Owen: Most horror fans are familiar with
you as Rick from 'Friday the 13th Part 3'
(1982). Tell me how that classic role came
about?
Paul: That great
that you call it "classic" - you're too
kind.
Owen:
At that time I was studying acting in North
Hollywood and a friend of mine, Harris Kal
(recurring role on Happy Days)
had been to a casting interview and told me that
I should go and read for the casting directors
because they were very nice guys (which isn't
always the case; sometimes casting directors can
be somewhat inconsiderate or even downright
rude). Anyway, I went to meet with them and at
the end of the reading they said that I was
"perfect" for the leading role and
asked me if I could return in a few days for
another reading for the director Steve Minor and
the producer Frank Mancuso, Jr. On the way out
they mentioned that the character (at that point
called Derek, later renamed Rick so that Chris'
character could scream it easier, with
"Rick" being monosyllabic), was a
carpenter who lived in the mountains, so they
suggested I not dress in city clothes for the
next reading.
So, when I showed up for this next
reading, I wore blue-jeans, work boots, parka and
I walked into the interview carrying a Skill saw
and some 2x4's slung over my shoulder. Well, they
all ate it up -thought it was perfect.
Then I guess my reading was good enough as
well. For the next 6-8 weeks, they had me read
and screen test with many actresses they were
considering for the role of Chris. Of course they
wanted Amy Steel, but she was unavailable; then
Dana Kimmel, but she also had some scheduling
issues. Ultimately, Dana was signed along with
myself.
Owen:
So tell me about that subject of
subjects --- the filming of your death scene on F13th
Part 3.
Paul:
Actually, that scene started 2 months prior to
the start of filming when I was sent to a special
effects lab. There, the artists at this lab
created a mold of my upper body, including my
head and face. It was a very unusual experience
to be completely incased in plaster, breathing
through two straws in my nose that exited out the
plaster - very claustrophobic.
When
it came time to film the scene itself, we were
working nights, from 7pm to 7am; it was about 3am
when they wheeled out this manikin of me! It
was so surreal; to be out in the woods, 3 in the
morning, and here's a replica of me that was so
life-like, so accurate - very creepy, to say the
least. It was also designed so that the skull
could be crushed repeatedly and resume its shape;
this feature was necessitated by having the
option of doing multiple takes during the filming
of the scene. The eyeball was connected to a
nylon filament line, which had to be lined up
perfectly with the center axis of the camera lens
so that it was not visible (or minimally so).
Later,
the scene where my (now dead) body is thrown by
Jason through the window was rehearsed using a
pneumatic launch ramp. The poor stunt double kept
slamming head-first into the window frame
(instead of passing through) as the technicians
were trying to get the aim right.
Owen: Did you
notice any technical challenges when filming the
movie since this was the one in 3D? Were
special cameras and lighting involved?
Paul:
I don't know a lot about cinematography, but I
remember that this was a new 3-D technology where
two lenses were utilized simultaneously. I also
sensed because this was new 3-D technology that
more time was taken to set-up and light each
shot; this of course is more costly, so this Friday
the 13th was considerably more expensive
than parts I & II.
We
also used a special camera crane. It created
the ability to get camera angles from up high and
from unusual perspectives without having to build
large scaffolding. However, it was not trouble
free. The man in charge of this crane would
somedays wear a tee-shirt that said "I hate
the luma crane"; a half-joke, half-truth
regarding everyone's feelings regarding the use
of this crane. Set-ups using this crane were also
time consuming, which again stressed everyone
somewhat.
Owen: I've
heard word that Dana Kimmell's Mormonism made her
a bit of a challenge on the set - true or false?
Paul: Absolutely false. I've been asked this question
many times but I did not find Dana to be anything
but the consummate professional. She was so
considerate and polite; and she worked hard.
Those chase scenes, etc. were demanding and
exhausting for Dana because of the
repetition required in filmmaking.
A
funny thing though was, being young and silly,
when I was signed to be in this film, I thought
I'd have this torrid affair with the leading
actress. Of course, with Dana being Mormon, that
wasn't even a remote possibility - Ha, ha.
Owen: Have you
kept in touch with anyone from the film?
Paul: I stay in contact Larry Zerner, and to a lesser
degree, Richard Brooker and Dana Kimmel. I had a
wonderful "reunion" with them when we
got together to do the audio commentary for the
DVD Boxed set.
Owen: So why did
you go into being a practicing
chiropractor after such a flashy (or slashy)
beginning. Wasn't acting all you thought it
was cracked up to be or did the path prove too
daunting or did you just
enjoy chiropractic more?
Paul:
I was concerned about dedicating my professional
career to something as unpredictable as acting.
You know, an actor can languish in poverty their
entire career, and not because they lack talent.
Also,
I made the mistake of changing agents after
F-13 and this agent, I feel, made some
inappropriate decisions regarding my next step
after F-13. So, I was getting
frustrated with not moving forward with my acting
career.
Now,
looking back, I have no regrets; that being said,
I have missed acting so much. There has been such
a void in my heart and soul from not acting. I am
so grateful for the opportunities now
being given to me by directors like
Scott Goldberg and D.T. Carney, enabling me to
resume my career - it's truly a blessing.
Owen:
So after being out of the horror world for 23
years are you sort of surprised at the legion of
all us 'Friday the 13th' fans
out here who almost worship the cast members?
Paul: It is truly
heartwarming how dedicated and how kind the F-13
fans are - nobody compares to a F-13 fan! And yes, I am surprised; but I have come to
truly respect the entire horror industry, which
of course, is fueled by the amazing fans. Hardly
a day or week goes by that I am not contacted by
a fan requesting an autograph. I'm flattered
and honored by their requests. [Due to
the volume, I've actually had to become a PayPal
merchant and charge for the photos &
postage that I supply myself. Of course when fans
send me their own collectibles to be signed,
there is no charge.]
Owen: Speaking of
that what is the convention experience
like? What is the strangest thing a fan
ever asked you?
Paul:
Nobody has ever asked me anything particularly
strange. I really enjoy the conventions - the
fans are the coolest, sweetest people, I really
like them. And they seem to truly appreciate my
being there for them. Most recently, I attended
Fangoria in Secaucus, NJ and then just a couple
of weeks ago, I was invited to the launch party
for the release of Peter Brake's incredible book,
Crystal Lake Memories. For all you fans, this is
a must - the book is a HUGE coffee-table style
book that is just beautiful. And, it's very
comprehensive in its coverage of the F-13
legacy.
Owen: And
now you're back in front of the
cameras. How did you come to be in Scott
Goldberg's zombie flick 'The Day They
Came Back'?
Paul:
As I mentioned earlier, I get contacted
by many people throughout each week. About
eighteen months ago, I received an e-mail from
Scott Goldberg; he said he was a horror fan in
general and a F-13 fan in
particular. He also said he was a filmmaker
starting his career and asked if I would consider
acting in one of his upcoming films. My first
thought was, "yeah, right, blah, blah,
blah". About 6 months later, he contacted me
again, saying they were planning the shooting
schedule for his next film, The Day They
Came Back, and would I be interested in
being in it. So I checked him out and it appeared
that he was what he said he was and so one thing
led to another and I flew back to New York and
had a great time working with Scott.
Owen: So was your
work as Detective Jason Ronner in the film a
challenge after being away from the screen for so
long or is it a bit like riding a bike?
Paul:
I was a bit nervous when we first
started, but the nervousness quickly went away
once we started rehearsing. I just love acting so
much that it was like riding a bike - I
immediately got right into character and rhythm.
Part of that was due to the character was an
awesome one for me; it was perfectly suited for
me and my style of acting. And, Scott is a very
good director who is calm and focused and
respectful of actors.
Owen: You're also
slated to be in Scott's new film - 'Danielle's
Revenge' - about a vengeful spirit who
returns to terrorize a summer camp - sounds a bit
familiar. And it costars queen of summer
camps - 'Sleepaway Camp' icon
Felissa Rose. Tell me a bit more about the
production.
Paul: Well, there's not much to say at this point,
other than we are going to film a short
"prequel" for marketing purposes
sometime in April. I'm really looking forward to
working with Scott and his crew again. One of the
actors is Chiko Mendez, a fun, but intense
actor who I am really looking forward to filming
scenes together with. He was also one of the
leads in The Day They Came Back,
but I didn't have any scenes with him, so that
will be exciting for me.
Owen: So now you
have worked with/against zombies, psychos, and a
vengeful spirit. When it comes to horror
what does it for you? One of the above
-- vampires, werewolves, aliens, ghosts,
witches, creatures...
Paul: I'm really
not a horror film buff as you and your awesome
readers/fans are. I do love working in the
horror genre because the people involved, both in
production and the fans, are so passionate about
their horror. I think I prefer more realistic
horror (i.e. evil people) versus vampires,
ghosts, etc.
Owen: What scares
you in real life?
Paul: Big surf and
not living up to the potential that God has
blessed me with. Thank you so much for being
interested in my career and my life - HORROR FANS
ARE THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!! |