I met Carl Mazzocone a few years ago. We became friends through a mutual love of boats and building stuff. I met John Luessenhop at Carl's Christmas party last year. He thought I was menacingly perfect for the role (so he said). I guess they talked about it and hatched the scheme right there.

Carl knows a guy I studied acting with named Jeff Celentano, a great actor and director. Jeff thought I'd be good in the role, but it wasn't until they saw me on stage as 'Erbert The 'Orrible Ogre that Carl was convinced. I think Carl and John both were a little surprised by the depth I was able to bring to the character. I hope the audience will like it.

I've known a few people throughout my life who were mentally challenged. They informed my understanding of the character to a degree. I mainly studied what Gunnar did and ripped him off unashamedly, as we are playing the same individual. I worked on the character and how the intervening circumstances from the time of Gunnar's portrayal to the current sequel would have affected him and tried to make that seem organic.

The one thing I wasn't prepared for was the influence the wardrobe, mask and saw would have on how I felt being the character. A lot of actors can stay in character the whole time they are making a movie. I couldn't do it for more than 15 minutes at a time. It really is a painful thing to be Leatherface. I don't think any of us are ready to really face his reality. The strange, but cool thing was that I could put on the mask and instantly enter his world. It was a great shortcut to the character. There are scenes where I chase people with a live chainsaw, covered in blood. I always knew that safety was the first concern, and the process of freshening up the blood would always make my hands slippery. I had someone there who would wipe my palms so I could hold on to the saw without interfering with my process. Then they'd hand me the saw. In an instant, I could become Leatherface and pursue the prey with the clear intent of killing them. There were several times that it went on well after "Cut" was called because I couldn't hear anything over the roar of the saw. The other actors always wisely continued to run.

No, I always played him as a human being with a legitimate point of view. Leatherface has a set of values and interests that he believes are right, like anyone else.

I hit the gym with an increased degree of intensity and did a lot of hiking in the hills. My normal weight is about 250 lbs, so I'll work my way back down to that from the 275 lbs you'll see on the screen.

Actually, I have been strangely at ease with the story and didn't find the making of the movie at all disturbing. Early in my preparation for the role I realized I didn't have the guts to try to go to sleep as the character. I watched very little of the playback while we were filming, but do regret seeing one particular sequence because it was so horrific. It wasn't me I saw doing what they had me do. I can't believe they will actually be able to include that shot in the final cut. We'll see...

Yes, he did. He was fantastic, as you can well imagine.

I did know there was a comic book, but I haven't seen it yet. I saw a few on ebay and was thinking about buying them. I find it intriguing, the different modes of storytelling. I am a book collector and love all manner of printed ephemera. This could be the start of yet another collection for which my house is too small.

I have only heard one of his songs as it came on the radio driving to set one day. Like most old men, I can't say I'm a fan of the music, but I am a huge fan of Trey Songz, the person. He is a great guy and I look forward to hanging out with him again. I was fortunate enough to meet his beautiful mother and his younger brother, as well as a few of his friends and they are all wonderful people.

We stayed away from each other during most of the shoot while on set. We did have a few chances after work to hang out, though. She is a wonderful girl; very sweet and kind to everyone. She really put her heart into her performance and has a work ethic unrivaled by anyone. Tania Raymonde was exquisite, as well; an absolute pleasure to work with and be around.

That will be subject to editing, but I believe they are using the original as a model.

I think it's a definite plus. People treat you differently when they know you've been in a movie. My anonymity gives me a measure of control in how I'm perceived by the people I meet. It's not that I mind people knowing what I do, but for the most part, when I meet people, they don't have any preconceptions beyond, "Who's the tall guy?" Everybody always responds positively when I tell them what I've been up to, and I'm always happy to take pictures with them and sign stuff for them.

Yes. There's talk of using some of the original footage, but I haven't seen anything yet. It begins at Sally's escape.

It's there, but it's not a plot point.

I've studied a number of methods, but a lot of that goes out the window with the realities of making a movie. Those methods were developed for stage and aren't practical given the way movies are shot, even more so in shooting a 3D movie. There are helpful techniques in finding a character, but they are of limited value for portraying a character for a camera.

It's not as bad as you might think. The physical challenges of running with a chainsaw and clearing obstacles in the dark would have been hard without the mask. There were only a few times the mask was a real hindrance.

That's something I don't know anything about. There is a lot of talk about it amongst the fans.

I think you are obligated to kill someone with a chainsaw if you're going to have a chainsaw massacre. This is only my opinion and in no way guarantees you'll see someone killed with a chainsaw in our movie. That would reveal something I'm not at liberty to discuss.

Yes, as many as five more...

I'm looking for another project, but don't have anything lined up yet. I'm sure we will be doing a lot of promotion for this movie when the time comes. I am also working on a line of t-shirts that I hope will hit the market soon. Other than that, I'm just enjoying ride.

The only character every really dreamed of playing is Frankenstein's Monster; though, if they ever make a movie out of "Underworld," I'd love to play Creep Rat. I don't know much about comic books, but I have a feeling enlightenment is right around the corner.