http://kickme.to/americanwerewolf

DAVID NAUGHTON:

Yes, as a matter of fact I did in New York. I went to the London Academy Of Music and Dramatic Art and returned to New York where I started my career. The first job I got was with the Joseph Bapp’s New York Shakespeare festival, I did some off Broadway and that’s really where I started.

ARROW:

So theatre was your first love?

DAVID NAUGHTON:

Yes. As a student in London, I had seen so many shows, so many plays and had seen so many greats of the day. And having performed in high school productions and college productions I was primarily familiar with live performances on stage.

ARROW:

So how hard was it to make the transition from stage performance, which is fairly big, to on-screen, which is more subtle?

DAVID NAUGHTON:

Having gone to drama school where I was really trained for classical theatre or for modern theatre…it was different, certainly different. It's trial by error and hopefully you work with directors who can modulate your performance and that’s really the key. You need help when you’re starting out. On the other hand, some people are very naturalistic to begin with.

ARROW:

"American Werewolf In London" is the movie that you’re most famous for...

DAVID NAUGHTON:

Yes, I would say so.

ARROW:

Do you ever get sick of it?

DAVID NAUGHTON:

Well, it depends, when you come to a convention like this, I’m primarily here for that. Generally the feedback’s been good. If it wasn’t so good and I was known for something bad, it would be harder to live down. It depends…I generally hear about the same kinds of things; where people were when they saw it, or how they got really scared. It’s kind of amusing.

ARROW:

How did you feel when you first saw the transformation sequence on the big screen?

DAVID NAUGHTON:

Well, I realized finally that all of the hard work paid off. I was not prepared for the actual process itself; having to go to the shop and having some molds done. People were not doing that at the time. In 1981, nobody had experienced this kind of a makeup before so I was one of the pioneers and there was nothing to prepare me for it. So I had to have faith that the makeup people, in this case Rick Baker and his crew, knew what they were doing and of course they did. And it was quite a payoff to see it all cut together in about a two-minute transformation. Sitting in a theatre with an audience, it proved that it really paid off.

ARROW:

Were there ever talks of having you in the sequel?

DAVID NAUGHTON:

I don’t know. There was lots of talk, lots of different sequences, I don’t know if you’re alluding to…

ARROW:

"American Werewolf in Paris". I’m sure it went through so many stage over the years…

DAVID NAUGHTON:

Yes, different stages, different re-writes, different people involved and I don’t know really know if my name was ever mentioned. My contention really was that if there was going to be a sequel, I would have had the same people involved. The creative people. John Landis who wrote and directed the first one. The fact that it wasn’t John, that none of the makeup people came back and none of the actors either, I always felt that it wasn’t necessarily a sequel so much as a tribute to the original.

ARROW:

Did you like it?

DAVID NAUGHTON:

We had set a pretty high standard is my feeling…they tried…

ARROW:

They tried, they failed…I’m going to name one of your other movies and tell me the first thing that comes to mind: "Hot Dog".

DAVID NAUGHTON:

Skiing, lots of fun, amazing stunts. I was always grateful to the stuntmen. These people that doubled us weren’t even stuntmen, they were hot skiers, daredevils who said “yeah sure!” They never had any experience in film and fortunately nobody got hurt on that movie.

ARROW:

You’ve played in more horror movies than I thought. "Amityville New Generation", "Mirror Mirror 3", "Body Bags", "Sleeping Car" is one I remember seeing a while back. Actually, I was curious, is "Separate Ways" a film you did before or after AMWIL?

DAVID NAUGHTON:

Before, really early before.

ARROW:

And what was it about?

DAVID NAUGHTON:

It was about an hour and a half (we laugh).

ARROW:

Would you say that the horror genre is one of your favorite genres?

DAVID NAUGHTON:

It could be fun, it depends on who’s involved. I’m not a big slasher film fan. I always go with the story and character and if those are good and if the setting is something that’s scary (horror films seem to always take place at night and the weather’s always bad) then I might be interested. But I basically look at the characters and the story and if it happens to be in the genre, than that’s fine.

ARROW:

What’s your take on the whole CGI thing?

DAVID NAUGHTON:

It really depends. Talking to some CGI people, it’s a complicated process. You have to pay for it as opposed to having it done cheaply because it can really destroy a film if badly done.

ARROW:

For example, the AWIP transformation sequences are nothing compared to the ones in AWIL.

DAVID NAUGHTON:

I agree.

ARROW:

Sometimes I think filmmakers are becoming lazy with all that CGI.

DAVID NAUGHTON:

Well, it’s a way to save money. It can be effective but I think it should be used sparingly.

ARROW:

My last question: Am I ever going to see a movie written by David Naughton or directed by David Naughton?

DAVID NAUGHTON:

Well you know, never say never. The writing aspect of it I kind of doubt; my hats off to all the screenwriters of the world. It's a slow process to have something written and made...it can take years to get something approved or even to get a treatment done. The directing aspect…who knows? Certainly I’m interested in it. I’m just looking for another opportunity to star in another film that’s going to be a big success sort of like Werewolf.

ARROW:

I've met many "celebrities" through this site and I have to say that many of them act like pretentious jerks holding their heads high above mine, thinking they're so special because they've played in a film. David Naughton was not one of them. He came across as a giving, caring and just all-around sympathetic dude. I really enjoyed my sit-down with him. David thanks a bundle dude, you were actually the highlight of The Con for me.

ARROW:	I want to flashback here. You started acting in theatre, didn’t you?
DAVID NAUGHTON:	Yes, as a matter of fact I did in New York. I went to the London Academy Of Music and Dramatic Art and returned to New York where I started my career. The first job I got was with the Joseph Bapp’s New York Shakespeare festival, I did some off Broadway and that’s really where I started.
ARROW:	So theatre was your first love?
DAVID NAUGHTON:	Yes. As a student in London, I had seen so many shows, so many plays and had seen so many greats of the day. And having performed in high school productions and college productions I was primarily familiar with live performances on stage.
ARROW:	So how hard was it to make the transition from stage performance, which is fairly big, to on-screen, which is more subtle?
DAVID NAUGHTON:	Having gone to drama school where I was really trained for classical theatre or for modern theatre…it was different, certainly different. It's trial by error and hopefully you work with directors who can modulate your performance and that’s really the key. You need help when you’re starting out. On the other hand, some people are very naturalistic to begin with.
ARROW:	"American Werewolf In London" is the movie that you’re most famous for...
DAVID NAUGHTON:	Yes, I would say so.
ARROW:	Do you ever get sick of it?
DAVID NAUGHTON:	Well, it depends, when you come to a convention like this, I’m primarily here for that. Generally the feedback’s been good. If it wasn’t so good and I was known for something bad, it would be harder to live down. It depends…I generally hear about the same kinds of things; where people were when they saw it, or how they got really scared. It’s kind of amusing.
ARROW:	How did you feel when you first saw the transformation sequence on the big screen?
DAVID NAUGHTON:	Well, I realized finally that all of the hard work paid off. I was not prepared for the actual process itself; having to go to the shop and having some molds done. People were not doing that at the time. In 1981, nobody had experienced this kind of a makeup before so I was one of the pioneers and there was nothing to prepare me for it. So I had to have faith that the makeup people, in this case Rick Baker and his crew, knew what they were doing and of course they did. And it was quite a payoff to see it all cut together in about a two-minute transformation. Sitting in a theatre with an audience, it proved that it really paid off.
ARROW:	Were there ever talks of having you in the sequel?
DAVID NAUGHTON:	I don’t know. There was lots of talk, lots of different sequences, I don’t know if you’re alluding to…
ARROW:	"American Werewolf in Paris". I’m sure it went through so many stage over the years…
DAVID NAUGHTON:	Yes, different stages, different re-writes, different people involved and I don’t know really know if my name was ever mentioned. My contention really was that if there was going to be a sequel, I would have had the same people involved. The creative people. John Landis who wrote and directed the first one. The fact that it wasn’t John, that none of the makeup people came back and none of the actors either, I always felt that it wasn’t necessarily a sequel so much as a tribute to the original.
ARROW:	Did you like it?
DAVID NAUGHTON:	We had set a pretty high standard is my feeling…they tried…
ARROW:	They tried, they failed…I’m going to name one of your other movies and tell me the first thing that comes to mind: "Hot Dog".
DAVID NAUGHTON:	Skiing, lots of fun, amazing stunts. I was always grateful to the stuntmen. These people that doubled us weren’t even stuntmen, they were hot skiers, daredevils who said “yeah sure!” They never had any experience in film and fortunately nobody got hurt on that movie.
ARROW:	You’ve played in more horror movies than I thought. "Amityville New Generation", "Mirror Mirror 3", "Body Bags", "Sleeping Car" is one I remember seeing a while back. Actually, I was curious, is "Separate Ways" a film you did before or after AMWIL?
DAVID NAUGHTON:	Before, really early before.
ARROW:	And what was it about?
DAVID NAUGHTON:	It was about an hour and a half (we laugh).
ARROW:	Would you say that the horror genre is one of your favorite genres?
DAVID NAUGHTON:	It could be fun, it depends on who’s involved. I’m not a big slasher film fan. I always go with the story and character and if those are good and if the setting is something that’s scary (horror films seem to always take place at night and the weather’s always bad) then I might be interested. But I basically look at the characters and the story and if it happens to be in the genre, than that’s fine.
ARROW:	What’s your take on the whole CGI thing?
DAVID NAUGHTON:	It really depends. Talking to some CGI people, it’s a complicated process. You have to pay for it as opposed to having it done cheaply because it can really destroy a film if badly done.
ARROW:	For example, the AWIP transformation sequences are nothing compared to the ones in AWIL.
DAVID NAUGHTON:	I agree.
ARROW:	Sometimes I think filmmakers are becoming lazy with all that CGI.
DAVID NAUGHTON:	Well, it’s a way to save money. It can be effective but I think it should be used sparingly.
ARROW:	My last question: Am I ever going to see a movie written by David Naughton or directed by David Naughton?
DAVID NAUGHTON:	Well you know, never say never. The writing aspect of it I kind of doubt; my hats off to all the screenwriters of the world. It's a slow process to have something written and made...it can take years to get something approved or even to get a treatment done. The directing aspect…who knows? Certainly I’m interested in it. I’m just looking for another opportunity to star in another film that’s going to be a big success sort of like Werewolf.
ARROW:	I've met many "celebrities" through this site and I have to say that many of them act like pretentious jerks holding their heads high above mine, thinking they're so special because they've played in a film. David Naughton was not one of them. He came across as a giving, caring and just all-around sympathetic dude. I really enjoyed my sit-down with him. David thanks a bundle dude, you were actually the highlight of The Con for me.