Vin Diesel: "Someone who's been tough long
enough doesn't have to prove himself anymore!"
Vinterview from
Cinemaxx.de
Is this film an adventure
playground for big boys?
Yes. This film was kind of a crash course
for me, as far as cars are concerned. I didn't use to care about cars;
particularly since I grew up in New York. There, almost no one's got a car,
because you have to spend thousands of dollars on parking tickets
alone.
What was the most intense scene in the film for
you?
The scene where Vincent is hanging at the truck at full speed,
almost crashes down on the road, and Dominic tries to save him. I was going at
more than 100 km/h – zigzagging along the road next to the truck –, leaning my
torso out of the car, reaching out for Vincent! That was very
dangerous.
With its box-office returns of 150 million dollars, the
film is a big success in America…
Nobody expected that. Next to those
200 million dollar movies of our competitors, our budget of 38 million dollars
made us look like a car your mother gives to you because it's no good any more.
But we souped it up with new parts and even beat Ferraris with
it…
What were those "new parts"?
This year, many
blockbusters lacked passion – they had special effects, but no soul. We're
successful because our film's got a heart, it tells a story; because it hits the
nerve of the youth culture – just like the James Dean movie "Rebel Without a
Cause" back in the 50s.
You're celebrated as the new star. How do you
feel about this?
I'm very happy. Years ago, nobody wanted to give me
work as an actor, so I made my own films, "Multifacial" and "Strays". Then
Steven Spielberg let include a role for me in "Saving Private Ryan". I learned a
lot from him – he's striving to create magic on the screen. And that's what I
want to do as well. When I'm in the first row now, it means that I'm getting
better offers; that I've got more colors to paint with.
You said that
your time as a bouncer in New York nightclubs has made you the man you are
today.
When I was a bouncer, I hated the job. Friends of mine got
shot during their work, and you risk getting arrested. Nevertheless, I learned a
lot in that job – like a policeman does on the street, or a soldier does at war.
And someone who's been tough long enough doesn't have to prove himself anymore,
but can show his sensitive side as well. I learned how to talk to people; how to
communicate without even saying a word. That's of great help for my
acting.
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