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Celluloid Shockers |
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In the second of our exclusive interviews from Chillerfest, we had the exciting opportunity to sit down with the star of such movie greats as 'Willow', 'Return Of The Jedi', 'Harry Potter' and of course the genre favourites the 'Leprechaun' series, Warwick Davis.
Warwick started acting from an early age and got the part of the lead Ewok 'Wicket' in Return Of The Jedi due to the fact that he was the only short actor who could poke his tongue through the mask. Twenty years on, he's still going strong! A sixth Leprechaun movie on the way, a Ray Charles biopic and the third Harry Potter movie... a busy guy indeed! He tells us he got his acting break by hearing a casting call on the radio... luck of the Irish?... but he's from Surrey in England right? You get what we mean ;)
CS.com: You first appeared in the LEPRECHAUN in 1991 (released in 93), what was it that first attracted you to the part?
WD: Well, I got the script for LEPRECHAUN and the writer Mark Jones really didn't want to send it to me because he thought, seeing WILLOW, that I was a really nice guy and I'd never want to do anything like this, but as an actor it is very important that you show that you're diverse and can do different kinds of characters. So I jumped at the chance to do this because I felt that I could prove that I'm not going to be typecast as characters such as WILLOW and that I can do other stuff. It was great because I could just go crazy on it. There was never any danger of overacting in this, I could be as extreme as I wanted to be. It was also very interesting working with prosthetic make-up, with make-up artist Gabe Bartalos, in creating this character. I had total free reign on it really, as to what I wanted to do and how I wanted to interpret it, and little did I know that over a decade later we would still be making these movies. I really can't get over how popular they've become. In America I'm recognised purely for that film sometimes. I'd be walking down the street and there'd be groups of teenagers and college students shouting "Hey it's the guy from the LEPRECHAUN!", which I don't really know how they work out. *laughs*
CS.com: How do you think the LEPRECHAUN as a character, holds up against the big boys like Freddy and Jason? Especially now as you're catching them up on sequels.
WD: The movies are kind of different in the respect that they're very much more cartoon style, more comic book style to Freddy and Jason. I think they can sit alongside there but they are a different experience. If you want to have more of a laugh then it's a LEPRECHAUN movie. The humour is something I enjoy about them and I think it's good to laugh one minute and see a bit of gore the next minute, it's a good contrast. I'd love to do a LEPRECHAUN movie where the LEPRECHAUN is involved with one of those other great horror legends. Although Freddy might be a bit much for him but... might be able to kick Chucky's arse, that would be quite fun. *laughs*
CS.com: LEPRECHAUN Vs Chucky... that's main event status right there.
WD: *laughs*Yeah it would be good.
CS.com: We've had a lot of interest on the website with regard to a LEPRECHAUN action figure. Have you been approached by any companies to make a figure?
WD: There are already a couple of figures that people may be interested to know about. There was a limited run of about 15 sculptures that stood at 12", that were done for executives and people who were going to buy the movie in the European market. There were also some little figures done that stand at about 3" high, the LEPRECHAUN has his arms stretched out in a pose and is very brightly painted. I don't know how many of those were made, I think they were a giveaway from video stores. I have one of those and I think they're quite rare. At the moment I'm working with an artist over here (UK) to do a LEPRECHAUN sculpture. It's about 5 inches tall, very intricately detailed, absolutely fantastic detail on it. I don't know if they will be painted yet or be done in a resin finish, but I'm going to do a signed edition because he's stood on a clover leaf and I'll do a signature along the bottom, something like that anyway, that's what I'm working toward doing. Also I heard that Todd McFarlane were going to do a LEPRECHAUN figure, and what are those other figures? The ones with the big heads? They did a Freddy and a Jason...
CS.com: Headknockers?
WD: Yeah! I think it'd be great to see a LEPRECHAUN one of those! With a teeny tiny body and a huge head *laughs* I think those would definitely go well because people like to complete those sort of collections.
CS.com: LEPRECHAUN should definitely be stood alongside the other horror legends in plastic form.
WD: I was also very honoured to get on that 'BOOGEYMEN' DVD, although I don't agree that the clip they chose was very good, with the pogo stick, I think there's other stuff they could have put on there that would have been better, but it's nice to be part of it all.
CS.com: We've heard that a sixth instalment of the LEPRECHAUN movies is on the way 'BACK IN DA HOOD'. Can you tell us a bit about this movie?
WD: Yeah there is a sixth movie. I was as surprised as anyone really when they phoned and said they were doing another one. They always leave it that long enough for you to think it's finished and then back it comes. I'm back in the hood, the LEPRECHAUN in this movie is much more physical. In number five he had a lot of kinetic powers and could throw people across the room without touching them. He's now very hands on and very strong, he can lift up a man and throw him... that kind of stuff. A lot of humour again, the LEPRECHAUN at one point gets very much into smoking weed so there's some very funny stuff as a result of his intoxication. What else can I say? It's a good movie, very gritty, very street, there aren't any major cameos this time around, we have a cameo from the Ruff Ryders, who are a motorcycling culture really, they've got their own rap label and everything. They came down and were in the movie, because they wanted to be, and that was fun... it's going to be good. It's not finished yet because I haven't done my ADI (audio recording) for it, so that will be done sometime in the next month or so. Also, another bit of "exclusive news" for you, they're planning to do a box set of all six movies and I've been asked to do audio commentaries for all six with Gabe Bartalos who did the make-up, myself and him are the only two people who have worked on all six movies, so we have this unique insight into all of the films. We're going to sit in a studio sometime in the next month or so and lay out commentaries for the whole lot.
CS.com: Brilliant! Sounds like one to look forward to. Would you be up for another LEPRECHAUN movie if they asked you?
WD: Well there's already rumours flying around and scripts flying around. So many companies now want to make LEPRECHAUN movies.... I'd do another one. If I thought the script was cool and also there are so many directions we could go with the character. I read a very very good script late last year but for now it's on hold, obviously to see if LEPRECHAUN 6 is received well and has some success, then possibly that will become the next one. I think there's lots more we could do with him. He is very popular because there's something likeable about him and it's apparent with all horror characters although they're evil and terrible people, at the same time the audience has to like something about them as well. With Freddy you do like him even though he does all these awful things, and the same with the LEPRECHAUN, he's likeable so we shall see.
CS.com: You've worked with some great actors throughout your career, Richard Harris, Val Kilmer, Harrison Ford. Do you have any fond memories about working with one in particular?
WD: Yeah, many of the actors I've worked with have been very good, very professional. It's a hard question to narrow it down to someone in particular...
CS.com: *laughs* How about Jennifer Aniston?
WD: Yeah, it's funny isn't it, Jennifer kind of denies having anything to do with LEPRECHAUN and later releases of the movie have featured her name or even her photograph on the front cover to market it. It's a shame, you should never deny your past, and who knows, she might have been spotted in LEPRECHAUN and that's how she got the audition for 'Friends', I don't know. I'm constantly called up by magazines looking for quotes on Jennifer when they're doing stories on her and I'm forever telling them "it was a long time ago, I can't remember" *laughs* I've worked with some great people and they were all great, I'm really lucky, Harrison Ford was such a nice guy. I've met some great great actors as well. I think 'Harry Potter' has to be the pinnacle in terms of sitting there at the Head Table in the great hall scenes and looking around and seeing Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Richard Harris, Robbie Coltrane... a tremendous cast. Again on Harry Potter 3, a wonderful ensemble cast of actors you'll know and are respected not just throughout the country but throughout the world so it's an honour to be part of all that again.
CS.com: So what is next for Warwick Davis? What are you currently working on?
WD: What am I up to? I'm doing number three... LEPRECHAUN 3... I mean 'Harry Potter 3'... see I'm confused now, it's been a long day. *laughs* I'm doing a movie called 'Unchain My Heart' which is about Ray Charles. I'm also developing a film called 'Agent 1-Half', of course starring me, it's a comedy about a government agency that consists entirely of short people doing undercover spy, James Bond, type work. The basis is that these are the guys behind James Bond but are the ones you never see, leaving people like Bond to take all the credit despite the fact that we do all the work. It's going very well in development at the moment, a lot of interest from big studios and fingers crossed it will become a movie event for next year. Also, you folks at Celluloidshockers.com will like this one, I appeared in a movie made by Gabe Bartalos called 'Skinned Deep'. It's low budget, Gabe financed it entirely independently, he's now finished the movie and is looking for distribution, it is fantastic. I play a character called 'Plates', who is obsessed with porcelain and kills people by throwing plates AT them. I live with characters such as 'Granny' who is the most endearing old lady with a darker side, the 'Surgeon General' who is a slasher character and 'Brain' and we all live in a house together and get up to all sorts of nonsense.
CS.com: ... a new age 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' if you will?
WD: Basically it is. It's damn good, I love it, I really do and if it gets the right distribution deal it could be very successful... especially among folks such as your selves.
CS.com: Excellent! Warwick, thank
you very much for your time and we wish you
the best with 'BACK IN DA HOOD'.
