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With full speed to
success as an action star: Since the race driver movie "The Fast and the
Furious", Vin Diesel (34) is one of the best paid actors in the Dream Factory –
for the prequel to the science fiction movie "Pitch Black", he is about to get a
fee of 11 million dollars. In our interview, Diesel talks about sex and illegal
street racing, Steven Spielberg, and his favorite toy.
Spielfilm.de:
Mr. Diesel, where can a normal person find an illegal street race in Los
Angeles?
Vin Diesel: I dare say that you'd never find such a race. I,
on the other hand, would have better chances, because for "The Fast and the
Furious", I've gone into the milieu quite intensely. That those races exist is a
fact. However, the organizers try hard to keep everything a secret.
Spielfilm.de: So you're familiar with the milieu.
Vin Diesel: For the film, I went through kind of a "crash course" in
order to be able to understand the world of those illegal race drivers. I'm from
New York, where you move by subway or taxi, or spend about 300 dollars a month
for parking fees. So I grew up without
cars.
Spielfilm.de: When did you drive a car for the first
time?
Vin Diesel:
When I was at college, I began to drive motorcycles –
since then, I love speed. Before shooting for the film started, all leading
actors took part in kind of a driving school, where we learned the essential
rules and stunts for the street racing
scenes.
Spielfilm.de: Please describe the feeling of taking part in an "illegal
street race" for us...
Vin Diesel: It's a gigantic feeling to reach such speed on a normal
street. Although, mankind isn't made for things like that.
Spielfilm.de: You'll have to explain that in detail for
us...
Vin Diesel:
Every creature can only move as fast as its body allows.
Only humans – due to their high intelligence – are capable of constructing
faster vehicles, like cars, for example. But actually, the human body isn't made
for anything like that. I guess that's what causes that gigantic feeling: you're
driving a damn fast car, and it's dangerous as hell. But as long as you've got
the car under control, you're almost flying above the ground and feel
free.
Spielfilm.de: Some people say that was even better than
sex...
Vin Diesel: Well, then those people don't know the first thing about
it. (laughs) Driving fast is a staggering feeling, but it can't come up to good
sex by far.
Spielfilm.de: You're a versatile man: in films like "Multifacial" and
"Strays" you held all important positions – director, cameraman, leading actor,
and producer. Are you planning on submitting yourself to that kind of stress
once again?
Vin Diesel: Definitely! It's just a question of time. Since I'm being
offered so many great roles at the moment, I don't have the possibility to go
and make my own movie. But there will be quiet times again...
Spielfilm.de: Isn't is frustrating to lure the masses as an actor, but
to still be among the lower ranks as a director?
Vin Diesel: That's not the way I see it. I started acting at the age
of seven – I didn't even think about directing until 20 years later. As a
director, I can realize my own ideas, that's the appeal. Of course, my own films
don't draw masses into theaters, but I'm successful in another way: I did
"Multifacial" with a budget of only 3000 Dollars, and that short was screened at
Cannes in 1995! And "Strays" was picked among thousands of candidates for the
Sundance Film Festival, and got a big success there. That's enough of a
confirmation for my work.
Spielfilm.de: After Steven Spielberg saw "Multifacial", he offered you a
role in "Saving Private Ryan"...
Vin
Diesel: Steven Spielberg was fascinated by that film to
such an extent that he even had my role in "Saving Private Ryan" added to the
script just for me. It's such things that I see as a big success – even if my
own directing projects don't draw masses into theaters so far.
Spielfilm.de:
In your movies, you always play the cool guy. Is that true
for your real life as well?
Vin Diesel: I am definitively a cool guy. Of course, I'm also having
some problems, but that doesn't change that fact. I had been working as a
bouncer in New York for nine years, and during that time, I had seen many cruel
things happen. That has hardened me. When I did the same job in Los Angeles, the
manager fired me just after my first night, because I'd had a fight with three
guys.
Spielfilm.de: What does such a cool guy do in his spare
time?
Vin Diesel:
I love playing Playstation 2. I can keep myself busy with
car races like "GT 3" for hours. Well, so the cool guy has been unmasked as the
child he is quite quickly.
(laughs)
Spielfilm.de: On the internet, female fans talk about you as
"Hollywood's sex symbol". What do you think about this
statement?
Vin Diesel: I think it's cool that women say something like that about
me. Which man wouldn't be at least a bit proud about it?
Spielfilm.de:
How about the rumor that we'll see you in "Terminator 3"?
Is there something in it?
Vin Diesel: I haven't even read the script. Nonetheless, the rumor
spreads across the internet with terrific speed. I've got no idea if I'm going
to play at the side of Arnold Schwarzenegger soon.
Spielfilm.de: But you wouldn't turn down the role...
Vin Diesel: First of all, I'd have to read the script. Dennis Hopper
once said that he doesn't choose his roles according to their size, but their
quality. In my opinion, that's a good attitude; an attitude that I'd like to
adopt.
Source:
www.spielfilm.de/specials/2001/VinDiesel/index.html
Interview: Johannes Bonke / Rico Pfirstinger
Translation: Zoe
(once more thanks to Kate for her help)