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As I expected from what I’d heard about the man, Lance had a boyish, cheeky smile on his face as he walked up to our table in the coffee shop in Prague.  What I didn’t expect was just how gorgeous he was going to be.  He was wearing blue trousers and t-shirt with a colourful zipper top that had ‘UGLY’ in huge letters across his chest.  But this man was far from that – even after four months of hard work at sub zero temperatures in the capital of Bohemia.  The first thing he did before we sat down was give me a hug and a kiss (which I returned with a tentative peck – European style!).  “Look,” he said to Geoff Freeman, the unit publicist and an old friend of Lance’s from Aliens and Alien 3, “she’s really nervous!” he chuckled, pointing at me affectionately.  And sure I was:  I’d just flew across Europe and walked halfway across Prague to see this guy who I had only read about in magazines and was kind of a hero for me.  However it wasn’t long into the interview before I was completely at ease with him.  Lance is kind, eloquent, intelligent, funny, honest and totally down to earth.  And I enjoyed interviewing him tremendously. 

Alien vs. Predator (AvP) is written and directed by Paul W.S Anderson (Resident Evil, Event Horizon, Necropolis, Soldier), and co-written by Shane Salerno (Ghost Rider, UC:Undercover), and produced by Walter Hill - an old friend of Lance's from the likes of Tales from the Crypt, Johnny Handsome and  Aliens, Aliens 3.  It is set 150 years before Alien and involves the discovery of an ancient Predator temple 2,000 metres underground in Antarctica. The film will be distributed by 20th Century Fox with a release date of Aug 6 2004.  IMDB has the latest details.

clockwise from left to right: Angelica (Stunt double for Sanaa), me!, Lance Henriksen (Charles Bishop Weyland), Agathe de la Boulaye (Rousseau),Tommy Flanagan (Verheiden).

Lance was the first actor cast in AvP, back in September 2003 (see news Web Magic – 11^th Sept) and has been in Prague since mid October last year, preparing for and shooting the movie.  He went on to tell me about it.  “Let me tell you about this movie, what happened. I got cast really early which was great.  Oh God, they got some interesting people writing on that thing … but it gave me a couple of months ahead of everybody.  So what I look to do if I have a script for a couple of months, man, I make use of it.  I really get into it. I mean I worked very hard on it.  But the thing was when he [Paul Anderson] hired all the other actors he hand-picked everybody, and all of us absolutely bonded, there’s not ever been one argument … not one display of any kind of ego.  It’s been absolutely an ensemble.  It’s phenomenal.  It’s been a pleasure, it really has.  On that level, it’s the easiest movie I’ve ever worked on.  Oh yeah.  We have fun, we do good work.  Everybody’s rooting for everybody.  Whenever anybody’s working we’re all attentive because we want to see them do their best work.”

Lance is enjoying working with Paul Anderson and holds the director in high regard. “It’s happening because Paul … he’s like a gentleman.  He asks you to do something and says ‘thank you’ and then walks away!  He’s the sweetest guy … but so sharp, as sharp as a razor.” 

A Message to the Critics

I asked Lance what he thought about criticism that has been levelled at the movie recently on certain web sites, and particularly at Paul Anderson. “It’s a little like that Peter Weller thing,” he said.  “People can create whatever they want, especially when they don’t know him.  There are certain actors for instance that I look at and I go ‘God that guy he just ...'  You know they have a personality.  Their soul, you can kinda see it and it’s like it turns you off because you’re just not connected to that kind of person. And so you don’t think of ever working with them.  And you meet them and find they’re a totally different, nice guy.  So I’ve had to eat crow like that a few times.  But on the internet anything goes, it’s like a war zone.  Especially about movies, but they don’t know anybody - so it’s a bad deal.”

Whilst Lance is contractually bound not to reveal any of the plot of the movie “I made a promise, I can’t go into the deep story”, he says.  Nevertheless I did pry to find out whether or not he stays in it to the end or gets killed off early.  “Yeah, we’re all in it right to the end.” Lance revealed. “ Well Sanaa (Sanaa Lathan – Blade, Out of Time -  who plays Alexa “Lex” Woods, the heroine of the film) goes on I think for another 3 or 4 weeks.”  The film features some less well known actors; the likes of Colin Salmon – Die Another Day, Resident Evil - as Max Stafford; Ewen Bremner – Trainspotting – as Miller; Tommy Flanagan – Gladiator – as Verheiden.  Lance agreed that AvP will be a big stepping stone for their careers and with regard to Sanaa; “ She’s got a heavy load .. it’s great though.  Couldn’t happen to a nicer person.”

Effective Effects

I was keen to find out whether the movie is true to the first Alien and Predator movies in using real creatures or whether CGI and digital effects dominated the shoot.  Of the creatures he said “They’re fantastic”.  Apparently the lead Predator is played by an English guy, an ex-Professional basketball player (the original guy from Predator sadly died).  Lance went on the elaborate about the special effects. “This movie … what Paul has done .. its smart.  I’ll give you another example of what it’s not.  Like when you look at that movie [Master and Commander] they spent almost $50 million on the special effects storm … I knew it was digital the minute I saw it. All our stuff, it’s real and then they use the effects just to enhance it.  So it’s a much different movie that way .. he’s very smart about it.  There are some things that are impossible to do, there is no other way of doing it .. but we’re only talking a 2 second shot.  So we’re in a great zone, it’s really original.” 

Lance with unit publicist Geoff Freeman, these guys go back nearly 20 years!

Lance then proceeded to tell me a story about the original Predator movie:  “ Did you hear that Van Damme was actually in the first Predator? He got fired but he was gonna be the Predator. “  [I laughed]  “Yeah, yeah, little Van Damme! But he was telling everybody ‘I’m Predator, I’m in the movie Predator. I’m Predator!’  [Lance puts on a mock foreign accent here!].  And it turns out that they wouldn’t ever see his face! So he got really upset and they fired him!”

Then he talked about the effects in the original Predator movie.  “Back when Arnold’s movie was made, the technology hadn’t moved to where it is now.  I mean on every level not only digital.  Technology is completely different. And there are elements of this that are gonna make that look like an antique horror.  And I loved that movie.  I loved Predator. “

At this point Geoff Freeman, the unit publicist on the AvP set confirmed that assuming AvP is a success it will kill off the other franchises.  This means there will be no Alien 5 or further predator movies, the two franchises will be channelled into sequels to Alien vs. Predator and beyond. 

Getting into Weyland

Lance is a true character actor, an ‘actor’s actor’ as Gail Anne Hurd once said, and always works hard to get into character for his roles.  I asked him about how he prepared for his role as Charles Bishop Weyland, the billionaire industrialist founder of the Weyland Yutani corporation (the robotics organisation that made Bishop).  “It’s hard for me to conceive being a billionaire. “ he said.  “ I started very small”.  I asked him if it was true that he tried to ring Bill Gates to meet with him for lunch so he could get some tips for his character - it was!  Lance added, “Well he tried to hire me once.  He wanted me to come to his headquarters up in Seattle.  They were having a meeting of all the heads of all their big departments.  He said, ‘I want you to do a skit’.  And I read the skit and I said ‘I’m not doing that skit’”, Lance laughed at this.  “I was doing Millennium at the time and I said no .. oh god … it was ridiculous.  It was one of these terrible corporate jargon skits, you know?  And I mean I was just gonna be like a sort of semi-famous piece of meat … anyway, I thought I’d see if Bill Gates would have lunch with me.  See if I could discuss anything about Billionnairism.  But then I realised, you know what … I think being a billionaire is the guy who has nothing in his pockets, he doesn’t need it.  Just sign the paper, point his finger and he’s got it all.  I’d never … never… I mean that’s akin to being absolutely broke.  It’s the same thing.  And a billionaire, I’m sure, that after he has all his toys and everything else … how many cars can you buy!  So we’re in the same position, wondering through life.”

Lance went on to talk about the props he used to help him get into the role of Weyland.  “And then I contacted Muller.  I wanted the King Conquistador watch because I saw it as the greatest watch ever made.  So they were gonna give it to me.  I had this one already”, he added, showing me a nice watch on his wrist.  “This is not the king, this is Franck Muller but about five steps below the king.  I just wanted certain things of quality.  Just the quality, not ostentatious.  I started the physical aspect … but the guy’s also dying … I’ve been smoking about 4 packs of cigarettes a day since the start of this show … just to keep the cough.  Stay in character … and I use it in the movie.  But it also keeps you aware of your chest … these are physical things, right, and then you get into the other stuff.”  

The Bat to Hit a Home Run

In terms of the writing on AvP, Lance is enthusiastic about the script – bearing in mind it is the script that can often make or break a movie.  “One of the things that Paul has done as a writer is he’s written what it would take another guy ten pages of monologue to get down to what Paul writes in about five lines.  So if you want to live up to those fives lines you’ve gotta understand those five pages … he’s so good … I mean that’s how good he is.  You know he’s been working on this for ten years and this is the bat to hit a home run!” This is not a .. I’ve seen this a couple of times where directors have gotten the budget they want.  Like Jim Cameron came to me once and said ‘Lance they just gave me $200 million to make ten movies.  The next thing I hear is he’s making one movie for $200 million [Titanic].  And that was the bat that he really hit a home run with … it was ready … it was really ready.”  I think that for Paul this is the one that’s really gonna put him right in there with everybody else.  And he knows it.”

Paul Anderson has already done movies such as Event Horizon and Resident Evil, which in my opinion were great entertainment.  And Lance is also a fan of Paul’s other work: “My favourite of his was Soldier, believe it or not, because what he did with Kurt Russell.  Kurt Russell never looked better in his life in the role.  He was solid and had no lines, he was just brilliant. The movement of that character through that movie!” However, he agrees that not all Paul Anderson’s films have been great.  “Some of the other films, you know - zombies - but that’s ok.  I talked to Paul about this, I said ‘What about those zombies Paul?  They wouldn’t even climb a fence.  How scary is that!”

Dying to Get Killed … Again!

I asked Lance if Weyland had any similarities with another character he recently played, Roland Levy in The Invitation. As Levy was also a rich, powerful man.  Lance thought about this.  “Just because of the age I’m getting into now I’m starting to play these powerful men that have a past.  They’re at the peak of their power.  But Roland was a different deal.  Like all these guys are dying! It’s weird, ever since I got into the business they love to kill me! They’ve killed me so many times!” He laughed.  I suggested that it was perhaps because he dies particularly well.  Lance agreed, “Yeah they must see something in me!”  Then he mentioned that on the Web Magic website visitors can vote as to how Lance will die in AvP.  Lance asked, “What made anybody think of that?  It’s an automatic question: ‘How does he die in this one?”  But I told him that he has had some great deaths over the years.  “I know!” he agreed.

I wondered if much of the plot for AvP had already been leaked, purely for selfish reasons as I want to have something to look forward to in August.  Lance said the plot is safe so far, “They talk about it right up to the moment where it really begins and that’s it.  Nobody’s allowed to go beyond that yet.  It’s gonna break eventually – once they screen it … once … that’s it.  It’ll be out there.”

Influencers

One of Lance’s favourite movies is the original Thing, (the 1951 classic The Thing from another World).  He talked about it relation to AvP:  “I think science fiction … the original Thing was the one that influenced me the most because Howard Hawks directed that.  I even told Paul when we started this ‘You should see that film Paul’ because we had such an ensemble.  Scenes of maybe ten characters in a scene and to have overlapping dialogue is such a wonderful thing.” 

Freedom

Having followed Lance’s career over the last few years, the one thing I know he appreciates is freedom.  Freedom to develop his characters and to bring creativity to his roles.  I asked him if he has had much freedom with Weyland.  “Yeah, as it wore on.  I always know that until they see a couple of weeks’ worth of dailies they’re hesitant about letting you change lines or add lines or things like that.  So I’m always kind of patient.  But then we’re into this four months and I can’t … I can’t not.  You know it’s like I know the guy, I know his character so well.  I know what he’s going to say.  So he’s [Paul] allowing me. If I give a guy ten ideas and he takes one of them, I’m still ahead.  So, just to be sure, I’m game.”

“This in a sense is a prequel.  It’s today.  Which I love, I’m telling you.  For me it’s a wonderful thing.  It’s closure.” I asked Lance if Weyland is very different to Bishop.  “No he’s not.”  He said softly.  “… Thinking, feeling … rich [he laughs] … it’s something to be rich. I think rich people are always dragging less rich people around, with their ideas and their dreams.  They can afford to do it, but you can’t twist arms.  You can invite. Only invite.” I commented that rich people aren’t always nice people. “ There’s gotta be grace and I think the ones you respect have grace.  The ones you wouldn’t want to be around are the brutes … there’s a lot of brutes out there.”  We talked about it not always being easy getting to the top and becoming as powerful as someone like Weyland or Bill Gates, that often there is a lot of ruthlessness there.  “For some people its easy for them.  In a way Bill Gates.  If you look at Bill Gates he was in it at the very beginning of it all, and it was just sort of a natural thing for him.  I didn’t see him ruffle, he looked like a baby his whole life – he still does.  You know I mean like a young boy, he’s got a boyish … even when they threw a pie in his face he didn’t know how to react … he was like a boy, he didn’t know what to do.  They hit him with a pie and he kinda went ‘oh!’.  The richest man in the world? …in America?”  Lance looks to us for confirmation on this.  “In the world!!  Shit! So I went to the right guy!”  He laughed. 

I suggested to him that the British version of Bill Gates is probably Richard Branson and that he maybe could’ve got a lunch date with him after Gates turned him down.  “Well you know what, if I was British I would’ve gone for Branson.  I would’ve done it and I would’ve done the look and everything.  Because he has a certain ... the upper class look.”

Me with Lance!

Translated as:  Sue! Thank you - great to meet you!!! Let this go on "forever".  Lance Henriksen.

One final point of note for fans of Mr Henriksen is what he considers himself to have in common with Paul Anderson.  “Paul and I have something in common.  He said if he wasn’t in movies he would’ve been an engineer.  If I’d gone to college I would’ve been an engineer.  I love to build.  I build all kinds of things.  Everybody has their own thing”.

The movie is being made in Prague, which if you’ve never been, is a wonderful city and well worth a visit – culture, history, architecture, bars, nightlife.  Lance has spent four months there, not even having had chance to get home for Christmas.  Despite the fact that his wife, Jane, and four year old daughter, Sage, have been with him most of the time,  four months is still a long time to spend in one city.  So I asked Lance what he had done in Prague, if he had enjoyed the place.  “I’ve been everywhere, it’s beautiful.  Yeah, there’s one thing happened though.  I loved Prague, I looked at all the buildings, I saw everything.  And then I got a book on when the Germans  were here and  I really .. man, it put me into a depression!  Because every building that I was looking at kind of innocently, things happened there … so it’s really tough.  This city took a beating … you know. I got that too. I don’t think I’ll be playing any Germans!”

Finally, I asked him what he planned after AvP. “There’s all kinds of rumblings going on, and I’ve read one script since I’ve been here and didn’t like it.”  One thing is sure; it doesn’t look like he will be filming Ink, as previously reported.   “I’m a little bit tired,  yeah, being away for so long.  But I think there’s a lot going on – I’ll let you know!”  

As we finished and got up from the table Lance gave me what, in fact, I’d really come across for – a lovely long hug.  After this I completely forgot to take a photo of him and had to go back later!  But that was fine because I spent the evening drinking beer with him and the cast and crew.  Great fun!