Dourif, Brad (Blood Shot)
I don’t usually get to talk to actors like Brad Dourif. He’s usually playing those supporting character roles that the studios don’t even bother to book for interviews. On the low budget action/horror film Blood Shot, he’s the big name. The story of a cop and a vampire teaming up to fight terrorists has Dourif playing Bob, the big villain. Preparing to shoot a harem scene, Dourif was dressed in full white sheik robes with dark makeup and facial hair, sitting in his trailer. That’s right, I sat in Chucky’s trailer interviewing Doc Cochran.
Crave Online: Talk about this awesome costume, what is the look of Bob?
Brad Dourif: Well, Bob looks like an Arab, a Saudi really I guess is what they’re looking for.
Crave Online: It looks like you have foundation and darkening makeup, how long does the whole get up take?
Brad Dourif: To get into makeup, about 45 minutes. About five minutes to get the costume on.
Crave Online: Who is Bob?
Brad Dourif: Well, Bob’s a sort of evil sorcerer magician who touts a relationship that he has with Allah. Like a holy guy but is really evil.
Crave Online: Do you play it for the fun or play the straight drama?
Brad Dourif: Well, the humor is in the drama. You kind of have to, in my case, because the character is a protagonist and moves the story forward, he can’t be really that funny. He’s got to be, in order for the story to work, he has to be a little bit scary and a little bit serious. So I’m not really playing it for laughs, but I’m aware that it’s also fun. I do have moments where it’s a farce, it’s a comedy.
Crave Online: What made you sign on to Blood Shot?
Brad Dourif: I don’t know, it just seemed like something I could do. It seemed like fun. I suppose mostly it was fun. In terms of what was out there, this was right in the middle of the writer’s strike. There’s not a lot happening out there. I’m now sounding like it’s, you know, but for what’s out there, it was way, way, really good.
Crave Online: In such a low budget production, do you have a sense that you’re the big name?
Brad Dourif: If I were really a big star, this would make a huge, huge difference. I would like to think that my relationship with the film is really more about getting people turned on and trying to bring up the level of what’s going on. I see myself much more as an actor than somebody who can really sell a movie. I don’t know how much of a salesman I would be for the movie. I don’t see myself that way.
Crave Online: Well, at least within the genre?
Brad Dourif: Oh yes, the horror genre in a certain sense because of the vampire and yeah, of course. I’m well known in horror. That’s going to get some notice and people will, sure, it’s a help.
Crave Online: What sort of crazy action are you doing, getting blown up?
Brad Dourif: Yeah, I guess I sort of die in all the major ways that you can die, that the evil villain is supposed to die.
Crave Online: Today’s in the harem, is that anything close to what the real Brad Dourif groupies are like?
Brad Dourif: There are no real Brad Dourif groupies, I can tell you that right now.
Crave Online: But how fun is the scene?
Brad Dourif: These kids are all younger than my daughters. I mean, it’s just I feel way past this. It’s always attractive, it’s always cool to see attractive girls around but the second I talk to them, they’re kids.
Crave Online: Now that Deadwood is officially over, what are your thoughts? Were you hoping for the movie spin-offs?
Brad Dourif: Of course. I loved that series. Of course it would have been nice but I really didn’t have high hopes for that. I didn’t know how they would ever pull that up. I don’t even know of one actor who ever was contacted for doing it. So I don’t think they even really tried.
Crave Online: At least it lives on with the DVDs.
Brad Dourif: Yeah, I mean, it was an excellent show. It was an excellent show and it’s a shame. I think it was not good for HBO that they cancelled it because they don’t really have anything now that’s really knocking folks dead anyway.
Crave Online: There’s also talk of remaking Child’s Play. Have they contacted you about doing the voice?
Brad Dourif: I don’t think they’re going to do that. I think they would not use me. That would be my feeling. They have not contacted me and I doubt they would use me for that. I think they would try to get somebody young.
Crave Online: Any thoughts on rebooting instead of continuing the series?
Brad Dourif: Well, I know what the idea was for the next one and I loved it. I don’t think remakes are a good idea. Maybe, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a remake I liked. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one. I can’t think of one, can you?
Crave Online: Would it have continued in the more humorous tone of Bride and Seed?
Brad Dourif: Sure.
Crave Online: What are you doing after Blood Shot?
Brad Dourif: Well, I’m supposed to be doing something but I haven’t heard anything. I was supposed to be doing something immediately after this but I haven’t heard anything. It’s an odd time. The writer’s strike is now over, everybody’s concerned about the actor’s strike and the economy’s kind of gone. So it’s hard. I’m supposed to do three things, four actually.
Crave Online: Were they on hold during the strike?
Brad Dourif: No, these were things that are ready to go, the money is there but I don’t have the money in escrow so I don’t know.
Crave Online: Is that the nature of the business?
Brad Dourif: Well, right now it’s really shaky. You generally, when somebody says they’re ready to go, it probably will go. But I think now, it’s more probably, unless they’re ready to put money in escrow, it won’t.
Many thanks to Crave Online, interviewer Fred Topel, and the cast and crew of Blood Shot. Keep it right here for more as we get it!
Categorized:Interviews News
