edonline
04-03-2004, 06:45 PM
http://www.zap2it.com/movies/news/story/0,1259,---21092,00.html
The Rock Enthused to Show a Different Side
Fri, Apr 02, 2004, 01:04 PM PT
By Vanessa Sibbald
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - While audiences are getting ready to see the former wrestling superstar The Rock flex his muscles in his latest film, "Walking Tall," the actor himself is excited about his first non-action role as a wanna-be actor in F. Gary Gray's ("The Italian Job") take on Elmore Leonard's latest adaptation, "Be Cool."
"There is no action actually in the movie, and it's fantastic," The Rock tells Zap2it.com. "You get to test again your comedic timing off some really, really good actors. I'm having a blast with that."
A sequel to 1995's "Get Shorty," "Be Cool" follows up with former loan shark Chili Palmer (John Travolta) as he expands his movie-making ventures into the music industry. In the film, The Rock's (whose real name is Dwayne Johnson) fans may be surprised to find their favorite action hero playing a gay bouncer. But The Rock says he knew immediately when reading the role that it tailor-made for him.
"Gay villain, yeah," The Rock laughs, sporting the goatee (but not the afro) that distinguishes his character in the film. "Well, it was so funny because Elmore Leonard wrote it and in the original draft, Chili Palmer looks across the room and he sees Elliot Wilhem -- Samoan, 30, can raise one eyebrow, is trying to act, can sing and gay -- and I was like 'Wow, that's interesting.' I didn't actually speak to Elmore, but, according to those who have already talked to him, it was like 'No, no, I wrote that, based on The Rock -- not necessarily the gay part -- but based on him, never ever thinking that he would ever play the role.' And before you know it, here I am playing the role."
"Even when I took the role it's like, 'Wow what a great opportunity to work with great actors,' take a role that wouldn't necessarily expect me to play being a bad guy, being gay, poking fun at myself, raising my eyebrow to John Travolta like 'Look, I got talent.'"
Before the action film fans despair, The Rock is returning to the action genre later this year with "Spy Hunter," which he starts shooting in July. The film is based on the video game of the same name about former military pilot Alec Sects, who becomes a secret agent. Sects' secret weapon is a fully armed vehicle, the G-6155 Interceptor, that can morph into different vehicles.
"I was just up in the room and there was this awesome secretive meeting. We took out all of the concepts and what it looks like -- the car," he says of plans for the Inceptor in the film. "The car, this awesome car GM is making, this amazing car that breaks off into a boat, into a 3-wheeler, into a motor cycle -- it's really incredible."
"Be Cool" is currently shooting in Los Angeles, while "Walking Tall" opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, April 2.
The Rock Enthused to Show a Different Side
Fri, Apr 02, 2004, 01:04 PM PT
By Vanessa Sibbald
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - While audiences are getting ready to see the former wrestling superstar The Rock flex his muscles in his latest film, "Walking Tall," the actor himself is excited about his first non-action role as a wanna-be actor in F. Gary Gray's ("The Italian Job") take on Elmore Leonard's latest adaptation, "Be Cool."
"There is no action actually in the movie, and it's fantastic," The Rock tells Zap2it.com. "You get to test again your comedic timing off some really, really good actors. I'm having a blast with that."
A sequel to 1995's "Get Shorty," "Be Cool" follows up with former loan shark Chili Palmer (John Travolta) as he expands his movie-making ventures into the music industry. In the film, The Rock's (whose real name is Dwayne Johnson) fans may be surprised to find their favorite action hero playing a gay bouncer. But The Rock says he knew immediately when reading the role that it tailor-made for him.
"Gay villain, yeah," The Rock laughs, sporting the goatee (but not the afro) that distinguishes his character in the film. "Well, it was so funny because Elmore Leonard wrote it and in the original draft, Chili Palmer looks across the room and he sees Elliot Wilhem -- Samoan, 30, can raise one eyebrow, is trying to act, can sing and gay -- and I was like 'Wow, that's interesting.' I didn't actually speak to Elmore, but, according to those who have already talked to him, it was like 'No, no, I wrote that, based on The Rock -- not necessarily the gay part -- but based on him, never ever thinking that he would ever play the role.' And before you know it, here I am playing the role."
"Even when I took the role it's like, 'Wow what a great opportunity to work with great actors,' take a role that wouldn't necessarily expect me to play being a bad guy, being gay, poking fun at myself, raising my eyebrow to John Travolta like 'Look, I got talent.'"
Before the action film fans despair, The Rock is returning to the action genre later this year with "Spy Hunter," which he starts shooting in July. The film is based on the video game of the same name about former military pilot Alec Sects, who becomes a secret agent. Sects' secret weapon is a fully armed vehicle, the G-6155 Interceptor, that can morph into different vehicles.
"I was just up in the room and there was this awesome secretive meeting. We took out all of the concepts and what it looks like -- the car," he says of plans for the Inceptor in the film. "The car, this awesome car GM is making, this amazing car that breaks off into a boat, into a 3-wheeler, into a motor cycle -- it's really incredible."
"Be Cool" is currently shooting in Los Angeles, while "Walking Tall" opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, April 2.