SWEM Ray Park Interview
SWEM Ray Park Interview
Welcome to the first of hopefully many SWEM exclusive members only events which allow those with an active email account to see certain items days before the rest of the internet population.
Our first item is an exclusive interview with Darth Maul himself, actor and stuntman Ray Park conducted recently.
Having completed Episode 1 Ray has moved on to act in Tim Burtons 'Legend of Sleepy Hollow', and is slated to appear in the forthcoming 'X-Men' movie, but you probably know all this! On with the interview!
Ray Park was born in Glasgow and took up martial arts when he was seven simply because his father liked Bruce Lee movies. As is well documented on the net, by the age of 13 he was travelling to Malaysia to learn kick-boxing and Tae Kwon-Do.
"I went every year to study with my master Mr Teng." Ray explained.
"I used to stay out there for four months training and then compete in China, and I got my blackbelt by the time I was 14." Yet as with so many children it was seeing the original Star Wars movie in the cinema that really captured Ray's imagination.
"It was the first film I saw when my family moved to London. I was only seven and my dad took me to see it. I remember being completely blown away when Obi Wan pulled out his lightsabre in the bar. I begged my dad to buy me one, and eventually he did."
"It was one of those old white plastic tubes with a light bulb in it. I used to love having play fights with my younger brother in the street - but I would always have to be Han Solo, because he was the cool one who got the girl!"
Many years later Ray was holding a lightsabre again - this time for real! The Star Wars casting crew were so impressed with Rays lightning fast moves that he was offered the part of Darth Maul after being introduced to them by another member of the production team.
"When I found out I couldn't believe it," laughed Ray.
"I had always thought George Lucas was God, and had loads of respect for him. It was really nerve racking knowing I would be working with loads of big stars."
"I don't think being in the new Star Wars film has really hit me yet. It's totally out of this world, and awesome is the only way of describing how I feel." "My parents still can't take it all in! They're both really proud of me, and my dad cried when he saw the trailer for the first time."
As would be the case with a studio full of twenty-something actors, not all the shooting was deadly serious:
"The fight scenes were funny, because we used to muck about and make the noises of the lightsabres. We just couldn't help it! We were doing something we used to watch when we were kids - and it was absolutely great."
"Some days the fighting was so fiery our lightsabres ended up completely bent, and I remember after one big scene George Lucas came out and said 'Great, but we have to slow these guys down somehow....they're moving to quickly for the camera!"
With Star Wars set to become one of the biggest movies of all time, would it be safe to say that Ray has a different life now?
"People don't recognise me when I walk down the street, because of Darth Maul's make-up, and although all my friends are excited, none of them have lost their heads around me. We're still the same together when we go out, and I've told them to give me a kick up the backside if I ever get too bigheaded." A request few are willing to carry out!
As the Episode 1 promotional saga draws to a close, what does Ray have in mind for the future?
"I want to do more stuff that's me - where I can use my skills. I will get some acting lessons and consider doing anything that will help me get better. When I was a kid I always wanted to be rich and famous. But now I just want to be successful at what I do."
Steady Ray - that sounds like a Jedi talking!
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