Full Article Text
The Hot Seat
• I
By MICHAEL GILTZ
WITH Wednesday's premiere
of the blockbuster "King
Kong," the big ape has never
been hotter. In a worldwide
exclusive, the New York Post talks
with the world's most famous simian
star and discusses his career, those
rumors about Fay Wray, fellow animal
actors like Lassie and his plans for the
future.
Q_The original 1933 "King Kong" just
-came out on DVD with-loads of
extras. But you were noticeably absent.
Did they ask you to take part?
A-That was unfortunate. You know,
_I never made any money off of
the original "Kong" -$50 a day and
all the bananas you could eat seemed
like a good deal then. And of course
they'll make a bundle on the DVD,
The studio asked me to do one of
those commentaries, but we couldn't
agree on a price. It's too bad, but why
should I do somethin g for nothing?
Q_HOW does it feel to return to the
-role that made you famous? For
years after the disastrous 1976 version,
you swore you'd never do it again.
A-It's like that James Bond
.saying. "Never say never
again." Look. this is the ong
A:TheY're both consummate
professionals. Those Page Six
rumors about me and Fay, by the way,
were a studio publicist's idea. We
were just friends. But some theater
chains in the South even refused to
show the movie because of it.
Q-YOU're the consummate animal
-actor, the first one to get top
billing and a star on Hollywood's Walk
of Fame. What do you think of your
contemporaries? Flipper? Lassie?
A_Flipper is a sweetheart -just as
.nice as everyone says. Lassie ...
Lassie does great work but she is very.
very difficult to deal with. Frankly,
she's a bitch and everyone knows it.
Q_Your groundbreaking deal on
-1949's "Mighty Joe Young" was the
first time an animai actor got paid like a
human actor -and getting a piece of
the toy sales was prescient and long
before George Lucas and "Star Wars."
AJimmy Stewart always gets credit
_for taking a lower salary in
exchange for a cut of the box office
when he made those 'SOs westerns .
But animals were starting so far
behind humans in terms of pay that I
think my deal was more of a
landmark. And "Mighty Joe Young"
was a great chance for me to play
a hero. The '98 remake
by the way was huge "Hamlet" of animal
stories. and I'm a
much better actor
now than when [
was a kid. '~~~1~'1~fA~_ ........... overseas and on U DVD. You
Q-HOW
-does
Naomi
Watts
compare to
FayWraY? could teil
Charlize
[Theron,
his co
star] was
really
going
places.
THE GREAT
APE: Kong
relaxes In a
Guccl blazer
outside his
Malibu
compound. Q_Your biggest regret has always
-been the first "Planet of the Apes."
A:! was born to play Cornelius!
Q_Adding insult to injury, the main
-roles were played by humans in
makeup - a sort of simian equivalent
to blackface, something you've strongly
condemned over the years.
A_Monkeyface, we call it. It·s
_demeaning. With so many
talented simians to choose from, why
would they use humans?
Q_Did director Tim Burton approach
eyou about the 2001 remake?
A:weU, I can't say they mad e me an
offer. But they did send me the
script. If I'd been interested, they
would have been interested.
Q:so what happened?
A:! read the script.
• Q==~I~: Godzilla always said you
A:GOd Zilla? What's she been saying?
Q:She? Godzilla is a guy.
A_Sure. But have you seen "Godzilla
_vs. Mothra" with those singing
girls and that dance sequence?
Campy, campy, campy. Besides. does
he have to trash every village he
comes across? Couldn't he just walk
around them once in a while? Talk
about overcompensating.
Q:Are you saying Godzilla is gay?
A:NO comrnenL
Q:so what are your future plans?
A_Well, MTV wants to do a reality
_series about my life, sort of a
cross between "The Osbourn es" and
"Wild Kingdom" I guess. But I'rn,not
sure I want to go that route. This!'
movie is going to be huge -have you
seen the reviews? Variety ment\llj:jed
"Titanic"-level box office -andJ ~
want to keep up the quality. We're.:
talking with HBO about an all-aiiUnal
series -"The Sopranos" set in a;)'
jungle. And rill really excited fcii,-WY
nephew. He's got "Curious George"
coming out in February. I've seen a
rough cut and he is terrific.
Q:Any Oscar buzz?
A-Well, you know how prejudiced
_the Academy is against animal
actors. Sure, we've received a few
honorary Oscars over the years, but
not one animal actor has ever been
nominated for best actor or actress.
Isn't that ridiculous? If the movie is
nominated, I don't even know if I'll go
to the ceremony.
Q_so you don't think you have a
-chance with this movie?
A_No. it's a remake and it'll make
_too much money. Now if I could
ever get that biopic of Koko the
Gorilla made, I'd be a shoo-in for at
least a nomination . It's the best script
I've ever read.
Q_What's your biggest complaint
-about success?
A_People screaming whenever they
.see you. Sometimes you just
want a quiet night on the town, you
know. Then, when p~ople notice you,
they get hysterical and make a big
deal of it. Next thing you know. the
National Guard gets involved, and
it's a whole thing.
• I
By MICHAEL GILTZ
WITH Wednesday's premiere
of the blockbuster "King
Kong," the big ape has never
been hotter. In a worldwide
exclusive, the New York Post talks
with the world's most famous simian
star and discusses his career, those
rumors about Fay Wray, fellow animal
actors like Lassie and his plans for the
future.
Q_The original 1933 "King Kong" just
-came out on DVD with-loads of
extras. But you were noticeably absent.
Did they ask you to take part?
A-That was unfortunate. You know,
_I never made any money off of
the original "Kong" -$50 a day and
all the bananas you could eat seemed
like a good deal then. And of course
they'll make a bundle on the DVD,
The studio asked me to do one of
those commentaries, but we couldn't
agree on a price. It's too bad, but why
should I do somethin g for nothing?
Q_HOW does it feel to return to the
-role that made you famous? For
years after the disastrous 1976 version,
you swore you'd never do it again.
A-It's like that James Bond
.saying. "Never say never
again." Look. this is the ong
A:TheY're both consummate
professionals. Those Page Six
rumors about me and Fay, by the way,
were a studio publicist's idea. We
were just friends. But some theater
chains in the South even refused to
show the movie because of it.
Q-YOU're the consummate animal
-actor, the first one to get top
billing and a star on Hollywood's Walk
of Fame. What do you think of your
contemporaries? Flipper? Lassie?
A_Flipper is a sweetheart -just as
.nice as everyone says. Lassie ...
Lassie does great work but she is very.
very difficult to deal with. Frankly,
she's a bitch and everyone knows it.
Q_Your groundbreaking deal on
-1949's "Mighty Joe Young" was the
first time an animai actor got paid like a
human actor -and getting a piece of
the toy sales was prescient and long
before George Lucas and "Star Wars."
AJimmy Stewart always gets credit
_for taking a lower salary in
exchange for a cut of the box office
when he made those 'SOs westerns .
But animals were starting so far
behind humans in terms of pay that I
think my deal was more of a
landmark. And "Mighty Joe Young"
was a great chance for me to play
a hero. The '98 remake
by the way was huge "Hamlet" of animal
stories. and I'm a
much better actor
now than when [
was a kid. '~~~1~'1~fA~_ ........... overseas and on U DVD. You
Q-HOW
-does
Naomi
Watts
compare to
FayWraY? could teil
Charlize
[Theron,
his co
star] was
really
going
places.
THE GREAT
APE: Kong
relaxes In a
Guccl blazer
outside his
Malibu
compound. Q_Your biggest regret has always
-been the first "Planet of the Apes."
A:! was born to play Cornelius!
Q_Adding insult to injury, the main
-roles were played by humans in
makeup - a sort of simian equivalent
to blackface, something you've strongly
condemned over the years.
A_Monkeyface, we call it. It·s
_demeaning. With so many
talented simians to choose from, why
would they use humans?
Q_Did director Tim Burton approach
eyou about the 2001 remake?
A:weU, I can't say they mad e me an
offer. But they did send me the
script. If I'd been interested, they
would have been interested.
Q:so what happened?
A:! read the script.
• Q==~I~: Godzilla always said you
A:GOd Zilla? What's she been saying?
Q:She? Godzilla is a guy.
A_Sure. But have you seen "Godzilla
_vs. Mothra" with those singing
girls and that dance sequence?
Campy, campy, campy. Besides. does
he have to trash every village he
comes across? Couldn't he just walk
around them once in a while? Talk
about overcompensating.
Q:Are you saying Godzilla is gay?
A:NO comrnenL
Q:so what are your future plans?
A_Well, MTV wants to do a reality
_series about my life, sort of a
cross between "The Osbourn es" and
"Wild Kingdom" I guess. But I'rn,not
sure I want to go that route. This!'
movie is going to be huge -have you
seen the reviews? Variety ment\llj:jed
"Titanic"-level box office -andJ ~
want to keep up the quality. We're.:
talking with HBO about an all-aiiUnal
series -"The Sopranos" set in a;)'
jungle. And rill really excited fcii,-WY
nephew. He's got "Curious George"
coming out in February. I've seen a
rough cut and he is terrific.
Q:Any Oscar buzz?
A-Well, you know how prejudiced
_the Academy is against animal
actors. Sure, we've received a few
honorary Oscars over the years, but
not one animal actor has ever been
nominated for best actor or actress.
Isn't that ridiculous? If the movie is
nominated, I don't even know if I'll go
to the ceremony.
Q_so you don't think you have a
-chance with this movie?
A_No. it's a remake and it'll make
_too much money. Now if I could
ever get that biopic of Koko the
Gorilla made, I'd be a shoo-in for at
least a nomination . It's the best script
I've ever read.
Q_What's your biggest complaint
-about success?
A_People screaming whenever they
.see you. Sometimes you just
want a quiet night on the town, you
know. Then, when p~ople notice you,
they get hysterical and make a big
deal of it. Next thing you know. the
National Guard gets involved, and
it's a whole thing.