Continuing ourcoverage of Twentieth Century Fox's Daredevil press junket Comics2Filmpresents this transcript of the round-table interview with Michael ClarkeDuncan, who plays Kingpin in the movie.
Q: What's your typical breakfast?
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Pancakes, eggs and sausage. I love cream of wheat cakes. You mix a little bitof cream of wheat in the batter. It's wonderful. It's really good. Do that withoatmeal too. It's really good. I know it sounds kind of gross, but it'sgood.
Q: What is you protein intake?
I eat everything, but I get on that treadmill like I did this morning and tryto keep it down and try to keep it looking good.
Q: In thismovie, you didn't get a lot of chances to throw a lotof punches, but it was nice to see you in action.
Yeah. It was kind of nice to be able to play an evil character for once, onethat everybody hated. And nice to toss Ben Affleck around a little bit. Let himknow he's not that sexy. So that was a lot of fun. I enjoyed doing that.
Q: It's a comic book movie, so there's a sense that it could be over the top,but do you also look for humanity in the character?
No. I just wanted to play him as a ruthless, killer type of person. Kingpindoesn't have any conscience for anybody else but himself, and that's what Itried to bring over on the screen. I didn't want anybody to think that this guywas later gonna turn nice or have a heart of gold. He doesn't have a heart ofgold. He rules with an iron fist and I wanted to bring that across.
Q: Did you have to put on some weight for the part?
Yes, actually, I put onforty-five pounds, which was very hard to get off.But it was a thing that I was trying to really make the character bigger thanlife. Mark Steven Johnson, the director, told me that we had to stick prettyclose to the comic book.
And I said, 'Well now you say that. You made one big difference. The guy iswhite in the comic books and here I am black. So now you're telling me we'retrying to stick close.'
So I tried to stick close with the cigars and everything. Stuff likethat. I didn't want the cigars in there, because I don't smoke, but Mark advisedme that it was a very important part of the character, and without that thecharacter wouldn't look right. Because I came up with some more ideaswhere I had, like maybe a hand-grip or something. Mark said, 'well wecould do that, but I don't think it would stay true to the character'spersonality. He has to have that big cigar and he has to have that empoweringlook.'
So we went with the cigars.
Q: How did you like wearing suits as opposed to the other superhero outfits?
I'll tell you I like Elektra's outfit a lot better than anyone else's.Jennifer Garner just looks super in her outfit. That woman has some abs ofsteel, I'll tell you.
But I like dressing up in suits and I was just talking to one of theproducers and we were saying, it would really be nice if Fox and Sony could gettogether and bring Spider-Man and Daredevil together. It would really be nicebut I don't think you could ever get those guys just to sit like this and say,'OK. This is what we're going to do and you guys get this and we get that.' Theywere just saying it would be virtually impossible, but I feel nothing'simpossible. I mean you have two big conglomerates and they have two big thingsgoing.
In the cartoons they did fight. Spider-Man and Daredevil had a really goodfight and the Kingpin orchestrated all that. So I think it would really be niceif they could get that together.
Q: In the movieyou literally had to come off larger than life.
At the time I was weighing about 300. I weigh 290 now. At the time I reallydidn't look like I do on camera. In the comic books he's 6'7", he's about450 pounds. I knew I wouldn't gain over 345 pounds or 340. It would seem likethat is a big, heavy guy on the camera.
I told Mark I would gain as much as possible without going into any healthfactors or getting high blood pressure and stuff of that nature becausesometimes if you gain all that weight and don't work out, that's what comesnext.
But my concern was just gaining the weight and making sure I had nopadding in my suits, because when I first went to a wardrobe fitting I had allthese pads everywhere. I said, 'Mark, I don't need all that.' He said, 'Well,you know, in two months we might have to put...' I said, 'I don't need paddingin any of my suits. It looks stupid. It looks really comical.'
The padding cameup to here and it just looked really ridiculous. I said, 'You got me all big uphere and all small,' and I said, 'No. Please.' And he said, 'Well do you thinkyou can muscle up in two months,' and I said, 'with no problem."
So we came back to the last wardrobe fitting and he loved what he sawand he said, 'do you have any pads in,' and the wardrobe person said, 'Nope. Nopads in there.'
So, we did it.
Q: You went up to 345 and now you're down to 290. Is it hard to take off thatweight?
I told Mark I said, 'Make sure that when you tell me I'm wrapped that thereare no reshoots involved because I'm very serious about getting back into thegym and working out.' He said, 'I promise you, we have no reshoots for you.Everything looks good. You look good. Everything's great. When you're wrapped,that's it.'
So the day that I got wrapped I went straight to my gym that I have in thebasement and I worked out and I've been working out like six to seven days eversince then. I try to watch what I eat. I don't eat too much after eight o'clock. Just try to live a healthy lifestyle. When you're big, that's one thing,but when you get too much weight around your heart, it's really not that good.
So just by doing that every day, getting on the elliptical for a half hour,then weight training for about an hour. So about an hour and a half in the gym,it really suits me just fine.
Q: How long did it take to take that off?
I'd say about two months. About two good months. Maybe two and a half, butabout two good months of working out seven days a week.
Q: Did you smoke cigars then?
No. Never. I don't like cigarette smoke. I don't like cigar smoke. Idon't like to drink. This is all I drink: cranberry juice, water and milk. Idon't like any of those negative things.
Q: Did you do any green screen work?
I didn't have any green screen work. No they didn't have a lot of greenscreen work. Jennifer had a lot. Especially Colin had a lot, I have to say whowas amazing as the villain. I mean, he won me over once I saw him.
It's one thing to look over on the set and see them doing it, but once yousee it on the screen, then you really realize the impact. That guy is so good atbeing crazy, because he's kind of crazy anyway. It just kind of fit him that hewould be Bullseye.
But to answer your question, I didn't have any green screen work.
Q: So that whole office sequence was real?
Yeah, that was a real office set. They decked it out really nice.
Q: You saidColin Farrell won you over. Were you not sure of him?
I knew Colin from Tigerland a movie that I had rented oneevening. I saw that that guy is good and when I heard that he was going to be inour movie, that's the only movie that I knew about. So I didn't know too muchabout him.
But once we got on the set, and once we had our scene together, he justraised the bar so high. He made me come out of my shell. We were really going atit. It just made me feel good to see a guy with that much energy, crazy,over-the-top energy, to be able to hone it so well in this character. He isBullseye. I can see nobody else playing that part, ever.
Q: It must be hard, as a non-drinker, to spend time withhim.
You know what? I'm actually trying to get him to stop smoking too. I don'tknow how well that's going but, I spent time with him off camera. He's a reallycrazy guy. He loves to have fun and he loves to live life to its fullest.He's doing something that he always wanted to do and I like to see people likethat.
Q: Are yougoing to do a sequel?
We've been talking. I signed a two-picture deal so, you will see the Kingpinagain.
Q: Was itdifficult working with Colin's accent and foul language?
There was a take, as a matter of fact, they edited it, when I said, 'Is thereanything else,' and he said, 'Yeah, I want a ---ing costume.'
He really said that, so they rewrote it so he said 'I want a freakin'costume' or 'a bloomin' costume' but Colin just put his little word in there andmade it sound good to me, but you know how people are
Q: You said youtalked to Colin about his partying. Does he listen?
He listens. He really does. I just tell him it's not good for him. I justsay, 'Man, you got a really long life and career ahead of you and I would hateto see it cut short by something that you're doing,' and he says, 'Yeah, you'reright. I want to stop. I want to do this. I want to...,' and I say, 'Well youjust have to take your time and just wean yourself off of it and it can be done.You'll feel a lot better once you get that out and start working out. You'llfeel a lot better.'
Q: No you don't.
I do! I do.
Q: Did you give Colin any tips on shaving his head?
Actually, I looked at him and I thought he looked kind of cool with baldhead. Actually he really did look cool with a bald head and I was justteasing him about...I said, 'Yeah, now you're trying to look like me all of asudden. You come on the set and you want a bald head like the Kingpin.'
But no. I didn't give him any advice on how to shave.
Q: How disgusting were the cigars to a non-smoker?
They weren't disgusting at all, really. They were these herbal cigars. Ididn't want real cigars. I tried to drive that point home simply because Ididn't want to be addicted to anything later on in life and I told Mark, 'If Iget any type of cancer, I'm suing. I want you to know that right now.'
So they gave me the cigars about two months before I started filming, for meto practice with and everything. They really didn't smell or anything, so it waskind of nice.
Q: Has notsmoking or drinking ever prevented you from getting a role?
You know what?Maybe not a role but I've missed out on a lot of big commercial campaigns. Beerads will call and say, 'Hey, I want him to be the spokesperson,' but I don'tdrink beer so it just seems kind of goofy to do a beer ad and I hate beer. I'venever drank beer so why would I sell myself short and say, 'Yeah, I'll do thatfor ten million dollars,' and I don't even do that. I probably missed out on alot of money that way, but you know what? You get it on the rebound withsomething else, so that's the way I look at it.
Q: Do you havea toy of yourself yet?
For this movie? Idon't know. Not yet. They should. But I had one from Scorpion Kingand Planet of the Apes.
Q: Have yougone in to get imaged?
They did it beforewe even started. Once I had the weight up. We did it a week after I startedfilming. The crew came down there and did it one time so they probably won'thave to do it again.
Q: Is itsurreal to have you're own toy?
It's funny becausemy nephews love it. They love Uncle Mike as Attar and the Scorpion Kingand they compare that to the Rock's toy and say my toy is bigger and strongerlooking. So it's kind of cool when you look and you see your nephews telling youthat they want you to send them a toy of yourself. It's like a fantasy really.
Q: Will therebe a video Game?
Yes, the videogame is on the way also.
Q: Did you goin and do voice recording for that?
They have a Spider-Mancartoon coming out, in which the Kingpin is a part of, because he started offbeing the enemy of Spider-Man. I went in and voiced over a series of those. It'scoming out this summer.
Q: Can you tellus about your movie, George and the Dragon?
Yes, I filmed thatlast year in Luxemburg. It was interesting over there. Luxemburg is a verydreary and rainy place. It rained every day and it was freezing cold. So I wasover there with Val Kilmer and Patrick Swayze and we had a couple of big fightscenes in this old castle out in the moors or something like that. But it's afun movie. It's a really fun movie.
Q: Whoare you in that?
George is playedby James Purefoy, a really good English actor over there. I'm his compadre. I'mhis best friend, who just happens to be a black Irishman, if you can believethat. I'm his right-hand man.
The story justtakes off with us separating and going our separate ways. He goes and doesthis and I go and try to save this country and he comes back and we join forcesagain. Then Patrick Swayze comes in there and then Val Kilmer is supposed to beEl Diablo, who I have to fight.
It's really funny.Once you see it, it's really funny.
Q: Do you havefull-on costumes in that one?
Yes. Yes. I had tolearn how to ride a horse all over again too because we had to do a bit ofriding in that.
Q: Isn't itlike riding a bike: once you learn you never forget?
The thing is youhave to be...when you get on a horse you have to let the horse know, 'Hey, thisis what we're gonna do.'
When I startedriding for Planet of the Apes, my horse would just go and starteating grass and I would sit up there and he didn't care. I didn't know how topull on the reigns.
So one day I justtapped him with a little leather thing and he perked up and looked back and Isaid, 'Oh, OK.' I said, 'Now there's gonna be a different understanding with youand I from this point on.' So after that I hadn't had any problems withany horses.
Q: Did you haveany suit envy with Ben?
Not at all. Not atall. In fact, he kind of scared me when I saw that.
When you see oneof your best friends dressed up in leather I mean, I don't care what part he'strying to portray or anything, it's funny to me.
I mean there wastimes when, in the office scene before we start our fight, and I say,'Daredevil,' and he goes, 'Kingpin,' and he whips out his cane, there were timeshis cane just fell apart.
I said, 'Man, I'msitting over here and I'm trying to be serious and do this part,' and I said,'I'm trying to wipe out the fact that you look goofy as hell in that little redoutfit and then you break your cane on cue. You know, you lost all your littlesuperhero points with me now. It's gonna be very hard for me to concentrate andnot see Ben Affleck instead of Matt Murdock.'
So it was kind offunny in that aspect.
Q: How manydifferent Daredevil costumes were there?
You know, probablya lot with Ben's costume because, at times it got really hot. He had to changeit a lot.
I told him, 'Youneed a butt pad because Daredevil at least has a little butt back there and youhave nothing. Get a little butt pad or just film you straight-on, man, but fromthe side you really don't look like a superhero to me.'
So I teased him alot about that. The costumes, I guess, were really good. I didn't hear JenniferGarner complaining at all and I know I wasn't complaining because I had on suitsall day, so I really didn't mind that at all.
Q: Are youworried people will compare this movie to Spider-Man?
It's just likecomparing somebody to Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant. Once the bar is set,anything under that people say, 'Oh, well it didn't do 115 million.'
You hate that it'sgoing to be compared to that, but it is going to be compared to that becausethat's another comic strip and Daredevil is something like Spider-Man.
I don't think thatwe'll break box office records, like going 115 million. I'm not go and say,'Yeah, we're going to top that.' That's a really big record to top. I just hopewe have a really nice opening weekend and I hope everyone really enjoys themovie.
Q: Most peoplenever heard of Daredevil. Do you think that will hinder or help?
In some ways it'llhinder. In some ways it'll help. A lot of people thought Daredevil was amotorcycle gang or something, or a stunt guy and everything. They thought wewere talking about Evel Kenievel. I was like, 'No, no. It's a comic book.' So Ihad to explain to a lot of people what Daredevil was.
On the flip side,maybe that interest will pique and people will say, 'Oh, well I want to see that.I've heard about this guy. He's something like Spider-Man,' and that could abring a different group of people in altogether.
So help and hurtat same time, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
Q: Do you thinkBen pulls off a superhero character?
He did. I jokeabout him a lot, but he was really tremendous.
Once I saw themovie, it was amazing to me: his fight scenes with Elektra. His fight sceneswith Colin Farrell. Just everything he put into it. He worked a lot moredays than I did so he really had to put a lot more energy into it than Idid.
I didn't work halfas much as he worked and he just pulled it off.
Q: You changedyour body, which is a physical process but he just put on a costume which didthat for him, so maybe he had it easier.
Well I'm glad youbrought that up because I had let him know that too, that his suit was man-mademuscles and fabric and everything and mine was the real deal. We were teasingeach other about that.
He said, 'Iheard you had to get a lot of padding in your suit.'
I said, 'No. Youcan take my suit off right now. This is all me, brother. There's no paddingnowhere.'
After that he kindof left it alone.
Q: Did you ribBen about his tabloid stories with Jennifer Lopez or did you let it slide?
Oh I tease himabout it every day.
Come on, you walkinto a grocery store and there's one of your friends walking out of a pizzaplace with Jennifer Lopez. It's just funny to me that he's even going with her.I didn't know he had that much charisma and stuff. I just see him as a goofy guyto me.
They say he's theworld's sexiest man alive. I'm like, 'Man, you are not the sexiest man alive.There's no way in hell, of all the guys in the world, you are number one. That'sjust really a farce to me that you even got that title.'
It's funny. Imean, come on. If you got a good friend and you walk in and you see him in atabloid and it says, 'Sexiest Man Alive,' you'd be like, 'You are not sexy atall. Not to me.'
So to see that ina checkout line it just makes me laugh. Any time I see his name in a tabloid, Ibuy that tabloid.
Q: Is heinviting you to the wedding?
I told him that ifhe didn't invite me that I was gonna come anyway. I was gonna crashit.
Q: So you don'tknow when it is then.
Oh, I know somethings but I'm not going to talk about it.
Q: Is he achanged man?
I think he is. Ithink that any time you commit yourself to a person you sort of go through achange. I think in life, you meet that one person where you say, 'Hey, this isit. This is it for me. I'm going to sit down and settle with this one person.'
She's a dynamiclady. He's a dynamic guy. So I don't foresee them having any problems.
Q: We've always seen a real sense ofexcitement with you. Does it become tougher when you realize filmmaking is muchmore of a business, where decisions are made based on the buck rather than thecreative?
That's the hardestpart. You want to do something but they may say, 'We don't have this or we don'thave that,' but you know they got it. You turn it down and they come back andsay, 'Well we found a little bit more.'
I don't understandthat part of it because if I ever became a producer I would give a person what Ithink they're worth. I would give a person, knowing that I'm going to make onehundred million dollars in three months, and this person wants X amount ofmillions of dollars: give it to them.
We're going tomake so much money in the states, and then it goes overseas and DVDs and allthis. Whatever you give this person really is minute to me. But I guess peopledon't look like it like that and I'm not in that position. Maybe when I get inthat position I'll be like, 'Oh, this is how it works.'
But, to me it'sjust common sense. If a person's going to make you a movie you give it to them. If you know that that person's going to be at work on time. He's not comingin drunk. He knows his lines. He's happy to be there. I say you give that personthat money.
That's the onlything about the business part that I don't like, that people aren't honestenough.
Q: You've beenworking a lot since Green Mile. You don't seem to have a lotof downtime. Does that surprise you? Did you know it was going to be like this?
No. I had no idea.I thought that it was going to be that and it'd be kind of cool. Justthat.
But as I look backat it I wish I had been more prepared for what was going to happen, but I don'tthink you can prepare anybody for the onslaught of media and interviews andsitting like this with microphones in your face. There's no way you can preparea person for that.
I have to go backto my mother bringing me up right and teaching me things as a young man on howto talk and how to handle yourself in the public. All those things came intoplay when I got nominated and everything and I had to walk down that red carpet.I wasn't nervous. I was happy and running all around and everybody was like,'what is he doing?'
My publicist wentcrazy because I just veered off the red carpet and went over here and startedslapping fives. That's exciting to me. I'm not going to be one of those guys whohas his sun glasses and I'm cool and I'm pointing at you. That's just not me.
Had I won, man Iwould have flew all over the Shrine Auditorium, just everywhere. I'd have beenlike, 'I told you!' You know, just let it out. Don't try to be cool. I'm not acool guy. I try to be really cool. Like you see I try to dress cool and I try tobe cool with females but, really, I'm kind of goofy. So why not just act thatway. Just be yourself.
Q: Did you playsuperheroes when you were younger?
Oh yeah! I used totie a sheet around my neck and try to punch my sister but she was older so thatreally didn't work. I would just go back and I would think about how Icould...she was always the evil person to me. She was always the villain becauseshe was bigger and stronger. So I used to always try to think of a way that Icould combat that evilness.
And to this day Istill haven't beaten her. I came close a couple of times, but I kept forgettingshe's left-handed and I'd be ready for that right hand and she'd just go,'CRACK,' and crack me right in my face.
So, I never gotover that villain.
Q: What doesthis sister say when she sees you up on the screen?
My sister is like,she's the cruelest. She'll say, 'Yeah, I saw your goofy poster in the theater,'and I'm like, 'Yeah? How did it look,' and she's like, 'Yeah, it looked alright.It's you. What do you want me to say?'
'Well, you know:Did I look cool? How'd the suit look?'
She's like, 'It'sjust you. I know you from running around with your little trains on the floorand now you're just supposed to be this big celebrity. But you're my brother.'
So that's how shesees me, just as her brother.
Q: Have you hada chance to talk to Queen Latifah since she's been nominated for a Golden Globefor Chicago?
No, and I'm goingto give her a call because I really want to congratulate her. She is just a funperson to be around.
When I was workingsecurity on Living Single she was one of my favorite actors overthere. She would always come and jump on my back and I had to carry her to herdressing room and she would say, 'Yeah, I like a man that can pick me up,' andI'd be struggling like, 'OK, Queen. OK.'
Actually she wasso much fun to be around. Every day was something good with her and I wasso happy to see her finally get that nomination.
Q: Did you seeher movie?
Yes. I loved it.
Q: She's gotnominations for Golden Globe and SAG awards. Any word on Oscar buzz?
Man. I don't know,because SAG awards are kind of different from Oscars and Golden Globes so youcan get nominated for a Golden Globe and SAG and not get nominated for anOscar. So you may have a movie out there that nobody's really got a big blow-upabout and that could get nominated. So I'm not going to make any predictionsright now.
I do hope QueenLatifah gets nominated. I really hope she gets nominated.
Q: What did youthink of that gown that she was wearing in that number in Chicago?
That was prettyhot.
Q: You know thereal working world. How important is that to you in building a character likeKingpin?
I think it'simportant because you know both sides of the rainbow. You not only know thisside. The glamorous side. But I know what it's like to spend twelve hours in aditch and in mud and digging ditches and putting drunk guys out of clubs andstopping fights and all that.
When I see guysworking in construction or doing police work or security work, I respect that.When I go into a club now and a security guard tells me, 'You can't stand aroundhere,' I don't ask him or say, 'You know who I am?' I say, 'OK, brother. Wherecan I stand,' because I know what he's going through during the whole course ofthe evening.
So I have anewfound respect for people that get up at six in the morning and may not comehome until six p.m. that evening and have to do that on a daily basis.
For me, I just didnot like it. I just always wanted to be in Hollywood just kind of relaxing andchilling out like I'm doing now. I didn't want to dig ditches for the rest of mylife, I'll tell you that much.
Q: Do you everpinch yourself?
No, because if Ido that I might wake up. It might be one of those Matrix-typedreams where all this is really just part of my little fantasy that I wanted. Idon't ever pinch myself.
Q: How do youfind mixing with all these celebrities. Is it easy?
No. For me, I'mstill a fan. So when I go on the red carpet I still have a camera with me. TomHanks told me, 'I wish you'd stop bringing that ugly camera.' That'ssomebody that's been down the red carpet I don't know how many times.
But for me, it'sexciting if I see Al Pacino. It's exciting if I see Dustin Hoffman or JackNicholson. I have to go take a picture with those guys. I frame it and put itup. That's history to me. That's Hollywood history to me.
I'm not going to be the type of person that's, 'Oh, that's so-and-so and so-and-so.' No.I'm going to run over there and get a picture. I got to get a picture withthese people because that's my once-in-a-lifetime, maybe, meeting with theseguys.
I was at theBroadcast Film Critics award, and there was Robin Williams. I had to go over andwe both 'cheesed' and we both took the picture together. That was great to me,that he let me take a picture with him.
I took a picturewith Nicole Kidman. These are pictures that will be up on my wall and I can lookback, hopefully fifty years from now and say, 'Yeah, we were at the BroadcastFilm Critics Awards. Nicole Kidman was there.'
This is fun to me.I'm not one of these guys who takes it for granted. I enjoy life every day and Inever take anything for granted.
Q: When thefans approach you are you patient with them?
I try to giveevery fan an autograph if I can. Sometimes if I'm in like a grocery store Idon't always do it because then you have a long line of people.
It's funny becausekids come up to you and kids have the sweetest, innocent face and their parentsknow that. So they'll send the kid. And you're not going to turn them a kid, alittle five year [old], 'Can I have an autograph?'
How're you gonnasay no? You just can't do it so when kids come up to me I'm like, 'oh. Come overhere down this aisle by the cereal,' and then I sign an autograph really quickand give it to them.
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