With memorable performances in such iconic films as Scanners (1981), Top Gun (1986), Total Recall (1990, arms chopped off) and Starship Troopers (1997, torso chomped off) among countless others, Michael Ironside has one of the most recognisable faces in genre cinema.
His one-of-a-kind sneer and cult classic-laden filmography made him the only choice to play Zeus, the Big Bad in the new post-apocalyptic cult sensation Turbo Kid, a New Zealand/Canada co-production which premieres locally this Saturday night at the glorious Civic as part of International Film Festival.
Thanks to the film's Kiwi connection, I recently had to honour of engaging Mr. Ironside in a Skype chat.
Here's how it went:
Dominic Corry: This film was directed by Québécois filmmaking collective RKSS, which is comprised of three people. Did it take you a while to get your head around that?
Michael Ironside: It's really interesting. Anouk [Whissell], the female, is the sister of one guy and the fiancée of the other one. I think they're married now. Yoann-Karl worked with the actors and set up the shots and the continuity, and the other fellow, François [Simard], he'd look after all the technicalities - lense choices and framing. When they would get at loggerheads, Anouk would step in and bring them back together. It was a seamless relationship. They were delightful to work with. It's their first feature and they were absolutely over the moon with the idea that they're getting to do this. They were just so grateful in all of their actions. Sometimes when people get funded on a first time project, they all of a sudden assume the throne of authority and can be pains in the ass. And these people were not that way.
Actor Michael Ironside in a scene from the movie Turbo Kid.
DC: Turbo Kid is a unique film. How was it first described to you?
MI: I meet [RKSS] up at the Toronto Film Festival. They were absolutely enamoured of me and they had been trying to get a hold of me and I'd been off the continent. And they were just, I don't know how to say it, but they were just delightful. They were an automatic connection. They said they were gonna do this slightly tongue-in-cheek over-the-top sci-fi, an after-the-apocalypse-in-1993 sort of thing. They had me right off the bat with their honesty and their sincerity. I played a joke on them. I said 'Is there violence in it?' And they said 'Why yes there's blood everywhere' and I said 'Well then I can't do it. I don't do that anymore.'. And they said 'Why' and I said 'I've taken a vow of chastity of sorts. I held it for a few minutes, and they looked like they'd been gutted and I couldn't do it anymore. I tried to pass myself off as a member of some new religious faith that doesn't believe in violence or the colour red or something like that. These poor buggers, I wish I hadn't done it because they were so innocent, they looked like I'd hit them.
DC: You must work with a lot of actors and filmmakers who grew up watching you in all your famous roles - does that affect your relationship to the work?
MI: It's kind of interesting because that only affects the meeting process really. Once the work starts, actors are all equal. That enamouredness has worked against me. There's been a few young directors I've wanted to work with who were afraid to work with me because I had such huge list of people I'd worked with. They weren't confident about what they were doing and were afraid of having somebody who knew more than them on set. I had one director say 'You've got too big a track record, I don't wanna work with you' and I said 'Do you really wanna be in this business? I mean, if you're only going to hire people who are less qualified than you?' It's not a great way to start. You want as many veterans around you as possible. It's not about showing failure, it's about learning. I'm still learning. I love acting. I love making films. I really do. I learn something every job I'm on. I had a great time on this one. I certainly wasn't there for the money.
A scene from the movie Turbo Kid.
DC: How was it working with Kiwi actor Aaron Jeffrey (McLeod's Daughters) on Turbo Kid?
MI: Aaron Jeffrey is a delight to work with. How is this guy not getting more work and not a big star? He's an amazing, amazing presence on camera. His dramatic and comic timing is wonderful. He can turn a shithouse into a palace. He's just amazing. I had a wonderful time working with him. How this guy is not a fucking star, I just don't understand.
DC: You mentioned that you didn't do this role for the money - how important is it for you to feel excited about the project when you choose roles?
MI: It's absolutely everything. I'm up in Canada doing a film now that's actually costing me money. It's called The Space Between. It's kind of like Little Miss Sunshine and I'm playing the Grandfather. I try and do at least one large studio picture every year or every 18 months to keep my distribution weight in there. I'm kind of a garnish name. If you've got a lead or a lead and-a-half and you need somebody to fulfill the distribution package, then they'll throw me in there and it kind balances it out. So I do one of those a year which allows me to go off and do smaller projects. I love that tribal village feel that you get on a low budget film.
DC: Paul Verhoeven is my hero. What was it like working with him on Total Recall and Starship Troopers?
MI: The last time I saw Paul was about a year ago. Paul's great. I'm an absolute avid fan of Paul's, he's a true filmmaker. I've made 240-something films, and if we're talking absolute died-in-the-wool directors, there's maybe ten that I'd completely hand myself over to, because I trust them. The rest you gotta keep an eye on what they're doing. But Paul is one of those directors that is absolutely phenomenal. He doesn't pull any punches, he walks that razor's edge between politics, racism, ethnic victimisation. He's just...I almost feel like if you showed him a wound, he'd probably stick his finger in it. If he knew it wouldn't kill you. He's not inhumane. His humanity is almost naked. It's just out there.
DC: I agree. Thanks for taking the time Michael, it was a real thrill to chat to you. I have to say before we finished that as much as I love all of your most iconic roles, I still think about Ham from V: The Series every time you show up.
MI: If you'd said Scanners, that would make you about 52. If it was Visiting Hours, it would make you about 45. Because you said V, it's probably around 37. If it's Free Willy, you're 32. If it's Terminator 4, you're in your in your twenties. And if it's Splinter Cell, you're a teenager.
