CRAIG FAIRBRASS
Film quotes pose as questions. Film stars try to cope.
Devil-dancing and direlogue with the Muscle man.
IN THE CROSSHAIRS THIS MONTH CRAIG FAIRBRASS
You talkin’ to me?
Of course I’m talking to you. More importantly, are you talking to me? If you are, look me in the eye and don’t look away!
Do you have an off switch?
Do I have an off switch? No, I don’t! From a very early age, I’ve been absolutely driven and obsessed with trying to carve out a career and trying to do my best as an actor, to come across as real as I possibly can. And it’s not been easy over the years. It really hasn’t. But every now and again, you get that little reward that makes you push yourself on again over the next hurdle.
How much can you know about yourself if you’ve never been in a fight?
Not a lot. Not a lot. Listen, no one wants to fight. But sometimes you have to. I can remember as a young kid, I was a late developer and I had my fair share of being bullied [by] older kids. But I can remember, waking up one morning and becoming 6’3” and I could hit a geezer on the chin! [laughs] As a teenager, where I grew up, it was around you daily. Obviously, you never look for trouble. But if someone steps on your toes, you’ve got to be able to defend yourself. And when that does happen, you learn a lot about yourself. That self-respect.
Have you ever danced with the Devil in the pale moonlight?
Many times. I can’t go into it because they’d take me away in handcuffs now!
What would you do if you knew you had less than one minute to live?
Kiss my wife and children and tell ’em how much I love them. Just be around the people that you love and tell them how much they mean to you.
Why don’t you tell me the story of your life?
I mean, if you’ve got a fortnight we could go into it. I’ll be honest with you
– the story of my life has been just one chase film with me just chasing, chasing. Going out to LA as a younger man, pushing myself, putting myself in very uncomfortable situations. Having two young babies, getting enough money to get on a plane and go to Los Angeles and try and get some work as an actor, trying to build up the résumé. It has been one long chase, chasing that dream, waking up every day and thinking about what you want out of this business. And then being lucky enough as I’ve got older – and it’s taken forever – with Muscle, Villain, Ire, this prison drama I’ve just done, to finally get some bones with some meat on.
What’s your favourite scary movie?
Well, I grew up obsessed with horror films. I loved the old Hammer stuff, but
I was always drawn towards monster movies, creature films. Obviously The Thing is up there, big time. I love it. But my favourite horror film of all time is Jeepers Creepers. I love that film.
If you could change something in your life, anything at all, what would it be?
I wish I could be more patient. I’m so impatient, it’s terrible. My wife says, “If you applied everything like you do to your acting, everything would be so much better.” Because, she says, it’s the only thing that you tend to take in your stride, you take it very seriously, you’re always prepared, you never go anywhere without being on top of your material. And you seem to be never flustered or erratic and losing your temper with it. While everything else in my life… I think because I want it so much, to do good work, that it can make me a little bit quick to be around if things are not going right. So I wish I could just be a little bit calmer.
Who’s the more foolish: the fool or the fool who follows him?
The fool who follows him, I think. Without a shadow of a doubt.
You’re a loudmouth punk slag who’s about to die!
I’ll never ever forget reading that line for the first time in my life, when that script came through, and I thought to myself, “It’s such terrible dialogue! How do I ever work with someone like Stallone and try and change it?” It’s a weird one, because the Americanisms of how they look at us, especially the Cockneys… they come with a whole different perspective when it comes to workingclass Londoners. But it’s become an iconic line! I’ve had people email me, message me and quote it to me. A very memorable line in one of the best action films ever made.
ETA | OUT NOW / MUSCLE IS IN CINEMAS AND ON DEMAND.
‘FROM A VERY EARLY AGE, I’VE BEEN ABSOLUTELY DRIVEN BY CARVING OUT A CAREER’