Dick Warlock is a Hollywood icon and stunt man. For over four decades has worked on everything from Jaws to Spider-Man (2002) he is most known to horror fans as the slashing maniac Michael Myers. His trademark walk became a benchmark to all others who would don the iconic mask. Fans rank him right up there with Nick Castle as the ultimate Myers!And who could forget the explosion scene. Despite being most known for a teen slaughtering mad man Dick in real life is the nicest guy you` ve ever want to meet. Gorehound Mike is very proud to present my one on one interview with Mr. Warlock
GH: You started out as pro-skater. Did this in any way help in your career as a stunt man?
DW: Absolutely it did. Actually it was
the upper armature level. When they wanted me to go they invited me to Hawaii
on a team over there, well that didn’t work out because they wanted to only pay
me $75.00 and to live in Hawaii was a lot more than that. Yah it helped me allot.
I learned different ways of falling. You
went to a school to learn to do the roller derby, so I learned a lot there and
I learned a lot Coregenville which was the first movie ranch that I worked at,
the whole cowboy thing you know.
GH: Your first major boss
was no other then Walt Disney. What was he like to work with and what fond
memories do you have of him?
DW: I loved Walt. I went in on a picture, for the opening called
“Willy and the Yank” which starred Kurt Russel, I didn’t meet Kurt at that
time. I was doing the opening of the television show with Walt. He use to do
“Disney’s Wonderful World of Colors” and during the rehearsal he called me over
and said “You’re not gonna up stage me, are yah?” I said “Would I do that.” And
winked at him. He smiled and I smiled
and I turned and walked away. Well I didn’t know it till eight years later; I
continued to work at the studio I thought, well they just like me. It was Walt
that liked me He kept me there and the director of that I did with Walt told me
eight years later, he said “Dick I want to tell you something. I don’t want you to be disappointed but Walt wanted
to make you a star. He has us get all the information, the background stuff of
your experience.” I was disappointed because I wanted to be an actor, unfortunately
I
can’t act anyone who’s ever seen me,
expect for Michael where I didn’t have to talk know I can’t act. Anyways it’s
my kids deal, he’s an actor and he’s done very well at it.
GM: During your tenure at Disney you met a young man named
Kurt Russel. What were your first impressions of him?
DW: A great kid. He was a really nice guy, very friendly, easy
to get along with. I was roughly ten years older than he is and his dad is
responsible for me getting in his contract. He talked to him (Kurt) one day on
the set of “Now you see him, now you don’t” and his dad said you ought to put
him (Dick) in your contract. He said I don’t know how to do that dad. Dad said
I`ll take care of it. His dad was Bing Russel who was the sheriff one “Bonanza”
He had a great career both as an actor and as a baseball player. So he`s the
reason I got into Kurt’s contract and stayed with him for seventy five years,
up until “Tango and Cash”
GH: In 1975 you doubled for Richard Dreyfuss in a little
movie called Jaws. How did you get the job?
DW: How I got “Jaws” was a friend of mine who was another stunt
guy by the name of Jessie Wayne who had doubled smaller people like Mickey
Ronnie etc. Jesse was called in for the job because he was smaller to make the
shark look bigger by using a small person in a small cage. Well Jesse in all
honesty couldn’t scuba dive but he didn’t tell him that, he said I`m busy I got
a good job but you can hire a friend of mine Dick Warlock he’s a certified scuba
diver. I went in with the production manager and got the job doubling for
Richard in “Jaws’. We spent a week in
the tank at MGM studios which was referred as the Ester Williams tank shooting
that scene. That’s how I got the job doubling Richard. For a long time Dreyfuss
didn’t want anyone to know he had a double. I remember on the “Johnny Carson”
show he denied having a stunt double.
GH: Most of our readers will know you as The Shape in
Halloween 2. Was it hard to get in and out of the Michael Myers character?
DW:Not really. I didn’t have an ounce of direction from
anybody, I just did it the way I wanted to. What really hurt my feelings was when
they came out with a 25th anniversary DVD version where they had
they commentary at the end and Debra Hill said “Well he never did get the
walk.” She was on set every day and could have said at any time such as “Dick
let me show you how to move.” Either did Rick Rosenthal. I just did what I
wanted to do. But they seemed to have liked it, because it’s become a fan
favorite. Everyone says do the walk do the walk (laughs) so they like the walk.
GH: This was the one
and only time you worked with the lovely Jamie Lee Curtis. Have you seen her
since socially?
DW: No, no unfortunately I haven’t seen Jamie. Someone asked
about me doing one of the shows (conventions) and she said “Oh the stunt guy?”
Well that was the end of that (laughs) I did get a call on Halloween: H20 to
come in and replace Chris Duran. But they wanted my mask. That’s what they
wanted. They didn’t like the way the mask fit Chris. If you notice the mask
changes during the movie, that’s because they made another mask. They fans
notice it.
GH: Did Halloween 2
offer you any major challenges as a stunt man.
DW: No. It was more a challenge for Jack Verbois who played Ben
Tramer, walking towards me in the street as I drove the police car. I didn’t go
very fast at him; you can’t really do that without hurting somebody. There was
a platform we built on the front of the car for Jack to step on. He took so
many steps backwards and when he turns I`m there. So it was a timing thing. But getting off the
subject, no I had done fire things before.
GH: Is it surreal at times being part of a pop icon such as
Myers?
DW: I can’t get over that. I`m still amazed, I sit at this table
and people come and come and come. It amazes me that it can be so popular and I
can be the person that’s that popular. But it’s the character that everyone
loves. Its Michael Myers, everyone loves him, nobody loves Dick. I certainly
appreciate it.
GH: Have you ever had to deal with nutty fans?
DW: Yeah, a long time ago I had a stalker guy who threatened
Kathy (Dick’s wife) and I. Unfortunately
he died from a brain tumor.
GH: If the role of Michael Myers was offered to you again,
would you come out of retirement to play him again?
DW: I couldn’t do that; I can’t do the walk anymore. I`m too old, I’ll be seventy two in February.
It’s time to give up the ghost (laughs) I`d love to work with John again. I`d
also love to work with Tommy Lee Wallace again.
GH: Would you do a cameo in a Halloween film?
DW:Yes I`d love to do a cameo in a Halloween film.
GH: Of your vast legacy in Hollywood what would you most want to be remembered for?
DW: Two films Jaws and this one (Halloween 2) and being a nice guy.
Thanks to Dick Warlock for taking the time to talk to Gorehound Mike!
All Interviews are owned by its author Michael Vaughn and is copywrited, and should not be used in any other form. 2012
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