Edith: I wanted to ask you about
Richard Harris. Such sad, sad news last week.
Jason: It was kind of devastating. We were right in
the middle of doing all the press for Harry Potter and people were asking how he
was and we said, “He’s fighting back and we hear he’s doing fabulously well,”
and then he died.
The thing about Richard, you know, there’s this huge hole there’s going
to be, certainly in the Harry Potter family for a while. He was the most
mischievous, naughty, hysterical man I’ve ever met and the last thing he’d want
is people being maudlin about him. He couldn’t bear that kind of thing. He was
wicked, 
and it was very difficult being on set and working with him because he’d
keep everyone kind of rolling around with these stories, and he was a brilliant
storyteller.
Edith: He loved to tell stories didn’t he.
Jason: He was a fantastic storyteller. You’d have
to drag yourself to work. The thing I think about when I think about Richard is
that for some odd reason everyone thinks, Oh Richard Harris, famous hell-raiser,
and we know that he drank, and he drank a lot, and he caused trouble, he had
fights and had various marriages and stuff, and we only know that stuff about
him because he was a brilliant actor. Because actually there are loads of people
who do that stuff who are sleeping on a park bench in Kilburn. He was a
fantastic actor and when I had the opportunity to do scenes opposite him, and
he’d tell stories and then the moment they’d call action he was Dumbledore and
he terrified me, and that’s why we know about him. His legacy will be that he’s
an amazing actor and what’s fabulous for him is that there’s a whole new
generation of people who know who he is as well.
Edith: I remember watching him in a film called Orca the killer whale,
years ago.
Jason: Not one of the artistic highlights of his
career though. He did better work. You could bring up This Sporting Life
or even Gladiator.
Edith: Everyone has their memories of him though
Jason: He was great.
Rich: It’s not the first time you’ve been a tough guy. You portrayed the
baddest of the bad Colonel William in Black Hawk Down.
Jason: I did…No…so sorry to correct you but that’s
just wrong. I was Colonel William Tavington in The Patriot, Mike Steele in Black
Hawk Down. Mike Steele might be watching and he’s seven feet three tall. I want
to get his name right.
Rich: (indicating cue card) You see they’ve got it wrong here.
Edith: Shall we have a look at it?
Rich: Yeah…at the right clip
(Clip from BHD where the soldier is doing an impression of Mike Steele)
Jason: Now that’s a good haircut
Edith: I didn’t recognise you there
Rich: You did that really well
Jason: I had much less time in the make up and hair
chair in the mornings on that film. Straight out of bed, straight on to the set,
it was fabulous.
Rich: Now that was a very physical film. Was it tough to shoot?
Jason: Only because I was much older than all the
other actors. So they sent up off to boot camp to train with the soldiers, and
they all went “Well you’re playing the boss so we’ll put you in charge of all
these actors. You’ve got to lead from the front.” And I went,
“You don’t understand, I’m not in charge of Ewan MacGregor. He doesn’t do the
things that I say.” But God love him, for a week he went a long with it.
Rich: Now the thing is, I notice they use a lot of Brits for bad guys in
films even though I know you played an American, I mean what is it with us?
Jason: He was a hero I’ll have you know
Rich: Well of course he was a hero too
Jason: Bald isn’t bad
Rich: I would go that way, but I’ve still got the ladies to impress. But
what is it with us Brits being bad guys?
Jason: I think we like to chew the scenery and
we’re not frightened of camping it up and we love to play dress up in silly
costumes, and we don’t need to be liked in quite the same way.
Edith: We’ve done quite a bit of research on your career…
{No they haven’t! They’ve read the Empire interview!}
Rich: Let’s hope it’s right
Jason: Have you got any tips? What should I do
next?
Edith: We’ve come up with some startling revelations, and we believe it’s
our duty to clear a few of them up. So this is a little section called “Is it
true?”
Is it true that you had a cameo role cut from the Spice Girls Movie?
Jason: Oh god…yeah well (laughs and looks
embarrassed) See, I did this scene where I was meant to be picking Baby Spice up
and I spent the whole time staring at her cleavage coz frankly it was on
display. That was the main thing going on and I was told afterwards that it
wasn’t quite suitable for a children’s film.
Rich: Nor was the film
Jason: No
Edith: Is it true that you’re scared stupid of Friday the 13th part
three?
Jason: I’m scared of everything. I’m scared that
I’ll have to resort to being in Friday the 13th part nine if they make the film.
No, I’m a terrible, terrible coward. I mean I was under the seat watching Harry
Potter. A lot of the sequences are far too scary for me. My five year old godson
was fine but I was terrified.
Rich: Wow
Edith: Big scaredy cat
Jason: I’m quite scared of this interview
Rich: Well I can understand that
Edith: Is it true that you were challenged to an arm wrestling contest by
the mayor of Liverpool? That’s a really bizarre fact
Jason: Yeah, yeah it’s true
Edith: Why?
Jason: Because I insulted Liverpool’s favourite
son. I played a version of him in The Patriot and he got very upset about it. In
fact I challenged him to an arm wrestle to sort it out and he was desperate to
do it but his PR department thought that it was undignified for an elected
official to have an arm wrestle. Just as well because I’m sure he’d have beaten
me.
Edith: (To Rich) You up for it?
Rich: Well I don’t know if I want to mess up his rep
Edith: (To Jason) Fancy having a go?
Jason: What? An arm wrestle? You’ve got arms the
size of me legs. Can I use both hands?
Rich: Of course you can use both hands bro. I’ll use my left hand, it’s
my weak arm. (leans on Edith’s leg)
Edith: What? Are you using my leg as a table? Thanks for that
Jason: No, I don’t think so…we need to be a lot
closer
Rich: No, you’re actually a fan of my stand up, so (shakes
hands with Jason) we don’t really need to do that.
Jason: That’s true
Rich: That’s very true. So he’s been a beautiful guy…and when’s the film
coming out?
Jason: This is the start of a beautiful friendship
I think.
Edith: Seventeen days time
Jason: The film’s coming out very, very soon.
Seventeen days time, see it again and again and I don’t get paid extra if you do
Edith: And if you’ve got any questions that you’d like to ask Jason, e-mail us
or call us
Jason: (looking very confused) Coz I’m staying
here?
Edith: You aint leaving
Jason: Oh I see, right. Oh, I thought I was going
home.
Edith: Thank you for coming in
Jason: Thanks very much
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
They had other guests on the programme. Two actors from an award winning British
comedy The Office and several news items and then Jason appeared again:
Edith: Jason Isaacs, who plays the odious Lucius Malfoy. Thanks for
sticking around. Now, you’ve already signed up for the Goblet of Fire?
Jason: Yes that’s right, the fourth one. So I hope
they don’t mess up the third coz I’m counting on it
Edith: So how much more evil can you get?
Jason: Oh…you just wait and see
Edith: Can you notch up evil to ten?
Jason: I can speak through my nose and grit my
teeth even tighter. You won’t understand a word I’m saying
Rich: That’s evil.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
Edith: Now back to Harry Potter. Kenneth Branagh’s received loads of credit for
his role…
Jason: He didn’t get paid so it’s just as well
Edith: Did he not?
Jason: No, did it for free
Edith: Did he?
Jason: No, very sweet
Edith: Why?
Rich: He said he was very sweet
Jason: Because he’s a lovely generous soul
Edith: That’s interesting. Why would he do that?
Jason: He didn’t do it for free. It was a very poor
joke.
Edith: Ooohhh
Rich: And you fell for it. How deep is that?
Jason: This is live.
You can’t put a laugh track in afterwards can you?
Rich: Now earlier you said you’re on-screen son Draco was a bit of
a hit with the ladies, even more than Harry was, is that true?
Jason: Well, he’s in the Malfoy family. You know
everybody loves the bad guy. He looks like all four members of a boy band, Tom,
when you get him off screen. He’s not all slicked back and he’s not all sneery.
He should have a spin off “Malfoy’s at home” like the Osbournes.
Edith: What’s your favourite
comedy?
Jason: (looking sheepish) err…The Office!
Edith: You liar! You’ve never seen it
Jason: Oh that’s right…er…I haven’t ever seen it,
and it’s very annoying, I’ve been away. I was just about to watch it last night
for the first time because I’m in a hotel in London while I do the Harry Potter
stuff, and a mate came round I haven’t seen for months and he went, “You’re not
going to leave the telly on are you?” and I went “Well, I just thought I’d turn
it down.” And he went “Oh switch it off.” So I’ll have to buy the whole set on
video and watch it all in one go, which I’m looking forward to.
Edith: So what is your favourite comedy then?
Jason: My favourite comedy is The Larry Sanders
Show
Ewan: Me too
Jason: Which is not British but I think it’s genius
and mostly because it’s partly improvised and loose, (to Ewan) like I think your
show is a bit.
You don’t really need scriptwriters in the world you just need actors and a
camera.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
(Question on e-mail about DJ’s body cast –missed this bit)
Jason: It was very, very real.
They built a model of me, split from neck to navel with all my entrails hanging
out and it looked exactly like me. I mean they did every
mole
and freckle.
Ewan: Good film by the way
Jason: Thanks very much…and I went up and looked at
it, but they wouldn’t give it to me at the end because they said they needed it
at the studio and I was thinking, what do they need it for? It’s a model of me!
With my guts hanging out! Anyway, my missus
was quite happy.
Edith: We’ve got another one here for you Jason. What was it like playing
Malfoy and would you like a house elf yourself?
Jason: Everybody would like a house elf and what
was great about playing Malfoy was…the first scene I did…
Edith: Oh we’ve got to cut you off I’m afraid
Jason: Oh. I loved it!
Edith: You loved it, great! Thank you very much for
being with us today.
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