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Home , Bryan Singer, Forgotten Silver, Graham McTavish, Heavenly Creatures, Meet the Feebles, Robert Zemeckis

“Anybody with a Brain Could That This was a Genius Filmmaker” by those who know him best

w o r d s Nick De Semlyen & Ian Nathan

p o r t r a i t joe pugliese

a d d i t i o n a l i n t e r v i e w s Dan Jolin, Helen O’Hara, Ali Plumb, olly richards, Owen Williams August

84 empire month 2012 empireonline.com december 2012 empire 85 On 007, death by Ford Anglia and having the biggest telly in Wellington...

Richard Taylor (co-founder, Weta): One day Tania (Rodger, fellow co-founder) and I heard about this guy out in Pukerua Bay, who was making a sci-fi splatter movie in his basement. We really wanted to meet him. Costa Botes (co-director, ): Peter started shooting films when he was eight. A year after we met, he showed me a Bond parody called Coldfinger that he’d made when he was 15 or 16. He’d copied the editing of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. And he played himself. I thought, “This is uncanny — he actually looks like Sean Connery.” There were no Bond girls in it. I don’t think girls went near him at that point! Taylor: It turned out that his sci-fi movie was called . He was baking foam latex in his mum’s oven. His parents were very gracious people. Unfazeable. Cameron Chittock (Third Class Alien, Bad Taste): The film took four years. Peter was the camera guy, he did the costumes, he was an actor, he did the effects. And it Bruce Phillips (The Crowman, Worzel was all brilliant! We’d get up at 7am, throw Gummidge Down Under): He only the puppets into the back of his Morris came on for one episode, as a special- Minor van, then head to the butcher’s effects guy. It was the fifth episode of to pick up blood, guts and brains. Series 2, called Bulbous Cauliflower, Botes: I had quite a snobbish attitude which was written by . towards the gore, but Peter showed me I gather that is when they first met. the fun of it. I could see the Buster Peter was also in two scenes playing Keaton in what he was doing, the Charlie a contractor coming to spray DDT, Chaplin in it. He’s very good at finding which affected one of the scarecrows “I remember Peter sobbing with us. humour in anxiety. He gave me a choice badly. When the episode aired, his of death: dismemberment by chainsaw, voice was dubbed for some reason. or being ripped in half by a Ford Anglia. Botes: When I first laid eyes on him, my It was as traumatic for him.” I took the Ford Anglia. first impression was that he was something (editor, Bad Taste to King of a semi-retarded simpleton. He had Kong): Peter and I did all the sound effects this ghastly maroon cardigan that he rats. We had seagulls flying around in • Above: Jackson decided to set up Weta, that was a really this was a genius filmmaker, but because ourselves. We’d mix up yoghurt and mixed was absolutely in love with — that thing the shed, and we had to get someone to with Kate Winslet and lovely moment in our lives. We were ready of the films he was making there were filming veg, then slurp it up. He even scratched would go everywhere with him — and come and shoot them. It was terrible. . to move forward. certain factions of the industry actively the gun flashes into the film by hand. a horrible stutter. And he was talking Taylor: Feebles was a year of the most Chittock: I asked Peter back then if he gunning for him. All of them, of course, Taylor: He made Bad Taste on weekends, about this film he was making. I thought, incredible fun. A lot of the crew finished was ever going to make other sorts of gave him a standing ovation after because he had to work all week to be “You poor, deluded soul.” But I liked early, because money was running short. films that weren’t quite so violent, and Heavenly Creatures. I was a little bit able to afford to do it. From Monday him straight away. But Peter was dead set on shooting every he said, “No, no — I’m a gore man! I’ll annoyed about that. to Friday he worked for our local Taylor: When he finally made enough script page. So we just kept going. For always be a gore man!” Kate winslet (Juliet, Heavenly Creatures): newspaper as a photo lithographer. money to move into town, it was into the the last few shots — the frogs of war in Shooting Heavenly Creatures was Botes: I recall him saying he left school at tiniest in Wellington. He bought the forest — Peter ran backwards, holding On killer teens, egg film and finding an terrifying in every conceivable way. My 15 because he saw an ad in the paper with the biggest television I have ever seen and his 16mm Bolex on his shoulder, with one orange butt-cushion... first film, my first time away from home the word ‘film’ in the title. It turned out to we’d sit in his front room, dwarfed by this puppet on his hand, as Tania and I chased alone for four months... Playing a role be a job in the printing department at the gigantic thing, which took up the whole him with two puppets each. We were in Melanie Lynskey (Pauline, Heavenly of such incredible force, and a storyline Evening Post, working with all these old end wall. When you stood up to make a euphoric place where it didn’t matter Creatures): My parents didn’t seem to that shook us up every day. Pete looked processes that are now defunct. So I’d say a cup of tea, there’d be half a dozen how grubby it was or how tired you were. worry about Peter Jackson at all. They after myself and Melanie like a father. cinema saved him. He had no future in that. people out on the pavement, standing • Top and bottom: and Fran and Danny (Mulheron) wrote Botes: The world needs more films with weren’t even there while we were shooting. I remember him hugging us and sobbing Taylor: When he wasn’t working, we’d there watching the movie! Jackson in his days , they were sort of shit-eating flies. They just said, “Great! Good for you!” with us after shooting the murder. It was of gore, on the set of play softball on the beach on a summer’s Taylor: On completing Bad Taste, I guess Braindead. Middle: totally out of control, creatively. The Timothy Balme (Lionel, Braindead): Taylor: Anyone who was surprised when as traumatic for him as it was for us. evening, or sit around and read old Peter was bitten by the bug. Up until then With more money for whole point was to cause a stir. Braindead might be the goriest film ever Peter went from zombies and flesh-ripping (director): After I moved copies of Cinefantastique. He talked he had thought that maybe he was going VFX on . Danny Mulheron (Heidi The Hippo/ made. I remember Pete coming back from lawnmowers to the most poignant and around Ian McKellen’s (X-Men) schedule about hoping to meet . to be an effects guy. Because the thought co-writer, Meet The Feebles): We wrote LA having met Tarantino, who’d just beautiful of New Zealand stories was to enable him to play Gandalf, Peter Botes: I met him on Worzel Gummidge. that in New Zealand you could make this outrageous script about a puppet released Reservoir Dogs. He’d told Pete misreading who he was as a director. wrote me a thank you note and sent over He was a long way into Bad Taste, but a career from directing was so far beyond splatter movie, and filmed it in a railway his actors had moaned about the amount Botes: You’ve got to understand that a copy of his documentary, Forgotten he had met the props guy, Paul, at a party, anyone’s imaginings. But the response shed for 15 years. Or 50, it felt like. of blood they’d had to endure, but after until Heavenly Creatures, he was an Silver, which postulates that a New and I guess he was touting for a little bit to the film was so powerful that it Chittock: It was freezing cold and we had seeing Braindead he said, “You guys embarrassment in New Zealand. He Zealander invented cinema and made of work. His big pyrotechnic effect was convinced him to give it a try. flea infestations. I’d turn up and find made ’em look like a bunch of pussies!” wasn’t someone to celebrate. I mean, film from egg.

a voodoo doll that bursts into flames. Chittock: When Peter and some of my puppets had been eaten by Absolute Kobal, Allstar, Taylor: When we finished Braindead and anybody with a brain could see that Botes: There was only a bad reaction in >

86 empire december 2012 empireonline.com subscribe at www.empireonline.com/sub december 2012 empire 87 New Zealand. It touched a nerve there. Sir Ian McKellen (Gandalf, The Lord Of The But it was just a bit of fun. Forgotten Rings and ): One of the successes Silver is a film about films — he got of those films is that the performances excited about the potential to recreate manage to live up to the special effects, THE old movies. And of course Weta, a small and it doesn’t become a movie which is all but viable CGI operation, suddenly made about the effects, although there are plenty. certain crucial illusions possible. John Howe (conceptual artist, The Lord Of TECHLINGS Selkirk: The Frighteners was a very The Rings to The Hobbit): I didn’t have a complicated film to make. It was Peter’s clue who Peter Jackson was, I’d never seen Peter Jackson’s first mega-budget project, but we didn’t his films or actually heard of him. He just have the luxury of digital editing. It was sounded very, very nice on the phone. mega-blockbuster an interesting process, having to add all Andrew Lesnie (director of photography, those . to The Hobbit): club Jeffrey Combs (Milton Dammers, The When I first met Peter he was barefoot Frighteners): It’s a gorgeous film. What and had his feet up on the desk. I think I love about it is that it starts out as a it was a test. comedy and then corkscrews down into McKellen: There were thousands and something uncomfortable. I recall that thousands of people waiting for that first even before shooting there were a lot of film. And there was this one man — I think battles with the studio. They wanted the he’s called John — who was peeping movie to be shot in America, but Peter through the railings one day when we would have none of it. He’s very loyal were shooting just outside Wellington. to his crew. Also, his comfort zone is Peter spied him and said, “What’s that where he lives. That’s the big battle he man doing?” And he was just mad about fought and won. the film. “Well, bring him in.” So he was > Running from 1933 to 1949, Taylor: Peter is extremely loyal. Many allowed to stand inside. Three years down the Inklings were an Oxford University- of our staff have been with us for a very the line, he was working on the film. He based literary group led by J. R. R. long time and there’s a sense of trust. had the lowest job — plane spotting, ‘Tollers’ Tolkien and C. S. ‘Jack’ Lewis. He doesn’t feel a need to micromanage. I think — happy as Larry. Taking place in dorms and pubs (chiefly Combs: Dammers is quintessential Wood: Everybody had a sense of devotion The Eagle And Child), the meetings Jackson. He really wanted me to have to him and his vision. involved readings of unfinished novels, dark black, beady eyes. When I suggested Howe: He doesn’t forget things. including The Lord Of The Rings. the crazy hairstyle, without hesitation he Wood: I remember one day, when it was In a similar vein, Peter Jackson has said, “Yeah, that’ll be good.” We giggled really snowing out on location and it was found himself part of an informal group so much coming up with little things like screwing up our day, Pete got the on-set “He has this mini King Kong coated — including (above), the haemorrhoids. In the interrogation video diarist to shoot him as a message to • Directing Naomi , Zemeckis and scene, I sit down at one point and get New Line: “We’re really doing well here Watts as Ann Darrow bryan singer — united by a similar back up as quick as I can. Later, in the in New Zealand and the crew’s working in King Kong. in embryonic mouse hair.” sense of cinematic storytelling, fantasy graveyard, he remembered that and said, really hard. So hard that we’ve treated and desire to push boundaries. It’s not “Go get me a butt-cushion! An orange a movement, just a group of filmmakers butt-cushion!” The crew ran all over who respect each other and pass on Wellington — eventually they made Howe: We were in his tent at one point when their insight in a business that can be one out of a wheelbarrow inner tube! the weather was not cooperating, and it was perceived as cutthroat and competitive. Selkirk: I don’t think Universal really quite a difficult afternoon, and we were “That’s the biggest misnomer in the understood it. It wasn’t what they were hoping to show him a few pictures. Every business,” says Zemeckis. “The reason expecting and they opened it against the time the sun went behind a cloud, he was filmmakers aren’t competitive is that Olympics. We were really disappointed. able to look at our artwork. You could if all movies were great, people would Combs: Because it didn’t do well, Universal visibly see his mind making that shift. be living in the cinema. It’s not like retracted the deal for King Kong. Later, Hugo Weaving (Elrond, The Lord Of The we’re making refrigerators.” they had to come back and beg him to Rings and The Hobbit): I hate to use the Much of the sharing is in the field do it. Which is perfect! word geeky, but there’s always that little of technology. From Lucas’ opening boy who’s playing with toy soldiers, or of the doors of ILM, to Zemeckis and On fathoming Tolkien, suit hire, and that person who’s kind of in their own Jackson’s pioneering work in mocap, blowing up Sam Neill’s house... world. And there’s this brilliant mind. to Cameron’s groundbreaking advances Letteri: Peter and James Cameron are in 3D, the Techlings have stood on Elijah Wood (Frodo, The Lord Of The actually very similar. They’re both very each other’s shoulders to improve the Rings and The Hobbit): He’s a world collaborative directors. storytelling toolbox for everyone. It creator, or, at least, he has become one. them to a little break, and brought snow • Above: Jackson with Wood: One of the strongest impressions is not an uncommon sight to see these john rhys-davies (Gimli, The Lord Of The machines to Wellington.” Jack Black, Adrien Brody Peter has made on my life, in regards to directors standing behind the video and Naomi Watts on the Rings): This is a man who has created Joe Letteri (head of VFX, ): set of King Kong. Left: filmmaking, is just the environment he assist on each other’s sets, even rolling an entire film industry in order to serve He’ll never dismiss anything out of hand. With , creates for the process. up their sleeves to direct guest shots. a film, and built it on this tiny, absurd little Off-the-wall ideas may have a kernel of Michael J. Fox and Jamie Howe: Peter doesn’t like bullying; he’s got “It’s a shareware situation,” sums Selkirk while working on island called New Zealand. He then made something in them. The Frighteners. a sincere affection for the underdog. up Spielberg. “We inspire each one of the great films of the 21st century. Boyens: With Fran and I writing, there Selkirk: During the later films the hours other. We see each other’s movies Philippa Boyens (screenwriter, The Lord were times when he had to whip the got very long. We’d go through the night and it makes us want to make Of The Rings to The Hobbit): I thought pages out of our hands: “Enough! I’ve sometimes. I’d be cutting away, then movies.” IAN FREER he was crazy trying to do The Lord got to shoot this!” He understands that hear this snoring sound. Peter would

Of The Rings. Kobal, Eyevine, Rex filmmaking is compromised. be snoozing on the couch. >

88 empire december 2012 empireonline.com subscribe at www.empireonline.com/sub december 2012 empire 89 Weaving: He’s an irrepressible spirit and not progressing the story — it’s just a gag Hobbit): There are so many people, and that communicates very strongly to you. scene.” He didn’t want to lose shots. so much time involved in these things. Selkirk: When we were doing The Return (director): I went down And then in the middle of it all is the Of The King, that was the toughest time when they were doing kind of additional small, slightly plump, rather dishevelled, we’ve had together. Everyone was getting photography on King Kong and I hung genial figure of Peter Jackson. really worn down. But he’ll work ’til the around for two weeks just observing the Freeman: He’s a control freak in the best last gasp. We’d go through an awful lot different units. He offered to let me direct way — that’s why he makes the films he of tea. Peter is a great tea-drinker. one shot but I chickened out. makes, that’s his art. Botes: I was part of a prank he played Neill Blomkamp (director, ): Humphries: He’s taken over an entire on Sam Neill. It was a celebrity dinner There’s no question with the way my career suburb of Wellington and made it like thrown for Sam in Los Angeles. Peter has turned out, I owe a massive amount of Renaissance Florence. couldn’t make it because he was busy gratitude to Peter Jackson. No exterior force (Thorin, The Hobbit): editing The Lord Of The Rings. So he can influence him. And the Halo movie He makes every single character look rang me up and said, “Can you come was a situation where he felt the studio had fantastic in a way that no-one else could. along and film this stunt I want to do?” messed him around, and done worse to me. Stephen Hunter (Bombur, The Hobbit): Yo u It was a video that played at the dinner. He was like, “Don’t leave New Zealand get a sense that he’d like to join you in the It started in a car, with Peter saying, on this note. Let’s figure out something, middle of the shot. And he usually does. “I think we should show all your friends so you can do what you want to do.” Aidan Turner (Kili, The Hobbit): Peter just your house in Wellington, because it’s susan Sarandon (Grandma Lynn, The laughs. If you hear a little laugh in the lovely.” All in one shot, we drive up to the Lovely Bones): I’d met him at an Academy tent when you’ve tried something, it’s house and there are all these Hells Angels Awards. I don’t usually go out unless usually going to stay in the movie. outside. They’d broken into Sam’s house I have to, so I was nominated or presenting. Freeman: His famous thing was “one more — and it was really his house, Peter had It was quite something — Lord Of The for luck”, which we all knew meant “ten managed to get hold of the key — and we Rings was a big thing in our house... more for luck” — he’s not a man that drive up to a scene of devastation. Peter wright: We shot his [Hot Fuzz] cameo “He’s got all these likes a shortage of takes. He will shoot tries to stop them stealing all this stuff around the back of Wells Town Hall. He the bejazzers out of something until he is and leaves with his tail between his legs, was covered in sick, a scummy Santa, a bit happy and until we’re happy. That’s what saying, “We’re going to put it all right, like Dan Aykroyd in Trading Places. We ideas whizzing I loved about working with him — he’s Sam. We’re going to get all those ugly were shooting in Somerset, three-and-a- open, he’s open to your ideas being better stains out of the carpet...” And while half hours out of London but to a New than his. Not that they always would be. he’s talking, the house actually catches Zealander that’s nothing: he treated it as around his head Andy Serkis (Gollum, The Lord Of The fire and explodes behind him. It was an afternoon drive. He stayed at the Swan Rings and The Hobbit/second unit director, all shot handheld and he gave it to the Hotel in Wells, where the actors were The Hobbit): There are certain rules that wizards at Weta to put in the effects. staying. Most people knew who he was, all the time.” Peter has as a director. Keep the camera Boyens: When he was doing the Golden but Billie Whitelaw, God bless her, had moving. And continuity is for pussies. Globes he had to actually wear a suit. no idea. She went up to him and said, saoirse ronan Graham McTavish (Dwalin, The Hobbit): His wonderful assistant, Jan Blenkin, “Are you Edgar’s brother?” What I find so extraordinary about him managed to find one from a local hire Blomkamp: With District 9, some of the is that he can carry so much in his mind; shop. There he is on the red carpet and splat stuff that has similarities with it would drive a lesser man mad. he got the inevitable question: “Who are Braindead Pete got very excited about. to be. Which is what does Boyens: He is slightly mad. you wearing?” And he said, “Suit Hire.” When Wikus is vaporising mercenaries, too — there’s a comfort in being surrounded Lesnie: When we’re in the crunch and They all thought it was a designer, but I said, “Do you think we’re in danger of by people you have known for a long time. having to go fast, sometime it’s hard to then Peter said, “I’ve got to get it back losing the audience? You have a character Ray Harryhausen (Peter Jackson’s hero): understand some of the calls he makes, by Wednesday.” that you’ve been rooting for who starts He’s a dear friend. He has his own way of but I am always endlessly impressed James Nesbitt (Bofur, The Hobbit): When liquidating human beings. It’s really not looking at things. I don’t remember first with how well those calls work. you go to his house, the Oscars are just a virtue.” He said, “Dude, go to town. meeting him, but he’s certainly impressive. Nesbitt: We weren’t going in every day to lying around, not displayed. It’s not that Let’s just vaporise as many people as we Peter flew me out to New Zealand and we formulate a perfect storyboard journey: he doesn’t care about them, he just hasn’t feel like. The audience will be with him.” went to a lot of the locations he used for a lot of the time Peter just works off the got around to putting them anywhere. wright: Peter went back to the hotel at two Lord Of The Rings. cuff. It’s rather startling. It’s like having in the morning, but we didn’t wrap until it McIver: He’s not a big self-promoter, he’s 10,000 jigsaw puzzles and just throwing On pet projects, losing at Halo and being was getting light. Walking down the high not huge on the whole publicity trail, but all the pieces into his head every morning a bit like Clint Eastwood... street I see Peter, walking towards me. He people are drawn to him. and somehow he does the puzzle. said, “I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I’d come Ronan: Pete lives in about five shirts. He’s • Clockwise from above: Armitage: The only time I saw Pete get Singer: I got to look at the things he’s out and take some photos.” So we walked got like a Finding Nemo one, all these Directing Saoirse Ronan On returning to Middle-earth, fibreglass a little bit irate was when he said, “Why in The Lovely Bones; With collected. My favourite thing is that he around my home town, looking at Wells cartoon characters. Elijah Wood and Fran castles and commuting in Chitty Chitty are you not filming? I want you filming.” has the little miniature King Kong that Cathedral, the Bishop’s Palace and Vicars’ Blomkamp: We both love guns. Real ones. Walsh at the 61st Golden Bang Bang… Nesbitt: You’re never in doubt he’s the fell from the Empire State Building. Close. It was a surreal, lovely experience. There’s a piece of land he owns and we go Globes, 2004; Directing boss — I wouldn’t cross him, but I really Ian McKellen in The Lord This tiny four-inch thing that’s coated Saoirse Ronan (Susie Salmon, The Lovely there to shoot. It’s not letting off steam, Of The Rings. Sylvester McCoy (Radagast, The Hobbit): enjoyed my time with him. in embryonic mouse hair! It’s eerie. Bones): He is kind of quiet at first, a little just a love of World War II armaments. He’s the kind of guy you might go up Freeman: You can see he looks tired, but Naomi Watts (Ann Darrow, King Kong): bit shy. As you get to know him, you realise McIver: What makes his stories so to on set and say, “Could you show me not often enough for my liking! Jeez, It was an emotional experience for Peter why he is so brilliant at what he does. He’s compelling is that he’s fascinated with the where the director is?” I’d be on my knees. He’s indefatigable. meeting ; he saw the original got all these ideas whizzing around his head intimate, and with personal relationships. Martin Freeman (Bilbo, The Hobbit): I don’t I don’t know when he fucking sleeps. film when he was nine and fell in love all the time. When he talks to you he’s away The worlds he creates serve that. know how he managed to not be dead. Selkirk: He’s got so much on his plate — he got a little teary. in his own little world, staring into space. Sarandon: One of the things I love about But he seemed to still be quite bubbly — these days, he’s not easy to talk to and Selkirk: The dinosaur chase in King Kong, Rose McIver (Lindsey Salmon, The Lovely Peter is that he has built a life that is exactly bubbly’s the wrong word; he’s not fucking have fun with. It’s not the same. He’s got where they all pile up in the precipice, Bones): There’s kind of this thing around his life. He has this wonderful family, he in The Only Way Is Essex — but he was so much pressure on him to deliver, with that was a scene that I constantly hassled him. I didn’t know whether he was going has created a studio in New Zealand, and always quite effervescent. these huge-budget films he’s doing. He

Peter about: “This has to be cut down. It’s to be super-intimidating. Absolute Allstar, LFI, he can control his art the way he wants it Barry Humphries (The Great Goblin, The stays within himself a bit more now. >

90 empire december 2012 empireonline.com subscribe at www.empireonline.com/sub december 2012 empire 91 Freeman: Socially, he plays his cards close the panelled wall, and said, “Oh dear, • Jackson holds up On Peter Jackson… to his chest. Not that he’s unfriendly, but I shouldn’t have done that.” And the a clapperboard for The Hobbit – it’s take he gives away what he needs to give away. panelled wall gives way, and there are one of many. Nesbitt: The guy’s got something that I’d Humphries: He’s had such success with stone steps into a tunnel, which winds say very few people have. these films, and must, one presumes, have along with human relics on the floor like Davies: As a man, he’s kind, gentle, patient, made plenty of money, but if you wanted skulls and ribcages, over a bridge with never proud or hubristic. I think he’s to give him a present, something he didn’t a sort of dark torrent beneath, up some everything a man should be. have, you’d give him a comb. more stairs, past some rusty armour, and winslet: What would the film industry be McTavish: He’s got more in common with then another door opens and you’re in the without him? I mean, seriously, it would dwarves than he has with elves. modern hallway of his home, with New be a different planet, wouldn’t it? Weaving: He’s still very much a New Zealand television burbling away! Chittock: The best stories are what he’s Zealander; this sort of barefoot being. Selkirk: His ambition is to get a museum done for the people that have worked for Humphries: I went down to his country built in New Zealand, so others can enjoy him. There are people like me who’ve had house for a weekend, and walking in the it. What’s that show? Thunderbirds! He’s a working relationship with him and gone rather large garden there’s a sort of hill, got a bunch of those puppets. on to do great things. I can see his influence with a door in it. I said, “What’s that?” Nesbitt: He drove into work in Chitty in their lives. That’s probably the most and he said, “Oh, that’s the hobbit’s Chitty Bang Bang one day, which he’d special thing. Working with him was house.” You go through this door and just bought. I hear he’s got everything. a gift. It was a lot of fun, and I miss it. there’s a labyrinthine subterranean house, Blomkamp: I’m not actually sure Pete’s been Weaving: He is just a human being. done in the arts-and-crafts style. There in any of his own planes. I remember him Taylor: Going for a quiet beer with him are all these underground tunnels, and telling me that it’s not about flying them these days is an impossibility, but I had an island in a lake with a castle on it, — it’s about the plane itself. the fortune of hanging out with him which is in fibreglass and with a dungeon. Selkirk: He’s not a person who likes flying. for an evening last week doing some It’s astounding. That’s his guest wing. I think he’s improved now he’s got his recreational sculpting. He was able to That’s where you get to stay. own jet, but I remember when we were take an evening off — almost unheard Freeman: He liked to do weekly Buster doing The Frighteners and used to fly of. If he’s working on a film, he gives it Keaton film showings. He’s a Buster to the States, I’ve never seen anyone grip 100-plus per cent and he won’t let up. So Keaton evangelist. the side of the seats so tightly. it was a lovely surprise. We stayed on at Humphries: He’s a very mischievous Freeman: I would imagine at times it is the workshop, doing some sculpting. We character, Jackson. He leaned against lonely if the buck stops with you. were making little toy soldiers.

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