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Brian Thompson Interview
Who is he? That rarest of creatures - a Herculean
physic matched with Shakespearean technique.
Preferred genre: A specialist in 'special forces' military
actioners and 'sword and sandal' sagas. And a nice line of Klingons.
Preferred role: "You look for a part that scares you a little
bit, that you're not sure you can pull off, that you know has marvelous
possibilities. Those are the good ones, and you don't get many of those
auditions every year. And second to that, I try to work on any project
that's worthwhile, like The X Files, I'll hold a spear in a worthwhile
project."
Track record: The Terminator (1984), Cobra (1986), Commando Squad
(1987), Lionheart (1987), Pass The Ammo (1987), Catch The Heat (1987),
Fright Night Part 2 (1988), Nightwish (1989), Moon 44 (1989), Hired To
Kill (1990), Rage And Honor (1992), Doctor Mordrid (1992), Star Trek:
Generations (1994), Dragonheart (1996).
Distinguishing marks: Pumped but not overblown physique, piercing
eyes and Rodin-esque cheekbone structure.
Qualifications for stardom: That rare combination of brain and
brawn. Though easily dismissed as 'second barbarian' or 'semi-naked
gladiator', Thompson's resume is packed with worthier projects such as
stage productions of Noel Coward's Bittersweet and Oliver!, and an
educational show Conan The Librarian, which encouraged kids to read.
"Actually, I forced kids to read," he jokes.
What theatrical releases have you seen him in? Although you may
remember him as the muscle bound punk whose clothes Arnold Schwarznegger
steals in The Terminator of the Night Slasher in Cobra - "That part
is memorable to most boys and men of 25 or under. Usually the less
educated they are the more likely they are to have seen it" -
Thompson also plays the charismatic but evil general in Dragonheart, and
has recently completed a leading role in the forthcoming Mortal Kombat II:
Annihilation.
Career high: "I think Mortal Kombat II is going to be good. I
do play the villain - the biggest, baddest warlord in the universe - but
there are many, many sides to him. I have a father, a mother and a
daughter, and I have a normal relationship with all of them - I'm actually
sane with them."
Career low: "I've done leads in films before, but they were -
believe me- abortions of scripts. When you're in collage, you get to speak
the best lines ever written, because you're doing the classics. Then you
get to Hollywood and figure out 20 different ways to say, 'Don't fuckin'
move or I'm gonna kill you'. Or maybe it's, 'Don't move or I'm gonna
fucking kill you'."
Who would he like to be like? A more sympathetic Sly Stallone.
Who is he like? Dolph Lundgren, Christopher Lambert, Brian Bosworth.
Well I never: Thompson's hero is champion windsurfer Paul Hill, who
used his talent to cross borders between politically opposed countries -
and disappeared while making a historic crossing by sea to China. Thompson
wrote an article about Hill for American Windsurfer, and is
currently screenwriting an authorised biopic of his hero.
Career philosophy: "Initially, the philosophy was 'get a job',
and then it moves towards satisfying my heart again - please - because
that's exactly why I started acting."
Biography and interview: David Hughes
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