Interview: Bruce Campbell from Burn Notice

We had a chance to talk to Bruce Campbell of USA’s Burn Notice at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con!

Has it been interesting for you to see how big a convention like this has progressively larger?

Bruce Campbell: It’s great. I can’t feel bad for it the only thing is it’s getting a little bit more on the corporate side, like successful things do. Corporations go, ‘OH, there’s 125,000 people gonna be in one spot for four days, are you kidding me? Get down there Jamie Foxx, get down there Charlize Theron.’ Whereas five years ago they would never be here. So I mean it’s exploded. I think it’s awesome. It’s better than seeing everyone go out of business, I mean there’s lots of people that are hurting, but not the entertainment field, thank God.

Was it different for you to be here for Burn Notice?

Bruce Campbell: Yeah, oh sure. There’s a minimum of Ash questions, cause they go, ‘Oh crap he’s not even here for his genre of shows, or a movie, or whatever.’

Surely they’re still throwing those questions at you?

Bruce Campbell: Oh sure! No, you can’t avoid that. Because there’s a natural curiosity. You can’t take that away from them. If they really want to know, they gotta know. They wouldn’t know that I’ve answered it a hundred million times. They haven’t read all the hundred million interviews…. Or have they?

What question have you answered that you’re sick and tired of answering

Bruce Campbell: Well, The Evil Dead ones come to mind, but again I still can’t hold that against anybody, because they’re interested. So, I just get tired of repeating it, only because it’s asked so much. I just want to send out a banner everyday reminding people of what’s happening or not happening. But it’s ok. It’s all good. I don’t really mind it.

What will you play in the World of Warcraft?

Bruce Campbell: Don’t know. I just found out today that he was making the movie. I don’t even know.

Have you talked to him about it?

Bruce Campbell: No, I have no idea what he has planned. I’ll get a call. ‘You’ll be playing some shmuck, some idiot guy, some garbage man, or whatever; I don’t know.’

Are we going to see any sort of a back-story for Sam, like where he met Michael?

Bruce Campbell: We are working on a Sam Axe TV movie idea. Where it would be how he got to Miami. It’s a way to expand the brand. It’s a way to give people something to watch in the off-season, because we only have sixteen episodes. So you gotta show ’em something. So were noodling ideas like that. But you know the show is really plot heavy. You don’t have a whole lotta time for that. I think they’ll squeak it out, but I try not to pressure the writers. Let em do their thing. What they think is best. They’ll take care of me.

Have you had conversations with Matt about his thoughts on what Sam’s back-story is?

Bruce Campbell: No. No. No, because I don’t know, I really do respect these guys so much. I try not to get in their face. They don’t get in my face, I don’t get in their face. You know. It’s a pretty good deal.

So you’re not going back there inventing anything about Sam?

Bruce Campbell: No, cause I think people like the familiarity of a character. They can be taken a little bit this way or a little bit that way, but I still think you gotta, it’s the slippers you put on, they gotta fit. You gotta feel comfortable. Sam’s not gonna come out and be gay or something. You know, or some big revelation. Cause it still has to match within the show. It all has to fit within the context of the show.

Sam has a lot of luck with the ladies, what do you consider to be his most charming quality?

Bruce Campbell: Charm. Most men don’t have charm. It’s a lost art, Charm. Charming a woman. Thank God writers write the lines for you. Otherwise, Christ, I’d have to think of it. What a nightmare.

You have the genre of Evil Dead fans, and then there’s Burn Notice, which is going to have its own audience. Have you found your fandom shifting to different kinds of people?

Bruce Campbell: Oh, I’m starting to get that, “Hey Sam!” You know, shouted across an airport. ‘Yo, Burn Notice, Yeah!’ And then some people have backwards – they’ve discovered me in a roundabout way. They go, “Oh, Burn Notice is a cool show. Who’s that old guy on the show?” Then they look back and go, oh, he’s been in these weird movies. And then they do their own exploring backwards into my sordid past. Evil Dead is thirty years old. You guys are getting old.

Does that mean Anchor Bay is going put out another DVD?

Bruce Campbell: No, there’s no Anchor Bay anymore, really. No. Dear God! No! Not even I want another DVD. Army of Darkness, there’s like seventeen versions of it. Give me a break. But again, it’s demand. If no one was buying them they wouldn’t do it. It’s that simple.

There is a parody poster of Army of Darkness with Obama in the place of Ash. What do you think when you see things like that, the long term effects of these movies?

Bruce Campbell: Well, no worry. It seeps into public consciousness. There were some guys in Afghanistan, and before they go out on missions, they watch Army of Darkness. And then go out and kick some ass. There’s a police unit in L.A. , they call themselves the Army of Darkness. It’s a SWAT team. So, whatever works. Whatever sells DVDs.

Interview By: Emma Loggins

– Burn Notice Official Site

Responses

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *