- 6 minuti fa
Intervista a Jonny Brugh, scrittore, comico e interprete del vampiro Deacon nel film di Taika Waititi What we do in the shadows.
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00:03So, first of all, if Deacon was a Nazi Vampire, why isn't he in Giorgio Rabbit?
00:11Deacon would tell you that he denies all participation with anything aggressive during World War II.
00:21Although other wars, he may side with all sorts of diabolical, brutal, warlike antics on show.
00:32But no, I think he would deny that that was ever a thing.
00:36Well, now he would anyway, because he'd rather roam the earth free of any issues.
00:43If you look hard enough, you might have seen him in one of the scenes where he was hanging out
00:48in a French burlesque club.
00:51about to convince one of the fabulous burlesque dancers who had just done a Hitler impersonation
00:58to come with him back to his bunker slash laboratory so that he can talk to them
01:04to convince them never to do Hitler impersonations ever again.
01:07At the same time, he'd probably say, just show me the impersonation.
01:10Anyone just want to see it and have a look? Yeah, it's quite good. You can't do that.
01:14I'd do some torturing.
01:16So, if Jojo Rabbit had gone to any of those French cabaret clubs, I think you might have seen him
01:23there.
01:24Okay. Okay, perfect.
01:27Deacon is still so much part of your life.
01:30You are doing a podcast, Deacon's podcast.
01:33So, I want to ask you, how did you find Deacon's accent very peculiar?
01:42I just didn't. I just didn't think about it.
01:46I think one of the things when being involved in theatre, you make a character and you just do whatever
01:56happens.
01:57Like, there's the actor and then there's the character and you just grab at it, you know?
02:04Like, give us, you've got 10 minutes to go make a scene.
02:07So, you run away, you put on a hat, you strap something to your face, you come back and you
02:13do a bad accent.
02:15And that's kind of been the basis for a lot of the character development that I've done.
02:23I don't really think about it too much.
02:25I think a director would have to ask me to work properly on it, would say,
02:28you've got three months to get the accent right.
02:31If a character is from Eastern Europe, I'll go with Eastern Europe just because who knows where Deacon's from
02:41or has travelled to and has lived in, probably lived in Ukraine for 40 years.
02:46Who knows? So, when he's angry, it's Spanish.
02:48When he's bored, it's Russian.
02:51Okay.
02:52It's really just the most general, playful beats that one would sort of use, you know?
03:00If I'd been asked to work on a Russian accent, it probably wouldn't have been very good anyway.
03:09You know?
03:09I just don't ever think it, I think's the phrase.
03:13Don't ever think it.
03:14It's a comedy.
03:16However, recently, during this podcast, Stu, the werewolf, said to me,
03:22you do sound a bit Mexican.
03:25I've got that in the back of my head.
03:27Just when you compress all of the words together, it sounds a bit Mexican.
03:34And now all I can hear is a Mexican accent.
03:37Okay.
03:38And what we do in the shadow is the proof that we just can't get enough of vampires.
03:48Why do you believe that we love them so much?
03:52Why vampires are so special to us?
03:55I spent a bit of time in America.
03:59I had the pleasure of being invited to some horror conventions in America to meet some shadow's fans.
04:07And I am really surprised to experience the passion that the audience has.
04:20I don't personally share the same passion for vampire characters.
04:28I kind of feel sorry for vampires.
04:30Because I can't imagine wanting to live like that.
04:34I don't think I'm the right person to ask this question to because I don't really have a fascination for
04:40vampires.
04:42For me, I can approach it in a technical way.
04:48I think my character is kind of an alter ego and an excuse for me to be the worst parts
04:55of myself.
04:56And that seems to work.
04:58And a character can be the worst kind of person.
05:01They've got to be charming.
05:03I think that's the key for any character to be successful is there's got to be a reason for you
05:08to want to hang out with them.
05:11Maybe, because I think all vampires are ultimately fiction.
05:16They're a creation of humans.
05:19I think there's this fascination or there's this pleasure in fear.
05:27Humans do.
05:29We really fear is such a massive part of our makeup.
05:33You know, it's probably one of the biggest evolutionary emotions that's kept us alive.
05:42If we weren't fearful, we would just go wandering and get eaten by a werewolf or a vampire.
05:51Yeah, I think it is.
05:52I think it is just fascination of the other.
05:57Maybe the way filmmakers have portrayed vampires has something to do with it, because 28 days of night, that film
06:06where those vampires just start to circle around that town in the middle of the frozen tundra, they're terrifying because
06:14they're like sharks.
06:15They're just cold, cold beasts looking to feed.
06:22Maybe it's putting a human face onto the predator, like a shark or a wolf or something, and then see
06:31that human face connects so intrinsic.
06:37The human face is the face that all humans see when film comes out of the wind, our mother's faces
06:44are what define how we think and how we express.
06:47So, yeah, mix that with a great white shark.
06:53They are such a powerful metaphor.
06:56So, in your opinion, who are the real monsters today?
07:02You said you don't get fascinated by vampires.
07:06So, can you answer me?
07:08Who are the real monsters today?
07:09Not in cinema, not in movies.
07:12Maybe sexual predators.
07:13Maybe real monsters.
07:15Hmm.
07:21I wonder if men have become the real, the modern monster.
07:25Yeah.
07:27Murderers.
07:28There's a lot of documentaries around the moment.
07:32Looking into the, you know, the making of a murderer, things like that.
07:35People who turn and lose the sense of empathy and become.
07:41Yeah, I think, I think the modern monster is a monster that has, that is more human shaped.
07:50Because I don't, I don't personally see natural predators as monsters.
07:56We think tigers are beautiful.
07:59Animals are beautiful.
08:00Orcas, orca whales are beautiful creatures.
08:02They're predators if you're a penguin.
08:06So, I think, you know, if you, if we're talking on a, in a storytelling sense, a literary sense,
08:13then it's humans are treacherous and deceitful.
08:17And maybe that's part of the vampire makeup because it's, vampires can hypnotize you and convince you to do things
08:27you don't want to do.
08:28And that's, that's, that's, it's a human, those are human traits that, that humans are very much involved with and
08:38capable of doing.
08:40So, that's it.
08:42That's what scares you the most.
08:45Jeez.
08:46Probably things like growing old alone and those kind of things.
08:51Real, real things.
08:54Not being understood.
08:58Hurting someone's feelings.
09:01Oh, getting real deep there.
09:02Yeah, I just, I think in a, in a, in a, in a day-to-day level, um, financial security
09:09is something that's kind of important.
09:11But in a, in a storytelling sense, I don't feel much fear.
09:17I mean, I kind of find myself feeling very playful way too often.
09:23I think writing is, is a very playful place for me.
09:28My work's quite a playful thing.
09:30Speaking about writing, you're also a writer, a comedian.
09:35Do you believe that politically correctness is killing comedy?
09:41Or is right to be politically correct in comedy?
09:44What do you think?
09:45I don't think it's killing comedy.
09:47I think the audience is changing.
09:50And as a comedian, you have to connect to your audience.
09:53If you can't connect to your audience, then you're not going to, it's not going to work.
09:56You know, you're just not going, then you're just, you're not, um, that relationship is crucial.
10:02If the audience aren't laughing with you, then, then you're not, it's, you're not going to be successful.
10:09Different countries have different senses of humor and feel comfortable making jokes about different things.
10:15So when an audience doesn't want to see sexist and racist jokes, then, then don't do them.
10:25There's a few comedians around who, um, who, uh, a few older comedians who, um, still don't quite understand their
10:33audience.
10:34Or the audience has changed in front of them and they, you know, they are hoping that their audience is
10:40still there, but it's not.
10:42The younger audience, um, don't want, they, they want their kind of inclusiveness.
10:49And, um, yeah, I just think it's a case of, um, moving with the times.
10:58Deacon, uh, he's appeared in, uh, the trial episode in the, what we do in the shadows TV show.
11:06So I can finally ask this question since in the episode, there are all the existing vampires.
11:14What do you think about Batman?
11:17Because he stole your symbol, the bat.
11:22What do you think about it?
11:25Um, I, I'm working on a project at the moment that, um, is superhero based and, uh, I'm thinking about
11:36Batman a little bit.
11:37I think Batman's cool.
11:40Deacon doesn't wear a bat.
11:42Deacon doesn't want to wear a bat on his shirt.
11:46Why are you thinking about superheroes?
11:49Can you tell me something or not?
11:51Um, I'm just developing a project with a friend, um, that is, um, that, uh, is in a world, in
12:00a, a Kiwi, a Kiwiana world of superheroes, but very early stages.
12:07And so I'm thinking about superheroes and the, the, the nature of superpowers and what, what that, what that means.
12:18Because I've always thought that superpowers were, um, would limit drama and they come from a place like when a
12:30character can't do anything and needs to do things, then you've got a problem.
12:34Then you've got a story and a quick character overcoming adversity is a character that feels they can't, they can't
12:42achieve what they want, uh, or that they're, um, on the back foot and need to change their world.
12:50And so that's a story, that's storytelling.
12:53But when you've got a character, like Superman's a better example, cause he can do anything.
12:57He can lift up trains and it's like, well, there, what, where's the, where's the story?
13:03That's been one of the problems that I've had with, um, with comic stories is the, is where is the
13:13tension, where is the thing to overcome?
13:16But of course they're all there as well.
13:18I'm not, I just only need to go and read comics and watch the films to see where the stories
13:23are at.
13:24But I do think about superheroes and once they've been through the, um, the traumatic experience of saving some, um,
13:32young people or, or moving through a crisis of their own in a, in their, in their films, then what?
13:40Then they just hang out.
13:42Batman spends a lot of time hanging out in this cave, thinking about what his bicycle is going to look
13:47like because he shouldn't be driving that massive car everywhere with this, you know, there might be an oil crisis.
13:53And he might need to ride a bicycle for a while.
13:56There's plenty of stories there in the background.
14:00Also thinking about, um, uh, who the bad guys are.
14:05What is a baddie?
14:06What makes up a baddie?
14:09Um, it's all very simplistic too, because the goodie and the baddie concept is problematic to me.
14:20Just a little bit too convenient.
14:23And, uh, when, when society decides there's an automatic baddie, then they're not really looking deep into why.
14:30Maybe we do now, nowadays in stories, but just a little bit too convenient.
14:34And I find that, um, it should be just look into that for a while and see what's in there.
14:42In a comic way too, because, you know, you can, there's some, there's some, um, simple humorous ways of looking
14:47into what, what, what makes a bad person, what makes a baddie.
14:51An evil scientist want to do things.
14:53This project is, is, uh, a standup comedy show about superheroes or some movie, a podcast?
15:00No.
15:00Well, I think it'd be great.
15:02I think it'd be great, um, having a play in a standup environment with characters because that's how someone can
15:09play.
15:10You know, just come, like putting Deacon into a standup environment would be pretty cute.
15:14You'd probably run into trouble.
15:15I think playing characters live on stage is a good way to, to write and throw yourself into that world.
15:22If that's something that you want to do, because of course, jumping onto stage and doing a standup gig is
15:27not that easy.
15:27So it's easier for you, uh, playing a character and not being yourself on the stage.
15:33You prefer being, uh, a character.
15:37Yeah.
15:38Yeah.
15:38I do.
15:39Yeah.
15:41Okay.
15:42Speaking about good and evil, uh, you said in an interview that you want to see, um, maybe a sequel
15:51of what we do in the shadows with the standoff between vampires and werewolves.
15:56We will ever see it or not.
15:59Maybe in one of your shows.
16:00I don't know.
16:01I can't answer that question because that's a question for Jermaine Clement and Taika Waititi as legal owners of that,
16:08that IP.
16:10I'm more of a spiritual owner, if you like.
16:13You know, um, I've no doubt that, um, once Jermaine Clement has finished making what we do in the shadows,
16:23FX, the, um, the FX TV series.
16:26That if he's still, if he's still interested in working in that, the arena of vampires and werewolves, then, um,
16:33I think it would be great for, to all of us to get back together again.
16:38And I'm, I might not be in that project because it may not be a project that goes into their,
16:45that flat, you know, to meet the Argo and Vladislav.
16:48I don't know if they would.
16:50Maybe.
16:51I think about that.
16:52I think about one scene where the vampires get out of a bus and then saunter down the street in
16:57slow motion, like tough guys.
17:00And, um, straight into a mix up with the werewolves.
17:04But I don't know.
17:07I honestly, I can't answer that.
17:10I mean, Taika is very busy.
17:12Everyone's very busy.
17:12You seem so zen.
17:15What's your secret?
17:17Because, uh, generally comedians are so neurotic.
17:20So, you seem so calm.
17:23What's your secret?
17:24Ah, wow.
17:25Um, well, I did wake up about, um, 45 minutes ago and think, oh, it must be very early.
17:33I used to be quite a, um, nervous, energetic person.
17:37I still can be, um, if I'm out of my element.
17:42I don't know.
17:42I just think age.
17:44I'm, I'm older now and I'm quite happy talking about stories and quite happy talking about work.
17:53Um, I did walk on stage once.
17:55My friend, um, bit me, goaded me into walking on stage with no material.
18:02And I, so I did, I went and stood up there and played a character and talked to the audience.
18:08And, um, it was an interesting experience because it, it wasn't the worst gig I've ever done.
18:15And, uh, I learned from that, that I could, um, try to make up stories in a kind of character
18:21that would be,
18:23that got laughs because they recognized the character.
18:26They recognized some little games I would play.
18:28Could you tell me the secret to master the erotic dance?
18:33The secret would be to, um, would be to find your favorite erotic dance,
18:41your favorite dancing that you find erotic and start doing it and, um, don't stop.
18:48Just dance.
18:50Yeah.
18:51Yeah.
18:51Yeah.
18:52And believe that you're, you're sexy.
18:56That's the spirit.
18:57Okay.
18:58I like it.
18:59The best part of that erotic dance game was the, the game is not to stop dancing.
19:04Just always, always, um, find another, another thing.
19:09If you, if you, if you're over wriggling your hips, then start wiggling your feet and then,
19:16then go back to the arms.
19:18And the game, the game of that scene is to not stop and to just keep going.
19:23So there's moments in between good dancers that are moments of being lost and not knowing what to do next.
19:30And those moments are the kind of the most beautiful in some ways.
19:33I love the comedy in there because Deacon doesn't question whether he's erotic or not.
19:40He could, he says it's erotic and, uh, that could mean anything in a sense.
19:45And then goes about doing his dancing.
19:48And that's, um, one of the most charming things.
19:52So actually being a good erotic dancer probably wouldn't be as charming or as erotic as someone who thinks they
19:59are,
19:59but it isn't, isn't as good as they think.
20:07Thank you so much.
20:10Thank you.
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