ThinWhiteDukeInterviews

Wolf Kähler interview

2010-01-15T13:36:00.000-08:00

The power of your role in Raiders of the Loat Ark was the fact that you played Colonel Dietrich in a very serious way, while often Nazis are being portrayed as caricatures. Did you do this on purpose? And where did you get your inspiration?

Even though it takes place before the second World War and Hitler is around I do not think my character is specifically a Nazi. I played it as an officer who had a job to do and happens to be German. I know what I want, the Ark, and I do my best to get it. And yes, I do it ruthlessly, but with less violence as our hero: Harrison Ford. Do you see me kill people? You
probably know the movie better than I do! (laughs)

Well, in the scene where you are sitting in the car at the marketplace you
throw a melon and we hear a dog squeak.

No, there was no dog. Some vendor handed me the melon and I didn't know what to do with it!

They may have added that sound in then.

Yes, you see? They make me look bad!

Well, what is one dog compared with a load of dead Nazis?

Yes, it is all in the mind of people and the way the movie is edited.

Still, the fact that everyone thinks that you may have done some killings is the power of your performance. Just as your obsession with the Ark.

Like everybody else was obsessed!

Wolf Kähler and me
Can you tell anything about the making of the movie and the atmosphere on the set?

One of the producers, Robert Watts, who did Star Wars as well, was so caring about the actors. I remember that when I came from the submarine he was making sure that I came safely from the boat. Generally the atmosphere was fantastic. In every department there were the best people, like Steven Spielberg.

How was he to work with? He is often considered to be the best director ever.

Visually yes. I have no complaints. He saw the character slightly different. He wanted more on the edge. We talked about it on the plane and he was ok with the way I played the role. He told me he was pleased with my performance on the last day of shooting.

You also had some scenes with Harrison Ford. How was he?

He was very good, rocksteady. Very much out of reality in every scene, that was very good. George Lucas, who sees everything on the set, was there when a scene with Harrison and a horse was filmed. It was beautiful and looked like magic when we saw it on the screen.

What was your initial feeling when you got cast?

It was great since a lot of people wanted to be a part of it. I was nervous because you never know what they want. Spielberg had a very good name, and he was nice when we first met. He told me he had seen me in Stanley Kubricks Barry Lyndon. I think it was that movie on which he had decided that he wanted me to play Colonel Dietrich. So, I never auditioned in the form of a reading or something like that.

What is your best memory regarding Raiders of the Lost Ark?

(Thinks for a very long time) It's a very difficult question because everything is different and valuable. It's on the television every Christmas. Well, not last Christmas, but the year before. It was a masterpiece, and everyone seems to love it.

Wolf Kähler, Paul Freeman (René Belloq) and Ronald Lacey (Toht) open the Ark
Did you ever expect that Indiana Jones would become such an icon in the history of cinema?

I have met people that have seen Raiders of the Lost Ark no less than seventeen times in the cinema, but that was after the movie was shot of course. No, you do your job and don't think about these things. It all felt like it was going to be a good movie. The cast and crew was good and you knew you were in good hands.

John Rhys-Davies interview

2010-01-15T13:33:00.000-08:00

What are the chances we will see you in Indiana Jones Part 4? Have you been contacted?
(Editor's note: This interview took place in November 2006 when there was little known about the casting for Indy 4. In the end, John didn't get a part in it)

The last time I spoke with Steven Spielberg he did mention Indiana Jones 4, but that was back in 2003. The fans know as much as I do. They should make it as quick as they can, because some characters are getting a bit old (laughs).
Harrison, George and Steven are not in it for the money, they do it because they believe it can become one of the greatest movies ever.

I cannot say that I will be in it. I was in it in one of the last scripts however. If they would ask me and I will still be able to walk, ride a horse and do my thing. I would be delighted to reprise my role as Sallah.

John Rhys-Davies and me (John was tickling me (he always does that), hence my smile)
You have worked with Steven, George and Harrison on various occasions. How were they to work with?

I admire these men. I think they are giants in their own way. Harrison is the most successful post World War II American actor. He has the rugged look that women like. He is not the pretty boy that come and go and have short successful spells. He has the determination and the talent to turn the opportunities that he had into great roles. He had the good fortune and the judgment to create three big movie franchises (editor’s note: Star Wars, Indiana Jones and two Jack Ryan movies: Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger). Add to this the great first class performances and I can say that my respect for Harrison grows with every movie that he makes. He is a real magnificent old fashioned film star.

John's humor: "There goes my career Dennis" "Blown" "Gone"
Lucas is a puzzle, isn't he? It is because modern cinema owes more to George Lucas than to any other single person. Just because the input that he has given to the technical side of filmmaking. Personally I am disappointed with the last three Star Wars movies. I think that it has taken him a long time to get his youthful stuff out of the way. Now that he has finished that I think he is on the verge of creating something new, exciting and original.
He is a man of great creative, imaginative and directorial substance. If George's career was to end now we would all have a sense of disappointment. His friends would say he is a very generous and supportive man, and that would be right. I think that his genius is such, that when we look at his career the best is yet to come.

Spielberg is a giant. He can do with film what few directors in the world will ever be able to do. He is one of the two or three best directors of all time.

Who are the other two?

I think Peter Jackson has a claim. I don't want to comment on the third because there are directors that do brilliant things and you hope they can continue doing that with consistency. I think that Man on Fire directed by Tony Scott had the best direction I have seen in the last years as well as a wonderful performance. Denzel Washington is another real old fashioned Hollywood star. The new Poitier.

John and Harrison Ford lift the Ark of the Covenant
Back to Indy: did any strange or funny things happen on the set?

(Immediately starts to laugh) Too many. My favorite was the first one when we had the big fight with Indy and the flying wing. The intention was that the fire would start, put it out, and take another shot before the explosion. We had the Tunisian fire brigade carefully laying out their hoses in the desert. When Steven said “put out the fire and have another go” the hoses were leaking and just a few drops came out. They kept the cameras rolling because otherwise we would have nothing. It was the funniest thing you had ever seen.

In The Last Crusade Sean Connery joined the cast. What influence did he have on the cast and crew?

I think that he and Michael Caine are the best stars of their generation despite not being the most talented ones. Peter O'Toole was more brilliant for example. Some had a lot of potential but didn't survive because of drugs, alcohol or something else. Connery and Caine were very good at what they did, kept practicing and the last man standing wins the prize. When you add a star to a cast that is already state of the art, you expect fireworks.
Harrison is a competitive man and Connery is not known for being not competitive. They were smart enough to know what they needed to do to make that third film work. I think it was an explosive mixture that worked perfectly. They got the best out of eachother and the film often takes it's tone from the leading actors. This, of course, is less the case with a charismatic director like Steven Spielberg. He contributed wonderfully and made the whole thing marvelous.

Sean Connery (Henry Jones), John, Denholm Elliott (Marcus Brody) and Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones) in The Last Crusade

Greg Proops interview

2010-01-06T08:48:00.000-08:00

He was the 'Fode' half of the podrace announcer Fode/Beed in Episode I and recently Tal Merrick in Clone Wars. 'm talking about comedian, actor, voice talent and writer Greg Proops.
Mr. Proops was willing to answer some questions about his work on Star Wars and dutch soccer. Enjoy!

How did you get the part for Fode in Episode I?

I was performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the casting person saw me do stand up. Same with Beed who is my pal Scott Capurro. We auditioned as a team in London and got it.

I assume you have seen the original trilogy many years before you were cast for Episode I. Suppose someone had said to you at the moment you saw the movie that you were going to be in a future Star Wars movie. What would you have said?

You're far too trusting.

At first, Scott Capurro and you were in heavy makeup and blue bodysuits because your faces were going to be in the movie and only your bodies were going to be CGI. During the process Lucas decided that everything, including your faces, was going to be CGI. What do you think of this decision and how was your initial response?

George Lucas has his vision and I was but a prawn in the salad. The face make up was quite good and took several hours to do.

Greg Proops and Scott Capurro in their Fode Beed makeup
Can you tell something about the days you worked on Episode I. How was the atmosphere and what instructions did George Lucas give you for instance?

George Lucas is as low key and cool as anyone spending a zillion dollars. He would say "that's good, want to do it again?"

In the end, what do you think about the whole podrace scene?

I think it is a classic scifi homage to the chariot race in Ben-Hur and of course the most thrilling part of the picture.

How do you feel about being a part of the most popular movie saga ever?

I love it. People write me from all over the world. It is film immortality of a special kind as the fans are very devoted. I understate.

Recently you returned to Star Wars, this time for the Clone Wars TV series as Tal Merrick. How was it to return to the 'world of Star Wars'?

Great. I got to play a bad guy and so I was nasty ad threatened the Princess. Unbelievably fun.

Is there any chance you're going to do more work for Clone Wars or other Star Wars related projects?

I hope so.

Suppose you could voice any Star Wars character you want to. Who would you choose and how would you voice that character?

I did voice the two I wanted. I am lucky. You cannot improve on James Earl Jones and Alec Guinness.

I have saved the funniest question for last: I know you're a huge baseball fan (of the San Francisco Giants). Well, I am a huge fan of Dutch soccer team PSV Eindhoven. Suppose PSV is playing against their rivals for the championship....and PSV wins. How would Fode's commentary be?

It is so hot it's a Dutch oven and PSV has cooked their goose!

Back to the main page

Brian Muir interview

2009-12-30T05:24:00.001-08:00

The most iconic movie villain ever is probably the sithlord Darth Vader. Created by George Lucas, designed by Ralph McQuarrie and sculpted by Brian Muir. Besides Darth Vader, Brian Muir was also responsible for sculpting other Star Wars characters including C-3PO. After Star Wars: A New Hope, he went on to build a quite impressive resumé: Indiana Jones, James Bond, Willow, the Dark Crystal, Alien, Young Sherlock Holmes, Little Shop of Horrors, Krull, Clash of the Titans, Dragonslayer, Return to Oz, Sleepy Hollow and Harry Potter...just to sum up some of the movies he has worked on!
Below is the interview I had with him. Happy reading!

Can you tell us how you got involved with Star Wars: A New Hope?

I had been out of the film industry for over three years when I received a phone call from Arthur Healey, the sculptor who I trained under at Elstree Studios, to start on a Sci-Fi film. Initially I was told it was six weeks work and took the risk of leaving a secure job to be back to work I loved. Little did I know of it's significance!

You had the task to sculpt the best known, most popular villian in the history of movies: Darth Vader. Can you tell something about this process?

The plasterers moulded Dave Prowse to create a plaster cast of his head and body. Having cut the head and shoulders from the rest of the body, to make it easier to handle, I used this to start the sculpting process for the now iconic Vader mask. There had to be at least 1/4 inch of clay on the head at any point to allow for casting thickness and to know that it would fit on Dave’s head.
Once I had sculpted the mask to a finish, which was originally designed to have a front and rear section, it was handed to the plasterers to mould and cast in plaster.
I then applied clay to the plaster Vader mask and sculpted the helmet.

People like Ralph McQuarrie and John Mollo did some designs for him and then it was up to you. Did you have the chance to put little changes in it so that Darth Vader would have something typically Brian Muir in it?

With any sculpt taken from a two-dimensional drawing there is always an input from the sculptor. Every sculptor works in different ways and has their own interpretations of a design. I can always tell my own work.

In both the Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi they slightly changed Vader's helmet. Do you know why they did that? In my opinion there was no need to change the sculpt.

I don’t know whether it was George Lucas or designer Norman Reynolds or a combination of the two or why it was decided to make the changes. I agree there was no need to change or remove the widow’s peak as in my opinion it added to Vader’s menacing character.

Brian working on the head of the Death Star Droid RA-7
(photo © Brian Muir)
Besides Darth Vader, you also worked on C-3PO, the Death Star Droid and CZ-3. What did you exactly do for these three droids?

Liz Moore was the main sculptor on C-3P0 – when she left the film I was responsible for sharpening the suit and helmet at the plaster stage adding a few minor changes to the detail.
For the Death Star Droid and CZ-3 I sculpted the heads and the bodies were made from pieces used for C-3PO. The chest piece for CZ-3 was sculpted by Arthur Healey.
I just thought I should mention that I also sculpted the Stormtrooper armour, which has proven to be very topical in recent years. Liz Moore sculpted the helmet.

All the droids in one shot: C-3PO, the Death Star Droid and CZ-3
Actor Anthony Daniels played both C-3PO and CZ-3. He told me in our interview that the C-3PO's suit made him claustrofobic at first and the 'pins' in his neck hurt. Did you had to keep such a thing in mind when you created the suit?

I don’t doubt the suit was claustrophobic, as it was totally enclosed, particularly in the heat of the Tunisian desert. At least Dave Prowse was fortunate enough to have the back of Vader’s mask discarded as it was covered by the helmet.

Did you get any response from George Lucas and/or Gary Kurtz? If so, what did they have to say?

Gary Kurtz came into the sculptor’s studio and took photographs on several occasions but he made no comment on the sculpting.
Although he seems to be mentioned very rarely, it was the designer John Barry who mentioned the addition of the ‘tear ducts’ and the lengthening of the tubes at the clay stage.
George Lucas came into my studio a few times to look at the progression of the sculpt and seemed happy with it. When John Barry felt that the creation of Vader’s mask and helmet were complete, he then called George Lucas in to give his final approval. Although I do not remember his actual words I do remember him being very pleased with the sculpt and made no changes.

What is your personal opinion about Star Wars?

When I finally saw the film on screen, I was amazed. It was very difficult to visualize at that time what could be achieved with the ground - breaking techniques that were developed for Star Wars. Even watching the films today, when movie technology has moved on so far, they still stand the test of time. The simple basis of the story of Good against Evil is timeless.

Besides Star Wars, you have worked on two other big Lucasfilm productions: Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
Can you tell us something what you did for these two movies, and what your experiences were while working on them?

On Raiders of the Lost Ark some of the work I sculpted was the cobra, ornamental detail on the Ark of the Covenant and the rock set for the Nazi’s secret island.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom involved a vast amount of sculptural work. I was fortunate enough to have been given some prominent pieces including :- the python, gong, baby elephant’s head, two horse panels etc.
I give details of my experiences of working on these films in my recently published autobiography ‘In the Shadow of Vader’

Sallah and Indy lift the Ark of the Covenant; with Brian's details
You worked on a dozen of my all-time favorite movies including the Dark Crystal. Can you share some of your experiences regarding that movie? What did you do for instance? And how was it to work with Frank Oz and the legendary Jim Henson?

The Dark Crystal is also a favourite of mine – a very unique movie for its time. I sculpted the rock stacks, the standing stones and walkway in the Mystic Valley.
There were also many elements of the sets that had to be carved in polystyrene in situ.
I did not work with Frank Oz or Jim Henson as their main involvement was with the puppetry aspects of the film. Harry Lange was the designer and I worked directly with him.

You have recently released your autobiography. Can you give some more information like what we can expect in the book and how it can be ordered?

Yes I mentioned previously I have recently had my autobiography published titled ‘In the Shadow of Vader’.
To quote the back cover ‘ An amazing insight into the life and career of Brian Muir who famously sculpted the iconic Darth Vader at the young age of 23.
With over 40 years experience working on over 60 major films, Muir gives us a window into the mysterious world ‘behind the scenes’.
His life’s work reveals his unseen talent that is ‘In the Shadow of Vader’
The book can either be ordered from me by emailing me on:- vadersculptor@googlemail.com or through Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.

The cover of Brian Muir's autobiography: 'In the Shadow of Vader'
Looking back at your career so far, what do you see as your biggest achievement?

Having been lucky enough to have such a varied and fulfilling career it is difficult to pick out one individual achievement. I am very proud to have had work unveiled by the Queen, Queen Mother and to have been privileged to have Prince Charles visit my workshop and show genuine interest in my work.
Although the work over the years has been challenging at times, it becomes second nature with experience. Something that I had talked about for years that I did not think would come to fruition was writing my autobiography. I feel this has been one of my biggest achievements and in some ways is my legacy to my family and the Star Wars and film fans. It gives me great pleasure to think that some time in the future my young grandson and future grandchildren will be able to read the book and know about their grandfather’s life and career.

You were a part of the crew that made Star Wars, the most popular movie ever. How do you look back at Star Wars?

I have fond memories of being part of the Star Wars production. From working with Liz Moore, John Barry, George Lucas and of course the plasterers it was an enjoyable experience. I had no idea at the time that the film would have such a following all these years later. It was my step back into the film industry for which I will be forever grateful. I am happy to be acknowledged as the sculptor of the iconic Darth Vader and all that has involved in recent years.

Back to the main page

Jim Dowdall interview

2009-12-03T21:40:00.000-08:00

He played a Stormtrooper and a Bespin Guard in a Galaxy far, far away and did stuntwork for a certain Dr. Jones. I am talking about British stuntman Jim Dowdall, whose has worked on many classic movies like Star Wars, Indiana Jones and James Bond. I had the chance to ask him some questions late 2009. Below is the interview.

How did you get cast for Star Wars and the Empire Strikes Back?

I am member of the British Stunt Register and was asked by Peter Diamond to come and do some 'falling around' in plastic armour for a film called Star Wars.

You played a Stormtrooper and a Bespin Guard, are there any other characters you played? And can you tell something about all the roles you played?

No, I only played those two roles. At the time, I really didn't think anything more about it as it was just another job on a movie. All that running around with hot plastic armour which dug into your buttocks and the back of your legs seemed faintly ridiculous but it was a job! It was only when we went to the crew showing on a wet Saturday morning and saw the result with Dolby stereo on the big screen with that amazing opening shot that we thought that we were then involved with something that was very much cutting edge.
I think I was only there for a couple of days for the Bespin Guard sequence but I got to know Harrison much better as I stunt doubled him on Hanover Street and Force Ten from Navarone.

Portraying a Bespin Guard; Lando (Billy Dee Williams) Calrissians security
Which stunts did you do in the Star Wars movies?

Can't be specific as we were doing a lot of running around falling off of various bits of set with bullet hits on the armour.

Can you tell any remarkable, unique, strange or funny things that happened on the set?

Only that we (including Harrison I think) all thought that this was a film that would not 'fly'.

Being a stuntman on Star Wars, you must have worked with the late Peter Diamond. How was it like, working with him.

Peter was a real gentleman and somebody that knew what he wanted from you, was very specific and most importantly, was cool under fire and didn't lose his temper.

Can you tell something about how George Lucas and Irvin Kershner directed the two movies you were in?

Not really. We were pretty much small fry and were just told what to do by Tony Way or Gerry Gavigan the assistant directors. We were very rarely addressed directly by the director as he was busy with the leads. I do remember being given specific direction as the Bespin Guard by Irvin Kershner as I had to react to the moves of Harrison and Carrie, but I seem to remember being in full 'yes sir/no sir' mode as Peter Diamond was also there watching every move. In those days, the etiquette was that stuntmen were usually directed by the stunt co-ordinator who was told by the director what was expected of us.

Did you get to meet the leading actors (Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford) while shooting the film? How were they?

As I mentioned, I got to know Harrison much better during the course of the other films where I was his stunt double. The last time we worked together was on the boat chase for Indiana Jones and the last Crusade.

You have done several conventions. How do you feel about meeting the fans and signing photos?

I'm always amazed by the scale and thr enthusiasm of the fan base . At the first signing I went to which was in London I met a guy who had come over from Texas and a guy from Sydney Australia who were there specifically for the signatures and I felt surprised and flattered to be part of the Star Wars ensemble.

The boat scene from Indiana Jones and the last Crusade
You mentioned it earlier: you were in another Lucasfilm production: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Can you tell something about making this movie? Did anything strange or unusual happen on the set, for instance?

No, not specifically, I just remember getting wet a lot and being blown up and making some good money for it. Vic Armstrong, an old friend, who was the stunt co-ordinator, was very keen on thorough rehearsals on all the films I've done with him so we were well prepared.

Being part of two of the biggest movie franchises ever (Indiana Jones, Star Wars), what are your thoughts with being part of the "legacy?"

See my comments earlier, but having done nine James Bond movies and many other iconic films, I can say that the Star Wars pictures were the first films that made me appreciate what CGI could do to enhance a good script instead of what it is used for a lot these days which is as an attempted replacement for a bad script/direction/actors (not necessarily in that order).

Back to the main page

Paul Blake interview

2009-11-24T08:45:00.000-08:00

The most notorious job in the Star Wars universe must be that of bountyhunter. The first bountyhunter we get to see in the movies is the green rodian Greedo, who's most famous for being killed by Han Solo in the Mos Eisley Cantina. Greedo was played by british actor Paul Blake, who was willing to answer some questions (yes, including THAT question: Did Han or Greedo shoot first?).

Paul Blake and me @ the Collectorsfair Utrecht, the Netherlands, november 21st 2009

How did you get involved in Star Wars? Can you tell how you got cast for example?

I was working with Anthony Daniels on Jackanory; a BBC childrens show and he rang both my partner and I and mentioned that he was playing a gold robot in a science fiction movie and asked if we wanted to meet the director. I said yes and went to meet George Lucas at Elstree and got the part of Greedo. Kate, my wife said that she didn't want to dance in the Cantina. She was a ballet dancer, but had just started working as an actress.

You played Greedo in the famous Cantina scene. Can you tell something about how your scenes were filmed?

They were definitely the great scenes to be in as we had a real set to wander around and even when we were not filming it was great to watch all the other aliens in the side booths doing their thing! Everything was `on a wing and a prayer` and I do remember watching the crew and Kenny (Baker) having problems trying to film R2-D2 coming down a ramp into the Cantina.

How was the atmosphere on the set? How were the other crewmembers and actors for example?

The atmosphere was terrific although it was a very hot summer and stiflingly hot. The crew were the best in the world -which was why George had chosen the UK- and full of humour. As were the cast, particularly the small people, much banter and joking but very professional to overcome many problems of filming something so radically new!

George Lucas, who wasn’t the powerful man he is now, directed you. Did you have the feeling back then that he was to become as big as he is now?

Well George was very gentle and shy in many ways but again ferociously committed to the whole project with such confidence in the material. So, his method of direction very much relied on the support of the great people he had around but he was stoicly confident in his concept and really welded the whole project as only a good director can.

There’s been a lot of discussion about who shot first: Han or Greedo. In the original version Han shot first, in the new version it’s Greedo that shot first. What is in your opinion the best version?

I have the 'Han Shot First' T-shirt so there really is nothing more to be said !!

Besides you, Canadian actress Maria De Aragon played Greedo. She is in the scenes filmed in the USA, while you are in the scenes shot in the UK. Have you met her? And how do you feel about the fact that your character was played by two people?

I didn't know for many years that anyone else had been involved with the Greedo scenes but when I was first invited to do conventions I met Maria -who was terrific- and we swapped stories about the costume, masks etcetera. In fact, we have done a couple of cons together when possible. It's quite lucky that there were only two of us as several of the other masked characters had other people inside them from time to time! But of course the Jabba sequences with Declan Mulholland took much of my schedule and the famous 'Han Shot First' scene was really just rushed on a late friday. So George really needed much more Greedo material when he decided to use the Jabba puppet and not Declan the actor.

Can you tell which scenes in the movie feature you playing Greedo?

Yes most of them.

Over the years Greedo has become a popular character and has achieved a cult-status. How do you see Greedo?

The most inept assassin in the Universe, the Steve Buscemi of assassins with Steve Martin overtones.

You have attended conventions all over the world. Can you tell us something about the best/weirdest things you have experienced at these events?

One small signing in a shop in the States when Admiral Motti (Richard LeParmentier) and I were watching tumbleweed pass. A solitary man about 30 walked towards us with his hand over his face and the other hidden in his coat! Our agent at the time immediately thought that this guy had some seriously menacing objective and readied himself to take a bullet. Motti and I froze as he stood at our table and he produced from his coat a small card which read: `I have just been to my dentist and am numb with novocaine could you please sign a picture for me`. We both visibly breathed a huge sigh of relief and rather too quickly scribbled autographs. He was so overjoyed with his signatures that he couldn't contain himself any longer and splurted out `Oh great great, thank you so much`. As the words formed his lips bubbled and a stream of blood and saliva projectiled all over the desks that Motti and I were sitting at! He exited without his pictures in abject humility at speed. We still have them...

It’s more than 30 years since you donned the Greedo costume. What is the best thing the Star Wars saga has ‘given’ you?

A great sense of humour and membership of a very exclusive club!

George Lucas announced a live-action Star Wars TV series. The setting of the series is between Episode III and IV; the period where Greed is still alive. Any chances we’ll be seeing you as Greedo again?

Please tell George that I am available and waiting for his call! It would be fab!

Back to the main page

My article in Star Wars Insider 111

2009-09-22T04:05:00.000-07:00

Issue # 111 of Star Wars Insider (the oficial magazine) had a surprise in store for me.
When I opened the magazine I saw that the 'Bounty Hunter section' (where photos of fans and Star Wars actors are featured) had a photo of Gerald 'Tessek' Home and me!

Here's a (blurry) scan of the article:

A few days later, I got an email from Gerald. Here's an exerpt:

I've had lots of emails from all around the world telling me about your photo of us in Star Wars Insider. What a lovely surprise! Thank you so much for sending in the photo and for the kind words you wrote about me. Much appreciated. And congratulations on getting the photo published.

Fantastic that Star Wars Insider published the photo and a great reaction of Gerald!

Back to the main page

Lucasfilm Road Trip 2009

2009-09-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

In the summer of 2009 my girl and I went on vacation to the USA (once again). Among the places and locations we visited were San Diego, Carefree, Grand Canyon NP, Bryce Canyon NP, Zion NP, Death Valley NP, Monument Valley NP, Yosemite NP, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Alcatraz, Monterey, Pismo Beach, Kanab, Palm Springs, Mammoth Lakes, Modesto and Los Angeles.
Some of these places have a special connection with Lucasfilm and the Indiana Jones and Star Wars movies. The following photos are from all the Lucasfilm-related things we encountered during our journey across what some people would call 'the Wild West' but I'd rather call it: 'Lucasfilm country'.

Palm Springs: Home of Darth Vader

First thing I encountered was Darth Vader! Well, the star that was given to his voice that is.
James Earl Jones has his own star on the streets of Palm Spings.

Monument Valley: the Last Crusade

Monument Valley Rocks! (pun intended). Legendary because famous movies were shot there (John Ford shot a lot there, and Back to the Future III was filmed here) and a scene from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was shot here.

Las Vegas: First signs of Indy/Solo & (non-Sabacc) gambling

On the streets of Las Vegas Harrison Ford left his handprints. This wasn't the last I'd see of him this trip.

Also in Las Vegas were these Star Wars gambling machines. I decided to give it a go...but I lost (not the Millennium Falcon like Billy Dee Williams)

Death Valley: America's Tatooine

This was a big one: in Death Valley many scenes for Star Wars IV: A New Hope were filmed. R2-D2 rolled here, a Jawa Sandcrawler drove here, a Bantha walked here, a Landspeeder flew here and Mos Eisley's overview is also here.
Jabba's Palace road from Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi is also in Death Valley.

My attempt to do a Luke Skywalker pose. (without the twin suns that is).

Yosemite: Indy again
The national Park Yosemite was used for some shots in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
.

Modesto: Birthplace of The Maker
The holy place. Modesto. Birthplace of George Lucas.
We arrived in the late afternoon and I immediately wanted to go to a certain plaza...just 1 mile from the hotel.
Modesto has honored George Lucas with George Lucas Plaza. A spot that's named after him and has a large bronze statue that refers to his movie American Graffiti. He grew up here and the streets of Modesto inspired him for this movie. I can surely say that when I walked these streets it really felt like the movie. A great moment for sure.

San Francisco: in the footsteps of Indy and Marion

Above: Harrison Ford and Karen Allen in their final scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Below: Me and my girl on the same stairs.
This scene and photo was shot in the City Hall of San Francisco.

In San Francisco's Presidio George Lucas' studios are located. Here's a shot of them.

...and there also was this bus driving through the city...

Los Angeles: Prints, Stars, Rides and Sam Jackson

Above: August 3, 1977. The footprints of R2-D2, C-3PO (and Darth Vader) are taken at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
Below: September 2009, me at the exact same spot.

Harrison Ford's prints....

...and the prints of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg.

Harrison Ford's star on the Walk of Fame.

Steven Spielbergs Star on the Walk of Fame.

It's Mace Windu! Yes, that's Samuel L. Jackson and me in Hollywood.....well, his wax statue in front of Madame Tussauds.

Yay! It's Star Tours in Disneyland! And you know what that means: my obligatory photo of good pal C-3PO and me.

Also in Disneyland: Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye. Wow. Unlike the ride in Disneyland Paris this isn't a rollercoaster but a really REALLY good ride. Truly one of the best rides anywhere.

Well, that's the end of the Lucasfilm Road Trip! We saw a LOT more during our trip (and made 3500+ photo's). The photo's above are (as said before) a selection of just the Lucasfilm related things.
Without a doubt it was a holiday that will be long remembered.

Back to the main page

Felix Silla interview

2008-06-24T08:54:00.000-07:00

In Star Wars: Return of the Jedi you played one of the Ewoks. How was the atmosphere on the set?

The atmosphere was great, I got to meet many new friends.

The Ewok you played was the one flying the hangglider and dropping rocks on the Stormtroopers. How long did the shooting of this scene take?

About one hour, it had to be done in one take.

Were there any other parts you played in Star Wars that we don’t know of?

Yes there were, but they were never seen on the screen.

Did you meet ‘the big 3’ (Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford) on the set of Return of the Jedi?
What do you think of them? How were they on the set?

Yes, I met all the big ones, very nice people to work with.

You have worked with both Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. How would you describe both men?

Mr. Spielberg is a more on going person than Mr. Lucas.

You were the stuntdouble of Jonathan Quan in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
I heard that Kiran Shah was also his double. Is this true? Were the two of you stand-ins?

I was the stuntdouble for Short Round, Deep Roy was the stand in.

In Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom you had to do some dangerous stunts. I read that the stunt with the raft almost killed you. Can you tell us something about that?

Yes i was trapped under the raft when it turned over my head.

Many people remember you from your role as Twiki in Buck Rogers.
Can you tell us some of the things you remember from filming that series?

Buck Rogers was one of my favorite show, because i got to work with a wonderful cast.

Your character Twiki was voiced by the legendary Mel Blanc. Did the two of you ever got together and discuss the character Twiki?

No. I only got to see Mel Blanc one short time when he came to the set and we took a picture together.

Buck Rogers lasted two years. In these two years you worked closely with Gil Gerard and Erin Gray. How were they to work with?

We got along very well with each other. Gil and Erin are very nice people to work with.

You have played in all great science fiction series: Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers. Which of these gave you the best memories and did you enjoy the most?

I did work on some great shows, but my favorite was playing Cousin Itt in the original Addams Family in the 1960s.

How do you look back at your career? Is there anything you wish you had done different?

No, but i wish those days where here now.

What do you make of the fans that are so dedicated that they’ll stand in line to get your signature at a convention?

I would like to say to all my fans all over the world: Thank you for your support!

Back to the main page

The Dark Crystal Special

2008-03-04T08:38:00.000-08:00

Over the last few years I have interviewed some people that were in the Jim Henson movie the Dark Crystal. All of these interviews have been published seperately on this website, but I thought it was a good idea to combine the Dark Crystal parts of all these interviews to form one big Dark Crystal special.
All the full interviews (with non-Dark Crystal questions) can be read elsewhere on this site.
So, here it is: the Dark Crystal special!

For The Dark Crystal you designed puppets. Can you tell us exactly which puppets you designed and how the process went?

I was in charge of the Environment Puppets. This covered anything that moved in the swamp set and a few creatures, like crystal spiders, on Aughra's mountain. For the swamp we made moving flowers, flying seeds, a giant swamp creature and a forty foot walking tree. Plus a lot of static plants to dress the set, and some 'rotten' versions for the Skeksis banquet scene.

You have worked with the legendary Jim Henson on various occasions. What is in your opinion the one thing that really defined him and has made him the pioneer regarding puppeteering?

As my dad worked simple puppets (he may have done the first ever television broadcast of primitive puppets, in 1932) the sophistication of Muppet design and operation seemed innovative and flexible for the performers. Unlike puppets done in badly designed sets in tv studios, Jim had whole sets designed so that the puppeteers could work in as much comfort as possible. The family orientation of the Muppets’ humour (with some wicked jokes aimed at the adults) gave them mass appeal. Jim always said that Frank was the funny one. The two of them combined to generate and encourage that madcap energy. The Henson creature shop had already created Yoda, and I think that Jim wanted to do The Dark Crystal both as an experiment to get away from the Muppet-look, and as a showcase of what animatronics could do.

In The Dark Crystal you played the Alchemist, one of the mystics. How long (and how hard) did you have to practice the movements and were the movements based on something like an animal for instance?

I only get a credit for the Alchemist, because to explain what each of us did would take forever. I guess I contribute to almost every shot in the film. As well as my Mystic (and occasionally doubling for other mystics) I played Garthim, background characters like Pod People, even swamp creatures, etc.

Each of us also got attached to a senior Muppet puppeteer, as part of a team, because these complex creatures sometimes needed three or four people to work them. I felt very flattered to get picked for Jim Henson’s team (along with Robbie Barnett). This means that when Jim’s characters (mainly Jen and the Ritual Master) appear in a scene, I may well be working the right arm, or the eyes, etc.

We did a lot of work on the back stories for the Mystics, but the Skeksis get more screen time – you see the Scientist’s lab, for instance, but not the Alchemist’s experiments. The movement and the creature designs evolved together. I don’t think we specifically imagined an animal – although old and slow did lead me to think of a tortoise, for instance.

Which character you have puppeteered is your favorite?

I actually greatly loved the Alchemist in The Dark Crystal, even though his back story did not get introduced to the film. The position we worked in was extremely uncomfortable, and we could not get out for a rest very often, so I developed a very yogic approach to the pain, discomfort and boredom – and fell into a kind of resigned and patient trance that felt very suitable to the character.

You have worked with Frank Oz; who used to puppeteer a lot but is now a director of non-puppet movies. Now that Jim Henson is no longer with us, do you think he should go back to puppeteering since no-one has filled the gap that Jim Henson has left?

Tough question! If you mean, would I enjoy seeing Frank doing puppets, well yes…

Do I think he should do it to ‘fill the gap’? No, not really, as he always was a comedy performer, writer and director, so he just adapts to different kinds of material. I last worked with him when he was directing not performing (Little Shop of Horrors) so I have already got used to the idea that he had moved on.

There will be a sequel to The Dark Crystal. Any chance we will be seeing you back in one or both of them?

No, I don’t think I will get involved with this as they use CGI for the stuff I used to work on. The Dark Crystal sequel may well use CGI as well as animatronic figures, but for those big creatures you hire younger, fitter people (I hit sixty this year!)

On The Dark Crystal I used to hang out a lot with the little people. I remember a "tying shoelaces together" episode getting out of control at one point! Maybe there was even something about some of 'em tying up Kiran Shah and shoving him in a closet or something, but you'll have to ask him about that.

You have worked together with the legendary Jim Henson; probably the best puppeteer ever. In which way has he influenced your career and way of puppeteering?

In every way. He will always be missed. I owe so much to him. As a young teenager I was shy and lacked self confidence. When TheMuppet Show came along in the mid to late '70's it gave me something healthy to obsess about. I tried to learn that style of puppetry and puppet making techniques. At home things were not good due to parents divorcing and all sorts of turmoil. It was great to be able to hide away and learn some of my craft. Jim gave me a chance as a kid fresh from school at barely 16 years old. He had the ability to see people's potential and treated everyone equally, no matter what their age, class or background. He was somewhat of a father figure too. I had the perfect environment to learn from the best! It jump started my career and I never looked back! I feel like I grew up during that time, from the Great Muppet Caper through The Dark Crystal to Return of the Jedi all at Elstree Studios. It was a very special time for me.

The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth were the two serious puppet movies of the 80’s. Regarding The Dark Crystal: Why do you think it has got a huge cult-status, but wasn’t the blockbuster back in 1982 when it was released?

The original film Jim Henson wanted to make was a lot longer. I remember seeing the preview at Pinewood Studios. At least two hours I think. Also the Skeksis all spoke their own language, the way we had shot it, which was awesome!!! The studio probably chickened out, shortened the cut and made 'em all speak English. That's a pity as I think Jim was ahead of his time and perhaps Universal felt audiences weren't ready for this kind of art film? Therefore they didn't push it that much with marketing and all. So financially it was not so much a success. Creatively it really was. Very rarely since then have I seen such beautiful puppets. They were designed and mechanized so well and we all even had to figure out how to move these things. Just crazy stuff you take for granted like when to blink, how to blink and why. I'm quite amused and actually somewhat surprised when people tell me that movie scared the pants off them when they were little kids. I never thought of it as a scary movie - ha ha! It was unique though and very visionary! We all worked so hard on that film and it makes me very happy that people remember it after all these years. Their eyes light up when they see my Dark Crystal picture at conventions. It's also great that the newer DVD's had a great vibrant remixed print along with the original documentary. The movie never looked so good. Some of the reasons it has cult status must be that it was unique and real. Almost everything was shot in front of a camera on film and the audience responds to that. It was truly magical at that time. Even to this day I don't know how we pulled it off.

You have worked together with the legendary Jim Henson on the Muppet movies and The Dark Crystal. Did you look up to him back then? How was it to work with him?

Of course, and still do. Through The Dark Crystal I got Return of the Jedi, so Jim started it all for me. And he was a friendly, warm and generous man, dedicated to running a big organization like a family. In preproduction for The Dark Crystal, he gave us puppetry workshops once a week, because there were a group of us who weren’t hired solely as puppeteers, we were a combination of actors, dancers, circus performers and mime artists.

It’s strange to think that he died so long ago, now - and maybe this proposed The Dark Crystal sequel will remind everyone just how groundbreaking the original was.

Left to right: Simon J. Williamson, me, Tim Rose (Star Wars' Admiral Ackbar) @ Collectors Fair Utrecht, the Netherlands, november 21st 2009.
The Dark Crystal was a very serious puppet movie; almost an arthouse one. What was the general feeling on the set since it was a unique project in every way (puppets in a dark movie that wasn’t meant as a comedy).

I think we knew that this was a movie that would be difficult to describe and define. It was also shot and rehearsed in a totally different way, and we were uniquely privileged to have had such an extensive and experimental pre-production period. The puppet builders would ask us what we needed in order to achieve certain things, then go off and build it, or modify the mechanics and proportions, and ultimately make them all work. This would be considered too expensive and time-consuming by today’s movie financing world, and its a great tribute to Jim Henson that he was able to insist on this approach.

After an intense series of workshop auditions with Swiss mime Jean Pierre Amiel, I was chosen to be one the ten mime artists. I was in the first group of four, who worked all the way through the film; the other 6 joined us a few months later. We were a separate group from the regular Muppet performers, who did most of their performing upright, (i.e. The Skeksis) whereas we were usually bent over in excrucutiatingly uncomfortable positions as the Mystics (UrRu). The Dark Crystal was one of the most exciting and unusual projects I have ever been involved with, and physically very demanding. We had to train like athletes and have special diets to minimize any circulation problems from being in painful and crouched positions for hours at a time.

You have also worked with Frank Oz a couple of times; the Muppets and The Dark Crystal, and he even directed you in Little Shop of Horrors. Did you learn a lot of him regarding puppeteering?

On the set of The Dark Crystal I saw a unique bit of performing by Frank that literally made my skin stand up - the moment when his Skeksis was cowering against a wall, being mobbed and stripped by the other Skeksis. It showed just how good puppetry can be. I regarded myself as more of an actor with movement skills than a top puppeteer, but on that day on set, we were all in the presence of something incredible. Now that I’ve started directing, I’d look to Frank as an inspiration for directing, too - one of my favorite comedy films is his Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

In The Dark Crystal, you played the role of Jen. There were only a few actors in this movie, as it was a puppet-movie; almost everyone was a puppeteer, like Jim Henson and Frank Oz.
Was it weird to act in this movie next to all these puppets?

They were all puppet characters. We were training for six months and filmed for six months. In the beginning it was funny to see people talking to puppets. Yet, there was a puppeteer who was covered up with his puppet. You can only see the puppet and it was always moving in a way just like a human and one soon forgets that it is a puppet; you end up talking to a puppet and it would answer back.

Kiran Shah & me in 2006

Back to the main page

Star Wars: the Exhibition - Brussels, Belgium February 23rd 2008

2008-02-25T09:02:00.000-08:00

On saturday, february 23rd 2008, I went to see the Star Wars Exhibition in Brussels, Belgium.
Below is my report. In pictures, not in words.

A familiar face for me: C-3PO

Back to the main page

Lily Nyamwasa interview

2007-08-04T06:39:00.001-07:00

Back in 2006 I had the chance to interview Lily Nyamwasa for Wattographs.com. Star Wars fans know her better as Jedi Stass Allie from Attack of the Clones.
Lily was born in Rwanda , but had to flee to Burundi due to the unrest in her country. Nowadays, she lives in Sydney, Australia.

On the Internet Movie Database, you are credited for two films: Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. Are these the only two movies you have starred in? Or did IMDB miss something?

Yes that's correct. I've only appeared in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.

You were originally cast for the role of Adi Gallia, but ended up playing a new character: Stass Allie. What led to you getting cast for Attack of the Clones?

My agent called me and asked me if I was interested in going to Fox Studio for a casting for Star Wars. They had seen my photos and they were interested in seeing me. She did not have enough details she simply said to me: "I think they are looking for someone who looks like you. You have to try on this head piece and if it fits you will get the part." They were looking for someone to replace Gin Clarke. I had to try on her head piece and it fit perfectly. After the shoot George Lucas realized that I looked very different to Gin Clarke and he decided to make me her cousin, Stass Allie, instead. I think I like Stass Allie better with her art of healing ability. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to use it when a lot of Jedi were wounded. What’s the point of having a gift you can’t use? Not happy with George Lucas on this one…

Did you tell George Lucas you're unhappy with this decision? If so, what did he say?

Well, I am not one of his major actors/actresses, so I don’t think my opinion really counts. If every single actor/actress demanded their script to be changed, I don’t think they will ever complete the movie. So, to answer your question, no I didn’t let George Lucas know.

What do you make of the amount of attention the fans give to you for Stass Allie, who doesn’t have much screen time, but has a large “off-screen” history?

I am always stunned about this. I remember the first Star Wars fan letter I received I almost fell of my chair. I could not believe my eyes! I thought how the hell did they find me? So I signed for this one guy who told me that he had cancer. I felt really sad for him. More and more requests came through and I always signed for them. I think I was just so shocked that people would be interested in Stass Allie? There was a lot of confusion initially about Stass Allie/Adi Gallia saga and finally when the movie came out, I could hardly see myself on the screen.

Did you wear contact lenses, or were the eyes of Stass Allie your own?

I wish. I loved those contact lenses. They were so cool.

Since you didn’t have any facial prosthetics, like some of the masked characters, did you spend a long time in wardrobe/make-up getting ready?

Not really. I was in for maybe thirty minutes for make up and hair, and then wardrobe didn’t take me that long. I was very lucky. The other guys went in for hours before the shoot and then more hours after the shoot taking everything off.

In Revenge of the Sith, the scene in which Stass Allie gets killed was shot with an ILM staff member (ILM Visual Effects Coordinator Nina Fallon) being tapped for your role. How do you feel regarding this: It was Stass Allie’s "moment of fame"...and you weren’t in it!

Very disappointed. I was on the set in Sydney shooting the Council scene and waited for the call to do the final shoot for my famous scene but I heard nothing. I think it's all to do with the budget. George Lucas probably did not want to fly me over to UK. I know two other Jedi were flown from Sydney to do their last scenes so you could say that I was very disappointed...and Nina looked nothing like me, so that was another disappointment.

The scene with Nina Fallon
In Issue #87 of the Star Wars Insider, there was an article which references the killing of major Jedi and the report of their deaths via "Order 66." What are your thoughts on Stass Allie's death?

Very sad. I knew how I was going to die beforehand so I was quite happy with my death. Unlike Mace Windu, who falls from how many floors? Isn’t a good way to die.

The atricle in Star Wars Insider
Were there any scenes you filmed which didn't make either film?

Oh yes. I did not see myself in the Council scene. In Episode II, I was on the set for a while shooting different scenes, so I thought that I would appear in the final cut. But, I didn't make it as much as I hoped.

What are your thoughts on shooting against a green screen?

I think blue was better...

You have done scenes with some of the big Star Wars actors. Did you manage to meet and talk to anyone of "The Big Five" (Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor, Ian McDiarmid and Samuel L. Jackson)? What were your impressions regarding them?

I met Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor and Samuel L. Jackson. I was not introduced to Hayden and Ian McDiarmid. I was impressed how down to earth they all are. We were all treated well; Ate together, etc., so there was no distinction between big stars and us. I kept in touch with one of them. And whenever they are in Sydney, we catch up.

You have worked with George Lucas twice now. Did he approach Revenge of the Sith in a different way than Attack of the Clones? If so, can you tell us what the difference was?

I was on the set for one day in Revenge of the Sith I can't really comment much. I didn’t see many of the other Jedi. I think actually Shaak Ti and myself were the only two Jedi on the scene in Episode III. What's your view on this one?

Well, I wasn't in the movie, but as a viewer I can't say I see big differences; except for the tone of the movie which is a lot darker.

You certainly know more about Star Wars than I do. So, yes, I am trying to get your opinion.

What did you do for the one day's shooting for Revenge of the Sith?

Sitting in the council....the whole time. They were shooting Anakin and it took the whole day.

If you had to pick just one favorite moment regarding filming the two movies, which one would it be?

The arena scene. I liked the action and I was so happy that I could use my martial art moves. But, it was very sad to watch a lot of Jedi dying. During the shoot, I swear I had tears in my eyes -- although I could see that it was acting -- but I really felt sad to see them all dead.

Wow, so, in a way you weren't acting your emotions but they were real! Did you know before you read the script you would survive? (e.g. did you sign up for two movies when you were cast or were you approached for the third after Attack of the Clones?)

Yes I wasn’t acting. I am naturally a soft person. When I watch a sad movie, I cry, or when I hear someone’s sad story, I cry. So I truly felt sad seeing all of them laying there. I think also the song they played during that scene that was so touching!
You never really know for sure because when the editing part comes whether they might decide to kill your character off. I knew I wasn’t going to die in Episode II, but I wasn’t sure whether I was going to be needed in Episode III. But, we all knew the story line, so we knew eventually all the Jedi would die. I was just waiting for my time to die.

When did you see the Original Trilogy for the first time? Did you become a fan when you saw them?

This is probably not going to sound good: I am originally from Rwanda and science fiction is not a big thing there. I watched the first trilogy after I was cast for Stass Allie/Adi Gallia. I had no clue what Star Wars was about, so my English flat-mate sat me down and made me watch it. I was hooked after that. I liked the creativity behind it. I tip my hat to George Lucas. He is an extremely intelligent man.

Do you have any favorite characters from the Original or the Prequel Trilogy?

Obi Wan. Everyone loves Obi Wan.

You are doing an autograph signing with Wattographs -- the first formal signing you have ever done. What is the reason you haven’t done one so far? And what was the main reason for you to do this one?

I’ve been too busy in the past. I tend to get involved in a lot of things and never find time to concentrate on just one aspect of my life. I accepted the signing with Wattographs because it was the right time for me to do so and I liked your approach. Things are quieting down a little for the next few months. Also, I thought that the money I make from signing can go towards my charity, Rwandan Orphans Assistance Response (ROAR) that helps kids in Rwanda to attend schooling, etc.

Do you get much fan mail?

Yes. At University of Technology, my details were on internet so I used to get a lot of fan emails asking me to autograph their items and I did. I have since changed my email address so I don’t think they know where to find me...

Do you miss this? Getting fan mail?

It’s not something you miss, because you don’t expect it to begin with. I don’t sit there thinking: “Why are these fans not asking me to autograph for them?” I never expected Stass Allie to be as popular, because she has small screen time. So, there was never an expectation that I will be signing for fans. But, it’s nice and flattering to receive the requests, as I said before. Whatever makes the Star Wars fans happy, I am happy to contribute.

A lot of Star Wars actors are active in the convention-scene. Do you think one you’ll do one in the (near) future? If so, what would be the incentive to do one? If not: why?

I am not in the position to do one until probably 2008. I’ve had a couple of busy few years that I didn’t want to commit to anything else. But, if the right opportunity arose and it’s the right time I would definitely do it. I would not do one for free because I have my own business that requires my time and effort, plus I have few other projects in the pipeline. Time is an issue for me and I hate to commit to things If I can’t deliver.

Have you ever been recognized (on the street, in a shop etc.) by a Star Wars fan? If you have, how did you react to it?

Yes. One day I was in Sydney in Myers (Editor's Note: Myers is a large department store). It was funny, because I was standing in the queue at the counter and this family has just bought the new Star Wars book. They were flipping through the book waiting at the counter and one little boy asked me if I was Stass Allie. I could hear them arguing and the little boy said to his dad “I am sure it’s her” When I said yes he asked me to autograph the book for him… I tend to get embarrassed about these things as I am not a celebrity, so I am not used to people walking up to me and asking me my autograph. Usually my friends introduce me to their friends and they are very proud to have a Jedi friend. It’s very flattering to be recognized for something as big as a Jedi in Star Wars.

Stass Allie is a popular character and you even have your own action figure. Do you find this weird? Or do you like being immortalized by plastic?

As one of my friends once said to me when he heard that I had my own action figure: "Finally, I can get to play with you." Yes, I love the fact that I have been immortalized by plastic. Although I have a complaint to make: I don’t think the action figure looks like me.

You’re originally from Rwanda, but you had to flee to Burundi because of all the turmoil in your country. How are your feelings towards Rwanda now? And will you ever return?

Rwanda is my home country. I miss everything. I miss the food and I miss the people. I went to visit two years ago and I was amazed how everyone is striving to rebuild our Rwanda. They are fighting hard. When I came back to Australia, I thought to myself: I need to give back to the country that has given me education and everything. So, myself and a couple of friends decided to start the ROAR charity. You can find out more on our website: www.roarcharity.org.

What are your future plans? Getting more roles in movies? Or, are your plans something completely different?

Who knows? As I said before, I like to put my hands in everything. I always have different things happening simultaneously. I have given up modeling, but I haven’t ruled out acting. If the right role in a movie came up, I would grab it. Right now, my husband and I, we have our own business, so that’s where my concentration is at the moment. But, I never get satisfied with just doing one thing. My passion is to write, so hopefully one day you will be reading a book(s) written by me!

Ok, what would be a right role for you? Maybe a big director is reading this!

I would like to play a strong female warrior. I like to challenge myself, so anything that takes me outside my comfort zone would do it for me. Also, I think it’s becoming trendy to have female action heroes, so I wouldn’t mind playing a female action hero, saving some innocent people somewhere in the world. Although this won’t be as challenging as playing an evil person, because naturally I regard myself as philanthropist or a people person, so it’s easier for me to act a good person than playing a bad person. I found it challenging when we were filming the arena scene. George Lucas kept saying to me "Lily put on your angry and serious face, you supposed to be killing enemies” and I thought I was trying my best, so something like this would be really good and challenging for me.

Back to the main page

Harry Fielder interview

2007-08-04T06:38:00.001-07:00

The following interview was done in early 2007.
I spoke with Harry 'Aitch' Fielder, known for his role as a Death Star Trooper in A New Hope.

How did you get cast for A New Hope?

In 1976 I had been in the biz for ten years as an extra and bit player.
All the folks in the biz used to get their work from agents and a place called Central Casting.
They would phone you up to ask you if you would be free to work on a certain show say the following week or just a day or two.
I had just finished a job on a couple of Doctor Who's when Central Casting phoned me up to see if I was free to work for seven days on a new film being made called Star Wars.
Know no one had ever heard of this film and the thought of seven days work sounded good so I said yes and turned up at EMI studios on the Monday to start work.
I knew most of the guys there as we had worked together many times over the years.
Some of the guys were picked out to be Storm Troopers and some with masks on and strange make/up.
Me and my mate Ron Conrad were picked to be Death Star Troopers. They said we didn't need makeup we looked rough enough.

In which scenes can we see you?

Ron and I worked mainly on the lead up to the Death Star Chamber scene with Carrie Fisher which included some corridor scenes and some real back of the set stuff guarding doors like a couple of 'minders'
In the scenes in the Death Star Chamber with Carrie all we had to do was look nasty but in between set ups Carrie would come over and chat with Ron and I and tell jokes. She was a good joke teller. I thought Dave Prowse said his name was 'Daft Ada' Dave has got a strong Bristol accent.

Did you meet ‘the big 4’ (Hamill, Ford, Fisher, Lucas) on the set? How were they back then when they were not yet famous?

Of course I met George Lucas, after all he was directing the film, and he explained what he wanted us to do in the scene. I did see Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill walking about the studio but they were not in our scenes. I did get to work with Harrison on other projects.

Mark Hamill once said that during the shooting of A New Hope the British cast was mocking the main cast. Have you noticed this?

Every actor should take work seriously, that's why they're actors.
I did over eight hundred jobs and even in my small roll I did the best I could. I was getting paid after all.

Your nickname is ‘Aitch’. Where does this come from?

I was born in London, in the East End, and cockney people always called anyone with the name Harry, Henry, Harold, Herbert: H. So what I did with H. was to spell it, and it's spelt Aitch.

According to your website you worked with Harrison Ford twice. What was the other movie?

I got to work again with Harrison on the film Force Ten From Navarone in 1979 where I played a German, but only did a couple of days.

You got paid 77 GBP for your work in A New Hope. Suppose you could do it over again for the same paycheck, would you do it?
I didn't earn a lot of money on Star Wars but it was a good week’s money thirty years ago.
Of course I'd do it all again to be in one of the biggest films ever.

What is your opinion on conventions and meeting fans and fellow actors?

It is great to meet some Star Wars fans and to say hello. Some of these guys came a long way and I thank them all. Who thought this poor kid from London’s East End would end up signing pics from a job that he loved. I thank you again.
It was nice to meet up with the others from thirty years ago.

If someone wants an autographed photo of you, what should he/she do?

If a fan wants a signed pic he/she can grab one off my website and send it to me.
HARRY "AITCH" FIELDER
C/O EQUITY ACTOR'S UNION
LONDON OFFICE
GUILD HOUSE
UPPER ST MARTINS LANE
LONDON WC2H 9EG
ENGLAND

If there is anything you want to say to the readers…here’s your chance!

When I was young, I used to go to the cinema and watch films and I thought to myself I'd like to be in films. So when I grew up I did just that. It wasn't an easy ride but I did it.
If you have dreams go out and get it, or at least try. If you don't try, you don't get.
Please read my web site to see how it can be done, and don't give up the dream.

Thank you Dennis for letting me have my say...

Back to the main page

Derek Lyons interview

2007-08-04T06:36:00.000-07:00

At the age of only 18, Derek Lyons achieved what many actors never achieve in a lifetime: starring in one of the biggest blockbusters and most loved movie of all time. The movie we are talking about is Star Wars: A New Hope, in which Lyons played the role of Rebel Massassi Temple Guard, and he was the medal bearer for the awards presented to Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, following their destruction of the Death Star. Poor Chewbacca was destined to wait a couple of decades before he received his medal at the MTV Music Awards.

In Derek's film career (29 years and still counting!), he has also starred in two other big movie-franchises: James Bond and Indiana Jones (which paired him again with Harrison Ford and George Lucas). Other movie appearances worth mentioning are the Oscar-winning epic Ghandi, Flash Gordon and Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Star Wars: A New Hope was your first feature film back in 1976 when it was filmed. Can you tell us how a then-18-year old got cast for what has now become the most-loved movie ever?

I got a phone call from my agent, asking if I was available to work on a film being made at Shepperton Studios called The Star Wars. I was to play one of the rebel soldiers. When I arrived for my fitting, I met the Assistant Director and he thought I would be perfect as the Medal Bearer and the Massassi Temple Guard. This was my first job in the film business - what a fantastic start.

What are your specific memories from the set during filming? You got to interact with the three main characters of the film, as well as the most important secondary characters. Do you have any anecdotes from your time on the set?

I remember one day coming back on set after having lunch, it was very quiet on set, not many people around. I always liked to be early back on set because I was so excited. R2-D2 was on the Medal Bearing set, and I thought it was a remote control robot - I was very surprised when the robot started rocking from side to side, I approached the robot, and suddenly the top popped off and Kenny Baker said "Hello there." Reflecting upon it, it was very funny. He looked very hot and was sweating profusely.
Mark Hamill became a friend during the two weeks I was at Shepperton. We found out that we had the same birthday - 25th September - but he is a few years older than me. We explored the old Oliver set together which was behind H Stage (Massassi Temple set), and also looked at the Pink Panther set. I happened to have my camera with me and we had some photographs taken. We chatted about movies and what he had done before and what my ambitions were.
During the close-ups in the medal bearing scene, Carrie seemed to be in some discomfort with her foot (I can't remember which foot it was), I was very shy in those days, but offered to help her remove a splinter from her foot. She kissed me on the cheek and said "Thank you, that's very kind of you." I then went as red as the Emperor's Royal Guard!

I had lunch with Peter Mayhew most days at the Shepperton pub. We had pub lunches outside as it was a very hot summer. He told me about his past and what he did and how he got the part of Chewbacca.

Derek Lyons (left) guards the Massassi Temple...
When you were filming your scenes, did you think Star Wars would become such a big hit? Many people thought it would become a failure; did you feel the same back then?

As Star Wars was the first film I ever worked on, I was extremely excited about it. I didn't have any other film experiences to compare it with, so I hoped that it would be a big success, but never dreamed it would be the success it has become. There was talk among the other artistes about toys being made of the characters.

What were your impressions of George Lucas on the A New Hope set?

George Lucas was a quiet, focused man with an obvious passion towards his film-making. There was a good atmosphere on set and everyone enjoyed working with him.

When and where did you first see the movie? Did your opinion about the movie change when you first saw it?

I first saw the movie at the Dominion Cinema on Tottenham Court Road, within two weeks of opening. I was absolutely blown away by the movie, especially the opening sequence - the Imperial battle cruiser felt as if it was coming over our heads.

...while at the other end, Derek Lyons (right) brings forth the medals awarded to Luke Skywalker and Han Solo after destroying the Death Star.
Mark Hamill once claimed in a documentary that during the filming of the Massassi Temple scene, some of the Rebel-soldiers he and Harrison walked by were whispering nasty stuff to them, like "wimp." Do you remember this? And if so, can you shed some more light on it?

I don't remember Mark mentioning anything like that to me during the filming. When we were filming the Massassi Temple medal bearing scene, I don't recall hearing anything negative being said, but if Mark did say that, then it must be true, as he's a very honest guy.

Your first convention ever was Empire Day 16 in the United Kingdom. So many Star Wars-actors have been doing conventions for years, why did it take so long for you to do one?

I have received letters over the years via British Actors Equity asking for my autograph and enclosing pictures for me to sign. I've always enjoyed doing this and have been aware of the interest for a number of years. It has been mentioned to me by fellow actors, who have taken part in conventions, that I should give it a try.

At Empire Day 16, you signed loads of items. What is your general feeling towards signing stuff for the fans? And was there a "weirdest" item you have signed so far?

I really enjoyed meeting the Star Wars fans. Every single one of them was polite and very, very interested in what I did on the movie and asked me questions about Mark and the other stars. I was taken aback by their enthusiasm and excitement in meeting me. People traveled from as far afield as Japan and also from Europe to meet us at Empire Day 16. I signed Star Wars trading cards, Star Wars tins, t-shirts, books, posters, and the Star Wars trilogy DVD. I was amazed when one young lady asked me to sign her bra, which she was wearing at the time!!

And what was your reaction to being asked to sign a bra?

At first I thought it was a joke, as I had already signed an item for her, but I was quite willing to do it and it was a pleasure! I was thinking of adding "Massassi Temple Bra" or "Mammary Bearer"!

Over the last thirty years; have you had any contact with anyone of the Star Wars cast & crew? If so: with who? If not: How was it to meet a whole bunch at Empire Day?

I've kept in contact with Kenny Baker, on and off over the years, (we've worked on Mona Lisa and Flash Gordon) and his son is a friend of mine. I bumped into Anthony Daniels at Planet Hollywood in London and we had a nice chat about old times. I had seen Anthony quite a few times over the years when he was appearing in the West End theatre. I last spoke to Mark and Carrie at the crew showing of Empire Strikes Back and they kindly signed the program for me. I also bumped into Alex McCrindle (General Dodonna) on Waterloo Bridge and we had a quick chat, this was in the late 1980s.

It's been thirty years since your scenes were shot, looking back at that time, what do you regard as your best Star Wars-memory?

My best Star Wars memory would be arriving early in the morning at Shepperton Studios and going onto the Massassi Temple set in my costume and makeup. It was so realistic and I became totally immersed in the Star Wars universe.

In the late eighties you featured in another LucasFilm production: Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade. In this movie you played a German soldier. Can you tell us in which scenes you played?

I was involved in the film's penultimate scene, the chalice scene, in which myself and two other actors rousted Indy (Harrison Ford) over to Walter Donovan (Julian Glover) before he had to collect the chalice. I'm standing just behind Harrison Ford and Sean Connery with my rifle trained on them.

Top: Wearing a uniform reminiscent of his days guarding the Massassi Temple, Derek Lyons (in between Harrison Ford and Sean Connery), keeps his weapon trained on the Grail Hunters. Bottom: In the same uniform, Lyons helps corral the intrepid Dr. Jones.
And can you tell us more about making this movie? Did anything strange or unusual happen on the set, for instance?

We had a few surprise celebrity visitors turning up on set.

Michael Jackson visited with his friends and bodyguards to see Steven Spielberg. There were only a handful of actors and crew on set, including Sean Connery. Michael came up to us all, shook hands and introduced himself.

Paul Hogan (Crocodile Dundee) was another visitor I remember - he was very funny and I enjoyed talking to him.

During the filming of the chalice scene, a surprise was arranged for Harrison Ford as it was his birthday. A very large cake was brought onto the set and we sang Happy Birthday to Harrison. He looked very surprised and embarrassed, but enjoyed sharing the cake with us all.

I sometimes collect autographs and thought it would be a good idea to bring a book on George Lucas' films to the set and get it signed. I managed to get George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Denholm Elliot and John Rhys-Davies to sign this book. It is a treasured possession.

I talked quite a bit to George Lucas about working on the first Star Wars movie, and how much I enjoyed the experience. He remembered me from it and was very nice to me.

Being part of films which have an active "genre" tag tied to them (Indiana Jones, Star Wars, James Bond), what are your thoughts with being part of the "legacy?"

I consider myself to be extremely fortunate to have worked on such classic films.

You were in Krull with Liam Neeson. Did you ever anticipate he'd go on to be a huge box office draw and eventually end up in Star Wars: Episode I?

Liam Neeson has star quality. He was very pleasant to the other actors, always smiling and professional. I did think he would go on to greater things. I think his was one of the best performances in Star Wars: Episode I.

As an actor, do you have a dream you'd like to achieve movie-wise? If so, what would that be?

I would like to play a villain in the next Indiana Jones film, a bit like Ronald Lacey's Nazi, Toht, in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

You're still active in the movie business. Have you got any interesting new project(s) you're working on?

No, at the moment I'm doing some research and teaching.

During your career, you have featured in some of the most-loved movies ever: Star Wars, Indiana Jones, James Bond, Ghandi, Roger Rabbit, Flash Gordon...of all these movies, which one has given you the best memories? And can you share these memories with us?

Obviously Star Wars was my favorite and always will be. A close second is Flash Gordon and Who Framed Roger Rabbit?. Any other memories from those days can be given at another time and in another galaxy!

Back to the main page

Ian Liston interview

2007-08-03T12:20:00.000-07:00

When a die-hard Star Wars fan sees the name Ian Liston he/she will immediately think of Wes Janson; Wedge Antilles' gunner in The Empire Strikes Back. It could have been so much different as Ian wasn't the first choice to play Wes Janson!
A certain coincidence (the Force?) changed everything...What that was and a lot more can you find out by reading the next interview.
For this interview Wattographs' Gary X and I collaborated in 2006 and it was originally published on Wattographs.com.
"Cable out! Let her go!"

For the Empire Strikes Back, you were originally only cast to play an AT-AT Driver, but then something happened that got you the role of Wes Janson. Can you tell us all about what happened?

The actor playing Wes fell ill and I just happened to be the lucky guy on the spot. I'd been filming in a suit that didn't show my face so, as I was free and didn't have any other work at the time, I was able to take the part at a moment's notice. It was only meant to be for a week or so but all in all it involved many trips to the studio over a twelve week period.

Your character survived the Battle at Hoth and is still alive in the Star Wars Expanded Universe books and comics. Do you keep up-to-date with the new adventures of Wes Janson? And what do you think of them?

I love the books. Starfighters of Adumar and Iron Fist are amongst my favorites. I'm a great fan and I love the way in which Aaron Alston and Michael Stackpole and other writers developed Wes' character with so much fun and good humor. Wes is quite a loopy character!

Do you see any Ian Liston in Wes Janson?

Only in the sense that I like a joke and a have a very well developed sense of humor.

Is it true that Michael Stackpole has made a personal nod to you in the books?

I think it was Aaron Alston and perhaps there's a coincidence in the way his surname is spelled and mine?

You knew Star Wars: A New Hope was a big hit when you were asked to do the Empire Strikes Back. Would you have accepted the Wes Janson part if Star Wars: A New Hope hadn’t been such a blockbuster?

At that time none of us knew how ‘big’ they would become so it was really -- at the time -- just another job. I fell onto Wes by accident, having originally been booked for a couple of days, to do the casting director a favor. At that time all the other parts were cast, but nobody could have foreseen someone falling ill.

And, what if they had asked you to originally take a role A New Hope, knowing absolutely nothing about Star Wars?

Like any out of work actor, I would have accepted it!

It is said you never met Denis Lawson (Wedge Antilles, your snow speeder pilot) on the set as your scenes were filmed against a blue screen. Is this true? Which actors did you meet on the Empire set and how were they?

I can't remember much about Denis on the filming and he's left Star Wars far behind him, so more than that I can't say.
I have recollections of hanging around the main stage and being especially impressed by Carrie Fisher. She was a very nice person. So, too, Peter Mayhew.
Kenny Baker, I have now known for over forty years! - We first worked together on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on ice in 1966! Kenny is still a great mate and we're both members of The Grand Order of Water Rats, the UK's very prestigious show biz charitable order. Rusty Goffe is one of our brother Rats.

The other part Ian played: an AT-AT Driver
What are your thoughts in filming against the ‘nothingness’ that is a blue screen?

You just ignore it and concentrate on what you have to do ... and try to imagine your surroundings. It was VERY hot on that set!

During the filming of A New Hope, George Lucas preferred as few takes as possible, while Irvin Kershner had a lot of scenes shot more than once. Did this either bug you, or did you enjoy it, doing your scenes over and over again?

With blue screen in those pioneer days, it often had to be done many times, to get it right. Particularly to avoid ‘fringing.’ I've nothing against large numbers of takes ... as long as it's not me causing them and that we get it right in the end.

The Empire Strikes Back is considered to be the best of all the Star Wars movies by many fans. Actually, it is even considered to be one of the best movies overall. How does it feel to have been a part of this?

Very flattering and a huge honor. Empire Strikes Back IS the best of all the films...and I'm not just saying that because I'm in it!

During your Japan trip, you were with first-ever autograph guest Kyle Rowling. Did you ‘show him the ropes?’ What would be your advice to new Star Wars celebrities as they begin to make the convention rounds?

Kyle is a ‘natural’ and a great guy to share time with. He's got a tremendously warm personality and has time for each and every fan that he meets. And, he's not averse to getting away from the desk and showing off a few well choreographed fight moves...in fun of course!
Anyone who's on the rounds, as you put it, is a privileged guest. Everyone should always bear in mind that we're there to meet the fans and talk them as friends and not just strangers who pay us money to give them a signed picture. Working with Kyle on his ‘first-time’ reminded me of my first time....with Michael Sheard. His untimely death was very sad and he is sorely missed by Star Wars fans and guest celebrities everywhere.

What wisdom did Michael impart for you when meeting the ‘apps’ (appreciators)?

Always impart warmth and friendliness ... and be tolerant and understanding. It sometimes takes a great personal effort for some ‘apps,’ who can be a little overwhelmed at times, to meet and ask questions.

You have done conventions in the UK, the USA, recently in Japan, as well as a lot of other countries. Are the fans different in all those places? And if they are, what are these differences?

The fans all share an overriding enthusiasm for all these great films. They all have different areas of particular interest, e.g. collecting specialties. Where ever I've been in the world there's always been warmth and welcoming friendship. I enjoy meeting new people and visiting new countries and Star Wars has blessed me with the means to do that.

We understand you have a great love for trains, including having one in your own house! Can you tell us a little bit about this fascination, as well as your thoughts on riding Japan's famed ‘Shinkansen,’ or bullet train?

I love steam trains and small gauge railways in any shape or size. The Shinkansen was an amazing experience, not least because I didn't expect them to run so frequently (virtually every ten minutes out of Tokyo) and to be so crowded at 07.00 on a Sunday morning.
They made the journeys so effortless and I was astounded at the help and assistance they gave our party when a bag of personal belongings was inadvertently left on the train. There it was, a few hours later, waiting at our ‘home’ station. Needless to say, [it was] intact and untouched.

Of all the Star Wars memorabilia that you have ever signed, what was the most memorable?

It must be the full size replica of the X-Wing Fighter at Celebration 3 when I was extremely honored to be made an Honorary Member by The Rebel Legion. There are pictures of that around. It was the most touching and moving personal moment I've ever experienced at a Star Wars event.

Do you personally own any Star Wars-related items?

I have a collection of signed photos (over ninety and still collecting), many of the novels, loads of photos taken at conventions etc and many pins, badges, keepsakes etc.

There is an arcade game in which the player pilots a snow speeder and has to gun down AT-AT’s, just like Wes Janson! Please tell us you got the hi-score!

I don't think this has reached the UK as yet...I'll keep my eyes peeled and my trigger finger ready.

For all the football-loving (editor's note: ‘soccer’ for the U.S. readers) Star Wars fans: You were born in Crosby, Mersey. So, what we want to know is: Everton or Liverpool FC?

Up the Reds! Liverpool, of course.

You’re a science fiction fan. Besides Star Wars you've also appeared in Doctor Who, the most popular British sci-fi series of all time. You also had a strong desire to appear in the Babylon 5 series. Why this desire? And why did it never happen?

Every actor has a desire to WORK! ...and I loved the series.
It's so sad that the Star Trek and Babylon 5 franchises have come to end. I'd love to have appeared in either of those series as an alien. Maybe even tried to emulate Vaughn Armstrong's number of different character appearances in Star Trek!

You also played a role in one of the best war movies ever, A Bridge Too Far, which had an incredibly strong cast: James Caan, Sir Sean Connery, Dirk Bogarde, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Gene Hackman, Sir Michael Caine, Sir Laurence Olivier, Robert Redford...the list is endless! Did you get close to one or more of these legendary actors and can you tell us more about how it was starring in this movie?

I had a couple of scenes with Anthony Hopkins. He was -- is -- a very charming man and I'd love the chance to work with him again. Unfortunately, my days didn't coincide with any of the others.
I was part of a group of actors known as ‘The APA’ - Attenborough's Private Army. We were all on three month contracts and were involved in all sorts of scenes as well as playing our own individual cameos. - I also dubbed a lot of the voices in the battle action scenes.

You currently run a theatre company: The Hiss & Boo Company, for which you played the role of Mr. Chairman more than 3,000 times. First of all: why the name ‘Hiss & Boo’ (it sounds negative) and second: more than 3,000 times the same role, don’t you get bored?

It may sound negative, but it's got very positive connotations in the UK and the phrase comes from audience reactions to old melodramas, which we used to do at one time. It may be the same role, but every performance is different as we constantly change many of our performers. Also, most of it is unscripted, so we often never know what's going to happen next. I would never get bored with theatre that keeps me on my toes...and it keeps drawing good audiences and makes for a good living.

What makes live theatre for you, versus film and television acting?

I love the whole creative process of film and TV but nothing is so demanding and requires as much intuitive skill as live theatre.

What are your plans for the future, both as an actor and for Hiss & Boo?

I'm a jobbing actor and am in the very lucky position of being able to turn work down if it doesn't interest me. I've also been fighting prostate cancer for a few years (fortunately succeeding - I'm very fit, well and happy) and that takes up a lot of my time as I'm also a patient advocate and spokesperson for various UK prostate cancer charities.
Hiss & Boo have the usual crop of pantomimes this year (five in all at venues all over the UK) and we will be launching a couple of new ‘Revue’ format shows next year. Plenty to keep me busy .. and that's without UK conventions and overseas trips.

Back to the main page

Indiana Jones special

2007-08-03T10:35:00.001-07:00

Over the last few years I have interviewed some people that were in one or more Indiana Jones movies. All of these interviews will be published seperately on this website, but I thought it was a good idea to combine the Indiana Jones parts of all these interviews to form one big Indiana Jones special.
So, here it is!

How did you get the role of Marion Ravenwood in Raiders of the Lost Ark? Can you tell us how you experienced the casting?

Steven Spielberg had seen me in a movie called A Small Circle of Friends. He also knew the director John Landis for whom I had done the movie Animal House for. I originally auditioned with Tom Selleck who was supposed to play Indiana Jones but then couldn’t do it as he had to do Magnum P.I., the TV series in which he had the starring role. I then had an audition with actor Tim Matheson. Now, they had their ‘Marion’ but no Indy! Eventually, Harrison got the role.

Karen discusses her role with director Steven Spielberg
Can you share some of your memories regarding working with Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford?

Harrison was the seasoned actor. He had done two Star Wars movies at that time and knew what it was to be in a movie like Raiders of the Lost Ark; full of effects and large sets. I had never done a movie like this so he told me how it all worked. Steven is a director that really knows what he wants from his actors. He exactly knows how he wants everything to be which is something most directors don’t know.

In Raiders of the Lost Ark you did a scene with a lot of real snakes. How did you experience this scene? Was it tough and did the whole situation scare you?

No, it didn’t scare me as I am not afraid of snakes. However, I am afraid of spiders, even to this day. The scene with Alfred Molina in the beginning of the movie is something I could never do as they really scare me, especially the big ones!

The Fab Four: Karen, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford taking a break.
Can you tell us about some funny or strange things that happened on the set of Raiders of the Lost Ark?

Steven Spielberg once saved a snake. Two of them were fighting and one got bitten. Steven took the snake and put it in a cool place. After a few days the snake had healed and was able to ‘play’ again. Another snake died during the scenes we filmed at Elstree. In one scene, where Harrison is climbing the statue in the Well of Souls he touches a snake that is hanging there and falls down. That snake had died a few days earlier and was decomposing. It fell down and splattered all over the place. A classic scene was where a swordsman confronts Indiana on the marketplace. The guy that played the swordsman didn’t know how to use a sword. And then Harrison just said let’s shoot him. (starts to laugh heavily)

What was your inspiration for the role of Marion ? Did you look at other roles or actresses and their characteristics to portray the role of Marion?

No, the part was wonderfully written by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. She establishes herself early in the movie as a tough woman in the drinking game. I didn’t look at other roles and it wasn’t necessary to get inspiration elsewhere as there was really no need to.

Apparently Karen likes me: "Well Dennis, at least you haven't forgotten how to show a lady a good time".
After Raiders of the Lost Ark you weren't cast for the next two Indiana Jones movies. How did you feel about this? Did you ever get an explanation and would you have loved to reprise your role?

I knew from the beginning I wasn’t going to be in the next one. Steven told me he wanted to do three movies and go backwards in time. The other two movies are set before Raiders of the Lost Ark.

The Last Crusade takes place after Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Well, Steven always said the other two would take place before Raiders of the Lost Ark. To be honest I have seen The Last Crusade just once, and that was a long time ago. It was also that it becomes clear in Raiders of the Lost Ark that Marion and Indiana have a past that goes back ten years, so even if Marion had been in another movie we would have gotten to see her at age sixteen or something like that. And that is too young for me to play.

(Editor's note: the chronological timeline is The Temple of Doom, Raiders of the Lost Ark, the Last Crusade)

Well then, have you ever been contacted for a part in Indiana Jones Part 4 which will be released in 2008? There are rumors that Indiana will have a son in this movie, maybe Marion is the mother. So, you could be in that one since it is said it will take place in the fifties.

Yeah, I have heard those rumors too. I haven’t been contacted or anything, but I would be interested in playing the role of Marion again. Of course!
(Editor's note: This interview took place in May 2007 when Karen wasn't cast for Indy 4)

What do you regard as the cinematic highlight of your career?

That’s really hard. I guess it’s a movie called Glass Menagerie. It was directed by Paul Newman and stars John Malkovich and Joanne Woodward. We all went to the Cannes filmfestival which was quite an experience.

Click here for the full Karen Allen interview

What are the chances we will see you in Indiana Jones Part 4? Have you been contacted?
(Editor's note: This interview took place in November 2006 when there was little known about the casting for Indy 4. In the end, John didn't get a part in it)

The last time I spoke with Steven Spielberg he did mention Indiana Jones 4, but that was back in 2003. The fans know as much as I do. They should make it as quick as they can, because some characters are getting a bit old (laughs).
Harrison, George and Steven are not in it for the money, they do it because they believe it can become one of the greatest movies ever.

I cannot say that I will be in it. I was in it in one of the last scripts however. If they would ask me and I will still be able to walk, ride a horse and do my thing. I would be delighted to reprise my role as Sallah.

John Rhys-Davies and me (John was tickling me (he always does that), hence my smile)
You have worked with Steven, George and Harrison on various occasions. How were they to work with?

I admire these men. I think they are giants in their own way. Harrison is the most successful post World War II American actor. He has the rugged look that women like. He is not the pretty boy that come and go and have short successful spells. He has the determination and the talent to turn the opportunities that he had into great roles. He had the good fortune and the judgment to create three big movie franchises (editor’s note: Star Wars, Indiana Jones and two Jack Ryan movies: Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger). Add to this the great first class performances and I can say that my respect for Harrison grows with every movie that he makes. He is a real magnificent old fashioned film star.

John's humor: "There goes my career Dennis" "Blown" "Gone"
Lucas is a puzzle, isn't he? It is because modern cinema owes more to George Lucas than to any other single person. Just because the input that he has given to the technical side of filmmaking. Personally I am disappointed with the last three Star Wars movies. I think that it has taken him a long time to get his youthful stuff out of the way. Now that he has finished that I think he is on the verge of creating something new, exciting and original.
He is a man of great creative, imaginative and directorial substance. If George's career was to end now we would all have a sense of disappointment. His friends would say he is a very generous and supportive man, and that would be right. I think that his genius is such, that when we look at his career the best is yet to come.

Spielberg is a giant. He can do with film what few directors in the world will ever be able to do. He is one of the two or three best directors of all time.

Who are the other two?

I think Peter Jackson has a claim. I don't want to comment on the third because there are directors that do brilliant things and you hope they can continue doing that with consistency. I think that Man on Fire directed by Tony Scott had the best direction I have seen in the last years as well as a wonderful performance. Denzel Washington is another real old fashioned Hollywood star. The new Poitier.

John and Harrison Ford lift the Ark of the Covenant
Back to Indy: did any strange or funny things happen on the set?

(Immediately starts to laugh) Too many. My favorite was the first one when we had the big fight with Indy and the flying wing. The intention was that the fire would start, put it out, and take another shot before the explosion. We had the Tunisian fire brigade carefully laying out their hoses in the desert. When Steven said “put out the fire and have another go” the hoses were leaking and just a few drops came out. They kept the cameras rolling because otherwise we would have nothing. It was the funniest thing you had ever seen.

In The Last Crusade Sean Connery joined the cast. What influence did he have on the cast and crew?

I think that he and Michael Caine are the best stars of their generation despite not being the most talented ones. Peter O'Toole was more brilliant for example. Some had a lot of potential but didn't survive because of drugs, alcohol or something else. Connery and Caine were very good at what they did, kept practicing and the last man standing wins the prize. When you add a star to a cast that is already state of the art, you expect fireworks.
Harrison is a competitive man and Connery is not known for being not competitive. They were smart enough to know what they needed to do to make that third film work. I think it was an explosive mixture that worked perfectly. They got the best out of eachother and the film often takes it's tone from the leading actors. This, of course, is less the case with a charismatic director like Steven Spielberg. He contributed wonderfully and made the whole thing marvelous.

Sean Connery (Henry Jones), John, Denholm Elliott (Marcus Brody) and Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones) in The Last Crusade

John's full interview (in which he talks about his role in The Lord of the Rings) will be online soon

The power of your role in Raiders of the Loat Ark was the fact that you played Colonel Dietrich in a very serious way, while often Nazis are being portrayed as caricatures. Did you do this on purpose? And where did you get your inspiration?

Even though it takes place before the second World War and Hitler is around I do not think my character is specifically a Nazi. I played it as an officer who had a job to do and happens to be German. I know what I want, the Ark, and I do my best to get it. And yes, I do it ruthlessly, but with less violence as our hero: Harrison Ford. Do you see me kill people? You
probably know the movie better than I do! (laughs)

Well, in the scene where you are sitting in the car at the marketplace you
throw a melon and we hear a dog squeak.

No, there was no dog. Some vendor handed me the melon and I didn't know what to do with it!

They may have added that sound in then.

Yes, you see? They make me look bad!

Well, what is one dog compared with a load of dead Nazis?

Yes, it is all in the mind of people and the way the movie is edited.

Still, the fact that everyone thinks that you may have done some killings is the power of your performance. Just as your obsession with the Ark.

Like everybody else was obsessed!

Wolf Kähler and me
Can you tell anything about the making of the movie and the atmosphere on the set?

One of the producers, Robert Watts, who did Star Wars as well, was so caring about the actors. I remember that when I came from the submarine he was making sure that I came safely from the boat. Generally the atmosphere was fantastic. In every department there were the best people, like Steven Spielberg.

How was he to work with? He is often considered to be the best director ever.

Visually yes. I have no complaints. He saw the character slightly different. He wanted more on the edge. We talked about it on the plane and he was ok with the way I played the role. He told me he was pleased with my performance on the last day of shooting.

You also had some scenes with Harrison Ford. How was he?

He was very good, rocksteady. Very much out of reality in every scene, that was very good. George Lucas, who sees everything on the set, was there when a scene with Harrison and a horse was filmed. It was beautiful and looked like magic when we saw it on the screen.

What was your initial feeling when you got cast?

It was great since a lot of people wanted to be a part of it. I was nervous because you never know what they want. Spielberg had a very good name, and he was nice when we first met. He told me he had seen me in Stanley Kubricks Barry Lyndon. I think it was that movie on which he had decided that he wanted me to play Colonel Dietrich. So, I never auditioned in the form of a reading or something like that.

What is your best memory regarding Raiders of the Lost Ark?

(Thinks for a very long time) It's a very difficult question because everything is different and valuable. It's on the television every Christmas. Well, not last Christmas, but the year before. It was a masterpiece, and everyone seems to love it.

Wolf Kähler, Paul Freeman (René Belloq) and Ronald Lacey (Toht) open the Ark
Did you ever expect that Indiana Jones would become such an icon in the history of cinema?

I have met people that have seen Raiders of the Lost Ark no less than seventeen times in the cinema, but that was after the movie was shot of course. No, you do your job and don't think about these things. It all felt like it was going to be a good movie. The cast and crew was good and you knew you were in good hands.

Wolf's full interview will be online soon

Can you share some of your memories regarding Raiders of the Lost Ark?

I played many Arabs in that one. You can also see me at the truck that carries the Ark of the Covenant and gets taken over by Harrison Ford. He begins to wipe out all of us as we played Nazis. I was the one that gets hit by a tree as I try to climb along the side of the truck. I also got shot a lot of times in that movie, again playing a Nazi. I also doubled for Anthony Higgins (Gobler) who gets hit and tumbles over a cliff. To this day Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of my favorite movies. I had to work hard for two months in the heat of the desert. In that time it was quite something to work with Steven Spielberg as he was quite enthusiastic. It was also very funny seeing the big guy with the sword getting shot by Harrison. It was great being there.

Paul Weston and me
Paul's full interview (in which he talks about his role in Star Wars) will be online soon

What did you do in the three Indiana Jones movies you were in?

I'm the guy that paints the sign on the crate that carries the Ark of the Covenant in Raiders of the Lost Ark. It may seem simple, but Steven Spielberg was really watching it close. In Temple of Doom I did the diamond kicking. It was just a job, but the timing had to be precise. There was a band, lots of people running around, and I had to find and kick the diamond. You had to be careful not to step on a finger or fall over. Frank Marshall directed it and wanted it to look like you were really panicking and tripping it accidental. In The Last Crusade I was a Nazi official. It was the last time I have played with Harrison and I haven't seen him since.

Barrie Holland and Harrison Ford
How was he on the set?

He's very quiet. I'm not sure if it's shyness. He's not an actor that gets on the sets and attracts all the attention. They always say he's the worst person to interview because he won't say anything. He's a very good person and nice to work with.

How was it to work with Steven Spielberg?

He's probably the best director you can get. He talked with everybody and is the only director I have ever seen that didn't get angry. The camera crew said that he was always two shots ahead.

Did any funny or strange things happen on the set?

On Temple of Doom Steven Spielberg was wearing a tie around his head. We all were wearing suits in the opening scene and he tied his tie around his head as a joke.

Barrie's full interview (in which he talks about his role in Star Wars) will be online soon

You were in two Indiana Jones movies: Raiders of the Lost Ark, in which you played Abu and Temple of Doom; in which you did the stunts for Jonathan Quan (Short Round).
What was the most dangerous stunt you had to do?

Yes, I remember stunt doubling Jonathan Quan when he was just a boy. It was a pleasure to double him and one stunt I remember doing was not dangerous but difficult to do. I had to climb a cave wall in the studio. The walls were made to be wet so it was slippery and on top of that it was cold so to grip the holds was difficult as I kept slipping but still managed to climb up. Even with safety equipment it was still difficult.

Kiran Shah and me
Click here for the full Kiran Shah interview

In the late eighties you featured in another LucasFilm production: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. In this movie you played a German soldier. Can you tell us in which scenes you played?

I was involved in the film's penultimate scene, the chalice scene, in which myself and two other actors rousted Indy (Harrison Ford) over to Walter Donovan (Julian Glover) before he had to collect the chalice. I'm standing just behind Harrison Ford and Sean Connery with my rifle trained on them.

Derek's scene in The Last Crusade
And can you tell us more about making this movie? Did anything strange or unusual happen on the set, for instance?

We had a few surprise celebrity visitors turning up on set.

Michael Jackson visited with his friends and bodyguards to see Steven Spielberg. There were only a handful of actors and crew on set, including Sean Connery. Michael came up to us all, shook hands and introduced himself.

Paul Hogan (Crocodile Dundee) was another visitor I remember - he was very funny and I enjoyed talking to him.

During the filming of the chalice scene, a surprise was arranged for Harrison Ford as it was his birthday. A very large cake was brought onto the set and we sang Happy Birthday to Harrison. He looked very surprised and embarrassed, but enjoyed sharing the cake with us all.

I sometimes collect autographs and thought it would be a good idea to bring a book on George Lucas' films to the set and get it signed. I managed to get George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Denholm Elliot and John Rhys-Davies to sign this book. It is a treasured possession.

I talked quite a bit to George Lucas about working on the first Star Wars movie, and how much I enjoyed the experience. He remembered me from it and was very nice to me.

Derek's full interview (in which he talks about his roles in Star Wars) will be online soon

Back to the main page

The author (that's me!) with one of the three original Sankara Stones from The Temple of Doom in Planet Hollywood, DisneyLand Paris

me again, this time with a Sword from Raiders of the Lost Ark in Planet Hollywood, London, England

Above: Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones) & Karen Allen (Marion Ravenwood) in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Below: Me, standing on the exact same stairs that scene was filmed: the City Hall of San Francisco

Back to the main page

Gino Acevedo interview

2007-08-01T11:22:00.001-07:00

Senior Prosthetics Supervisor and Visual Creature Effects Art Director, Gino Acevedo originally hails from Arizona and has been working for the most part of his professional life in Los Angeles. He is a special effects technician with particular skill in special make-up, prosthetics and air brushing. Gino has worked on such projects as the Alien series, Godzilla, Men in Black and The Nutty Professor.

Gino oversaw all the special makeup requirements that Weta Workshop provided for The Lord of the Rings trilogy. This included hundreds and hundreds of noses, ears and feet as well as the countless full facial and full body make-up appliances for all of Middle-earth's non human inhabitants. Seven of the nine leads in the films wore some form of prosthetic appliance- a huge undertaking to say the least!

In addition, Gino oversaw the paint designs of all the films' creatures, including Gollum, and was directly involved in bringing the many digital creatures and characters to life.

This interview took place in 2007 and is exclusive to this site!

Gino putting prostetics on Christopher Lee (Saruman)
Your resume is quite long. From all the projects you have done, which one is your favorite, and more importantly, why?

Boy, that’s a tough one. I have been so lucky to have had the opportunities to work on such great movie classics. Each project posed new challenges for me which I loved.
Alien 3 was an amazing project from the standpoint that I got to travel outside of the States for the first time. We filmed in London, England at the famous Pinewood Studios, where at the time most of the James Bond films were made there and shot in the 007 stage. This was one of the largest sound stages in the world and it was huge! They had also filmed Aliens there and the first Batman. I remember walking down the streets inside the studios and thinking of all the great talent that had been there.
The hardest and most challenging films would have to be the The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I have never worked so hard and so long in my life! It was a huge undertaking for every department. For me, the challenge was to train new makeup artists to apply and color prosthetics. Most of them had never applied any sort of prosthetics or airbrushed. So besides coming up with the color schemes for most of the creatures, I was also training new talent, and in the end what an amazing group of new talented artists came from that.
There were a couple of artists Domonie Till and Marjory Hamlin who were two of the top makeup artists in New Zealand so we were able to share new techniques with each other. Both Dom and Marjory became heads of departments on all three films. My job was to basically supervise all of the prosthetics on set. I am very proud of all of our work on this film, and it shows. But if you were to ask me would I work on another three films back to back, ah... well, let me get back to you on that one!

Gino played the part of a corsair in Return of the King
When working on The Lord of the Rings, did you face challenges you had not met at previous assignments?

There were many challenges everyday on set! Everything from making up 300 Orcs to trying to figure out a new material to use for skin that looked and felt like real skin. This particular challenge was for Gimli the dwarf. In the beginning, we found out that John Rhys-Davies was going to play the part. Now we all knew John's infamous role as Sallah, Indy’s sidekick in two Indiana Jones movies. And since I was a huge fan of the films, I was very excited to be working with him! He was larger than life with his deep baritone voice, and of course the first thing that we had to ask him was to please say the famous line in the film, “Indy, why does the floor move? Ahh, asps! Very dangerous, you go first!” And he did, and so began our relationship for the next few years.
Jason our workshop supervisor at the time, took a head cast of John so that we could begin sculpting his dwarf transformation. Once we had the cast, Jamie Beswarick began sculpting John's appliance. The first part was the head cowl. We needed to change his head proportions to make him more dwarflike, by spreading the head out a bit and giving him larger ears.
The first makeup test that we did was using the standard foam latex for the appliance. Foam has been around for years and is a very versatile material but the only drawback is that it is opaque and not translucent like our skin is. Therefore great care and planning must go the coloration and what lighting will be used. Any opaque surface will reflect light as opposed to a translucent material that will absorb light.
Our first test with the foam went pretty well and we shot a film test in the studio with interior lighting, but when we took John outside to shoot, the appliance ended up looking very flat, like a mask. In the sunlight it had lost all of it ‘fleshy’ qualities that we had inside. We knew that this was going to be a problem and that we needed to find another solution and another material.
We thought of using gelatin which is a great material and we used it for Gandalf's, Saruman's and Wormtongue's noses along with all of the elf ears. But it is not very stable under heat and moisture. I know that John would be getting very hot in his costume and that it could turn into a real nightmare if his face melted off during filming so we decided against gelatin.
Back in the Los Angeles, I had been working with allot of silicones which is the next best thing to real flesh. It is translucent and soft like real skin, the only drawbacks are that it is quite heavy and it is very difficult to get any glues to stick to it. We knew that silicone was really our only choice to use, but we had to quickly find a way to get it to work as an appliance.
I worked with Weta technicians Ben and Luke Hawker and Jason Docherty to come up with a plan for using the silicone and we did at the last minute. So the Gimli face that you see in the film is a combination of foam latex, silicone and gelatin. Both Domonie and I put John in that torturous makeup over seventy times! Luckily, John and I are still great friends and I see him regularly.

John Rhys-Davies as Gimli
You had to learn to airbrush on a computer, how hard was it to learn it?

Learning how to paint in the computer was a whole new challenge! Give me paper and pencil and I can draw. But, if you give me keyboard, monitor and a million things to memorize like how to import the geometry that has been split for paint and how to save out as a tiff file and be careful not to overwrite what has already been done......well my head exploded! Luckily I had a very good teacher and friend Sergei Nevshupov, a very talented texture painter who had the unfortunate task of teaching me how to texture paint.
My first task was to paint Gollum! I had already developed the color scheme for him at the Workshop by physically painting on a silicone bust of him that Peter Jackson approved, but now that challenge was to paint him in the computer. I basically used my traditional skills of airbrushing and tried to use them in the computer by layering all of my colors to make the skin look translucent to my eye and I knew that if I could accomplish that, the shade writers who could add translucency to the skin would make it look even better.
At first the challenge was to get used to the idea of looking at the monitor screen and using my wacom tablet to draw on. So it was getting used to a whole new hand and eye co-ordination. It actually didn't take as long as I thought and I soon felt very comfortable using this new tool that I never had to worry about running out of paint and breathing bad paint fumes!

Weta Workshop became a one of the best special effects company’s worldwide in a very short time. Do you think you’re missing experience that other companies have?

I had been in the film industry in Los Angeles for about fifteen years before coming down to New Zealand. I feel that I brought a vast experience with me in film making and at the same time, learned a great deal of what Weta had to offer and what they had to work with. So it was very complimentary mix both ways.

What is your fondest memory of working on the production of The Lord of the Rings?

My fondest memory was probably how close that we all were and still are. It was very rare that three films are shot back to back; therefore both the cast and crew were together for many years.

After filming most of us would go out together and have dinner and drinks. We became a very tight family. I think that al ot of the actors for the first time felt really at home here in New Zealand and didn't have to worry about being mobbed by fans. They were all pretty much left to their own and their space was respected by most.

Back to the main page

All pictures and introduction are copyright © Weta. No copyright infringement in these pages is intended.

Peter Lyon interview

2007-08-01T10:52:00.000-07:00

Raised in Shannon, New Zealand, Peter Lyon is a self-taught swordsmith and armourer and first began making swords in 1985.
In 1998 Peter joined Weta Workshop as Senior Swordsmith for The Lord of the Rings. His extraordinary craftmanship can be seen in the hero weapons which played an integral part in bringing this story to the screen.

The following short interview is exclusive to this website!

Frodo's sword Sting
You have produced a large number of items for The Lord of the Rings. Which item are you most proud of making, and please explain to us why?

Among the swords, I am most proud of making Anduril, as it the iconic hero’s sword, and almost a character in its own right. But I am also proud of making the 1/6 scale sword masters for the collectables range, as it pushed my skills into an area and level of detail I had never imagined before that.

Anduril, the sword used by Aragorn
When you joined Weta, you started out as Senior swordsmith. Meanwhile, you have now also worked as a puppeteer for example. Do you have any ambitions beyond the making of arms for movies?

My great desire is to make the finest swords possible for films, so their artistry can be appreciated beyond merely being props. But I am also enjoying the journey that film has led me into, where I can be asked to employ my skills in some of the many aspects that the industry demands. So, for example, I have been able to do puppeteering and some animatronic work, while still principally being a swordsmith.

Peter Lyon at work in the Weta foundry
What is your fondest memory of working on the production of The Lord of the Rings?

There have been many high points, but the biggest buzz has come from the people I have been able to meet and share time with, both actors and other visitors. There have been many fine people I have met, but two stand out as they are icons and role models, and personal heroes of mine: Christopher Lee, and Sir Edmund Hillary.

Back to the main page

All pictures and introduction are copyright © Weta. No copyright infringement in these pages is intended.

Kyle Rowling interview

2007-08-01T10:04:00.000-07:00

As someone who played General Grievous and 10 to 1 odds that he/she will say that it was Matt Wood. Wrong! Although Wood voiced Grievous, it was Australian fight/swordmaster Kyle Rowling that provided his moves. Not only did Rowling portray Grievous, he also played Jedi Joclad Danva and a MagnaGuard and trained Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Christopher Lee and Ian McDiarmid.

Wattographs' Gary X and I had the following interview (that was initially published on Wattographs.com) with Kyle.

Please tell us: How did you get approached to play in both Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith?

This is a funny story actually. Just before Episode II started filming Nick Gillard (Star Wars Stunt Coordinator and Sword Master) was auditioning people for a Dooku Fight Double. They needed to be tall (Christopher Lee is 6’5’’) and have some sword skills. My sister actually met a guy one night in a bar that had been for an audition with Nick that day, but didn’t have the skills Nick was looking for. She got Nick’s number off him and the next day I rang Nick and introduced myself. Nick told me to send along a CV. When he received it he took one look inside, said to himself “God, guys with ponytails are wankers,” and promptly buried my CV at the bottom of a 150 strong pile.
Three weeks and 150 stuntmen later, Nick gets to his last choice: The pony-tailed wanker. He called me in, asked me to do a few moves for him and started checking me out. At one point, he asked me to do a move and when I added a special little spin I like to do in that situation he simple said, “Put the sword down, you’ve got the job. Now, I’ll have my tea white, with two.” That was it. Over the next couple of months Nick and I built a great friendship, which also lead to me playing Joclad Danva but more on that later, and when he was preparing to come out for Episode III he called me and told me to get ready.

What made you become a swordsman? And, were there any idols you had when you were young? Errol Flynn, maybe?

I’ve always loved any form of martial combat. Actually, when I was a kid I had a much bigger fixation with guns. However our country doesn’t have the same kind of laws as you do. (editor's note: Kyle lives in Sydney, Australia) We don’t have "the right to arm bears" or even own guns. Gradually the firearms laws got tougher and tougher and that was an end to that. However, I had been studying martial arts since I was eight and therefore I had a lot of skill and a great love for many different types of weapons. But, one day when I was in my late teens I rented a movie called Highlander. Well, that was it for me. I watched it four times in 24 hours. A few years later I joined The Society of Australian Fight Directors and I have been doing Stage Combat and working as a Fight Director since.

Kyle Rowling
You were born in 1970. A New Hope came out when you were just a kid. Did you see the Original Trilogy when it was in the theaters? And did you dream of ever playing in a Star Wars movie?

The first Star Wars film I ever saw was actually The Empire Strikes Back. My brother took me to a drive-in and left me sitting on the bonnet watching the movie while he made out in the back with his girl. I was transfixed. It was the most incredible thing I had ever seen...the movie that is, not my brother and his girl. I then saw A New Hope on video and was all up to speed by the time Return of the Jedi came out. Then, when my girl friend and I were sitting in the cinema watching The Phantom Menace (we knew that Attack of the Clones was being filmed in Australia), we just turned to each other and said "I have to be in the next film." See question number one.

Did you have Star Wars toys? Which one was your favorite? Do you have any today?

We weren’t a rich family, but I did have many toys. I used to get an action figure every now and then. I think I had about 50-60 action figures. Some of my mates had everything under the sun. Every figure, every ship, all the sets. The works. I had curtains and bed-spreads and stuff, but only a few toys. I was a huge fan by this point and tried really hard to build a great collection, but where I lacked money, I had ingenuity. I used to make things.
I made a two foot tall AT-AT (that was to scale for my Snow Speeder). I made a Dagobah set, complete with Yoda’s house that you could take the lid off and walk him around inside, and I also made a copy of Jabba’s skiff that was scale to my action figures. I think my favorite action figure and character was always Han. I didn’t understand the Jedi at that point, and Luke being a whiney kid didn’t really sell me. Han was cool.
I still have all of my action figures and most of my stuff, however, all the things I made are now long gone. I’ll be keeping my collection until my kids are old enough to appreciate what they meant to me, and also not choke on them. Then it’s theirs. I think.

Christopher Lee has said in various documentaries that he did his swordfights himself as he learned fencing a long time ago. So, can you tell us what you exactly did being his double? Stunts only? Or, some swordfights too?

Chris is an amazing man and one of our times great actors. He also holds a world record for more sword fights in films than any other living actor. He used to fight with the likes of Errol Flynn, Basil Rathbone, etc. But, he does give me plenty of credit in the Episode II and Episode III Making of documentaries for my work.
The fact is that in these films we needed to see the lightsaber combat at the peak of its time. Chris is an older gentleman now, and for most of the really fast stuff he just couldn’t do it. Hell, it beat the hell out of me doing those scenes. I was honored to have been the one to fill those enormous shoes for the short time that I did. I mean come on Sword Doubling one of the greatest swordsmen that has ever been, and if he ever needs someone to wield a blade on his behalf again, anywhere in the world, all he has to do is ask and I’ll be there with my three inch lifts on. Chris is also very tall.

A MagnaGuard; a character also played by Kyle
You played Joclad Danva in Attack of the Clones. He was one of the Jedi fighting in the Geonosis Arena. Can you tell us something more about filming those scenes? Almost all the key actors are in that scene, what were your impressions of them?

We actually filmed that scene a week or two before we came back and did the Second Unit shoot on that set and as you say it was just the principals in that scene. That was one of the things Nick Gillard did for me: he put me in that scene as one of the last surviving Jedi.
It was a fast two day shoot, so you didn’t really have time to hang out with the stars while they were working, although I was already in rehearsals with Hayden and Ewan so we had the occasional chat. But everyone was very professional and polite. It was very funny actually, a huge sound stage with sand on the floor and a blue curtain that went all the way around and people shouting at you, “Now these things are walking in and shooting at you, and these things are flying around over head, this monster will run past you here, when you hear your number, fall down etc.” If you look carefully, Joclad is on the floor one minute and fighting the next. I’m alive! I’m dead! I’m alive! I’m dead! Or am I? More on this soon.

Kyle as Joclad Danva
It's your opinion that Joclad didn't die on Geonosis. What do you think became of him?

Its funny you know, at the time I did that scene I was nobody in particular. Nick put me in there because he liked my sword style (and I begged and cried like a little girl until he did, but don’t tell anyone that. What? This interview is going on the web? Damn). Then, years later, people who have never walked on a Star Wars set are giving you a name, creating a history and background and determining what happened to you next.
Although I do love and appreciate some of the stuff they came up with, like being the Teras Kasi champ and all, not all is as it seems. So, for all of you who can’t decide whether Joclad died on Geonosis or during the great Jedi purge of Order 66, prepare to be enlightened (cue music and fuzzy fade out...):

"Yes, we see Joclad on the ground at the end of the Geonosis battle. And, yes, he is badly wounded --but he is definitely not dead. But the Jedi don’t know this and leave him behind for dead in their hurry to escape. A short while after the battle, Count Dooku returns to Geonosis to gather some things he left behind in the heat of battle. Whilst there Dooku senses a life force and goes to investigate. He finds Joclad and knows he is a Jedi, but Joclad can’t remember who or what he is. As Dooku approaches him and as badly hurt as he is, Joclad tries to fight. Dooku respects the courage within this fallen warrior and also the opportunity before him. Dooku gains Joclad's trust and convinces him to let him help him.
As Joclad starts to heal, Dooku starts to train him in some Sith arts. One day, when the time was right, he tells Joclad that he was a Jedi -- but that the Jedi left him for dead and that he really owes them nothing. Joclad starts to remember more and more of his past. He turns his back on the Jedi Order, but also knows he doesn’t want to be a Sith. He leaves Dooku’s company and to this day is wondering the universe. Not a Jedi, Not a Sith, not even a Dark Jedi. Just a very dangerous man with Jedi and Sith powers and a serious grudge against the Jedi.”

There I hope that clears everything up for you all. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. And, tell me: who should know better what happened to Joclad? Someone that reads internet stuff all day, or Joclad himself? ONE MORE TIME, JOCLAD IS NOT DEAD. Keep an eye out for my short film about Joclad's adventures.

Did you get to keep your lightsaber or your Jedi robes?

No, absolutely not. Security around that place was tighter than a deep sea fish's pucker. However, I do have a very cool set of Jedi robes that my mum made for me. She has actually also then made sets for both of my nephews as well, and I made the belts and utility pouches. I have also had a go at making some lightsabers from bits and pieces. They’re okay, but nothing like the things Tommy was making on set. That guy was a genius.

You were Nick Gillard's right hand on the films. How was it working with and for him?

Nick is fantastic. I really love that man, and I can honestly say that in all my best heterosexual goodness. Nick taught me so much about the film industry. Before Star Wars, 99% of my experience was in the theatre. He taught me how to adjust my style for camera, how to work with the crew, the actors, the director etc. We always worked our butts off, especially on Episode III. But Nick always knew when to push you and then when to reward you with fun. There was a lot of fun and games on and around set, but only when the day’s work was done. What I really love most about Nick, though, is that he really appreciated and respected my skills as a swordsman. I will go anywhere and do anything for him. I just hope that the next big sword wielding epic is right around the corner.

Jedi Jump: Kyle and Ewan McGregor watch as Hayden Christensen goes Air Jordan
How was the experience working with Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen, preparing for the longest lightsaber fight in all of Star Wars?

In all honesty, it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. The choreography and rehearsal for Episode III was three months in total. Ten-hour days, six days a week, and Hayden and Ewan were both there from almost the very beginning. Both of them actually requested to be flown in early to do as much work on the fights as possible. The most important thing for everyone involved -- Nick, Hayden, Ewan and myself included -- was that this fight really told the story of what was going on inside their characters' hearts and minds.
Both of the guys are incredibly talented, not just as actors, but their sword skills are amazing. That made them really easy to work with. They both learn choreography really quickly, and quite huge chunks of it too, not just a few moves and cut. Both of them were putting down 100+ move sequences and then running the hell out of it at full speed.
Nick’s choreography is amazing and it was brilliant to watch and learn as he tweaked a move here or a sequence there until the whole thing just flowed beautifully and the story was clear and in your face. And with the boys' skills, if something needed changing it was not a problem. They just did it. Of course there are always a few bruised knuckles when you’re fighting fast and in close but that was the worst anyone got hurt in six months; another testimony to Nick’s ability.

What about working with Ian McDiarmid? What was he like?

Ian was fantastic. Much like Chris Lee, you can just sit around and listen to the stories that these guys tell for hours. However, in the rehearsal room everyone was under the impression that Ian’s fight would be much the same as Chris’s: they would pull a few moves and a couple of close ups for camera and the fight double would do the rest. But when we got to set on the day of filming, George (Lucas) wanted Ian to do his whole fight. Now, Ian is no spring-chicken. This could be problematic, we thought. But again Nick steps in, takes control and within no time we had Ian doing short sequences himself.

In Revenge of the Sith, you did some fight scenes for General Grievous. Can your work be compared with the things Andy Serkis did regarding Gollum in Lord of the Rings?

Yes, you could say that. I spent a lot of time in a very revealing blue lycra suit on Episode III. Although, because Grievous doesn’t really have facial features, I wasn’t covered in those little balls. I was more a reference for the guys at ILM. But ,the Obi-wan fight scene was more of a challenge for Ewan than myself. We did the fight several times, like a whole day, and then Ewan had to do the fight on his own, without me in front of him.
Trust me: that is a real challenge even for a seasoned Fight Director. This was because Grievous is only an inch thick in places, so they couldn’t just impose him over my body. They actually needed a clean plate but the footage of the fight with me and my moves with Ewan are what they had to work off to create Grievous in action.
The most fun I had as Grievous, though, was the day we spent filming the last part of the Obi vs. Grievous fight near Grievous’ ship. The Obi-wan stunt double -- Nash Edgerton -- and I spent about 12 hours beating the crap out of each other to film all the really big hits, then Ewan came to finish up. Don’t get me wrong, Ewan is no pansy and insisted on taking some good shots that day. But, Nash and I are good friends and know what the camera needs. There were a few bruises, but no love lost.

General Grievous; voiced by Wood, played by Kyle
Matt Wood got most of the credits for General Grievous, but did only the voice. What is your opinion about this? Doing his fight scenes sounds equally important to me.

I don’t really know Matt, so I can’t say anything bad about him. Honestly, though I did put in a lot of hard work and blood, sweat and tears working on Grievous, and you don’t get much credit for it, but that is the life of any Fight Double or Stuntman. You are not the character, your job is to enhance the performance of the stars and keep them safe. In the end you accept that, move on and just do the best job that you can for them. It has its own rewards in other ways.
How about playing a MagnaGuard and fighting in the closed confines of General Grievous' ship?
That was a lot of fun. Again, I was teamed up with Hayden, while Stunt/Fight Double Ben Cooke fought with Ewan, and I just love working with him. He is so in your face as an actor and as a Combatant. His control is phenomenal, which allows you to really get some speed going, and his eyes are flaming all the way through the fight. But, as soon as its done, they just melt away to this big cheesy grin. He really loved the fighting part of that character and it showed. The set was bad though there were are few chairs and stuff around but all the droids and some of the set were put in later digitally.
Still, you get to run around, jump over stuff, fight a Jedi, kill a droid or two (bad guys got to kill droids in that scene, too, which was cool..."If it’s in your way kill it," was the brief from Nick) and you get paid for it, so yeah it’s pretty cool.

We also understand that you helped Jett Lucas film his scenes during the assault on the Jedi Temple. Can you tell us about that?

Jett’s great. He had to do this scene and being the boss’s son we had to make him look good. Nick was quite busy most of the time, so generally I would work with Jett. He is just a kid, remember, and there was always the desire to play -- so the first thing we worked on was discipline. That out of the way we got down to it and he started doing really well. Cut this head off, stab this guy, now chop off this leg and arm. He’d come up every so often and we would just work through the scene and then, of course, play for a bit.
Then, the day came when he had to shoot his scene. Now he is the only one on stage with three hundred people looking at him. We got a call up to our rehearsal room: Jett wanted me on set now. I went down and when he saw me, he just lit up. He ran over and gave me a big hug and then backed off -- all macho again. We went through his sequence a few times and then he was ready to go. At the end of this scene he gets shot by one of the Clone Troopers so I had this prop gun (the one in the Hyperspace photo that started so much controversy) and on "action," I’d call him through all of his moves then call out “JETT!” He’d turn around and look at me, I’d aim the gun on and him and yell "Bang!" and he’d fall down. He did a really good job in the end. I was very proud of him, and George (Lucas) thanked me personally as well.

Kyle sparring with Ewan McGregor while Hayden Christensen jumps
Was there anything funny that you remember happening on the sets of Attack of the Clones or Revenge of the Sith? Were there any pranksters?

Man, how much time have we got? Like I said, Nick takes his work very seriously, and he takes his fun just as serious. Nick is one of the world's greatest on-set pranksters, he told me some great stories of other movies he had worked on. But I’m not bad myself and I’m pleased to say and I’m sure Nick will attest to this as well that I held my own with him.
I had bought these little explosive things. You prime them like a mouse trap, put a weight on it and when the weight is lifted they go off with a hell of a bang. One day I set one on Nick’s desk and used his script as the weight. He walked in and sat down and as he was saying, “Oi, who moved my f*ck*ng script around?”, this thing goes off. We all just dropped and starting crying with laughter. That was it, though. It was now "on" for young and old. We were hiding these things everywhere, blowing up anyone we could.
But mostly Nick and I used to like making up little songs, or taking an existing song and tweaking the lyrics to suit us and the situation. None of those lyrics are going on this page, so don’t even think about. He was always about doing a good job but having fun while you did it. There are many more stories I could tell but I already think that if, or when, Nick reads this he’ll fly down to Oz and blow me up on my own toilet.

You did a tour in Japan, your first ever autograph signing, with Ian Liston (Wes Janson from Empire Strikes Back) and Wattographs.com editor Gary X. How did it feel, signing stuff for the fans for the very first time? Did it live up to your expectations?

Wow, what a surreal experience. It was an absolute blast, but it was just amazing that these people would want your autograph in the first place...let alone pay for it. But, again, this is part of the pay-off I mentioned earlier. To see the look on these people’s faces when you sign something for them or have a photo taken with them was great. It really made you feel like a star for a while. Gary was very cool and very helpful to someone in a strange land doing strange things.
As for my signing partner, Mr. Ian Liston, he was great. Very British to start with, but Gary and I soon loosened him up. Didn’t we, Ian? Well that’s what she said, anyway. It was great. We were laughing all the time and entertaining each other when things were a bit slow and he was just as amazed with Japan as I was, because it was the first time either of us had been there. Thank you, Ian! It was a pleasure, sir.

Do you have plans to do more signing sessions or maybe a convention in the future?

I’d love to do more signings and stuff. The short time I was with Gary X in Japan, we made a really solid friendship. And with him living in the States and me in Oz, it would be a great opportunity to catch up again, if nothing more. But, we’ll just have to see what the future holds on that one.

I've heard some rumors about some Matrix-style pictures of you and Gary X when the two of you were in Japan. Of course, our readers want to know everything about this!

The first two signings we did in Japan were at this toy store called "Joke Shop," and they had the largest collection of Airsoft replica firearms I had ever seen. Gary and I are both huge gun fans and after the second signing, we chatted with the owner of the store and he let us arm ourselves for bear. The day before, Gary and I both agreed to wear our best Matrix outfits to the second signing and as soon as we were armed, we hit the streets outside the shop and went to town: Pulling poses...pretending to shoot cars and Agents...and each other.
We had all these raving fans gathered around taking pictures and video. I don’t know how long we were out there but both of us were grinning like a shot fox for days.
Looking back at your two Star Wars movies: Is there anything you regret or would have done in a different way?
Not a thing. Look ,we all look back in retrospect and say, "Oh I could’ve done this, or I could’ve done that." But, we are who we are and we do what we do. There is no point looking back. Either be proud of what you have done, or do it differently in the future...but never doubt your choices if they were truly yours.

You are the owner and leader of the Sydney Stage Combat School. Can you tell us a bit about the school and what you do there?

I set the school up back in 2000. At that time, I was doing a lot of training with a guy from Brisbane who moved to Sydney and taught me. But ,that was it. I started running courses and then found when people came back months later, they had forgotten everything they had learned. So, in the beginning ,the SSCS served two purposes: give people somewhere to practice what they learn and also give me someone to play with. From there, it just sort of grew.
The SSCS now covers most of the choreographic work in New South Wales for theatre, short films and live performances. We specialize in just about every weapon, from every culture and from every time period. Historical accuracy and period depiction is our specialty. Not that we dress up and run around in Medieval clothing...I’d love to, but my guys keep talking me out of it. But if you want to do that and swing swords around at the same time, we will teach you which sword was right for that period, how it was used in combat and most importantly: how to do it safely.

Are there any other Star Wars "alumnus" from SSCS?

When Nick called me for Episode III, he did tell me at that point that this was the big one and that if I had anyone I could trust to give me a hand to bring them. I took my Combat Assistant Michael Byrne with me. During the choreographic and rehearsal stages, Michael would fill in for Obi-wan and I would play out the Anakin side of the fights, until Nick had them just the way he wanted it. This then led to Michael becoming the Fight Double for Palpatine, where he performed fights with Sam Jackson, and of course Michael has joined a very special club that he and I are the only members of: the “We kicked Yoda’s Butt Club.”

Any chance we'll be seeing you again in the upcoming Star Wars TV-series? Or, do you have other plans for the future?

I bloody-well-hope-so. Nick has told me that at this point he isn’t sure whether he will be doing it or not, but if he doesn’t that I am his only choice for a replacement Sword Master. Also, being an actor myself, I am really stinging for a nice recurring role. That way I can be around to do all the choreography and still get my face on camera. Like I said, in my world, Joclad Danva is still kicking. Although ever since doing the Dooku fights, I’ve had a dream to play the young Count Dooku in a flash back scene or two, if they go there. Hey Rick McCallum! Are you reading this Spunky? Don’t forget me now?

Back to the main page

Gerald Home interview

2007-07-31T11:31:00.000-07:00

Gerald Home was born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and emigrated to Australia with his family when he was sixteen. He started acting while at university in Australia and spent three years as an actor/teacher before moving to London to study at the Drama Studio.

Since then he has had a wide and varied career: his most memorable credits on the big screen were Squid Head/Tessek and the Mon Calamari Officer in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, and being a puppeteer in Little Shop of Horrors.

I interviewed Gerald (a true gentleman if I may say so) late 2005, and you can read the result here.

Gerald Home & me; Utrecht, November 17th 2007
How did you get cast for the parts of Tessek and the Mon Calamari officer?

I am primarily an actor, but the first job I had after I left Drama School in 1977 was in a mime show called Prufrock.
When we performed the show in London it was seen by a mime teacher/director called Desmond Jones. Nearly five years later he remembered me when he was asked to assemble a team of performers for Revenge of the Jedi. The characters to be played didn't speak, so it was necessary to get actors, mime artists or dancers who knew how to use their bodies to bring these characters to life. So Des chose people he knew could do this and a bunch of us were introduced to the producers in a cold rehearsal hall one (I think) saturday morning. It was quickly decided that my body type and movements suited the Squid Head character very well, so I knew very soon that I had been given that part. That was to be my main part, but I was told that I would also be a Mon Calamari.

What you might not know is that I also played some additional scenes with Admiral Ackbar, which were not used in the film.
Editors note: the call sheets can be viewed here, the dialogue here.

How did I come to film these scenes? Well, one of the people in our team was Stuart Ziff. He worked on all the Original Trilogy and is credited in Return of the Jedi as Chief Articulation Engineer. I got to know him very well on set and he knew that I am an actor. One day he was at a production meeting with the film's director and producers when it was decided that they wanted to try an experiment: they wanted to film some additional scenes with Ackbar (Tim Rose) and another speaking Mon Calamari. But they would have to audition new actors to play this part. Stuart Ziff told them there already was an actor on set who could do it - me! And so that night I found myself going home with two pages of dialogue to learn.

I wasn't surprised that these scenes weren't used because my Mon Calamari mouth didn't move very much - in fact, it wasn't built to move. It must have looked very strange that the words came out of a hardly-moving mouth. But it was a very interesting experiment. For Star Wars experts, here is a question: look at my unused dialogue and you'll see one of my lines was, "Sir, the shield around the Death Star has lost power". As this line is not in the film - what line replaced it, and who said it?
Answer: Ackbar says, "The shield is down".

If you look at the call sheets, you'll see I was listed as Officer, or Controller, or Aide - until then we were all Mon Calamari. A little historical note is that I was the only one named as an Officer.

Gerald as Tessek
Back in 1983, when Return of the Jedi came out, your character Tessek' was just another alien'. He was just called Squid head.
Over the years, he got a name and a background story (as described in the book Tales from Jabba's Palace).
Have you been keeping up with all this? And are you proud that after all these years Tessek got some recognition?

In fact, when we were filming he was usually called 'Squid Face', so I was very surprised when the original action figure came out and I was now Squid Head!

I must tell you that when I got the job, I thought I was going to be heavily featured in all the scenes with Jabba. We all thought that. But by the time filming started, the set was filled with technicians, electricians, other crew, actors, extras, Jawas, make up people, assistants and so on - well over hundred people - and the result was that we, nine characters got lost in the crowd. So yes, when I first saw the film, I realized I was 'just another alien'. This was very disappointing because I'm not a background artist, and I wouldn't have taken the job if I had known I would be in the background!

Star Wars came back into my life about three years ago and it was only then that I began to learn what had been happening since Return of the Jedi came out in 1983: for example, Squid Head had a history, a name (Tessek), and a new action figure - and the Mon Calamari Officer had an action figure too. I also learned that Tessek had survived the Sail Barge explosion! For about twenty years I had thought he / I had died in that!. It was a nice surprise to find he survived, even though only his brain is now in a nutrient jar!
Interesting note: he was in the early drafts for Episode I (or maybe Episode II). In the end, it was decided to have a new Quarren - Senator Tikkes, a female.
You never know, he could make a comeback, one day.

Gerald as Mon Calamari officer
I also learned that what disappointed me for all those years - that Tessek is mostly in the shadows in the background - is what many fans like about him! Many people have told me they like the fact that he lurks suspiciously in the shadows! It makes them want to know more about him. So, yes - it is very, very nice to know that he is appreciated by many people.

I do try to keep up with events in the Star Wars Universe, including the Expanded Universe, but I have to admit, a lot of it is beyond me and I will never remember it all! One of the new friends I have made is the excellent Star Wars author Troy Denning who explains Star Wars things to me when I get confused - he knows just about everything in the Star Wars Universe - I guess he has to, as he's writing things like his recent Dark Nest trilogy, but I could never know as much as he does because my mind doesn't work that way. Anyway, I'm just an actor - I don't have to be an expert!

During the filming of Return of the Jedi there were loads of mime-artists: you, Sean Crawford and Tim Dry just to name a few.
Are you still in touch with them?

There were nine of us in total. I have known Alisa Berk (Amanaman) since 1978, and we kept in touch for many years. I come across Tim and Sean sometimes at conventions. I have met Phil Herbert on and off over the years as he's still a working actor, like me. I know and have worked with Andy Cunningham's former-partner and I tell her that many people want Andy's autograph. She tells him, but he's not interested.

Gerald getting a costume check
On the set of Return of the Jedi, were the big three (Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher & Mark Hamill) seen as 'big stars' by the rest of the cast?
What are your memories regarding them?

Yes, we saw them as big stars.

Mark Hamill: he was 'everybody's friend', was extremely friendly and spoke to everyone. He wanted to know how the masks and "puppets" worked and was like an eager young puppy.

Carrie Fisher: it's no secret that at the time of filming, she was "out of it". She has said the same thing herself, so I'm not being rude. I remember she looked at me once on-set, screwed up her face and just said, "YUK!" (I was wearing the Squid Head mask at the time). She didn't mean it in a rude way.......she just didn't really know what was going on, I think. I met her when she was in the UK last year and told her this story; we laughed about it. I think she's great these days.

Harrison Ford: I can see why he became the film star that he became, because he was totally focused on set. When he arrived, he politely said "Hello" or shook hands, or nodded his head to you in greeting - and after that he was "in the zone", totally concentrated on the work, as if the outside world didn't exist. You can see this attitude in his work. I think he's excellent.

How was it working with George Lucas and Richard Marquand? Did any strange/funny things happen on the set?

George Lucas wasn't on the Jabba sets much, nor in the Rebel briefing scenes, and when he was, he was very quiet. Richard Marquand was very organized and got what he wanted in a calm way. David Tomblin, the First Assistant Director, was a very important element in every film he worked on: in fact he made Richard M's life a lot easier because he always knew what Richard wanted before Richard knew himself. If any shouting was done on set, it was David Tomblin who did it.

If you look at my two call sheets, one is white and the other is lemon. A lemon call sheet means Second Unit. I'm sure you know, such scenes are usually directed by an assistant. Well, these second unit scenes with Ackbar and the Mon Calamari, on the bridge, were directed by George Lucas himself.
Why? Because a lot of them were blue screen and only one person in the world knew what would eventually be in these screens, and that was George Lucas, so it made sense for him to direct them. But he did so in a very quiet way, not really giving much direction, just a few suggestions. Not many people know he directed those Battle of Endor blue screen scenes; you'll get confirmation of what I say in the 1983 book The Making of Return of the Jedi.

The funniest thing that ever happened to me on set was the day I kept my glasses on under my Squid Head mask: I had to walk close to the Rancor pit which was open at the time and I was afraid of falling into it - I can't see very clearly without my glasses. But the result was disastrous - my glasses steamed up with condensation and I couldn't see anything at all! And of course I couldn't take the mask off. When I look at that scene now, I can see myself looking at the floor to try to avoid falling into the pit!

Gerald as Tessek with Max Rebo (played by Simon J. Williamson)
You have attended loads of conventions, signing photos and other memorabilia. What is your general feeling to signing things? And what is the craziest item you have ever signed?

Actually, I haven't attended loads of conventions, only just over twenty, which isn't a lot, compared to some other actors. I still think of myself as the New Kid on the Block. I love conventions and meeting fans and hearing their stories. I will sign whatever I'm asked to sign as long as it's "official" and respects Lucasfilm, because after all, none of us would be here without Lucasfilm. But having said that, I have signed someone's ..................no, I can't tell you what.......let's just call it a certain body part!!! And the weirdest object I have signed was a car in Germany. And someone brought a photo from a TV commercial I used to be in (Mr. Muscle - it was on TV in the Netherlands too) and asked me to sign it. They had printed a photo from a TV recording. It gave me an idea and I now have Mr. Muscle photos of my own to sign.

What's your best memory regarding a convention?

I have many happy convention memories, like in Detroit where a fan asked me how I was and I said I was very well, but was dying for a cup of tea. I meant it as a joke (though I was desperate for a cuppa at the time). I couldn't believe it when she returned later with a huge box of teabags for me! I thought that was very kind.

And a recent nice memory was at Celebration III when I was talking to someone, using my hands and throwing my arms around as I often do when I'm talking. I noticed two young girls watching me, giggling. I asked them what they were laughing at, and one of them said, "It's you, isn't it - the confused looking Mon Calamari, running around at the back of the scene during the Battle of Endor?" They said this was their favorite Return of the Jedi moment! And they had recognized my hand and arm movements as being the same as the Mon Cal on screen. Well, I couldn't believe it - no one has ever recognized me in this scene before, though it is a very typical piece of Gerald Home acting. I was so pleased, I went and hugged them and gave them signed photos as thank-yous.

Only one last thing to say......

MOGE DE KRACHT JE BIJSTAAN.
(Note for the non-Dutch speakers: That means 'May the Force be with you')

Back to the main page

Daniel Falconer interview

2007-07-30T09:24:00.000-07:00

Daniel Falconer is one of a group of designers who joined Weta Workshop in 1996, shortly before The Lord of the Rings. He has a deep knowledge of Tolkien's Middle-earth, thanks to an avid interest in the books and associated materials, which frequently proved useful on the project. This lead to Daniel also being involved in writing copy for Weta's licensed collectible product from The Lord of the Rings, a role that has continued alongside his design responsibilities in the years that have followed.

Since The Lord of the Rings, Daniel has contributed design work for various projects including King Kong, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Halo. In 2005 he collated and wrote copy for Weta's first book: 'The World of Kong, A Natural History of Skull Island', showcasing the illustrative work of the entire design department.

This interview took place in 2007 and premieres at this website.

Daniel Falconer
As an artist, what and who inspired you when you started out?

There were several sources of inspirations that I personally drew from when the task of designing Middle-earth was presented. Obviously Tolkien’s writings were the first source. I have long been a fan of these books and hoped and dreamed that I might one day have something to do with bringing them to the screen. Reading the books one can’t help but conjure imagery in one’s head and come to the design task armed with preconceptions and ideas that I was itching to draw.

Beyond the books, having grown up in New Zealand reading them, the landscape and colors of the country were intrinsically interwoven with the Middle-earth of my imagination, because as a child and young adult reading the stories and looking out my window, I imagined those characters out there walking in the hills and forests around my home. That meant that the color palette and flavor of my designs were drawn from New Zealand’s colors and flavors, which, as it turned out was fortuitous because the movie would eventually portray New Zealand as Middle-earth to the world.

Tolkien illustrators John Howe and Alan Lee were also strong influences on me, even before they were brought to New Zealand to join us on the films. I recall way back at the beginning of the project that there was word that we would be getting some heavy weight illustrators coming to lead our design effort, but who exactly was a closely guarded secret in those early days. My fellow designers and I hoped for both Alan and John because we were all fans of their work and we were all elated when they were finally announced. John’s sense of drama and particularly his depiction of Middle-earth’s darker denizens and locales were without peer in my esteem, while Alan’s delicate art captured such beauty and antiquity that they placed Middle-earth’s fantasy firmly in a reality that seemed somehow familiar and accessible. I learned much from both men and their work.

The process of design involves research too. A good design is an informed one, so we hit the books to study up on the various fields of lore essential to our processes. Inspiration and ideas naturally flowed as we delved into medieval warfare, art and craft, different cultures and techniques of construction etc…

Finally, and quite importantly, as the design process evolved over the years we were on the job, inspiration came from one and other. As designers working together, we would riff off each other’s work and ideas, incorporating what we liked from our fellows’ work and building upon it in a very free and open process where the end goal was the shared pride in the end result. Beyond the design room’s walls, the skills and ideas of the workshop crew who were actually making the final props and costumes were also an important source of inspiration. The line between designer and builder blurred more and more as we all came to understand Peters vision of Middle-earth to the point where later in the project, many items took shape without the need for drawings, while the ideas and skills of our craftspeople also flowed back the other way and into our newest designs.

Daniel working on some Treebread maquettes for The Lord of the Rings
What is your fondest memory of working on the production of The Lord of the Rings?

I think just being a part of such a special project, feeling the momentum of the films taking shape and growing around us, sharing the wonder and excitement that we all felt in being part of something that everyone knew was special and unique- those things are what have stayed with me since. I have never worked on anything quite like The Lord of the Rings since then and may never again, so I will always cherish those days.

What kind of projects would you like to do in the future, that you have not yet been able to do?

It is hard to top The Lord of the Rings. I am a huge fan of the Star Wars universe and count the original three as much of the reason I am doing what I do today. To one day be paid to run around and design in a galaxy far, far away would be a dream.

I have also always loved the works of Jim Henson. I hope one day to be able to work on something as rich and wonderful as many of his personal projects were. The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth are astonishing pieces of cinema art and I would love to be part of creating something like them again in the future.

I have my own personal projects that play to some of those aspirations too. Working in someone else’s world can be exhilarating and rewarding, but I always hoped to one day bring my own imagined worlds to the screen and share them with others. Hopefully that will come to pass one day as well.

Two concept designs made by Daniel: an Orc and a Haradrim warrior
You did a lot of design work for The Lord of the Rings. What were the favorite things you designed? And did Peter Jackson have a lot of influence in your work, or did he let you go on your own way?

My favorite times designing were undoubtedly those times when I was working on the Elves or Ents, because both came most easily to me and were based in shapes and styles that I enjoy creating.

When designing for a film adaptation of a book, as I have now learned, there is always a delicate balance of expectations and influences to manage. A film borne solely out of the imagination of one person who has written the script and will drive it through production is perhaps a more straight forward task, though not necessarily easier. A book that is becoming a film brings with it many more challenges in terms of the marrying of different ideas and interpretations by all its many contributors. The director obviously has an influence and Peter had his own ideas that he wished to see expressed. Alongside those however, there are one’s own ideas that one carries from having read the books already and imagined that world independently. The expectations and conceptions of the audience must also be considered, especially if the book is well read and popular, like The Lord of the Rings certainly was, and finally there is also the important task of interpreting and honoring the original intent of the author, as best one can without coloring it with one’s own ideas.

Managing all these sometimes conflicting visions is something the designer must do, though of course it is the director who has the final say. It is our job to inform him and present him with options that all make sense. Peter sometimes came to the table with a very clear idea of what he wanted, but just as often he would say, “Go nuts and cast your net wide. Draw extremes and push the boundaries of the brief. Break it and do crazy things. Let’s see it all and we’ll figure out from there what path we should take.”

In that way, he both informed our design work but also sought information from us, so it was a very open and free opportunity to present ideas.

Daniel sculpted these two collectibles for Weta: Sam the Eagle and Legolas Greenleaf
For The Lord of the Rings Weta Workshop made a lot of ‘Big’-atures. What do you think of them? Do you prefer them? Or would you rather use Digital Created worlds.

The best effects work is that which embraces the most appropriate qualities of all and any techniques, which is to say, whatever gets the job done best is the best technique to use. That seems obvious, but in an age of digital film-making, sometimes odd choices are made due to preconceptions and favorite processes taking precedence. On The Lord of the Rings, all disciplines were called upon and considered equally, so I think the best result possible was achieved. To create vast cities and castles, a combination of live action photography of actors on sets, blue screen work, highly detailed miniature models and digital environments and characters were all used. The result is a greater level of believability and texture than could have been achieved with only one or two of those techniques.

Back to the main page

All pictures and introduction are copyright © Weta. No copyright infringement in these pages is intended.

Eric Walker interview

2007-07-28T14:29:00.001-07:00

In 1984, a year after Return of the Jedi George Lucas came up with a new Star Wars adventure. This time Luke, Han, Leia and Darth Vader weren't present, this time it was all different. In this movie called Caravan of Courage: an Ewok Adventure the story focused on the children Mace and Cindel Towani that had to free their parents from the giant Gorax. They were helped by the furry fuzzballs: the Ewoks. Two years later a sequel was made: Battle For Endor

The part of Mace Towani was played by Eric Walker, with whom I had the following interview (that was originally published on Wattographs.com) in 2006.

In the beginning of Battle for Endor your character gets killed by the Marauders.
Did this feel as a disappointment and when did you find out that this would happen to Mace? In Ewok Adventure you were one of the two major characters, and now your part ended in such an unworthy way.

Of course it was a big disappointment. I was originally told by Aubree Miller's parents that I was cut totally out of the movie and the biggest disappointment was that neither Lucas nor anyone at Lucasfilm bothered to tell me. I still remember my father sitting me down and telling me the bad news. It is a day I will never forget and I cried that night until I finally fell asleep.

Then suddenly about a month later I got a call from my agent saying I was offered a smaller part in the movie. I was so happy to be apart of it that I jumped at the chance. I wanted to show the world that Mace would not go down easy but fighting! My whole experience with Lucasfilm as a boy is something I will go into great detail in a book that I am currently writing called, Growing Up On Skywalker Ranch. The book will feature a lot of information that no one knew about George Lucas and what really goes on at Lucasfilm, ILM, and Skywalker Ranch. The book will also have a never before seen DVD and making of the Ewok movie video that Warwick Davis and I shot and made while we were filming the Ewok movies. It will be a must for all Star Wars fans to ad to there collection as you will see a lot of stuff no one has seen inside of ILM and Lucasfilm.

Eric with Aubree Miller (Cindel Towani) and the Ewoks
How did you get the part of Mace and how was it for a young old boy to get cast for a Star Wars spin-off movie?

I auditioned in Los Angeles at the Egg Factory across the street from Universal Studios. It is no longer there but a subway station now. I actually have my original audition on video and it will be released with the making of DVD with my book. During that audition I did a monologue that caught George Lucas's eye. About two weeks later I had a screen test with Aubree Miller in Northern California and won the role. It all happened very fast, later I found out that they were looking for Mace for a long time and had auditions in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Aubree Miller came from the San Francisco auditions. I was basically chosen out of thousands that were looked at for the role.

Did you see the original trilogy when it hit theaters in the late seventies, early eighties? And did you have a lot of the toys?

No, because I was too young. I did however see Return of the Jedi prior to getting the role of Mace Towani. I loved it and saw it about 10 times, so I was very aware of how special Star Wars was and I felt honored to be working for George Lucas.

The first Star Wars name George Lucas came up with was Mace Windu; his name is featured in one of the first drafts of A New Hope. Was your character Mace Towani named after him?

No. Mace Towani is Star Wars first Mace. He used the name again with Samuel Jackson because he liked the name. There is no truth to the rumor that Mace Windu was in the first drafts of A New Hope. Mace Windu was never mention in The Journal of the Whills or the first drafts of A New Hope. All that was added later. But if you know anyone that has one of the original scripts from 1973-1976 and not revised ones, they will tell you that Mace was added later. In fact a lot of Star Wars writers have done articles in magazines calling Eric Walker Star Wars first Mace. You can find the articles in the official Star Wars magazine of Germany and the U.K.

Eric with George Lucas and Tom Smith
© 2002 Eric Walker
Most of the cast of Ewok Adventure were little people. Besides them it was Aubree Miller and you.
How was it to work with this cast and have you kept in touch with them?

Little people are some of the most down to earth people you will ever meet. They are very friendly and fun loving and almost always have the best sense of humor. I have kept in touch with Warwick Davis, Mike Edmonds, Dan Frishman and Kevin Thompson. Recently Aubree Miller and I attended her first ever convention in Ohio. I have pictures of us and Dan Frishman (Deej, Wicket's father) on my website at EricWalker.net.

You were directed by John Korty and George Lucas was on the set too. Can you give us your opinion on both of them?

John Korty is a wonderful actor's director. What that means is he knows something about acting and can really help an actor reach an emotion or get to where they have to in a scene. George Lucas did direct for a few weeks for the re-shoots because John Korty had a prior commitment so they said and could not make it. George is very technical and really knows how to set up a scene. When he is working on the set it runs fast and is less laid back then when John Korty directs. This is both good and bad. Lucas always has a lot of ideas about what he wants and sometimes comes up with them at the last possible second who creates on the spot trial and error. I remember sometimes he would give me the changes in his own handwriting the very morning we were shooting them, giving us very little time to learn the lines and to know what was going on. But it was creative and worked well most of the time.

Since you weren’t part of the original storyline, which character would you have liked playing from any of the six films in the trilogy and prequel trilogy?

Anakin Skywalker. No disrespect to the actor who played him, but I could have done a lot better. It may have been the directing by George Lucas because I have seen Hayden do better in other movies, so it's a toss up. It goes back to what I was talking about with Actors Directors and John Korty. Nonetheless, I felt his Anakin was very weak and not the Darth Vader we all love in the first three Star Wars Movies. Growing up I liked many others had a fantasy about George Lucas using me to play Anakin but that never came to pass and I would have been too old anyway by the time Lucas got around to making the prequels. Anakin would have been a challenge but we all know the prequels did not turn out how all the fans hoped as they were watered down versions of the originals with no teeth to them.

Eric filming a scene cut from the movie.
© 2002 Eric Walker
Currently you are working on Star Walkers; your new project. Can you tell what this exactly is?

Star Walker is like Star Wars times 1000. It is a much bigger universe then Star Wars and takes place over 12 millennia. Star Walker is like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Star Trek, Star Gate, and the Matrix all rolled up into one universe. Star Walker started out as a wedding gift from my long-time friend and partner G.K. Holland for my wife Nhu Tran Walker and me in 2002. It is loosely based on my actual life as a child star. The name Star Walker suggests adventures dealing with all of these things on a very grand scale, which is exactly what it does and is. The name Eric Dane is an important character in Star Walker. We see him in the year 2012 from the immense Star Walker Time Line. The name Eric Dane definitely comes from my first name and was meant as a tribute to me from my long time friend, writer and creator of Star Walker, G.K. Holland.
From those humble beginnings it kept growing, and now G.K. Greg has more then twenty books, twelve movies, two television shows and a web series in development. We have a official website at www.thestarwalkers.com. In November 2006 we have plans on re-launching the website with the web series. Members will be able to log on and watch a new web show twice a month for a total of twenty-four (18-20) minutes episodes over the next year. The first novel should be out by the end of the year or early 2007.
Currently we are doing the Star Walker Radio Episodes that can be heard on the internet every Saturday 9:30 Pacific Standard Time on www.kmlb.com on 'We Talk Back', with Wiley Ezell. In the radio episodes I am the voice of Eric Dane, the character that started it all. Star Walker is sure to excite Star Wars fans because of the great story lines written by Greg. There is already a very bad guy named Sandow 3, who makes Darth Vader look like a cup-cake. He is one bad dude you don't want to be caught alone with in a dark alley. Just ask Kengi Patel, the person he killed in the 3rd Radio Episode. You can listen to it and all the radio episodes on our website at www.thestarwalkers.com. Look for the click here to listen to the radio episodes link. You can also vote for your favorite Star Walker character in a contest we are having. If you want to hear Eric Dane, my character, more then vote for him (hint).

You are writing a book called Growing up on Skywalker Ranch. Can you tell us what this book in about and what the Star Wars references are?

Growing up on Skywalker Ranch will chronicle what it was like as a teenager to work with George Lucas and everyone at ILM, Skywalker Ranch, and so forth. It will contain a lot of info that no one has ever heard about the inner workings of Lucasfilm. The book starts out with my unique audition that landed me the lead role of Mace Towani all the way up to present day.
The book will also contain a series of photographs taken on the set behind the scenes and a part of my private collection. Some of the pictures are of the models used for Indiana Jones, E.T. Star Wars miniatures’ and much more. We plan also to release a Limited Edition Collectors DVD of The making of the Ewok movie shot by Warwick Davis and myself.
The book also will put to rest where the Ewok movies belong in the Star Wars timeline, I hope. What a lot of people do not realize is the timeline was change later to put the Ewok movies somewhere between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back. But while on the set we asked the producer Tom Smith when do the Ewok movies take place and his answer was 150 years after Return of the Jedi. He mentions Wicket is playing with toy stormtrooper wooden figures with Cindel. He said that is also why the Ewoks understand English a little bit. Some years later after a writer put Cindel Towani in an expanded universe novel and then suddenly the time line was changed by people who are responsible for trying to help make everything make sense, probably someone like Steve Sansweet.

You have done conventions, but lately it seems you don’t do a lot of them. It’s been quite some time since you have been to Europe for instance. Any specific reason for this?

No reason in particular. I have been busy working on a few projects so I have not had as much time to go to many conventions. I also do not do this for a living like a lot of convention regulars you see time and time again. They make their living on it and I do it to meet and greet the fans. Sometimes if a fan does not have money, I have been known to give them an autograph or two. I also donate most of the money to local charities in my area. I have personally witnessed some Star Wars regulars like the Chewbacca guy (editors note: Peter Mayhew), be rude to fans who want him to sign things and I do not like it. Fans are what make you a star and believe me there is a higher price to pay for that kind of attitude.

What do you make of the nature of Star Wars fandom? Here we are twenty-nine years later and the franchise is as popular as ever. Were you surprised that Star Wars fans want to meet you at conventions?

Absolutely. I was told that since Star Wars was a big deal and people would remember this Ewok movie for about a decade. Here we are twenty-two years later after even the Ewok movies and I am doing an interview on your website!

Regarding the fans I am truly humbled and it touches my heart that someone would care about Mace Towani or Eric Walker. I really enjoy listening to all the personal stories from all of my fans. It really touches my heart to know that maybe I helped them escape this world if only for a brief amount of time while they were engaged in watching Mace and Cindel try to save their parents. Many of them have shared with me how they would pretend they were Mace while they were playing with friends or other relatives and if I was able to help them by being a mentor or someone they wished they were like, I am thankful to have participated as a positive role model in their lives.

You have attended acting classes in the early eighties along with Sean Penn, Noah Hathaway, Corey Feldman and Barrett Oliver. Are you still in touch with them? How were they back then and did you guys dream about regarding acting back then?

I am not in touch with most of my classmates. None of the ones you mentioned here. I am in touch with Courtney Gains (Children of the Corn, Sweet Home Alabama) and Byron Thames (Star Trek: Enterprise, Johnny Dangerously).

As fellow working actors we always were there for one another. Every time one of us had a movie coming out we would all go out to see it together the night it came out. I remember when Courtney Gains was had a movie called Secret Admirer with C. Thomas Howell and we all went out in Hollywood to a movie theater to see it, when suddenly Crispin Clover gets off the bus at the same intersection. Courtney and Crispin were working on Back To The Future together at the time, so he just happen to see us and ended up joining us to watch Courtney’s new movie as well. So that is just one example of how actors support one another.

What would you regard as the highlight of your career so far, and what is the most important thing you have learned in the movie business?

At this moment it would have to be working with George Lucas and Lucasfilm. I learned a lot of about movie making from them. But all that is about to change with Star Walker as it will soon replace it. Still, I have to say George was a mentor if you will. He is responsible for my love of film making and editing in particular. If he and Tom Smith did not rent the camera equipment and let us go around the set filming I might not love the art of film making. My hope is that George gets back to just that, the art of film making. I feel he is surrounded by ‘yes’ people and if that is something he wants that is sad.

I have many things I would like to say to George and speak to him about which include wanting to work for him on a few projects. I plan on contacting him shortly in fact to tell him about my book and wanting to work for him again. Who knows, maybe he will be back in my future, but I doubt it. I have read so much about his vision with Francis Ford Coppola and see he has lost that vision. I am hopeful about his plans to go back to making movies that he wants to do and I wish him luck. I have also learned that Hollywood will get to you even if you’re George Lucas and you move so far away to escape it. All one has to do is watch the first three Star Wars movies followed by the second three. Then you will see Hollywood or the merchandising machine at its best.

The first three movies were made by filmmakers and the prequels were made by the toymakers. That is what I have learned about the movie business. There is nothing wrong with the toymakers as they have their own place. The problem is keeping them out of the film making process and that is something I fight to do. Let them make the toys after the movies are made. You will find that better movies will ensue.

Back to the main page

Mercedes Ngoh interview

2007-07-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

When in 1997 the Star Wars Special Editions were released, one of the new scenes starred Canadian Mercedes Ngoh. As Rystáll she had to entertain Jabba the Hutt as she was one of his dancers. Besides an actress, Mercedes also is a dancer and a singer-songwriter. In 2006 I had the following interview with her, that premieres on this site.

You've got an exotic name: Mercedes sounds Hispanic and Ngoh must be African. Can you tell us something about the origins of your name?

My mother is from Spain (Mercedes) and my father is from Cameroon, West Africa (Ngoh).

Your two colleague dancers in Return of the Jedi; Dalyn Chew and Celia Fushille-Burke, were from Smuin Ballets in San Francisco and got cast as dancers. How did you get cast for Return of the Jedi?

I auditioned for the role of Rystáll through my then modeling/acting agency and later that afternoon they called me back for a callback with the choreographer. After that they waited to approve everything with George and I was told I got booked the job a couple of days later.

Mercedes with Celia Fushille-Burke (Greeata) and Dalyn Chew (Lyn Me)
Was it difficult performing in Rystáll's large feet? They weren't exactly dancing shoes, were they?

They were tough to dance in at first, I kept tripping over myself but then as they day went on I got used to them. They were really big!

What was the amount of time it took getting suited up in costume and makeup?

Four hours, not a minute less.

How long did it take to learn the routine and lip-synching for the scene?

After we were taught the routine, I practiced on my own to the music in my living room quite a bit because I wanted it to be as spot on as possible but all together as a group we rehearsed I think a day or two.

How long did it take to film your scene?

Just the filming part? It took one day, one very long day.

In Return of the Jedi these additional scenes were created fourteen years after the movie was originally filmed. Did you see the "original" film back in 1983? And, was it weird seeing yourself added to these additional scenes?

I did see it back when I was little though I don’t remember it at the time because I was quite young. Yes, of course, it’s still weird seeing myself inserted into such an epic and classic film no matter how many times I watch it.

Mercedes without Rystálls makeup
Some fans love the Special Editions, others hate it. The Jabba's Palace dance scene has been one of the most discussed modifications. What would you tell people who hate the new scene? And do you think the movie has become better by modifying that scene?

Well I’d say that a filmmaker has the right to make a film be however he intended it to be. Whether it is done at the time it is being filmed or somewhere down the line when the funds and means are available to make it just the way he envisioned. It was a harmless, fun little addition anyway no? Besides, that’s life. Nothing stay the same forever.

You've done conventions and have met loads of fans. Which convention or city has given you the best memories regarding the fans you've met?

They have all been great!

At these conventions, you have signed items like photos and posters. What would be the craziest item you have ever signed?

I can’t remember the craziest item I ever signed but I can tell you the creepiest item I DIDN’T sign. It was a color drawing of my character, Rystall, naked, having very graphic sex with Lando Calrissian!! I wasn’t quit sure what to say. On the one hand I wanted to compliment his tremendous artistic talents but on the other hand I had to question his taste in subject matter. There was just no way I could sign it. It was a little too creepy!

Celia Fushille-Burke (Greeata), Dalyn Chew (Lyn Me), Mercedes, Femi Taylor (Oola)
The upcoming Star Wars TV-series takes place before Return of the Jedi. Suppose George Lucas would call you. Would you be interested in playing the role of Rystáll again?

Sure.

You're a musician, but you're mostly known for your role in Star Wars. Does that bother you? Wouldn't you like it to be the other way: being recognized everywhere because of your music?

It doesn’t bother me because it’s all part of my journey as an artist and I don’t need to compartmentalize one aspect from another. Singing, dancing, acting, sports, it’s what I’ve done my whole life and they all blend together for me. Remember my role as Rystall was a singer and dancer so it’s not too far off from reality. I’m in London right now working on some more music and when and if the time is right, I will be recognized for that as well. But I don’t begrudge being known as Rystall. It’s been nothing but a wonderful experience for me.

Do you have any plans to act again in the future? Or do you focus 100% on music these days?

These days it’s just music. I’m having a blast here in London and I’m hoping for a fall release of the latest stuff I’m working on over here. I hope all my Star Wars fans will support me when the project comes out. I’ll let everyone know once it’s ready.

Do you have anything you'd like to add that we may have missed regarding your Return of the Jedi filming and/or your "personal" life?

Personal life stays personal for me so there’s a lot you’ve missed actually!! Ha, ha.

What did you think of having your own action figure made from your character? Were you disappointed that it wasn't released by itself, but was part of a three pack of all three dancers?

Having an action figure is really such a special and unique thing not many can lay claim to. It would be in quite bad form to complain about such a trivial thing no?

Back to the main page

Tim Rose interview

2007-07-28T14:25:00.000-07:00

Tim Rose was one of the major puppeteers on Return of the Jedi and like many others gained experience from the legendary Jim Henson.
He portrayed three of the most memorable and popular Star Wars characters: Sy Snootles, Admiral Ackbar and Salacious B. Crumb.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Tim Rose twice: at the ScreenHeroes event in september 2005, and a year later, in 2006.
Below is the interview that originally premiered on Wattographs.com. I regard this interview as one of the best with some of my favorite trivia bits. Enjoy!

Left to right: Simon J. Williamson (Max Rebo), me, Tim Rose @ Collectors Fair Utrecht, the Netherlands, november 21st 2009.
How and when did you start puppeteering and eventually ended up with Jim Henson and Star Wars?

I discovered puppetry while I was attending University studying acting and directing. My first paid professional performance was for the student union. I had built a walk-around bag booth and performed The true story of Prince George and the Dragon. I was paid the princely sum of $15 for the show. If you don't believe me I still have the receipt I was given with my first check.
When I graduated I continued to perform my show at fairgrounds, shopping malls and in parks all across the north east of America. If you would like to know the story line of my show then watch the movie, Dragon Heart written by Ben Johnson. I got to talk to him when he came to Henson's to have a test Dragon built for the movie. Although he couldn't admit having seen my show for obvious financial reasons, he did admit that his parents had taken him as a child to some of the fairs I had performed my puppet show at. I was just happy he had liked it so much.
When I first started work at Jim Henson's I had to take a pay cut. I had been earning more money from people throwing money into my hat, but I wanted to learn how you become a millionaire doing puppets. My job was to design what would eventually be called animatronics for the Muppet movies.
Jim Henson and George Lucas were both very interested in what each other were doing. New things were being developed all the time and they had a friendly rivalry going. I was loaned by Hensons to Lucasfilm to do Return of the Jedi.

Tim Rose & Salacious B. Crumb
How did you get appointed to puppeteer Sy Snootles, Salacious Crumb and Admiral Ackbar?

I was already working in Phil Tippets workshop at ILM designing animatronics for the characters of Jedi. I knew that when pre-production was finished I would be going to England to perform Sy Snootles and Salacious Crumb. We were never given copies of the script for reasons of secrecy, so I had no idea who Admiral Ackbar was. I had done a lot of the design work for his close-up version and when I asked Phil who he was he said, "Oh, he's just another background character that appears later in the movie". So I asked if I could perform him, as I was familiar with his controls, and Phil said OK. It was as simple as that.

On the set of Return of the Jedi there was an incident involving you, Salacious Crumb, a loudspeaker and Harrison Ford. Can you tell us more about this?

No, I could get sued. The truth doesn't matter in lawsuits.
It was the day we were filming the scene where Harrison gets unfrozen from the carbon. It was very important to the film because up to this point no one knew if his character had lived or died. Tensions were running high on set that day. All the animatronic characters had been in full costume for over four hours already while the Director of Photography got the lighting just right. Finally it was time to "turn over" on the shot.
Poor Harrison, covered in goo, comes sliding out of the carbon block. Carrie comes running in and has to plant a big wet kiss on his slime covered face. The curtains open on Jabba and his court and we all scream out, "We saw you kissing, we saw you kissing." Cut.
Harrison being the professional that he is, went to the director and pointed out that our screaming would cause problems in the sound edit, and he was right.
So Richard Marquand came over to the tired sweating aliens and told us all to do "take two" the same as before, but do it without making a noise. We did the second take without making a sound. It was now time for Tea break, but all the aliens had to stay in place, as it would take too long to redress us. The sound man had gone for tea but had forgotten to turn off my microphone which was connected to a speaker out in the main acting area.
It was during the break that Mr. Marquand came over and sat next to Salacious Crumb. He liked talking to him although he very rarely would talk directly to me. He couldn't as I was buried under the set with my arm stuck up though a hole in the floor.
He asked Salacious what he thought of the last take and Salacious replied, "The take went well, but this Harrison guy, is he going to talk during our laugh? Because it's really putting me off." My words went booming out over the floor on the speaker and the whole crew began to laugh at the cheekiness of the puppet. Everyone that is except for Harrison, who left the set and refused to return until, "The Asshole who said that was fired off the production".
An A.D. came under the set to tell me that they were going to have to fire me. I pleaded with him to let me apologize, but he said Mr. Ford was furious and only my head would do. So, I asked who was going to do my puppet for the rest of the filming. He said, "Well you are, but if anyone asks you, you have to tell them that you are the new guy!"
On the call sheets for the rest of the filming it always said, ‘Salacious Crumb - The New Guy’.

Tim working with Admiral Ackbar
When puppeteering Salacious Crumb, you had to interact with Carrie Fisher.
How did she react to Salacious and you off-camera?

Well, let me start by saying that I was a young man at the time, about 25 years old. Carrie wasn't much older and with that costume she wore in Jabba's palace it wasn't hard to get the blood flowing. Now I am shy by nature, but Salacious definitely was not. I used to use the puppet to try and make her laugh during the long waits between shots. I'd sometimes do an imitation of Gomez and Morticia, out of the Addams Family TV show. Salacious would declare his undying love, while slowly nibbling his way up her thigh. Ah, fond memories........

Richard Marquand was your director on Return of the Jedi. What are your memories regarding working with him and George Lucas?

Richard was a very patient director. You had to be, with so many special effects to incorporate into each shot. He was from the "Old School" of British directors. They ran things like a military campaign. There was only one man in charge and his word was God. Not like today where the director has three producers and five accountants continually trying to knock him off the pedestal.
Richard had a wonderful dry sense of humor. When egos bloated or tempers flared, Richard would have a comment to slice though the problem and get us all marching in the same direction again.
George Lucas is a very quiet man. You have to strain just to hear what he is saying to you sometimes. He came from the world of the editing suite where there aren't many people around for days on end. You always felt as if he found it painful to be out in public. Having said that, he didn't need to make much noise. By the time we were doing Jedi, his reputation came into the room ahead of him. You always knew when George was on set even if you hadn't seen him yet. There was a subtle shift in the vibe on the floor. He ran the production like an editor would. He took ideas and suggestions from everybody and then used his editors’ eye to know which bits to keep and which bits to throw on the floor.

There were a lot of puppeteers involved with Return of the Jedi, especially regarding the Jabba's Palace scenes.

Yes, we had a combination of puppeteers and mine artists. People who were interested in physical movement. Most of us had already worked together on Jim Henson's film, The Dark Crystal so it was more like a class reunion.

Billy 'Lando Calrissian' Dee Williams and Salacious B. Crumb presenting the documentary Classic Creatures
How did actors like Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill and Anthony Daniels react to all of you?

Harrison stayed in his own space most of the time.
Carrie loved to flirt, and liked hanging out with the crew.
Mark used to do his own stop action figures, so he was very interested in seeing and "playing" with all the animatronic characters.
Anthony Daniels was always locked in his costume which made interaction difficult. But I think he prefers things that way.

And how were they on the set? Were they seen as 'big stars' by you?

There is always an excitement about meeting the ‘big stars’ for the first time. But that quickly wears off, and they become one of the guys. I think that is why they put themselves though the film making process over and over. It's not the money, though that helps. It's the only place left where they are treated like normal people, and they crave what they have lost more than anything else.

In the Classic Creatures documentary we see you puppeteer Salacious Crumb and Admiral Ackbar. We can even see you acting out scenes in which your voice is being used.
For the movie, they used the voices of Mark Dodson (Salacious Crumb) and Erik Bauersfeld (Admiral Ackbar).
How do you feel about the fact your voice wasn't used?

When I was performing the characters I was stuck inside a foam head or stuffed under a set so the quality of the sound was never good enough to be used in the final edit. I always knew they would have to be overdubbed, and that they weren't going to pay for me to fly back all the way from England to do a couple of hours work.
Having worked for Muppets I was used to having up to six people working together to create one character. I love watching a crew work seamlessly to bring an inanimate object to life. It is the character that is important, not my ego. Besides, I was only 25, try my best I would not have the gravel in my voice that an older man would have for Ackbars performance.

Sy Snootles with Tim Rose on the left
You did 3 characters in Star Wars: Sy Snootles, Salacious Crumb and Admiral Ackbar. I'd like to hear from you: which one was the hardest to do?

Sy Snootles was the hardest to do. I designed her as a reverse string marionette which I operated with Mike Quinn. Instead of hanging the figure on strings and pulling her off the ground, the weight was supported on elastic from above and then pulled down so you could get a much more solid positive movement than a classic marionette would give. When Mike and I got the timing just right she was magical, when we didn't she would fly out of control and loose all sense of life.
They never gave us enough takes to get it right when the pressure was on, and so she was the first of my characters to be replaced by CG. If anyone has a copy that still has the original performance on it I would love to have a copy as I never bought one at the time. After all I had already seen the movie!

Which one did you love to do the most when the movie was filmed?

Oh come on, a young man with his own spaceship and crew after growing up watching Star Wars in the cinema? You have a guess.

And which one is your favorite now, 23 years later.

Thank you for reminding me about the 23 years. Salacious Crumb is my alter ego. He was getting me in trouble back then and he still sneaks out when I'm not looking to get me in trouble now.

Tim Rose as Tik Tok in Return to Oz
Return to Oz, in which you designed and puppeteered Tik-Tok, was intended to be a huge blockbuster, but the studio wasn't that co-operative. They even tried to get rid of director Walter Murch, but he decided to make a call, which eventually led to three legendary directors visiting the set. Can you tell us about this event and how you experienced all this?

I can tell from the question you know the answer already, but a good story is always worth telling again.
(Editors note: Tim told me this story back in 2005)
Three weeks before the start of shooting the Disney Corp got cold feet and cut the budget in half. We were now in a mad scramble to save what would have been a fantastic film. Walter was working 24/7 to rewrite the script to fit the new budget. Everyone else was working 24/7 to design and build sets that had always been location shoots up to that point.
We started filming on which ever set had been built, totally out of sequence with the script, which makes continuity a nightmare. Well, what a surprise? The shoot went behind schedule.
Disney decided in their wisdom, that Walter, who had written the script and spent ten years trying to get his project off the ground was the reason that the project was behind schedule. It had to be him, "PRODUCERS ARE NEVER WRONG", or so they insist that we believe if we want to work.
But you can't just fire a director, you have to undermine him and drive him insane so you can prove incompetence.
Walter was told that he would only be allowed to continue if he could find a co-director that Disney could approve. They sat back and rubbed their hands together. They had him now, anyone he put up they would shoot down, and then bring in one of their old faithful directors who never made anything anyone can remember, but boy were they good at sticking to a schedule.
Walter was well respected in the business for his editing, and had studied at UCLA with a few other people who were changing things in Hollywood as well. So he called his old college buddies for help. They happened to be Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, and George Lucas. They were all involved in their own projects at the time, but agreed to come over and see what they could do about the situation.
So we ended up with all three directors sitting on the side of the set while we were filming the Gump’s escape scene from Mombi's tower. They hadn't all been together since school and they were like kids again.
Comments like, "Jesus Christ Walter, are you really going to turn over on that setup? Maybe Disney was right after all!!” Followed by raucous laughter was the level that things tended to stay at.
After a week they all met with the Disney producers and handed in their verdict which went something like this.
As far as they could see the root of the problem lay not in the director’s incompetence, but in the fact that he was spending so much time trying to protect him from the Disney producers he had no time left to do the job they had hired him to do in the first place. So they backed off leaving one producer on set just to keep an eye on things. He turned out to be a very good trumpet player, and thought he knew the secret of how to turn film to gold. He had a couple of films out at the time that were grossing well at the box office.
I haven't heard his name around in a long time now, but Walter is still very much in demand.

Operating Ackbar
The 70's and especially the 80's were the glory days of puppeteering.
Since CGI has made its entrance the art of puppeteering is disappearing. What is your view on this and why would puppeteering be better than CGI according to you?

CGI has begun to use puppeteers in motion capture suits to help get a more realistic movement to the characters but the big problem remains. As with stop action animation from so long ago, they can not interact directly with the environment they are meant to be in.
As animatronics evolved the characters were getting more and more complex. All the controls had to be hidden as the shots were all "in camera". The figures were beginning to loose their life under the weight of their own mechanics.
With the advent of computers it is now very easy to hide the way an animatronic character is done so they could be made much cheaper than CGI and have better interaction on set. They could be, but producers are too busy trying to out do each other and have the "next big thing" in their movies to ever see the simple truth.

What do you regard as your best puppet-performance ever? And why?

I am very proud of my work on Howard the Duck. Although Tad Chenovski and I were only brought in three weeks before the start of filming to "fix things," and it was too late to do anything about the horrendous design of the duck, the amount of movement that we got out of the animatronics was very good.
Here was an animatronic character that was operating in the real world and staring in the movie. You must remember this was before Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or the other big Animatronic films that were to follow.

You have done a lot of conventions over the years. What is the biggest kick you get meeting the fans?

Well actually I don't do many conventions at all. I only started going to them about six years ago, and then only when I feel like a little mini break from the day job.
I was worried that the fans were going to be a bit weird. But I have met so many lovely people who have helped to restore my faith in humanity. The husband with a long suffering wife at his side as he collects autographs, the couples who first met because of their mutual interest in Star Wars, and the young Jedi so nervous to meet a ‘Star’. The world is full of really beautiful people, don't believe everything you see in the news.

And what is the nicest thing a fan has ever done for you?

The prides of my Star Wars collection are two action figures that were made for me by fans. One is me with Salacious Crumb on my arm and the other is Admiral Ackbar with his head under his arm and my head on the figure as if I had just come out of costume. They took a lot of time to do and I am not worthy.

What is your general feeling towards signing photos and memorabilia?
I have never enjoyed being treated like a star, I much prefer just to be one of the boys, but when I hand back the signed photo or action figure the person looks genuinely happy and if I helped them to feel that way then I did something good.

And what is the craziest/weirdest item you have ever signed?

At Celebration III in Indianapolis, a very drunk young lady came up to me in the hotel bar and insisted I sign her ..........! Well, enough said.

Chicken scratches: Tim telling me I must run.
You are one of the few Star Wars autograph guests who "prints" your name, instead of a cursive signature. Is there a reason for this?

There are two reasons. The first is I am left handed and my cursive writing is like chicken scratches. The second is, I hate when people show me a photo they have paid for and it is impossible to tell who signed it.

Back to the main page

Richard Bonehill interview

2007-07-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

Richard Bonehill is a 'Star Wars man-of-many-faces'; he played in both Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi MANY roles.
A selection: Stormtrooper, Snowtrooper, Rebel Soldier, Taun Taun handler, Mon Calamari, Ree Yees, Mosep, X-Wing Pilot, Tie Fighter Pilot...
Besides Star Wars, his big claim to fame is the fact that he is a sword master and international fencer. Thanks to this he has worked on many more movies like Highlander, the Avengers, the Count of Monte Cristo and Rob Roy...
On March 29, 2006, I had this interview with him...

Richard Bonehill as Stormtrooper (left) and Ree-Yees (right)
Mr. Bonehill, in both Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi you played various characters; Stormtroopers, rebels, aliens....if you could pick one favorite character, which one would it be? And why?

This is an easy one to answer. At the time my favorite part was that of a Rebel Soldier, purely because it was the most comfortable costume to wear. The masked aliens such as Ree-Yees were the most uncomfortable. Over the years I have become very attached and proud to have been a snowtrooper and stormtrooper. The stormtrooper really has become an iconic symbol of the Empire so I would pick him as my favorite character.

What would you regard as your best memory from the two Star Wars movies you played in. Is there a special moment you'll cherish forever? And what was the funniest thing that ever happened on the set?

One of the things I remember most was the terrible vision in the stormtrooper costumes. The eyes were made of a badly formed misty green plastic. It was like trying to see underwater, only vague shapes were visible. The helmets also tended to move round on the head when you moved this led to many hilarious situations with stormtroopers staggering all over the place. I remember one particular scene in the ice tunnels in Empire Strikes Back where there were about a dozen of us with Darth Vader. We were lined up in a column of two’s. Two were in front of Vader and the rest of us behind him. We were facing an ice wall which was going to explode and we were all to emerge into another ice tunnel. It took all morning to set up the explosion and when it came to the ‘take’ it was a complete disaster. The explosion went off and was so enormous and created a fog of polystyrene that no-one could see anything .Now blind and deaf the first two stormtroopers made it through the explosion and promptly fell flat on their faces. Darth Vader then attempted to make his entrance only to find that the two troopers behind him were standing on his cloak. He gave it an enormous tug and the cape tore away leaving him to appear without half his costumes. The rest of us then piled past him, fell over the first two storm troopers and hit the deck. I was one of the lucky ones who actually made it past the pile of bodies to stagger down the corridor only to find that my helmet was now on back to front! Now completely blind with great style I collided with the wall and fell flat on my back! As you can imagine it was a scene of complete chaos and much hilarity. We did not re-shoot the scene on the same day so I do not know if it was ever included in the film , but somewhere there must exist a wonderful out-take.
Probably my biggest claim to fame on the Star Wars films is that I was the only extra whose autograph was requested by one of the principles. When some of the ‘regular’ crew of extras were working on the film we got quite friendly with the leading actors. At that time they was a special anniversary edition of The Eagle comic. I had been doing some photo -story shoots and I appeared in a story in this anniversary edition. What I did not know was that Mark Hamill was a great Eagle collector. He recognized me in the comic and was mightily impressed! So in front of all the crew he asked me to sign his copy of the comic!! Isn’t life bizarre !!!
Another rather strange story I remember is that one day four of us stormtroopers we asked to do a stills photoshoot with Darth Vader. We were asked by the second assistant director to make a mess of it, dropping our guns, helmets etc. and try and make it last for at least three hours. This did seem very strange at the time but as it meant extra money we did our best to make fools of ourselves! We found out later that the object of the exercise was to keep Dave Prowse away from the shooting stage where the main unit was filming the scene where is helmet was removed to reveal a different actor as Darth Vader !

Richard as Snowtrooper and Rebel soldier
You're a sword master and member of the British Fencing Association. In both Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi , Bob Anderson did the swordfights. Why didn't George Lucas use you to stand in for Mark Hamill and/or Dave Prowse during the lightsaber fights?

At the time of filming Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi I was a top class fencer but was just at the start of my film career. To become a sword master takes many years of film experience. Modern sports fencing is 'light years' (if you forgive the pun) away from stage and film fights. Completely different techniques are required as well as a knowledge of camera angles and techniques. Now when I work on a production I work closely with the actors, director, cinematographer, costume designer, production designer etc. etc. To give you the short answer I would have been completely under qualified for the job. It would have been like asking a normal driver to drive in a Formula 1 race.

Of all the movies and series you have worked on, which are you most proud of? And why?

The next one. As I hope the fights will look more dangerous and exciting then I have designed previously. I am attending the BAFTA premiere of Sharpe's Challenge next weekend and I will be very interested to see how it looks.

Richard Bonehill as Ree-Yees
Besides working on movies, you have done some conventions over the years. What is your most memorable experience regarding conventions? And what is your opinion on conventions?

I was astonished on attending my first convention at the enthusiasm and depth of knowledge of the people attending the event. In fact after appearing at my first convention I did do a lot more 'home work' so that I could answer questions more intelligently. I love to travel so I enjoy attending conventions but obviously given the choice I would rather be working on a new production. However attending events I have made many new friends and I am very pleased and surprised that films I worked on twenty-five years ago are still such highly regarded.

Back to the main page

Tim Dry interview

2007-07-28T08:31:00.000-07:00

Tim Dry was born deep in the heart of suburbia in the fifties. After dropping out of a Graphic Design course at Art School, he ended up as a hippie living in Brighton in the early 1970's.
He moved up to London in the hazy summer of 1976 to study Mime and Physical Theatre with Desmond Jones, and Lindsay Kemp (tutor to David Bowie and Kate Bush).
In 1980 Tim formed a rock/mime/burlesque/music troupe named Shock. They traveled the world, made some records, got a lot of press and found themselves in the vanguard of the New Romantic cult of the early eighties, alongside Boy George, Duran Duran, Adam Ant and Spandau Ballet.
Tim then created a robotic mime and music duo called Tik & Tok with Sean Crawford (also a member of Shock). They toured with Gary Numan on his UK "Warriors" tour in '83, worked with Vangelis, were supported by a fledgling Depeche Mode, got a lot more press coverage and released five singles and a well received album. They appeared on innumerable TV shows (including The Royal Variety Show 1983) and had a featured role in the third Star Wars movie Return of the Jedi.
I had the honor of having this interview (the weirdest I ever had) with him in 2006.

Tim Dry; Whiphid (left) and Tik and Tok (right)
Back in 1985 they made a toy of Yak-Face (Sean's character). It became one of the rarest Star Wars figures.
It took almost 20 years before they made a toy of Whiphid, your character. Did this feel as some sort of relief to you?

No, not really. The best things are always worth waiting for, Ha ha! I've always been a little bit older than Sean so I let the youngster strut his stuff before I made my grand entrance!
To be honest, back in 1982 neither of us ever imagined that there would be toys of our characters or indeed of any of the characters from the movies.
So they are a bonus.
Did you know that Whiphid went on to make some rather dubious porno movies in Belgium in the late 1980's after he escaped from Jabba's sail barge?
No, most people don't know about that other career of his.
These days he's shaved off all that fur, had some serious dental work done and is now an IT consultant in Luxembourg. Strange journey huh!

The Whiphid action figure
In the eighties you worked with some heroes of mine, the likes of Duran Duran, Gary Numan and Depeche Mode.
Of all artists: who is the best you have ever worked with? And if you could name one artist you want to work with, who would it be?

For us as Tik and Tok it's definitely Gary Numan. He played and sang on one track of our 1984 album Intolerance and actually donated a backing track of a beautiful song he'd written called 'A child with the ghost' for us to use on the same record. Plus he gave us the support slot on his seven week UK Warriors tour in '83. Now that is generous!
Duran Duran were friends at the time too. We supported them at some shows and made a memorable appearance at Nick Rhodes' wedding.
But to be honest, the naked but magnificently formed duo juggling feral cats wearing latex was never going to be a big earner for us, so we dropped that particular part of our act after our moment of glory at the Savoy hotel in London.
Who would we like to work with? Hmm... anybody who pays us enough?
If he was still with us I'd say that Salvador Dali would appreciate our surreal qualities. Bowie of course, but I don't think that he can afford us now!
For Tik and Tok it's about finding the joy and the humor in any situation.

Suppose you could do the soundtrack for Star Wars.... 80s (electro/new-wave/or something else) style! Which songs from which artists would you include in the movie, and why (and for which scenes? The opening credits for example would be....?)

‘Shaddap You Face’ by Joe Dolce over the opening credits as the ships pass over head. This would segue into 'Flashdance' with C-3PO strutting his stuff on a dance floor lined with mirrors. Cool, retro and edgy! Luke Skywalker, troubled but full of imminent adventure, gazes out over the desert skies of Tatooine as Belinda Carlisle sings 'Circles In The Sand'. Are you with me?
An Alec Guinness clone makes his first appearance to ‘I'm Too Sexy’ by Right Said Fred.
Darth Vader strides into view as the soundtrack plays 'Favorite Shirts' by Haircut 100. Oh, it's gonna be big! Think Priscilla Queen Of The Desert in outta space!

Actually, I'd go for Sakamoto, Vangelis, DAF, early Cabaret Voltaire, Yello, Tik and Tok, early Human League, William Orbit, Craig Armstrong, Goldfrapp and Nine Inch Nails for a truly cutting edge soundtrack to a new movie.

Sean Craford and Tim Dry: Tik and Tok
Looking back at Return of the Jedi, did you really like the movie? Which Star Wars movie is your favorite? (and why?)

It sucked! BIG TIME! NO, I am joking. Episodes IV, V and VI back to back would be enough. The saga is complete. You don't need CGI to tell a story. We like a journey, characters that evolve, who find their power and fight back against adversity. Characters that you can identify with. Return of the Jedi, for example has those qualities in spades.

The cult-band Devo made a song called 'Whip it'. Your character is called 'Whipid'! A coincidence?
Do you think that the one that gave Whipid his name was a Devo fan?

Oh honestly! The guys who wrote 'Whip It' must have e-mailed me a 1000 times begging for my permission to use my character's name as the title of one of their songs. And that was before the invention of the Internet.
All I used to say was: "If you're gonna Whiphid, Whiphid good!".
They agreed and all was happy ever after.

You have just released a new EP, together with Sean. Will you ever get back to acting in movies? (would you consider a role in the upcoming Star Wars TV-series?) Or will music remain your main focus?

We are shameless Tarts and we will go where anyone points us. Our motto is: "Never say Never”. If somebody were to offer us something that was cinematically suitable and rewarding we would be more than happy to go for it. We've been offered the lead roles in The Ronnie and Reggie Dome Story by 20th Century Fux but we're not quite sure if we're ready to commit to a major movie right now. As Tik & Tok our primary concern at the moment is the marketing of our CD EP Slightly Deranged.
And after that will come the release of our new album Deranged. So I guess that the answer is “Yes” to music being our main focus.
At the moment.......

Back to the main page

Sean Crawford interview

2007-07-28T08:11:00.000-07:00

Sean Crawford was born in 1958 in England, where he studied mime in London and Paris in the late seventies, creating his own style of abstract technical mime movement. His first success came with 'Plastic Jo' a robotic movement, which became an eighties dance craze. He then teamed up with Tim Dry to become performance artists known as ‘Tik and Tok’ .
They went on to produce live stage shows and music…and played roles in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi; Sean as Yak face, Tim as Whiphid.
Below is the interview I had with Sean in 2006.

Sean Craford; Yak Face (left) and Tik and Tok (right)
How did you get cast for Return of the Jedi (being heavily involved in the New Romantics-scene back in the early eighties)?

We (Tik and Tok (Sean & his colleague Tim Dry, who played Whiphid in Star Wars)) were well known in the UK as mime artists in the eighties. Lucasfilm was looking for mimes that had had experience of performing in prosthetics.
The actual character's heads where already created so it was a matter of your size got you the characters.

Back in 1985 they made a toy of Yak Face. It became one of the rarest Star Wars figures.
It took almost twenty years before they made a toy of Whiphid, Tim's character. Sean, does this make you feel superior to Tim in any way?

It was so rare it took me twenty years to see an original 1985 Yak Face figure.
I can't take any credit for the passion collectors get to acquire one. But I do see the pleasure it gives to them when they show me their original mint Yak Face. I do have a used and abused one for myself now and I treasure it.

But in answer to your question there has never been any competition between Tim and myself although I was thrilled that Yakface was a famous collector's figure.
I wasn't smug and when the Whiphid made a showing, I was very delighted for Tim.

The notorious action figure
In the eighties you worked with some heroes of mine, the likes of Duran Duran, Gary Numan and Depeche Mode.
Why is (in your opinion) the New Romantics-scene 'dead' nowadays and are the music charts dictated by less superior bands than back then?
Oh, don't tell me that the fashion just got out of style.

Wow that's a big question and it would take a book to cover.
My views are based on the UK scene. I think the economical environment changed people's attitude, which was reflected in the music.
In the early eighties there was wealth and prosperity which was reflected in the entertainment being glamorous, uplifting and experimental.

Then came the economic depression, a reality check and a feeling of anger with attitude.
Enter the dark days of rap and hip-hop. (It was at this point Tik and Tok took a long lunch break).
There is a New Romantic-scene today but it is under the genre Electronica.

Tim Dry and Sean Crawford: Tik and Tok
Suppose you could do the soundtrack from Star Wars.... eighties style!
Which songs from which artists would you include in the movie, and why (and for which scenes? The opening credits for example would be....?)

Ahh no songs please! It's not a West End or Broadway show. Visual music by Giorgio Moroder or Ryuichi Sakamoto would have been interesting.
I would have like to have thought we could have added another dimension to the bar scene music.

What's the best memory you have of being in Return of the Jedi?
And what's the craziest thing that ever happened to you at a Star Wars convention?

There were long hours of waiting (which goes with the job) which we took advantage of on the third day of filming.
We had a truck deliver our music instruments and converted our dressing room into a recording studio and that passed a lot of the time.
Then there was what any young twenty-four year old would do: smuggling in groupies for shag parties.

Unfortunately I can't say anything crazy has happened at a convention but some of the party's have been fun.
At Celebration III Steve Sansweet had a party in his hotel suite which about a thousand people turned up to. In Tokyo we had the most bizarre Abbey Experience that I can not put into words.
At NewStarcon we had a party in our suite and which Ronnie and Reggie Dome took over.

Does your new Slightly Deranged EP have any Star Wars connections?

Yes, a lot. Tim and I have a great deal to thank the Star Wars conventions for because it brought us back to together to create more music after twenty years. On the EP there is a track called 'Bad Girl' which was written after a convention in Germany. It is very Euro Electronica.
(Click HERE to listen to a sample.)

Back to the main page

Kiran Shah interview

2007-07-27T07:50:00.002-07:00

To many people, the name Kiran Shah doesn't sound familiar.
In a way, this is strange, because he played in blockbusters like Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, the Dark Crystal, Aliens, Legend, Titanic, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Raiders of the Lost Ark...the list goes on and on...
Needless to say, this means he has worked with legendary directors and world famous actors like Harrison Ford, Tom Cruise...
There aren't many people in this world who can say the same!
Kiran was born in Kenya, Africa, back in 1958. When he moved to India when he was twelve, he decided to get involved in movies.
While studying in London he auditioned for a theatre and this was the beginning of a great career...
I had the following interview with Kiran in 2006.

Kiran Shah and me
Kiran, you have worked with legendary directors like Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Ridley Scott, Peter Jackson, Jim Henson, James Cameron, Mel Gibson…quite a list! Of all these people who is your personal favorite? And what is your best memory regarding working with these people?

In their own way they are all different, they all have different ideas and out look to what they do and the way they approach their subject. I think I am so lucky that I have worked with such directors, also that I have so many memories.

In movies like Star Wars and The Dark Crystal, you played characters wearing a mask. In Chronicles of Narnia and Raiders of the Lost Ark, you played human characters without a mask. What do you prefer? A mask or no mask, and has it any influence on how you act?

I prefer both with and without mask. An actor is always working with a mask otherwise he is not an actor but himself. To work with a mask means you already have a character, but one has still got to understand about body language and body movement. To work without a mask an actor has to create a mask inside his head and find a characteristic of the character, which will be within his mind while he is playing that character and this will help him to create some sort of body language and body movement for the character. This body language sells the character to his audience.
In films like Star Wars and The Dark Crystal the characters are already created with the exterior look but in Raiders Of the Lost Ark I had to create Abu with a certain, simple personality and I had to do the same with Ginarrbrik in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. I had to base him on a part of my life, in my school days. I went into the past where I used to get bullied and then how I found protection. Ginarrbrik was also bullied from both sides and he found protection from the bad side and he became savage and evil he also worked his way to the top along side the White Witch.

Some of Kirans characters: Jen (The Dark Crystal), Ginarrbrik (The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe), Frodo (sizedoubling for Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings)
Which movie are you most proud of? If you had to name a movie that you want to be remembered for, which one would it be?

I am proud of these three movies which are Legend, The Lord of the Rings and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. You will notice that they all are fantasy movies as they are an excellent escape from reality.
This is a difficult question to answer. I think I need to do a few more movies where I can explore characters in depth and then I will be able to answer this question.

Of all the characters that you have played during your career, which one is your favorite?

To tell you the truth the favorite character that I have played has to be Ginarrbrik.

In Return of the Jedi, you were one of the Ewoks. Could you share your memories about the scenes you were in?

I played a few different stunt Ewoks. Whenever you see a Ewok swinging, falling, tripping over and getting hit it was one of the stunt Ewoks. There were other stunt Ewoks with me.

In The Dark Crystal, you played the role of Jen. There were only a few actors in this movie, as it was a puppet-movie; almost everyone was a puppeteer, like Jim Henson and Frank Oz.
Was it weird to act in this movie next to all these puppets?

They were all puppet characters. We were training for six months and filmed for six months. In the beginning it was funny to see people talking to puppets. Yet, there was a puppeteer who was covered up with his puppet. You can only see the puppet and it was always moving in a way just like a human and one soon forgets that it is a puppet; you end up talking to a puppet and it would answer back.

You were in two Indiana Jones movies: Raiders of the Lost Ark and Temple of Doom; in which you did the stunts for Jonathan Quan (Short Round).
What was the most dangerous stunt you had to do?

Yes, I remember stunt doubling Jonathan Quan when he was just a boy. It was a pleasure to double him and one stunt I remember doing was not dangerous but difficult to do. I had to climb a cave wall in the studio. The walls were made to be wet so it was slippery and on top of that it was cold so to grip the holds was difficult as I kept slipping but still managed to climb up. Even with safety equipment it was still difficult.

Back to the main page

Billy Dee Williams interview

2007-07-27T07:50:00.001-07:00

On September 23, 2005, I had an interview with Billy Dee Williams in the Netherlands.
Since I am a Star Wars fan since 1983, it was a great honor to interview the actor that played 'Lando Calrissian' in the Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Besides Star Wars, Mr.Williams has done loads of other things as you will find out when you read the interview...

Billy Dee Williams and me
Mr. Williams, in the first two Batman movies directed by Tim Burton you played the role of Harvey Dent, mayor of Gotham, who in the third movie, directed by Joel Schumacher, becomes 'Two-Face'; a bad guy.
When they made the third movie, they suddenly got Tommy Lee Jones to play this role. How did you feel about this?

It was OK. Tommy Lee Jones is a great actor, and it was a different regime then. When I took on the role I was looking forward to play Two-Face, but it didn't work out.

Did they ever tell you that you were going to play Two-Face in a sequel when you signed the contract?

The contract I signed was to play Harvey Dent, it wasn't a two or three picture situation. With Star Wars, I signed for two pictures. I think that at that stage, after the first Batman, some Japanese, Sony or something like that bought out the contract. I can't really recall it.
In comparison to the recent Batman (Batman Begins), the one I was in was better than all the others. However, I still have to see Batman Begins. The others got too much involved with technology and special effects.

Two-Face indeed: Billy Dee Williams and Tommy Lee Jones
The first two were directed by Tim Burton, how was it to work with such a visionary?

He really captured the darkness of the Batman saga. He's very good at that, creating darkness in his movies.

In 1972 you played in Lady Sings the Blues, alongside Diana Ross, a movie about the life of Billie Holiday. Your character, Louis McKay is very similar to your Star Wars character Lando Calrissian. Do you think George Lucas offered you the role of Lando because of this movie?

Before Star Wars I did a whole bunch of movies, I gained the reputation of being a charming, roguish individual. So, I can imagine he took that into consideration. I was pretty popular back then. Nobody had ever seen someone like me before. (grins)

Besides acting you also paint. What would describe you the best: An actor that paints, or a painter that acts?

Probably both.

Have you got a favorite painter?

I've had a pretty extensive education on the history of art. I have some periods that I really like. I love the Mexican murals, Diego Rivera, Orozco, Siqueiros. Some American painters...and some Europeans. Some of them from your country; the Netherlands, like Vermeer.

You probably know that there are plans for a Star Wars TV-series. Any possibility you will have a part?

I don't think so. When you have established a character like Lando Calrissian... If George (Lucas) would contact me I wouldn't say no, but it seems to me that Lando has become such an icon that it wouldn't be good to do it. He established himself in such a powerful way. I don't know, Lando is an old man now. (laughs)

Maybe a role as Lando's uncle?

(Laughs) No, just Lando!

In 2002, Sidney Poitier, who was your teacher, got an honorary Oscar. This stirred a lot of emotion, since it was seen as recognition for his work as an afro-American actor, and maybe all afro-American actors. How did you feel about this?

I don't want to think in terms of black actors. I don't look at myself as a white, black or green actor. I see myself as a full spectrum of colors. Sidney just really deserved it for all his work.

But the recognition took so long.

Yeah, but he did get an Oscar in the 60's when he did Lilies of the Field. Black actors are getting recognition now.

And Oscars. Denzel Washington and Halle Berry got one. And Sam Jackson is also great.

Exactly.

Staying with the Poitier family; you have a role in the upcoming movie Hood of Horror in which you play alongside Snoop Dogg and Sidney's daughter.
Can you tell something about this project?

A friend of mine asked me if I wanted to participate and I said “sure!” I did my scenes in one day but I didn't work with Snoop Dogg. The part is just a cameo.

Any other projects?

I did a movie called Constellation which is doing festivals. I worked with a young filmmaker with whom I also did the movie the Visit. For the rest, I'm busy with my paintings. I just showed some in South Carolina in a gallery. If I find things that really interest me I do them.

Billy Dee Williams and Harrison Ford (as Han Solo)
In Return of the Jedi, you promised Harrison Ford's character Han Solo to return the spaceship the Millennium Falcon 'without a scratch'. However, you damaged the Falcon during the Death Star attack.....

Did I say this to him? I always said that it was my ship!

Well, you did.

You know more about this than I do. (laughs)
I don't remember that.

So, I guess you haven't seen the movie that many times then?

I've seen it a couple of times. But not in the last couple of years...I saw the last one (editors note: Revenge of the Sith), which I enjoyed, I always look forward to see what he (George Lucas) has been doing.

Of course you like the old trilogy the most.

(Laughs) I think the general consensus is that the first three were the best. With the prequels he was gearing more towards a younger audience, a new generation of people. People of your age.

Well, I'm from the first generation; actually saw Return of the Jedi at the cinema back in 1983.

Ok, good, so you also liked the old ones the best.

Definitely!

I think most people like the first ones the best. I think there was a lot more humanity, more human elements, more character. The new ones are more about technology.
Human elements don't seem to be important nowadays.

Back to the main page

Toby Philpott interview

2007-07-27T07:49:00.001-07:00

"Bo Shuda!" My following interview with puppeteer Toby Philpott is one of my favorites. Not only did he operate Jabba the Hutt with a team of puppeteers, he also worked on the Jim Henson classics the Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.
The following interview is published for the first time in english after originally being translated in dutch for a Star Wars website. Enjoy.

What got you into puppeteering? Was it a movie, an experience or something else?

Well, my father did puppets, and also taught hundreds or thousands of people how to make and operate puppets - for entertainment, educational or therapeutic uses - so I got to play with different kinds of puppets as a child, and considered it fairly normal for adults to ‘play with dolls’. I also saw all kinds of delightful puppet performances (not just the usual kids’ shows) by grand masters from different countries – Balinese rod puppets – done with shadows), French marionettes, Russian hand puppets, etc. In the UK puppets did not have the respectful attention that they have in many other cultures – and most people only knew Punch & Judy. I didn’t take up the family business - (unlike David Barclay, who both builds and operates puppets, like his parents) - but went into circus skills and theatre.

When traveling in Mexico, and beginning to make my living from juggling and magic, I made a sock puppet of a snake with which I could improvise with the kids. In the seventies I mostly got into circus skills, but with a small troupe called Abrakadabra I still found myself doing some puppet and mask work.

After my dad died I got a bit down about clowning for a living, and went to retrain on a mime course. While taking that course I heard about the call for The Dark Crystal (‘mimes, dancers and acrobats wanted to operate large creatures’) and went for the job. Even my dad (who generally didn’t like television puppets) thought Jim Henson a genius, so it seemed a fitting move to make in his memory.

After spending most of a year on The Dark Crystal, (excellent training) I got called in to help with Jabba in Return of the Jedi.

Toby and John Coppinger (Jabba the Hutt's sculptor)
What are you doing these days? Can you tell us something about your current and future projects?

Phew, well, I don’t currently work in show business. After thirty-three years as a freelance performer and teacher, I moved out of London and took a job with the local library in Cardiff (where I now live). After learning the basics, I moved into the computer department, and now help administer staff computers in a network of nineteen buildings, and all the public internet access. This has led to my creating a website, and the web made me aware of the Star Wars convention circuit, so I can sometimes be seen meeting the fans at those sorts of events. I also hold a position as member of the board of NoFit State Circus (who I helped start up, and later performed with) who have moved into the international market, and tour with a large company of performers. I also help run the blog and quarterly online magazine for the Maybe Logic Academy, an online study group.

How did you get approached for Return of the Jedi?

Funnily enough, many of the performers on The Dark Crystal knew the rumors about ‘the third Star Wars movie’ before I did (as it would follow us into production at Elstree Studios in London) and had set out to get jobs on it. I felt completely new to the film business and I had no idea how to go about that - so imagine my surprise when I got called into the office, and offered Jabba! For a while I thought I must have shown great talent (!) but it turned out they had offered the Chief Puppeteer role to Dave Barclay, and he had picked me as his co-pilot, but the weird politics of film meant I didn’t find this out until years later. For a while they asked me who I would like to have as a partner, and I offered them various puppeteers and mimes I knew (not just from The Dark Crystal), all of whom got a job (Franki Anderson, Andy Cunningham, Richard Robinson, etc) – I think Return of the Jedi had most of the fringe theatre of London involved. (!)

I haven't heard of Richard Robinson. What did he do in Return of the Jedi?

Richard both built and operated puppets for a living. I guess this is still him, building puppets for The Wright Stuff. I remember he played Bungle on children’s television, and later worked on the savage satirical TV puppet show Spitting Image. I don’t know exactly who they gave him to do in Return of the Jedi …a Calamari, maybe?

Toby working inside Jabba the Hutt
How long did it take to film the scenes involving Jabba?

A good question, that I can’t answer without call-sheets, etc from the period. I think we did about two, three weeks in the main palace, a few days in the ‘alcove’ near the carbon ‘ornament’ of Han Solo, and maybe a week in the Barge (death scene). And no, we didn’t get to go to the desert, we only did interiors at Elstree.

What difficulties did you experience working inside the Jabba puppet? Was there any negative experience that stands out from trying to get him to work?

Funnily enough we must have had problems, but I don’t remember them, and none of the other guys I have spoken to have come up with any stories. We must have had small technical problems, of course, but managed to avoid disasters. Jabba worked – he came alive. All credit to the team of builders who rarely get enough credit for Jabba’s presence and performance.

Since Jabba was made of a latex-type skin, was there a ‘smell’ to him? I imagine that with three performers sweating inside his immense bulk that personal hygiene was a must as well.

Well, he had several layers (John Coppinger could tell you this stuff in more detail) but he had a hard shell of fiberglass, which we sat inside, on the outside of which they layered airbags and the latex skin. Inside he smelled of a fine collection of fumes of lubricants, paints, glues, etc. We rarely noticed the bodily smells! The others may tell you different, about my own personal hygiene…heh

Jabba the Hutt: Who's who
Was Jabba ever a prankster between scenes?

I don’t think we dared improvise jokes in that situation. We had our reputation to think of – and the need for respect! We left silly stuff up to our jester Salacious Crumb, puppeteered by Tim Rose. As Tim operated Salacious alone, and spoke for him, he could improvise in classic puppet mode – without all the co-ordination and discussion we needed to work Jabba.

On the Return of the Jedi set you were surrounded by a lot of actors including Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Anthony Daniels. What were these four actors like on set?

You have to understand that Dave and I climbed inside Jabba in the morning, and spent most of the day there. We could see a tiny monitor (which just showed us Jabba) and a headset (but we had to stay disciplined about radio silence, and listen for instructions). One of our crew would stay outside with the radio-control for the eyes, and they would talk to the director and actors about a lot of the moves we had to make. So I had little contact with the actors, directly. Mr Daniels had such an uncomfortable costume that a body double would stand in for lighting, etc. Similarly, stars have body doubles for lighting and sound and blocking moves. I occasionally had a word with Carrie Fisher, when we had something tricky to do (so she would understand how little we could see), and I bumped into Mark Hamill in the costume department (he had no idea who I was, of course, even though we had played scenes together). I didn’t really get to talk to Harrison Ford, who had already become a bigger star than the others (Indiana Jones) and only had a brief scene with us when Leia had got him out of the carbon…Anthony and I did have some serious discussion about how I could knock him down safely (with Jabba’s left arm, and unable to see anything much) and we eventually set him up without the ‘robot legs’ so that he could stagger back safely. He was a real trouper about that.

Jabba with Leia (left) and C-3PO (right)
Richard Marquand directed Return of the Jedi and George Lucas was on the set a lot, too. How would you describe them?

The same answer as with the actors. Dave, Mike and I had little idea about any tensions on set. Sometimes someone might mention that George had turned up, but we didn’t really know as much as those outside. Richard Marquand seemed fine to me (he mostly talked to our front man) – and accepted our request that he talk to Jabba as if real (rather than say “Toby, can you move the left arm?”) so that we could practice continuously, and because it helped sustain the illusion for the other actors, the techies, etc.

You mean that although you had little idea, there actually were tensions on set? Call you tell us more about that?

I just imagine it to have sometimes felt uncomfortable for Richard Marquand to get put in the role of director – with George still hovering around – but assuming George delegated properly then perhaps his presence proved helpful and supportive. I have heard speculation about the situation, but have no new insights or stories to offer in clarification.

You mentioned that when Jabba was spoken to by Richard Marquand, that he refer to the Hutt ‘in character’ to preserve the illusion. How successful was that process?

That worked fine. He and everyone addressed us as an actor, and we could improvise answers (David speaking in English over the speakers), or demonstrate moves. When the heat and attention was off us we could then hone those improvisations with highly detailed analysis of what we needed to do, in sequence, coordinated with the eyes and tail, etc – either discussed on our headsets, or simply arranging to meet outside Jabba for a chat.

What do you make of the Star Wars fans that are so dedicated that they’ll stand in line to get the signature of one of the crew who puppeteered and/or built Jabba the Hutt?

I find it odd, but only because I don’t collect autographs. I myself have stood in line for hours to see some of my own heroes, and sat through some long, boring shows just to catch one circus or variety act I wanted to see live. I think a lot of the fun comes from sharing a ‘world view’, and taking sides, and dressing-up and playing roles. I got paid to do that, I didn’t do it for fun!

You have worked with the legendary Jim Henson on various occasions. What is in your opinion the one thing that really defined him and has made him the pioneer regarding puppeteering?

As my dad worked simple puppets (he may have done the first ever television broadcast of primitive puppets, in 1932) the sophistication of Muppet design and operation seemed innovative and flexible for the performers. Unlike puppets done in badly designed sets in tv studios, Jim had whole sets designed so that the puppeteers could work in as much comfort as possible. The family orientation of the Muppets’ humour (with some wicked jokes aimed at the adults) gave them mass appeal. Jim always said that Frank was the funny one. The two of them combined to generate and encourage that madcap energy. The Henson creature shop had already created Yoda, and I think that Jim wanted to do The Dark Crystal both as an experiment to get away from the Muppet-look, and as a showcase of what animatronics could do.

In The Dark Crystal you played the Alchemist, one of the mystics. How long (and how hard) did you have to practice the movements and were the movements based on something like an animal for instance?

I only get a credit for the Alchemist, because to explain what each of us did would take forever. I guess I contribute to almost every shot in the film. As well as my Mystic (and occasionally doubling for other mystics) I played Garthim, background characters like Pod People, even swamp creatures, etc.

Each of us also got attached to a senior Muppet puppeteer, as part of a team, because these complex creatures sometimes needed three or four people to work them. I felt very flattered to get picked for Jim Henson’s team (along with Robbie Barnett). This means that when Jim’s characters (mainly Jen and the Ritual Master) appear in a scene, I may well be working the right arm, or the eyes, etc.

We did a lot of work on the back stories for the Mystics, but the Skeksis get more screen time – you see the Scientist’s lab, for instance, but not the Alchemist’s experiments. The movement and the creature designs evolved together. I don’t think we specifically imagined an animal – although old and slow did lead me to think of a tortoise, for instance.

One of the Mystics in the Dark Crystal
Puppets and animatronics versus CGI. With CGI it seems that the art of puppeteering is fading. Less and Less things in movies are done with puppets. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

I don’t really see this in either/or terms. Puppets have a long history of live performance, and this will continue - I think - in small theatres, the streets, and on live TV (announcers, kids’ shows, etc). Similarly, CGI seems like a modern version of what Disney did by hand in the thirties (not exactly new), and what stop-frame guys achieved, etc. So here we are talking about the Special Effects Department, who will use whatever seems necessary to get the shot in the can. Ideally, you don’t feel aware of SFX – say in Jurassic Park (a mixture of CGI and occasional real heads and feet of dinosaurs, etc) – where the effects seemed seamless and convincing to me (by not dwelling on them too long). I don’t play computer games, so I don’t like the slick hyper-reality look of the more recent sci-fi films – it doesn’t look real to me – perhaps a generation used to simulations accept them more than I do. One advantage of puppets (as I mentioned when talking about live shows) comes from their ability to improvise, to change a performance (either because the director has a fresh idea, or because the actor changed their way of playing the scene). Our Jabba actually plays with the actors, he genuinely ‘acts’ on set, and had real presence (sometimes quite scary).

What is your favorite scene of all the movies you did, and which scene was the most fun to do?

I find that a really tough question. Well, pair of questions. Perhaps I enjoyed eating the frog (Jabba) just because of the effect it has, using my left hand as his left hand, and my right hand to tilt the head, and then quickly slide it inside the tongue, to lick the lips. Nobody cares how that got done, but I enjoyed the dexterity and co-ordination of that shot, and the final effect.

In terms of fun, I suspect the night-shoots (second unit) at the Acme Factory for Who Framed Roger Rabbit, as we had to improvise all sorts of solutions to problems of making ‘reality’ look like a cartoon.

Which character you have puppeteered is your favorite?

I actually greatly loved the Alchemist in The Dark Crystal, even though his back story did not get introduced to the film. The position we worked in was extremely uncomfortable, and we could not get out for a rest very often, so I developed a very yogic approach to the pain, discomfort and boredom – and fell into a kind of resigned and patient trance that felt very suitable to the character.

You have worked with Frank Oz; who used to puppeteer a lot but is now a director of non-puppet movies. Now that Jim Henson is no longer with us, do you think he should go back to puppeteering since no-one has filled the gap that Jim Henson has left?

Tough question! If you mean, would I enjoy seeing Frank doing puppets, well yes…

Do I think he should do it to ‘fill the gap’? No, not really, as he always was a comedy performer, writer and director, so he just adapts to different kinds of material. I last worked with him when he was directing not performing (Little Shop of Horrors) so I have already got used to the idea that he had moved on.

How was it to work with the great David Bowie on the set of Labyrinth?

I enjoyed it, although I had some back problems at the time. He seemed very laid back, and ‘normal’. He didn’t go off to his caravan like a star, but hung around with us guys at the tea trolley and even blagged a cigarette from me (no pockets in his tights) and chatted for a few minutes. We ended up talking about a little café in Soho we both used to go to (although at different times). Another time I was juggling (a warm-up, and aid to relaxed concentration) and dropped one of the five balls, which bounced across the room, rather out of control - he caught it while walking past, and tossed it back without missing a beat. Seemed like a nice guy to me, and he just got on with the work.

There will be a Star Wars television series and a sequel to The Dark Crystal. Any chance we will be seeing you back in one or both of them?

No, I don’t think I will get involved with those, as the TV series will probably get made in the USA, and they use CGI for the stuff I used to work on. The Dark Crystal sequel may well use CGI as well as animatronic figures, but for those big creatures you hire younger, fitter people (I hit sixty this year!)

Suppose you could pick any character to puppeteer; which character would you
pick?

Another difficult question. Do you mean among available characters? I guess I’d love to have a go at Fozzy Bear, but secretly I’d prefer to do Animal on the drums! I don’t know how many famous puppets you can think of. A British performer called Rod Hull had an Emu puppet that attacked presenters of chat shows, etc, which I enjoyed. I quite like the weirdness of ventriloquist dolls, and experimented with that skill at one time. If I could pick any character at all, then perhaps I’d love to try to do Buster Keaton as a puppet. A real challenge – perhaps as a string puppet? Did you see the extraordinary puppet work in Being John Malkovich? I have to say, I don’t show much talent for marionettes (they feel mime-like and weightless like a ballet dancer). I like glove puppets, single performer body puppets (think Big Bird) all the way up to full body team puppets, that have real muscle and bone inside them, real nervous systems and personality and presence. I really enjoyed this phase of my life, helping create such characters and illusions. Great that people still appreciate the work.

Back to the main page

Andy Secombe interview

2007-07-27T07:47:00.000-07:00

Andy Secombe’s name goes down in Star Wars history as the man that not only provided the voice for tough salesman Watto the Toydarian, but also as the person who gave him the personality which made Watto one of the most popular Prequel characters.

His work on Watto got him even nominated for a Fennecus Award for the Best Vocal Performance category back in 1999.

When Secombe visited the Dutch Star Con in the Netherlands on May 27, 2006, I had the privilege to interview him.
Enjoy the tale of Andy Secombe. Race: Toydarian. Immune to mind tricks.

Did you ‘invent’ Watto’s voice all by yourself?

I did!
When I got a call there was an audition for loads and loads of voices. I auditioned and asked what they were looking for! I was told that George had an idea of the second hand car salesman. So, I came up with (talks like Watto) “Hey, how yer doing”; that kind of voice. I don’t know why I came up with that, it was the first thing that came out.

It sounds a bit like the Godfather to me!

Yeah…I guess it does. Well it was actually based a bit on (laughs)…there’s an English actor called Michael Ripper. You know the Hammer Horror movies? He was always like “O you don’t wanna go up there!”. It was sort of half based on that character.

There’s a story on the internet that it was based on Alec Guinness’ role as Fagin in Oliver Twist.

No, he isn’t Jewish! Watto is an Italian….Toydarian! No way he was based on that character.

Andy Secombe & me
Was Watto the only character you were considered of doing his voice?

I auditioned for Jar Jar Binks and a few others…I can’t remember which ones.

When you recorded the voice, where you all alone in the studio? Or did you meet the other actors?

I met them all! The first scene we shot was in the Leavesden Studios; the Podrace hangar scene. I did the scene with Liam Neeson. What they would do is shoot it with me doing Watto’s movements….and then shoot it again without me. This way, Liam had some idea of where the character, me, would be.

Was it also for reference that you were wearing…

O yeah! (laughs, because he know what’s coming as he sees me making a gesture of a large hat)

"I'm the only one that will be visible in the final cut," is what Liam Neeson is thinking.
Secombe, Neeson and Ahmed Best filming a scene for Episode I

…the big hat?

O yeah, there’s a funny story about the hat. It was hot, we filmed in the summer, and because I was a voice-character they didn’t give me a costume; I was wearing a T-Shirt and shorts. They surrounded me on the set with blue aliens, people with strange heads and god know what! To make sure the animators knew which character was Watto, George had the idea of giving me this large hat. I said “they’re gonna know! I’m wearing shorts and a T-shirt!” He said “no, we need to be absolutely sure they know who the character is”. So, it was a very uncomfortable hat and it had a sharp metal rim! At one point, I had to lean very close to Liam to threaten him, and the edge of the rim caught him in the nose. Aaarrggghh! (laughs) and the whole studio went “oooooo!” (puts on a frightened face)
I thought I had broken his nose. He said “well, let this for 5 minutes” and Rick McCallum was rolling on the floor; “God this is gonna cost us!”
The next take Liam asked me to just stand back, and after that I was allowed to lose the hat.

Only to return in Episode II!!

In Episode II it returned….without the baking sun of the desert.

You have worked with both Anakins: Jake Lloyd, the kid Anakin; and Hayden Christensen, the grown-up Anakin. Can you tell us how it was to work with them?

I was very impressed by Jake because of his attitude towards acting. It was like working with an adult. I have worked with children before and they can be very very difficult, especially when they have no good idea of what is going on. Not with Jake, he knew all about the camera-angles etcetera. So, it was easy! And he’s a nice guy too. So, it was fun.

Hayden; I didn’t do so much with him, just one shot. I have to admit that when they got me in for that day and I arrived at the hotel, I had no idea who he was.

Neeson is right: Secombe has now become a pre-visualisation in this computer-generated shot
Did you expect to return in Episode II? In Episode I we see him losing everything as a result of the lost bet with Qui-Gon Jinn.

George said he would probably return in Episode II. But after Episode II, that was it!
I have to say goodbye to Watto and thank him! (laughs)

Have you ever thought about what could have happened to Watto after Episode II?

What happened to him…I don’t know. I think he has set up some kind of small-scale gambling den. Having lost everything, he’s now selling bits of scrap metal. He’s not the successful man he once was.

Maybe we’ll see him back in the upcoming TV series?

You never know! People keep asking me.

Would you be interested in returning as Watto for the TV series?

Yeah! I like the character! I feel very affectionate. What do you do when you have created a character? You feel a certain responsibility towards it.

Ok, I’ll be sending this tape to George Lucas then!

Hah! Absolutely! (looks into the camera) “Give me a job George!” (laughs)

Right now, you are attending a convention and you have signed lots of items during your career. What would be the weirdest item you have ever signed?

Right….the weirdest item…(thinks). Well, the weirdest item is the most fun item. I once signed a ladies left breast. (laughs)

Cool!

That was very nice! And it was weird.

Your personal favorite of all six Star Wars movies would be?

I will get into trouble no matter what I say now. I was a big fan of the original trilogy. Then again, I also liked the last one, Revenge of the Sith a lot. I think, mainly for nostalgic reasons, I’d choose A New Hope. I remember watching that in the cinema, totally blown away.

If someone had told you back then that twenty-two years later you would be starring in a new Star Wars movie…

I would have said “you are talking out of your bottom”. Absolutely, no way! (laughs)

Fan mail; do you get lots of it?

I get loads of it! I’ve got stacks! I apologize to any fan watching (editor: it was filmed) this. It mounts up, and with the rest of my life it is sometimes hard to handle it, but I do try to sign everything.

What is the most bizarre thing you have ever experienced at a convention?

I guess…this is quite sweet and strange…it was when I did my first convention ever.
It was at Disneyworld (editor: the Star Wars weekends). It was all new to me; the lines of people, signing things, etc. Suddenly, a Jedi turned up, dressed in robes. He introduced himself with a made-up Jedi name…and then said: meet my family! They were dressed up as Jedi as well, his wife, son and daughter! It went from tall to small, like Russian dolls. It was my introduction to the madness, they take it seriously and see it as a real world.

My final question; please react to the following names and words with as few words as possible.

George Lucas

Great, great guy.

Voice acting

Fun! Fun! It’s not easy, but it beats working.

Toydarian

(with Watto’s voice) I’m a Toydarian!

No money…

(with Watto’s voice) No parts! No Deal!

Back to the main page

Bonnie Piesse interview

2007-07-27T07:46:00.000-07:00

In november 2006 I had the following interview with the beautiful Australian actress/singer Bonnie Piesse.
In the Star Wars galaxy she'll forever be remembered as the young Beru Whitesun, the friendlu aunt that helped Uncle Owen raise the savior of the galaxy: Luke Skywalker.

First of all, your last name… how do you…?

Piesse, as in ‘peace’.

Okay, because everybody seems to pronounce it in a different way.

Yeah, it’s confusing. Some people say [pièsse], but [piehs] is how it is pronounced.

Bonnie Piesse and me @ DutchStarCon 2, november 2006.
You were in Star Wars Episode II and Episode III. How did you get cast for the movies?

I was doing some TV-work in Australia and Robin Gurland was the casting director, and she was out casting in Australia because they were filming in Sydney. So I just was very lucky to get noticed by her, and she cast me.

You have a short scene in Episode III at the end. That scene, was it filmed directly when you did the scenes for Episode II or was it filmed three years later?

It was filmed three years later. We shot all the stuff for Episode II in Tunisia and then for Episode III it was just in Sydney. And they set up a big green screen room. And actually Joel Edgerton (young uncle Owen), who was in that scene with me, wasn’t there at the time. They shot his part in Ireland I think, a year later. So they had a stand-in for Owen and I had a fake baby and it was all very funny.

But in the final scene we see the two of you standing next to each other…

Yeah! I didn’t see him at all.

Totally digital?

Totally digital, indeed! It looks pretty good, huh!

I bet no one has ever noticed!
Well… you did have some scenes with Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman. How
were they to work with?

They were both great! We were all traveling together in Tunisia, obviously, so we got out to, y’know, together and we stayed in the same hotel and we all got along really well. And they were totally welcoming and warm and friendly.

Okay, because I heard some stories about Natalie Portman saying that she is not the nicest person to work with.

I think she was lovely. She was really great to me. And I’ve never witnessed anything rude or hostile.

And the others, like Jack Thompson (Cliegg Lars)?

Jack Thompson was great! He is hysterical! He is so funny, he is just constantly talking in jokes. And he is forever bursting into these random accents and he’s entertainment on the set.

Kenny Baker, Anthony Daniels?

Well, actually Kenny Baker wasn’t working on Episode II. I met him at various shows and stuff, but… And Anthony Daniels was there. He was really funny, dressed up in his… suit, getting mighty hot in the desert. It was really hot out there.

You were directed by George Lucas. How was he in real life? What impression did he make on you?

He seemed very at ease and very relaxed and comfortable. Just trying to enjoy himself I think. He didn’t seem stressed by the pressure at all and just really friendly and supportive.

There never were any tensions on the set? Between actors, between the crew?

No. I mean, I guess the crew got a little tense on certain times when we were running on time frames, but that happens on every set. But there were no fights or dramas or anything.

Any funny things happen on the set?

I just think it was funny that there were flies crawling all over us in Tunisia. Like all over our face and stuff during takes. And you just had to ignore them and I guess they maybe they hired some assholes or they just used the take where they weren’t there, but we certainly were struggling with flies.

Were there any takes that didn’t appear in the movie?

There were quite a few scenes that didn’t. One including a scene with my character and Amidala in the Tatooine kitchen. We had a ladies talk while I was preparing food.

What was it about, the scene?

I was just curious about Naboo, my character, so I was asking her questions and she was telling me that there were, you know, lots of trees and water and um… and my character was just stating that I didn’t have any ambition to leave Tatooine. So that was what that was about. So that got cut obviously.

It didn’t end up on the DVD in the deleted scenes.

I know! I was looking forward to that!

You played a character that was first established in 1977. When was your first encounter with that movie, A New Hope, and did you like it when you first saw it?

You know… I hadn’t seen the original Star Wars before I got cast. So…
Actually when I found out I had the audition, I went back and watched them all very thoroughly. But I hadn’t watched them up until then.

Old and young Beru: Shelagh Fraser and Bonnie
Did you study the part of the older Aunt Beru?

Yeah, you know, I studied her accent and her manner, her physical manner and stuff. But it was pretty free and George just said, ‘Do with it what you feel comfortable with.’

How did it feel to take over a part that is so well known among all the Star Wars fans?

It felt great! It was so much fun to go out and be on the original sets and meet all the actors. It was really overwhelming actually, to begin with, but a lot of fun.

What do you regard as your personal highlight regarding Episode II and Episode III?

Definitely getting to travel around the world. That was a lot of fun. At sixteen and traveling with the crew and just…

You were sixteen?

Yep, sixteen. And so it was a lot of fun to go to Africa. Just an adventure. That was great!

Well about your age… you’re still very young, you have your whole future lying ahead of you… What do you hope that you have achieved forty years from now?

Forty years from now? Well, I’m a singer-songwriter as well and I’m in pre-production for my debut album now, so I hope that I would’ve made many, many albums by that stage. Forty years, that’s a long time! So, many many albums and I also eventually would like to get into scoring movies, doing music for film and acting in a lot more movies as well.

What do you enjoy the most? Acting or music?

Right now I am focusing mostly on music and I love that. It’s in my heart because I’m writing it and it’s my own creation. But I love to act as well, so I hope to do both of them in the future.

You have a new album coming out?

Yes, coming out next May. (editors note: 2007)

And the title is…?

The title is to be confirmed, I’m not sure. But it’ll probably be out under 3-2-1 Records.

Okay, and which style is it? Is it pop music?

Yes, it is folk pop. So it’s pretty acoustic but it is for a commercial market.

And it will be promoted all over the world, or just Australia?

No, we’re staying in London actually. So we’ll probably release it in Europe and then the States and then Australia and the rest of the world.

I’ve read that one of the people you are working with on the album is nominated for a Grammy?

He’s won, actually. He’s one six Grammy’s for an album he did with Kim Carnes. His name is Val Garay. [Editors note: he won in 1982 for Carnes’ ‘Bette Davis Eyes’]

Kim Carnes, that’s from the eighties.

Yes! And he worked with Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor, so he’s magic and I’m really lucky to have him on my team.

I have one last question. I have read in an interview that, I believe it was on Episode II, there was a Tunisian taxi driver who tried to buy you?

(laughs) That was kind of a joke I think. I don’t know how serious that was, but apparently Joel Edgerton got off with 500 camels for me.

Back to the main page

Jeremy Bulloch interview

2007-07-25T09:06:00.001-07:00

One of the most popular Star Wars characters is this notorious bountyhunter. His looks are cool, he's Han Solo's nightmare and is an unaltered clone. Did I mention he also escaped the Sarlacc?
I am talking about Boba Fett, played by English actor Jeremy Bulloch.
I have met Jeremy several times over the years, including in 2006, when I had the following interview (that premiered on Wattographs.com) with him about Fett, fanmail and PEZ-dispensers.

Jeremy Bulloch and me
This is at least the sixth time you have been to the Netherlands. Do you like it here that much?

Yeah, the fans here are always enthusiastic and remember to say hello how are you. The hospitality is nice, the food is good, and I also like the beers. I’m back after three years and looking forward to the convention!

What is your favorite convention-country?

It is not necessarily a convention, but I liked Japan. It is because you go from one place to another by a very fast modern train. But, all around the world the fans are the same, there is enthusiasm and "Oh, I can’t believe you’re here!" We are all human beings, I just wore this rather cool looking costume. Of all the places you can go, Japan stands out, because Boba Fett looks just like a Samurai warrior.

Not many people know that Jason Wingreen provided the voice of Boba Fett. Did you ever meet him?

No, I never met him, but we spoke on the phone. We had a long chat and we’re both saying [with Boba Fetts voice] “What if he doesn’t survive, he’s worth a lot to me”.
He said: ‘I don’t understand why you didn’t do it yourself’. But, all the sound stuff was done afterwards in America, I live in England, so I understand they didn’t fly me all over the record the four lines.

This picture features some of Boba Fett's famous lines
What are your thoughts on George Lucas changing Fett’s voice to that of Temuera Morrison?

I can understand it. The ‘new’ version leads on, so that he is speaking like the super-clone.
But everyone remembers Jason Wingreens voice [with Boba Fetts voice] “Put Captain Solo in the cargo hold”. You remember that, so I thought it wasn’t really necessary to do it. Nothing against Temuera doing it, that’s fine!
Now, they are releasing the original versions on DVD. I think fans will be happy.

For more than twenty years, Boba Fett was a mystery. In Attack of the Clones we get to know the origins of Boba Fett and we see him as a little boy. What is your opinion about this? Didn’t this ruin the mystique that surrounded Boba Fett?

First thing I thought when I saw it was that it is great there is a story about Boba Fett. We know where he comes from, people will know more about him. Ideally, you would never see his face and think where he has gone, what he is doing. Never seeing his face would be the best. Is his face cut? Scarred? He should remain a mystery.
On the other hand, there is a far more interesting Boba Fett when people have this piece about ‘Oh, he was a clone’.
But that means [starts talking like a geek] "Mr. Bulloch, ehm, uhh, you ehhh, told me ehhh, he was you know ehhh a human being! No ehhh uhm you are telling me ehhh he is a clone!.”
I say: “It is Science Fiction. Anything can happen.”
But back to the point, it is still nice he is so much talked about. When we meet, the three Fetts; young Boba, Jango, and the older Boba it is so much fun.
I will see them again in Disneyland in June.

Suppose Boba Fett would get a part or cameo in the upcoming TV series. Would you like to wear the suit and helmet again?

Yes I would! But realistically, moving along with the years I think Daniel Logan would play him as he is nineteen, twenty years old; the right age to do it. But if they would ask me to play an alter-ego of Boba Fett it would be quite fun to do it. That is, if they get the series up and running.

Jeremy Bulloch towers above the rest in Yuma, Arizona, where Return of the Jedi's Sarlacc scene was filmed in 1982
What do you think of the fact that because Boba Fett was loved so much by the fans, he was ‘brought back to life’ in the books by explaining that thanks to his armor he escaped from the Sarlacc?

I think the stories are quite nice. He gets out with his jetpack and is helped by Dengar. Boba Fett is a canny person, and I think that he had done a movie straight after Return of the Jedi I think we would have seen him again, collecting his bounty, capturing other people. All the books are fun.

You keep up with them?

Yeah, I do. I don not necessarily read em, but people say to me ‘have you seen that bit?’ And I’m like ‘Oh, he gets out’. With all the comics and figures that people have…I think that is fantastic. You see a new figure and that keeps the interest in Boba Fett.

You get loads of fan mail and it seems you sign everything you get.

Well, that is not entirely true. I reply to everybody, unless people are like ‘Sign these for me and let the pen dry before sending them back’. And, they forget the return-postage!
I say it on my website; do not forget the postage.
When you have someone from America, it is $ 5 to return, and they enclose only $ 1. I reply saying ‘Do you think it is cheaper when you send it than when I send it?
There are charity-letters that have no ‘Dear Jeremy’ or ‘Dear Mr. Bulloch’. If they write ‘Dear whoever you are’ it goes in the bin.
I do pay postage for charity and I do give photos away, but if they have no care of whom they are talking to…
A lot of charities are also false; I call them up and ask if this person is working there and they say no.
That part is nasty, but going back to the beginning I reply to everyone.

Darth Vader and Boba Fett like to get interviewed
Do you get a load of mail?

At the height it was eighty letters a week, now it’s around forty. It is a lot to do. Normally I do it in the weekend. When I go to America, I take a lot with me to do it there.

When you sign items you often add the quotes 'Be cool' or 'You're cool'. Any specific reason for this?

That’s a good question. There is a special reason. When I started doing events, little kids came up to me and said ‘You’re so cool’. But I do other things, like ‘Welcome to hell’, ‘Beware the Force’. Different things, but usually ‘Be cool’.

What is the weirdest item you have ever signed?

I think the weirdest items are the several tattoos. But, a dentist from Mexico had plastered teeth; on the front was the helmet of Boba Fett, I signed that.

Well, that is weird for sure!

George Lucas directs Jeremy Bulloch as Captain Colton
You made a comeback as Captain Colton in Revenge of the Sith. Was it at your request? Or did George Lucas ask you?

No, it was through Rick McCallum, the producer. He said “we are coming to England to re-shoot stuff and do special effects and George would like you to play to part of Captain Colton”.

Did it feel good?

It felt the same. Same atmosphere as all those years ago.

What if you had to choose: Boba Fett or Captain Colton?

Wouldn’t it be nice to have Boba Fett sitting just like this and pulling his helmet off…and there’s Captain Colton. That would be cool. [laughs]

Boba Fett’s first ever appearance was in the notorious Star Wars Holiday Special. Did you see this show before you were cast in the role?

I have only recently seen it. I don’t think it is something that George Lucas likes very much. But it was the first time Boba Fett was there as a cartoon character. Before I started filming they showed me a figure, which I thought was strange; to have a figure already made before the movie.

Did you like the cartoon?

I liked the cartoon, only that part. Again, I only saw it recently, a year, six months ago at a convention where they were showing it.

Boba Fett's first appearance in the Holiday Special
What do you regard as the highlight of your career?

This is an extraordinary question. The highlight of my career…I’m close to fifty years as an actor and I am still working. Soon I will go through a DVD, a montage of faces and music, to show, especially America, what I have done all over the years. Then, for over an hour you can do a talk and see clips of me in the old Doctor Who, drama, comedy.
And so, when people say ‘what have you achieved?’, I say, well, I am still working as an actor and am also a PEZ and a LEGO figure. What more do you want?

How about your highlight in the Star Wars films?

Going to work every day. It was uncomfortable, the costume, but what fun we had! There were droids, wookiees, Han Solo….all these people. I enjoyed every day I worked on it

The obvious question: What is your personal favorite of the Star Wars movies?

The Empire Strikes Back. I think that one has everything. But I enjoyed them all. The prequels not quite as much as the originals though.

Last question: Are there any props you got to keep from the Star Wars movies?

No, and I didn’t take any. I am not a thief, but I wish I had. The gloves which were comfortable, the shoes…maybe the helmet. Maybe in the future I can ask George to sell me the original costume. That would be fun, but I doubt it.

It would cost you a fortune!

It would cost me loads of money yeah. Or maybe he will say ‘Please take it’.

I hope he will!

[Looks directly into the camera] Are you listening George?

We will send this tape to him.

[Laughs] Yeah, go ahead!

Back to the main page

Kenny Baker interview

2007-07-25T09:05:00.000-07:00

Despite his size (3 foot, 8 inches), Kenny Baker is a big man. He is known all over the world as R2-D2 (or Artoo Detoo) from both Star Wars trilogies.
I have met Kenny several times at various conventions and got to interview (this one premiered on Wattographs.com) him in May 2006.

Kenny Baker and me
In some scenes you are inside R2-D2, in other scenes, it is remote controlled.
Is there (apart from the scenes where R2 is rolling) an easy way for the viewer to see whether it’s you or the remote-controlled droid?

By R2’s extension leg. When they were using that, they swapped R2. I can tell when I am in it because I know the way I move. For others it is hard to tell. The R2 I use is the two-legged one, the one that reacts to dialogue. When it is moving, chasing or rolling; no way my R2 can do that! That one has the third leg, the motor and the steering device.

Another way of knowing Kenny is inside is by looking at the tubes on R2's legs that go inside his body. If they're there, he's in, like in the picture above.
Did they change anything to the R2-D2 you were supposed to sit in for the prequels?

No, not a single thing.

Was it still comfortable for you?

No! Although it was better than in the beginning it is still definitely not comfortable. But then again, I got used to it.

…And you still enjoy being R2…

Well, it wasn’t enjoyable because I couldn’t react to the dialogue and everything that was happening around me, so it wasn’t that easy.

Most scenes you have done were with Anthony Daniels (C-3PO). How was it to work with him?

We were both in our droids; there was no interconnection at all. We couldn’t hear or see each other. George (Lucas) used to shout “look left, look right” and wanted me to project emotions like happiness and sadness. It wasn’t very easy, which also applies to C-3PO. He had to record his dialogue later on which had to match his movements. He had way more movement because he had arms and legs. I didn’t have that, so it was very hard to communicate. He came in an hour before me to get in the costume, while I just needed 5 minutes to get into R2. When we were done, they took the lid off and I am out! He needed another hour to get rid of the costume. So, we never met a lot.

R2 watches as Luke (Mark Hamill) points his blaster at Yoda (Frank Oz)
You did meet Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill. How were they to work with?

They were fine, although I didn’t have a lot of scenes with them. I was mainly with C-3PO and Chewbacca. Sometimes with Harrison, once with Mark…and with Alec Guinness in Tunisia. With Mark was in England, in the studios…

For the Dagobah scenes!

Yeah, the big swamp. I can only vaguely remember those scenes. Some of the people (actors) I meet at conventions I have never met before! I have seen them on-screen, but that’s it! And some people are just the voice of the character, like with C-3PO!

Well, Anthony Daniels is also in the costume and is not just the voice.

O yeah, he is also in the suit. It puts him in a good position, because they can’t do without him; being both the voice and being inside the costume. But he’s mainly the voice.

You have worked with all three Star Wars directors: George Lucas, Irvin Kershner and Richard Marquand. Please describe the differences between these three directors.

George knew exactly what he wanted. He told me where to look, what to do. Richard Marquand hardly ever used me, he said he was going to, but he didn’t. George said to him that when I was in R2, R2 came to life. Still, Richard never used me a lot.
Irvin Kershner was good; he was easy to work with.

He was an old fashioned director as far as I have heard.

Yeah, he was old school, a lovely man. Mainly it was George; he was always on the set. George is fun; he knows exactly what he wants. You are on a set, surrounded by blue screen, and he describes what is going on and how the scene will look, like the wedding scene which we filmed in Italy…

For Episode II! Well, it looked very real!

The wedding service was in England, the rest in Italy. The filmed in both places and just took out the best bits.

Kenny inside R2
What do you regard as the highlight of your Star Wars career? Maybe a special moment or scene?

There weren’t any highlights; I was just there, in the droid. I was mainly in the end scenes of every movie. I can’t remember any highs or lows, it was just a job.

Still, it made you famous!

I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy it; it was just a job at that time. It wasn’t a real acting job.

Well, what would you say the highlight of your non-Star Wars career is then?

*Thinks for a long time*

You have been in quite some movies…the Time Bandits for instance…

Yeah, Time Bandits was a highlight. And yesterday I almost got a new job; a project with Ewan McGregor and Judi Dench. But…I couldn’t do it because I was coming over to the Netherlands! (Note: this interview was in the Netherlands).

Wow, Judi Dench is a big name!

And so is Ewan McGregor. They needed me for just one day, but like I said, I couldn’t do it because I was to appear here today.

Maybe you can still make it if you leave now…

Maybe I should!

Still, the fans here would have been disappointed.

Well, you never know.

You were very good friends and a working partner of Jack Purvis. It was said that you would only accept your part in the original Star Wars if he were cast, too.

Yes, that’s true. We were an act together at that time for about ten or twelve years.
In the end he got quite a few parts; a mantis, a walking box (note: the Gonk droid), an Ewok, a Jawa…

He was the Jawa that shoots you in A New Hope.

Yeah, in the canyon.

That’s kinda funny!

Are there any similarities between Kenny Baker, the man, and R2, the droid?

(laughs) No, I don’t think so, except that my joints don’t move very smooth, just like R2.

Besides R2, Kenny also played the ewok Paploo
Please react to the following names and words with as few words as possible:

Conventions

They are very good; you meet your public and your fans. They want autographs and it’s enjoyable.

Don Bies

He did R2’s remote control. I didn’t see him a lot. They were continually swapping between him and me.

Harrison Ford

I didn’t meet him a lot.

Mark Hamill

I took him to clubs and cabaret when we were filming in London. He was ok.

Carrie Fisher

I didn’t mix socially with her.

Warwick Davis

He did funny little bits and pieces as well as Wicket. I was Wicket to begin with.

I know, you got ill on that day and he replaced you.

It was unfortunate for me, but good for him. He was very young, I had R2, so good luck to him. I also did Paploo by the way, playing that Ewok was worse than R2. The heat, the suit…they were great characters, but difficult to work with.

Back to the main page

Nalini Krishan interview

2007-07-20T16:31:00.002-07:00

Even though she was born on the Fiji-islands, Nalini Krishan's roots are Indian and Nepalese. Although she is mostly known as Jedi Barriss Offee from Attack of the Clones, Nalini is originally a model.
This interview I had with her took place in 2006 and was originally published in Dutch on a Dutch Star Wars website.

Nalini Krishan
Can you tell us how you got the job for Barriss Offee?

My agent called me and said I had the part!

Who approached you and why did they specifically wanted you?

I think they looked at a number of different acting agencies, at the time I was with a modeling agency. They looked at the options within that agency and must have thought I looked the part. No auditions no casting!

When was your first encounter with the Star Wars phenomena and what were your initial thoughts about Star Wars then?

I remember the original trilogy when I was a child and I was very excited and into the whole three series. I was always in awe of Darth Vader.

Your Jedi teacher in the movies is Luminara; played by Mary Oyaya.
Did the two of you hung out a lot together on the set too?

Yes we did, in fact we ironically lived in the same suburb but didn't know each other until we started filming the movie.

How long did it take to get all the make-up on and get ready for your scenes?

About five to six hours, it was a long but fascinating process!

Also; how many days where you on the set?

About to five, six days in total, but consecutively.

Nalini and Mary Oyaya (Luminara Unduli)
When you were cast for Star Wars; what did they exactly tell you about the movie? Did you get the whole script for instance?

It was very vague, I didn’t really know what I was doing or who I was until the book the Approaching Storm came out, only then did I know who I was and what I was doing and that even didn't come out until I finished filming.

How did your friends and family react to the fact that you were cast for Star Wars?

I think everyone was pretty excited about it and I couldn't believe I got the part!

Star Wars had some big actors like Samuel L. Jackson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman and Ian McDiarmid. What impression did they make on you?

Samuel Jackson was very down to earth and he really was the only one I made any real contact with on set. He was highly entertaining and personable.

What is your opinion regarding George Lucas? How was he on the set for instance?

He was lovely, down to earth and just wonderful. It was like speaking to another person, not a multi million director.

Nalini in the make-up department
Did they give you any memorabilia after the movie was finished? Your own lightsaber maybe?

Unfortunately I didn't get to take any of it!

t are your thoughts on the two Star Wars movies you were in? Do you think they are of the same level as the old movies?

I think you have to understand that these movies were made in a different era in the 80s, the target audience for the trilogy had grown up and weren't maybe into the next three as were the teens of today' society. Different people reacted differently, I think everyone watched it because it was Star Wars and it had played a part in so many peoples childhood and it was one of those movies that would be remembered forever!!
I think the first three were by far more superior but having said that I have spoken to the younger generation and they are saying that the last three are better, I think it depends who identifies with the movies and everyone has had a different experience, there is no such thing as one was better than the other, it was Star Wars!

Regarding the shooting of the movie: did any weird or funny things happen on the set?

I lost my cap a couple of times during shooting, which was embarrassing, I had a lot of fun but I wouldn’t say anything weird.

In the USA you have attended some conventions, like Celebration; the biggest Star Wars event ever. How was it to meet so many fans?

I was gobsmacked, I took it in my stride, but I really had no idea that I had so many fans, but I was very flattered!

You have attended two events in the Netherlands now. What impression do you have of the Dutch fans?

They are lovely, the Dutch are just such pleasant and wonderful people, I hope I get invited to another one again soon!

At conventions you sign a lot. What is the strangest item you have ever signed?

I haven't had any unusual signings, just met unusual people that's all!

Regarding meeting fans: the nicest thing a fan has ever done for you would be?

Gifts, compliments you name it! It’s wonderful but when people tell me that I have had a direct influence on their lives in a positive way that’s probably the nicest thing I have seen.

You have done editorial work for magazines like Cosmopolitan as well as modeling.
The modeling world is totally different than the world of Science Fiction….or are there similarities according to you?

Everything is surreal, it’s fascinating, but other than that there really aren't any similarities between the two.

What are you currently doing regarding new projects?

I am about to shoot a short film and I am in talks with a production company about a feature film.

Is there anything you want to say to the readers?

Yes thanks for listening to me and I really hope to see you some time soon!!
Thank you!!

Back to the main page

Mary Oyaya interview

2007-07-20T16:31:00.001-07:00

In the original Star Wars Trilogy there were few female characters, but in the prequels there were plenty. One of them is Mary Oyaya, who played the role of Jedi Master Luminara Unduli. Kenya-born Mary is a real globetrotter as she has lived in Africa, Sweden, Canada and Australia. She's originally a model, but also an actress nowadays. I had the following interview with her in 2006. It was originally featured on a Dutch Star Wars website, but is now also available to read here.

Mary Oyaya
Can you tell us how you got the job for Luminara?

Actually it was my agent who hooked me up and a month before I got to know my character's name. She was a senator at first, but then when Episode II came out she was a Jedi master!!

Who approached you and why did they specifically wanted you?

I went for casting that was at Fox Studios and there was a big pile of people's compcards and lots of other people phoning in to get a role. So, there I was with other girls got our pictures taken, and sent to George coz he was on set. Next thing I know, my measurements are being taken and I'm trying Luminara's outfit! Apparently they knew what look they wanted so, as I was told later, the moment I walked in, the casting stopped!

When was your first encounter with the Star Wars phenomena and what were
your initial thoughts about Star Wars then?

I first watched Star Wars when I was just a kid, but was not too crazy about it until I watched Episode I. I got hooked immediately and went to borrow all the earlier ones. So, by the time Star Wars was in town, I only wanted to be in the background and that would be fine . In fact I thought Luminara would appear for just a second and no one would notice, but I would be busy pointing out to my friends!! I never expected comics, playstation games, books, conventions or anything.

Mary and Nalini Krishan (Barriss Offee)
Your Jedi apprentice in the movies is Barriss Offee; played by Nalini Krishan. Did the two of you hang out a lot together on the set too?

Yes, we did and off set too. We used to live close to each other and would go to Fox studios together, and take the train back home together too.

Star Wars had some big actors like Samuel L. Jackson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman and Ian McDiarmid. What impression did they make on you?

They are very professional actors and do a very good job. On top of that they are very down to earth people and very friendly and fun to be around. Ian is also a great actor, from Episode I I really admired his character, and could not believe I was right next to him, I couldn't even say what I thought coz I was like....wow...he's here!

Did they give you any memorabilia after the movie was finished? Your own lightsaber maybe?

Unfortunately NOT.

What are your thoughts on the two Star Wars movies you were in? Do you think they are the same level as the old ones?

Actually no. The ones I'm in have a lot of computer technology involved and are much faster.
But with the earlier ones, there is a lot more plot, and it keeps you guessing . So, when you watch Episodes II and III everything starts to fall into place and complete the puzzle.

Regarding the shooting of the movie: did any weird or funny things happen on the set?

Not that I can remember, but there was an incident where someone farted and that's all.

Your character Luminara is on the cover of the Alan Dean Foster novel The Approaching Storm. Have you read the novel? And if you have; what do you think of it?

Yes, I have read and own a copy too. It has a lot of humor , and it gave me more insight into the character Luminara and Barriss.

In the USA you have attended some conventions, like Celebration; the biggest Star Wars event ever. How was it to meet so many fans? And is there any possibility we will ever see you attend a convention in the Netherlands or Europe?

The first time I attended a convention, it as Celebration II. It was amazing! I loved meeting all those fans (there were 50 000 people!) Seeing those lines of people going round building and streets. It was so exciting. I would love to attend a convention in the Netherlands since I haven't been there before. In May 2006 I went to Metz in France and It was my first ever convention in Europe and I truly loved it!

The novel The Approaching Storm
At conventions you sign a lot. What is the strangest item you have ever signed?

Well, I sign posters, pictures, t-shirts, books, I haven't signed anything strange but that would be exciting.

Regarding meeting fans: the nicest thing a fan has ever done for you would be?

Star Wars fans a really wonderful. I have had fans give me very many gifts. When I was in Japan, I had extra luggage full of gifts, and then in other conventions in the US I had some fans send me flowers every day of the convention; at Celebration III a fan made a doll of myself for me, and lots of people do amazing things and I thank them all from the bottom of my heart.

On your website, you thank some people that were involved with Star Wars, like George Lucas, Steve Sansweet and Peter Mayhew. What was the thing they did you appreciate them for?

Simply for being very supportive (Star Wars is not like any other movie,) and for Peter welcoming me to the Star Wars family and being very helpful and kind. I did the Japan tour with him and it was great ...as well as other conventions too.

Your site can be viewed in one language: English. Still; it has a non-working Japanese button too. Why is that? Do you have a lot of Japanese fans?

The Japanese section was for the Japanese fans because I have many fans in Japan I had to get it translated. But it will be working soon.

What are you currently doing regarding new projects?

Well, currently I have a few lined up but not yet commenced ...so it is more like a waiting game!!

Back to the main page

John Coppinger interview

2007-07-20T16:28:00.000-07:00

One of the most popular space creatures ever is Jabba the Hutt. This vile gangster played an important part in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.
When Jabba was created he was the most expensive creature ever built for a movie.
In 2006 I had the following interview with Jabba's sculptor John Coppinger, who also worked on some other wellknown movies like Harry Potter, the Fifth Element and Return to Oz.
The interview you are about to read premieres on this website after originally being published in Dutch for a Dutch Star Wars website.

What got you started into sculpting? Was it a movie, an experience or something else?

I started sculpting at school, with the encouragement of the art master there (Bob White), but that was mostly welded steel pieces with a few clay sculpts and some pottery. I preferred welding to studying history, which is what I should have been doing! Mr. White then helped me get a place at Maidstone Art College and I went on to study sculpture at St.Martins school of art in London. I got lucky again after that and worked for 8 years as a scientific model-maker at London’s' Natural History Museum. This was like a paid post-graduate course, where I could experiment with new materials and methods for sculpting and model-making.

the two 'J's': John Coppinger and Jabba the Hutt
What are you doing these days? Can you tell us something about your current or future projects?

I'm concentrating on writing now, something I've wanted to pursue for a long time. I have published my first novel Tertiary through Lulu.com. If you don't mind me promoting it, it's available at Amazon and most book stores: ISBN 1 - 4116 - 6160 - 5. The second novel Archive is underway. I still run a small company Life Form, with my partner Nicole (her new website is www.eeriebeauty.com ), and we do work for films, TV and Museums. We've made models for the Royal Institution Christmas lectures for the last three years and hope to do that again. It's a great mix of theatre and live TV, with 300 kids in a 19th century lecture hall, and fits our interest in linking Science and Art.

You are one of the few crewmembers that were involved with Return of the Jedi back in 1983 and Episode I sixteen years later, in 1999. Did you keep in touch with George Lucas all these years and how did you get approached for both movies?

I didn't keep in touch with George Lucas, I was just one of several hundred technicians on Return of the Jedi, but I did keep in contact with Stuart Freeborn. I had asked Stuart for an interview, when I found out he was make-up chief in the UK for Return of the Jedi, and he gave me the job of sculpting Jabba. I also met Nick Dudman, who was just starting his make-up career then. Nick became a crew boss, and he asked me to work on Episode I sixteen years later. I'd already worked for him on The Fifth Element not long before that.

John also played Horox Ryder in Episode I: the Phantom Menace
You stood in for Silas Carson as Ki-Adi-Mundi in one scene. Can you tell us which scene that was?

It was a very brief scene, at the end of the film, when the Jedi Council arrives in the Main Plaza of Theed, and is walking down the ramp of a starship. Silas was playing another character in that scene, Nute Gunray, so obviously couldn't be two people at once. Kate Murray had designed and sculpted the prosthetic make-up for Ki-Adi-Mundi, using a life-cast of Silas. She did an amazing job of making the character fit on me, so much so that other performers thought I was Silas!

In Episode I you played a Wookiee senator. How did that feel, to perform as a character instead of sculpting characters?

It was great! Right from operating Jabba on set, with six to eight other people, I've enjoyed bringing the characters to life. But playing the Wookiee Senator was the first time I'd been in a full costume. It was even better, because Wookiees were always my favorite Star Wars Characters.

You sculpted Jabba the Hutt; one of the largest and most expensive animatronics ever. Nowadays it’s mostly CGI; large animatronics are less made. In 1997 for instance, a digital Jabba the Hutt was included in the special edition. What do you think about this Jabba compared with the one you made?

Very hard to be objective here, but there's no doubt the first CGI Jabba was awful. I actually think it was a brave attempt, given the state of CGI then, but I believe they tried to do too much. The subtleties of facial expression were really beyond CGI at that point, even on face as large as Jabba's! One aspect of 'our' Jabba was how many people it took to make him live. There were always at least three people operating his face from outside, not including David Barclay and Toby Philpott who were inside as puppeteers. They were moving his arms, his head, body, jaw and tongue. But despite that I think we co-coordinated a better result than CGI. And Jabba was really there for the other actors and performers to react and relate to.

The Jabba crew: Bob Bromley, Mike Osborn, Bob Keen, Richard Padbury, Jez Gibson-Harris and John Coppinger
You have worked with George Lucas twice; how would you describe him and did he change in the sixteen years between Return of the Jedi and Episode I?

I talked to him a couple of times on Return of the Jedi, about Jabba's color and character. He seemed a quiet and thoughtful person, really quite shy, but he obviously knew what he wanted. I hope he felt at home with us; animatronics people have never confused enthusiasm with being amateur and I believe George Lucas thinks the same way. I didn't talk to him directly on Episode I. The only time I met him I was eleven foot tall; demonstrating the prototype Anxx character! But I saw him on set and would say he had relaxed over the years, certainly the atmosphere was very nostalgic. It 'smelled' like Star Wars, if that makes sense.

Did you meet ‘the big 3’ (Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford)?
What do you think of them? How were they on the set?

I don't remember talking to Mark Hamill on set, but Carrie Fisher was very easy to get on with, obviously loved working with Jabba and showed no sign of 'Star Syndrome'. The few times I've met and talked to stars on the set they've all been very friendly, they are just part of the crew even if they do earn a bit more than the rest of us. Harrison Ford did get annoyed with Jabba one day but he was repeatedly falling on his head at the time, out of the carbonite panel, and I guess he was just acting in character. It was a feature of Jabba that everyone, especially the director, talked to him as a person rather than to any one his crew. So he was believable as a real creature / character right from the start.

For The Dark Crystal you designed puppets. Can you tell us exactly which puppets you designed and how the process went?

I was in charge of the Environment Puppets. This covered anything that moved in the swamp set and a few creatures, like crystal spiders, on Aughra's mountain. For the swamp we made moving flowers, flying seeds, a giant swamp creature and a forty foot walking tree. Plus a lot of static plants to dress the set, and some 'rotten' versions for the Skeksis banquet scene.

John doesn't like my mind tricks
Of all the characters, puppets and animatronics you didn’t make: which one would you like to remake?

Actually I would have liked to sculpt Jabba as a young man, sixteen years after I sculpted him for his death! But that wasn't to be. I think the CGI Hutts in Episode I were a great improvement on the special edition, but it was such a brief scene I can understand why they weren't made as puppets.

You wrote an essay about monsters that can be read on your website; what is it that fascinates you about them, and what is your all-time favorite monster?

In brief, I suppose it's the way we create monsters to embody our fears and make them a little easier to deal with them. In that sense they are our friends. My all time favorite monster is a very popular one; the face hugger and chest burster from Alien. Well, I guess the whole life cycle of the beast, from face hugger to full Alien.

What is your favorite scene of all the movies you have worked on?

I'll cheat and say two. The dancing scene in Jabba's palace and / or his death scene, and the entrance of the Diva in The Fifth Element. That actually makes three doesn't it, sorry!

The Diva from the Fifth Element
Can you tell us something about your work regarding the Harry Potter movies?

To be honest I didn't do so much on those films, not in terms of 'headline' characters anyway. But I enjoyed sculpting the Unicorn for the first Harry Potter film, because Nick Dudman let us experiment and make a really believable creature. It had a fully articulated steel skeleton (made by Jim Sandys), the hair was flocked (team led by Esteban Mendoza) and the finished Unicorn was beautiful even if it did have to be dead.

You worked on Return to Oz; a great movie that never really got the appreciation it deserved. What were the animatronics you designed for that movie? And what is your own opinion about this movie?

As you say this is kind of a forgotten movie. And for me it was one of the best because I was working on it right from the start, making art department models of most of the main characters. Then I helped develop the look, and the full size rigs, of TikTok, the Wheelers and the Cowardly Lion amongst others. But I missed the filming; there was a break over Christmas and then the crew was re-hired. (In the meantime I'd accepted an offer to work for Malcolm Stone on Santa Claus. He was the art director in charge of making all the animatronic reindeer, also working with the animal trainers who looked after the real animals. That was a real challenge and I think we succeeded; there were times when people mistook our animatronic reindeer for the real thing, because they were livelier!) Going back to Return to Oz, I do think it was a good film. Largely because the director, Walter Murch, was so dedicated to the original stories.

Back to the main page

Rick McCallum interview

2007-07-20T16:27:00.001-07:00

Some hate ‘em, some (including myself) love ‘em: the Star Wars prequels.
These three movies were produced by Rick McCallum, the producer that also brought you Young Indiana Jones and has been working with George Lucas for years.

When I met McCallum at the V.I.P. premiere of Episode I back in 1999 I never thought I would have an interview 8 years later that would make a big impact on the internet.
I spoke with McCallum in April 2007, and a week later the following interview was published on a Dutch Star Wars website. The impact was huge. Within a few days all kinds of websites had picked up the story, including ‘biggies’ like IESB.net, DarkHorizons and loads of others.

Because of this I can safely say that to this day this interview is the most important one I ever had.
See for yourself!

Rick McCallum & I at the premiere of Star Wars: Episode I in the RAI, Amsterdam, June 1999
How did you get into the industry? Did your stepfather, Michael York, influence you in any way?

No, not really. I used to work in a perfume factory when I was a kid, every summer. Even though I have a huge nose I found out it wasn’t right for me. A friend of mine was working for a news show and asked me if I wanted to come over. They were doing an interview with Henri Kissinger the day I was there. I stood in for one of the camera assistants who got sick and at the end of the day I thought it was fun. When I got back to New York to finish my college I met a wonderful group of filmmakers including James Ivory and then I was hooked!

Since the beginning of the nineties you have worked exclusively with George Lucas, from which one may conclude the two of you share a certain kind of chemistry.

I have never met him! But I hear he is such a nice guy. (laughs) It’s a very interesting relationship directors and producers have, especially when they last a long time. I believe that the job of a producer is to enable a director and the writer to do whatever they want to do within the limits of the money and the schedule that you have. Our job is to make it happen for those guys. When it works, it works beautifully. It’s all about the dynamics in the relationship between the producer and director. I’ve spent almost my entire career working exclusively for writer/directors. So, it’s just two people who set up the movie. The director’s job is to make sure his story comes out the way he wants it while mine is to spend all the money, recourses, the tools to make sure the movie is the way the director has in mind. That’s how it really works. When it doesn’t work, when you look at peoples careers and they haven’t worked with the same people it usually means they haven’t found someone they can get along with.

How would you describe your working relationship with Mr. Lucas?

It’s a very minimal thing. He can tell me in one or two sentences what he wants and I know pretty much how to get it and what to do. That is what the relationship is about. We get along very well, he understands my job, I understand his, and it just works.

It is said you love to shoot on location and that you prefer it over shooting in a studio, on a soundstage. It could be said you love the challenge of facing the elements. On the other hand, could we conclude you love to travel?

I love to travel more than anything. I just got back from Romania and Montenegro. There’s always a different dynamic, a different culture, a different way people work. If you can get the right cast and crew it’s always an exciting thing. I love shooting in a studio, but I prefer the danger on location because you never know what is going to happen.

Was it for the Star Wars television series that you were in Europe?
No, it was for a movie called Red Tails.

Ah, the new Lucasfilm production.

Yes, George isn’t directing, but it’s a project he has been wanting to do for eighteen years. It’s the last project he has set up and initiated. Once he has this done, we’ll start doing his movies.

Can you tell us anything about this new movie?

Yes, it’s about a group of African-American pilots in World War II. They were heroes at the age of nineteen, twenty. The army air force didn’t believe that black people could fly so they set up their own squadron and went into battle. In the last year of the war they never lost a single bomber and they helped to liberate Berlin. It’s a great group of kids and an incredible story. It’s not about racism but more about how heroic they were.

I assume you saw the Original Trilogy back in the late seventies and early eighties. How did you feel working on these movies years later, for the Special Editions?

The Special Editions were brain damage. It was seriously weird because I admire the original trilogy so much, and to end up working on them is strange. We were trying to set up a template in the early nineties with Young Indiana Jones. It was about how to figure out how we were gonna make the prequels for the money that we wanted to spend. We were financing them ourselves, just like we did the marketing and distribution all by ourselves. When we were working on the special editions it was about how far we could push things like ILM in terms of the things that we wanted to do. It was wonderful, but weird. It was about two years of work and we had a great time.

You mentioned ‘Young Indiana Jones’. When will it finally be released on DVD?

We are hoping that the first set will be released just before Christmas. I’m not sure about the date since Paramount is releasing it. Since Star Wars was finished one of the things we have been doing was making 94 documentaries which will be completed by the end of this month. (editors note: april 2007) These go with the TV series. There is a historical timeline that takes you trough the life of Young Indy and incredible documentaries about the people that he meets. That was a fun and fantastic experience.

Will 'Young Indiana Jones' be used as a blueprint for the upcoming live action Star Wars television series?

No, the Star Wars television series will be used as a blueprint for how we’re gonna do our own films, the more personal movies George wants to make, how we’re gonna use technology to make a movie for 10 or 15 million dollars with a lot of effects in it. Nowadays movies cost a lot of money and it doesn’t work. Movies are too expensive. It’s about how to change the perimeters of how do you set up the movie, how do you shoot it around the world, how do you make it look big in a more reasonable way. Most people forget that it takes three and a half, four years to make a Star Wars film. It’s long and that is why we are so excited to make the TV series because it’s much more character driven, you make a mistake one week and fix it the next week. You got this extraordinary story of twenty years between Episode III and IV while Luke is growing up that needs to be explored. So, we are looking forward to it. One of the things we are also looking forward to is finding a new group of talent to work with on feature films very much the same way as we did with Young Indy. Almost everyone that worked on Young Indy stayed with us for seventeen years or longer and some are still with us. Now we’re gonna start off with a new group, the next generation of filmmakers.

Could you tell us something about the status of the Star Wars television series?
Something about the actors maybe?

I can’t tell you anything about actors because we’re not there yet. This is a long process to get it right. First of all: where are we gonna shoot? Then: who’s gonna write? And finally: who’s gonna direct? George has been working for the last seven, eight months on the story arc line of where the series goes. The dream is to do way over one hundred hours of it. If we can get it right, we have some fantastic characters that nobody has ever met before and start a whole other world of Star Wars that comes out every week instead of every three years.

Will any of the older characters appear in the series?

It’s a whole different group of characters.

When do you expect the first episode will be televised?

That’s tough. The TV world is changing a lot. Hopefully we will have finished the first episode by the end of 2008, so that in 2009 it can come out.

An important question a lot of non-American fans are probably wondering about is if they will have to wait longer to see series in comparison to the American fans?
In other words: will it be released worldwide at the same time?

Too early too tell, but most likely worldwide.

Excellent!

We know we have a large group of fans that don’t want to wait. It’s one of the reasons we push the release dates of our movies so that everyone can see it at the same time.

About the filming of Episodes I, II and III: what was the funniest or strangest thing that happened on the set?

They are like military operations, they’re not like a normal film. Every day has it’s challenges and is fun. To me each film is unique as we did one in England and the last two in Australia. Episode III was shot in seven, eight countries. They are all fantastic. The scariest moment was on Episode I when we lost a lot in the Tunisian desert due to that sandstorm. It’s not like a normal film, it’s like a group of people that have been together for a long time. We set a standard and it’s non-stop work. A lot of funny things did happen, but I can’t think of anything specific that would make a good story.

And your favorite memory regarding the films would be?

We try to work with people who are not too demanding or dramatic.

Does this mean you don’t have a favorite moment?

Well, I don’t live my life like that. Each day is a challenge, if you crack it then you’re happy. We try to have a lot of fun. I love shooting in China, Thailand, Italy…It’s hard to separate them all as they are all unique experiences.

Back to the main page