Video interview: Arnold Schwarzenegger & Johnny Knoxville on THE LAST STAND red carpet

Video interview: Arnold Schwarzenegger & Johnny Knoxville on THE LAST STAND red carpet

laststand-redcarpet

There’s a handful of actors in my “most-desired interview” list, but thanks to years of dedication and a lot of luck the names are quickly getting checked off. One of the biggest for me has always been Arnold Schwarzenegger. As a kid I enthusiastically watched his movies, and like many from my generation considered him the closest thing we’d ever see to a real life action figure. As Arnold got older, his films tried to mature or move away from what many knew him for, but he just couldn’t seem to escape the action hero image. Then he became the governor of California. Now think about this, an Austrian bodybulider moves to America and barely speaks English, quickly becomes one of the biggest blockbuster stars in Hollywood, then becomes the Governor of California. Arnold Schwarzenegger is the poster boy for The American Dream. He’s proof that anyone can make it here, against the biggest of odds. I think like many I wondered whether or not Arnold would return to acting after his political career ended in 2011. At the age of 65, he’s obviously looking a little more weathered these days, but he’s already got a lot on his plate schedule-wise and the next few years will see a pretty big comeback for The Governator. Arnie’s first big headlined effort is THE LAST STAND, helmed by Korean director Jee-woon Kim (THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WEIRD), in which he co-stars with Jackass star Johnny Knoxville. Both actors came to Dallas last Friday to promote the film, and walked the red carpet to chat with press. I was lucky enough to get a few minutes with them, and you can see that interview below. I’ve talked to Johnny before (for NATURE CALLS which you can see here), but this was my first time meeting (or even seeing) Arnold in person. We shook hands and jumped right into it, and while it’s far from the definitive interview I’d hope to have, it’s absolutely a dream come true – if you have told the 10-year-old me I would one day chat with people like Harrison Ford, Ernest Borgnine, or Arnold Schwarzenegger, I’d think you were lying… and now I do it for a living. Crazy. My thanks to the fine folks at Allied Marketing and Lionsgate for putting this together, my buddy David Hamilton for shooting it (and replacing a sick cameraperson at the last second), and the folks at AmStar 14 Theaters for hosting it. My review of the film is coming this week, but in the meantime enjoy two minutes I’ll never take for granted.

And here’s some B-roll footage of them on the carpet, talking to reporters, meeting the fans. As you can see (and hear) it was pretty crazy.

THE LAST STAND opens January 18, 2013

.

Be Sociable, Share!

About the Author

Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff.