Carl
Weathers
Chief Benjamin Benson
Police
Chief Benjamin Benson may have the nation under his thumb but the one
thing he can't control is his unruly and wilful daughter, Whitey Action
Iconic
American actor Carl Weathers, whose many credits include Rocky,
Happy Gilmore and Arrested Development, plays Phoo's
beleaguered top cop, a man whose picture of law and order has been inconveniently
ruined by marauding mutants.
"Ben
Benson is as perplexed by the madness and mayhem of 2012 as anyone would
be," laughs Carl. "He's no more prepared to deal with the
circus-like events of the crime than he is prepared to deal with the
fact that Whitey's growing into a young woman.
"His
biggest problem is his inability to get out of his own way. Benson's
vision of the world and his vision of how Whitey should behave clearly
cause him great consternation. His attempt to fit the world of 2012
and Whitey into manageable compartments complicates his life and impedes
his success."
Behind
Benson's brash Brooklyn bravado is a good cop trying to do the very
best for all concerned, and when mutant-busting Jeet Kune Do (JKD) specialist
Terry Phoo arrives, Benson is relieved.
But, as
Carl explains, even that emotion is short-lived for the troubled Chief
of Police.
"Terry's
unorthodox methods add more grief than Benson bargained for. Initially,
Benson is reluctant to warm to his young charge. He is not only protective
of his professional turf but also protective of his daughter, Whitey.
Phoo, as a result, is observed with caution and suspicion."
Carl's
acting CV spans three decades but he admits that he's never come across
anything quite like Phoo Action. "This doesn't resemble
any drama I've ever seen or read. This is so outrageously whacky, I
can't think of it as anything other than comedy from a wickedly funny
and subversive mind. Jamie's [Hewlett] creative efforts are brilliant.
"Unlike
many American comedies it runs head-on into taboos. Nothing and no one
is sacred… viewers will either find it very outrageously funny
or be outraged by the take-no-prisoners lampoon of so many sacred cows."
Now aged
60, Carl was born in New Orleans and was a college football star at
San Diego State. He had a successful career playing with the NFL's Oakland
Raiders but retired from the sport in 1974 to fulfil his goal of becoming
an actor.
Carl's
big break came in 1975 when he was chosen to play the role of Apollo
Creed in Rocky, alongside Sylvester Stallone. Such was the
popularity of Creed, Carl went on to play the role in a further three
Rocky movies, elevating his character to iconic status for legions of
fans the world over. Carl also appeared in the action film Predator
alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger.
During
the filming of Phoo Action, fans frequently turned up to meet
their idol. Carl says: "I feel very fortunate to have been the
talent to bring Apollo Creed to life on the big screen - I'm very pleased
that fans consider the character as a cinematic icon."
And, when
it came to casting the role of Benjamin Benson in Phoo Action,
the creators confess they always had Carl in mind - to which the actor
modestly responds: "Of course, being desired is flattering. However,
an actor's goal is to deliver a superb performance. What was most appreciated
was the willingness to hear my thoughts about the character and screenplay
and the further willingness to include those ideas."
More recently
Carl has carved a niche for himself as a comedy actor, starring in the
likes of Action Jackson, Happy Gilmore, acclaimed
US hit series Arrested Development and in The Comebacks.
"“For
me, comedy and satire has been a challenge and I've found the challenge
an exciting departure. It's given me entry into a different fan base
and created much more fun in acting," says Carl.
But he
confesses that filming Phoo Action posed its own unique comedic
challenges, requiring the cast to bring Hewlett's comic strip humour
to life in TV action drama form.
"Comedy
is always a challenge,” explains the actor. "But Phoo
Action was very challenging because of the nature of the story,
which involved very different cartoon-like characters like The Freebies
where one had to react as if they were very normal in everyday life.
"For
the bulk of my career, I've performed in dramatic and action genre films
and television shows. The comedy roles I've done have been well received
but Phoo Action is by far the broadest, most over-the-top comedy
drama I've ever been involved with.
"Both
Eddie [Shin] and Jaime [Winstone] were such fun to work with. They made
the experience of filming Phoo Action so much joy. Both were
energetic and came prepared to play each day. The characters of Whitey
Action and Terry Phoo were delivered with such comic book hilarity that
I often found it very difficult to keep a straight face!"
In Phoo
Action, celebrity mutants The Freebies become the object of Benson's
crime-fighting obsession. And working alongside a seven-foot purple
ape, a baddie with a basketball for a head and a sinister striped puff-eyed
mutant proved somewhat strange for Carl, to say the least.
"Surreal
doesn't quite capture the description of the mutants," he says.
"The actors in those crazy costumes were put under really challenging
constraints and valiantly performed in all the madness of the fights
and running around."
Aside from
kung-fu crime-fighting, Phoo Action makes a comedic comment
about celebrity culture in its own satirical style. An interest in all-things-celebrity
is, as far as Carl is concerned, part of our lives in 2008, let alone
the weird and wonderful Phoo Action world of 2012.
"I
don't see celebrity obsession as any different from any other kind of
obsession," he says. "Obsession seems to be the way many cope
with their lives as a mechanism to deal with a lack of contentment or
perhaps the need for escapism."
And if
it's escapism you're after, Carl is sure Phoo Action more than
hits the mark, describing it as: "Madcap, whacky, subversive and
funny!"
While Carl's
Phoo Action character faces a power struggle with mutants and
his wayward daughter Whitey, the actor is in no doubt which super-power
he'd opt for if he could have his pick. "For some reason, super
vision appeals to me," he laughs. "Barring that ability, I
suppose being able to print large amounts of cash for my own personal
use wouldn't be so bad either!"
Phoo
Action
What is Phoo Action?
Creator Jamie Hewlett
and writer Mat Wakeham
Eddie Shin interview
- Terry Phoo
Jaime Winstone
interview - Whitey Action
Being Human
Being Human features
