Q&A Interview with Bruce Campbell of BURN NOTICE: THE FALL OF SAM AXE
Maj Canton - April 15, 2011
TV Tango recently participated in a conference call with Bruce Campbell, who plays Sam Axe on BURN NOTICE and the new prequel TV movie BURN NOTICE: THE FALL OF SAM AXE. Bruce took the time to talk about filming the movie in Colombia, working with Jeffrey Donovan, wanting to be the spokesman for Tommy Bahama, and his unheroic personal life.
BURN NOTICE: THE FALL OF SAM AXE premieres on Sunday, April 17, 2011 at 9pm ET/PT on USA. Plus, Bruce Campbell hosts the first-ever "Sam Axe Appreciation Day," a marathon of the best Sam Axe episodes of BURN NOTICE, from 9am - 9pm ET/PT on USA on the same day.
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Question: What was it like shooting in Colombia? Bruce Campbell: Colombia was challenging, but therefore authentic because the story actually takes place there. Normally what happens in Hollywood is they say it takes place in Colombia and they shoot it in Burbank, California. So it was kind of refreshing to go to the actual place, but as a result it was very difficult. |
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Question: What did you find most challenging about filming down in Colombia? Bruce Campbell: Being the leading man again. On BURN NOTICE Jeffrey Donovan is Number 1 on the call sheet, and I’m Number 2. And in the Sam Axe Movie, I’m Number 1 and boy that’s a drag let me tell you. It reminds me of the old days where you had to show up everyday and work all day long and like you know, be the hero. So I had to kind of get back into that mode. |
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Question: Did you have to change your shirt as often as you do in Miami or did you acclimate to the heat? Bruce Campbell: Oh no, in Bogota, Colombia it’s about 65 degrees on average down to about 50 at night. They’re near the equator, but they are at 8600 feet. So they have a strange sameness about their weather. It actually was not like Miami at all even though we’re near the equator. |
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Question: What new things will we learn about Sam? Bruce Campbell: That he was actually once very confident and capable and responsible -- because I think BURN NOTICE sometimes portrays him as being a little more casual or lazy or whatever. In this movie it’s five years ago, it’s Sam’s last mission and it’s back when he used to be like a real solider. And he used to actually like work for a living. So that’s what it is. You get to see Sam being like a real solider. |
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Question: Will we see any changes now that we have this back-story of Sam? Will we see any changes in Season 5 for his character? Bruce Campbell: Well you might actually because Matt Nix has made it clear that because of this prequel -- an event that took place five years ago -- Sam Axe had a bit of a run-in with the CIA. Ironically Michael Weston is now getting back in with the CIA five years later. But that might not be a good thing for Sam Axe because Sam is a guy who knows a guy. He knows county, federal, state. You know, Sam knows a lot of guys. But his little run-in with the CIA might actually cause him a few glitches in the future. |
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Matt Nix made that clear that there will be some incidents that if you didn’t see the Sam Axe movie you won’t get it in Season 5. So you have to watch the TV movie not because of me, but for the sake of the story. So if you don’t watch it you’ll be lost. It’s like LOST, you’ll be lost. |
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Question: As far as the back-story that we’re dealing with here, did you get to have any input on Sam’s character or was it completely just Matt Nix and the writer? Bruce Campbell: Well you have to allow Matt Nix, who created the character in the show, to do their main work. And then sometimes once it gets put on paper I’ll have input, suggesting "Can we do this? Or not say that? Or try to fix that or whatever?" So mostly you’ll let them have first whack at it and then we sort of jump in later as actors. But it’s a give-and-take process, but mostly we let good writers do their thing. |
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Question: How was working with Jeffrey Donovan as a director as opposed to as a co-star? Bruce Campbell: He’s a tyrant. He’s a taskmaster. As an actor he’s very seasoned, he’s been around for a while. And as a director he’s newer, but he did an episode last year that I was in very heavily and I got to work with him a lot. And we were like "Wow, you’re actually a good director!" So this came up and we were on the set together and he said “Hey, whose directing that Sam Axe Movie?” And I was like, "Well, we have a couple guys on the list." He goes "Can you put me on your list?" I was like, "Yes, sure, whatever." |
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So later it kind of worked out that he worked his way up the list and finally I encouraged everyone to support it. And so we got him to do it and he did a great job. So thankfully my vision will be vindicated. So I’m glad that this is something that he did and it’s from the BURN NOTICE family, written by Matt Nix, directed by Jeffery Donovan. I think folks that watch the show will find it very familiar and very fun. |
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Question: How did this project come about? Bruce Campbell: It was Matt Nix’s idea. He sort of came forward with an idea to start expanding the show, to create something outside the show yet within the show. And I was all for it, and the opportunity arose to get Jeffery Donovan to direct it. So we thought well this is perfect do a prequel - you know, because you could conceivably do Fiona before she got to Miami, ass kicking and taking people out with carnage and mayhem. And you could also do Michael Weston’s last mission before he got burned. So there is a lot of back-story you could do. And I’m not telling you any secrets or spoilers here but that’s the idea behind this movie to expand the show. |
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Question: Can you tell us anything about your personal life that would surprise fans? Bruce Campbell: I’m very unheroic. I saved a dog from drowning in an icy pond once. but beyond that...that’s the lack of my heroics. The rest of my heroics are written by writers and performed by stunt people. |
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Question: What do we see in the movie with romance for Sam? Bruce Campbell: Oh, he’s going to get some are you kidding? Yes he’s all over it. Kiele Sanchez is my co-star and she’s awesome -- a real hottie. In the movie she’s great. So yes, Sam is going to get some that’s all I can say. |
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Question: What do you think of Sam’s Tommy Bahama wardrobe? Bruce Campbell: Well, I wore that before BURN NOTICE so to me it’s normal. I’ve always liked that relaxed style. So when you know, BURN NOTICE came up and wore Tommy Bahama, I thought it was just perfect. I could be the spokesman. We did a list and so far I think I’ve worn 250 different Tommy Bahama shirts. So I should get a truckload of free shirts. |
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Question: Where will we find Sam & Company in the new season of BURN NOTICE? Bruce Campbell: Well, I never know because the writers don’t tell us and we don’t ask. The script comes in and we go, "Oh wow! Weird. I’m doing that now? Okay." We really don’t know the big picture. The actors think they know everything, but we don’t. The writer is the only person who knows everything. So Matt Nix has it kind of planned out, buts it's secret; so we sort of get it in dribs and drabs. But I’m excited. Every script I read I’m excited. |
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Question: Where would you like to see Sam? Bruce Campbell: Oh, just keep him around. Don’t kill him or hit him with a bus! That’s all…just keep him alive. |
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Question: What kind of challenge it was for you physically as an actor to play the sort of younger Sam Axe even if it’s only five years and more action hero type? Bruce Campbell: Hey, five is bad enough. Well I had to revisit the mountains behind my house in Oregon. When I knew that we were actually going to make this movie I went okay, Bogota is 8,600 feet elevation. I have mountains that are 7,000 feet, let’s try that. So I did a lot of hiking in the Siskiyou Mountains of Southern Oregon to get ready. And hair dye. The whole movie I’m clean-shaven. My mother is so delighted, "Oh, you look so handsome because you shaved." You know, that’s all mothers’ care about. |
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Question: What can you tell us about the progress on the “My Name is Bruce” sequel? Bruce Campbell: Well we have to get a script that doesn’t stink right now. We have one but it’s not really worthy of our fans. So we’re kind of working on that for the next year so. |
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