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The Lightsabre Interview Christopher Malcolm
Welcome to
Lightsabre. He played Zev Senesca in the Empire
Strikes Back, appeared in Highlander, directed Rocky Horror Show in the UK,
America, Argentina and Europe , worked for Jim Henson on Labyrinth and was
regularly on Absolutely Fabulous!
Please welcome Christopher Malcolm. Q - Christopher,
welcome to Lightsabre. A Thank you. Q Youve acted in
Highlander, Superman, Ab Fab,
directed and produced runs of the Rocky Horror Show but to sci-fi fans you
are best known for your appearance in Empire Strikes Back. How exciting is that? A It certainly gets the WOW reaction from all my kids
friends! Q Tell us something
of your career. How and where did you
begin in acting and what led you to where you are today? A - I grew up in Canada on a farm in the
far off lands of B.C. (British Columbia) My mother had trained as an actress
in England before we emigrated and after we moved to a small city, Vernon, in
the late 50's she and I got involved with the local theatre group and I got
the bug. After studying and a few summer stock seasons at UBC in Vancouver I
returned to England and auditioned for the Royal Shakespeare Company and
joined them for 2 seasons from 66/68. Having made many friends and good
contacts in London I stayed and pursed my career in acting. Q How exciting was
it to perform in the sequel to the most successful movie of all time? A At the time of filming it was a growing phenomenon so there was a knowledge that we were in something special but there was also the normal physical grind of movie making. My stuff in the beginning had to be shot with a special camera and we had to wait days and days before they got the right effect for the blue screen. In fact the camera they used was very famous as it was the one that shot Gone With the Wind.
Q You also direct
as well as act. How similar, and
different, are the two disciplines? A They are different in the sense of
preparation. To direct you need to have an overall view of what you are
intending to present, as an actor you concentrate on your characters
development and remember not to bump into the furniture! Q Highlander was a
huge fan favourite, and your role, taking on The Kurgan in the alleyway, was
memorable. What memories do you have
of that shoot? A
Cold and wet and a night
shoot that seemed to go on and on! It was fun to do though and being hoisted
in the air and held at the end of Clancy Browns sword was interesting! I got
a location trip to NYC which was a bonus; we shot some of it in Chinatown. Q What were your
feelings on Revenge of the Sith? Did it
wrap up the saga as you thought it would, or did things go different to what
you expected? A I liked the first three episodes (The prequel trilogy). Although if
you really pressed me I'd have to say I prefer the original three. Q One of your most
high-profile roles is Justin, Saffys gay Dad on
Absolutely Fabulous. Just what is it
like being in the same scenes as Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley? Are they as mad as they appear? A It was a gas, they were wonderful to work with and
unpredictable and inspirational. My part was really just a feed to their high
comedy so I take little credit for its fantastic success, but I am thrilled
to have been involved.
Q What has it been
like to be a part of the Star Wars phenomenon? A- Well, I'm particularly pleased to have been
in The Empire Strikes Back as it is acknowledged as one of the best sequels
ever made. I am also pleased that at least one of my appearances in over 25
feature films made is in the top grossing films list! Q Theres a Star
Wars television series coming within the next few years. Would you be interested in a role if one
was offered? A Of course, but I fear that I'm tooooo
old Q Have you ever had any thoughts about your character in
Empire, what kind of man he was, or his background? A Well there wasn't much background given to us on
the set, it was really a case of improvisation. Q - What lies ahead
for you in the future? A
I produce and direct
shows, mainly musicals, and I intend to continue. I work a lot in Europe
which I enjoy and I will produce new shows in the UK within the next year Q A quick question
about our site, Lightsabre. Any
comments? A
Don't know it I'm sorry,
will look at it sometime. Good luck with it. Q - It's been a great
interview, and thanks for being our guest on Lightsabre. Just one final question. Justin, Kirk Matunas
and Zev Senesca are
building snowmen for a competition.
The aim is to destroy them in the most elaborate manner. Which one caps their snowman in the best
style? A Tricky, I'd probably say that Justin would be the winner as he
would be the only one to actually finish constructing it in the first place,
the other two would think the whole enterprise too sissy! |
