HeyUGuys: We saw you on set in the latest Peter Jackson Production diary. What was it like going back and is there any chance you might cameo in it?
JRD: I would love to! I’ve had a great sort of 180 degree turn. After I did The Lord of the Rings, I didn’t want to get near prosthetic masks ever again, I still don’t really, and I didn’t want to play a dwarf to be honest with you. Why be one of thirteen when you can be one of one. As time comes between you and the horrors of that make-up, slowly you begin to see things through rather rosy spectacles. I did go down and see him (Jackson) and I did come as close to grovelling as you can get (Laughs!). I’m sure that Peter knows that I grovelled!
HeyUGuys: So you haven’t had confirmation that you’re in it yet?
JRD: I haven’t had confirmation that I’m not, but realistically I’m not. It sure would be sweet if one could. Let me tell you about it…..
I believe Peter Jackson has everything that a Director needs. His organizational ability alone is completely remarkable. I think it will change the way films are made. I think he’s upping the game for every other film-maker in the world. Projecting in 48 frames alone is going to give a level of clarity that we’ve never had in film before, and I think he’s housebreaking 3d. He is such a grounded level man with all the characteristics that a great Director must have. Added to which, he built a film industry from scratch to an international level. Marvelous intelligence and a marvelous modest nature, Peter has got it all!
HeyUGuys: I know you must get asked this all the time but I have to ask you about Indiana Jones. You weren’t in Indy 4, did they ask you to be in it and is there any chance we may see you in Indy 5 if there is one?
JRD: (Laughs) If I’m asked, I will consider! They did ask me to do a little cameo on Indy 4 actually. It was going to be shot a green screen studio. I was going to sit down and then it would cut it into the wedding or something like Indy getting an award or something like that. I thought the character of Sallah is worth more to the audience than that.
HeyUGuys: I completely agree. Every scene we see you in are some of my favourite scenes. Scenes like the one with you punching a Nazi through the newspaper while rushing Martin Brody off into the van and watching him drive off with the Nazi logo on the back are priceless moments!
JRD: Yes they are and he’s a great character, but times have changed you see. The Egyptian with the golden heart, warm and generous and outgoing; the image of the Arab world and ‘The Arab’ has changed in America since 911. Perhaps it’s not possible to have a Sallah again.
Watching Steven grow and change as an artist has been fascinating. There is an innocence and a light-heartedness that is born basically of lack of understanding of history that continues up to Raiders of the Lost Ark. But when you get to other deeper things like Shoah, and Schindlers List, his deep experience of Nazism, the nature of evil, and his own understanding and knowledge deepens. As a result, his ability to laugh at the Nazis fades. Nazi’s can’t be comic for him anymore, he knows too much now; he has lost his innocence.
HeyUGuys: Other than The Hobbit (which I’m sure you’ll get in!!), what else do you have coming up this year?
JRD: Well, it’s remotely possible. I don’t deserve to, having turned it down, but it sure would be fun.
John Rhys-Davies has to be one of my favorite character actors. I was very disappointed when he didn't not appear in the last Indy film, but hearing that he was only offered a weak cameo I can see why he passed. Is is one of the best things in the Indy franchise and should have had a larger role in the fourth film. Not like that would've helped a movie that was a atrociously bad as was
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal skull.
John was wonderful in the television show
Sliders and I was always bummed that it was canceled. The show was the first to promote the idea of string theory, with its multi-Earth plot. If you aren't familiar with the Fox/SyFy show, then you should visit Hulu and watch a few episodes. The show starred Jerry O'Connell (Fat Kid in
Stand By Me) who planned a young genius scientist who creates a device that transports him and Rhys-Davies, and two other cast members to different versions of Earth. Each Earth is distinctively different then our version, it was actually quite good in my opinion.
As for
The Hobbit, it'd be a travesty if he isn't included in a scene or two. He was the best part of
The Lord of the Rings trilogy, providing comic relief at just the right moments. He really sold you on his short, but fiery character stealing scene after scene.
About The Author:
I am Jay Jayson, one of the greatest writers and researchers to ever grace the comicbookmovie.com community. If there is a story or a picture hiding on the internet I will find it.