 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PETER HUDSON
Wearing black trousers, sweat top, t-shirt. He's just been doing work on a
10minute 35mm French film with Valentine Pelka. He had hoped to have the videos
to bring with him, but they should be available soon. He also directed 'Waiting
for Godot' in a Paris theatre.
What was it like to play Horton?
Wonderful, it was an
incremental role - he was just signed for the 2 episodes originally. Each time
there was something new about Horton to work on. He got the part by being in
the right place at the right time.
A question about his part in The New Professionals (cop show)
Played the bad guy (again!); killed as usual. His character was smuggling gold
from Bosnia in sports cars [as one does!] and he was also carrying a sub machine
gun in a black bag that seemed to magically evade detection by all the border
guards!
|
He's a genuinely nice guy  |
If I put my head one one side like this,  |
More about Horton.
Yes, it was an active character. He'd done
stage fighting but not weapons work; with swords unless you shoot from a
careful angle, there's only a little leeway to miss the target. He felt Horton
had intellectual acuity. When it came to the fall off the boat, that was a
stuntman! He has a good sense of humour and wouls like to do both comedy and
musicals, but it doesn't happen. "I don't get offered comedy....... So I
just stay with the killers."
When asked if he works with his wife, he revealed that she mixed the 10 minute film.
A question about the difficult scene with Jim Byrnes
"Jim
was ready and keen. It wasn't me that was going to say no......Jim was
going to do it 110%. It was a powerful experience."
Why Paris?
He's been in Paris for a while. There is a 'myth'
about Paris, but there is some truth in it. The French are shooting simpler
movies these days (compared to 60's and 70's).
A question about the difficulty of tight shooting schedules.
The
shooting was over 8 days so it wasn't too difficult; not physically draining.
As for continuity, he does what feels right at that moment.
Asked to do Horton's "I am the man you can't kill."
Tried
once, then admitted the accent was too American. Took several deep breaths,
then suddenly.......the hair on the back of my neck went up. He delivered the
line again and it WAS Horton on that stage for about 10 seconds. Spooky. Peter
got a well-deserved round of applause!
A question about the violence in HL and children watching it.
Peter thought it was good that HL engaged the issues between good and
evil; it's not gratuitous violence, unlike many Hollywood movies. "In
some Hollywood films, the good guy is really the bad guy." [I can think of
one or two of those!]
How do you prepare to play the bad guy?
'It's a compensation. Unless you're a big star you don't have time to
prepare. Somewhere I do have a dark side that doesn't come out in everyday
life.'
Something about the changing styles of acting.
There's a faster
pace nowadays. Fashions change for the style of person needed. Roles tend to
be more sexually ambivilant now, with different body types being 'popular'.
Peter mentioned 'Jaws' and how the shots were so much longer than they would be
for a modern film. He regretted never being asked to play the good guy!
How would Horton have coped as an Immortal?
[A lot of people
have wondered about that!] 'He would have been very upset!' Quoted Horton's
line about Immies being 'an abomination in the eyes of God.' He made a quip
about having Horton cloned and then having to kill himself!
Favourite directors?
Fellini, someone I heard as 'Bounelle',
Hitchcock, Scorcese. [Hitchcock certainly. Speilberg, Clive Barker,
Tarantino for sheer nerve, a certain Adrian Paul shows promise!, anyone who does
long cinematic stuff......some of the sweeping shots in 'Dances with Wolves' for
example.] 'My tastes are commercially on the fringe.'
Something about Paris......"You look like a U boat captain!" -
multiple languages?
'How are you going to finish this question?!!?'
English is still the language to speak in cinema. German would be good because
of all those U boats! But 2nd World War films are going out of fashion.
Would he like to do Shakespeare?
Yes, but difficult when you have 4 children and a mortgage!
Of another role in HL -
'It would have to be another bad guy.'
[ It might have been interesting to bring in a good immortal who just happened
to look like Horton - Duncan would have had major problems!] Peter went on to
talk about other actors, mentioning Robert De Niro and Valentine Pelka in
particular.
Peter does voice-overs for cartoons; 'I talk to myself in silly voices!'
- then gave us two different American accents! Much laughter and appreciation
from audience!
Outstanding moments on HL?
Meeting people - Alexandra in
Vancouver, Adrian and Jim Byrnes. so many times there is superficial intimacy
on set, but HL people really DO keep in touch.
Comparing British and American conventions.
In America, more
people get to do more in the same time, a lot of stuff gets done faster. But
English conventions are more informal and he enjoyed being able to chat with
fans at the bar!
What did he do before acting?
Teaching; phonetics and helping French TEFL teachers in France. [Does
he need someone else to do his old job......LOL!] 'Basically I'm a U boat
captain! Weapons in HL are filled with blanks, but in teaching, you can't be so
sure!' [This reminds me of the katana story Paul Edmonds told, which I'll come
back to at the end!]
Is there any role you'd refuse?
Nakedness......now! If the
story does not engage the moral issues. Someone asked his web address and [I
think] he deliberately mis-heard this. 'Do I like wearing a dress?!!?' When
the confusion was ironed out, his agent said it was under construction because
it had just moved.
THE BLUES BROTHERS OF THE APOCALYPSE!
|
RICHARD: 'We......ll, you know you make  |
MARCUS: 'Are you sure you haven't been drinking?'  |
|
RICHARD: 'Can't help singing.....'  |
RICHARD: 'Marcus is really my pet.'  |
|
Marcus wins first prize in the 'Jim Fleming look-alike' competition  |
And for those of you who haven't had the good fortune to meet him (yet!), here is Jim Fleming. Anytime Marcus needs a stunt double......! For more on Jim, see my 'Homeland' report (click below). This picture courtesy of FRANCES DOYLE. Posted with her permission.
 |
'Everybody needs somebody to love!' was played and on came Richard and
Marcus, doing all the moves. Marcus had added a pair of black wrap-around
sun-glasses to his outfit! I don't know what the boys had been on [I'm guessing
a lot of beer!], but they were wired! Jumping off the stage, climbing over the
chairs and the audience and generally interacting very closely with anyone that
they could!
To Richard: Had being in HL made him contemplate his own
mortality?
Only when he fell through the planks in the submarine base!
His own CD is coming along slowly but surely. He had just finished 'Up and
Under', a rugby movie set in Cardiff. Some fans had seen this and commented
favourably.
To both: How did you feel about playing 2 of the 4 Horsemen?
M:
Natural - just ask my mother!
R: (Quoting his wife!) 'Oh, yes. Fab.'
Something about a Horsebaby, then a comment that Marcus is the Paramedic of the
Apocalypse! He went on to talk about Valentine accidentally cutting R's thumb,
but he didn't feel it until the cameras stopped. No, Marcus' paramedic skills
hadn't been needed!
To Marcus: Please tell us what your tattoo means (a very
Celtic-looking, beautiful piece of work on the right hand side of his head)
It's
Tribal, 11 years old. It's a Polynesian fire dragon, a representation of my
protector spirit. [This meant more to me than I can put here. It's a long
story!].
Would they liked to have been different characters?
M:
(enigmatically) Yes.
R: Happy to be War. Richard has just finished
'Joan of Arc' which he described as a long, intense piece with 200 knights on
horseback in full armour, shot in the Czeck republic.
They both decided that
they'd like to work together again, eventually plumping for 'an action comedy
with songs'. [Blues Brothers 3?!!? ] Richard would like to be Winnie the Pooh
and Marcus, James Bond [actually...... that wouldn't be half bad!]
They both enjoy doing radio plays, but Richard has a distinctinve voice, so he doesn't get much. They both write songs (recently together!) . They recommended the film 'Cradle will Rock'. Richard was asked to sing and gave us 'Swing low, sweet chariot.' Ohh. Lovely voice. Richard also revealed that Marcus is quite domesticated - cooking, ironing, washing-up [can he come to my house please?!!?] and Marcus was mock-angry, saying that Richard was ruining his reputation!
At this point, there was a signed leather HL jacket to auction. Marcus did the cat-walk mince up and down and a lucky lady got the item for £550.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|