Man provides security for movie stars

MONTGOMERY - Jack Buckner likes to reflect on the time he spent protecting Oscar winners Tom Hanks, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Julia Roberts.

He worked on location during filming of "Charlie Wilson's War," a major motion picture that will be released nationwide in theaters today.

Buckner, a retired Army special forces officer who lives near Montgomery, works for a security firm that protects film crews, movie stars, celebrities, models wearing expensive jewelry, politicians and anyone who can pay the freight.

In 2006, he worked in Mexico during the filming of "Nacho Libre" starring Jack Black.

"Charlie Wilson's War" was largely shot on location in 2006 in Morocco's Atlas Mountains and in Tangier. Afghanistan is where the real events took place nearly 30 years ago but filming on location there was out of the question since it's a war zone.

The movie is based on the 2003 book, "Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of the Largest Covert Operation in History," by George Crile.

Hanks plays Wilson, a former Texas congressman who provided covert aid to Osama bin Laden in the late 1970s and early 1980s war against Soviet troops in Afghanistan.

Roberts plays the love interest, Houston socialite Joanne Herring, who got Wilson interested in the plight of the mujahideen Afghan freedom fighters. Hoffman plays a rogue CIA agent.

"Tom Hanks, he was just a great guy, a humble guy," Buckner said. "You'd think a guy that has a high status and is as well known as he is, well, you hear horror stories about a lot of movie stars. He wasn't anything like that. Just a regular guy, very polite and very professional."

He said Roberts, who was traveling with her children, was more reserved. "She wasn't in the country as long. She's really nice, really polite, withdrawn and subdued. She was always very polite."

Buckner said Hanks and Roberts got along well, having worked in other movies together.

Hoffman didn't want a lot of fuss made about him. "He's very polite, didn't want any protection," Buckner said.

Actors usually travel with their own security, Buckner said. His employer, Thomas Dale and Associates, provided overall security and associated functions for the filming.

"We usually try to augment what they already have with another bodyguard or whatever," Buckner said.

Buckner, 64, was an infantry officer in Vietnam and special forces Army Ranger who traveled the world as an adviser. His last assignment was as deputy commander for a special operations task force in Afghanistan.

He said moviemaking is actually boring, "it's like watching paint dry."

"When you look at 'Jack Black,' it was weeks of filming for a 90-minute film," he said. "Sometimes you don't even recognize what you saw."

Buckner said security crews go to a location weeks ahead of time and coordinate safety, evacuation, medical and escape route locations with local and U.S. authorities.

"So far, the biggest threats have been pickpockets, snatch and grabs," Buckner said. "In Morocco, with the big stars, the paparazzi will drive you up the wall. They travel the world; they're like jackals.

"You do get to visit a lot of neat places and meet interesting people after you get over the fact that it's work," he said.

Dana Beyerle is Montgomery Bureau chief for the New York Times Regional Newspapers. He can be reached at (334) 264-6605 or dtb12345@aol.com.