This one was interesting.
The guy who came up with it was an NYU film student, and he e-mailed me the script…
Does that happen a lot with actors, you being sent the script direct…?
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Well, now we have the Internet its happening a lot more.
If you put up a blog, people can cut out the middle man and get material to you.
So I got the script and I read it, and I liked the part.
And I thought it was something that I had to do.
So I signed up and did it.
We shot it last year and it just turned out really, really well.
Have you had your fill of them?
Well, all I meant by that was its refreshing sometimes to go in and just do some acting.
And you teach acting now?
And how do your students feel about being taught by the 45th greatest teen star of all time?
Well, yknow, some of them did see that on VH1.
I think some of them think its cool, I guess!
Well theres not many people who can claim it, to be fair!
I think they think its kind of fun!
And how do you feel about it?
Well, yknow, I was really kind of surprised to get that high up in the ranking.
When I participated in it I would have been happy to have got in the 90s.
I love England and I love English culture, particularly English pop culture.
Doing a lot of touristy things, and a lot of untouristy things.
And Ive seenWithnail & Imaybe 50 times!
I show it in my classes when I want to teach some comedy.
Because Richard E Grant, theres not once where hes really beingfunnyin the movie, hes playing the reality.
you could never play something as if you realise the comedy of it.
Can we take you back to the start of your career?
And I got it in April of 1982, so youre talking 25 years ago.
And, yknow, I thought that that, quite honestly, was going to be my big ticket.
And then I did the movie, and it turned out very differently, I mean.
As a result, MGM just had no idea how to market it.
They were just baffled.
They couldnt release it on DVD.
And hes written a book about it calledNothing Lasts Forever.
And it was pretty amazing to see 23 years later, people start to appreciate the movie.
Im very proud of it.
I just dont know if its for everybody.
And obviously your big ticket movie arrived just a year or two later withGremlins.
How did it come about?
And I said sure.
So I came back in and there was Phoebe Cates, and we got paired together.
And they put us both on tape and we did it once.
And they said thank you very much and left it.
It was one of the easiest parts Ive ever gotten.
It just doesnt make any sense.
Is it a movie youre still fond of?
Well, yknow, Im not trying to compare myself to The Beatles, because Im not The Beatles!
So I think I went through a period when I wished everyone would shut up aboutGremlins.
Because I got fed up that people just talked about Gremlins, Gremlins, Gremlins.
And it became such a big part of my life it started to become my identify by 1991.
So I think I went through a period of refusing it.
But I think now enough time has gone by and yeah, I love it.
I think its cute, and in America its become a cultural icon.
So, yeah, I wanted to do other things.
And it wasnt where every time I went to work I was covered in blood.
Gremlinsthough is still hugely popular over here, inspiring many spin off movies.
But theres an old adage about never work with animals or children.
Where doGremlinsfit in to that?
Well, I think it was W C Fields who said that, and he was right.
Youre certainly not going to get much credit.
You remember the dog, not the people!
So youre going to pretty much anticipate that.
It was slightly different from that, though.
I think what helped differentiateGremlinswas that there were a series of interesting characters?
The first primary reason is the scheduling.
It should have come out in May.
And we got slaughtered because we could not compete with the Warren Beatty/Madonna thing.
If he hadnt been dating Madonna, I think we would have probably won.
In the 1990s, she was like a supernova we just couldnt get past.
And I think thats a problem.
There was also quite an unnaturally long gap between the two films?
Was that something to do with Joe Dante being reluctant to go back and do another one?
Youd have to ask Joe Dante that.
So I came back in November/December, and Id moved on with my life.
Trying to get these puppets to do things.
And thats not even mentioned the year and a half of pre-production that went into the movie.
So the same thing, its a two to three year thing for them with these puppets.
And theyve done six years of it out of their life.
The idea of another three years?
And I think maybe if they saw something they liked maybe they would.
And as far as money goes, theyre fine for money.
And its a problem.
So what was the difference for you?
And then I put it in the tool box and go and talk to him when hes in there.
It was a much more conscious effort to get the Gizmo out of my hands.
Hes just a brilliant guy.
So when you played the tape back, it looked like the thing wastalking.
It was on another level.
It was an incredibly high level of sophistication.
And they spent a lot of money onGremlins 2.
You followed upGremlinsyourself withSurviving, one of your most acclaimed roles.
Youre correct, I was 20 when we shot that movie.
It was pretty intimidating at the table read, I gotta tell you.
Everybody involved in it was pretty solid.
So yeah, you just had to come with youre A game.
And I think the key thing was that the script was good.
You see with the Writers Strike going on here, and its important.
But if youve got a poorly written script it doesnt matter.
you could put the greatest actors in it, its going to come off poorly.
