Brad Dourif Talks Up The Hazing
By Barry Meyer

Brad Dourif has been a familiar face to moviegoers for close to 30 years now, but it's his voice that 
really rings a bell.  He's the guy who brings vocal life to Chucky, the killer doll in the Child’s Play
movies.  Dourif started his film career with an uncredited bit part in the Burt Reynolds' comedy W.W.
and the Dixie Dancekings (1975), but it was the other film he made that year that drew attention to
his unique talent.  Milos Forman saw something really deep in those wild eyes when he cast the young
actor in the pivotal role of Billy Bibbit, in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975).  From then on
Dourif has been featured in over 100 movies and TV productions, and has worked with a list of the
most influential directors in and out of Hollywood - John Huston, Dario Argento, David Lynch, Alan
Parker, Tobe Hooper, and Peter Jackson, just to name a share. 

He'd done roles in horror flicks before, but after the success of Child's Play and it's sequels (next
month’s Seed of Chucky is the series’ fifth entry), Dourif became something of a horror icon, turning
in some creepy performances in a couple dozen genre films -- including his recent role of Grima
Wormtongue in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

With MTI's DVD release of The Hazing, Brad was kind enough to take time out from the Deadwood
set to talk with us about his latest spook flick.

PENNY BLOOD: First off, I want to congratulate you on your Emmy nomination for
Deadwood.  I enjoy your performance as Doc Cochran.

DOURIF: Oh, thank you. I'm glad you like it.

PENNY BLOOD: You're here to talk about your latest DVD release of The Hazing …
No doubt that after doing the Chucky movies you get a lot of horror scripts. Can you tell
us what it was about The Hazing that got your attention?

DOURIF: Well, it was an offer [laughs]. You know, it came at a time when I could do it. 
I was in town, and I decided that I could do it.

PENNY BLOOD: Was that before doing Deadwood?

DOURIF: I had done the pilot, so it was before the first season.  I think I had my moustache
still [from the Deadwood character]… I forgot where I was with all that, but I definitely had the
moustache and [The Hazing character] was a professor.  I talked to [the producers] about some
problems I had with the script, and we were able to straighten them out - changed what needed
to be changed, and so I felt like I could do it.

PENNY BLOOD: What kind of changes?

DOURIF: I forget what exactly the structural changes were, but one of the things we did that
added some time was that we added some stuff about alchemy.

PENNY BLOOD: You looked like you were having a lot of fun with the role of Professor Kapps,
especially the scenes in the hospital.

DOURIF: Oh yeah, by that time in the shooting of the film we were all just plain silly.

PENNY BLOOD: So it was a good set to work on?

DOURIF: Oh, I think so.  At times it was a bit pressed and harassed.  It was tough on some people…
like Brooke Burke.  This was really the first time she'd acted.  She came in with no rehearsal and had
to just start shooting - which was a bit much to ask.  Still, she held her end up, even though it was a bit
tough. 

PENNY BLOOD: You didn't have a lot of time with the other kids in the cast did you?

DOURIF: No.  But they were a great crew.

PENNY BLOOD: You did have some time with Tiffany Sheppis, though.  She's one of the new scream
queens now.  How was it to work with her?

DOURIF: She was a gas! She was such a great deal of fun.

PENNY BLOOD: You seem to take on roles that are a bit twisted – going way back to Eyes of Laura
Mars and Cuckoo’s Nest.  Do you prefer to play edgier twisted characters, or what do you look for in a
role?

DOURIF: Well, I've been cast as them... and I like to work, so I take those roles.  You know, you try to
be diverse, and try to have fun and round things out.

PENNY BLOOD: The role of Doc Cochran [in Deadwood] gave you a chance to showcase your acting
abilities, and you do a brilliant job with it.

DOURIF: Well, thank you.

PENNY BLOOD: Were you surprised that Ian McShane didn't get a best actor nomination [for his role as
Swearingen, on Deadwood]?

DOURIF: Absolutely shocked!  I wasn't even aware [the nominations] were coming up, and I got a bunch
of phone calls early in the morning, and I'm thinking something good must've happened [laughs]. But when I
found out that Ian McShane hadn't been nominated, I was horrified.  But Ian's done pretty well, getting some
critic's awards.  And if you look at the competition he's up against, I think he's doing real well.  The world
knows how good he is already.

PENNY BLOOD: Now, going from a huge set like The Lord Of The Rings to The Hazing – that's gotta be
a big change.

DOURIF: Oh, of course, it's a big change.  The language is different.  What my role is is different.  The time
we spend is different.  [On The Hazing] we shot very quickly, and the film ratio was very small.  On the Lord
of the Rings the shooting ratio would be hours. 

PENNY BLOOD: How long were you on the set of Lord of the Rings?

DOURIF: I was on and off the set for the whole duration of the filming. I'd be on for 6 weeks, then maybe
a week another time.

PENNY BLOOD: On LOTR you worked with a big name like Peter Jackson.  What was it like to work for
The Hazing director Rolfe Kanefsky ?

DOURIF: Rolfe was fine…

PENNY BLOOD: I see... Is he planning on doing a sequel to Hazing?

DOURIF: I have no idea what Rolfe is up to… no idea.

PENNY BLOOD: Oh, okay... As a contrast, you've worked with lots of established filmmakers, including
a legendary horror director, Dario Argento [on Trauma]. What was that like?

DOURIF: Yeah, [Dario] is a sweetheart!  You know, he's open to trying things, which is really neat for a
director.  He's wonderful, you know, his images are great, and he's very innovative. 

PENNY BLOOD: Are you particularly drawn to the horror genre, or is it, like you said, you "get the offers"?

DOURIF: I think it was something that I avoided, because I found it particularly scary as a viewer.  But, it
kinda started happening for me, so I was delighted.

PENNY BLOOD: I appreciate you taking the time to talk with Penny Blood about The Hazing, and I want
to wish you good luck with the Emmy's.

DOURIF: It was a pleasure.  Thank you.

Look for a comprehensive interview with Brad Dourif in an upcoming issue of Penny Blood Magazine.