Exclusive Interview with Mark Hildebrandt: Confirms World of Warcraft and other Roles
Posted: Wednesday, November 03, 2010
by Santino Vanderwielen
http://www.bigchicosmovieblog.com
As of late my wife was asking me what I was doing to make the site better for my viewers. I was really stumped by this because I thought I was improving little by little. She proceeded to tell me I have to step up my game and start getting some exclusives. Not being one to let down Lady Chica I dropped outstanding actor Mark Hildebrandt a line to see what’s been going on. Low and behold he gave us exclusive confirmation of a number of new movies he will be staring in and the inside scoop on why Ridley Scott’s “Robin Hood", as to put it kindly, is dry as petrified toast!
Big Chico: Dude, you have no idea how grateful I am for your interest in the website.
Mark Hildebrandt: My pleasure, it’s a great website. You write about the kind of movies I enjoy.
BC: IMDB has your first role on TV in 1996. What made you want to be an actor?
MH: I didn’t start necessarily wanting to be an actor. I started as a screenwriter, but clearly had some desire to act because I have had roles on television. My screenwriting made me want to be an actor, I went on high profile screen tests, got some good roles, and now acting is what I want to do.
BC: I have heard rumors that you were a screenwriter but more intriguingly we heard that one of your script was absconded? I’m referring to the new “Robin Hood" Movie.
MH: The Producers of Robin Hood (2010) directed by Ridley Scott took a took one of the plot twists from a Robin Hood script I wrote that being the well publicized “Dual Identity" twist, in which the Sheriff of Nottingham becomes Robin Hood because of the conditions in England at the time. The original screenplay “Nottingham" by Cyrus Voris and Ethan Reiff was about a “Noble Sheriff" and a “Shady Robin Hood in a love triangle with Maid Marian. Russell Crowe was only slated to play the Noble Sheriff of Nottingham, and Robin Hood was a different entity to be played by a different actor.
The original “Nottingham" which eventually became Robin Hood (2010) by Ethan Rieff and Cyrus Voris was shelved, which as you know means death for a screenplay. It was only when my screenplay was submitted to the Producers of Nottingham/Robin Hood did the film go back into production with a higher budget, and much more momentum. It was shelved in July 2008, and it was announced that it was back in preproduction by Russell Crowe on the Tonight Show and MTV news in October or November of 2008. I submitted my screenplay to the Producers of Robin Hood/Nottingham May of 2008, so the Robin Hood movie with Russell Crowe would not exist if for not my screenplay bringing Robin Hood/Nottingham being shelved. Unfortunately they could not use the “Dual Identity" idea without me so they changed it to a more standard Robin Hood. My script is heavily sought after now, and has three major plot twists. Removing the dual identity plot twist from the Ridley Scott film made it fall flat. If you take one element away from a film it can make or break it. A Robin Hood film at this day and age has to be slightly different, they chose something typical. As stated my screenplay is sought after by several parties, so that is fine that they attempted to use it, were forced to change it, but could not come up with a good Robin Hood film on their own. There were still a few similarities for example mine was a backstory, but they drastically changed it and that film, Robin Hood (2010) ended up having little resemblance to my screenplay.
This is all reflected in Deadline Hollywood in 2009.
BC: I’m a huge fan of science fiction and about 50% of the stuff on our sites stories follows that theme. What genre do you find easiest to write for?
MH: I love science fiction as well. I would say based on my screenplay I am best at writing historical action.
BC: It would seem that most of the roles you take are in the action genre.
What attracts you to the action genre?
MH: I’ve taken Martial Arts for a long time. Over the past year I have been taking sword /medieval weaponry lessons from Robert Goodwin for a film. We have been doing it about four times a week for well over a year. Robert Goodwin is the premier stunt fighting instructor in the Entertainment Industry. He taught Christian Bale for Batman Begins, and Robert Downey Jr. for Sherlock Holmes. I understand Bale did not use a sword in Batman, except that ice scene, but Bob is a master at all combat.
Right now I am also being trained in Filipino Kali by Robert Goodwin.
Kali is the method of fighting used in the Bourne films. It also helps as a basis of doing things like dual wielding two swords.
BC: O.K., lets get to the nitty gritty. The big rumor out there is that you’re starring in the new “Warcraft" movie as King Varian Wrynn, the new “Excalibur" movie as Sir Lancelot, and Mark Anothony in Cleopatra with Angelina Jolie?
MH: I can’t comment directly but I have been associated with the Varian Wrynn character for two years. Legendary Pictures contracted Bob Goodwin to train Christian Bale, and Warcraft is a film by Legendary Pictures.
BC: What can you tell us about those roles in both movies?
MH: Well Sam Raimi certainly will not disappoint in character development, which he is excellent at. The Warcraft film will certainly not disappoint. In reference to my roles I can’t say, but Varian Wrynn is the lead character in the Warcraft film. Lancelot is certainly co-lead in Excalibur.
BC: To play these parts I have to imagine you must have been training for awhile now. What have you been doing to prepare for these roles?
MH: I have been taking medieval swordsmanship and medieval weaponry lessons from Robert Goodwin for a long time. I can confidently say I am good with the sword/western medieval martial arts.
To play such roles training in medieval weapons training gets you into mind set of such characters, and action defines character.
In terms of acting in the way of dialogue and character interaction I went to UCLA Film School, and drama was something that came fairly naturally. My last acting coach was Judy Kerr, the dialogue coach of the television series “Seinfeld."
Of course with roles like this you need to speak in accents, which I have always had a knack for. I speak in an English and Australian accent flawlessly. I can do many others, Southern and New York come easily.
BC: Wow! You studied with Master Robert Goodman. What was that like?
MH: Bob is the best, and I would recommend any actor slated for an action film to go to him. Legendary Pictures contracted Robert Goodwin to train Christian Bale for “Batman Begins", and Warner Brothers had Bob train Robert Downey Jr. for “Sherlock Holmes". Bob also worked on films like Rob Roy as Swordmaster, so he has had high profile clients. Bob teaches his students that most styles of fighting are related, and after a point you begin to have “Martial Thinking." Bob has been a stunt fighting coordinator for forty years, and he emphasizes the realism in the style of fighting. For example if you are playing a Medieval Knight or Medieval type fantasy character there are certain foundations mostly footwork it is based on. There have been fantasy films or medieval films where the actors stand upright and clank swords, or do not use the proper form for say a broadsword, and it looks bad. Bob teaches actors to get every movement down with complete precision. There are certain stances with swords, there are certain and specific ways to parry, or conversely attack. An example of precision would be Christian Bale’s martial arts in Batman, and he was excellent.
BC: You came super close to landing the lead of Mad Max. Is there a possibility of you still being in the movie if production starts again?
MH: If Tom Hardy is indeed out of “Mad Max Fury Road," I would love to play the Max Rockatansky role in “Mad Max Fury Road." Tom is great actor, and would have been great as Mad Max, but got the role over me by a narrow margin. If Tom is no longer involved I would certainly throw my hat in the ring. We will see what happens.
BC: Are there any other roles we can look forward to see you in?
MH: Although I can’t give specifics there was something about “Cleopatra" with Angelina Jolie, directed by James Cameron.
BC: With all the new CGI being implemented in movies do you think it’s taking away from the performance of the actors because of the lack of sets and textile feeling of actual props or do you think more actors like not having all the danger of actual stunts that are being produced by CGI?
MH: I think there is more danger to actors now. I do a lot of stunts, and sword work is very dangerous. CGI is expensive, so actors are increasingly asked to do their own stunts to a certain extent. At the very least they should know how to stage fight. Also, CGI is still basically used for things like backgrounds of different local, exteriors of cities, vehicles, superhuman fights like Spiderman, large blasts, and things of that nature. In all expensive films there is blue/green screen at some point in the background. I have yet to see a sword fight, gun fight, or fist fight that is all CGI. CGI may be used to augment it, but the actors are trained in the use of that type of weapon. Actors often have to be near pyrotechnics, which is very dangerous. As an example of a film that was completely CGI in the background, 300, that was still Gerard Butler doing all the sword and spear stunts. It was not a stunt man, it was him.
It is true the technology is there for digital face replacement now, meaning the actors face is essentially transposed onto the stunt person. This costs a huge amount of money, and directors prefer it if actors can do stunts at least in the way of stunt fighting.
Classic stunts are actually on the comeback. Daniel Craig in Casino Royale did the crane jump hundreds of feet in the air. Of course he was attached to a wire, but it is still dangerous. In Mission Impossible 4 Tom Cruise is going to be filmed seemingly scaling the Burj Dubai building, the tallest building in the world. Of course there will be many wires and safety nets, but Cruise could have easily asked to do that with CGI.
Speaking of Mad Max Fury Road there are 298 stunts. That does not mean they are all car crashes, but George Miller could have easily done CGI car chases, but he opted for realism. Stunt Men of course drive the cars at high speeds.
I plan to do my own stunts, especially in the way of combat.
BC:Is CGI having a hard effect on the stunt men and women in Hollywood?
MH:In certain genres, certainly. The type of film that is most heavy on CGI is Science Fiction. Avatar being an example of even the characters being CGI. Other examples include the Matrix, the new Tron, and basically all the backgrounds in the Star Wars prequels. I agree with you on the issue of CGI that it often turns into an experiment of pushing the special effects limit and taking away from the story. That not being the case with any of the above films, but certainly some.
BC: If you could to work with anyone in the industry (director, actor, and actress) who would it be?
MH: There are so many talented people it is hard to say.
BC: What are some of your favorite movies?
MH: Casino Royale, Braveheart, Revenge of the Sith, Goodfellas, Spiderman
2, Titanic, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Empire Strikes Back, Batman Begins, Die Hard I, and the original Rocky.
So there you have it. Hildebrandt has comfirmed his roles in “Warcraft","Excalibur" , “Cleopatra", and lets hope the producers of Mad Max pick up the phone and call somebody. Is this dude a rising star or what!?
We would also like to publicly thank him for giving us the real reason Ridley Scott’s version of “Robin Hood" wasn’t any good. I’m really looking forward to seeing Mark’s “Robin Hood" in the near future.
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