http://www.he-man.org/cartoon/feature.php?id=51&fid=100
Some interesting bits:
I worked on and off, depending upon what was being shot, for close to three months. Being that it was an FX movie, it moved quite slowly, and as much of the shooting was at night, we were lucky to get a page a day completed. Mr. Langella had been hired, but did not work (except for makeup tests) for at least the first six weeks. The atmosphere on the set was busy, especially with the physical preparation, and sometimes hectic. It was generally friendly especially amongst us monsters. But we also had friends in Billy Barty and his double (who was his attorney - also a little person), and some of the others. The atmosphere was workmanlike, but as the weeks went on, the slowness began to wear on some people. Even the ever-patient Billy lost it one day, when he had been in full makeup, which took hours like mine did, waited for over twelve hours and was not used for two days in a row. Not good planning for a man of his age and stature and health.
I had a free rein with Karg and his wonderful makeup and outfit. Gary gave me some ideas, and I filled in the rest; particularly vocally. I wanted him to believe his size and sound somehow otherworldly. Being in a prosthetic, it sometimes was more like puppetry than true film acting. But I think the collaboration with Gary worked. Once the film was under way, as we were far behind, Gary had to become more of a traffic cop, especially with all the setups and the producers breathing down his neck, so I was generally left to my own devices creatively. Thank God for my Classic Theatre and Mime training. It helped.
Dolph Lundgren was friendly, but very busy. When he wasn't shooting, he was being coached in acting, and physically trained while watching his diet. I didn't see him in the makeup room, where you usually get to know your other cast members. On the other hand, the great Frank Langella was with us quite often, as they went through many changes in his makeup (and still never got it right). He was affable and approachable and very witty. Billy Barty had so many stories after fifty years in the business, and I felt like a novice listening to him. The ladies were also very nice, especially Christina Pickles. All in all, there was a nice rapport with the cast members, although the length of the shoot and the days and the slow progress made tempers occasionally short. Anthony DeLongis and I got to be good friends, and we also worked together briefly at Universal. He is a genius swordsman (he doubled as Skeletor in the big fight) and a good human being. I just saw him on a Blu-ray of Jet Li's FEARLESS, doing his usual great sword work.
I posed on the set, while they photographed me for hours and hours, to make a Karg toy. That never happened. I own a Gwildor toy in honor of my friend who is no longer with us. I was disappointed, but Mattel kept saying that one would come out eventually. I'm still waiting.
