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| Subject: The Personal Part ot the Interview | |
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Author: MissyKat |
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Date Posted: 15:12:01 12/24/02 Tue OK, so I have added a bit more here and there and put another page or two on the end... this is about it for the personal part of the interview. I am still working on the Scorpius part. Enjoy and Merry Christmas! Random Questions and Answers with Wayne Pygram November 24, 2002 Burbank, CA 3rd Creation Farscape Convention MF Leopold (aka MissyKat) With much thanks to Richard Manning for arranging this interview and to the dear Wayne Pygram for agreeing to meet with his most avid fan (or is that rabid fan?). I was standing in the hall outside the main auditorium at the Burbank Hilton, chatting with Ricky M. when he began to motion to someone behind me. I began to smile and I am sure that by the time I turned around I had a doofy grin from ear to ear. Wayne was standing there and wanted to know if we could do the interview. I said yes, whenever was convenient. He said that now was fine and so I got my bag of stuff and off I went, following behind him to the back stage. Being the Australian gentleman that he is, he carried my bag for me. Score another one for WP. Wayne was happy and healthy looking, and far more animated than the previous year. After hearing about his health problems during his Q&A slot, both the skin reactions and gluten allergy, I was so thankful that he had gained weight and looked robust. In fact, he glowed – blue, sparkling eyes and sweet mischievous smile. OK, so I have to admit that I was smitten. It is a thrill to actually get to meet someone (anyone, not just a TV personality) you have had a crush on for so long. He was wearing a medium blue button-up-the-front regular shirt and regular pants and moved with the fluid smoothness that fans have grown accustomed to with Scorpius. We sat opposite each other at a long narrow table in a backstage room. I had heard that Creation security was tight for some reason and I did worry about being asked to leave at some point since I had no press badge or some such. We began with general chitchat. I thanked him for the opportunity to interview him, and told him a bit about his fans. We had talked a bit at the Saturday night Cocktail Party and I wanted to get a feel for what type of fan interaction he wanted to foster. He is so pleased with fan response to Scorpius and to him personally. And he does keep every present and note that he gets. And he shows his “treasures” to his relatives, esp. his dad. I could tell by his expression and constant smile that he really feels like the birthday boy who gets the most wonderful presents. There was a stack of promo pictures next to him on the table. These were the Season Three cast photo and he had autographed them as had the other actors. Throughout out our interview, he would occasionally glance over at Scorpius looking up at him and he would seem lost for a split second in his fondness for his character. I noticed that he referred to Scorpius only as he, the third person, and never in the first person, as he had at the 2001 convention. I felt that he was purposefully detaching from his companion of the last four years and that he was morning the loss of such a fulfilling and challenging persona. I’ll go into this more in the “Scorpius” part of the interview. So after a bit, I looked at the long list of questions and began to ask him for random bits of information. *********I know that you played League as a young man – what team and what position did you play? He started at age six in the front row (he was large for his age) and by age twenty one had moved back in the line to full back. He spent most of his career on the second row, even making State in 1975 when he played for Riverina High. And later, he played for the Wagga Magpies and Turvey Park of Group Nine. Some of his mates from those days went on to be famous players throughout Australia. I was curious about his list of injuries as a jock. He was almost proud of his broken nose and fractured cheekbone, touching his face gently as he spoke. Casually, he then mentioned the broken leg and dislocated shoulder. I asked about his knees since I had seen no scars from surgery (as I would have expected) but he said that he had been lucky. No back problems and with any luck, perhaps just a bit of arthritis in his shoulder as he aged. He swims and exercises to keep in shape now. *********In the Aussie equivalent of Cowboys and Indians – which were you? a Cowboy or an Indian? Wayne really looked confused at this question and I can’t say that I blame him. “Cowboy” he said. I was expecting Indian. He went on to explain that “Combat” was very popular on TV when he was little and that he and his mates played WWII war games, battling the Germans and the Japanese at every turn. **********Dogs or cats? He has had both. He can’t have a pet now because of the time constraints of acting and the travel but if he were to have a pet, it would be a dog, a boxer. He had two kelpies when he was growing up. One had died of a bite infection and the other was named Smith. Wayne’s dad had taken care of Smith after he left home but eventually Smith went to live on a farm where he could run about and enjoy life. ********Any unusual pets? No, he had nothing unusual. We commiserated about the fate of Lizard Girl’s “pet” and I gleaned that he has a healthy respect for the “crawlies” of Australia and didn’t just go out in the backyard and catch snakes or such as a young boy. NOTE: Lizard Girl (she went by several other nicknames at the Convention - all less flattering) was a younger lady from the UK who did not endear herself to any of the other con-goers. She did manage to get in a question for each actor and she usually babbled on a bit, much to everyone's annoyance. Moreover, she had a pet iguana that she had purchased just to bring to the Convention (seeing how she couldn't take it back to England with her - this seemed quite ridiculous). Rumor had it that she had taken a similar pet to Star Fury and it had died there. I am unsure what pissed folks off more - her belly or the iguana. ********Are you a nature boy? do you like camping? where are your favorite spots? OK, so he isn't a gungho nature boy. He likes a good hotel and a shower every day. I smiled inwardly and racked up another point for the Pie-man. He mentioned two spots in particular that he liked: Jervis Bay and the Blue Mountains. Jervis Bay has "the whitest sand in the world" and requires a bit of a hike to get to it. However, when Paul (Simpson, co-author of the Illustrated Companion) came out for a visit, Wayne chose to take him to the Blue Mountains for the view. He has been around the western US (Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and California) and enjoys the flat, hot deserts in Arizona. He can imagine retiring there to a Spanish-style adobe house. He explained although most folks in Australia retire to the northern coast and the wet heat of the near tropics, he liked the arid flat land that was west of Wagga Wagga where he grew up. *********How tall are you? Six feet. ********So tell me about your tattoos – (or did I say ‘show’ me your tattoos? “How do you know about them?” “Bill, at PulpExpo, has a picture of you, shirtless, up on the web and I saw the ‘bird’.” [Now, you would have to understand that at this point Wayne’s eyes were even more intense and he was really enjoying talking. He was fantastic to listen to. He made direct eye contact and his voice was resonant and deeper than Scorpius’ with a more natural breathing pattern. He was smiling, almost laughing at my string of questions, perhaps puzzled that a stranger would ask such questions. Perhaps, just tolerant of his fans’ attention. Still, I would like to think that he was enjoying this. Also, before I would let him explain, I said that it was a lark among his fans that he had been tattooed in prison one of the several times he was incarcerated for serial murders. We all knew he was innocent and he had never been convicted. Shout-out to Niemmey for that one. At least I think he knew I was joking with him.] H has a Mexican “Aztec” eagle on his right arm. It represents freedom and flight. That is the one visible in the Armageddon picture. As for his left arm – he unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it down so I could see his left shoulder. [note to self – dark-blue tank top undershirt] The upper tattoo was the Pi anagram of Pygram as seen in Home and Away (2001). “This is me – my name.” I saw nothing subtle there. Bold and distinctive – unique. And under it, two rectangles joined by a line. “This is my last one. This is Ned Kelly.” He then gave me a three minute history of Ned Kelly, Australian Iron Outlaw. He spoke with passion and conviction. Fierce as he spoke of Ned in his armor, guns blazing against the authorities. I thought that this might be Scorpius in a way but as Wayne spoke, I realized that he took this hero as his own, his own inspiration, a metaphor (perhaps) for himself as the actor. Behind the mask instead of behind the iron plates. “No one else has these [tattoos].” He patted his shoulder with affection and pride before he pulled his shirt up again and rebuttoned it. I asked about the tattoos in Roar. Even wider smile. He enjoyed those tats, telling me a tale of the Gold Coast and after a day’s shooting. If you haven’t seen the tattoos for his character in Roar, they went about his head and right shoulder in a Gaelic/Celtic type design. Stark and edgey against his pale skin. They lasted 24 hours so they were still on when he left the set. Back to the actors’ digs and off for a soak in the hot tub at the hotel. He was in the hot tub leaning back against the side with his arms up on the edge, completely relaxed. Two small young Asian women quietly came in to soak. He looked up and they stopped, just staring at him. One turns to the other softly “twitter, twitter, twitter.” Then the other replied with more of the same. They turned in unison and scurried away. So this is much funnier when Wayne tells it… loses something in the translation. *********What happened to that early desire to be a school teacher? Wayne did actually teach primary school for two years. *********Are you a technophobe? “Yes” ********Tell me a little about experimental theatre, particularly your recent Backshed production – “How do you know about that?” He held the boom and helped out his mates on that one. ********You were in a play… The Trackers of Orna….(I stumbled on the pronounciation) “OXYRHYNCHUS, The Trackers of Oxyrhynchus” He turned sideways and started chuckling, wondering aloud if I were going to ask the size of his {insert appropriate hand gesture here – I think it was somewhere between eighteen inches and two feet} Now, I was blushing too, thinking that it would be great if I could drop into a hole in the floor a la Revenging Angel. “No, NO, I was just going to ask if you played a satyr.” “Yes, I played a satyr.” Note: Wayne performed in The Trackers of Oxyrhynchus in 1992 at the Wharf Theatre of the Sydney Theatre Company. “It has been said that The Trackers Of Oxyrhynchus in which satyrs with giant phalluses clog dance, is among the five most imaginative pieces of drama in the 1990s.” *********So when you were in Hammers Over the Anvil, was it fun to beat up Russell Crowe? Wayne spoke with respect for Crowe, and how that was his breakthrough role. He said that Russell had been generous to him with his time and companionship. He also said that in the fight scenes, Crowe had not really held back the punches. There were no stunt men and that Russell gave about 90% to the scene. Wayne said if he ever had to fight Crowe again, he would be prepared. I then asked about Crowe’s band, 30 Odd Foot of Grunt, and would Wayne like to have that opportunity. He thought that is was great that Crowe was sharing his fortune with his mates, wonderful that he was generous with his luck. And yes, Wayne would love to make it in the States and bring his mates over to tour. One thing I felt time and again as Wayne spoke, was his sense of matesmanship for those he calls friend . It will always be his honor and duty to respect his mates. And I could sense that he is generous with his friendship and his loyalty. This struck me as culturally different than the American men I know and was quite charming and seemingly noble to this person. *************I dug around in my back pocket… “Here, I know you played Rocky in Rocky Horror Show. This makes this even more funny,” as I handed him a picture of a Scorpius action figure gone awry. Actually, it was a picture of a Ken doll dressed as Rocky with a Scorpius head put on it. This was provided by HeyLoki and was sent to her by another fan (whom I will have to acknowledge once I get a scanned version of the picture to post.) “This is great!” He held the picture for some time and just looked at it, giggling… a huge smile on his face. He then told me that there were plans to remake the Rocky Horror Picture Show and that he hoped to return to Australia and audition for Riff Raff if it ever got that far in production. Flashes of Richard O'Brien in my sick little brain – the resemblance is striking. He commented on the picture again and put it aside to keep. *************What is the origin of your surname? Where are your people from? His father’s ancestors came from Northern England and Scotland and his mother’s people are Irish. He explained that he is one of only a few in her family to have red hair. Most have dark hair and pale skin that freckles. He pointed to the back of his arm, pale and gently freckled. He does look like an Irish boy and with a different accent, a Yank like me would easily be fooled. *************What was the wildest adventure you had while you toured with Kix? [I was expecting either some near death experience or some debauched scenerio straight from a dime store novel. By this point, I should have known better.] Wayne related a brief travelogue of Saigon. This would have been in the early nineties. Vietnam was a Communist country and thus very different from Australia (or the West). He first described how it looked to touch down in Saigon, the visible signs of a war only recently ended. Customs was first and he watched in awe as the person ahead of him bribed the Customs’ Official, the very act so foreign to his sensibilities. Each bit of business for the troupe could only proceed when the way was greased with money. It was the business manager’s job to have the cash and dole out the bribes. He thought that there would be only one or two dance halls in the city but instead there seemed to be a hall on every block. They would pull up to a locked building with no one about. A person might appear and would be paid to open the club. Then money paid for the lights, the sound, the crew, etc. The graft and corruption was rampant and Wayne seemed genuinely surprised that it existed. At some point here, Brian Henson came in. Wayne was very excited to tell him about the band and its success the night before. WP had mentioned several times during the interview that the fans’ response had been a blessing and a shock. Henson joked with him and said that the fans were Farscape fans and that it could have been crap and they would have screamed their heads off. Still, Wayne wasn’t at all discouraged and he took it all as a friend’s joke. Wayne really was greatful for the overwhelming response form the fans at Burbank. The sale of the CD at the Convention would allow the band to return to Australia and make a proper demo CD to send around. The performance had been an incredible high for him and the others in the band. **************Who is your Harvey? [I had to explain that I wondered who the Harvey in his head would be, if he had one. Last year, when Carla VanWagoner interviewed him, he had answered Nelson Mandela.] “Vincent Van Gogh.” No time to analyse that one but I will say that VVG’s self portraits do resemble Wayne, red hair and all. The existing photographs do not, however. **************Describe “Wayne the Romantic” [Oh, that man can smile….. bit of a shame that we never really get to see Scorpius or Harvey just beam with joy or satisfaction.] “Old-fashioned and naughty.” He treats his friends with old-fashioned respect and courtesy. He said that he “haven’t a cold heart”. For myself, I found him to be a good and honest man. *************What are you up to now? {This wasn’t a direct question but as the time drew short, I wanted to know what his plans were for the next few months.] Wayne was off to New York for the next Farscape Convention and from there to London where he did a signing and an “Evening with…” that also included Claudia Black. He was going to then return to Australia to spend Christmas with his father as he is an only child. After Christmas, he plans on returning to Holly wood for three months to try for series and movies, whatever comes up. He will also be doing some SciFi conventions to pay the bills. Wayne admitted that he is at a crossroads in his life and that he is unsure of where his home really is. His long illness and the near death experience of last fall (spring in the States) have enabled him to re-evaluate his life choices. “Life is short” and we are here to be happy. His advice to me was to get up the next morning and do what made me happy. He wants the opportunity to grab the brass ring and see how far he can go… and yes, he does what that romantic leading man role. [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] |
| Subject | Author | Date |
| Re: The Personal Part ot the Interview | NieMMY | 15:56:45 12/24/02 Tue |
| Re: The Personal Part ot the Interview | NeuralClone | 23:02:02 12/24/02 Tue |
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