Don't let anyone talk you out of it

As a journalist, I sometimes get the chance to interview iconic individuals — even celebrities. From Newt Gingrich to indie film actors, professional dancers, PGA golfers and reality television stars, I’ve interviewed a smorgasbord of interesting individuals. I think my favorite though, was Ronny Cox from the classic film Deliverance. Below is the unpublished story that came out of that incredible interview sometime back in 2015 …

Most famously known for his role as Drew Ballinger in the 1972 film Deliverance — specifically the “Dueling Banjos” scene near the beginning — Ronny Cox grew up in Portales, N.M. with big dreams.

Cox said he attended junior high school, high school and college in Portales, all the while dreaming of one day becoming an actor.

“It’s (Portales) where I met my wife, Mary,” he said. “It’s where I spent my formative years. It’s where I went to college. That place means the world to me. It gave me everything.”

In high school, Cox said he had a band called Ronny’s Rock Outs.

“Norman Petty saw us perform and asked us to do back-up on records,” he said. “I was around Norman Petty Recording Studios when Buddy Holly was cutting all of his music.”

Music has always been a major part of Cox’s life, he said. He loves acoustic-oriented music such as James Taylor, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, The Band and The Eagles. The musician who inspired Cox, however, was Mickey Newbury.

“I got my first film, Deliverance, because I could play guitar,” Cox said. “I put myself through college with a rock n’ roll band. When I was struggling as an actor, I was also struggling as a musician.”

Cox said he was living in New York City with his wife of 10 years and his two sons when he got his big break as an actor.

“Mary, the boys and I were struggling at the time, living very hand-to-mouth,” he said. “Deliverance opened doors in the entertainment world that I didn’t even know existed. When you do get that lucky break, you’ve got to be clever enough to capitalize on it.”

After Deliverance, Cox said he went on to play roles in many critically-acclaimed movies and television series from Total Recall to RoboCop to Stargate and a cameo in the two highest-rates episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

He said his favorite roles to play are the bad guys.

“Playing a good guy is not nearly as fun as playing a bad guy,” he said. “We try to be good people every day of our life, but that’s boring. The guys that get to make the most interesting decisions are always the bad guys.”

After a while, Cox said he began to miss music and set out to find a good folk music community and pursue music — his first love — once again.

“I’m more drawn to folk music than almost anything else,” he said. “Half the fun for me is getting to use the stories that go along with the music. My show isn’t just me singing songs to people. Stories are an integral part of my show.” Cox said his concerts are unlike any others.

“Sharing music is just so heart-to-heart,” he said. “I like playing smaller shows. I want it to be a more intimate experience. I like for my show to feel like a shared evening. I know these shows work on a level very few others do.”

These days Cox said he primarily focuses on his music career, though he still does some acting as long as it does not interfere with any already scheduled concerts.

A small-town 12-year-old New Mexico boy dreamt of being on the big screen and one day his dream came true. Cox said persistence is the key to success for any ambition, no matter how grandiose.

“If you can’t picture yourself doing anything else in the world and being fulfilled and satisfied, go do it,” he said. “If you can’t picture yourself being fulfilled doing anything else, then don’t let anyone talk you out of it.”