- Thank you Kevin Mangold for your time for the Fans.

My pleasure. Connecting with movie fans is what makes my job fun. 

 

 

- Kevin you are an Actor and creature performer, When was the time you knew you wanted to be an actor?

 

As long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a part of the film industry. When I was five years old, I jumped off a high wall onto my tricycle proclaiming, “I’m a stuntman!” I don’t know how I even knew what a stuntman was, but somehow I made that prediction come true decades later.

 

I made the decision to pursue a career in performing sometime in grade school, as I loved acting in school plays and the recognition that I received as a result. In the fourth grade, I wrote a play, based on one of the Aesop’s Fables, and performed it for my school, with a few other classmates. It was then that I recognized that you could tell others how you feel about something without really saying it directly. 

 

- Among other things, you played in "Skeleton Crew" a Mean Rodian. Were you a Star Wars fan before you got cast?

 

It was a dream come true to play a character in the Star Wars universe. Star Wars was one of the very first movies that I saw in a theatre. I remember being invited to join a friend’s family and all of us kids watching it together on the big screen. Not only was I hooked, then, as a Star Wars fan, but as a fan of filmmaking as well. It felt like my birthday when I arrived on set for my scene in episode 1 of Skeleton Crew and found out that I would get to ride a hover cycle! 

 

- Kevin ,Could you share some funny, remarkable, weird stories regarding the filming of your scenes ?

This was a fun shoot for me. To walk among hovercraft, robots, and creatures from the Star Wars world was surreal, at times. I even got to ride a hover bus. Much like the Firehouse in Ghostbusters Frozen Empire, the set design was so all encompassing and detailed that it started to become real. As an actor, I try to live the life of the character that I’m playing, so it’s real easy on a set this great to give in to the suspension of disbelief. To feel like I am inside a movie world when I’m watching a movie is a lot of fun, but when it happens while I’m making one, it’s pure magic. 

 

It was also a very secretive shoot. I’ve never been on such a private set before. All of the actors had to wear long black robes and hoods covering our entire costumes. There were helicopters hovering above us constantly, trying to get a shot for tabloids. The energy was through the roof, as everyone seemed to realize that they were working on Star Wars. 

 

Also, I worked as a stunt double for Ryan Kiera Armstrong, one of the young stars of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew on a film called Wish Upon A Unicorn years before I worked with her on Star Wars, so it felt like a reunion. Hollywood can feel like a very small world, sometimes. 

 

– With a role in a Star Wars Series like Skeleton Crew comes a Big Fan Community, what are your first star wars fan experiences?

This interview is my first Star Wars fan experience, other than a couple autograph requests by mail. My role in Star Wars: Skeleton Crew was larger in the script than it turned out to be on film, so I don’t expect many people to even know that I played Mean Rodian. I’m hopeful that there will be other opportunities to walk in the Star Wars universe.

 

- You also work as stuntman in series like American Horror Story , Grimm... . What can you tell us about your work?

I love doing stunt work. Being five feet tall, I mostly stunt double kids, doing things like surfing, jumping a bike, rock climbing, or getting hit by a car. I’ve also doubled for women, such as Eva Longoria. This work gives me the opportunity to do a lot of things that I would never otherwise do. It’s a lot of bikes and horses, but sometimes I get to take lessons before doing the stunt. My favorite stunt of all was hanging from a helicopter skid while it flew high into the sky.

 

- Kevin , you worked for so many Movies and series but , in my thought , there is one Special role you had. Ghostbusters Frozen Empire as Slimer. your thoughts on the role?

 

Being a part of Ghostbusters has been a living dream for me. To be entrusted with a character as iconic as Slimer has been an honor and the experience of a lifetime. I made many friends throughout the filming process and have had the opportunity to meet Ghostbusters fans from all over the world as a result of this role.

 

I was in high school when I watched the original Ghostbusters and, like everybody else, loved Slimer’s hallway food cart scene. I wish I had known then that I would one day get to play him on the big screen. It might have made the difficult times easier to get through.

 

- Is there something special you would love to do in the future? Maybe another role in Star Wars?

 

I would love to play a larger role in Star Wars. Creatures and robots is what I do and there’s no better world than Star Wars for that. And, of course, I would love to be Slimer again. Truth be told, I kinda miss the onionhead. But, I also plan to continue producing in an effort to ultimately write and direct my own feature films. 

 

- Thank you for your time Kevin Mangold! Let’s end this interview with some words for the fans?

 

I recognize how fortunate I am to get to work and play among these great filmmakers and actors. I also understand how lucky I am to be a part of some of the biggest movie franchises in history. But, my greatest joy comes from interacting with movie fans. The truth is, the fandom goes far beyond the films themselves, but rather is about the history and nostalgia that they conjure. Often, the movie or TV show is important to someone because it was introduced to them by an important family member. Through Star Wars, Ghostbusters, Seabiscuit, and American Horror Story fans, I’ve gained a family that I connect with through social media, mail, appearances, and conventions. If it weren’t for the fans, there would be no one to make movies for.

 

- Thank you and i hope to see you some day on a German Star Wars Convention.

 

Thank you Bernd. That would be great. I’ve never been to Germany, but would love to visit. If you’re connected with any conventions, please feel free to contact me or my appearance manager Derek Maki at @coolwatersprods