Oliver Price: Needling the Parasite with Dark Corners’ Monster of the Week. By Brian Kirst
www.oliverprice.com
Actor, fitness expert and all around good guy, Oliver Price truly made an impression as the crazed and deadly Needletooth opposite Thora Birch in the frightening, mysterious Dark Corners. But Price has always given his all no matter what the role – whether he was knocking blocks as Beat the Cyborg’s Scraper or fighting a relentless Parasite, in the film of the same title. Although working steadily and on the rise, the gregarious Price recently took a few minutes to offer some muscular observations about his career in this original Horror Society chat.
Brian: Who were your first acting influences – Steve Reeves beating down the Roman columns – Sidney Poitier teaching the folks to say ‘sir’ with love – A marathon running, kazoo playing aunt?
Oliver: I wish it could be as distinguished. To be honest my first acting “influences” were when Van Damme, Bruce Lee, Arnie and Sly were in their prime. – Just simple, entertaining films not trying to be something other than what they were. These were times when I thought, hell yes, that’s what “I” want to be doing…hosing down aliens with a mini gun in the jungle…getting paid, showing off and having fun!
Brian: Alright! – How did you distinguish yourself as Scraper in ‘Beat the Cyborgs’? What kind of personality traits did you give him?
Oliver: Scraper was originally a Norwegian strongman who was in a circus but left. A simple fellow he amazed crowds with his strength and stupidity in equal measure-so obviously I felt quite at home playing him, not too much acting involved some might say!
Brian: Man, I know you gave it your all! – What was the most interesting thing about your time on the set of ‘Parasite’?
Oliver: Parasite was not only the longest film I’ve shot but the most chaotic. I’m used to waiting about for hours, but days? That’s a new concept! But really, sitting in a freezing cold abandoned power station can really test your love for film making. And that project really did…especially when we had to go back for a couple weeks for re-shoots.
Brian: Man! – Was there a specific memory or incident that you linked to your reaction to the ‘Parasite’ itself, in order to give yourself over to the fright required?
Oliver: No. Really that was the last scene I shot and trust me I didn’t need a fright. A freezing cold windy night wearing a vest, running about under a rain machine for an hour 50 ft up on a slippery gantry can make anyone look frightened!
Brian: No doubt. – What kind of background did you come up with to fortify your very effective portrayal of Needletooth in ‘Dark Corners’?
Oliver: Needletooth was a character cross referenced from classic horror flicks and my own interpretation of sickness, which I guess worked just fine!
Brian: It truly did! – Did you find that you wanted to take the intensity of Needletooth further than you were allowed – or do you think the perfect medium was met?
Oliver: I would of took it a lot further and in fact I did but due to final editing we had to limit the character an awful lot more than intended and that’s a shame as some of the missing scenes I shot with Thora were unreal.
Brian: Speaking of which – with your fitness background, do you feel you encouraged Thora Birch to react more physically while working onset for ‘Dark Corners’?
Oliver: Thora was pretty physical, she knew how to react to fights and a lot of physical stuff with me-her agents were really worried as one of the first scenes we shot I had to punch her in the face and of course it had to look realistic but she was up for it, not timid at all.
Brian: That’s great! – Do you have a dream role? (Like say, a remake of Kindergarten Cop…but with serious dramatic undertones, of course!)
Oliver: I think right now a dream role would be Conan-as I believe it’s still uncast-especially as they’re sticking with the original novel interpretation of the character.
Brian: Dude, you’d be perfect! – What exactly is Billyboy’s Big Man, a character you played in the awesome sounding ‘Intergalactic Battle’? (Actually, I think I have those, daily, on public transportation trying to get to work in the morning.)
Oliver: Ha, yes I know the feeling. Billy Boy was played by Silvio Simac (Unleashed, Undisputed 2) and I guess since I was fighting him I was his “Big Man”- not the most original name…or film come to think of it!
Brian: Lastly, any words of advice (IE: Never invade the dream life of a former American Beauty) and/or any future projects that you’d like to tell us about? And thanks – this has better than a round of Tae Bo with a space robot any night of the month!
Oliver: Words of advice…pretty deep but one I try to live by. Live each moment like your last because one day it will be and there’s no second chances, no living twice….on a lighter note future projects may include another film with DC director Ray Gower which looks and sounds pretty awesome…so stay tuned!
Brian: Will do!
Oliver: Thanks!
