We Speak Actors
Actor Adam Basil on stunts, Spielberg and Orcs
Hollywood actor and stunt performer Adam Basil has appeared in movies and TV shows including ‘Beauty and the Beast’, ‘No Time to Die’ and ‘Game of Thrones’. His other credits include ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’, ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’, ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ and ‘Spider-Man: Far from Home’, as well as several ‘Fast & Furious’ movies. He talked to us about his gruelling stunt work, the celebrities he gets to work alongside, the secrets of prosthetics and how being big and bulky has been the making of his career.
How did you get into the film industry?
After working in the theatre and in other jobs (including yacht delivery!), by coincidence I happened upon a stuntman and actor who told me about the British Stunt Register. In the UK, there’s a qualification process for stuntmen and women – you have to be at national level in six different sporting disciplines. It took me many years to complete my training and qualify as a stuntman.
Which celebrities have you worked with?
I’ve worked with lots of well-known actors and directors – Steven Spielberg, Tom Cruise, Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Samuel L Jackson, Ryan Reynolds, and many more.
What have been your favourite projects?
My favourite project so far was working with Andy Serkis when I played Venom.
“I also played the Beast in ‘Beauty and the Beast’, and Baloo in ‘The Jungle Book’. Playing a death trooper in ‘Rogue One’ was a challenging role due to the costumes being very restrictive.”
And I really enjoyed playing the body double for Will Smith in ‘Aladdin’ – yep, that big blue body is mine! I did four seasons of ‘Game of Thrones’ and stunt-doubled for the Hound and the Mountain. I had four hours of prosthetics from the great Barry Gower, the mastermind who created the amazing characters you see on those programmes.
Who’s your inspiration?
I grew up on a diet of films like ‘ET’ and ‘Indiana Jones’ and always loved the work of Steven Spielberg. His epic adventures gripped me from an early age, and I had the luck of working with him on ‘Ready Player One’.
What advice would you give someone who wants to become a stuntman and actor?
I’d say think long and hard if it is the job for you. The hours are gruelling, and after long days at work you’ll usually find us in the gym. If that excites you, then get involved by contacting the British Register, or if you’re in America contact SAG to find out how to join us!
What’s your most recent project?
This year, when Penguin released the new Judge Dredd audiobooks, I played the voice of Judge Dredd. We recorded three audiobooks in three days, and one of the scripts alone was 160 pages. I also acted in ‘The Beekeeper’ with Jason Statham, I’m an Ork in the new ‘Lord of the Rings’ franchise and I’m in HBO’s ‘The Last Of Us’. I’m also a guest lead in ‘Django’, a new Sky Atlantic series coming out in February.
What training do you do to prepare for films?
Films are intense – we work six days a week, sometimes seven.
“When working on ‘Beauty and the Beast’, I worked 21 days straight. The days are long – 10 hours minimum, plus travelling to and from work – and we sometimes have to change our body weight for a role.”
For example in ‘Beauty and the Beast’ the Beast is very big, so I was encouraged to bulk up for the role to make the character more menacing. I’d eat 4,20 calories a day and lift weights twice a day, five days a week. For other roles we can be asked to lose weight to fit into costumes that can’t be changed to accommodate the performer. My size has worked well for me, as I’m 6ft4in and weigh 110kg, which helps me get roles and has meant I have travelled all over the world with my work.
Featured photo credit: Andy Serkis
We Speak Actors
Chris Lemmon, Son of Legendary Actor Jack Lemmon Guests On Harvey Brownstone Interviews
Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth Interview with Chris Lemmon, Son of Legendary Actor, Jack Lemmon, Actor & Author, “A Twist of Lemmon: A Tribute to My Father”.
Chris Lemmon is an actor, producer and author who’s appeared in many movies including “Airport ‘77”, “Seems Like Old Times”, “Uncommon Valor”, “Swing Shift”, “Cannonball Run 2”, “Weekend Warrior”, “Lena’s Holiday”, “Roe vs Wade”, and 2 very special movies, “That’s Life” and “Dad”, in which he appeared with his legendary father, 2-time Academy Award winner Jack Lemmon, who’s been immortalized in movies like “Mr. Roberts”, “Save the Tiger”, “The Apartment”, “Irma LaDouce”, “The Odd Couple”, “The China Syndrome”, “Glengarry Glen Ross”, and of course, the greatest comedy film of all time, “Some Like it Hot”.
In fact, our guest portrayed his father in a re-enactment of his time on the set of “Some Like it Hot”, in the Marilyn Monroe biopic, “Blonde”.
On television, our guest has brought us many memorable roles including “Checko” in “Brothers and Sisters”, “Richard Philips” in “Duet” and “Open House”, “Jeff Cameron” in “Knots Landing”, and “Martin Brubaker”, better known as “Bru”, in “Thunder in Paradise”. On the stage, he’s starred in “Barefoot in the Park”, “Shay”, “Love Letters”, and his highly acclaimed one-man show “Twist of Lemmon”, based on his best-selling, highly compelling and heartwarming 2006 memoir entitled, “A Twist of Lemmon: A Tribute to my Father”.
He also wrote, produced and hosted the wonderful documentary film, “Magic Time”, which is all about the brilliant artistry of Jack Lemmon.
Harvey Brownstone is a retired judge of the Ontario Court of Justice and was the first openly gay judge in Canada. He is also the bestselling author of “Tug of War: A Judge’s Verdict on Separation, Custody Battles and the Bitter Realities of Family Court” and hosted “Family Matters with Justice Harvey Brownstone,” a television talk show on matters involving the family justice system.
After a distinguished legal career, Harvey was appointed a judge at the age of 38 in 1995. He has presided in family and criminal courts. He has been a trailblazer in several ways. He was the first openly gay judge in Canada. He was the first sitting judge in the world to write a national best seller and to host a TV talk show.
Harvey has been a role model and icon in the LGBTQ community. When same-sex marriage was legalized in Canada in 2003, he was the only judge to make himself publicly available to officiate at weddings for lesbian and gay couples travelling to Toronto from all over the world to get married. In 2007, he officiated at the wedding of Edith Windsor and Thea Spyer, the American couple whose marriage triggered the 2013 United States Supreme Court decision overturning the definition of “spouse” in the federal Defense of Marriage Act.
In February 2021, Harvey launched his online talk show “Harvey Brownstone Interviews” on his own YouTube channel. He saw this as an interesting hobby. Within several months, the show attracted hundreds of thousands – and then eventually, millions – of viewers. Because of the overwhelming success of the show, Harvey decided to retire from the judiciary on December 31, 2021 after having presided as a full-time judge for 26 1/2 years. Free from the constraints imposed upon judges regarding the expression of opinions and the endorsement of private enterprise, Harvey now happily devotes his full-time attention to hosting “Harvey Brownstone Interviews” as a regular member of the public – albeit one with a rather illustrious and unique career history.
Watch Chris Lemmon on Harvey Brownstone Interviews on Youtube here:
The official website for Harvey Brownstone Interviews may be found at https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com
Get “The Talk Show Blend” – Coffee For The Modern Day Trailblazer! By Harvey Brownstone from Breakfast At Dominique’s available at https://www.HollywoodBlends.com
For more information about Harvey Brownstone, here’s his Wikipedia page:
-
We Speak Rap1 week agoMOTIVATE. ELEVATE. LEVITATE. CELEBRATE.
-
We Speak Music1 week agoDJ Heron releases new web series “House Of Heron” EP. 1 Ft. King Tetrus
-
We Speak Indie Artist1 week agoExploring The Psyche Through Sound: AMillionForever’s DISTORTED EP
-
We Speak Music1 week agoAngael Delivers Masterful Tune ‘All Leopard’