The Michael Douglas Fan Page
ARTICLES & INTERVIEWS

The E! Interview
E! Entertainment Television
October 1996

That lion stuff sure looks scary.
Having male lions work together is very hard. Once we got into it, though, I wished the actors could hit their marks as well as the lions did. They were great--they never required more than three takes. But we also worked with several French-bred lions that were very violently volatile. We used them for all the really ferocious stuff, and we could only work with them in a cage.

Did you have any close calls?
Actually, the most unnerving experience I had was when my family came down for Christmas, and I took them to one of those game reserves. So, I'm Mr. Nature--I've been in Africa for months playing an animal hunter, you know--and we go out on one of these nighttime safaris. We come across a lion that had just killed a wildebeest. We're in an open-top vehicle, and we pull up to the lion--as close as I am to you. Now, I've been working with these "tame" lions, but here's this wild one looking up at me, like, "Don't even think of taking my dinner." I ask the guide, "Is this all right, to be this close?" And he says, "It's fine, he's full. He's not hungry." Then it dawns on me: I'm doing a movie about two lions who killed 135 people, and it didn't matter whether they were hungry.

Has anyone ever figured out why those two lions behaved as they did?
That's the difference between a good story and a great story. As we say in the movie, some people believe they were not lions at all but the embodiment of truly evil spirits. Obviously, it had something to do with the English taking railroad tracks into the habitat of the lions. I believe it was because the British brought in all of these Indian laborers, not a few of whom died while working on the project. The Hindus bury their people aboveground, so as the railroad was being built, I think the lions developed a taste for human flesh. But nobody can explain it, really. It's one of the great legends.

On the topic of working with wild beasts, how was it working with Val Kilmer?
He was great. I'd heard all of the rumors about his being difficult, but he did a wonderful job. He loves Africa, and he was really knowledgeable and helpful.

Speaking of costars, you're currently making The Game with Sean Penn. But wasn't Jodie Foster initially cast in Penn's role?
Well, they said Jodie was interested in doing it, and I thought, Yeah, that would be good. She's around the same age as my younger brother Eric, and it's about a younger sibling who's dysfunctional, having lots of troubles. But then it came back to me that, no, Jodie wanted to play it as my daughter. They said I could have had her when I was 17 or 18--but then other parts of the story wouldn't have made sense. I didn't want to do that, so they just said no to her. I'd love to do a picture with her--but not as my daughter.

On to real-life family matters: How's your dad's recovery going?
He's good, really good. He'll be 80 in December, and, all things considered, he couldn't be better. His speech continues to progress. He's finished writing a children's book, and he's working on another novel. He's a tough old guy.

What can you tell us about growing up as Kirk Douglas' son?
The biggest advantage was that I got to see my father handle himself in public situations as a movie star. And I saw him with his fellow movie stars, acting like real people. That was a useful lesson.

Nonetheless, it must be difficult for people to relate to you as a regular guy.
I either associate with my friends from college, or people like Danny DeVito, whom I started doing theater with in 1968. Naturally, you trust the people you've known a long time. I've made some new friends, but it is hard. There's a lot of baggage that goes with celebrity. There's a certain isolation and loneliness; you're self-conscious about going out in public. It can be limiting. But there's a lot of good stuff, too.

Would you include power among the good stuff?
I'm not in it for the power--I like to make movies. I mean, I'm really happy they pay me a lot of money. I know this is a balance between art and commerce. But it's a crap shoot. Each movie stands or falls on its own merits, and anybody who thinks in terms of power is going to get burned real fast.

You're a well-known Hollywood Democrat. What do you think of Bill Clinton's American President-style makeover?
It's a great comeback story--the most amazing political turnaround. If I were Newt Gingrich, I'd take a good, long look in the mirror and say, "Wow, did I overplay that one."

You think Clinton's copying you?
[Laughs.] I know he liked the movie. He did a sweet thing. In the movie, I have this White House dinner for the new French president. So, later, I get an invitation to a real White House reception for President Chirac, which was really cool. I was in the receiving line, going into dinner. I walked up to President Clinton. He moved aside and pushed me up next to President Chirac. Then he got into the guest line, came up to me and said, "Hello, Mr. President." Then he said, "I always wanted to do that. I wondered what it was like." A very charming, very bright guy.

You've been riding high on the huge success of American President, yet you seem very excited about this new film.
It took me down this whole, great road about history, culture, South Africa after apartheid and getting to know members of the Samburu tribe--traditional warriors originally from Kenya. It was one of those really nourishing experiences.

Africa can't be the easiest place in the world to make a movie.
Well, you've gotta stay cool. Certain things are out of your control, you know. When a torrential rain shower comes through and turns the dust to mud in the middle of a scene, there's frustration. I wasn't there for the first four weeks of shooting, while they were working out the bugs. And when I arrived, it stopped raining. So I was looked at as a some sort of god.

Did you find much superstition afoot?
Well, it depends on which tribe you're talking about. It's such an eclectic mix, South Africa. But there still are a lot of rituals. I can tell you some heavy stories. Certain tribes perform a circumcision rite that happens when you're 18. And you do it to yourself. Kinda puts killer lions in some perspective, doesn't it?


Click Here to read more interviews and articles.


Back to the Michael Douglas Fan Page