Its being funded by a Kickstarter, and you might go and back the project now.
So lets start at the beginning how did you get the role of Flash Gordon in the first place?
They called me in the meeting with Dino De Laurentiis.
It was a long process from the time I first met him.
It could have been almost nine months to a year the entire process.
I found out later his mother-in-law was watching a TV game show calledThe Dating Gamewhich I went on.
Ad content continues below
Is there footage of that episode out there anywhere?
Who knows, thats so many years ago!
Is it true you did you posed naked inPlaygirlbefore you hit the big time?
Can you tell me about that?
Oh yes, certainly.
Burt Reynolds posed naked forCosmopolitan.
I thought, wow, thats kinda cool.
Apparently you beat Kurt Russell and Arnold Schwarzenegger for the role did you know anything about that?
I guess its a rumour.
Dino was very secretive about his casting process, I never saw Kurt, I never saw Arnold.
I heard years later that they were also up for the part.
Ive never confirmed it with them personally.
The film is almost a comedy, but its played straight and thats part of the charm.
What sort of direction did you get for your performance ham it up or do it seriously?
I think Nicolas Roeg did maybe a year before Michael came in, so he had his hands full.
But I just approached it, I studied up on Flash Gordon.
I did it straight.
And here we are talking 35 years later.
Did you have trouble taking them all in?
Its a great question.
During the making ofFlash GordonI did not have a whole lot of time to enjoy what you just mentioned.
I was moved from spot to spot with 30 second breaks in between.
If I wasnt shooting a scene, I was rehearsing a scene, or a fight scene.
Or learning how to use the bull whip.
Or learning how to use another weapon.
It was non-stop, on the go.
As I get older now, I think Ive only seenFlash Gordona total of eight times.
To answer your question, I am now enjoying it.
So what scenes do you pick up on now?
The fight scene with Timothy Dalton on the rotating, revolving disc with all the spikes.
That took weeks and weeks of rehearsals, we put a lot into it.
The metal shafts were hollow, but the tips were hard rubber.
You could get hurt on the metal shafts.
There were three operators using hydraulics, and trying to see us at the same time.
Of course it was choreographed, but when youre in the heat of the battle you start to improvise!
And then we had the other dynamic of not wanting to hit each other with the bullwhips.
They were real bullwhips, and we did take a few hits.
I remember he hit me with the bullwhip once and I decided to go right back at him.
It gave us some very real reactions!
And what about that big spiky helmet youve got on in the prison?
What was that like to wear?
It looked as if it was painful and torturous, but really it wasnt.
I think they had it covered in foam, and padding inside, it wasnt that difficult.
How were you able to keep a straight face around a half-naked Brian Blessed?
Just a wonderful man.
Crazy, of course, hes a bit bonkers.
Weve appeared together in London once or twice, and Im looking forward to appearing with him again.
What was Dino De Laurentiis like in person?
Hes such a towering figure in film history.
Basically he was little bit difficult.
Anyone who was not performing to that level, he would vocalise it and let that be known.
Theyre very passionate people.
I figured that out pretty quickly that he was a passionate man and he loved his work.
Hes basically a genius because of what hes done in his whole career.
Is it true you fell out over your voice being overdubbed in the final cut?
After the making of the movie, years later, I called him.
He understood and forgave me, and it was a clean slate.
I really, really appreciated that.
There were plans for sequels, right?
Theyre looking to bring out a sequel actually.
I met with Matt, were in talks about that.
So Im very excited about it.
So would you want to play an older Flash, or a mentor to younger star?
However they want to use me, Im very excited.
If he does 20 pull-ups, I can do 30 pull-ups.
If he can do 100 push-ups, I can do 150 push-ups.
Just keep that in mind!
How did the documentaryLife After Flashcame about?
Theres a UK reality show I did calledThe Jump[Channel 4s celebrity ski-jumping show].
I think out of 12 celebrities who entered, I think 11 had to drop out!
I was the first one with my shoulder!
I had shoulder surgery for my ski injury in Austria.
But it worked out really well, great crew, working with the English.
And thats how I met these producers, who wanted to do a documentary calledLife After Flash.
I got so excited about it, I said Lets do it!.
Were doing it on Kickstarter.
Were giving back to the fans.
Im really excited about it.
So whats actually going to be in the documentary?
And youre planning a Flash Gordon reunion, right?
Weve only really had three of us together Melody, Brian Blessed and myself together.
We want to get every living cast member together.
Were still waiting for conformation, but well see you in London!
Do you feel a responsibility playing a character as beloved as Flash?
Do you worry about living up to fans expectations when they meet you in real life?
I know a lot of people say that they separate the movie industry from their personal life.
If you dont want your picture taken by a paparazzi, then stay at home.
I dont understand it!
Three generations, right in front of your eyes.
How did your cameo inTedcome about?
Seth McFarlene called me!
And Im starting to get these calls at my age.
He knew that when he saw it he wanted to be a creative person in the entertainment business.
And the same with Matt Reilly.
Being a classic 80s action hero, would you ever want to be in anExpendablesmovie?
I didnt know that!
Youve got to tells us more about it!
So I put a few calls in, I humbled myself.
This is good advice for the world, especially for men!
Well after a couple of years I started receiving calls again to make more movies and TV shows.
My point is, thats how this mathematics works.
Im just an actor?
So are you actually out in the field then, or just the boss?
And also, when Im making a movie, I can actually hire myself to protect myself!
You should charge extra for Flash Gordon being your bodyguard.
A lot of people dont know it.
Especially in the corporate world, the executives, its a different mindset.
Its a whole other world.
Can I ask you about the TV movie ofThe Spirityou did in 1987?
Was that meant to be a series?
[Spirit creator and comic book pioneer] Will Eisner came on the set when we were filming it.
It was originally scripted to be a television pilot for a series.
It just came out as a movie of the week.
For whatever reason, it did not turn into a series.
I absolutely enjoyed it.
What other roles stand out for you?
I loved doing a lot of characters.
I went on to play a lot of different characters.
I even played a woman once, I spent four or five hours in make up.
That was for a movie of the week with Lou Gossett and that was fun.
I went on to do comedies, and lots of different characters.
I played a lot of villains.
I just enjoyed it.
I did so many guest spots.
Probably more [guest spots] than anything.A-Teamwas fun.
I just loved that character, and I loved all the different guest stars that we had.
I didRenegadewith Lorenzo Lamas, I worked with so many people over the years.
A guest star is a funny thing.
You come in really quick, everybodys already established, its their show.
It doesnt matter how big your name is, or what youve done, or havent.
You come on, youre stepping into unfamiliar territory and its not your house.
You come in and the bar is raised even higher.
I learned a big lesson.
It was wonderful, everyone took real good care of me, and welcomed me.
And just before we finish, can you tell us anything aboutTed 2?
It premieres June 26; Its supposed to be funnier thanTed.
Weve done some funny scenes, Im really looking forward to it.
I talk about that in the documentary as well.
Sam J Jones, thank you very much!
Find out more about Life After Flash atwww.lifeafterflash.comor on itsFacebook page.
Sam J Jones Twitter is@realsamjjones.
