2005 Live Chat Log

[HighPlainsDrifter]

CHAT LOG : Lance Henriksen from Fantacular 2005

On April 1st, 2005, film legend Lance Henriksen arrived at the Sideshow Collectibles office to speak with our customers via a LIVE webcam and IRC Chatroom. Lance was kind enough to give us nearly two hours of entertainment! In that time, Mr. Henriksen talked about his passion for Ceramics ( 'Alien vs. Predator' Collectible Tiles), his acting roles to his affinity for burying treasure in the Arizona desert! The following is a slightly edited transcript of the questions and answers from the event, as well as some screen grabs from the LIVE web cam. Enjoy!

Welcome to our live chat with Lance Henriksen

For those of you who are not familiar with Lance's work, he has been in many very popular Sci-fi Fantasy franchises including Alien, X-files and Millennium

Lance Henriksen: Just saw the cam - I'm looking like Stan Winston!

right now I'm playing Satan as a gray haired old farmer

I'm looking like a mixture of Robert Blake and ... who the hell else??

We will be showing the AVP tiles on the product cam during the chat.

Our first question comes from UniqueSol...

How Long does it take to construct a tile & do you have a favorite?

LH: Yes, I have a favorite - the Alien tile

from the beginning -

3-4 weeks to design the original

3 weeks to make a group of tiles from that original

Next Question comes from Tommy P...

Were there other alien and/or predator tiles that you made for practice or prototype before you made the ones for sale?

LH: yes

there were several

that I wasn't happy with.

Next Question comes from Austin:

How did you feel about the cancelation of Millennium and did you feel the episode of the X-files did the show justice and wrapped things up for you?

LH: upset ... and no

the thing is..

Chris Carter asked me to come and do the X-Files

and when I found out it was about zombies I asked him...

what about this is closure for Millennium?

but I did it anyway!

and somebody came over from the comedy network

to fox

and cancelled all he dramas and 6 months later he was fired

Next Question comes from Rick:

Did you have final approval of the Frank Black figure?

LH: No... I would be strangled by vanity if I had tried to do anything like that..

I believe in letting people do what they want...

and I think it's a great figure!

my 5-year old daughter will love it, and so will my 18-year old

It's mini-me!

Next question comes from Ben Martin:

What inspired you to create these tiles? Do you plan to further sculpt designs from the movie?

LH: Yes, I have more plans

I was on the set in Prague when I got the idea

set of Predator vs. Aliens

(AvP)

this was the first you had the idea to combine pottery and my movies

I've been making pottery since the late 60s

Next question comes from Severen:

You're rather famous for getting in character to get under the skin of the character who you'll be playing, any anecdotes that you care to share about experiences you've had while doing that? And just how much did you manage to freak people out while preparing to play characters like Jesse (Near Dark), Torquemada (The Pit & The Pendulum), Cole Wilson (Dead Man) and when James Cameron originally wanted you to be pl

LH: best answer I can give you is that right now I am playing Satan

the thing is, I try to find out what would be redeeming about Satan

and I came up with the idea that he is one of the only people who can say he's seen the face of God

and I'm wondering what would happen when he saw God again.

I'm always looking for the human connection...

so I don't just play a boring evil person

The tile is right-side up now!

Next question comes from Vivian:

My name is Vivian Tong and I was wondering if there will be a Director's Cut DVD for AvP?

LH: uhhhh

I have to tell you , I think this IS a director's cut

Paul Anderson was very precise about this movie

he knew exactly what he wanted

Next question comes from Austin:

What was your favorite role and why? Movie or TV

LH: I like Jesse Hooker in Near Dark

he was a nocturnal nomad

and I worked with all my best friends from Aliens on that one

we had such a great time on that one!

Sideshow should do Near Dark...

Next question comes from Alien_fan:

why did you choose to design a tile and not a 3D piece?

LH: the work on the 3d pieces was so complete - they are the concept

tiles to me are like artifacts

they will be around for thousands of years

that was what was in my mind -

to make artifacts from these movies as if you found them yourself - buried in the desert

because I think these are meant to be like a discovery

if you put them on you bathroom wall/outside wall will just think of these as tiles...

until they look at them closer and see the detail..

I think I'll do that...

go out to the desert and bury them!

Next question comes from Morgoth:

Out of the licenses that Sideshow currently has, that you have not been involved with, which would you have liked to been involved with?

LH: The thing is...

I don't really look at the things that have come out that I'm not in any kind of longing way

because for me movies are an absolute adventure...

they had their adventure, but mine are still happening and still going

so I have no longings...

I've never had the fantasy that I wish I had been married to Marilyn Monroe for instance

I have no longings

otherwise I would be called a bride at every wedding and a corpse at every funeral

and I have some wonderful projects coming up

so I'm real happy

as long as these movies don't take me away from my pottery

and that's the truth

Next question comes from Mannix:

Is it hard to make the tiles? Was there a lot of breakage because of its ceramic material ???

LH: I lose at least 15%

and that's shocking -

a lot of tiles lost!

but that's okay, it's just part of the work

they break in the process of drying and firing because of the intense heat

Next question comes from JCR:

Did You enjoy the comedy episodes of Millennium?

LH: Yeah

I wish they had given ME some jokes...

what your looking at on the web cam is a beautiful glaze...

it's like snowflake crystals

(To order the AVP Tiles - https://www.sideshowtoy.com/cgi-bin/categor...=henriksen_avp)

Next question comes from Pitchin4eva:

What do you think was your finest performance in all the films you have done?

LH: You know, when I did Powder

it was such a really wonderful character

the guy had a wife that was dying..

I loved playing him, he had problems that were so universal

I played the Sheriff in that little TX town

very sympathetic character

Next question comes from SSF-Dirk:

Which alien movie do you like the most?

LH: The first 2

I love Ridley Scott's alien

and Jim Cameron is my hero in a lot of ways...

he's a wonderful movie-maker

Next question comes from Mark Anderson:

You have worked with some famous directors, James Cameron , John Woo etc.........who was your favourite?

LH: That's impossible!

If I ever want to work again, I can't answer that question...

except that all of the above mentioned were great!

Next question comes from Fritz:

Apparently there were many crucial scenes cut out of AvP to get it to a PG13 rating. Is this true and if so, what do you think about that and can you talk about was cut out?

LH: No, it's not true

the decision was made

to not show a lot of human blood

which is one of the only criteria for rating

you do more than 5 pints of blood sprayed across the screen

and the rating changes

they actually measure the blood out

:)

but making it green is okay

Alien or Predator blood - you could have swimming pools full!!

Next question comes from Kodiak:

In Aliens, how did you like being covered in synthetic plasma when the Queen ripped you in half? Pretty gross dude

LH: That queen looks really nice on the cam

you know these tiles I wanted them to be almost deco

it has the characters but it could be from any period at all

it was actually yogurt and milk

SOUR yogurt and milk

but I'll do ANYTHING to be in the movies!

Next question comes from Lonnie Cummins:

When making Terminator, did you realize Arnold would be a huge star or the movie would become such a huge hit?

LH: No

No one ever knows that

anyone who knows that type of thing would have a job at any major studio

it's like going to Vegas and putting all your hard-earned money on the line and throwing the dice

we knew he was good, but you never know what people will think..

Jim had a vision

it was only a 5 million dollar movie!

Next question comes from Tommy P:

If you do go bury them in the desert, can you give me a map? A parchment map with burnt edges, that'd be cool!

LH: you'll have to get the map from Sideshow

contact them and they'll give you the map

Next question comes from Mark Gogliano:

I am sorry about earlier. I have never done this before. I apologize to you and Mr. Henriksen. My question to him is this, How did it feel for him to come face to face with a Predator in AVP, after confronting an Alien Queen in Aliens?

LH: Mark - don't be so hard on yourself :)

I was joking!

the predator, with all his armor on

is over 8 feet tall

it's really intimidating!

they're so warrior like - like part of our hunter/gatherer past

it's very visceral -

I knew I was gonna get snapped like a twig

oh look at that, there's my mini-me

what a handsome guy!

(the Frank Black 12" figure is on the webcam now)

LH: you better not let Barbi see this guy!

wow look at that!

they seen got my worried expression

GREAT work - really great work

there may be one of these in the buried treasure chest as well!

Next question comes from Pat/Altaira:

It sounds like you have a lot of fun with what you do! Do you prefer concentrating on one project at a time, or having a variety of things to do? What are your top 2-3 right now?

LH:

look at this great cell phone!

so detailed

here's the case load book

okay for the question...

(Lance showing case load on cam)

LH: right now - I'm playing Satan in a movie called River to Havilah

I just finished playing in a western for Steven Speilberg in Santa Fe, NM

and right before that I was in Australia doing an anti-war film

so you can see my life is full of interesting projects

but a lot of these things are keeping me from my pottery, which bugs me!

nice close up on the web cam1!

Next question comes from Nido:

You're quite an accomplished artist from what I understand. By the way those tiles you did are amazing pieces! Where did you get your art training and where do you find time in between those busy movie shoots to work on this hobby of yours?

LH: It's not a hobby - it's an obsession!

my grandfather was an artist, so it's in the blood

also, I'm constantly surrounded by artists in the business

like Tom Woodruff and Alec Gillis

that worked on Pumpkin Head, Terminator, Aliens and more

(Lance gets a sandwich platter from Chicky)

LH: look what someone delivered me through the internet!

Next question comes from Alex:

Would you be interested in doing tiles like the AvP for any other movies you have been involved in. Hellraiser: Hellworld for instance or Millennium maybe?

LH: Definitely

because again, I believe that the tiles are...

they're cinematic artifacts

I'm starting on my Millennium tiles soon

Next question comes from pitchin4eva:

You have been shot by the terminator, ripped apart by the alien queen & stabbed by a predator........whats the trick to surviving in these films?

LH: oh and Jean Claude van Damme put a hand grenade down my pants!

the writers is the secret to survival in these films!

(Lance is answers his cell phone as the product cam shows the Frank Black figure holding a cell phone)

LH: oh hold on I gotta call from my mini-me!

Next question comes from Pat/Altaira:

Do you like to save souvenirs from your acting projects? If so, what are your favorites?

LH: let me think..

yeah..

the scripts

I had all the Millennium scripts from all three seasons

I saved those and then donated them to a charity to raise money for kids at risk

and they auctioned them off

I had such a great experiences, that the movies will always be there, and I had that experience

so normally I just give all this to charity

I think they raised almost 40,000 pounds for the Millennium scripts!

anything to do with children..

Next question comes from MagneticZero:

How does it feel to be made into a Sideshow 12in figure?

LH: I've just seen this like a week ago

I'm still not over it yet..;

still cant articulate..

I really am impressed with the detail you guys put into this stuff

I am much taller than this though!

Next question comes from Rick Nolet:

How did you and Sideshow get together? Did they get the licence for the Frank Black figure, and so you became aware of them and sought them out?

LH: we met through a mutual friend

Tom and Alec who worked on AvP with me

Next question comes from Alex:

Lance, have you ever thought about directing your own movie and what kind of movie would that be?

LH: yeah

the movie I want to act in and co-direct

is about a potter..

called the Mad Potter of Biloxi

whose name was George Ohr

who lived in the 1850s

it's a true story

it will happen someday - I'm determined!

Next question comes from Severen:

I understand that for many years there was talk between you, Bill Paxton and Kathryn Bigelow on a possible follow up to the classic Near Dark, any chance of that ever happening? And what was it to be about? It's one of my all time favourite horror films.

LH: BIlly Paxton and I have talked a lot about this

we would like to do a prequel

starting out during the Civil War

and ending where the first film begins

Next question comes from Rumi Dodson:

Any chance you would authorize reproductions of your tiles in a smaller version for the mass market?

LH: the tiles you are seeing are limited edition... they're signed and numbered

and once that's finished...

that completes that edition...

and additional plans are in the works

Next question comes from Mannix: (its a follow-up)

What did you do with the 15% loss in AVP tiles ??? ;P

LH: the guys at the dump can't wait for me to arrive..

with my trailer full of broken tiles

they descend on it..

and help me unload my trailer every single time

Next question comes from Lonnie:

Are the tiles made to order or are they all finished already?

LH: they're finished already

Next question comes from Tommy P:

Was that you with the knife in Aliens, or someone else? Did you get to keep the knife? >Was Bill Paxton's hand really on the table? (I figure not, but who knows hah)

LH: Yes, that was me with the knife

Bill didn't know that was gonna happen

originally I was supposed to do that as a demo

by myself

and right before the scene I said to Jim cameron..

what if I put my hand on Bill's hand before we did it...

and I think it turned out more fun

I almost got thrown in jail on my way to London

to shoot Aliens

because I brought 5 different knives

and had them on the top of my suitcase

and when customs opened it

I think they thought I was IRA

and almost wouldn't let me int he country

the reason I had so many knives

was I knew Jim would want to see his choices

Fox had to come down and convince them that I was an actor

Oh look at the lovely brain and heart on cam 1

I'm having lunch - yummy!

Next question comes from Angelo-Estel:

Mr. Henriksen i know you started acting in the early '70's and i don't know much about your acting methods, but how did you deal with the recent improving visual effects technology?Like blue-screen acting?

LH: wow...

digital is forcing people to be almost poets

if you don't have something to say precisely

and with taste

you are going to bore everyone to death with the effects

and I feel more that if it's character driven, it will work really well

if not..

I'll retire before it really gets good

In other words...

if I can just go in and have my pictures taken and they can base the whole movie off of those pictures..

then I'm out - I'm doing my pottery full time

Next question comes from JCR: (Follow up on Van Damme)

I thought You made that Van Damme movie the best thing in it. Was that fun being so controlled and evil ?

LH: Hard Target

yes!

you know John Woo is one of my favorite people in the world

his love of action and violence is like a ballet

or like a good kabuki performance

he liked me and let me have more fun with the bad guy

but kept saying to me, over and over again

he wanted to see me play good guys

and then he set fire to me!

Next question comes from Jason Gadd:

Are there any roles that you were offered that you regret not taking?

LH: no, actually...

I have the Michael Caine philosophy..

never turn down any role..

the only thing I won't play is a child molester or a wife beater

everything else is open season

Next question comes from Barry:

How often do people bring up millennium to you nowadays and are you surprised that even now people are still intrigued by your frank black character?

LH: It happens everyday as a matter of fact

and I'm getting agitated at Chris Carter for not stepping up to the plate

and making our film

Next question comes from JCR:

Is there talk of doing a Millennium Movie of some kind?

LH: yes

it never stops

but we need Fox to get off their you-know-whats

Next question comes from Jason:

Since you are in the realms of so many collectors, I was curious, is there anything that you collect?

LH: pottery

and bronzes

and paintings

Next question comes from Neal:

Can you please ask Mr. Henriksen how he liked or disliked working on the movie "The Quick & the Dead" ?

LH: when Sam Raimi offered me Ace to do

he said it was a cameo

and I had a month before I started

so I changed my look

learned a horse trick where I flipped backwards off a horse

and when I got to Arizona to do the movie

I showed him everything that I had worked on

he was pretty surprised and happy

and the crew was going to sign a petition

not to kill Ace Hanlon

and Sharon Stone on the first day

said to me

when I was staring at how beautiful she was, even without makeup

she said - don't get excited Lance

this is only my space suit

referring to her body

Leonardo and I had fun together

he was just a kid

and we kept trying to outdraw each other

Russell was quiet, serious

and aloof

I think he felt far from home

Gene Hackman - in our first scene together

said to me, I'm retiring after this movie

I said I don't care what you're doing

I waited 20 years to work with you and you're not going to ruin for me

Next question comes from Severen:

You're well known for your many genre roles, what attracts you to those kinds of films? Are you a fan of horror and sci-fi yourself, or is that just reflective of the better parts that you've been offered over the years?

LH: no, I think genre films are morality

plays and I like that

they've taken the place of westerns in a big way

and I like playing people in extreme situations

and nothing could be more extreme than genre films

I though Millennium was a genre show...

covering all the sci-fi and everything else

I actually like movies that don't talk a lot

the thing I like is ...

showme, don't tell me

good movie-making hardly needs any words at all

like Man on Fire

my favorite movie at the moment for being scared

is the Grudge

it scared me so bad I leaped off the couch

it's the scariest movie I've seen in a long time

it's very well done

Japanese director -just great

the restraint... you know what I mean?

there's your answer about digital...

there is digital in this, but it's so minute

and it's so focused and poetic...

that's digital at its best

it's like they're doing the impossible...

if you use it as a fix-all for lazyness or ability..

it's not good

it's like someone loving you and imitating what they THINK love looks like

Next question comes from Vivian:

I just recently watched A Man Called Rage and was very interested in the splattered painting in that movie and would that be for sale? I really liked it.

LH: oh my GOd

do you know what happened?

that's a little embarrassing

I was playing a character that I was loosely basing on Richard the 3rd

and the set decorator brought these paintings on the set

and I thought that they were terrible

but they would be a good canvas for me maybe to whale on

make a statement with

only after a couple of takes of me throwing paint all over it and making trouble

did they tell me that they were from an artist

and they weren't meant to be touched!

I felt really embarrassed

I used to put a plastic smock on

and start hurling paint at these things

that was shot in Croatia

so I'm glad I made it home safe

but the artist was so mad!

he was apparently there, and I didn't know it..

and there I was throwing paint all over his paintings

I thought they were terrible and that I would make them better!

that could be categorized as one of my most embarrassing moments

Next question comes from Jason Gadd:

Who are some of your greatest influences in terms of acting and film making? And have you ever been in awe of anyone who you found yourself working with? Also any influences in terms of art?

LH: oh my god

whoever you are..

you're asking THE question...

anybody in any profession

has an accumulation of people

whom they have been moved and influenced by

and it's always an accumulation

there's never any one person

besides, say my 5 year old or my 18 year old!

they are my biggest influence

acting is only about luck, survival..

stealing ideas wherever you can get them

it's not real life

the only thing I can honestly say about acting

was said to me

"act with joy"

that's it

Giger and Gaudi

for art

Last question comes from Jim Wimmer:

Have you considered putting any of the human characters from Alien in your tiles?

LH: no

that's more vanity than artifact

not that humans are only vanity, but

these creatures are creations of worlds we'd like to see

Thank you for coming to chat with us Lance!

LH: I'm had a great time!

Thank you so much for having me and being my friends

And thank you Sideshow too!

I feel like Mr. Rogers :)

you guys "rock

[Guest ___ L@the_of_Heaven___]

VERY nice Joe, thanks! DAMN, I want one of those GOLD ALIEN tiles!!!!!!!!