TEARS
OF THE DRAGON
Copyright © 2005 www.tombraiderchronicles.com
"So
far what has been involved in terms of
acting the part?"
I
had to learn not to appear shy on camera
and do my character research.
I
know there are many interesting impressions
of Lara and all we can do is express our
own viewpoint but I still checked out
every website and book I could find that
analyzed Tomb Raider. I am constantly
exploring Lara's psyche to get a clearer
and clearer sense of who I think she is.
Then comparing what we may have in common
so I can build on it. If nothing else
I am succeeding at getting a better grasp
of my own self.
"What
do you think keeps people's interest in
the Tomb Raider franchise?"
It's
strong character. Folks found Tomb Raider
to be extremely cool and Lara left her
mark on them. So impressed were they when
she came along that many people are holding
on to those fond memories hoping their
high expectations for more will be fulfilled.
The character doesn't have a limited window
for a comeback like one that is played
by a flesh and blood actress who becomes
highly identified with the role. Lady
Croft is timeless and the fans are more
patient than the corporations give them
credit.
"What
physical/mental training took place in
order for you to get ready for the role?"
Dialect
training was obviously in order. To start
off I worked on my dialog with a pal who
was good with languages. Then an actor
friend of mine turned me on to 'Learning
to Act with a British Accent' tapes.
To
help with appearances, I shifted my focus
to sparring during my self defense training.
I've also taken months of gymnastic classes
to work on my aerial awareness for a few
moves. I am sure the hikes around the
desert, forests and mines looking for
set locations also helped put me in the
right physical shape for the role. Not
to mention putting me in the right mindset.
"What
did you think of Angelina Jolie's portrayal
of Lara Croft?"
Angelina
is a fantastically talented actress and
I really enjoyed watching her. If the
scripts had been better, she would be
THE Lara. She elevated the movies as much
as humanly possible.
"What
has been the most difficult thing so far
to accomplish with the 'Tears of the Dragon'?"
Finding the shooting locations was the
most challenging but I really enjoyed
doing it. Getting to hunt them down was
one of the main reasons I wanted to do
this project. I LOVE research. Hey, I
think Lara does too...
"Who
else is involved with Tears of the Dragon,
cast, crew?"
There
is Nick of course whose main roles are
writer and director. Our friend Dave,
antique weapon aficionado, is our gun
consultant and head production assistant.
My pals Keith and Tracy (a.k.a. ZenDragon
and Digital Tracy and founders of Adventurersplace.com/RaiderQuest.com)
are lending their character creation abilities
and are appearing in the flick.