUT. AND THEN HE HAD THIS DISVERY THAT HE HAD AIDS, AND HE MA THE FATEFUL CISN TO GO GET THE DGS. WHAT WAS YOUR NEXT STEP? TO TRY TO VERIFY SOME OF HIS TAL BEE THEY WERE SO EXTRAORDARY. I WENT OUT TO LOOK OUT HIS R BEE HE WAS TALKG ABOUT GOG TO MEXI A LOT. SMUGGLG WAS A LOT EASIER BACK THEN. THIS WAS LONG BEFORE 9/11. RON WAS WARY OF ME IALLY. BUT HE QUICKLY BEME PLETELY UNFILTERED. THKG BACK, I’M LIKE, “WAS THAT JT THE WAY HE WAS? WHY WAS HE SO OPEN?” AS I READ YOUR STORY I WAS THKG THE SAME THG. RON WAS MTG CRIM—AND THEN TELLG A REPORTER ALL ABOUT THEM. I THK WAS THAT HE WAS DYG. SOMEONE WHO IS GOG TO BE THAT SELF-MEDITG, WHO’S GOG TO BE MIXG POTNS AND CHEMILS TO STAY ALIVE, IS GOG TO BE VERY ON TOP OF HIS MEDIL NDN. HE MIGHT HAVE KNOWN THAT HE WAS NEAR THE END. SO HE WAS OPEN WH YOU BEE HE WAS LOOKG OUT FOR HIS LEGACY? I THK RON WAS LIKE, “WHAT THE HELL. I’M NOT GOG TO HOLD THE STORI UNTIL I DIE.” I THK HE JT SAID, “I’M DYG. THERE’S NO REASON FOR ME TO FILTER. I DON’T GIVE A RAT’S ASS WHO KNOWS ABOUT THE THGS.” I DON’T KNOW THAT. HE DIDN’T SAY. BUT I ULD SEE HIM THKG THAT. “WHY DO I NEED TO HOLD THE RDS CLOSE TO MY VT? THERE’S NO TIME FOR THAT ANYMORE.” WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BUYERS CLUB? I DON’T KNOW. YOU MOVE ON. I HAVE TO IMAGE THAT THE AIR WAS KD OF LET OUT OF WHEN RON DIED. HE WAS SUCH A PERSONALY AND SUCH A RISK-TAKER THAT ’S HARD TO PICTURE ANYBODY TAKG HIS PLACE. DID YOU THK RON WAS A HOMOPHOBE? I DON’T KNOW. IN MY DISCSNS WH HIM I DON’T REMEMBER HIM EXHIBG ANGER OR EXPRSG PEJORATIV ABOUT GAY MEN AND WOMEN. HE WAS A BSMAN WHO NEED CTOMERS—TO FUND HIS TRIPS, TO BUY HIS DISGUIS, TO PAY PEOPLE OFF, TO KEEP GAS HIS LLN, AND TO KEEP HIMSELF ALIVE. HE HAD CEASED BEG AN ELECTRICIAN. THERE WAS NO MONEY G OM ANYWHERE ELSE. AND I FD HARD TO IMAGE THAT HE WOULD BE DISPARAGG OF HIS CTOMERS IF THEY HAPPENED TO BE GAY. THE MOVIE HAD A NVOLUTED PATH THROUGH HOLLYWOOD. HAVE YOU FOLLOWED THE NEWS OVER THE YEARS? I’D HEARD MORS ABOUT A FILM, BUT I WAS NEVER NTACTED. AND THEN A FEW WEEKS AGO I WAS WATCHG GRAVY WH MY SON AND SUDNLY THERE WAS THE TRAILER FOR DALLAS BUYERS CLUB. MY JAW-DROPPED. I THOUGHT, “WELL, I GUS THOSE MORS WERE FOR REAL.” DID MATTHEW MCCONGHEY REMD YOU OF RON? I SUPPOSE TO PTURE SOMEBODY OM TEXAS YOU’RE NOT GOG TO GO WRONG WH SOMEBODY LIKE MATTHEW MCCONGHEY. IF TOMMY LEE JON ISN’T AVAILABLE, GO WH MCCONGHEY. [LGHS] MCCONGHEY PLAYS TEXANS VERY WELL. HE’S PART OF THIS WORLD. I DIDN’T SPEND 24/7 WH RON, WEEK AND WEEK OUT. HE DIDN’T MENTN THAT HE HAD BEIEND A TRANSVTE, OR THAT HE WAS A ROO SPORTSMAN. HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD A GIRLIEND, AND I REPEATEDLY ASKED IF I ULD TERVIEW HER FOR THE STORY AND LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT HER ROLE MIGHT BE—HER FATEFUL JOURNEY. BUT HE NEVER STEERED ME TO HER. HE WAS A LTLE WARY ABOUT SOME THGS HIS PERSONAL LIFE, THGS I WANTED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT. IF YOU READ MY STORY, THERE’S NOT A WHOLE LOT THERE ABOUT HIS UPBRGG OR EVEN HOW HE GOT ILL. THAT’S BEE HE WOULDN’T TELL ME. IT WASN’T FOR A LACK OF TRYG. “HOW DO AN ELECTRICIAN GET TO THIS? WHERE DID RON E OM?” HE WOULDN’T SAY. I DON’T KNOW WHY THAT WAS. SO YOU’VE GOT TO GO SEE THE MOVIE, RIGHT? [LGHS] I’VE GOT TO SEE THE MOVIE. ANDREW ROMANO
William Waybourn, the former print of the Dallas Gay Alliance, knew Woodroof well om volunteerg together and nng the same circl Dallas. He told HuffPost Live's Ricky Caleri that the movie's pictn of Woodroof as a heterosexual who stggled to be around gay men is at odds wh everythg Waybourn knew about Woodroof. "He worked a gay center, he was surround by gay men, and as far as I know, had relatnships wh gay men.
DALLAS BUYERS CLUB: HE HATED GAYS, GOT AIDS AND SAVED LIV
Steven Pounrs, Woodroof's primary doctor durg his fight wh HIV, has said that he never saw the homophobia Woodroof that is prent the film. “He seemed to me very fortable the gay environment, like any other gay man. )A piece om Slate on Woodroof's sexualy pots out that the film's -wrer Craig Borten has long fend his belief that Woodroof was "as racist and homophobic as they e.
" The piece also quot another medil profsnal who treated Woodroof, nurse Penny Krisp, as tellg The Sunday Tim that "Ron was one of my gay patients. "David France, the director and producer of the crilly-acclaimed AIDS documentary "How To Survive A Plague, " also joed HuffPost Live for the discsn and argued that "Dallas Buyers Club" ma Woodroof heterosexual to stop the movie om beg perceived as a gay film. "It turns on some of those old trop that you really need to see the transn of a straight man's journey orr to be able to unrstand gay people, " France said.