A BIG thank you to Diamond_T & Mediadoc the Magnificent for sending along this transcript from Ian McKellen’s appearance on ‘The View’. [More]
Month: January 2004
A BIG thank you to Diamond_T & Mediadoc the Magnificent for sending along this transcript from Ian McKellen’s appearance on ‘The View’
Begins with a viewing of the clip of Ian and Billy Boyd in the stables at Edoras with Dom.
STAR: Welcome! Love those beads! You are decorated! Ian is wearing a black shirt with a white muscle tee underneath and some Crewe beads, one set particularly large and orchid in color.
IAN: I got these at Mardi Gras. I just got these gestures to the large orchid set outside. Maybe I should give it to one of you.
JOY: You have to pick one. I think it goes with my blouse. Don’t cha think? Women nod approvingly
Ian: I know what to do. Turns to Star Jones You look after these for Barbara (Walters, who was not present). Everyone goes ” ahh” . He gives the beads to Star
STAR: Now, that was very Gandalf. I have to tell you, I mean, in case you haven’t figured that out…why are you here? I haven’t figured that out. The movie has just made about a billion dollars. The whole world is going to see it. You don’t need to promote it. Did you just come to visit the girls? Ian nods Fantastic! I just love it!
Ian: A little holiday spirit he hold up a glass with clear liquid in it.
STAR: It’s water; it’s fresh. In all honesty, you know I’ve seen all of the LOTR films. This is the final; the third of the trilogy, and the conclusion of the story. Did you ever have any idea how big it would become. Ian shakes his head. Unbelievable!
Ian: How could we have known? I never read the books, but the minute I said that I would play the part, suddenly my website in flooded with people saying ” Now, you better play this part well. We’re all depending on you.” So, there was always a corale that had read the books and were waiting to see the movies, but no one could believe it would have gone through the roof as it as now. As for publicizing it, I don’t mind talking about a movie I really like. I mean, sometimes you’re sitting around one of these talking about films you wish you rather hadn’t been in, and I want everyone to see it; on the big screen. Don’t wait for the DVD; see it on the big screen. See spectacle like it’s never been! Applause
Star: See the fight scenes ’cause you will really lose out if you don’t see it on the big screen. I mean, there are animals over 200 feet tall. The most amazing thing I have ever seen. Peter Jackson is brilliant.
NEW HOST: And it just got nominated for two Golden Globes: Best Director and best Picture. No acting nominations though?
Ian: Ah, no. The New York Board of Review gave us the Ensemble Acting Award. I think we were all chuck about that because we’re a bit of a team, and we perhaps don’t want to be selected away from the others.
NEW HOST: So, do you think about your possibilities of getting an Oscar Nomination, or does it really matter?
Ian: Well, I’m tempted to say, “who needs Oscar?” I think if you’re in a little movie that needs help, like “Gods and Monsters” that I was in, and got nominated for that…
STAR: That was great! Applause
Ian: But this movie doesn’t need little prizes. A little cherry on the top of the Christmas cake. But, the real important thing is the audience.
JOY: yeah, right. Is the “Sir” is that really important?
IAN: It is. And it’s funny I know Americans don’t really understand about these titles-
JOY: We couldn’t find an equivalent.
IAN: No, you don’t have one. They’re medals given by a grateful nation for your contribution to the life of the country. “Sir”…well, politicians get the knighthood, teachers-
JOY: Rock artists-but some people turn it down-
STAR: Vanessa Redgrave turned it down-
IAN: Yes. They do. Well, she may have turned down the “Dame” title, but I can tell you what, she is a Commander of the British Empire that she got when she was 27. She keeps quiet about that. All go ‘AHHHH’!
MEREDITH: But for you, does it make you feel like you look in the mirror and say, “hello, Sir!” laughter It’s got to be heady.
IAN: There are two things for me. First, to be in the same category nominally as my hero Sir Lawrence Olivier, Sir John Gill, Sir Alec Guinness-
JOY: Sir Ralph Richardson
IAN: Yeah, exactly. It makes me feel very warm. But, then, I got it just 2 years after I had come out and said I was gay. And that hadn’t happened before that an openly gay person had be given a knighthood. So, I just saw that as a bit of social charge that I approved of. That was why I was so pleased.
MEREDITH: Why did you think-I was going to ask you that because you did ‘come out’-you have been very vocal, and it hasn’t affected your acting. You play-
IAN: Actually, my film career took off the moment I came out, so–*laughter* guys, get out of the closet! More laughter
STAR: Yes-you play one of the best characters ever!
JOY: The British don’t care about things like that-
STAR: Obviously the Americans don’t either! The movies have made like a billion dollars…
IAN: And they don’t care on Broadway either. It’s just Hollywood. They’ve got a few problems.
JOY: nods Issues.
IAN: Mind you, they just discovered in Hollywood a few years ago that they have Blacks there, did you notice? Uproarious laughter
JOY: …for roles other than servants, yes.
MEREDITH: I have to ask you…are you a little nervous? My son is coming out in the next segment…
IAN: A very nice young man. Extremely nice, and intelligent, and friendly.
MEREDITH: Trying to buy him, are you? Laughter
IAN: Well, crosses fingers we will hope for the best. Smiles
(Meredith’s teenage son was offering reviews of the Holiday Season releases, including of course, ROTK). I have a pretty good idea of what he’s going to say, so I am pleased.
MEREDITH: He will be reviewing your movie and “Cheaper by the Dozen”. Do you care what the critics say?
IAN: Well, the critics are the audience. They’re the people. applause
STAR: …about the confidence you have…
IAN: Well, if people come and see your movies and with LOTR , they come around the premieres by the hundreds of thousands and say, “Thank You!”…then, what the critics sat becomes less important.
STAR: Well, in this case, the fans love it, and the critics adore it. I have seen all of the best movies of the year lists. It’s either number one or number two…but for me, it’s number one!
Ian: Oh, thank you, Star!
STAR: LOTR: ROTK is everywhere! I know, I searched! Applause
Alberta Hot Rods, a Canadian-based operator which registered jrrtolkien.com and linked it to its commercial celebrity Web site, was found to have no legitimate rights, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) said in a ruling. [More]
Billy Boyd accepts at People’s Choice Award
Billy Boyd was a busy man in early January 2004. He was the lone LOTR-alum at the Critics Choice Awards and the Viewers Choice Awards in the same week. Here are various images from both award shows. [More]
A BIG thank you to Diamond_T and Ringer Spy Meriadoc for this transcript of Astin on ‘The View’. [More]
A BIG thank you to Diamond_T and Ringer Spy Meriadoc for this transcript of Astin on ‘The View’.
OSCAR WATCH is on the screen. Shot cuts down into the studio to Star:
STAR: Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is the epic adventure fantasy that fans and critics absolutely adore; count me in! Sean Astin is on our Osacar Watch and has quite an appitite for more than just adventure. Take a look: (clip of Frodo, Sam and Gollum and the lembas incident; after Smeagol’s line about Sam, “He took it!” the clip ends. Star replies…)
STAR: Big liar! He did not! *laughter* Please welcome Sean Astin!
*Sean walks in, kisses all the women and sits down on the couch*
SEAN: Hello, how are you?! You guys are so much fun! I was having a ball listening to you!
STAR: Now, you’ve been married for 10 years–
SEAN: 11!
STAR: 11years! The romance is still in it…
SEAN: Well, thank you for the opportunity to talk about it. *laughter* You get these moments in your life when you wwe’re talking about you made it through the 50 year thing; I was ssitting there thinking there thinking : we’re gonna make it, too. When I do something stupid, I’m going to cop to it. So…I was quoted in ‘People” magazine; they didthis little–with all the success of LOTR you talk, and people like get–put in the magazines, and so there, you have to think about what you’re saying. And they did this thing that was like ‘stream of consciousness’ well, they’d throw out a word, and I had to throw out something else. So they said something like ‘prenuptial agreement’or something, and I said ‘am I still eligible?” But, *audience groans* when I said…yeah, I know *the women all groan* and I was thinking like it was a stupid question ’cause I’m like the old married guy who was…whatever, but in PRINT, it looks like…
JOY: So, what did she say, your wife?
SEAN: She was, she was, well you know what she said? She was great about it! She just read it to me, she said ‘this is what your daughter brought me…*women groan LOUDLY, and go OOOHHHH* I know, and she reads it to me, and she says, this is what your friends, we actually, we were in Hawaii where our friends got married, she read it to them out loud and Michael, who is always on this sort of guy side of things, was like “you guys are stupid!”*laughter* “You guys are so stupid!” So, I want to look at my wife with the same of passion that you were talking about–
STAR: The glow?!
SEAN: Right, the glow, and when I get back to Los Angeles, the day after tomorrow, I am gonna kiss her so deep…and beg for her forgiveness! *women all sigh and go AAAHHHHH*
STAR: See, now you just did that! She’s in love again!*applause*
SEAN: I told her last night, I almost couldn’t sleep last night, I am really grateful to come on the show, ‘cuase it gives me a chance to sort of, redeem myself-
JOY: It doesn’t seem like you’ve been married so long, you look so young.
SEAN: I got married young.
JOY: How old were you when you got married?
SEAN: 21
JOY: Wow! That’s young!
SEAN: We have two girls… Alexandra and Elizabeth.
NEW HOST: Are they 7 and 1?
SEAN: Exactly! Seven and 16 months. Yeah!
STAR: I mean I have to tell you, that seems like the perfect person to play Samwise, ’cause you know, Sam is our Man! *Sean laughs*
SEAN: Yeah.
STAR: We love him! He is like the most wonderful hobbit! He has Mr. Frodo’s back all the time!
*Star starts smiling and weeping simultaneously*
STAR: In case you haven’t figured it out, I have seen all three!
*Star has the largest grin ever made on TV, and she’s smiling at Sean
broadly*
SEAN: You are so sweet!
STAR: And now, everybody else in the world seems to have seen them also… *playing a clip of Frodo and Sam discussing Gollum after the ‘pond conversation’ and scuffle simultaneously* Oscar buzz! Number One Movie. That must make you feel really good!
SEAN: You know, I sort of didn’t believe it for the first couple of years, but the last week has been so…it’s been so much fun. People have been so nice, and the critics have been so nice, and it’s just…yeah! It feels good!
STAR: There’ not being really nice…it’s good!
MEREDITH: It’s a good movie. That’s right.
SEAN: Listen, there’s entertainment reporting, and there’s serious
criticism and there’s a lot of different opinions. People always have a reason for writing their story, and there…I’m just saying that feels really good-
MEREDITH: So you read all this stuff?
SEAN: Oh yeah.
MEREDITH: A lot of actors don’t.
SEAN: Well, *laughs* Eugene Leavy won Best Supporting Actor at the New York Film Critics, and he was at the awards last night, and he was basically saying he quoted Al Franken saying that “Any actor who says he doesn’t read his reviews is a lying liar!” Basically! *laughter* No, I read them, and I actually…I like when they say stuff that’s critical, I mean I learn from it, I really do.
NEW HOST: Now, you gained…what… 35 pounds for this role?
SEAN: Why are you bringing that up? *laughter* “Cause it’s hard, it’s hard to lose.
MEREDITH: It’s hard to gain and hard to lose?
SEAN: Easy to gain and hard to lose.
NEW HOST: It must have been harder to move around, and do the stunts that you had to do..and perform…really well…
SEAN: No, I wasn’t a happy camper at 195, 197 pounds. I’m 5’7″ and it was uncomfortable.
NEW HOST: Was it really?
SEAN: Yeah, just in your skin. You look in the mirror, and you’re like, “who is that fat guy looking back at me?” You know, I remember, you know…my daughter sees a picture of me at 17 with ripples in my abs and she like,” Daddy, what are those bumps on your stomach?” I’m like…naw….*laughter* It’s hard to go back.
NEW HOST: How did you get it off?
SEAN: I got on the treadmill and just didn’t stop. I was like Forrest Gump, I was running and running *laughter*..youknow what I mean? Water, I drank lots of water; water is the magic elixir of life. You know, and as much as you can drink.
MEREDITH: I was thinking about wine–
SEAN: Well, your body isn’t 70% wine…
MEREDITH: I was kidding. You have two of the coolest parents ever. Patty Duke Astin who was in “The Miracle Worker” , and John Astin who we loved in “The Addams Family”. They are great, great actors. Was there any hesitation in you getting involved in the field? Following in their footsteps?
SEAN: Um…no,I don’t think there was any apprehension, I mean, there were um…my dad wanted to make sure that I was always subject to the same curriculum academically, and my mom was concerned that I would suffer some of the same disappointments that she suffered throughout her life, just in terms of the spells when you’re working a lot, and when you’re not working, and those kinds of things, but ah…no. They were pretty…you know: you judge based on the kid’s personality, and I seemed like I really wanted to do it, and that I had a good perspective about everything else in my life. So, they were pretty proud and excited and actually kind of, you know, helped me a lot.
STAR: That’s interesting so if you weren’t an actor, I read that there might even be some politics in your future because you enjoy-
SEAN: You mean my talking about the debates…I was loving your talking about the debates last night, and I agreed with….well, I thought it was it was great! I thought that it was really good that Carol Mosely Braun and Rev. Sharpton…I actually loved everything that they were saying in the debate. I thought it gave it; I thought that it was a serious debate last night. I love politics!
NEW HOST: Gave it dimension.
JOY: It really did.
STAR: You’re a junkie is what I’m told?”
SEAN: I am a political junkie there is no question.
JOY: What do you want to run for?
MEREDITH: This is the year for you.
SEAN: I don’t know. My mom tells this story about when I was a kid, I would walk down the airplane [aisle] and say, “I’m running for Mayor, please vote for me.” *laughter* When I was one. *laughter* I don’t know, I just uh. I like, I like our society. I like being involved. I like thinking about it.
JOY: You’re a perfect kind of candidate: you’re smart, and you’re
motivated, and your heart’s in the right place.
SEAN: No…no, not for another like 15 or 20 years will I run for anything. But, you know….
NEW HOST: You started campaigning early… I mean
SEAN:Exactly. I got a head start.*laughter* Exactly.
STAR: Just a little bit advice: No wet t-shirt contests! *smiles*
SEAN: Yes…heeheehee. Yeah…you know what? I was listening to you guys talk about that: She’s, she made a decision, she’s stepped down, but her life isn’t gone; she’ll do something else. And maybe she’ll come back…and do a movie or something.
*laughter and lots of talking over each other*
STAR: Let me get him out of this one. Our thanks to Sean Astin. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King is playing in theaters everywhere. We talk about the fight scenes, the battles, but this is a true test of friendship, and I love this film! You’ll love it, too. We’ll be right back.