A: I was a salesman, selling office supplies here in Vancouver 10 years ago. Things were not going all that well. I thought that a salesman was nothing more than an actor, so I decided to take an acting class. When I first walked into my first class I was bitten by the acting bug and the rest, as they say, is history. My first paying acting job was on a commercial for Disney/Mattel, in an hour and a half I made $1000 US! Since then I have done several jobs in the film industry, Actor, Extra, Special Skills Extra, Photo-double, Stand-in, Locations Production Assistant, Office Production Assistant, Assistant Production Coordinator, Studio Manager and Writer. My big break will come when I have a script made into a movie. (Which shouldn't be too far off now).
Q: What is your filmography?
A: Are you ready? 60 Movies of the week, 41 Series, 32 Features and 2 Pilots, including Stay Tuned, Time Cop, Free Willy III, Carpool, Happy Gilmore, etc. I've met and talked to some pretty cool people too! Malcolm (right at the top of the list), Gene Hackman, Ryan O'Neal, Anthony Quinn, and Katharine Hepburn, to name a few.
Q: You mentioned first working with Malcolm on "The Winter Garden" . What was "The Winter Garden" (1994's "Seasons of the Heart") and what was your role? What was Malcolm's Role?
A: "The Winter Garden" was an MOW shot here in Vancouver in late November and early December 1993, Starring Carol Burnett, George Segal, Eric Lloyd and Malcolm (among others). It was written by Robbyn Burger, directed by Lee Grant, Produced by Joseph Feury for R.H.I. Entertainment in association with Joseph Feury Productions., Executive Producer was Robert Halmi Jr. Malcolm's character's name was Alfred McGinnis. He is a news man who is writing a book and who suffers from alcohol abuse. He wants Carol's character, Vivian Levinson to edit it. (It has been a while since I read the script, so I'm a bit rusty as to the main gist of the story.) Alfred gets the manuscript to Vivian just in time before he dies, which happens fairly early in the script, as I recall. I'll read it again to familiarize myself with it. I was Malcolm's stand-in on this show.
Q: Anything else you can mention about Malcolm on or off the set during this show?
A: We did a scene which takes place in a board room where there was a huge conference table and, at which were dozens of chairs. In front of each chair was a set of pens and a writing tablet. While we were setting up the shot, which can take upwards of two or three hours, I decided to write a little ditty on the second page of the blank pad of paper. I wrote a one page "cliff hanger" which had some sexual overtones. Of course, the climax (excuse the term) comes right at the bottom of the page with something like "Sarah took one more step just as the killer leaped out of the bushes. He grabbed her, one hand on her throat, the other clenching her blouse in the center of her chest. Just as Sarah took a breath to scream the killer..." And that would be it.. The second page would be blank. I wrote several of these as I was waiting. Malcolm later asked me if it was I who was writing them. I told him Yes. He said, "I like those, keep it up!" I don't know how many I finally wrote, but it was quite a few. Someone criticized me for the sexual overtones once so I tempered them a little, but Malcolm liked them the way they were so I returned to my regular form. (I hope this is not boring you)
Q: No chance on boring me. Before I get to "Mr. Magoo" is there any other time you worked with Malcolm?
A: No, "The Winter Garden" was the first time.
Q: What he's like to work with, how is he off the set, did he mention anything about his personal life or career?
A: Malcolm keeps his personal life pretty much to himself, but I do know this: He is very happily married, loves his wife and kids and loves to work. He mentioned to me that he is having the time of his life right now. (Paraphrased by me) Malcolm is a delight to work with, very talkative off the set and is ready to relate any of his many stories.
Q: How did you get to be Malcolm's stand-in for "Mr. Magoo"? Do you look like him?
A: I don't think I look like him per-se. To be a stand-in it is important to have similar eye color, skin tone, hair color and to be the same height. Although Malcolm and I have the same color blue eyes and maybe the same skin tone, I don't have white hair and I am a bit larger than he is.
Q: I haven't heard anything else about Malcolm's role except that he is playing the villain. Could you tell me the name of his character and what his role is in the film?
A: Malcolm's character in "Mr. Magoo" is Austin Cloquet who indeed is a villain. Keep in mind that this movie is based on a cartoon, so realism was not one of the director's main goals. The other stars you'll see in this film are: Kelly Lynch who plays Luanne Le Suer, a young fellow by the name of Matt Keeslar who plays Magoo's nephew Waldo, Nick Chinlund who plays Bob Morgan, a hapless goon of Malcolm's, and one fellow you might recognize if you watch Super Dave Osborn, namely Suki - Art Irizawa. It was directed by Stanley Tong, Director of Photography was Jungle Ma, both fresh from "Rumble in the Bronx". Producer was Ben Myron, Co-Producer was Justis Greene, Executive Producer was Bob Rosen, the production company was called Near-Sighted Productions Ltd. Partnership. For the most of the time I worked on this show as Malcolm's stand-in I was in a bathing suit sitting in a huge, swimming pool-sized hot tub with six very nice looking young girls walking around. Malcolm's character has arranged to have stolen a huge ruby called "The Star of Kuristan". Magoo invades Malcolm's mountain retreat by posing as a gangster that was invited by Malcolm. The disguise works because nobody has ever seen this guy before. Anyway, it's a goofy story, it should be good for kids.
Q: What was it like working so close to Malcolm on this film and did he remember you from before?
A: As always it was a great treat to work with Malcolm, and yes, he remembered me from The Winter Garden. He also remembered the cliff hangers I wrote. Malcolm is always the consummate professional and is a delight to watch work. He rarely, if ever blows a line, is always true to his character and takes direction perfectly.
Q: What do you think would be most surprising about Malcolm to his fans?
A: Nothing about Malcolm surprises me, because with him we can all expect only the best performance he can give. Although he did tell me that he did not have a good time on Milk Money (which I think is a very funny film). The only thing I can think of that might be a bit unusual is when Malcolm was at the Tyson bite, I mean fight. Malcolm and his wife got roughed up a bit during a bit of a panic when shots were heard after the bout. They were on their way to a reception after the bite, I mean fight, when someone, apparently, went and got themselves shot.
Q: Thank you again for your time to talk about yourself and Malcolm, I am a little jealous of you since you were able to work so close to Malcolm.
A: The pleasure is mine, and I don't blame you for being jealous, I would be too! Malcolm did say that the next time he was in town he is going to ask for me to stand-in for him again, so I'm really looking forward to that!
This entire page ©1997-08 Alex D. Thrawn for www.MalcolmMcDowell.net