Terry Gilliam: ‘Robin Williams was one of the most stunning people I’ve ever met’
Variety falsely announced your death in 2015 with the headline “Monty Python’s Terry Gilliam dies at XXX”. How did the news reach you? DoubleRDinerI saw it online. I couldn’t believe I died in a Vin Diesel movie! I thought it was very funny. My family were a little more concerned. My son went into work and his boss said: “Oh, Harry, I’m so sorry for your father’s death,” and Harry knew nothing about the fact that I had died. They have the obituaries ready to go for anybody halfway known. Whoever pushed the button, it was a big mistake. I got on to my agent and lawyer and said: “What do we do about this?” but they were really boring. I said: “I’m going to write to Variety and explain the harm, pain and anguish they caused my family.” I elaborated ever so slightly. I said: “I’d been on a plane, my wife and daughter were in France and my son was out of touch,” which was true. I wrote to them: “It’s one thing to read your own obituary, but it was as bad as your reviews of my films.” I added: “Since you caused so much anguish, what would be lovely is if you would offer me a case of Chateau Margaux.” In the end, they did send a case of Chateau Margaux, but it was a bad year.
Quentin Tarantino cites you as his champion and says you gave him the best piece of directing advice he ever got. Did you discuss directing one of his screenplays? MarkFilmgoerIt was at the Sundance Institute, where they team young film-makers with three older directors. I’d read the script of Reservoir Dogs and was blown away. The other two professional directors – Stanley Donen and Volker Schlöndorff – didn’t get the script. Quentin had shot a little scene but it was overshot – too many angles, too much everything. I talked to him and said: “Here’s the deal. Surround yourself with really good people that you trust, who are more experienced than you, and listen to them. It makes such a difference.” Now, he’s so successful and famous that I can’t even get him on the phone. I love watching his movies. I think he’s utterly brilliant, but I don’t think it would be a good marriage, he being him and me being me.
You’ve said you’d rather be more like Stanley Kubrick than Steven Spielberg, comparing the thought-provoking ending of 2001: A Space Odyssey to the happy ending of Schindler’s List. Do you still agree? And what do you think is the best ending you’ve created? JamesterI don’t think there’s any comparison. Kubrick had a brilliant mind and really explored things. He wasn’t frightened of going down very dark corridors. Spielberg is the Norman Rockwell of cinema. He’s brilliant, but there’s always something reassuring about his movies. There’s no leaving doubt for the viewer other than the world is an OK place. I don’t agree with that. Film-making is more about leaving people without a clear answer to life and making them do some work. My movies are pretty funny most of the time, but they’re not reassuring in the way a Spielberg movie is. I think the last one – The Man Who Killed Don Quixote – has got the happiest ending of any of my films.
Die Hard is considered by many to be a Christmas movie, as it’s set over the festive period and has lots of Christmassy stuff going on. By this logic, is Brazil also a Christmas movie? NickLockeyObviously, because of all the Christmas shopping – they’re buying gifts for all the executives. It is a Christmas movie, but probably not a happy Christmas movie.
What was it like working with Hunter S Thompsonon Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Robin Williams on The Fisher King and Heath Ledger on The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus? JimmyCigarettes,Sagarmatha1953 and Prestonian79Fear and Loathing was complicated, because both Johnny [Depp] and I were very worried that Hunter would be disappointed. The worst day of shooting was the day that Hunter appears in it, because he wanted to be the centre of attention the whole time. At one point, he started throwing bread rolls at me.
Finally, the scene came up that he was actually in, in the Matrix nightclub. It was the scene with the largest number of extras and we were running late. He just had to sit at a table and Johnny would walk by and double take, realising he just walked past the person he’s portraying. That’s all it was. Hunter kept saying: “As a journalist, I would not be sitting at that table. It is far too central. I’d be more on the edge,” but we’d set the scene up. The producer, Johnny and myself were surrounding this recalcitrant Hunter Thompson sheep, trying to lure him back on set.
The way I finally succeeded was by taking the best-looking of the extras, a girl, and sitting her at the table. Hunter finally went over and sat next to her, but he was too busy talking to her to look up when he was supposed to. It took three or four takes before he finally paid attention so we could get the shot and get out of there before we went way over budget.
I loved Robin. He just was extraordinary. When we did The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, even though the budget had gone out of control, Robin said yes and was an utter joy. Almost everything he says is him ad-libbing. We did have a script, but he would go off track and it was hilarious. When we came to The Fisher King, Jeff Bridges was the anchor to keep Robin and me from floating off into the stratosphere and giggling the whole time. Robin had so much energy. It was wonderful. He was one of the most stunning people I’ve ever met.
Heath was the best – such a great actor. He constantly found new ways of dealing with the scene. His death during the middle of Doctor Parnassus is still one of the most painful moments of my life. Heath was going to be the biggest star on the planet and then this absurdly tragic death stopped all of that. I still miss him.
Do you actually like baked beans? Chappy82I don’t think about baked beans at all! It was a line that Mike Palin wrote for Time Bandits. In Python, there’s a sketch where I’m lying on my back, gorging on baked beans. I don’t know why baked beans are attracted to me. It’s not my choice.
If you had complete artistic control, casting choice and an unconstrained budget, which film would you most like to make/adapt/remake? llamalpacaI would probably make a really shitty film. No restraints means infinite choice, and infinite choice is the most exhausting thing on the planet. I don’t delight in being restricted. I’ve been able to choose the actors, have final cut on every film and have all the power I want. Having more money, I could probably improve some of the films I’ve made, but not necessarily, because finding myself short of money makes me very angry, getting angry gets my adrenaline flowing, and often I come up with better ideas.
Which Python did the raspberry at the end of the opening theme sequence? It has to be the best raspberry ever captured on tape. My hunch it that it was you. Jimd and ComfortEagleYes, it was me. I do tongue farts for a living. The Python years were the best, because the freedom we had was extraordinary. Doing the animations, I was, in many ways, the freest of all the Pythons. The others would write sketches. Then we’d all sit around and decide which ones went into the show. I was given the freedom to go from when one sketch ended to the beginning of the next. It was only on the day of the show when I would come in with my cans of film that they would realise what I had done.
Do you draw, paint or create artworks for your own pleasure? NLewisEditorThe only drawing I do these days is in birthday cards, Valentine’s cards and anniversary cards for my family. But the pressure of a birthday coming up always makes me work very hard. I’ve got to have a good idea that I can draw. Each one has to be something fresh and current in our lives.
When it comes to demonstrating slapstick comedy fundamentals, which is preferable: shoving an entire banana into one’s mouth, or receiving a custard pie in the face? (I thought you drew the short straw at the Hollywood Bowl).VerulamiumParkRangerI was the lucky one: I got the banana. The banana was healthy. The others got the pie. The pie was horrible.
• Gilliam presents a screening of Brazil and speaks at The Dark Comic Genius of Terry Gilliam on 18 February at Bristol Old Vic as part of this year’s Slapstick festival