Die Internetseite des Sender's A&E stellte nach jedem neuen Spenser-Film ein Interview mit Joe Mantegna online.
Die Interviews zu den Filmen "Small Vices" und "Walking Shadow" dürftet ihr bereits kennen, denn diese findet man in den entsprechenden Threads. Jenes zu Thin Air hatte ich bisher stets vergessen zu posten, dies hole ich nun hiermit nach:
A&E: What is it like to play Spenser for a second time?
Joe Mantegna: Well, to a degree it's easier since I've established the character. The first time you do anything, you're kind of feeling your way, trusting your instincts, and working on all the different things at your disposal to make it work. Having done one of the books and feeling pretty comfortable about how it went, I think I've got a bit of a handle on who this guy is.
It's been an interesting and an enjoyable experience—putting the clothes on, becoming that guy again, and further exploring that particular character. I'm such a big fan of this whole series of books. I've read them all, and each one adds a different dimension and a little more information about not only the Spenser character, but a few of the others. It's nice to stretch the character out a little bit more, further explore just who he is and what he's about, and to say more of those great Parker phrases and dialogue.
A&E: Why do you have such a great connection to the character?
JM: Well, for me it really starts with the script. In the case of these books, I'm attracted to them in the same way I'm attracted to the writings of Mark Twain, David Mamet, Barry Levinson, or any number of good writers. I've worked for the last two. Never worked for Mark Twain, but...you get my point. Writing good dialogue is really what it's all about. Actors who think they can make silk purses out of sows' ears when you really have bad material are basically kidding themselves. If you've got really good material, and it resonates with you as an actor, then you've got a real shot at creating a fun and interesting character—and an interesting movie. Since Parker is one of my favorite writers, I simply enjoy wrapping my lips around his words—that's what makes it work for me.
A&E: Tell us about Thin Air.
JM: Thin Air is a bit of a departure from a lot of the books in the series because we bring back the character Chollo, who existed in one of the early books. This book revolves around what happens when the wife of one of the other characters gets kidnapped. Almost as a favor, Spenser works to uncover all the details as to why this happened, what has happened, and how he can fix it. What makes the story so out of the ordinary and interesting, is you learn about these different characters and find out that it's not a clean-cut situation. It's not just the story of a missing woman, it's the further adventures of Spenser and his myriad of weird sidekicks, friends, and compatriots.
A&E: Chollo is your sidekick in this story. What is the relationship between Chollo and Spenser?
JM: Well, the Spenser-Chollo relationship is a little different from the Spenser-Hawk relationship. At one time, Chollo was almost an adversary. He's like the number-one guy to a different character, this mysterious Mr. Del Rio, who appears in one of the earlier books. Spenser and Chollo exist on a similar plane in different worlds. They're very different culturally, yet have a lot in common. It's just an interesting dynamic. They have a very similar sensibility and sense of humor, and it makes for real interesting pairing. It's one of your more interesting kinds of buddy setups.
A&E: You have just finished your first movie as a director. How is that different from starring in a film?
JM: It was pretty educational for me. Here I am doing a role in which I am basically in every shot and every scene. If that was the only experience I'd had, I would have thought it was the hardest job in the world. But I almost feel like it's a vacation compared to what it took to direct a film, where you're basically the first guy there and the last guy to leave; and there's a lot of preparation weeks before and weeks after. So directing was a real eye-opening experience. We've certainly been lucky with both of the Spenser films we've done, having Robert Markowitz direct the first one and now Robert Mandell direct the second. They're both real pros, real high-class directors with a lot of experience. Having been a director has made me appreciate what these guys do all the more, because it was a great experience to do it myself.
A&E: Has it caused you to look over the director's shoulder with your own ideas?
JM: I don't find myself second-guessing too much—especially as long as I'm working with good people. I've been fortunate enough to work with some of the best directors in the world, so maybe I'm spoiled in that respect.
Quelle: https://web.archive.org/web/20030202231217/http://www.aande.com/tv/shows/thinair/thinairinterview.html