Louis Herthum plays the protective father in this summer’s horror film “The Last Exorcism”.  Louis is also currently co-starring in the television show “The Gates”.  Movie Mikes has the chance to talk with Louis about his role in “The Last Exorcism” and his experience during the filming.

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Mike Gencarelli: Tell me about your role in “The Last Exorcism”?
Louis Herthum: The character I play is a father whose lost his wife a couple of years before the film takes place.  He notices some very peculiar behavior coming from his daughter.  He contacts this reverend who, he understands, performs Exorcisms.  My character feels that is what is needed to deal with his daughter.  He’s a fundamentalist Christian.  He doesn’t believe that much in the outside world.  Ever since his wife died he’s been home schooling his daughter.  He’s very protective of her.  He doesn’t believe in modern medicine because eight doctors failed to save his wife.  I don’t want to give too much away but when the reverend comes out he tells him that she needs to have an Exorcism.  My character is pretty persistent in the treatment he thinks his daughter needs and it tends to go against what the reverend thinks.  He’s a pretty stern guy but it’s all about his daughter.  It’s all about his daughter and the saving of her soul.

Mike Gencarelli: When got the role how did you prepare? Did you look at other films that dealt with Exorcism?
Louis Herthum: Well, I had seen “The Exorcist” in high school.  And it really freaked me out because I was born and raised a Catholic.  You know, in schools they taught us about God and the Devil.  So seeing the Exorcism scene in “The Exorcist”…it freaked me out!  But it really got me interested in the subject.  I read the book after I saw the movie.  And I started reading about other Exorcisms.  And then one night I had a dream that I was possessed and it freaked me out so bad that I quit reading the books.  So I didn’t do a lot of research as far as watching other films but I did do a lot of research about the type of character I was playing.  Fundamentalist.  Christian.  Blinders.  Bible.  And I don’t want to make that sound derogatory.  Plus I had some friends who were very religious and I went and talked to them.  And I would jot down passages in the Bible that I thought were pertinent to the film. So the majority of my research was about the type of person I was playing.

Mike Gencarelli: Was there anything spooky or creepy happenings during the shoot?
Louis Herthum: The creepiest thing that happened to me was…the girl who plays my daughter was not on the set that day and I was in the back yard getting ready to shoot a scene that they would film through the house window.  All of the crew was inside on the lower floor.  The upstairs was empty and dark but I could see a faint light coming through a window.  The curtains were slightly sheer and open in the middle.  I had a walkie talkie so they could cue me when they were rolling and I looked up towards the window and I saw a figure in the window.  I’ve got goosebumps now just saying this.  And it looked like the girl who was playing my daughter.  She had on a bloody dress and it was moving eerily and dancing and I was like “what the f*** is this?” (laughs)  So I get on the walkie to our head production assistant who we called Darkness.  I’m like, “Darkness, go to two” So he goes upstairs and I ask him who is upstairs?  He asks me what I mean and I ask again “Who is upstairs?”  “Nobody.”  I tell him that SOMEBODY is upstairs in the window dancing in Nell’s dress and he says, “I don’t think so.”  So I tell him to get outside.  And when he comes out he tells me that he couldn’t tell me on the radio that they were getting ready to pull a prank on another actor who had a scene upstairs.  It was one of the costume girls in the dress.  The scene had the actor go upstairs and look out the window to see me outside.  So the girl pops out dressed like Nell and they scare the hell out of him!  That was the creepiest moment for me because I didn’t know they were doing it.  But other than that there wasn’t a lot of scary stuff happening.

MG: Did the movie actually scare you when you saw it at LA Film Festival?
LH: Yeah it did.  In all honesty it did.  When you’re making a film, as an actor you have such a completely different viewpoint.  You’re doing your takes but there’s no music.  No editing.  The other elements that come into play are not there.  I jumped several times because I had no idea what was coming.  And that’s a credit to Daniel (Stamm) and his editors.  And of course the people around me are jumping and screaming as well so that adds to your reaction.  There were certainly some surprises there.

MG: “The Last Exorcism” has received a PG-13 rating which usually sets off a red flag for horror fans.  How do you feel about this?
LH: I’ll be honest with you, I’m not a huge horror fan.  But being an actor who has done a few…in fact this will be the biggest one…it doesn’t concern me.  In fact, I was talking to Eli Roth about it and he felt it would be better for us because we’ll get a wider group of people that can see it.  Plus, we can advertise it on television before 11:00.  Plus we may pull in some fundamentalist Christians, who I think if they see the film they might actually like it the way they liked “The Exorcist.”  And for the same reasons.  I was reading some comments on the Internet and I found out that the people who were worried about it, after seeing the screening, found they had nothing to worry about at all.  To me, it’s such a smart movie…much different than your typical slasher horror movie.  I don’t think it’s going to be an issue at all.  In fact I read a comment from someone who had seen the film but didn’t know we had already gotten the PG 13 rating.  And they wrote “I hear they’re going after a PG 13 rating.  I doubt they’ll get it.”  And this was after seeing the film.

MG: Did you get a chance to work with Eli Roth during the shoot?
LH: I didn’t meet Eli during the shoot because he was busy shooting “Inglorious Basterds” so I didn’t meet him until post production.  I can’t say enough about that guy.  They type of genre’ he does…horror…extremely violent…this guy is extremely intelligent.  He’s the nicest guy in the world.  About as nice and personable as anyone you’ll meet.  I mean if you met him and didn’t know who he was you’d think, “wow, what a cool guy.”  He has a very clear vision about this genre’.  Not only the “Hostel” films and “Cabin Fever.”  He was very hands on in the making of this film and the final product.  I believe…I truly believe that he has created something different in this genre’.  He’s a really, really intelligent and smart guy.  I think he will continue to surprise us in the years to come.  Because it’s so clear that he’s very excited about this business.  It’s such a joy to see him get excited about this.

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MG: Tell about what you got planned for the future?
LH: Well, currently I’m a recurring character on a TV show called “The Gates.”  It’s exciting and fun.  It’s a thrill to be a part of the whole vampire world, though I play a werewolf.  Right now I’m back in L.A.  I’ve been working a lot.  I’ve got a film coming out called “Seconds Apart.”  It’s a part of the “After Dark” series.  Right now I’m taking meetings.  I’ve been offered a role in a film that I haven’t read yet where I’ll play a serial killer.  I’m not sure if I want to go there (laughs).  But life’s good.  I’m keeping busy.

Iris Bahr is featured in this summer’s horror film “The Last Exorcism”.  She plays a filmmaker by the name of Iris.  Iris also has her own TV series “Svetlana” on HDNet and has written two books.  Movie Mikes had a chance to talk with Iris about her role in “The Last Exorcism” and her amazing career to date.

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Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about your role in “The Last Exorcism”, you play the character Iris coincidentally?
Iris Bahr: I’m a documentary filmmaker that has been hired by Cotton Marcus to follow him around and depict his work. I don’t want to give away too much! I always try to answer in little snippets if it’s related to plot.

Mike Gencarelli: What was it like working on the set of the movie anything creepy or spooky happen like the cursed set of 1973’s “The Exorcist”?
Iris Bahr: We shot on this really old plantation so there is definitely a vibe in that space that can’t be denied to be honest with you. We had really long night shoots which were actually pretty creepy. This is unrelated to the filming but at one point the caretaker of the place had a farm nearby and one night at midnight he tells us he has a cow that’s about to give birth. If it doesn’t give birth it’s going to die. So I went and assisted in the calf’s birth, which was pretty amazing. When it was over he looked at me and said “in all my years I’ve never seen a city girl stand in shit so deep!” (laughs) I was standing right near the cows butt and when a cow gives birth a lot of stuff comes out that’s not really related to the birth. It was a pretty amazing experience. We got the calf out and later on they named the calf “Cotton.”

Mike Gencarelli: “The Last Exorcism” has received a PG-13 rating, instantly that sets off a red flag for horror fans, how do you feel about this?
Iris Bahr: I’ve got to be totally honest, I haven’t seen the final product yet. But I think the best thrillers…the best horror films…are the ones where you don’t have to see a lot to get freaked out. That’s the mastery of it. The suspense…the tension…what you’re not seeing. Of course who knows how the M.P.A.A. rates movies. There could be a lot of stuff on screen and you’ll ask yourself “how did this get a PG 13 rating?” You never know. But I’ve talked to people who’ve seen it and they say it’s super, super scary.

MG: How do you think fans are going to react to this movie? Is it going to scare the crap out of them?
IB: If I got scared filming it they’re going to be scared seeing it.

MG: Tell us about “The Poughkeepsie Tapes“.
IB: It’s a psychological thriller that’s extremely disturbing. I saw it at the Tribeca Film Festival. I met the filmmakers at a film festival in Boulder, Colorado where we both had films being shown. The movie is extremely terrifying. It concerns tapes that are found after the fact in a big investigation…a very cinema verite’kind of thing that’s done really, really well.

MG: Tell me about your TV series “Svetlana” which recently premiered? What was it like to take on so many roles?
IB: Svetlana is a character I created a few years ago. She’s a Russian whore “slash” political consultant. She’s a whore to some celebrities and political figures. I shot the pilot on my own dime. Then Mark Cuban saw it and bought twelve episodes. So I wrote, directed, starred in and executive produced twelve episodes, each one about 22 minutes long. And we’ve got some amazing actors in it…Thomas Lennon from “Reno 911”… Richard Schiff from “The West Wing”…we really put an amazing cast together. And because it’s a comedy, I play the three daughters who work for me who are also prostitutes in the brothel, which is called “The Saint Petersburg House of Discreet Pleasure.” Not to toot my own horn here but it’s pretty freakin’ funny! It’s more about the family life with a little bit about the customers who come in. It’s about how the Russian madame handles daily life. Her husband is kind of a loser. It will air on HD Net every Thursday and Saturday at midnight on the east coast, 9 p.m. Pacific. There’s a PG rated version and an MA (mature). I always recommend that people see the MA one. And if you want to catch the pilot it’s on the Funny or Die web site. It’s been a great experience.

MG: Besides acting, you really have an amazing back story can you tell us a little about it?
IB: I was born in the Bronx. I lived there until I was about twelve. And then I moved to Israel with my mom. I did two years in the army. Then I traveled through Asia for six months. I was still a virgin and I attempted to lose my virginity in Asia. And that’s what my first book is about. It’s a memoir called “Dork Whore.” I just wrote a follow up called “Sluts in Fleece” which is coming out in Germany. My books are best sellers in Germany but I can’t answer why. I’m like David Hasselhoff, only I’m a woman who’s Jewish. I mean I’ve sold a million copies there…me and Harry Potter are on the best seller list on Amazon. They commissioned the second book and I wrote it for them. It’s coming out in German and then hopefully it will sell here. And we’re also making “Dork Whore” into a movie. I had a one woman show in New York that ran for a couple of years. It actually won the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Solo Show. I play eleven characters who gather in a café in Tel Aviv right before a suicide bomber enters. Each character dies in stage in front of you so you go through the explosion eleven times. It’s really an intense show. It has a lot of humor in it too. It did really well. I traveled with it all over the world and it had an amazing run.

MG: What else do you have lined up for the future?
IB: I have a film called “Fair Game,” which is directed by Doug Liman who did “The Bourne Identity” and “Swingers.” It’s the story of Valerie Plame, the C.I.A. agent who was outed. It stars Naomi Watts and Sean Penn and I have a small role in it. It’s a film about the disintegration of their marriage after the scandal as opposed to a political thriller.

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Diana Sowle is most known for her famous role as Mrs. Bucket in 19711’s “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”. MediaMikes recently had a chance to speak with Diana about her role on the film and she took us on a trip down memory lane.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you originally get the role in “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”?
Diana Sowle: Well I basically auditioned for it. My husband and I were living in Germany at the time. My husband worked for the government. I have been producing plays and we toured in what were known as the America houses. They are like cultural centers. They were just finding out who was around in Germany. One day, I got a call-in to audition for it and that was it.

Mike Gencarelli: Did you have any prior signing experience since you had to sing in the film?
Diana Sowle: Yes. I had a little cabaret show that I had done. I did that for different army installations and that kind of thing. In the states, I was also involved in several different theaters.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about your where you shot your scenes for the film?
Diana Sowle: Charlie’s house is actually a set at the Bavaria studio. It was built there. The place where I did the washing was an actual location. I do not recall if it was an actually wash area though prior. It was just an old building in a section of Munich.

MG: Did you ever visit the Chocolate factory set aka “Pure Imagination” room?
DS: Yes, as a matter of fact I did. When they were building it, I remember thinking how much I would like to see it. So, they let me come over one day with my family. It was very attractive looking. I do not remember much details. They might have still be working on it at the time I visited. I remember the Wonka car though. I believe I got to see most of the sets during the shoot.

MG: How was your experience working with the rest of the cast?
DS: I didn’t work with many other people from the cast. I mostly worked with Charlie (Peter Ostrum) and Grandpa Joe (Jack Albertson). Jack was such a pleasant man. He made an effort to get to know us. Since we lived in Germany for quite a while, my German was good enough to get around. I would go around with him. He would always have jokes and sometimes it is hard to translate a joke into another language [laughs]. He was an extremely pleasant man to be around. Peter was also very charming. I didn’t get to know the older grandparents. They were in the scene with me. But when we were on the set, there was always so much to do and I couldn’t socialize much.

MG: Tell us about your career in the years following “Willy Wonka”?
DS: The film was finished in 1970. We gave back to the States in 1971 and that is actually when I first saw the movie. I saw it at a local theater. It didn’t really get good reviews was it was released. Back then, I thought too bad this would have been a nice opportunity. I sort of closed the window on it at that point. I thought “Oh well, you do things and they don’t always turn out”. Then we went back to Germany in 1975 until 1980. When we came back to the States, I think that is when they started showing the movie on the TV. I think when that happened there was suddenly much more interest in it. One fellow I met told me a really sweet story once. He mentioned that he and his father were watching it and his mother came in and said it was time for him to go to bed. His father said he can’t right now, “We have to finish watching this”. It was a great moment he had with his father shared that he remembers. I always remember that cute story. When I moved back to the States in 1980, I got back in touch with agencies that I had worked for. I did little things. I was in a few training films and other little roles but at least I was working. I remember I played an FBI agent in something. In 1988, I got into a show at the Kennedy Center called “Shear Madness”. It is always touring and always playing throughout the country. It is a very popular show. I was in and out of that for about 20 years. I actually just finished the Spring cast show. It just ended June 17th. It is very nice. This past role, I played the role of Mrs. Shubert. She just gets older and older and older [laughs]. I am always delighted when they ask me to come back and be part of the cast. I did also have a tiny role in “Clear and Present Danger”. I play a housekeeper in the film and I find a woman that was murdered. I was just glad to be working.

MG: What made you lend your voice to the popular video game “Fallout 3”?
DS: Oh that’s right. I had a voice demo tape at my agency. I was categorized under seniors for my voice. They wanted an older voice for the game. I play an old grandma type but I actually play about three different roles in it. I loved doing that it was wonderful. The main benefit is that you get to sit down when you work. I hope they do another one and call me back for it, that would be great.

MG: Last year was your first appearance at the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention, did you enjoy that and do you plan to attend future events?
DS: Yeah I did. There were many people who attended. Some of the stars from the TV shows, I was unfamiliar with though. When we lived in Germany, they didn’t have a lot of the programs that were popular in the States during the 60’s and 70’s. At the convention, I met a bunch of fans who were familiar with the movie. It was fun. They paid you for your autograph. It was great. Everyone was very nice. They were going to have another show out in California. We decided it was such a long distance and decided not to go. Maybe I will attend another one some day.

Steve Guttenberg became well known during the 1980s, after a series of starring roles in major films, including “Cocoon”, “Three Men and a Baby”, “Police Academy”, and “Short Circuit”. Movie Mikes had a chance to ask Steve a few brief questions about his career.

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Mike Gencarelli: How did a Long Island, NY native like yourself get into acting?
Steve Guttenberg: My Parent’s good friend is an actor, Michael Bell, and he invited me to come to L.A. for a two week visit. The casting bug bit, and I stayed for thirty years.

Mike Gencarelli: When you starred in the first “Police Academy” movie did you think it was going to be as successful as it was?
Steve Guttenberg: I really thought the script was incredible and lobbied to be in it. It was across between “An Officer and a Gentleman” and “Stripes”.

Mike Gencarelli: What is your favorite “Police Academy” movie?
Steve Guttenberg: I love them all the same. No Favorites.

MG: With Hollywood in a remake/reboot craze, any interest in ever catching up again with the “Police Academy” series?
SG: Warner Bros. is developing a new P.A. as we speak by David Diamond and David Weisman.

MG: How was it writing, producing, directing and starring in “P.S. Your Cat is Dead!”, was it hard to juggle all of those roles?
SG: I loved every second of it. It was thrilling.

MG: Do you plan on directing again anytime soon?
SG: I am developing some things and one might be a directing vehicle.

MG: You are involved in quite a bit of charity work, tell us about your of involvement?
SG: I am involved in “GuttenHouse” a home for foster children in L.A. Anywhere I can lend some support. I am also on the board of The Wellness Community in L.A.

MG: You recently starred in “A Novel Romance”, how was it returning to Long Island, NY for the shoot?
SG: Shooting at home was a luxury that I want to do again.

MG: According to the internet, rumors are buzzing about a “Three Men and a Bride” film, any truth to this?
SG: Disney is developing a new “Three Men”, Dimension is developing a “Short Circuit”, and Warner Bros is doing “Police Acadamy”. The audience wants to be reminded of good times.
“Three Men” with a great Mary like Dakota Fanning, or Miley Cyrus, or Blake Lively, is a sure hit.

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Thomas Ian Nicholas started his career with “Rookie of the Year” and Disney’s “A Kid in King Arthur’s Court”.  Shortly after he joined the cast of “American Pie” as Kevin Myers and co-stared in all three films.  Thomas recently released a new CD with his band, The Thomas Nicholas Band, on June 1st and they are currently on tour.  Movie Mikes had a chance to talk with Thomas about his movie career so far as well as his band’s current tour.

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Mike Gencarelli: My sisters and my favorite film growing up was “Rookie of the Year”, tell us about working on that film?
Thomas Ian Nicholas: That was my first feature film that got released in theaters so I was stoked. I believe there is still video of me somewhere when I got the news and I was jumping up and down for joy. It was a great time. We got to spend three months in Chicago. We shot on Wrigley’s Field. Just this year when we were playing shows in Chicago with my band, I went back and threw out the first pitch and sang the 7-inning stretch. So that was cool to return back there.

Mike Gencarelli: You worked on “A Kid in King Arthur’s Court”, with then little known Kate Winslet and Daniel Craig, How was it working on that film?
Thomas Ian Nicholas: It was cool. Kate had done “Heavenly Creatures” but that was pretty much the only film under her belt. She was 18 at the time. I was 14. She was cool. I am very excited for her success that she has achieved in her career. It is well-deserved. Daniel Craig was cool too. I spent a lot of time with both of them. When Daniel did James Bond, I was so stoked for him. I love seeing my friends succeed.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell how it was playing Kevin Myers for the “American Pie” Trilogy?
Thomas Ian Nicholas: At the time I was just happy to have a job. I never knew it would turn into a franchise film trilogy and DVD sequels to boot. It was good time and a great group of people. Working with the Weitz Brothers was amazing. I look back and I can’t believe it was over ten years ago. It is kind of crazy. I am grateful for the doors that it has opened for me, both in the acting and the music side. It has been an amazing blessing.

MG: You must have some crazy stories from the set of “American Pie” films?
TN: Probably in the last twelve years, I have told every crazy story. If you would have told me twelve years ago that I would be interviewing with you, I would have saved one crazy story for you. So let’s set a date for a future project I will make sure that I save you one [laughs].

MG: There is word there might be another installment, any chance you will return?
TN: I’ve heard the same things you heard. I was on my twitter page and someone posted an article that was linked to the LA Times. The article said that they hired writers to write the sequel. My reaction was basically “Oh really…Ok cool!”. So I have been following the press the same as everyone else. I think it would be fun if we all got back together. I look forward to it hopefully coming together.

MG: What has been your favorite film that you have worked on to date?
TN: That is a tough one to choose. There are two performances that are my favorite. One is recent and one is from ten years ago. I would like to include both of them. The most recent which is currently in theaters, called “Please Give” with Amanda Peet, Catherine Keener and Oliver Platt. I really believe that Nicole Holofcener directed one of the most honest performances out of my career to date. Hopefully I will continue with that kind of work going forward. The other project was “Rules of Attraction” by Roger Avery. That was the first time I felt that I really stepped outside of myself and became a character that was completely different. My own mother didn’t even recognize me for the first half of the scene I was in. She was like “Wait a second, is that you?”. That is a pretty cool complement.

MG: Tell us about your band and your new album?
TN: My band is called The Thomas Nicholas Band or better known as TNB. We just released our latest album, called ‘Heroes Are Human’ on June 1st 2010. We have been touring across half the country. We started on June 20th and went up through the Northwest into Chicago and down through the Southwest, which is where we are right now. We are playing 19 shows over 21 days, it is just a small little tour to celebrate and promote the release of the album.

MG: Do you have any upcoming films in the works?
TN: There are a few things. I play Abbie Hoffman in “The Chicago 8”, which I just recently finished. It will hopefully be out later this year or beginning of next year. It focuses on the famous trial of 1969. I also just finished filming a movie called “InSight” which stars Sean Patrick Flanery and Christopher Lloyd. It is a thriller and I play the main murder suspect.

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Click here to visit Thomas’ website and purchase The Thomas Nicholas Band’s CDs

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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Lin Shaye is well known for her comedic roles in “There’s Something About Mary”, “Kingpin” and “Dumb and Dumber” and also her horror roles in 1984’s “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and “2001 Maniacs”. She recently stars as Granny Boone again in “2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams”. MovieMikes had the pleasure to talk with Lin about her recent role in the “2001 Maniacs” sequel and also discussed with her about her passion for acting.

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Mike Gencarelli: Tell us how you got the role of Granny Boone in “2001 Maniacs”?
Lin Shaye: Well, I have worked with Tim before.  I met him when I did “Detroit Rock City”.  We had a friendship and a good work relationship.  He told me about the movie but like all things you are never sure what is going to happen, but then we got funding.  Originally the character had a whole different concept planned for her.  Tim kept talking about “The Beverly Hillbillies” grandmother and he envisioned her in a coon-skin cap.  When we saw the original place we were going to be shooting it was a living museum in a place called Lumpkin, Georgia.  It is a civil war reenactment museum.  It was fantastic.  When we saw Granny Boone’s “house” it was a white mansion and we rethought it on the spot.  I insisted she needed to be more like a southern belle.  We ended up sewing this outfit together on me just before we shot the first day and Granny Boone was born.  She was a cross between Scarlett O’Hara and a black widow spider.

Mike Gencarelli: What originally drew you to the role?
Lin Shaye: It is a really good story.  It is about these people who are avenging themselves against war.  It caters well to the horror population. Between Tim, the storyline and the idea of this women as Scarlett O’Hara eating people, I thought that sounded good.  So there we were.  The story is quite wonderful.

Mike Gencarelli: How do you feel your character grows or changes in “2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams”?
Lin Shaye: It took almost six years before we got the second one going.  By that time Granny took on this wonderful flavor of a real woman who is trying to bring some peace to herself even in this horrible vicious or gruesome way.  Tim also gave me a lot more to do in the second one.  We filled in her relationship with Mayor Buckman.  They have this odd love affair.  I love the scene in the second one when she is trying to wake him up by singing or being flirtatious and all he cares about is snoring and his weapon, it is the typical male/female relationship.  Granny is more of leader in the second one as well which is lots of fun for me.

MG: What was the most challenging part of your role in “2001 Maniacs: Field the Screams”?
LS: The challenges were more on the technical side.  We had such huge time restraint. We made this movie in like 11 days.  If you can believe that.  Everyone brought there a-game.  It was one of the most amicable sets that I have ever been on.  Tim is a very joyful human being, extremely positive and optimistic.  He really is a fine director.  He made the time restraints easier.  The hardest thing for me personally was the flashdance sequence, since it was kind of written in after the fact.  I remember getting the material and being surprised it was a whole song I kind of had to learn.  Besides me there were three other “gals” and I was  the dance captain so to speak.  They hired a choreographer for us and we had like a few hours to learn it.  It was kind of a nightmare.  We couldn’t learn it.  It was too hard for me and I was ready to give-up.  We were spending all this time and energy and it is going to look like shit I thought.  When we finally set shot it, it seems to work well.  Tim had it all worked out that that is what is great about him.  So that was basically the hardest day for me.  Yet it came out great and I think it is hilarious.  I think the fans are really going to love it.

MG: Are you a fan of horror films in general?
LS: [laughs] I am not a fan at all.  The best horror film to me to date is still, “A Nightmare on Elm Street”, which I do have a tiny part in.  They do not scare me and I have no fascination with blood or guts other than my appreciation of special effects and makeup.  The horror fans are an incredible community.  I just worked with James Wan, who directed the first “Saw” movie.  So I am getting work in this genre but I never question why I just say, “Yes”.

MG: Your role in the original “A Nightmare on Elm Street” is still referenced today as having a major impact, how does that make you feel?
LS: It is no secret Bob Shaye is my brother who started New Line Cinema.  I am proud of that.  I was invited to work on the film.  The teacher was just a little small role with this fun little catch all at the end about the hall pass.  None of us ever know what is going to strike a cord in people.  Sometimes it is the most unlikely kind of thing.  I really try to do my best.  When we did “Elm Street”, I was just excited to be in the movie.  It was big deal for New Line but I had no idea.  The film has had all this longevity and spawned this whole mega-series of films.  Robert Englund became Robert Englund.  People still remember the role of the teacher, though.  I just remembered something actually, I got a review in the New York Times back when the movie came out.  It spoke about the teacher and it mentioned that she was one of the most realistic people in the film.  It was one of those moment and I said “Wow, I got picked out” for such a small contribution.  It is thrilling and exciting.

MG: You also had some very memorable comedic roles in “There’s Something About Mary”, “Kingpin” and “Dumb and Dumber”, did you enjoy working those films?
LS: I love comedy.  It is interesting because I never thought to myself that I am a comedian or I do comedy.  I feel like I am an actor.  I have been told I have excellent comedic timing.  It is just something you feel.  I am very grateful for that gift.  I really do not think of comedy any different than I think about horror or any other genre.  For me it is just finding the truth of the character and expanding their universe.  When I did Magda in “There’s Something About Mary”, I thought this woman is really like agoraphobic and doesn’t really go out.  I spoke to the wardrobe and I mentioned that she should just be in house coats.  I had a whole back story made up for her that wasn’t in the script. She stays with Mary on her couch because she love her like a daughter.  She also has Fluffy that she treats like her baby.  It is through those serious thoughts comes the comedy.  I think it is trying to move your mind outside of the character and from those elements comes things that are funny, scary and sad.  If you are in a comedy you want to sustain the genre your in.  You have to just feel it.  You don’t want to play a comedy too heavy.  That’s tragedy.  But actually that can be funny too depending on how hard you cry [laughs].  I just love acting and the process.  I recently turned down a big role in a movie for a smaller role.  I felt that with the smaller role, I could do something better with it.  I thought what the hell am I doing but the other role opened up my heart.  I thought that is why I am an actor.  That is what I look for.  Acting for me is communication.  If you can make people laugh there is nothing better.  I walked into the theater when we did “Mary” and I remembering hearing the roar and it was so uplifting.  With “Kingpin” also, I didn’t play her to be funny I thought she was tragic [laughs].  But people laughed at her, because she is so damn tragic.  I have been doing this for so long but I still get as thrilled, scared, nervous and excited as I was the first time I ever worked once they say the words “Action”.

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Cindy Morgan is best known as “Lacey Underall” in “Caddyshack”, and “Yori” in “Tron”. This year celebrates the 30th anniversary of “Caddyshack” and the return of “Tron” with its upcoming sequel “Tron: Legacy”. Movie Mikes had a chance to talk with Cindy about her road to becoming an actress and her experiences working on those films.

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Mike Gencarelli: You went from Catholic school girl to Lacey Underall in “Caddyshack”, tell us about that journey?
Cindy Morgan: From Catholic school to “Caddyshack” went this way, I was going to go to the Illinois Institute of Technology which is the mid-west version of MIT. I was accepted in and I wanted to be an engineer like my dad. The year I went, the school had four girls and all guys. I was fixed up for my prom and all I did was study, I said I can’t do this. I made a hard left turn and went to Northern Illinois University. My professor told me one day that I should get into communications. I remember my first time trying it because my whole body went numb. But after that I took everything as a challenge. I spent five years in broadcasting. I was either working in radio or television. If I was on the radio, I was a disc jockey and was FCC licensed sound engineer. On TV, when I did the weather I had not a clue what I was talking about but I had good ratings. From there I ended up doing The Morning Drive radio show in Chicago. I need some more money though so I asked to do more commercials and they told me they weren’t going to put me on camera. I said “the hell with you guys, I am going to LA”. They told me I wouldn’t get a job. I told them I will have a billboard on Sunset in one year. I had one in eight months. After getting a commercial for Irish Springs, I got a theatrical agent got the script for “Caddyshack”. Did you know how much that film was ad libbed? Rodney (Dangerfield) was running through a scene bug-eyed like a comedic juggernaut. Ted Knight kept getting angry. Chevy Chase and Bill Murray threw in their lines. It was crazy. When I finally saw it, it was like watching home movies of a family picnic. But the thing is we were really having a good time.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about working on “Caddyshack”? Any stories?
Cindy Morgan: It was fun but also a big challenge. When that camera rolls it was even playing field. I was playing a strong character going head to head against these guys. The first scene I shot was the high dive and I can’t dive and can barely swim. I climbed up to the board and set the whole shot and they cut to the real diver. My second shot was the nude scene. It was explained to me and understood it. The night before though one of the producers told me they are going to send a Playboy photographer down to shoot the scene. I told them I couldn’t do it. But the next day there was the photographer. I wouldn’t let him on set and the producer said he was taking away my paid ads and my billing and told me I would never work again. So they did. Nobody knows I was in “Caddyshack”, they know Lacey Underall. I know that I did the right thing though.

Mike Gencarelli: Switching from “Caddyshack” to “Tron”, two totally different roles how did you feel?
Cindy Morgan: It was very different actors. Very different people. Working in Florida with the “Caddyshack” crew was a very different experience then working on the studio lot for Disney. “Caddyshack” was “Animal House” on the golf course. With Disney everything was frame by frame and had word by word laid out. It was a whole different deal. I loved working with Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner. It was a ground breaking film. When we shot it, it was just a huge empty warehouse. None of the graphics were behind us. The reality we were going to find in these things were in each others eyes. That is all I can say. I am really got I did that film.

MG: What was it like working on the film “Tron”, was it a difficult shoot?
CM: Difficult in a lot of ways. They had specific storyboards and scenes laid out. This was the first time that CGI was ever done. The studio suits were roaming around the sets. With my character in “Tron”, I had to make certain adjustments so I could play her as real as I could. One line I choked on and the audience knows it. I went to the director and said I cannot say this line. The director also happened to be the writer so the line stayed in the movie. The line was “Oh Tron, I knew there was circuit build that could hold you” and the audience laughs every time.

MG: How did you feel when you saw “Tron” for the first time as a finished product?
CM: In the real world I was fine. In the computer world the dialogue was very tough. The graphics were gorgeous though. But as a whole I didn’t know if it would play to a wide audience. I knew it had a special niche. As it turns out that niche kept it alive and it grew and grew. The reality was there because the actors believed it and they were in it 100%.

MG: Can you believe how the film has tested time and still is so popular?
CM: It is so cool that almost 30 years later all of this is happening. I have a big smile on my face all the time.

MG: Give us a hint do you think we will get a chance to see “Yori” return in “Tron Legacy” or maybe its possible sequel?
CM: I think any number of things in possible because the bottom line Mike, it is science-fiction. Anything is possible. They shot footage of me when I was in San Francisco doing promotion. The producers working the viral campaign are all young men. They are paying very cool attention to the internet and what the fans are saying. There is even a ‘Yori Lives’ campaign going on but it is all up to the fans.

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Cris D’Annunzio recently starred in the acclaimed short film “Clemency”, which showed at the 2010 Sundance Festival and won several awards from other film festivals. He wrote and co-starred in the Ray Liotta and Rory Culkin film “Chasing 3000”, which follows the real-life story of two brothers driving across country to see Baseball Hall-of-Famer Roberto Clemente get his 3,000 hit with the Pittsburgh Pirates. While the film was made in 2008, it will get its official release in Summer 2010. Movie Mikes had the chance to talk to Cris to discuss “Chasing 3000” and his flourishing career.

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Mike Gencarelli: It has not been an easy road for “Chasing 3000.” How do you feel now that it is finally hitting the big screen?
Cris D’Annunzio: It’s interesting. Obviously I’m very excited that it’s finally coming out and hitting the big screen. And yet there’s also…I don’t know how to describe it, it’s not disappointing…I just feel a little bad that it’s taken the film so long to get out there because it’s a really sweet film. I mean, it premiered three years ago at the Tribeca Film Festival. I judge certain things by my wife and my kids’ reaction and they just loved it. I think it’s a nice family, kid oriented film. It’s too bad that it had to take the route it took to get here but, with that being said, I’m really thrilled that it’s going to get a release. Hopefully it will pick up some steam after people see it and it should do real well on home video.

Mike Gencarelli: You co-wrote the screenplay with Bill Mikita. How was that experience?
Cris D’Annunzio: Any creative/artistic endeavor has it’s challenges. Ultimately the story really came to me through Bill. It’s loosely based on his life and growing up with his brother, who is the oldest surviving person IN THE WORLD with MS. The story really touched me when he first told it to me and my experiences with my own sister who, unfortunately, passed away a year and a half ago…she had a disease called Lupus…the experiences that I had growing up. My parents divorced and my mom basically took my sister and I and left. It’s a lot like the story in “Chasing 3000.” Oddly enough, what brought my sister and I closer together was baseball. We both shared a fondness for baseball. The Mets were our favorite team. The experience of writing it with Bill…with both of us bringing our personal situations and our personal histories into it…it’s interesting that we’re talking about this over the 4th of July weekend. It was nine years ago, over the 4th of July weekend, that we locked ourselves in an office at Warner Brothers and wrote the script over a long three day weekend. It’s kind of interesting when you have two grown men sitting in a room crying a lot and writing. It was a good experience.

Mike Gencarelli: You play Principal Motley in the film. Tell us about your character?
Cris D’Annunzio: What happens in the film is that the two boys, played by Trevor Morgan and Rory Culkin, move with their mom to California. They grew up in Pittsburgh and moved to California primarily because the younger brother has this disease and the warmer weather is better for his lungs. Of course the older brother becomes despondent and misses his friends and has a lot of teen angst. He starts to not do well in school and get in trouble and I’m kind of the principal who…not necessarily sets him on the right course but…disciplines him, puts an ultimatum to him. He kind of makes him realize that California is not the place he needs to be in at this moment. So he and his brother “borrow” their mother’s car and head across the country to see Roberto Clemente get his 3000th hit. Hopefully you’ll see it…hopefully a lot of people will see it. The casting director did a fantastic job of assembling a pretty well known cast. It has Ray Liotta and Lauren Holly and Ricardo Chivara from “Desperate Housewives.” The story, I think, touched a lot of people and that really touches me. I think that’s why a lot of people got involved in this project.

MG: Tell us about your one man play “Digging Up Dad”? Any plans to return to the stage?
CD: I just completed the run about a month ago…we ran for about three months. The play was an autobiographical solo show about my relationship with my father and his mysterious death at an early age…he died when he was 48 under very mysterious circumstances. The story is really about me trying to come to terms with that and also the fact that my mother left him when I was 12. At that age I was still developing my knowledge and my opinions about my father and it wasn’t until after he passed
that a lot of his life and what he did and was involved with…it wasn’t until then that I became aware of them. I grew up with it and I was aware of it. And I’ll use the word “mafia” but today I can’t whole heartedly tell you or anybody with any certainty that there is such a thing as the mafia, at least not in the way we think it should be based on what we see on television and in the movies. Maybe that was what my father was involved in but my father certainly wasn’t John Gotti. If anything he was…I would liken him to Paulie Walnuts from “The Sopranos” which was about the level of involvement that he was at.

MG: Your short film, “Clemency” has been hitting the festival circuit. Tell us about it?
CD: It’s a little project that I’m very excited about. It’s an interesting piece. It’s been playing the festival circuit but it’s kind of been categorized as a horror film but it’s really more of a mystery/suspense thriller. The way it’s shot and edited is a lot like the film “Se7en.” It’s about a sociopath in the mountains of West Virginia that abducts and murders some girls. One sister actually escapes and comes back many years later. The guy has spent many years in prison on death row and right before he’s scheduled to be executed he receives clemency from the governor who rules him insane. The sister who survived comes back and poses as a reporter. She gets in to interview him and ends up killing him. I play the murderer, which is a 180 degree turn from the character I play in “Chasing 3000.”

MG: Tell us about your upcoming web series, “Vampire Mob”?
CD: The first episode aired this past week and it runs six episodes. It’s done by some people I got involved with when I did my one man show, the Ruskin Group Theater. Every month they do what they call a “cafe” play. Five writers come in on Friday morning and they’re given a theme and two head shots and are told to write a ten minute play based on the theme and based on the two actors they’ve been given the pictures of. They write the play in the morning, give the play to the actors at noon. They rehearse it from noon until six and then they have the opening night performance at seven and the closing night performance at nine that evening. One of the writers, Joe Wilson, had written a play loosely based on a vampire hit man for the mob and that gave him the idea to do the web series. It’s about a mob hit man who gets shot and makes a deal with the devil not to die. But in choosing to live forever he also has to choose to be a vampire. He figures that since most of the work he does is at night anyway this would be perfect for him!

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Derek Mears is best known for playing Jason Voorhees in 2009’s reboot of “Friday the 13th”. He is starring in this summer’s reboot of “Predators” as the Classic Predator. He is currently filming in Hawaii for a little film called “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”. Movie Mikes got a chance to talk to Derek again, you can check out our first interview here. This time we got Derek to spill some information about his role in “Predators”.

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Mike Gencarelli: In “Predators”, you play the classic Predator, tell us about your role in the film and also the other Predators?
Derek Mears: What I can say about playing Classic Predator is, It is f*&#ing cool! My fan boy mind has been blown. This time around they have some new Predators and there are different races. So far fans have only seen one which is the classic race. They are a little taller, a little leaner, a little darker and their technology is a little more advanced. KNB EFX knocked it out of the ball park with their designs. When I saw their new designs, I thought that they were really really cool.

Mike Gencarelli: Have you seen the other films in the series?
Derek Mears: Of course I have. I’ve seen all the films. Like in our last interview I said, I love horror, sci-fi and comic books.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you prepare for this role?
Derek Mears: I knew I was going to be zipped up in a giant monster suit. I did a lot of endurance training. I was trying to figure out with the character how to make it more fluent and animalistic.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us a cool story from the set during the film of the “Predators”?
Derek Mears: You got good questions. Damn it, you’re making me think! [laughs]. Let me think…Nimrod (Antal), the director is such a big fan of “Predator” and I remember he was giggling and laughing during the shoot. He yelled out to the cast and crew, “There is a 12-year old fat kid named Nimrod who had a “Predator” poster above his bed and he is losing his mind right now”. His energy and love for the character was so infectious. Sometimes if you weren’t sure how a take went, you would just look at his eyes. He would light up and say “Pancakes”. If you heard “Pancakes” that means you were doing a fantastic job. You would ask, “How was that?”, he would then say “Pancakes, baby!! That was pancakes!!”. So I guess I did a good job [laughs].

Mike Gencarelli: How long did it take to apply the costume?
Derek Mears: To put it on it was about an hour. Some days it was like an hour and a half to get out. When I didn’t wear the battle helmet and just had a mask, they had to glue black rubber donuts over my eyes for padding. Then put my contacts in, so that took a little extra time.

Mike Gencarelli: What was the first thing you thought when you were suited up for the first time in your costume?
Derek Mears: The first thing I thought was where is the zipper so in case I have to go to the bathroom I can relieve myself [laughs]. I was really excited when I put the outfit on because the way it felt and moved, it was made for my body. Sometimes when you wear different prosthetics and monster suits you have to over exaggerate what you are doing. With this it was so super thin and skin tight. Everything read beyond clear and that is all to the artistry of KNB EFX.

Mike Gencarelli: How do you think fans are going to react to this film?
Derek Mears: I think they are going to like it. What the focus of this one was was to get it back to a hard R rating and to make it realistic and not campy whatsoever. They didn’t want to do PG-13 to reach a mass audience. I think it will deliver to the fans.

Mike Gencarelli: Have you heard word about possibly returning for another “Predators”?
Derek Mears: It’s funny, because you hear it every time you work on a film. At the end of the film you hear “Dude, they want to do part 2”. You hear that on every film you work on. I really don’t know if they are thinking about a sequel or not. I hope so.

Mike Gencarelli: What are you currently shooting in Hawaii?
Derek Mears: I am currently shooting “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” and we are told to be tight lipped about it. All I am able to say is that I am part of the cast and that is it. It is really exciting though.

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Paris Themmen played Mike TeeVee in 1971’s “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”. Paris took time out on his birthday to talk to OnlineCasinosSpelen and discuss how it was working on the film, what he has done since and how he is hoping for a 40th anniversary cast reunion.

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Mike Gencarelli: How did you originally get the role of Mike TeeVee in “Willy Wonka”?
Paris Themmen: I started acting when I was six.  My mother brought me into an agent and I went up for a commercial.  The first commercial I ever went up for was for Jiff Peanut Butter where I had to sit on top of a mountain of peanuts.  Of course it was just an angled chicken wire creation.  I hooked the first commercial I went up for and then the second commercial was for a product called “Crazy Bubbles.”  I was the only six year old who could say “Crazy Bubbles Bubble Blowing Bubble Bath.”  I could say it three times fast so they hired me.  In those days there weren’t many child actors in New York.  So I kept doing commercials.  Eventually I booked a Broadway show called “Mame” with Ann Miller as Auntie Mame.  So I was doing a lot of commercials and theater in New York…I did Circle in the Square…and when I was around eleven years old I auditioned for the film.  As I recall there was at least one call back…not a lot.  As I said, there weren’t really a million child actors in New York…maybe me and a few others.  I had a call back and I remember being in a phone booth with my mother and getting the news and both of us being very excited that we were both going to go to Munich, Germany to film the movie.

Mike Gencarelli: What was your most memorable moment on the set of “Willy Wonka”
Paris Themmen: My most fondest memory was the chocolate room.  Unlike Julie who didn’t like it because, strangely, she doesn’t like chocolate, I loved the Pure Imagination room.  As you may have heard elsewhere, the reaction shot that they took of us from the top of the stairs was a true reaction shot.  It was a closed set and we had never seen the room before.  So when they opened the doors…unlike today where they digitize things or build them in portions…it was all laid out for us.  We were probably 30 or 40 feet above it looking down at the whole room…the river flowing, the waterfall flowing, the boat moving.  I think that was the first day we saw the Oompa Loompas.  It was such an amazing feeling to be looking down at what the crew had been laboring on.  To see the fruits of their labors was amazing.  That was probably my favorite moment on shooting the film.

Mike Gencarelli: Do you still keep in touch with the cast and crew?
Paris Themmen: Mostly by email, but yes.  Here are the people I’ve seen in the last 20 years:  I’ve seen each of the four other kids, I’ve seen Diana Sole, who played Charlie’s mom. I’ve seen Rusty Goff, who played the lead Oompa Loompa.  I’ve seen Mel Stuart, who directed the film.  I’ve seen Frawley Becker, who was the script consultant.  I think for people that were directly associated with the movie…that’s it.  No wait!  I saw Leonard Stone one day.  I was doing commercial counseling sessions and he came in as a commercial actor for me.  And that’s it.  I know a lot of them have passed…like Jack Albertson.   Oh, and I did see Gene (Wilder) once.  I saw him about a year ago at a Barnes and Noble signing for his book.  And the thing about being Gene is…I was eleven, the other kids were thirteen.  People ask me who was nice and who was mean.  Julie, surprisingly, was a very well mannered, well behaved British young woman.  Peter, true to form, was a very gentle and well behaved young man.  Michael didn’t speak a lot of English and Denise was a lot like me…sort of a hardened child actor.  But I was two years younger…and I was trouble.  I was rambunctious and precocious everywhere on the set and Gene remembered this.  He tells a story about being asked about a part in the additional footage on the DVD when someone asks “what about me” and he replies “oh, he was definitely a brat.”  Then he pauses, looks into the camera and says, “But Paris…You know I love you now,” in a very Gene Wilder sort of way.  And another one that I love…Gene was asked what he thought about working with the kids and he said, “four of them are great and one of them I’m going to kill tomorrow!”  Wait a minute, my girlfriend is correcting me.  He says “Four of them are fantastic, one of them I’m going to shoot in the head tomorrow!”  (laughs).  So years later I go to this book signing and I say, “Hi Gene, I’m Paris, I played Mike TeeVee” and he says, sure as rain, “Oh…you grew a brat.”  So that’s his recollection of me. And I told him that I’d like to think I’ve had time to change and he said, “yes, of course…I’m sure you have.”  But like I say I was sorta precocious…much like my character.

MG: After “Willy Wonka”,  you didn’t do a lot of other films.  Why?
PT: The real question is, “Paris, what have you done since?”  There are a couple of answers.  One:  After the film I went back to Broadway in a play called “The Rothchilds.”  I also did the first national tour of the show.  I did a couple more commercials.  I basically worked from six to sixteen.  Then I got my degree in theater at NYU and they didn’t want you to work at that time.  They wanted you to be process oriented, not results oriented.  So they really didn’t want you to work.  Then I got out of college, got distracted and discovered other things.  I did a few commercials in my thirties and I was in the background of some films, mostly because I was working in film production.  The other side of that question is what have I done NOT as an actor and…that is a lot.  I’ve travelled all over the world…I backpacked through sixty different countries on six continents.  Particularly in some very exotic locations like Borneo, the Sahara Desert, the Amazon, the Great Pyramids of Egypt, the Taj Mahal.  Just try to imagine the cool adventurous things you’d want to do in your life…I’ve done many of them.  Swimming with sharks…piranhas.  I’ve done some sky diving.  I’ve also had some great business experiences…managing money with Smith-Barney…being a real estate broker…film production, like I said.  I worked in casting for awhile.  I was what they call a Walt Disney Imagineer, during when they were building Euro Disney.  I’ve started two or three businesses.  So I haven’t been just sitting in my room contemplating my navel.  I’ve been out doing things.  In terms of major motion pictures that people will remember…that’s it…one film, “Willy Wonka”.  One good film.

MG: With next year being the 40th anniversary of the film, how do you feel about its impact over the years?
PT: I agree with you that the film has had a life of its own.  And it’s been passed down from parents to children throughout the years.  The script that Roald Dahl wrote appeals not only to children but also to adults, with many adult references, so the parents don’t mind watching it with the kids.  And they are in fact excited about bestowing it upon their children.  And as the film has grown there are very old Wonka fans now and there are very young Wonka fans now.  So in terms of my reaction to that I think it’s great.  I think it deserves to be where it is.  Obviously at the time none of us expected that it would be that way.  But watching the film I understand its enduring popularity.

MG: Ok, the dreaded question, have you seen the remake from 2005? Your feelings?
PT: Here’s my experience with the new film…there was a time right after it came out when people would ask me “what do you think of the new film” and I would say, “Oh, I think it’s great!”  I don’t remember exactly what I said but I know I was positive.  But as the years go by and I speak to fans who tell me that they prefer the old one I feel more and more comfortable expressing my opinion which is that the new one had some things about it that I liked…things like the squirrels.  And by that I mean Veruca getting eaten by squirrels, which was true to the book.  I liked the pink Seahorse boat.  I thought the chocolate looked more authentic in the river then ours.  But I thought that there were many ways that they missed in the new one.  Chief among them is the relationship between Wonka and Charlie.  I felt that, although the new movie is called “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” the focus in fact was more on Willy Wonka, while the old movie was called “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” but the emphasis was more on Charlie.  In terms of the relationship with Wonka, I think that one of the key moments in the old film was in the end when Gene says “My boy you’ve won,” and there’s this great moment that happens between him and Charlie.  To me that’s the heart of the problem in the center of the film.  The choices Johnny Depp made, and far be it from me to judge Johnny Depp…he’s one of our finest actors…created such a neurotic persona so that there was no relationship between Wonka and Charlie.  I thought that was the biggest problem.

MG: Do you ever think we will see another cast reunion any time soon? Perhaps for the 40th anniversary?
PT: There is some talk of doing something but I really can’t give specifics until things are nailed down.  But, yes, we’re definitely talking about doing that, either at the end of this year, which technically be 40 years since we shot the film or in 2011.

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David della Rocco is well known from playing a character of the same name in the “Boondock Saints” series. Some might know him as the ‘Funny Man’ but if you are a fan of the “Boondock” series, you know Rocco. Movie Mikes had a chance to talk to David to discuss his role in the series and what he has planned for the future.

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Mike Gencarelli: David, tell us how you originally got the gig in “The Boondock Saints”?
David della Rocco: What’s interesting is that Troy happened to be working at the same bar that I was working at. I had a friend that owned the bar and I told him I needed a second job at the time. I just got done doing a play that took place in 1975. So I grew a beard and had long hair like a hippie. So I’m working at the bar and Troy is writing the script. He’d talk to me about it and one day he said “you know, your character…the way you are…” and I thought nothing about it. Plus, he loved my name. “della Rocco.” It’s a great last name. Everybody calls me “Rocco.” To make a long story short, he was writing it and he said, “Hey, you’re an actor. Why don’t you play the part?” So I said, “of course. But sell it first.” And of course he did.

Mike Gencarelli: Do you have any crazy stories from the set of the films? I’m sure you guys had a blast.
David della Rocco: You know we did. There was a lot of excitement there. We were living in this huge house. Before we went up there they told us we were all going to be living in this house together. Me, Troy, the producer, the film editor…and I was thinking “how can I take this serious? I’m here to do a film.” But the house was HUGE! It was three stories and we all had our own bedrooms. There was a lot of fun going on but Troy was working very hard. He had to be up at six every morning and work until nine at night. But there are a lot of fun stories. Like the first time Troy had to direct (Willem) DaFoe. He had to walk up and do his newscaster thing. He does it and says “I want to do it again.” And I look at Troy and say “I’d let him do it again. I like the first take but if he wants to do it again…(laughs). A lot of stuff like that was going on. I mean it was Troy’s first film. Heck, it was my first film. I’d done a lot of theatre. It was a good time but a lot of work as well.

Mike Gencarelli: Was there any improv done on the set? Or did you play the script pretty tight?
David della Rocco: You know what’s amazing, and a true compliment to the script, is that a lot of the “Boondock” fans…they look at the movie and see we’re drinking a lot and they ask “what did you guys do…get drunk and improv a lot?” But every single line was a written line. I remember the one scene where we blew up the cat…we do the scene, blow up the cat. Now we’re all looking at it. And Troy says, “when they say “wow I can’t believe that just happened,” wait a beat and say “Is it dead?” It wasn’t in the script. But that was basically about it.

MG: What was it like returning for “All Saints Day”?
DD: Well Troy wrote two films. And for a long time I was wondering and asking Troy if he needed me…I wanted to do it, of course. I was wondering if I was going to get cut out. So it was very nice of him, really, to give me that one scene in there. I knew I’d get up there to do it but I didn’t know if it would stay in the film. But it did. Troy wanted us to go to Fenway Park. He has a brother-in-law that’s a sportscaster in Boston. They were doing some construction on the field and he thought we could do it out of season. But because of the construction we couldn’t. So that was the scene that we were supposed to do. We found out on set that we couldn’t fly to Boston so we kind of made up that scene…the dream sequence. Me and Troy and the brothers wrote it just before we did it. So that’s interesting…you end up having it at the hockey rink…having it at the bar…having it on a skyscraper. And I’m afraid of heights. Even though it was very safe they put this harness around me. They had to because I was so close to the edge.

MG: Your story actually continues in the comic “Boondock Saints: The Lost Gig”, where you involved with that?
DD: No, not at all. Not at all. I didn’t even know it was going on. I just saw it a couple of weeks ago. I’d heard about it but I don’t know a lot about it. I know it’s about the brothers and Billy and all that and that it will keep going. I really had nothing to do with it.

MG: Can you believe the impact that these films have had on the fans?
DD: You know, it blows me away. It really does. Because it was a film that really came out at the wrong time. The tragedy at Columbine had just happened. And I hate to use that as an example. But they were telling people to take their kids to the movies and see stuff like “Legally Blonde.” We hardly had any theatrical release. Then Blockbuster bought it. And I figured it would just be one of those films that never gets seen. And then little by little it started getting recognized. I mean, the first time I got recognized I remarked that I had just met the only person in America that had seen the film. And then little by little I see it really begin to pick up steam. Because with any movie, it’s up to the fans. I mean, if only seven people had watched “The Godfather”…I mean, it’s a great film but what are you going to say? The fans are the ones that really made the film. It had nothing to do with marketing or publicity. It was just on the shelves of Blockbuster. It really did blow me away. It still does.

MG: If you can say one thing to your fans, what would it be?
DD: Thank you. I owe you. We went on a college tour all around the country. We got on a bus and went from L.A. to New York. We went to Boston. And what is amazing is that you have a film like “Titanic.” It had a great director, great advertising…it came out at the right time. But when you do a film like this, it’s the fans that make it go. It’s the word of mouth that’s the publicity. It’s really nice. Every time we have a function and there’s fans around I just really, really enjoy it. I’ll sign autographs and take pictures until my arm falls off. We have really, really great fans and I love them all. I owe them a lot.

MG: What do you do when you are not acting?
DD: I try to keep the acting going but I also have hobbies. I’m a guitarist. I’m a bad guitarist. I’m a music lover. I don’t have a lot of hobbies so I try to keep the acting going. It’s tough. I have another film coming out in October. But it’s really a difficult business. I should find a couple more hobbies. It’s not that acting is so time consuming, it’s just that there’s a lot of waiting and it just consumes your life. I mean I’ll look back six months and I’ll say “I could have gone to Jamaica for six months and it wouldn’t have mattered.” A lot of time it’s just waiting. Seeking things out…auditions…meeting people. I should start woodworking or something (laughs) Actually, Troy does that. He’s very good at building things. I mean, for a present he’ll make his mom or dad something really, really nice.

MG: Are you holding out for “Boondock 3”, any other plans for the future?
DD: You know, that’s a funny question, because Troy never even thought about it. But when we went on this tour that was the first question everybody was asking. The first few times Troy would answer that he had a couple other things he wanted to do but by the third gig he’s saying, “Yeah…there will be a ‘3‘. I already have some ideas.” But I don’t know. I think Troy is the type of person who would want me in Part 3. But I don’t know…do ghosts age? I know Troy does have a couple other projects so I’m not sure when it will be coming out. I would love to have it come out, of course, but I don’t know if I’ll be in it.

MG: Maybe they could do some flashback scenes like in the comic book?
DD: Well, that’s what I mean about getting older. The first film was done in 1998. That was 12 years ago. And if we have to wait another five….people will be asking me “what happened to your hair?” I mean I could wear a wig, but then they’d be asking why did my face fall?

MG: What else are you working on?
DD: My agent just got me this movie, we’re doing it in Cincinnati. It starts filming in October. My character’s nationality has been changed. I think he’s going to be more Mediterranean. Maybe Spanish or Italian. It’s a mafiosa thing. There’s a singer in it, it has music in it. The main character is an old country singer who has gotten out of jail. I’m the mafiosa guy he had to deal with. It’s called “The Dove.”

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Mayim Bialik is most known for her role for TV’s “Blossom” which ran from 1991-1995. Today Mayim is still working in TV appearing on “The Big Bang Theory”, “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” and “Til Death”. Movie Mikes had a chance to talk to Mayim to discuss her “Blossom” years and her recent comeback to television.

Click here to purchase “Blossom” Seasons 1 & 2 on DVD

Mike Gencarelli: What originally drew you to the role of “Blossom”?
Mayim Bialik: I was in a movie called “Beaches” when I was 12 years old. When that came out in theaters, I got a lot of notice and was offered different shows. I first did a show for Fox called “Molloy”. Jennifer Aniston played my older sister. When that show failed, I got the script for “Blossom”.

Mike Gencarelli: Obviously you spent many years working on “Blossom”, any fond memories?
Mayim Bialik: We had a lot of really fun guest stars the first couple years of the show. A lot of those were episodes a lot of people didn’t see because it wasn’t super popular. We had Little Richard, Sonny Bono and Alf on the show. We had a lot of really fun guest stars. Phylicia Rashad from “The Cosby Show”. Estelle Getty from “The Golden Girls”. It was like who is going to be on next week. It was really run first couple of seasons like that.

Mike Gencarelli: Do you still keep in touch with any of the cast?
Mayim Bialik: It is kind of when you work with people in an office and then you all get fired and all go different places. The thing that kept you socializing and together is gone. Joey and I went to college and Jenna also went to school. We weren’t in touch those first couple of years. As things have gone on and people have slowly drifted back to LA, we have talked more. When Shout! Factory released the DVD’s of Seasons 1 and 2, we did a commentary for that. We all got to be in one room again. Michael Stoyanov, who played the older brother, I haven’t seen him in years. He was just on an episode of “Til’ Death” that I did and Jenna was also on that episode too. So we also had a little mini-reunion there as well.

MG: After “Blossom” was done, what was the first thing that you wanted to do?
MB: [laughs] I really wanted to college. I was two years out of high school when the show ended. My grandparents are immigrants from Eastern Europe and it is a big ethic in my family to go to college. That was really what I wanted to do. I wanted to live more of a normal life. It appealed to me to socialize with people in the school setting. I missed a lot of that not going to high school everyday.

MG: My wife is a huge fan of “Beaches”, how was your experience on that film?
MB: Well, I was young. We filmed on Coney Island. It was my first time as a cognizant person in New York. It was a really fun experience. We flew first class and they took us everywhere in limos. Very exciting. On the set, Bette Midler wasn’t there because I played her. As a 12 year old kid, I never really realized the scope of the movie. I just did my job like it was school play. I just started acting. It was new to me. Gary Marshall is such a great director. Again I was saved by being a little bit naive. I just did my thing and didn’t think about it.

MG: You have done quite a bit of television during your career, did you favor that over films?
MB: When I started acted, they would just send you out on any audition. I think my comedic sensibility was really fostered working on “Blossom”. I have been acting again in the last year or two since my second son was born. I have done drama as well so it is sort of a mix now. Scheduling wise now that I have two young kids. I definitely like TV and the sitcom world which is a much easier schedule than film. But there is also a lot of appeal to smaller and independent films. I like both.

MG: 2010 has been a busy year for you in television with “Til Death” and “The Secret Life of the American Teenager”. Both roles are doctors, how have you enjoyed playing them?
MB: Right, I have a Ph.D in neuroscience in real life. On “The Secret Life of the American Teenager”, the creator of that show was a writer on “Blossom”. The executive producer of “Til’ Death” was the creator of “Blossom”. I think both of them were playing on my real personality. I have this recurring role on “The Big Bang Theory” which is the most exciting thing that has happened this year. On that show we do not know a lot about my character but I am hoping she is some sort of physicist. We will find out. I film two more episodes this August.

MG: Tell us what else you have planned for the future?
MB: That is pretty much it. We home school our two boys. We have an almost 5 year old and a 2 year old. That is what most of my day is like. I teach in our home school community. That is what keeps me busy. I have “The Big Bang Theory” again in August. I audition for stuff all the time. I am actually writing a book. I just sold the book to Simon & Schuster. So I will be writing that in the next six months or so. So there it is.

Click here to purchase “Blossom” Seasons 1 & 2 on DVD

Sarah Clarke is known for her role as Bella Swan’s mom, Renee, in “The Twilight Saga”. She also co-stars in TNT’s new dramady “Men of a Certain Age” and will return for Season 2 this Fall. Movie Mikes had a chance to talk with Sarah to discuss the “Twilight” craze that is currently overtaking the world.

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Mike Gencarelli: How do you feel about being a part of the “Twilight Saga”?
Sarah Clarke: Well it is mind blowing. You just kind of go and do your work though. I am fortunate that because I do have a family and I feel like I am in my own little world with that. But every once in a while I peek out and to be a part of something like this, it is fun. But I enjoy being able to switch back and forth.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about your role in “Eclipse”?
Sarah Clarke: They obviously want to focus on the vampire love affair going on. The mom, poor thing, is down in Florida trying to wrestle everything that is going on. I really like what they have established with our relationship. I felt like our scene in “Eclipse” really gave us something to work with.

Mike Gencarelli: Your fans have some devotion to these films, I haven’t seen this type of fan craze since like “Star Wars”.
Sarah Clarke: I know! I think what it is, is that people are excited because they have these books in their mind for so long. They have read them over and over and are getting to see it come to life. It’s great.

MG: Were you a fan of the book series before you became involved?
SC: No I didn’t know about the books. I feel the books started it but the movies have definitely made this a bigger phenomenon. Fans have really come to this franchise in droves. You don’t even have to be a fan of the books as much any more. You get people from all sides and it is great how things can grow exponentially and make it even bigger.

MG: Have you actually watched the movies so far and do you have a favorite?
SC: They are all great in the way that the story is built. I still hold the first one to be the most fascinating because its when everyone is introduced. What I liked about “Eclipse” is you are given a glimpse into their back story. Like Emmett and Rosalie. You get that in the first book though a little bit. It is really rich for cinematic experience though.

MG: How was it working with the the cast on both films?
SC: It was great. Mostly all the stuff I’ve done is with Kristen (Stewart) and Rob (Pattinson). The first movie, I am on the phone and then I go to the hospital with them. In “Eclipse”, they visit me in Florida. So my main experience has been with Kristen. I feel that she is such a strong actress. So grounded in the face of everything that is going on. It was really easy to feel maternal towards her [laughs]. She is such a lovely person.

MG: For us non-readers, what should we expect from your character in the next chapter, “Breaking Dawn, Part 1”?
SC: I can’t give you anything. It is never the same [laughing]. Whatever my character is doing in the book, they could change it for the movie. I do known they get married. We all know that from the book. Mothers are always involved when there is a marriage.

MG: You worked on one of my favorite new shows of 2009, “Men of a Certain Age”, tell us about working on that?
SC: It was fantastic. I am going to be coming back next season as well. Ray (Romano), Scott Bakula and Andre Braugher are phenomenal. I worked mainly with Ray. He is just so much fun. They gave me such fun stuff to do. I can only hope the same fun will continue this coming season.

MG: You played Nina Myers in “24”, with the show finally seeing its end, how do you feel?
SC: I did. It was like an end of an era to see the show end. When I went to the finale party it was great to see so much of the crew that was still involved. The fact they they were able to keep it such a viable show for eight seasons is great. We didn’t think it was going to get past second two.

MG: What do you have planned next?
SC: “Men of a Certain Age” and the next “Twilight” are what I have going on for the rest of this year. I want to get my new born daughter pretty established before I embark on anything too time consuming. If something comes around I can’t pass it up, I will do that. But otherwise I am set for the year.

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Alfred Molina is an accomplished London-born actor whose diverse and distinguished gallery of performances has led to a lengthy and triumphant career in film, in television and on the stage. Last fall, he opened in the critically acclaimed movie “An Education” and filmed a comedy series for the BBC opposite Dawn French. In late fall 2009 Molina opened in the highly celebrated Donmar Warehouse production of “Red,” which opened on Broadway April 10, 2010. Molina can currently be seen opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in the Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films’ “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.” Molina stars as Maxim Horvath in the innovative and epic comedy adventure “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.” Alfred sat down and answered a few questions about his role in “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”.

Q: “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” is the second time that you have worked in a Jerry Bruckheimer film. What are some of the hallmark traits of a Bruckheimer production?

A: Jerry Bruckheimer films have this wonderful combination of action, adventure and comedy with characters full of depth and details. There is nothing pedestrian or every day about his films. The stories will always take you somewhere completely different and that is part of the excitement of going to his films.

Q: How would you describe this film?

A: You could say that it is a classical tale of good versus evil, but it is also a great adventure story. It features two rivals who were once friends, but who are now arch enemies. This rivalry has gone on for a centuries, with one character staying on the high road and the other embracing the dark side. So it is a very traditional story that is being updated in a very new and contemporary way.

Q: Please describe the character you play in “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.”

A: My character in the film is Maxim Horvath. He is a character whom I regard as the classic villain—someone who is well dressed and charming, but deadly. He is rather dastardly in a debonair way. I thought of all the British actors who have played this type of role over the years and I suddenly realized that I now belong to a very honorable tradition. I think it has something to do with the accent. [LAUGHS]

Q: Why did you decide to take on the role of Maxim Horvath?

A: I think part of what makes these films interesting to do is that there is a lot of room for comedy, especially when you are playing the villain. Playing the villain means that you are given carte blanche to legitimately chew the scenery. My fellow British actor Bob Hoskins used to say that the great thing about playing a villain is that you are only in the movie half of the time, you get treated like the crown jewel and if the movie stinks nobody will blame you. So it’s like the perfect gig!

Q: Describe the tricky relationship between your character and Toby Kebbell’s character, Drake Stone.

A: Maxim is in need of an ally to help him fight against Balthazar. He searches the city for a malevolent partner and he is pointed in the direction of Drake Stone. Drake is a sorcerer that has decided to use his powers to become an entertainer and make lots of money. Maxim despises this because he feels like Drake has sold out for cheap laughs. So the relationship between Maxim and Drake is kind of like a dysfunctional family. Maxim is like a really overbearing father and Drake is the son who has turned out to be a huge disappointment.

Q: Describe working with the legendary actor Nicolas Cage.

A: At first Nic was a bit nervous because it was his first Alfred Molina movie. He was shy, but he got over it. [LAUGHS] But in all seriousness, we had a great time. It is always a bit daunting at first to work with such a big star like Nic Cage, but I had a wonderful time. He is very generous and he has a great enthusiasm for the work. He also enjoys the creativity and contribution that other actors bring to the process.

Q: What is your impression of Jay Baruchel, who plays the pivotal role of the reluctant apprentice?

A: I think Jay is one of the most talented young actors around at the moment. I am rather in awe of him. He has great skills and confidence. When I was that age I did not have a quarter of the confidence and self assuredness that he has—both as a person and an actor. He is also very inventive and imaginative. He has great chops when it comes to improvising. Really talented actors make it look so easy and that is what Jay does.

Q: Did you enjoy working with director Jon Turteltaub?

A: Jon is wonderful. His is a real actor’s director. He is absolutely clear on what he expects and how to achieve it. He is not a diva. He does not scream or shout; he just creates. He is incredibly funny, loves to laugh and enjoys the camaraderie on the set. Jon has great taste and an eye for what will and won’t work. He completely understands this type of film and he brings to it not just talent and intelligence, but a complete enthusiasm for the process.

Q: Why did the filmmakers choose to shoot the film on location in New York City?

A: The city itself is very photogenic and has a very dramatic presence. When I first came to New York in the early 1980s, I felt as if I had been there before because the city has so many iconic landmarks and buildings. You have seen the Statue of Liberty, the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building in millions of movies and television shows. Directors such as Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese have paid homage to it. The city has a kind of throbbing life to it and I think we have achieved that energy in this film. It is sort of a double whammy when magic happens in a city that you know is magical.