Lance Henriksen is without a doubt one of the most iconic and prolific figures in Sci-Fi and horror. His weathered face and gravelly voice lend a profound presence to every one of the characters he portrays.
Currently Mr. Henriksen is voicing General Tesler, the eccentric power hungry dictator that is Clu’s main henchman in the animated series "TRON:Uprsing". At a recent press day for the show Mr. Henriksen talked in depth about the character of General Tesler, but what is really sure to pique everybody's interest is how sure Mr. Henriksen sounds about A "Millenium" movie coming to fruition.
What do you like about this animated series?
What I like the most about it is that I’m computer illiterate, but I get it. Charles Bean is a brilliant director. I come in with an idea and try to do it, but I fall on my face. And then, he says, “Wait a minute, there was a little moment in there. Let’s try that moment and expand in that direction.” Because I’ve done a lot of theater, I know what power is and how megalomaniacs are, since I’ve certainly played some. That opened it up and expanded it. When you get into TRON, you have a very fundamental story. I’m not saying it’s Red Riding Hood, but it’s as fundamental. It’s power, it’s rebellion, and metaphorically it’s like what people are doing in America right now, with getting mad at the government and the bankers.
Is Tesler just a pure villain, or is there a level of heart?
Not a drop. Not even for himself. That’s what makes him a tragic figure. There’s something weird about Tesler. If the series goes on, I will have no input. There’s not a word they want to hear from me. There’s nothing more terrifying than an actor who comes with an idea. It’s fine when it’s intimate and you’re in the booth, working the narrative. But, I love doing it. My daughter says that Tesler has got the best wardrobe because he has a cape. That makes him capable.
Is there any chance of their ever being a Millennium movie?
There’s a big push on it, right now. They’ve written a book with interviews from everybody that was on the show, including [Frank] Spotnitz and me. That show was awhile ago. Ever since 9/11, the world has changed so radically that, if Millennium was made today with those characters, it would be a far more interesting show than the limited palate they had with serial killers. I love the idea of a non-judgmental character like Frank Black. He wanted to know why and how all these things happened, but he knew that judging someone for what they’d done was just going to get in the way of finding out things. Imagine that kind of morality and focus, like a master chess player, able to draw in details like beads on a string. It would be much more interesting now than it was then. I loved doing that show. The most important relationship in the show, for me, was between Frank and his daughter, and that actress is getting married now. I think it’s going to happen. I really do. I believe that. I would do it. There’s no reason not to.
I want to keep moving the pressure in on Frank Black, in regard to a terrorist plot that keeps building and building and building. You’ll be gasping for air, wondering what the hell is going to happen to this guy. I’m looking forward to it. It’s crazy, if they don’t give it a shot. It doesn’t have to be a $30 million movie. There’s a lot of fans out there, in 65 countries, just pounding on the door. I can’t go to any country without them wanting to know when the movie is going to be made. It doesn’t matter where I am.
I would love to see a Millenium movie but I would also like Chris Carter to step aside and let someone else take the reigns. I found the story telling in "X-FILES: I Want to Believe", tired and dated, and I feel the same thing could happen with a "Millenium" movie if he is involved.
TRON: Uprising will air on Thursdays on Disney XD, starting on June 7th.