You've known him as Uncas. ES: Oh, that took all night. He expects the same from his cast and his crew. How is he different from them? That's who you have to focus on. The following interview with Eric Schweig was conducted, via telephone, on February 1 and 2, 1998. That's who they should be chasing but they don't. MESSAGE BOARD, STOREFRONTS! shells, especially the quiet ones the really, really inward teenagers. Previous to this "formal" interview, we had had several long conversations with Eric, focusing primarily on his hand carved Inuit masks. MP: How do feel about being cast in the real-life role of Indian activist? It's all hard to fathom it goes against our grain. of the interview, we felt comfortable with him, and he with us. MP: As far as roles go; is there any particular type of film you would like.. or any particular character you would want to play? ES: I guess I'll have to. You have a rather large following. I said "You know what? They could either. because they'll wind up either dead or in jail. I haven't met them yet, but I'm going to sit down and try to talk to them and try to get them out of their shells somehow. MESSAGE BOARD, STOREFRONTS! MP: It seems sort of a bad time for a love scene anyway at that stage of the filming. AMERICAN HISTORICAL SIMULATIONS
We have to take advantage of this because it's gonna burn out, they're gonna flog the shit out of it and then there's gonna be nothing." He also creates his own designs and concepts. We went down to Columbus, Ga., for a month and trained in this anti-terrorist camp. The James Fenimore Cooper book was fiction! . You see a lot of people, like I was telling Gail the other day, you see the PMRC , the Parents Music Resource Center, and Tipper Gore and her butt head husband and they're running around bands like Marilyn Manson, and they're banning them from
you know, and isn't psychotic. It's everybody's favorite spot. ES: Actually, about three or four years ago I was sitting around the house with Vern Etzerza and, what's the name of the book? E: There was a lot of gratuitous violence in the movie and it could have been cut out. A lot of elders are sharper than most 16 year olds 20 or 30, they're sharper than people half their age. I: And I presume the Hurons were speaking French? [Laugh]. There's got to be a lot of women in order for there to be a lot of guys MP: Well, in that regard, most of the film takes place where you wouldn't expect to FIND a lot of women, on the battle front. ES: There's about 14 or 15 kids in it and we get together.. actually, I'm waiting for some plays to come in to a local bookstore here. We go down to the gym and I just. my girlfriend and I, we look around for different monologues and scenes for
We don't have the numbers; we represent less than 5% of the total population in North America. ES: I like playing bad guys. Or do you instead allow your own mood, your color preferences .. that sort of thing, to blend with tradition and then the result being a unique
I walked the streets with holes in my shoes and I stood in line at soup kitchens. As a former foster child himself, he knows all too well the obstacles that youth can face when growing up in care. ES: Yeah, it's the same way. MP: Were they downplaying the Uncas/Alice relationship? There's this woman Claudia who's the
Or, at least wonder why he says it! They'll get a kick out of that. ES: Let me think about that. MP: Granted, we've held this film up to extreme scrutiny, but how do you reconcile this meticulous behavior with some of the flaws, like the blue cap and megaphone at Massacre Valley, that made it into the final cut? I encourage kids to do this now. I lived in Toronto, which is right next to the Six Nations reserve. Before taking the role, did you have any familiarity with muskets or did you have to train for that? Do you enjoy the stage? A few final comments. Before that I had no idea what they were doing up there. Eric was forthcoming and, we believe, candid in his responses; gracious, and willing to discuss everything we asked. It was an alternative school for troubled teens who couldn't cope with a regular school curriculum so they booted them all out and put them all in a big building. But you know who they don't ban? Not to portray these times would be to "twist" history. I guess we swayed public opinion since then but I haven't heard of it. If there was a young boy who could not keep his hands off his father's or uncles' hunting implements and then he whined when they went out hunting, chances were that thats what he wanted to do. They were the stars so they acted accordingly. ES: Yeah. He's a nice guy. Does he realize war and violence do really take place, even though we are "not born to hate each other"? So, it it is somewhat difficult to have to knock his words. Day Lewis. MOHICAN PRESS
Anything that had to do with the fort . because it was hot in there and it was stuffy. I don't get it because those are our babies. ES: Well, no. That was a pain in the ass, to say
MP: Do any of the locations stick out in your mind as a favorite place? The girls would have been scared of everything! I don't know what Russell's up to. And, hang out with my girlfriend. Sometimes I felt like I wanted to scream or something. Most of that was because there were so many people in there all the time. I am just concerned that whoever is doing it is pulling their weight. Okay, I just want to backtrack just a little bit. have been because they had aged so much and the paint had flaked off. it was aged down, but we just took a shot at it and it turned out wicked. Interview with Eric: All of this info came from an interview (my interview form) on May 2nd 2000. celebrity. It doesn't matter what kind of crooks they were! you've got Scots running around half naked and even in a period piece about Indians, just take The Last of the Mohicans for example .. You've got European born actors recreating roles from over 200 years ago. I don't know. Yeah, you know, I am a good guy. I also am an adult survivor of abuse by my adoptive parents. I: Did you have to be really physically fit? Support Indian Country Today for as little as $10. seen any film maker come up with. ES: I can see old Asheville. ES: Yeah, Asheville's really nice. It would never have happened! There's these assholes running around kidnapping kids. But when someone shouts at me, I shout back! Yeah, probably the Magua scrap was my favorite. By the way, you did a play called The Cradle Will Fall. But you know, it's expected. Does he know that, in fact, all these characters are not based on fiction? You know, Robert DeNiro and Val Kilmer didn't go out to the closest available reservation and give him an eagle feather oh, sorry, Al Pacino didn't give him an eagle feather to join his division downtown in Los Angeles. And, you know, it's the
I used to hate it but I got used to them after awhile. The stupidest idea or concept I've ever
taken care of and respected and THAT is what makes them, keeps them wise. ES: Oh yeah! in Deep Rising. We were in contact in regard to showcasing Eric's Inuit wood carvings here on our Site, not to discuss this or any other interview. I'll do it. You have to sit down and focus. MP: Well, would that be something you would consider? MP: What was your favorite scene in the movie? What was your relationship like with those two actors? MP: So, I get the impression you didn't like Red River much. MP: Well, a lot of people feel put out! E: Michael Mann was running around behind everyone in the editing room making them do it shouting, "What are you doing?". Besides that, he's a pretty private person. ES: Yeah. You're always poor. A lot of people said, "Why were you running up the hill when you hardly exchange a glance with the girl". They were stiff, the leather in them was REALLY stiff, so you could carry it
That's because people listen to them. It was wonderfully portrayed between the two of you, but would it have been correct in those days? That, though, can go on endlessly. And it seems to me, we could have been more of a family unit. But, you don't see you know what you don't see? Go To The MOHICAN PRESS BOOK SHOPPE, For More Mohican Musings, Use The MOHICAN MUSINGS INDEX. Certainly, we have a new found appreciation for interviewers! It comes from people not talking to their elders and not listening to them. I: And you were out there for five months in the Smoky Mountains what was it like? And I'm waiting to see if I can get the role of Joseph Stone, a cop who's been to Lebanon and all that. ES: Hmmm . Well, not . not really. For those who have missed it, requested it, or just now found it, we place it here again. Both musical pieces heard during this interview are by Tudjaat,
what makes it fun to watch. ES: Oh yeah. They promote it. So, they did film something and obviously you
I: How do you feel about Indians being depicted in films by white people, in earlier movies? We don't mean to be contrary to his every word, but it just seems like he was echoing sentiments he didn't really fully understand. That's
understanding of who Eric is. You know, you gotta start somewhere and they're starting small but they're starting. "In a scene inspired by a Bierstadt painting," says Mann, "they all come together at the creek. But people still, especially kids who have this .. it changes the way they see things. [Laughter] "Hold on! Where's Marion? SCRIPT ||
They were troubled kids. MP: We've read that you have been involved in a children's drama group. I think if ANY Indian actor is going to use their profession, acting, as a forum it should be to advocate things like what happens to you
like a sauna in the summertime. I like to hang out with my friends. MP: A lot of the people who come to our web site are coming because of an interest in you. I thought it would stink! Zusammenfassung: An interview with the director of the series. Things like that, you know, the time of day or whatever, but .. if you mean were we planning to strike up a business or something or go skydiving, or meet each other's family .. it was nothing
But it was us, except going over the waterfalls. HISTORY ||
I told Vern about that. So, beyond that, .. we gotta get with it. It's a DAMN sight better than movies they had in the 50s. ES: First of all, sober as a judge. I: What were the good points about the film? PART 2: ERIC SCHWEIG: AN INTERVIEW MP: Okay, well.. aside from the masks, which will obviously be going to take a lot of your time and focus are you still pursuing your acting career? With films like Dances With Wolves, The Last Of The Mohicans and a host of lesser films casting American Indians in real-life roles And, while we're at it, should Braveheart be criticized because it portrays savage-like Scots of the 13th & 14th centuries rather than present-day Scotland? . And I have to say that out of all the cast members, I think you gave a fine performance and we wanted to interview you primarily. But that was a superb scene! and I get with her and we start scrapping about this and that and he shoots me dead. like boxing in a telephone booth. I love jamming. Yeah, I love playing blues. Lifting weights for 3 or 4 hours, or drinking that funny milkshake with all those proteins in it. There was really very little dialogue between the two of you, but, you both presented a very strong relationship on film despite the lack of dialogue. It wasn't too heavy. of symbolic imagery. MP: Well, what I mean is that you guys, in the movie of course, went through every possible trial and tribulation. He's pretty likeable. ES: Well .. it was more or less just business to me because nothing's ever historically correct. He said it's kind of a double
Massive games; twice the size of a football field and we are,
I: Now to the slew of questions! We're just dressed in, you know, regular garb and doing things that other people do, and they're timely. MENUS! So, anything contemporary, it doesn't matter. MP: It looks real good. I was adopted at six months of age. Do you have a message for these people? I thought I was forgotten, apparently not. It's box office numbers. It was incredible. It's pretty good. you see a lot of them come out of their
MP: It didn't leave you craving for the city lights? MOHICAN PRESS
Born: June 19th 1967 Height: 6'2 Weight: 210lbs Eyes: brn Hair: blk Marital Status: none Heritage/Tribe: Inuit/German country: Canada Georgia and me, Wes, Russell, Daniel, and Steven Waddington went out there for about a month and that was about as close to bonding we got. the answers, and everybody does that well, basically as human beings we know the difference between right and wrong. But you know, for what it's worth, Last of the Mohicans, it's a good movie. I: You mentioned earlier about your hair. MESSAGE BOARD, STOREFRONTS! ES: Yep! He's extremely
[More laughter]. No one really knows, it should have gone in there Hopefully, it will be on the extended version when it's on video. [Laughs] In case people liked ours better! I have done bit parts in Bordertown and The Black Stallion. Year by year. We haven't put anything on yet but we're planning on it. And we had to do a lot of running and stuff. Why they go stir crazy and they forget . and they loose their memories? What sort of career advice do you have for kids interested in acting? I: Yes, I guess that's a little difficult to survive. One in particular was your party's arrival at Fort William Henry. They scratched the money together and made T-shirts. In an interview with ICTMN, Schweig discussed life experiences that have helped him to play his role in Blackstone, his belief in giving back to the community, and how he has obtained such success in his career. They're very well
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