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| He's been gray, green, even red, but he's always been angry. How the beefiest superhero crashed in and out of our lives …
By Tom Johnson 1. His toxic beginnings In the late spring of 1962, as Americans and Soviets bluster, threaten and escalate the tension level in the waters off Cuba, a conflicted superhero — the Hulk — emerges from the Marvel Comics phalanx of demigods. Written by Stan Lee and drawn and co-plotted by Jack Kirby, The Incredible Hulk #1 hits the newsstands in May. 2. Hulk's true love Beginning with issue #1, readers are introduced to two characters who will figure prominently in Dr. Bruce Banner/Hulk's life — Betty Ross and her father, General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross. Like Spider-Man's girlfriend, Mary Jane Watson, Betty becomes a staunch defender of Banner, eventually becoming his wife in a brief, ill-fated union.  3. Stan Lee wants a gray Hulk Hulk's creators can't settle on a final color — in the first issue alone, Hulk oscillates in hue from half a dozen different gradations of gray to green. Pressed to make a decision, plans for a deracinated gray Hulk (inspired by the popular Frankenstein films) are abandoned because gray is deemed too difficult a monotone to achieve consistently using the low-budget printing methods then available. Lee ultimately chooses green, starting with #2 in July 1962. 4. Savage, so savage During the first few issues, Dr. Banner deliberately triggers his Jekyll and Hyde metamorphosis using a gamma machine that he designs himself. Each time, the Hulk that emerges is slightly different. In #3, the transformation forebodingly unleashes for the first time the "savage" Hulk incarnation. Arrrgh!  5. Mr. Green gets the pink slip In March 1963, just six bi-monthly issues into the run, the powers that be at Marvel cancel the comic — and to this day, no one is sure why. Some attribute it to low sales; others posit that Marvel was minus its own printing press and had to rent DC's, so only a limited number of titles could be printed in a month, the less profitable Hulk drawing the short straw. 6. Hulk vs. Thing In March 1963, the Hulk guest stars in Fantastic Four #12 and battles the smarter but physically overmatched Thing to a standstill. In all, they epically spar four times, with the inexhaustible Green Giant often gaining the upper hand. The issue (which comes out the same month as The Incredible Hulk #6, the Hulk's final issue) is hawked as a "book-length epic" and marks Marvel's first character "crossover."  7. Hulk goes to college Correspondence from students at a college dormitory declares that the now-defunct Hulk has been chosen as their official mascot. Determined not to let the character fade into the woodwork, Marvel incorporates the jade giant into Kirby and Lee's new book, The Avengers (Sept. 1963), tabbed "Earth's Mightiest Heroes." His cronies: the Marvel(ous) superstuds, Ant-Man, Wasp, Thor and Iron Man. 8. Avengers, disassemble! Even though he is a founding member and a fan favorite, the Hulk has become an un-jolly green giant by issues #3-#5 (Oct. 1963-May 1964). Due to the unpredictable instability once his transformation occurs and the fact that the other members keep attacking him, he ultimately leaves the ranks to be replaced by a new member — Captain America. 9. Spider-Man smackdown! The Hulk is down but not out. In Amazing Spider-Man #14 (July 1964), everyone's favorite web-spinner battles not just his archenemy, the Green Goblin, but the Hulk as well. Hulk squares off against the webbed wonder in a cavern in New Mexico (he seems to favor subterranean gladiatorial arenas, 'cause that's where he first fought the Fantastic Four.) 10. Making a comeback? A year and a half after getting the ax as a solo act, the big lug reappears as a recurring character in Tales to Astonish (first seen in issue #60, Oct. 1964). This time, he shares pulp with Giant Man in a "split book." The re-introduction augers a new trend in mainstream superhero comics — a serialized storyline. Every succeeding issue of Tales includes a Hulk plot that will be carried over to the next issue.  11. How archenemies are born Glen Talbot is introduced in Tales to Astonish #61 (Nov. 1964). The head of security on the base where Banner works, Talbot competes for Betty Ross' affections. To further complicate matters, he's convinced that Banner is a traitor who is manipulating the Hulk. In the next two issues, #62-#63 (Dec.-Jan. 1964) Hulk's greatest nemesis — the Leader — appears. Initially, a marginally intelligent working stiff, Sam Stearns suffers a severe bout of gamma radiation, which robs him of his physical power but endows him superior intelligence, making him an Incredible Hulk — in reverse. 12. Hulk's secret identity outed! In Tales to Astonish #77 (March 1966), believing the green Goliath is dead (in fact, he's just been transported to the future), Rick Jones innocently reveals the secret of the Hulk's dual identity to Talbot, who finally understands what the secretive, lab-obsessed Banner has really been up to these many months. This issue, and Tales to Astonish #87 (Jan. 1967) a year later, in which Banner's identity is revealed to the world, mark perhaps the first time that a superhero is "outed." 
13. An animated Hulk In 1966, a low-budget cartoon with limited animation debuts as, simply, Hulk. The short-lived series is part of a Marvel superheroes string of cartoons that includes half hours devoted to the Sub-Mariner, the Mighty Thor, Iron Man and Captain America. The cartoon takes pains to maintain the hyperbole that is a mainstay of The Incredible Hulk comic-book plots (including the Hulk's Neanderthal dialogue delivery). 14. Why the Abomination is so angry The Abomination, Hulk's other main foe, makes his first appearance in Tales to Astonish #90 (April 1967). After deliberately exposing himself to a greater quantity of the same gamma radiation that transformed Banner into the Hulk, Emil Blonsky, a former KGB spy, does the green goliath one better when he's transformed into a massive green-skinned monster with twice the Hulk's physical strength. But here's the hitch: The Abomination can't return to human form. 
15. Fugitive Hulk In the narrative Tales to Astonish #92 (June 1967), a fugitive Banner is on the lam using fake names and aliases — trying to stay calm and stall inconvenient transformations — while he searches desperately for a cure. Although a "one-off" story that doesn't last beyond the issue, the theme of a hunted Hulk strongly influences the TV series a decade later. 16. Hulk comic returns! Finally free of having to share DC's printing press, Marvel relaunches the Hulk in April under his own title. However, in a nod to retaining at least some semblance of continuity, the Tales to Astonish issue number is kept, marking Hulk's return as issue #102. By this time in the comic's run, the Giant Man co-feature is a distant memory, replaced by the Sub-Mariner. 17. A real split personality In The Incredible Hulk #130 (Aug. 1970), Banner and Hulk are separated into two different bodies for the first time, and the next issue marks the entrance of Jim Wilson — an amalgam character of early Rick Jones stories leavened with some 1970s blaxploitation themes. 18. The Hulk … "Stoned"! Proving that he's finally made it to the mainstream, the Hulk makes the cover of the Sept. 3, 1971, issue of Rolling Stone magazine, with an accompanying article billed as a story that "he couldn't stop" (in reality, an exhaustive profile of Marvel Comics). The cover art is by Herb Trimpe, a longtime Hulk illustrator who will later be the first artist to ink Wolverine. 
19. In a gang — again In Marvel Feature #1 (Dec. 1971), the Hulk teams up with the Silver Surfer and the Sub-Mariner as part of the Defenders, a loose confederation of superheroes — outsiders all — led by Doctor Strange. Brought together to battle mystic and supernatural threats, each team member is famed (or perhaps maligned) for not playing well with others. The origin of the Defenders can be traced back to two earlier story arcs, one of which, The Incredible Hulk #126, (April 1970) finds the Hulk tag-teaming with Dr. Strange to stop an invasion of Earth by a race of beings calling the Undying Ones. 20. Another botched cure, another toxic character Dr. Leonard "Doc" Samson (who will become a major player in Hulk's universe) is introduced in #141 (July 1971). Samson tries to cure Banner by siphoning off gamma rays, storing them and later living up to his surname by absorbing the rays himself — becoming a gamma-powered wrecking machine whose strength is directly proportional to the length of his hair. 
21. Hulk's "gay" name Producer/writer Kenneth Johnson gets the nod from Universal Television to develop a show based on any of several characters they've licensed from Marvel. Johnson begins developing the Hulk, changing "Bruce" Banner to "David" Banner. According to Stan Lee, the name Bruce Banner just sounds, in the eyes of the Universal suits, like a "gay character." 22. A TV transformation After a couple of feature-length TV movies about the Hulk pave the way (same stars, same director), a weekly TV show starring rippled bodybuilder (and former Mr. America) Lou Ferrigno and Bill Bixby and directed by Johnson airs on CBS in 1978 and lasts till 1982.  23. Ahnuld almost Hulk Arnold Schwarzenegger is originally considered for the role in the CBS series but at 6-feet-2 is considered too short. He was replaced by the 6-foot-5 Ferrigno — a case of perfect casting, with the hearing-impaired Ferrigno never needing to enunciate lines as the transformed Hulk and the slightly built Bixby ideal as mild-mannered Dr. Banner. 24. Rampaging Hulk In 1977, Marvel releases The Rampaging Hulk, which is designed to ensnare viewers of the hit TV show. The format of the book — like the Hulk himself — is outsized, resembling a newsstand magazine in size more than a standard-issue comic. 25. A wild and crazy Hulk On Saturday Night Live, a green-skinned John Belushi dressed in tattered clothes plays the Hulk at a superhero cocktail party. In the sketch, Belushi is a literal party-pooper with a flatulence problem that clears the room. Other Hulk tributes occur over the years, most notably on The Simpsons, Robot Chicken and The Family Guy. 26. This Hulk's got curves! Banner's cousin, Jennifer Walters, is introduced in Savage She-Hulk #1 (Feb. 1980). Ripping a page from the vampire mythos, the good doc gives her a needed transfusion, but the gamma radiation in his bloodstream transforms her into a monster. The character marks another milestone — She-Hulk is Stan Lee's last major creation. 27. Death becomes him In The Incredible Hulk #260 (June 1981), Glen Talbot — who had married Betty Ross almost a decade before (issue #172, Feb. 1974) — dies, paving the way for Bruce and Betty to renew their relationship. The issue also represents one of the few comic-book deaths that really sticks. It's been more than 27 years now, and Talbot is still dead. 
28. 'Toon time Considered by many aficionados to be the best of the various animated cartoon Hulks, a series of 13 half-hour episodes ran between 1982 and 1983, often following Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends on Saturday mornings. The origin story is well represented, as is She-Hulk, who is integrated into several plots. And somewhere on the voice-cast roster you'll find grand dame June Foray, who once upon a time parroted the voices of Natasha Fatale and Rocky the flying squirrel from The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. 29. Hulk gets smart? The Intelligent Hulk rears his brainy head for the first time in #272 (June 1982). For a run of 25 issues, Hulk utilizes Banner's rigorous intellect, and the conceit makes for some interesting stories. But, alas, Hulk eventually reverts to his savage alter ego in #297 (July 1984) a couple of years later. 30. Another separation In #315 (Jan. 1986), Doc Samson is able to separate Banner from his Hulk counterpart for a second time. Although Banner is finally free to live a normal life, which includes marrying Betty. However, without Banner's restraint, Hulk is completely unmanageable and kills innocent civilians for the first time. 
30. Iron Man's wardrobe changes Being a tinkerer, the movie's Tony will go through three different stages of armor, in the same fashion that the comic book Iron Man changed up his look. 31. Gray Hulk returns Banner's domestic bliss is short-lived when he and the Hulk are remerged (#323, Sept. 1986) and a gray — and nocturnal — Hulk returns. 32. "Mr. Fixit" Under the stewardship of Peter David, the gray Hulk osmoses into a completely new personality. In #347 (Sept. 1988), Hulk becomes "Joe Fixit," an enforcer for the Vegas mob. He's got a home, a job and a girlfriend who loves him as … the Hulk! Fixit also isn't above drugging Bruce Banner during the day to keep him from fouling the sweet setup he's got going. 33. Bixby & Ferrigno redux Six years after cancellation of the television series, three movies air on NBC, with Bixby and Ferrigno reprising their roles. In The Incredible Hulk Returns and The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, Banner meets fellow superheroes Thor and the Daredevil — with Trial featuring the only time in Hulk's TV and movie history that he wears his trademark purple pants. In The Death of the Incredible Hulk, Banner falls in love with an Eastern European spy but dies after plummeting to earth from an airplane. Despite the Hulk's apparent demise, more Incredible Hulk TV movies are planned, including one intended to launch a possible Iron Man spinoff. 34. Hulk reincarnated — again The Hulk gets another revamp in #377 (Jan. 1991) when, after an intensive psychotherapy session that delves into Banner's history of childhood abuse at the stern hand of his scientist father, a "synthesized" Hulk appears. This "new" Hulk is a triple threat, retaining the raw power of the Savage Hulk, the cunning of the Gray Hulk and the intelligence of Bruce Banner. 'Nuff said! 
35. Joining the pantheon A humanistic Hulk joins the Pantheon (#382, June 1991), a group naming itself after Greek and Roman gods, who are trying to make the world a better place. Hulk stays with them for more than 40 issues, eventually becoming their leader. 36. TV Hulk R.I.P. Plans for a fourth Incredible Hulk TV movie (tentatively titled Rebirth of the Incredible Hulk and starring Bixby and Ferrigno) are quashed forever when Bixby dies of prostate cancer in November 1993. Ferrigno attends the actor's funeral in Hawaii. 37. Hulk tackles AIDS issues In one of the three greatest tragedies of his life (Betty and Jarella's deaths being one and two), Hulk's longtime friend Jim Wilson dies of AIDS (#420, Aug. 1994). In this poignant swan-song issue for Wilson, he pleads with Bruce to give him a life-saving transfusion of irradiated blood, but Banner is hesitant, fearing that such a transfer will cause Wilson to morph into a monster (shades of the She-Hulk). After Wilson's death, in his memory, Bruce donates a large sum of money to the AIDS hospice where Wilson worked. 
38. Big-screen misfire Fans are giddy with word that a Hulk feature film directed by Ang Lee is set for a June 2003 release. The movie (budgeted at $120 million) stars Eric Bana as Bruce Banner, Jennifer Connelly as Betty Ross, Sam Elliot as Gen. "Thunderbolt" Ross and Nick Nolte as Bruce's father. (Lou Ferrigno even makes a cameo as a security guard.) Derided as an art-house film, more Greek tragedy than action-adventure thrill-ride, the film is an unmitigated bomb and suffers a second-weekend box-office drop of 70 percent, the second largest drop ever recorded for a movie that opened as the top box office draw its opening week. Forget incredible, this dud ain't even credible. 39. Game on In the wake of the hugely popular Spider-Man games, The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction vid hits store shelves in 2005. It boasts tight controls, a large array of potential stratagems and voicing from Donnie Wahlberg (Doc Samson), Ron Perlman (the Abomination) and Richard Moll (Devil Hulk) who lets fly some of the funniest homoerotic lines ever uttered by an anti-hero. 
40. If at first you don't succeed … In summer 2008's The Incredible Hulk, Edward Norton stars as the eponymous Listerine-colored Mr. Hyde in round two of trying to make the Hulk a crossover hit from comics to feature films. Liv Tyler is Betty Ross in this go-round, with Tim Roth costarring as the Abomination, Hulk's old comic-book nemesi,s who's 10 feet tall and berths in at 1,500 pounds. Word has it that Norton (who has contributed largely to a script rewrite) bulks up within the first five minutes. Perhaps presciently, Norton turned down Lee's offer to star as Banner in the 2003 film. He, like everyone involved, just hopes this reboot doesn't get the boot … again! | | |
| Box-Office Leaders
1. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
2. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
3. Iron Man
4. What Happens in Vegas
5. Speed Racer
Movies Opening This Week
1. Sex and the City
2. The Strangers
3. Stuck
4. The Foot Fist Way
5. Bigger, Stronger, Faster
Upcoming Movies
1. The Dark Knight
2. Hancock
3. The Incredible Hulk
4. Wanted
5. The Happening
New DVD Releases
1. Rambo
2. Grace Is Gone
3. Cassandra's Dream
4. Darfur Now
5. TyphoonMovies | | |
| "Tori Spelling isn't just returning to Beverly Hills, 90210 — she's reprising her role as Donna Martin.
The pregnant actress will make guest appearances on the new show (airing this fall), the CW announced Tuesday.
According to a statement, Martin is now "the owner of one of the coolest stores in Beverly Hills, a shopping hot spot that is frequented by the new cast of characters."
When asked about the show in April, the pregnant Spelling told Usmagazine.com, "In some way, every show that followed 90210 was a remake of 90210. For the fans' sake, I am really happy for them."
Spelling — whose late father Aaron created and produced the original series — will join former co-star Jennie Garth and former Full House star Lori Loughlin." -US
See clip from show here.
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| We catch up with all of Indiana Jones' old (and new) friends and enemiesBy Tom Forget of Here Indiana JonesWho: When last we saw intrepid archaeologist Henry "Indiana" Jones, Jr. (Harrison Ford), it was 1938, and he was crossing the desert after discovering (and subsequently losing) the legendary holy grail of Christian mythology. With his father, Henry Sr. (Sean Connery), mentor Marcus Brody and sometime sidekick Sallah in tow, Indy seemed to have the perfect "ride into the sunset" ending to his adventures. But greed is eternal. With Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the now-aged professor/adventurer is forced to once again don his flight jacket and fedora to protect the world's treasures from those who would exploit them.
Will he return? The franchise pretty much depends on it.--  Marion RavenwoodWho: Indy's hard-drinking old flame (played by Karen Allen) and the daughter of his mentor Abner Ravenwood. They teamed up to fight the baddies (and rekindle a little of that spark) in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Will she return? Off the radar since that first adventure, Ravenwood is back in The Crystal Skull, helping Indy look for the titular Mesoamerican artifact, and her long-thought-dead daddy (John Hurt) might not be quite so cadaverous. Could she be Indy's baby-mama, too?--  Rene BelloqWho: The dark mirror image of Indy's swashbuckling, altruistic archaeologist, Rene Belloq (Paul Freeman) is a suave, self-interested thief of antiquities. Concerned more with his own glory and profit than with benefiting mankind through preservation of its history, Belloq is in constant competition with Jones for the same artifacts. We first see him in Raiders, snatching a golden idol right out of Indy's hands with a force of jungle mercenaries. That's the pattern: Indy does the hard work and Belloq swipes the spoils.
Will he be back? Anyone who's seen the end of Raiders knows there's no way that's gonna happen. Belloq's sins, greed and vanity, marked him as all too human, and humankind is not fit to gaze upon the naked power of God. He was arrogant enough to open the legendary Ark, and God's power literally blew his mind (and his face) apart.--  SallahWho: Jolly Sallah (John Rhys-Davies) is a semi-legendary excavator living in Egypt. Although he's introduced as working for Rene Belloq and the Nazis in Raiders, he quickly switches sides to help his old friend Dr. Jones outfox the baddies and capture the Ark (briefly) for themselves. He came back for The Last Crusade, this time providing some crucial assistance when Indy and his dad need to find the Holy Grail. Sallah was last seen leaving the site of the Holy Grail with Indy, his Dad and Marcus Brody.
Will he return? Nope. Last we saw the round-bellied friend, he was crossing the desert with the Joneses on camel indulging in a hearty belly laugh at Indy's expense upon learning that his dashing archaeologist pal got his nickname from the family dog.--  Marcus BrodyWho: Brody is the guy behind the guy. The sometimes bungling, but decent and ethical, museum curator funds most of Indiana Jones' adventures. A longtime friend to both Indy and his father, Marcus has a long history of "artifact acquisition" and, in fact, is the one who dispatches Indy to snatch the Ark of the Covenant from under the nose of the Nazis in Raiders.
Will he return? The indispensable friend would be a major catalyst for the series, but sadly, the death of actor Denholm Elliott will prevent him from appearing in Crystal Skull. A portrait in fictional Marshall College commemorates him in the new film, and a barbershop sports his name. A new character played by Jim Broadbent seems to be a surrogate Brody role.--  Willie ScottWho: In Temple of Doom, Wilhelmina "Willie" Scott (Kate Capshaw) is a brassy nightclub singer in 1935 Shanghai's cheekily-named Club Obi-Wan. She gets caught up in Indy's whirlwind when his dealings with a gangster go horribly wrong and one of his friends is killed. Screaming Willie escapes with Indy, but it's out of the frying pan and into the fire — like, actual pits of fire, where human sacrifices are performed. The two barely seem to tolerate each other, so of course they end up an item.
Will she be back? Willie and Indy weren't built to last. They returned to the States together, but by 1936 and Raiders of the Lost Ark, she's out of the picture. Maybe removed from the life-threatening thrill of escaping a guy who can pull your heart out of your chest, they found they had little in common. Plus, Capshaw married Steven Spielberg, so he's unlikely to cast her against eternal heartthrob Ford ever again.--  Short RoundWho: Wan Li, aka Short Round (Jonathan Ke Quan), is a streetwise orphan who plays the "son" in Indy's weird little surrogate family unit in Temple of Doom. Shorty was a pint-size 11-year-old Shanghai cabbie and ally of the good doctor, who accidentally ended up helping Indy clean up an evil cult/child-slavery ring in India.
Will he be back? At the end of Temple, Indy, Willie and Shorty return to the States safe and sound. The little guy hasn't been in the mix since. We'd like to think he wound up running a Fortune 500 company.--  Dr. Henry Jones, Sr.Who: Indy's distinguished but obsessive archaeologist father. Too busy chasing after the Holy Grail of Christ while his son was growing up, he wasn't much of a dad to young Jr. The two men mend their fences (and find the grail) in Last Crusade.
Will he return? Dr. Jones the elder barely survived his father-son adventure (shot by the baddies, saved by his son), so our money's on permanent retirement. Oh, and there's that thing about Sean Connery proclaiming he's never acting again …--  Dr. Elsa SchneiderWho: Dr. Schneider (Alison Doody) is a beautiful, elegant Austrian archaeologist introduced in The Last Crusade. She charms the pants off Indy and his father (literally) and joins the search for the Holy Grail of Christ. Unfortunately for the Joneses, this dame is more turned on by the treasure hunt than she is by either of them.
Will she return? Maybe if Elsa had sided with Indy and didn't backstab him by stealing his plans to find the Grail; and maybe if she weren't so greedy to ignore the centuries-old warnings written within the tomb … Maybe, just maybe, she'd have lived to tease Indy again.--  Mutt WilliamsWho: The classic "wild one" style '50s greaser, he's Indy's new partner in crime in Crystal Skull. Mutt (Shia Lebeauf) is, on the surface, an odd protégé for tweedy academic Dr. Jones, but he and Indy both share a thirst for action. The hog-riding greaser carries a switchblade and has the openly rebellious demeanor of a young Brando — and most likely would rather be caught dead than hanging out with an archaeology professor. Indiana, however, is much more than a teacher …
Backstory: This is Mutt's first outing, as he joins Indy on a trek through the jungle to find the crystal skull. He's poised as the latest punk-kid sidekick, but if this franchise continues, rumor has it that Mutt will be a central figure going forward.--  MacWho: An English war buddy of Indy's from his days in military intelligence, Mac (Ray Winstone) is both a friend and competitor. He teams up with Indy and Mutt in Crystal Skull, but Mac's motives have more than a little of Raiders antagonist Rene Belloq in them.
Backstory: Mac worked with Indy on the Allied side in WWII, but while Indy hasn't had any contact with the Soviets after the war, Mac has (suspicious-much?). While the nature of America and England's relationship with the U.S.S.R. has clearly changed post-war, it's unclear what that means for Mac's relationship with the Russkies. Once a spy, always a spy?--  Irina SpalkoWho: An icy Soviet Agent, Spalko (Cate Blanchett) is yet another in a long line of deadly women Indiana has to contend with. With a sleek, dark bob and the severe utilitarian clothes of a KGB interrogator, Spalko is the picture of a dominatrix. She's trying to get her hands on the mysterious crystal skull for Mother Russia, and Indy wants to keep it out of her clutches.
Backstory: Crystal Skull takes place in 1957, so anyone Russia-affiliated is obviously a foe. She's a stern believer in the U.S.S.R., and will stop at nothing to harness the possibly extraterrestrial power of the crystal skull for her homeland's benefit. While there's certainly some sexual tension between her and Indy, her real lover is the hammer and sickle. | | |
| C.S. Lewis buffs know full well who Prince Caspian is. (Good guy, check. Rightful ruler of Narnia, check. The fantasy world's last, best hope to defeat his power-grabbing uncle, King Miraz, check.) But who the hell is Ben Barnes? Well, other than a 26-year-old British stage and TV actor who stars as the titular royal in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and owes his newfound Hollywood career to one Mandy Patinkin? We asked. He told.-Joal Ryan of here
The Brit looked to a Rob Reiner spoof to hone a Spanish accent.
"They said, 'Please prepare with a Spanish accent,' and I thought, Oh, I don't know; what could I look at to copy? I was looking for an Antonio Banderas DVD, and I didn't have any, so I had to look through my DVD collection and thought, Ah, there's The Princess Bride! There's a Spanish guy in that! So, I watched that on the way to the audition. I was repeating his mantra — 'My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!' — under my breath."
His big, giant head leaves him speechless. And, okay, a bit creeped out.
"The billboard on Sunset Boulevard was a very surreal experience. It's sort of 10 stories high, and to see yourself staring down at yourself is definitely intimidating."
Insta-fame can be a little overwhelming for a guy.
"Usually, people achieve something, then they're asked how they feel about it. Because the first movie was such a big hit, I'm getting preemptively asked this question. And it's just impossible to know how people are going to react. They might go, 'Oh, if I see one more poster with that guy with the hair … !"
Casting directors fell for him right away; his co-stars, well …
"I know they'd been looking a very long time. I think over a year by the time the casting director saw me in The History Boys in London. And then I went in for an audition and then a screen test a week later and then, literally, I had the part the week after that. My audition process lasted about three weeks, which infuriated the actors who played the Pevensies because their casting process took about 18 months, so they were a little envious."
Little did they know, he'd been a little envious of them.
"When I was 8 years old, I wanted to be Peter Pevensie. I wanted to get the magic sword from Santa Claus!"
He may look all pretty and romantic, but don't call Caspian a softie!
"I was very, very keen to not be this kind of glamorized Hollywood version of a prince. I knew that Caspian was this character who was very ambivalent about the positions he finds himself in. He doesn't feel like he's ready to be a leader and doesn't feel like he deserves to be a king, and I think the fact that he makes mistakes during the story, and the fact that he's fallible, makes him very interesting to me as an adult."
So he's dark and complicated — and he knows the secret to a good sword fight.
"Simplicity, actually … All the sword fights are choreographed from eight basic moves, which you can learn in literally five minutes, and then (it's about) putting them together in different spins and different combinations — and that makes them fantastic."
He's looking forward to Caspian growing up a bit.
"At the end of (Prince Caspian), Caspian says, 'I don't think I'm ready to be a king,' so obviously in the third one he is the king, so I'm more intrigued than anyone to see how being a king sits with him."
But does he think the story is all about Jesus?
"There's certainly a lot of symbolism in the first book. But you don't process those things if you're eight, and it phases out by the time of Prince Caspian, which is more of an action story. You could definitely read a Christian-faith message into both the book and the film, but you can choose to see it just as much as a human, emotional story."
So far, the biggest perk to his newfound fame?
"I rang the bell for the New York Stock Exchange!" Photocredit:sodahead.com | | |
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