Exclusive interview with LANCE HENRIKSEN (part 2 of 3)

In December, BacktoFRANKBLACK published the first of a three part interview with Lance Henriksen conducted late last year. Again we thank Lance for his time and hope you enjoy this interview.
If you missed the first part of this interview, click here to read part one!

For further information on how YOU can help us promote the campaign, contact jim@backtofrankblack.com!

BacktoFRANKBLACK: You very much get in the character - what we see in Frank Black seems a great deal from what you've researched and what you feel about the character. Are there any actors you'd be interested, from a purely artistic point of view, to see what they could bring to the character?

LANCE HENRIKSEN: A friend of mine has a great phrase "if you're having bacon and eggs for breakfast a chicken was involved in laying the egg, but the pig was committed," and I think commitment is something that an actor like Heath Ledger had. Man, he really tried. You see it a lot when you see him in Batman - this guy really went somewhere! He dug deep. There are a lot of actors out there like that, there really are - but you can't hit a home run without a bat.

If you are given a role that requires that type of commitment and a director and producer want to support you in that pursuit, then you can do that kind of work. But often they'll give you a job that is in a style that they're not willing to let you go there - they're asking for more a surface style that doesn't lend itself to that pursuit of commitment.

BTFB: So are there any actors you'd like to see try a different take on Frank Black?

LH: There are many good actors out there, believe me, I've met a lot of them! Of course giving their names might be giving the job away! [laughs]

BTFB: Fair point! What in your mind gives Frank Black and Millennium the longevity required to return after nearly a decades absence?

LH: While we were doing Millennium, we were a little ahead of our time, Chris had a real vision for the show in what he wanted to do and how he wanted to do it. When I met with him I said "this is very dark, where is the light? How is this going to work?" He was very cryptic - he said "the yellow house." I said "what?" and he said "yeah Lance, the yellow house - trust me this is going to really work!" The guy had the vision and so I went along with it. He was very convincing to me.

BTFB: Indeed - the devotion and love of Frank's family was not just unique for television, it very much lifted the show from its dark themes.

LH: Right, and when the show killed Catherine Black, I was like "what? Now the audience has nothing to hold on to! Now what?"

BTFB: That's very true - though Frank's relationship with his daughter Jordan remained very strong as the show moved into the third season.

LH: Oh I loved her! Brittany Tiplady, what a wonderful child. Oh my God - I fell in love with her, she was like my daughter - she really was! I remember when we did the pilot she did this incredible thing. We pulled up in front of the Yellow House for the first time and we looked out - she was so excited she licked my nose! She was such a giving and wonderful child.

BTFB: Going back to the campaign, one of the aspects BacktoFrankBlack is keen to emphasize is we're not looking to go "back" to Millennium, but taking Frank and the Millennium universe from its theme of 20th century pre-millennial angst and into our dark new world of the twenty-first century. A Frank Black film could offer thematic answers to the questions the vision that Millennium posed: what would life be like after the millennium? The idea that the 21st Century carries its own paranoia, tensions and fears could make for an interesting interpretation of a future Frank Black project. What are your feelings on the 21st Century?

LH: Sure, well, when you look at what's going on in the world right now - extreme people causing destruction. It's more like what everybody thought it would be when the clock ticked to midnight [2000] - and here we are - and there is a lot of terrible shit going on, there really is.

But weaving through that there is a lot of people really trying to have a good life and do the right thing. There are lot of these people - more than the others causing destruction! Of course governments are a pain in the ass, but the thing to remember is that there are people trying to have a life and from that there's a lot of beauty.

I think children are the only heaven I'll ever know when you really get down to it - my children are the only heaven I'll ever know. They're incredible to watch and they are the best of what we are.

BTFB: In regards to the vision you describe, Frank Black would be a fitting character to return to - because his devotion for his daughter very much epitomizes those values. That purity of love between a parent and their child is such a definite contrast to the horror we see around us.

LH: He's not another James Bond, he's the opposite of James Bond - and he's not a Partridge family - there is a reality to it [Millennium], so yes, there's a place for Frank Black in the 21st Century - and I think there is room for a guy like me doing it!

BTFB: We've had a lot of feedback from the 30-something fan base which to me implies there is an evolving demographic for a show that doesn't cater simply for a young audience - an older group who want something a little different, like Millennium was.

LH: Right. I think to be honest, Millennium has taken a life of its own, which is why I really want to talk to you - if a thing like this is happening it should be done!

BTFB: We're just hoping this mutual desire for Frank Black's return is felt by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz too. Frank has certainly been kind enough to regularly promote the BacktoFrankBlack campaign.

LH: I like Frank a lot - I like both Chris and Frank. Also some of the writers on that show [Millennium] too - I really liked their work.

There was a line in the first season that fascinated me. "There's an unusual element of mindfulness associated with the violence," I thought, "oh my God - what does that mean?" When I picked up the People's Choice award for Millennium that was one of things I said and I could see the audience jaw drop they didn't know what the meaning was anymore than I did when I first heard it! I loved the writer who wrote it and the writer thanked me for saying the line! It was funny!

I hope that Chris and Frank take the lead and say "this will happen." Sometimes it's a sociological event - if this is something the fans really want, they can certainly get it.

Part three will be released at the end of this month in which Lance speaks politics, pleasure and of course, the campaign!

Lance Henriksen/Fangoria Radio interview now available as podcast!

Last week Lance Henriksen did an interview with Fangoria Radio promoting this campaign to bring back Frank Black. That interview is now available for download as a podcast on ITUNES. It's a great interview with information about Millennium, the possible future of the show and some great banter between Lance and the crew of FANGORIA radio!

"Subscribe today to hear highlights from last week's FANGORIA RADIO show, including legendary genre veteran and Fango fave Lance Henriksen who stopped by to fill us in on what he’s been up to, and how to get involved in the campaign to bring his cancelled-too-soon show MILLENNIUM to the big screen."

All clips are listed in the iTunes Store under the "Podcasts" tab. Click here to open the page on iTunes, or simply search for "FANGORIA".

We thank Lance for his time and Fangoria for their support.

OH NOBLY BORN - BARDO THODOL IN 3D!

Dear Campaigners,

Before we return to serious matters with the second part of Lance Henriksen's interview this weekend, allow us to indulge you in something a little frivolous. We were delighted by the response to our Lucy Butler Cubee template recently and decided to bring to you another opportunity to recreate Millennium in the comfort of your home. Cubees, for those unaware of them, are paper projects that recreate famous characters in three dimensions. Sadly, none exist for Millennium but we have decided to right that wrong. Without further ado we present to you Dr. Takashi from season three's superb episode 'Bardo Thodol'. So print your template, grasp your scissors and enjoy a few moments of Millennium madness courtesy of the campaign team. Enjoy!

A TEST OF CHARACTER - FUN WITH THE CAST

To maintain our efforts to promote the campaign and continue our relationship with the cast and crew that have shown such warmth and support towards us, we proudly present our second Millennium Initiation Test, a quirky way of involving Millennium's supporters in our campaign. As you will have noticed, Kristen Cloke is a staunch ally of this campaign and one, of many, cast and crew members who desire to see a return of the Millennium franchise in whatever form this may take. So please indulge the campaign team in a moment of Millennium fun and we urge you to check us out on a regular basis to enjoy many more serious, and lighthearted, contributions from those who contributed to the franchise. After all our hard work of late we are due a moment of frivolity so read the words of a Millennium cast member and continue your support of this campaign as you do so!

FANGORIA ON ITUNES - LANCE HENRIKSEN INTERVIEW

Dear Friends,

As you will no doubt be aware, Lance Henriksen gave a live interview to Fangoria Radio on 30th January and a very enjoyable interview it was too. We offer our thanks, again, to the team at Fangoria Radio for their efforts in undertaking this and to Lance, in particular, for the constant enthusiasm with which he continues to support and promote our campaign. If you were unable to catch this interview, fear not, Fangoria offer exclusive content from their Radio Shows via the Itunes Store and we are assured that this show will be available for download shortly. To keep abreast of all the latest news concerning this, check out Fangoria Radio here or, alternatively, subscribe to the feed in advance here.

In the meantime, allow us to whet your appetite by bringing a little teaser of the content to your attention. As soon as the interview is available for download will present the full transcript to you, until then, enjoy this short segment!

DEE SNIDER: So Lance, let's talk about this movement that the fans have started to get 'Millennium'...?

LANCE HENRIKSEN: I know, it's kicking off, they're amazing, they are.., they called me from London and said they're getting overwhelmed with emails and people are writing in to [20th Century] Fox and all this stuff, and, pretty amazing stuff. That show just will not go away, I mean, anytime I go to Eastern Europe, Europe, anywhere in Europe, they all ask about it. When is it, when's it gonna happen? Is it gonna happen? It just goes on and on, it has a life of its own.

DS: Are you amazed when you go overseas and hear a show you did, I mean, you appear in the states, you can relate to it watching in the states, then you go overseas to other countries and they're turned on to it and so aware of your work on the show. Isn’t that incredible?

LH: Oh yeah, man, I remember getting off the plane in Bucharest, Romania, and there was a whole lobby full of people, hundreds of people and I thought, someone's coming in here man and I looked behind me to see who it was, cos I get off on first class too, and they were waiting for me (laughs).

DS: I've done the same thing, seen a whole mob of people and turned around and go, who's coming? It's you!

LH: (Laughing) There's a sucker here, it must be you! It's pretty, it's kinda wonderful.

FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT - JOIN THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

Dear supporters,

After a stellar week last week we have not rested on our laurels and we have much to bring to you over the course of the week that we believe you will greatly enjoy. That said, we cannot rely on the cast and crew alone to make all the right noises and we need to ensure that the voices of the fans are heard as loudly. We thank all of you who have supported us thus far, without you there is no campaign, and we ask you to consider if you can dig deep, once again, in support of the campaign. In addition to bringing the attention of 20th Century Fox to us there are many simple ways you can make a huge difference to our efforts. Here are a few suggestion but I am sure you can think of many more besides.

• Write to us! Send us your thoughts and views on Millennium, on the campaign, what you'd like to see from a potential movie outing, we are always interested to talk to fellow fans. Posting your words on our Blog is a great way of displaying the ground swell of support that exists out there and may take you only a matter of minutes. As with all our suggestions please indicate in your email if you are happy for us to share you thoughts with readers of our Blog.
  
• Got a memorabilia collection, a Millennium inspired tattoo, a photograph of yourself meeting Lance at a convention? Share it with us, a picture speaks a thousand words after all.
• How about making a short video supporting the campaign that we can use? As mentioned, we have 7 remaining copies of 'Millennium Apocalypse' to send to the best submissions we receive. Don't delay, film today!
• Are you artistically inclined? How about making a campaign wallpaper we can share with fellow fans or a campaign postcard that our supporters could send to 20th Century Fox? I am sure those with artistic talents can think of far more exciting ideas that we could use.
• And, probably most importantly, spread the word! If you have a social network profile share news of us with your friends, encourage your followers on Twitter to check us out, discuss us in the forums you frequent should such a topic be applicable and allowed by the staff team. Wherever you have a voice use it politely and respectfully to share the word.

To whet your appetite and to show how easily you can make a valuable contribution to the campaign here is a brief video filmed by a supporter. A great blog entry, a valuable plug on Youtube and a surprisingly simple way to say 'here we are!' We look forward to seeing what you wonderful people can come up with.