Exclusive: Lance Henriksen Talks Not Bad for a Human, Puts Prometheus Rumor to Rest, and More
Steve Barton
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Official Not Bad for a Human Website
http://notbadforahuman.com/?page_id=295
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If you’re a regular reader of Dread Central, then we don’t have to tell you that actor Lance Henriksen is a true Hollywood (and horror) icon with well over 150 films to his name, including Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Terminator, Aliens, Near Dark, Damien: Omen II, Pumpkinhead, Scream 3 and dozens more genre films.
He also portrayed Frank Black in the cult classic “Millennium” television series (which garnered the prolific actor several award nominations) and has lent his voice to countless animated movies and video games as well.
Now Henriksen is enjoying a new direction in his illustrious career- that of a writer. Henriksen collaborated over the last few years with co-writer Joseph Maddrey on his recently released biography, Not Bad for a Human, which the duo self-published through Bloody Pulp Books. It celebrates Henriksen’s screen persona, film by film, and gives readers a candid look at the chaotic upbringing and early life experiences that shaped him and helped pave the way for his distinguished career.
Recently Dread Central had the opportunity to chat with the ever-busy actor about the book tour he recently embarked on and why the timing was perfect to chronicle his life experiences in a biography. Henriksen also discussed what’s next on his plate and cleared up any rumors that may be floating around out there as to whether or not he is part of Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, which is currently lensing.
Henriksen started off the interview by talking about how writing a biography wasn’t a project he ever saw himself doing. “Doing a biography was almost kind of accidental. I met (co-writer) Joe Maddrey because he wrote the recent horror documentary Nightmares in Red, White and Blue; and I was the narrator on the movie. So we became friends from that, and one day he admitted to me how he was a huge fan of mine and wanted me to write my biography with him about both my life and career experiences. Honestly, I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it so I told him, ‘Let’s do 40 pages, and if it’s mediocre, we’re throwing it out and that was the end of it.’ But it actually turned out to be pretty great so we kept on going. I’m really glad we did because I think Joe and I put together a really entertaining read for both fans of mine and even for readers out there who may not be as familiar with my work, too.”
“I was really expecting it to be a lot harder to get the book finished, but the writing process was actually pretty easy because luckily a lot of what I’ve been through translated very naturally onto the page. It was definitely an interesting process for me to go through while reliving a lot of different memories over the course of a year and a half while the book came together. There is definitely a lot I didn’t get to put in the book, but had Joe and I included every little story, we would have ended up with a 900-page book. Who wants to read all that?” added Henriksen.
Not Bad for a Human was released in May 2011, and in an effort to support his publishing venture, the iconic actor recently set off on a ten-week long book tour to meet with fans from all over the US. Henriksen discussed how rewarding it has been for him to connect with fans out there that have supported his career throughout the years. The next stop on his book tour will take him to Chicago for the Flashback Weekend Horror Convention from August 12-14, where Henriksen will be on hand to meet fans and chat with them as well.
“I’m visiting 12 different cities in two-and-a-half months to support the book and reach out to the fans who have been so supportive along the way,” said Henriksen. “It’s a tough schedule to keep up, but I’m always so touched to get the fan feedback when I’m out at different shows promoting the book and talking about my career. I’m very lucky to have such devoted fans, and I’ve loved hearing the stories about how my work has touched their lives.”
Once Henriksen wraps his book tour this fall, he’s reteaming with Maddrey for another publishing-related venture in the comic book world.
“Joe and I were approached by Dark Horse Comics during Comic-Con to write a script for a new comic series so that’s pretty amazing. We’re going to start working on that very soon, and I think it’s cool how our working relationship has evolved together over the years. Joe’s such a great guy, and I can’t wait to see what happens with our script.”
One project that Henriksen definitely isn’t involved with, though, is Ridley Scott’s Alien prequel, Prometheus, and the actor cleared up any rumors on the matter.
Henriksen said, “I don’t know whether or not the character of Weyland is in Prometheus or not, but I know that I haven’t ever been contacted to be a part of it. I know there are rumors out there about my involvement, but I honestly don’t know much about the production at all. But knowing the kind of director Ridley is, I’m really intrigued to see what he does with the movie.”
To order your copy of Not Bad for a Human now, check out the official site here! Click on the links below to order the paperback or download a Kindle version.
Special thanks to Lance for taking the time to speak with Dread Central and to the kind folks at Flashback Weekend for arranging the interview!
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