Interviews
Interview - Robert Davi
In your last films you have shaken off your longtime bad guy image. Even so you celebrate your comeback with Murdoch. Finally "The Butcher" brings back the Robert Davi the audience appreciates for almost 20 years. What was so special about this project and the role that convinced you?
I was attracted to the script and Jesse V. Johnson’s vision of the film. While fulfilling the action audience, the characters had more depth than you get in a typical genre picture. It had a flavor of the Jean Pierrre Melville noir films that deal with the underbelly of the gangster world. Coupled with working with Eric, and then for myself finding a different approach to playing Murdoch that Jesse responded to helped make my decision.
How difficult is it to get still something new out of a villain after all these roles?
If there is something that I feel I can interprete that is new to me I respond. A lot of times there is no new path to stock written characters , in that case I pass. This was not the case with” The Butcher” it already had the seeds for me to collaberate with Jesse to make it interesting to me. Another thing if you really look at the body of my work I have played many different genres and characters ,,even in Columbus ,a period piece, or Blind Justice a western..also comedies, Goonies , Cops and Robbersons, and am currently filming a new David Zucker comedy.
Among others "The Butcher" lives on the sizzling friction of you and Eric. Also you both have an impressive final showdown. How was the relationship between you behind and in front of the camera?
Extreme mutual respect for each others as actors that carries over into the actual filming. So, whereby our characters were at odds we had a very good working relationship. That always makes for fun while filming.
With "The Dukes" you made your debut as screenwriter and director. But you are also producer and actor. The movie gets very positive responses and reaps awards on different film festivals. Was it a big challenge to fullfil all these tasks?
After working on many different films with a myriad of directors and talents the progression was quite easy. A lot of work but fun.
Why did you wait so long to come up with your own movie?
It has always been part of my strategy to direct, allowing me to express more of myself and open the book ,so to speak to who I am not to who the industry thinks I am. What gave you the idea of the script? This came from an article in the paper I read in the mid seventies were steel workers were getting laid off . After 25 years people who had done something their whole life were no longer able to do that. Then , my father was laid off from his job. This all had an effect on me which we see even today ; the transition from an industrial age to a technological one and how people will fall through the cracks. Also , in music as times change , those who were once on top of the world were reduced to struggling for survival . Using Doo Wop singers as a symbol for this let me tell the story while at the same time not being heavy handed but as a black comedy.
You wrote film history with your outstanding performance as Franz Sanchez in John Glen's "Licence To Kill". Reviewing your career how do you think about the movie?
As time goes on it is being more and more received as one of the better Bond films. It also was the precursor to the current darkness and realityof Bond. I am often approached by fans of the films telling me how high they rank Sanchez as one of the best villains in the frachise.
Would you describe this role as your most important?
One that brought me to an international audience.
Was this role a curse and a blessing at once because in the following years you were mostly seen as a bad guy without scruples?
Bad Guys have always made the best good guys, it is just being given that opportunity. When I did the series Profiler for NBC for 4 years as Bailey Malone , were I was the creator of criminal profiling and the head of the Violent Crime Task Force ,I was able to show this to some extent.
Already three years before "Licence To Kill" you made your breakthrough alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in John Irvin's "Raw Deal". The movie is also characterized by memorable dialogs between you and him. How was it for you to play the opponent of such an icon?
He was not quite the Icon he is today but definitely was on his way. We had great fun on that shoot being to big personalities with a similar sense of humor.
When did you realize that this role would open the door to bigger productions?
That did not necessarily open doors to other big productions but more importantly a Great friendship with Arnold that has lasted over the years.
In the following years you had minor roles in classics like "Action Jackson", "Die Hard" or "Predator 2" and also a leading part in the underestimated tv movie "Terrorist on Trial: The United States vs. Salim Ajami".
Terrorist on Trial was way ahead of its time and when it came out received tremendous response and coverage in the newspapers as well as fantastic reviews for myself . It was that piece of work that Chubby Broccoli and Richard Maibaum had seen that led to me being cast in the Bond film.
Was it sometimes frustrating to show the audience only a small part of your abilities in big blockbusters?
Yes.
As those three classics are Joel Silver productions: Did you have a special bond to him or is it just chance that all these are Silver productions?
He had liked my work and asked me to do these smaller parts as a favor with the promise of something bigger. He loves film and is extremely passionate but I am still hoping for that bigger part from him as I always delivered.
The scandalous drama "Showgirls" brought you together with Paul Verhoeven. The movie was a financial disaster and the press did the the rest. What could pick up from the set and the director? Especially regarding your ambitions with "The Dukes".
Paul is a terrific director and the way he uses the camera.
The long-living series "Profiler" was a save haven for almost four years. Is there a more intense identification with a character over such a long time measured against a movie?
No
What were your feelings after the series was finished?
That it was taken off the air prematurely. .It should still be running as it is the father to many of the successful shows on today.
Before you stepped into the film business you were trained as an opera-singer. Who or which experience changed your mind to become an actor?
They were concurrent ambitions , my love for film and acting won out .
One of your bigger roles in the b-action business was the male lead in "No Contest". How was it to shoot this film and would you give it a signficant value as it has it’s fans among the action community?
It was pleasant
How was the work with Roddy Piper and Andrew Dice Clay?
I still see Andrew from time to time and had done another film with Roddy after that . Fun.
And least: How did it feel to star in a "Die Hard"-rip-off, when you already played a part in the original?
There have been tons of Diehard ripoffs even Die Hard but it was a character I had never played.
The last words are yours. Some space for whatever you want to say to the visitors out there.
Just to Thank them for their support.
In your last films you have shaken off your longtime bad guy image. Even so you celebrate your comeback with Murdoch. Finally "The Butcher" brings back the Robert Davi the audience appreciates for almost 20 years. What was so special about this project and the role that convinced you?
I was attracted to the script and Jesse V. Johnson’s vision of the film. While fulfilling the action audience, the characters had more depth than you get in a typical genre picture. It had a flavor of the Jean Pierrre Melville noir films that deal with the underbelly of the gangster world. Coupled with working with Eric, and then for myself finding a different approach to playing Murdoch that Jesse responded to helped make my decision.
How difficult is it to get still something new out of a villain after all these roles?
If there is something that I feel I can interprete that is new to me I respond. A lot of times there is no new path to stock written characters , in that case I pass. This was not the case with” The Butcher” it already had the seeds for me to collaberate with Jesse to make it interesting to me. Another thing if you really look at the body of my work I have played many different genres and characters ,,even in Columbus ,a period piece, or Blind Justice a western..also comedies, Goonies , Cops and Robbersons, and am currently filming a new David Zucker comedy.
Among others "The Butcher" lives on the sizzling friction of you and Eric. Also you both have an impressive final showdown. How was the relationship between you behind and in front of the camera?
Extreme mutual respect for each others as actors that carries over into the actual filming. So, whereby our characters were at odds we had a very good working relationship. That always makes for fun while filming.
With "The Dukes" you made your debut as screenwriter and director. But you are also producer and actor. The movie gets very positive responses and reaps awards on different film festivals. Was it a big challenge to fullfil all these tasks?
After working on many different films with a myriad of directors and talents the progression was quite easy. A lot of work but fun.
Why did you wait so long to come up with your own movie?
It has always been part of my strategy to direct, allowing me to express more of myself and open the book ,so to speak to who I am not to who the industry thinks I am. What gave you the idea of the script? This came from an article in the paper I read in the mid seventies were steel workers were getting laid off . After 25 years people who had done something their whole life were no longer able to do that. Then , my father was laid off from his job. This all had an effect on me which we see even today ; the transition from an industrial age to a technological one and how people will fall through the cracks. Also , in music as times change , those who were once on top of the world were reduced to struggling for survival . Using Doo Wop singers as a symbol for this let me tell the story while at the same time not being heavy handed but as a black comedy.
You wrote film history with your outstanding performance as Franz Sanchez in John Glen's "Licence To Kill". Reviewing your career how do you think about the movie?
As time goes on it is being more and more received as one of the better Bond films. It also was the precursor to the current darkness and realityof Bond. I am often approached by fans of the films telling me how high they rank Sanchez as one of the best villains in the frachise.
Would you describe this role as your most important?
One that brought me to an international audience.
Was this role a curse and a blessing at once because in the following years you were mostly seen as a bad guy without scruples?
Bad Guys have always made the best good guys, it is just being given that opportunity. When I did the series Profiler for NBC for 4 years as Bailey Malone , were I was the creator of criminal profiling and the head of the Violent Crime Task Force ,I was able to show this to some extent.
Already three years before "Licence To Kill" you made your breakthrough alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in John Irvin's "Raw Deal". The movie is also characterized by memorable dialogs between you and him. How was it for you to play the opponent of such an icon?
He was not quite the Icon he is today but definitely was on his way. We had great fun on that shoot being to big personalities with a similar sense of humor.
When did you realize that this role would open the door to bigger productions?
That did not necessarily open doors to other big productions but more importantly a Great friendship with Arnold that has lasted over the years.
In the following years you had minor roles in classics like "Action Jackson", "Die Hard" or "Predator 2" and also a leading part in the underestimated tv movie "Terrorist on Trial: The United States vs. Salim Ajami".
Terrorist on Trial was way ahead of its time and when it came out received tremendous response and coverage in the newspapers as well as fantastic reviews for myself . It was that piece of work that Chubby Broccoli and Richard Maibaum had seen that led to me being cast in the Bond film.
Was it sometimes frustrating to show the audience only a small part of your abilities in big blockbusters?
Yes.
As those three classics are Joel Silver productions: Did you have a special bond to him or is it just chance that all these are Silver productions?
He had liked my work and asked me to do these smaller parts as a favor with the promise of something bigger. He loves film and is extremely passionate but I am still hoping for that bigger part from him as I always delivered.
The scandalous drama "Showgirls" brought you together with Paul Verhoeven. The movie was a financial disaster and the press did the the rest. What could pick up from the set and the director? Especially regarding your ambitions with "The Dukes".
Paul is a terrific director and the way he uses the camera.
The long-living series "Profiler" was a save haven for almost four years. Is there a more intense identification with a character over such a long time measured against a movie?
No
What were your feelings after the series was finished?
That it was taken off the air prematurely. .It should still be running as it is the father to many of the successful shows on today.
Before you stepped into the film business you were trained as an opera-singer. Who or which experience changed your mind to become an actor?
They were concurrent ambitions , my love for film and acting won out .
One of your bigger roles in the b-action business was the male lead in "No Contest". How was it to shoot this film and would you give it a signficant value as it has it’s fans among the action community?
It was pleasant
How was the work with Roddy Piper and Andrew Dice Clay?
I still see Andrew from time to time and had done another film with Roddy after that . Fun.
And least: How did it feel to star in a "Die Hard"-rip-off, when you already played a part in the original?
There have been tons of Diehard ripoffs even Die Hard but it was a character I had never played.
The last words are yours. Some space for whatever you want to say to the visitors out there.
Just to Thank them for their support.
