Interview with a Zombie
This update, in honor of Halloween, and the fact that Krynn seems to be overrun with the undead lately, I bring an interview with a man who recently portrayed the undead! Starring in the film Shaun of the Dead as the Hulking Zombie, Mark Donovan!
Raistlehoff: How did you find yourself involved with such a project?
Mark: Back in 2001 I was in an episode of a sitcom called "Black Books" (which aired in the US on Comedy Central). The producer, Nira Park, was also the producer of a sitcom called "Spaced", and at the wrap party she introduced me to it's director, Edgar Wright - knowing what fanboys we both are!
We got on well, and talk eventually turned to his love of the zombie movie genre, and the fact that he wanted to get his own zombie movie project off the ground. He said then and there that I *had* to be in it as a zombie - but given the fact that the alcohol was flowing pretty freely I didn't think he'd remember! He was as good as his word, however, and for the first time in my career a part was created with me in mind!
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| Cast shot from "Shaun of the Dead". From left to right, Nick Frost (Ed), Mark Donovan (Hulking Zombie), Nicola Cunningham (Mary), and Simon Pegg (Shaun) |
Raistlehoff: So, you're playing the Hulking Zombie. Is there any special research you did to prepare yourself for this role?
Mark: I listened to a lot of dreary middle of the road albums and disappointing film scores, and hung around in people's back yards. Fortunately I was released by the time filming started.
Raistlehoff: I understand you're also a devoted Doctor Who fan. You know, the last zombie movie that came out of the UK, 28 Days Later, starred Chris Eccleston, the man who is the Doctor for the new series of Doctor Who. Do you think that your performance could land you a role in Doctor Who as well?
Mark: Probably not via that route! However, the guy that did my make up on "Shaun" works very closely with Neill Gorton, who's the "Special Makeup & Prosthetics" supervisor on the new series. We've exchanged emails... ;o)
I've also done a lot of work on the recent "Doctor Who" audio series for Big Finish, and I've heard that the production team were given copies of those to get a feel of the direction producer Russell T. Davies wanted the series to take - so I guess they know who I am, and where to find me... Time will tell. Always does.
Raistlehoff: The life of a zombie is an intriguing one: lumbering around, eating brains, moaning and groaning a lot. Is this a lifestyle that you think you could easily adapt to?
Mark: Perfectly. I do all the above as it is. Except for eat brains - although my favourite beer is made by a brewery in Cardiff, South Wales called "Brains Brewery Ltd." - so change that to "lumbering around, drinking Brains, moaning and groaning a lot." and I'm living the dream...
Raistlehoff: In your most prominent well... only sequence in the movie, the heroes of the film start winging vinyl records at you. What's it like being whacked in the head with a vinyl record?
Mark: In rehearsal, we did a lot of trust exercises, where Nicola ("Zombie Mary") and I got to throw rubber records at Edgar and the boys. It was great fun, trying not to flinch or blink with records hurtling at you.
All well and good - and then we got on location, and on one of the first takes Nick (playing "Ed") hit me full on in the eye at point blank range. I was OK - just a little bit of a blood blister on the eylid - but poor old Nick was really upset.On the DVD extras there's a behind the scenes clip where he reveals he was very nervous at doing that scene, and was particularly pleased when the first time whe came to film it, it got rained off...
Raistlehoff: How many takes did that scene involve?
Mark: Oh you wouldn't believe... I was originally booked for three days location and two days studio. However, on any film, there is always one scene that won't die - and on "Shaun", it was ours. I think we ended up doing ten days on it in total, with many takes on each day. It was so technically complicated, involving live action, CGI, wire work, full synthetic body doubles and lots of POVs.
As you can imagine, most of the time was spent on set up rather than execution. At times, the pressure really was on not to screw up a take, cos if we didn't get in in the next two minutes before they broke for lunch, then we didn't get it...
Bizarrely enough, the shot that caused the most problems was the one where a record shatters on my chest. They just couldn't get it to break effectively! we tried a dozen different methods, and in the end it was scored with the break pattern, put in a freezer, and then fired at high speed down a wire at a metal plate hidden underneath my jumper! all for a fraction of a second of film.
Raistlehoff: How many records were harmed in the making of that movie?
Mark: None. Not a single one. The set was tightly controlled by the Stunt Records Employees and Workers Network (Worldwide) or STREWN EVERYWHERE for short.
Raistlehoff: How many total references to other movies are there in Shaun of the Dead? Consider it trivia for zombie movie fans! :)
Mark: Many. :)
Raistlehoff: What is it like being on the cover of Fangoria Magazine?
Mark: Absolutely mad. I used to get that magazine as a teenager, and to walk into a comic store and see a shelf-full of me on the cover with half my face off was slightly disturbing. For me though, the biggest honour had to be the fact that a british comic called 2000AD (home of Judge Dredd) ran a spin off story explaining how my character came to be in the garden in the film. To see myself rendered in comic strip form in an issue alongside Judge Dredd and Rogue Trooper (childhood heroes) was a bit of a mind flip! All my childhood fantasies are all coming true at once. Are you listening, Doctor Who production office? ;o)
Raistlehoff: Have you had anybody stop on the street and recognize you from being in Shaun of the Dead?
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| Mark Donovan in real life (tm) |
Mark: Nah - in real life I have a beard. :o)
I did however, get recognised by the guy who sold me a copy of Fangoria - so he gave me a 95p discount...
Raistlehoff: Do you think "zombie reality tv" is the next step for reality television?
Mark: Having seen the last series of Big Brother, I don't think that we're a million miles away from that already.
Raistlehoff: Do you hope that your next role will at least have lines of dialogue?
Mark: You know what? it's bizarre. My bread and butter work comes from radio/audio work, where I am continuously faced with the challenge of finding distinct voices for up to three or four characters in the same play and making them all believable but different, and yet the last few film/tv jobs have involved playing in turn a mute, a zombie, and a cryogenically frozen monster! One day, I'm sure they'll let me marry the two disciplines.
Raistlehoff: The tagline for Shaun of the Dead is "A romantic comedy. With zombies." In the US, the film was released to limited theatres on September 24th, but should have expanded its run in the coming weeks. If you have the chance to see it, I highly recommend it! So does Hulking Zombie!
Mark adds: Indeed. And not just because I'm on a percentage of the gross on this one. No. Not at all. Honestly...
Don't want to see Shaun of the Dead? Not the type of movie for you? At the very least, you could rent it if it comes out on DVD, you know. And don't go downloading it off the internet! These are independent filmmakers, and every red cent counts!
Also if you have the chance, stop by Mark's website.
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