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The Lightsabre Interview Dermot Crowley
Welcome to
Lightsabre. We hurried up and waited
as the General himself entered the bridge. Please welcome General Madine himself,
Dermot Crowley. Q -Dermot, welcome to
Lightsabre. A - Thank you Mark Q – You’ve been in
numerous productions, from Falling for a Dancer with Colin Farrell, The
Legend of Bagger Vance with Will Smith to Dead Gorgeous and Father Ted, and
yet you are probably most widely remembered as General Madine in Return of
the Jedi. How do you feel about that? A –
Well it's something that I have
no control over really, and I am delighted that General Madine's brief
appearance had such an impact. The Star Wars movies aren't just some of the
most successful films ever made, but they have achieved an iconic status
now, and have touched the lives of so many people. Hopefully I will continue
to be known as General Madine, as opposed to being remembered as General
Madine, for a few more years yet! Q - Tell us something
of your career. How did you begin in
entertainment and what led you to where you are today? A – I've wanted to be an actor for as long as I can
remember. My first memory of this desire manifesting itself was when I was
cast as a shepherd in the nativity play at school. Unfortunately I got mumps
during the rehearsals, and the part of the bolshie shepherd had to be recast
by the teacher. I remember being taken to see the play, and being so jealous
and angry with my replacement 4 year old that I determined there and then to
become a star. It's been all downhill since then. Q – What has it been
like to be a part of the Star Wars phenomenon? A-
It's an extraordinary feeling to
realise that the world wide interest in Star Wars shows no sign of abating. I
have started attending conventions in the past few years, and it's wonderful meeting such committed informative fans. Q – We often hear
funny stories from the sets of the movies.
What memories do you have of being on set back in 1982, surrounded by
puppeteers and props? A – I remember Caroline Blakiston and I coming on to the set for the first time and being knocked out by the sheer scale of it all. I did a lot of blue screen filming with the second unit also, which George Lucas directed. It was very thrilling to be going to work to command a battle every morning.
Q – General Madine
had a life outside of the movies and met his death in Kevin J Anderson’s
Darksaber novel. Have you ever had chance to read or see any of those books
or comics and if so, what did you think of them? A – I think that the richness of the back stories of
the characters in the Star Wars universe has been a powerful factor in the
continuing worldwide popularity of the movies. A great deal of the credit for
this must go to the writers of the books and comics, some of which I have
seen and enjoyed very much. Q – In Bagger Vance
you were fortunate enough to be directed by Oscar winning director Robert
Redford. What kind of an experience
was that, as well as working with the brilliant trio of Will Smith, Charlize
Theron and Matt Damon? A – It was a wonderful experience working with Robert
Redford. He's very calm on set. His own vast experience as an actor makes him
especially incisive and supportive when an actor may have a problem with a
scene. He's charming, caring, courteous, and very funny. We shot most of the
film in Georgia and South Carolina. Matt and Will were fun, and Charlize
tells some of the funniest jokes I have ever heard, and will not repeat in a
family oriented web site. Q – What would you
change about your Star Wars experience if you could go back and do it again? A – It was so enjoyable and exciting at the time, that
it would a pleasure to just do it all over again exactly as it was Q – Madine had more
scenes shot on the bridge of the Headquarters Frigate than were ultimately
seen in the finished version of Return of the Jedi. Were you hopeful that
more would be seen in the Special Editions and the DVD’s, or were you not
surprised to see them missing? A
– It's true that several scenes
were shot which didn't make it into the movie, but then that's true of all
films. It didn't bother me in the least that they haven't been seen. Q – There’s talk of a Star Wars TV series. Would you be interested in a role, maybe as
a relative of Madine, now that he’s deceased? A – His twin brother would be fascinating. Q - What do you foresee
for yourself in the future? A – The numbers 1, 19, 23, 24, 46 ,47, with the bonus
ball 22 Q – A quick question
about our site, Lightsabre. Any
comments? A – A fascinating site for all Star Wars fans Q - It's been a great
interview, and thanks for being our guest on Lightsabre. Just one final question. General Madine, Father Liam Deliverance and
Norman Strangerson from Jonathan Creek are all waiting, in the rain at a bus
stop next to a large muddy puddle.
Madine has his military training to avoid a drowning, Father Liam his
partial insanity and Strangerson his ability to alter time. Who manages to stay dry? A – Father
Liam kicks down the bus shelter forming a bridge over the puddle for himself,
General Madine and Norman to cross the road and wait for a small Imperial
shuttle bus on the other side, thus enabling all three to remain dry.
"How peculiar" thought Norman, I'm sure this happened tomorrow". |
