Arnold Vosloo Resource Page:
The Mummy Returns has broken box office records in its
first week on the U.S circuit, and we have an
exclusive interview with the mummy himself aka Boetie,
who did go to the border and beyond for 12 years in
Hollywood.
Interviewer: Arnold, tell me the story of the mummy
from the mummy's point of view.
AV: It's funny, I used to joke with Brendan Fraser.
We'd arrive on the set and I'd say to him, 'What are
you doing in this movie?' and he'd say 'What? What are
you talking about?' I'd say, I don't know what you're
doing but I'm the romantic lead in this movie. I'm
the guy who is just trying to get together with a
girl, you know.
Voiceover: The sequal is another storm of visual
effects in which actors can get lost. To create a
worthwhile character, Arnold stuck close to the
mummy's love story and let the effects people go wild.
AV: Actually the second time around for me was easier
than the first time. The first time it was almost
like I had to, I guess, learn a new language, you
know, that these computer guys speak I don't know
what it is. It's like computer speak, but...so the
second time was way easier, because I understood what
it was that they wanted me to do in these shots.
Interviewer: Is there anything new about Imhotep? Is
he a revitalized mummy?
AV: No, no. We've got, you know, it's amazing how
the technology has andvanced just in the last 2 years
since we did the first Mummy. The Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) people,
which is George Lucas' company, did all the special
affects for the movie and it's just so much better
than 2 years ago. You know, it's going to completely
knock people's socks off when they see this movie. So
Imhotep...at least the sort of rotted Imhotep from the
first movie - when I was completely rotted away - is a
much improved rotted Imhotep.
Half the time there's nothing there. It's just you
and a big blue screen. You just have to make believe
that there's a guy in front of you that's 12 foot tall
and half scorpion and half man and he's got big
pinchers and a tail that's busy smashing everything
around you.. And the reality is that there's a skinny
guy holding a broomstick with a white X on it running
around the set going 'Alright, here's the Scoprion
King moving towards you and now he's moving left and
now he's moving right'. So you just have to react to
that.
He (Stephen Sommers) really is the star of the movie
with all repect to Brendan Fraser and everyone else
that's involved in the films. Stephen Sommers is the
guy who wrote and directed the movie and film really
is the directors medium no matter what actors say.
**At this point he switches to Afrikaans**
I don't really want to be a director. I'm a lazy
person by nature. I don't want to get up everyday at
5 in the morning for 2, 3 years. It's a tough
business. The actors work for 6-7 weeks and then it's
over, you know.
**Speaking in English again**
I got a cracked rib, and sprained my ankle and my
right wrist. It was tough. The walk from my
dressing-room to the set would take longer. The first
morning, you know, it was like 2 minutes, then it
became 5. Eventually it was like a 20 minute walk,
you know, cause I'd walk like a 99-year old just to
get to the set cause I'd have all these aches and
pains.
When we rehearsed we rehearsed with these, you know,
martial arts guys who are really good at this stuff.
And it was with something like this [holding some sort
of plastic pole] that obviously as you can see weighs
-whatever- nothing. But when we arrived on set they
handed me the real thing which was this 8 ft long pole
with these broad blades on either side. And I swear
to you it literally weighed 50-60 pounds. So before,
you know, what had been really this fast move - you
know, I was like a cheerleader with the thing and I
thought I was really cool. I arrive on set and pick
up this heavy thing and suddenly it becomes...you
know, like in slow motion, because it was so heavy.
When we'd do a counter-move or something we'd come
back, you'd hit yourself because you had this big
blade - boing! - you'd hit yourself. And we'd do
something and I'd go past him and then I'd hit him
with the blade and stuff like that.
Interviewer: Arnold for South African actors you're
the epitome of success having made it big in
Hollywood. What kind of advice would you give to
aspirant actors these days?
AV: Look for another job guys. It's too hard, man.
Damn, it's too hard. It's great now because I'm
flying high, you know, but sure enough in a couple of
years I'm sure the phone will stop ringing, you know.
And if I give you any advice, if you are lucky enough
to work, you know, put your money away or do something
smart with it, because you know sooner or later the
phone's going to stop ringing.
Interviewer: And for those who won't heed any warning
about the career? Where do aspirant mummies start?
AV: Sort of the classic advice would be to, you know,
just work in regional theatre. You know, if you're a
school kid or something just do school plays and
immerse youself in theatre and read and just get some
sort of basis, you know. And then it's just the luck
of the draw, it really is.
