SPORTY SPICE; TALKING WITH ACTION ACTRESS SPICE WILLIAMS-CROSBY by Owen Keehnen

Action actress Spice Williams-Crosby has been thrilling audiences for years. The native Californian's amazing stunts as well as her impressive acting have been featured in many features and TV shows including 'From Dusk Til Dawn' , 'Star Trek V: The Final Frontier', 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer' , 'Million Dollar Baby' , 'Mission Impossible III' , 'The Bleeding' , and many many others. Lately Spice has been focusing a bit more on the acting and has upcoming roles in two juicy horror flicks she's very excited about - 'Room and Board' as well as 'Dead UnDead'. In addition to her amazing film resume and musical past Spice is also a fitness and nutrition expert and the author of the popular book 'Diet for a New Age'. Spice was kind enough to take time from her busy schedule to chat a bit in this exclusive www.racksandrazors.com interview.


 

  Spice, can you start the www.racksandrazors.com readers off with a visual and describe the room where you are answering these questions?

I'm in my office, which is out back behind my house. It was once a garage and is now converted into an office. I have a big sliding glass door that looks out over my yard with a big pool and lots of plants, trees & flowers. My office has a kitchen, full service bathroom and a sky roof. Also, a little fireplace and beautiful tiled floor. Along the walls are knotty pine wood cabinets and desk tops where my husband and I have our computers, printers, scanners and work areas. We have a little couch that pulls out to a bed, in case we have any visitors. We have a mix of African/Egyptian d'ecor with crystal figurines, Buddha water fountains and my husband's favorite, a lava lamp!!!

You are an actress/stuntwoman or as you describe yourself - an action actress. How did your career as a stunt person develop and how did it eventually blend with acting?

When I left the road and my musical group, Sugar N' Spice, in 1977, I studied acting from world renown actor/teacher, Jeff Corey. I cut my acting chops on a daytime soap, 'Days of our Lives.' I didn't want to wait on tables to support myself, so my girlfriend introduced me to Mildred Burke, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mildred_Burke . Mildred was one of the most famous female wrestlers of all time. She trained me to wrestle and that's how I supported myself while I went out for acting jobs.

One day I got a job to act & wrestle on the TV show, 'Fall Guy'. That's where I met, Judo Gene LeBell - http://www.genelebell.com/index.html He was choreographing a wrestling match of the part I play was one of Rico's Rockets! Gene asked me after we finished the show, would I like to be a stuntwoman? I replied, "I'm an actress!" He replied, "Yeah, well, while you're starving to death trying to get an acting job, would you like to make some money doing stunts?" I asked, "How?" He replied, "Keep your mouth shut and do as I say and I'll make sure you get some work!"

That sounded pretty good to me because I realized I was different. I could hit the ground and act at the same time. My first job that Uncle Gene helped me get was with Ernie Orsati who was stunt coordinating a TV show called, 'The Devlin Connection' with Rock Hudson and Jack Scalia. I got to play a Judo instructor, say some lines and spend time with a legend, Rock Hudson. And that started me off into working jobs where I was acting and doing the action and thus coined the phrase, "Action Actress." You have performed stunts and action sequences in dozens of TV shows and films. What's the most dangerous stunt you ever attempted?

The one job that to this day still scars me was on a film called, 'Backstreet Justice,' where I doubled Linda Kozlowski. The gag was I had to run up 3 stories on an outside fire escape, of course it was 3am and pitch black, run across the roof top, and blindly jump across the alley way, landing on the 3 ft platform of the other outside fire escape on the 2nd story to the building across the alley way. I had to make sure I landed just perfectly because there was a fire box blocking my landing space, and no air bag, boxes or pads to break my fall if I missed. Everyone broke for a meal, while I just run up the fire escape and marked off my path to the edge of the building, repeatedly for one solid hour. These are the jobs that make you want to urinate in your pants and ask, "Why am I doing this?????" But, it came off perfect and I'm here today to say so!!!

Have you had any bad injuries?

I hurt my back doing a 35 foot ratchet (a pneumatic stunt equipment that pulls the performer through the air) to cement on 'The Guyver,' broke my ankle on a motorcycle rehearsal for a job, dislocated my AC joint in my collarbone doing a stair fall with an actor who claimed he could safely do the fall with me on 'Backstreet Justice,' separated my ulna/radius in my left wrist on 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer,' and have managed to receive over 7 or 8 concussions along the way. I'm sure I've had a lot of little injuries, but we stunt people don't count the little ones!!! All & all, the most injuries that have been the worst for me have been just doing martial arts!!! Damn, going through 4 black belt tests, it's a wonder I can still walk. Kneeling is totally out of the question!!!!!

Tell me about your role as Gabrielle in the new scare film 'Dead Undead' with Luke Goss, Josh Alba, and Vernon Wells. It sounds like just the sort of the thing to peak a horror fan. Can you give us a teaser that is going to make it irresistible?

Playing Gabrielle in 'Dead UnDead,' was so much fun! http://dead-undead.com/

I got to work with stunt actors whom I had shared many jobs with and we all came together to make a movie that we wanted to make! This film has everything in it. Wow, outside of working with Luke Goss & Vernon Wells, which is a thrill and a half, I got to shoot all kinds of guns from rifles to 50 calibers, pistols to flame guns along with sword fighting with the amazing Luke LaFontaine! As a martial artists, my sword and stick fighting is nothing like Viking fighting. So, Luke LaFontaine had to train me in the art of fighting back in the Viking days!

The film will take you back and forth from the time all of us warriors/skilled fighters were changed from into Vampires. Luke La Fontaine, who plays Aires, and I battle it out in a Viking war when we meet up for our final hour. Little did we know as we lay dying, a black cloaked figure (Luke Goss) offers us eternal life if we will join forces to fight for good. Each one of our lead Vampires, from Doc, played by Eddie "Doogie" Conna (also producer, writer & director) who is changed in the 1800's to Viper, played by Matt Anderson (also director) who was visited on the battle field in Vietnam.

As we Vampires all learn to live within society, we no long feed on human blood. We feed on cow's blood and live in a small town that operates at night. However, some of our town's people wind up getting mad cow's disease and that's when the mass mayhem begins!!! All our nice, social vampires turn into what we call, ZV's. Fast moving Zombie/Vampires!!!

We were all so honored to have Forrest J. Ackerman play a very funny role as an old man ZV who I, personally, shoot a flame thrower on, and we all watch him get in gulfed in flames! Forry loved working with us and we stayed up all night laughing as we listened to many of his stories. Forry was great and over the years was such a dear friend at shows that I produced and conventions that we signed autographs at. I will miss him very much.

Another horror film you have in pre-production is 'Room and Board'. Can you tell me a little about your role as Noreen in the flick?

I was asked to stunt coordinate this film and when I read the script, I immediately wanted to read for the part of Noreen. 'Room and Board' is based off a true event that took place in the 1930's when the Russians were part of the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide. They knew they couldn't kill millions of Ukrainians, so they decided to starve them to death. They even offered them up recipe books on how to cook their children. It was a horrible, horrible event in history. People had turned to cannibalism and to read the stories of this man-made famine is like witnessing a horror film. However, there was one woman who found a way to survive by turning her house into a bed & breakfast for traveling soldiers and Russians. She had a very famous stew that people from miles around would come to consume. Little did anyone know, there were always a few soldiers and visitors that never made it out of this house. This went on for over 15 years, so I'm told.

'Room and Board,' is based off this story, only the story evolves over the years and moves to a Louisiana where a mother and her two daughters bring hearty appetites to their renowned bed and breakfast where boarders end up on the menu and residents swear they get the stew in town. Noreen is married to this loud-mouthed jerk and they have these crazy sexual/bondage relationship that winds up getting them both into trouble when they vacation at this Bed & Breakfast!

This film was put on hold because of the potential SAG strike. But you can check its cast on IMDB.

So what stunts did you do in 'From Dusk Till Dawn' (1996)?

I played 2 Vampires. In the beginning, I'm wearing a red outfit and trying to kill George Clooney along with ripping the throats out of several men and then finally, I'm wearing a white outfit when Sex Machine, played by Tom Savini, stabs me with a pool stick! I had more fun on that show working with George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Salma Hayek, Danny Trejo, Tom Savini, Fred Williamson and of course, the director, Robert Rodriguez.

What was the first film you saw that caused you to sleep with the lights on?

Oh, without a doubt, 'NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!' I was all alone, working in Las Vegas, with my musical group, Sugar N Spice, and we had just pulled into town to get ready to perform at the Sahara Hotel the next couple of days. I got myself a little, cheap motel with a black and white TV that still had the clothes hanger sticking in it for reception. It was during the 70's and I was just starting out on the road. Broke, but happy! I settled in for the night, got myself some snackers and turned on the tube. As the TV began to go into focus, I see this woman at a cemetery. I had NO idea what was going to happen next. Holy BeJesus, I could barely eat my snackers, turned on all the lights and after it was over, I had to go outside, in the middle of the night, and sit out by the pool until I felt safe enough to go back into my cheap, little motel room. I'll NEVER forget that night!! What a great film. Years later I was doing Chiller Con and my manager handles George Romero. I got to have dinner with him and tell him just how much that film scared me and how much I still love it!!!

Okay, we're pulling the car into the Spice Williams-Crosby Drive In. What three movies are on the scary triple bill for the night and what goodies are they going to be serving up at the concession stand?

Well, my husband, Gregory Crosby, is not a gore/horror fan like me. So, I had to turn my son, Luke, into one. Otherwise, I'd be watching all these films by myself. Gregory truly appreciates good scary films like, 'The Exorcist', 'The Shining', '28 Days Later'....which I do too. However, I love the real gore films like, 'Re-animator', 'Dead Alive', 'Street Trash' and such fine films as 'Criminally Insane'!!! Sorry, but good pop-corn, organic of course, and one of these gorefest films and someone to laugh & get scared with is all I need for a good evening at home. Well, it's not all I need, but it's definitely a good time for me!!!! And now Luke is my new gore/horror movie fan partner.

In my family, we are all organic vegans. I've been a vegan for 30 years now. I have two masters in fitness & nutrition and currently doing my PhD in Holistic Nutrition. Outside of health, I don't believe in torturing animals. It's funny, because when I watch all these gore/horror films, I know the SFX make-up and I know it's not real. I cannot, nor will I watch a torture film like 'Hostel' or 'Saw'. I just can't wrap my head around that kind of film. Also, I know that stuff really happens in life and it's not fun for me to be part of. But, taking a lawn mower to cut up a bunch of zombies is ok for me!!!!

I do really like the films about life after death, demon films and stuff like the 6th Sense. But, I died once on the operating table when I was 18 years old and went on the other side. So, I feel those films need to be watched with respect to the maintaining your belief in a higher source and not get to cocky.

Back in the 50s they had a series of films 'I Was a Teenage Frankenstein' and 'I Was a Teenage Werewolf', etc. If they were to make a film of your teenage years what would it be called and why?

Oh, Wow, hmmmmmmmmmmm, let's see... Well, 'I Was a Teenage Nightmare!!!!' Oh my poor mother! Well, when I was a teenager, it was in the 60's. The world had been turned upside down and teenagers were doing everything they could to make some sense of what our world had become.

I was always running away from home, getting drunk, risking my life doing stupid things and pushing the envelope on life itself. However, I always had good grades!!! Can you believe that? I think I always wanted people to at least approve of me as someone who was smart, but just did dumb things!!! God only knows, but I survived and now, poetic justice, I have a 14 year old son!!! Trust me, this kid can't pull anything over my eyes! Thank God, Luke is a great kid, homeschooled, awesome martial artist and has great taste in horror films!!!!!!

I also am wondering if someone would want to get into doing stuntwork what would you advise them to do as their first career move? Should they register for classes or do something specific? I am just not too familiar with the process involved.

I will tell you the same thing I tell everyone who asks me about getting into stuntwork or acting "If there is ANYTHING else you would like to do, DO IT!" If not, make sure you get at least 2 years of therapy. I'm not kidding. This business will take its toll on you and if you are not ready for the rejection and heartache, then don't even attempt it.

There are now some great training schools for stunts. In my day, there were on the school of hard knocks. Uncle Gene LeBell mentored me and turned me over to some great stunt coordinators and I just kept learning and I'm still learning. However, you can cut a lot of corners now by enrolling in some good stunt schools. One I would highly recommend is my dear friend, Mike Long's, LA Stunts Training Center. http://www.lastuntstrainingcenter.com along with http://www.bobbyoresports.com/toc.htm and http://www.rickseamanstuntdrivingschool.com driving schools. I'm sure there are other schools out there, but I can only recommend the professionals that I have personally worked with.

And finally Spice, what scares you in real life?

Wow, I have a lot of things that scare me. Just thinking about answering this question makes me scared!!!!

The state of the human race scares me. People walk around vertically dead and unaware of all the lies and deceit they live with everyday. Everything from the foods they consume to the drugs they are told to put their children on. Educated People Make Educated Decisions! However, the human race today would rather have someone tell them what to eat, drink and to believe in rather than stepping up to the plate and taking a stand.

Losing my family would kill me. My family is everything to me and one of my greatest joys is watching my son grow up. I don't know how mothers and fathers live with losing a child! I hate war for many reasons, but this is one of the biggest reasons I can think of to "not" condone a war!

Not being able to walk would destroy me. When I go to work doing stunts, it is very possible that I'll not come back or do enough damage to lose my ability to live as I am normally accustom to. I have a female warrior spirit that lives within me and as long as I can exercise that spirit, I hoping that my stay on this earthly plain will be well worth it. But, I never want to live inside this envelope of flesh not being able to run or walk. That's probably why I'm leaning towards more acting now, which is truly my first love!

I know one thing, the only thing constant is change. If we can keep evolving, growing and learning ways to stay out of corporate corruption, and become human beings worthy of spiritual flight, then the journey is all good. I keep in mind that we are not human beings trying to have a spiritual experience, but spirits trying to have a human experience. We should try to make the experience not only be worth it, but let's try to make this human experience better for others while we are here to play!!!!

Stay strong & sweet!