Halloween Set Visit Exclusive – Interview 8 of 9 - Tyler Mane
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From inside the makeup trailer, with makeup specialist Wayne Toth working on Tyler. [Photo: Wayne Toth, Tyler Mane, Staci Layne Wilson]
Staci Layne Wilson: So you're stepping into some big shoes, here. I guess you do that every morning anyway, but [laughter] were you a fan of the Michael Myers character prior to getting this role?
Tyler Mane: I had seen it quite a few years ago and then as soon as I talked to Rob I went and reviewed them again so that I could see what I was getting into. And seeing what I wanted to the same, or what I wanted to do different.
Staci: And what did you decide that you did not want to duplicate?
Tyler: Well, the original character of Michael Myers is pretty basic. There's not much of a personality there and, as you saw this morning when we were shooting, there's a whole different scene. I wanted to have Michael Myers morph back into Michael Myers from his childhood scenes that he had done to what was in the asylum to back [and] donning the outfit that I'm in right now. I wanted to have a definite kind of arc there of showing different kinds of personalities Michael Myers and through his different stages in his life. That's hopefully what we're achieving.
Staci: The actor who plays Michael Myers as a youngster, a young killer — did you and he talk and maybe compare physicality as far as how you walk and that kind of thing? Is that one of the things that might be important in this film?
Tyler: Uh, no. I mean because he's doing it at the 10-year-old stage and I'm obviously doing the adult Michael Myers. I watched some of his scenes and saw what he had done with him, and it's looking really good.
Staci: Who are most of your scenes with in this film, as far as acting goes? I know you're running after a lot of people...
Tyler: Who aren't they with? I have interaction with just about everybody.
Staci: That must be a great feeling. You get to meet a lot of really interesting people. Malcolm McDowell...
Tyler: Yes, that is... Yes, it's fantastic. I've been lucky throughout my whole career to be able to work with some very talented actors, and Malcolm is definitely one of them.
Staci: Do you get to know some of these people off-set and have a little bit of fun while doing this movie, or is it all work?
Tyler: Oh no, we're having quite a bit of fun. This is one of the best sets I've been on in my career and I'm thoroughly enjoying myself. I'm definitely going to be sad when this one is over. Not sad for getting all this blood and crap on me but... [motions to filthy, bloody hands]
Staci: Prior to the time you were cast, there was all kinds of speculation online and in the press about who would play him; so what did you think when you got the role? Did you know prior to that, it was such a big issue?
Tyler: No. It's kind of good that I didn't. I'd heard some of the comments and things and hopefully when it's all said and done, I'll prove this skeptics wrong.
Staci: You've got a lot of support too, though.
Tyler: Yeah, yeah. Once people had seen what I was doing with it and the MTV spot came out I think people are realizing that its going to look pretty good.
Staci: What's one of the most difficult things physically to do in this role? Because I know you do a lot of running and stabbing, but then you're also constricted from showing emotion with the mask...
Tyler: Yeah, I mean just the whole... to give Michael Myers his personality through the mask and not it's all basically body movements… so that's what I've had to really concentrate on and deal with is figuring out how I was going to have Michael have a personality and not through wearing the mask and in the outfits that he's in. It's been an interesting process.
Staci: Yeah it seems like it would be really difficult. I've talked to Kane Hodder before and Andrew Bryniarski... they've shared the different things they do to kind of bring their characters out in spite of such constriction. So, what is one of the things that you do, that we can kind of look for on the big screen?
Tyler: Well, it's just you know… I mean you still have to go through your whole range of motions in dealing with the situations that you're doing and it's just you have to figure out and see what's working and see what's not, and then change it up and make it work.
Staci: We know there's a major body count in this movie so it's no surprise that almost everybody dies. Who was the most fun to kill?
Tyler: Boy that's hard to say, I've killed quite a few. The one that definitely put up the biggest fight was Big Joe Grizzly...that was kinda fun. It was a scene in a truck stop in the restroom. Needless to say, the restroom got destroyed so that was kind of fun.
Staci: Do you ever get a headache from all the ear-piercing screams of your victims? [laughter] Does Michael Myers go home and take a Tylenol?
Tyler: Yeah, he goes home and has a glass of wine and a cigar, and it's all good.
Staci: I would be remiss if I didn't ask about working with Rob Zombie and what it's really like to be directed by him. Does he go over the whole story with you, or do you take things one piece at a time?
Tyler: I tell you, Rob is a fantastic director. He knows what he wants and he's got his vision. He comes prepared and it is an excellent set to work on. He is a very talented man and I enjoy working with him very, very much. He's a fan of horror movies and he knows what works and we do it until we get it.
Staci: You're in final days, here. What have you got left to do?
Tyler: A couple more killings.
Staci: I can see the blood at work here right now…
Tyler: Yeah, yeah. A little bit of this, a little bit of that. We're on our last few days and then it's off to Disneyworld. I'd say I'm going to Disneyland but it's too close, and I've got to get the heck away. [laughter]
[end]
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