Brian Mahoney is known for his role as Detective Duffy in “The Boondock Saints” film series. Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Brian about “Boondock” and what it was like working on the films.
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Mike Gencarelli: How did you get involved with “The Boondock Saints” for the first film?
Brian Mahoney: The script was at New Line Cinema at the time. I had a girlfriend who was working at New Line and I was tracking everything that came into that studio. I was reading scripts and that one just caught my attention. The structure of “The Boondock Saints” was just so different. It has a real edge to it. I got on early on when Harvey Weinstein was telling Troy (Duffy) he would buy him during the bidding war with New Line. It was a hot property.
Mike Gencarelli: Your scenes brought out some of the great comedy from the film, was it fun filming it?
Brian Mahoney: [Laughs] Dude I can even tell you how much fun it is hanging out with Bob Marley. First of all he is a kick-ass comedian. I got to be his straight man for two different movies. It is tough. It was clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right kind-of thing. Troy wanted me to be the straight guy who is quiet and smart. It was tough to keep a straight face. There was a lot of funny stuff going on in between scenes. I gotta tell you though, spend ten minutes with Bob Marley and you will ache from laughing so hard.
Mike Gencarelli: Were you excited to be reprising your role in “All Saints Day”?
Brian Mahoney: Yeah, I really was. When I read the script and got to the part where the brothers are hiding in the bar and the detectives come in and we agree to do a mission with them. It called the ‘reveal’ scene. When I got to that I was like jumping for joy. Detective Duffy gets more to do this time. It was a real thrill getting to work with these guys again. They really are a good group of guys.
MG: So your character Detective Duffy has a bigger role in the second film?
BM: It gets better and better. The second film is almost like my coming out party for me as an actor. The first film I was really lucky to be there with Willem Dafoe the whole time. I got to learn from him and whatnot, but I didn’t do a lot. The second film I am more interacting with ‘the boys’ and it is a real thrill.
MG: Fans really seems to dig these films and are always quoting the films, do you have a favorite line?
BM: Yah, David della Rocco is a good friend of mine and my favorite line is when he blows away the cat in the first film as says “Is it dead yet?”. That’s great. You just got to know Rocco and Rocco is as fun as Bob Marley. Sometimes without intending to be. He is a real cool guy and I think a lot of that shows up on screen.
MG: What’s up next? Do you think you will work with Troy Duffy again?
BM: Yeah I hope to be working with Troy again. I think he is going to have a long career. People around town are starting to take Troy more seriously now. He is two for two with his films and the guy has a cult following. As for me I got irons in the fire, I came close to a couple of things. I went up for this cool movie called “Cowboys & Aliens”. I thought I had a chance to work with Harrison Ford. I didn’t get it though it went to someone a little more famous. I am getting close. I just read for a show called “Big Love” on HBO. I got a couple more agents interested in me right now. I also got the chance to do a small part in an upcoming Matt Damon movie called “The Adjustment Bureau”. I had one scene with just me and Matt Damon. I play the owner of a bar called ‘The Fish Market’. It will probably be cut though since a film shoots so many hours of footage and then have to cut to down to 2 hours. If I make it in the movie that cool if not it is still going to be a great movie. The primary thing is I am working on my book right now called “A Cobra Pilot in Hollywood”. It is about my transition from the cockpit to the silver screen. My first career was a military aviator. I am trying to work on that, raising a kid and doing a lot of auditions. It is like crazy time right now.
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