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Home INTERVIEWS ON THE COUCH WITH J.B. MACABRE Actor Cary Elwes talks with FEARSmag.comís Joseph B. Mauceri about the trials and tribulations
Actor Cary Elwes talks with FEARSmag.comís Joseph B. Mauceri about the trials and tribulations PDF Print E-mail
Friday, 29 October 2004 14:19
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Oct. 29, 04

{FEARS Exclusive} - Adam (WHANNELL) wakes to find himself chained to a pipe inside a decrepit bathroom. Chained to the opposite side of the room is the bewildered Dr. Lawrence Gordon (ELWES). Between them is a dead man lying in a pool of blood and holding a .38 in his hand. Neither of them knows why he has been abducted, but instructions leinstructions left on a microcassette order Dr. Gordon to kill Adam within eight hours. If ft on a microcassette order Dr. Gordon to kill Adam within eight hours. If he fails to kill him then both men will die, plus Dr. Gordonís wife, Alison (POTTER), and his daughter. Recalling a recent murder investigation, Gordon realizes he and Adam are the next victims of a psychopathic genius known as ìJigsaw.î With only a few hours left to spare, they must unravel this sophisticated puzzle of that binds their fates. The killer has provided them with only a few clues and two handsaws. Cary Elwes, who plays Dr. Lawrence Gordon, recently appeared in the critically acclaimed NBC mini-series "Uprising," opposite Jon Voight and Leelee Sobieski, and starred in Lions Gates dramatic thriller ìThe Cats Meowî opposite Kirsten Dunst. He previously starred alongside Willem Dafoe and John Malkovich in the Golden Globe and Oscar nominated ìShadow of the Vampire.î His other credits include films like director Tim Robbins ìThe Cradle Will Rockî with Vanessa Redgrave and Susan Sarandon. Probably the role Elwes is most noted for is in Rob Reinerís classic film, ìThe Princess Bride.î He has appeared in the blockbusters ìTwisterî with Helen Hunt, ìLiar Liarî with Jim Carrey, and the suspense thriller ìKiss the Girlsî with Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd.

FEARS: How did you come by SAW ñ did you find it or did it find you?

CARY ELWES: Thatís very interesting. It found me. The producers sent me a DVD that James Wan and Leigh (Whannell) had made. It was an 8 minute sequence that ended up being in the film. Itís the scene where a woman has a reverse bear trap placed on her head. This little doll comes in on a tricycle and explains that she has to find the key, that is hidden in the room, before time runs out and the trap explodes. I sat and watched this thing and I thought ñ What the heck is this! I sent back a one word note via e-mail to the producers, ìWow!î

They sent me the script next, which I read in one sitting. Thatís very rare for me because I usually take a long time to read things. It was so compelling I knew that I had to be a part of it.

I met James (Wan) and was taking back by his personal modesty, and his incredible vision.
1. Cary Elwes in Saw. Photo credit: Greg Gayne
FEARS: When you read the script did you know you were reading for the part of Dr. Lawrence Gordon?

CARY ELWES: Yes.

FEARS: What where some of your initial thoughts about the character and what you felt might be require of you to bring this role to life on screen?

CARY ELWES: I knew it would be a very emotionally taught piece. I loved the way the character was draw. I was interested in the way he is a selfish, self-involved egotistical man who has become complacent in both his marriage and the work place. As such, he finds himself a victim of the Jigsaw killer. I though, over all, he was a well defined character by Leigh.

Usually, in these kinds of horror genre films, that involve serial killers, you have a slasher with a knife chasing some half clad woman. This film was just so original and, to me, is a brand new take on the genre.

In terms of my own character, I did some research at UCLA department of neurosurgery, and met a very nice neurosurgeon who helped with the character. He helped me understand the complications in a very short lesson about what I need to do, for practical reasons, for the character. For the emotional content for the character, I drew my personal sense memory from traumatic scenes. I knew it was going to be a tough shoot. I knew we only had eighteen days to shoot it. That kind of helped and I was prepared by work in television. I kind of like that immediacy and having to sit around and think about it too much. Some times you can spend just too much time in a characterís head. You can find yourself coming up with 18-million ways to play a scene. Some times just getting out there and doing it really is refreshing. And the results can be very fruitful.

FEARS: Often people talk about a unique relationship between comedy and horror. You worked in both disciplines. Do you feel that there is some special link between the two?

CARY ELWES: Absolutely! When you meet these two guys, Leigh and James, you see they are hysterical. They have a wicked sense of humor, both about themselves and life. I wasnít sure who I was going to meet after reading the script and seeing the short. I thought they would be these guys with black nail polish on their fingernails, pierced tongues, and what have you. I was surprised to meet these two very down to earth, funny, modest guys who are able to laugh at themselves. As I talked to them about the script I really got a feeling for how twisted this movie really is. How could do very quite, unassuming guys come up with something so twisted?

FEARS: Itís the quiet ones you have to watch out for.

CARY ELWES: Exactly! I think these guys are infectious to be around, in a good way. I came up with the idea for Adam, Leighís character, to bash someone over the head with the toilet seat cover. When I said it we both just burst out laughing. I think that was because we both realized that it would work.

FEARS: There are some actors who are also directors, but I donít believe it is quite as common to find an actor who is screenwriter. How was it to be working opposite the screenwriter for the majority of the film?
Leigh Whannell in Saw. Photo credit: Greg Gayne
CARY ELWES: I was nervous at first about that but they were so sweet. Here you are with the writer and the director on the set everyday, all day, and I was concerned about how receptive they might be to my suggestions. They were so open and had this extremely collaborative approach to the film.

FEARS: Being you two were chained to a pipe for hours on end, did you find time between takes to refine some lines and possibly come up with a few different takes on some of the scenes?

CARY ELWES: Having been an actor for so long, the only demand I made of James was that we should be able to get in a half-day, or a whole day, rehearsal and all the actors are there. It was especially important at the beginning of the movie. I told him that he would be happier with the results weíd get. Thank god the producers allowed us the time to do that. It gave us the chance to come up with many things that we found and wanted to explore.

FEARS: I had the chance a few weeks ago to speak with Danny Glover. Part of any interview with Danny has to involve politics. He said that the choice to do any film is a political decision. Do you feel thatís true?

CARY ELWES: Not for me. To me, this film was purely entertainment. If you look at the response the film has been getting itís purely an entertainment one. Does it have a twisted morality tale? Yes. Will audience come away feeling more blessed with their lives and appreciate what they have? Hopefully, but I suspect that most of them will just be freaked out.

FEARS: Theyíll come away with an appreciation of what the Jigsaw killer is trying to teach his victims.

CARY ELWES: I think itís the kind of movie that if you come back a second time youíll find things you missed the first time out. I know I did, and thatís having read the script, rehearsed, stared in it, and seen it several times. I think James did a wonderful job of weaving in all these different components together with the characters. Itís very well done.

FEARS: These are two young filmmakers. Youíve appeared in numerous films that span the genres, and have work with many different directors. What do you feel a group of young filmmakers bring to a project, especially on a project that is so innovative, that is different from working with more seasoned veteran filmmakers?

CARY ELWES: If theyíre people, like James and Leigh, who are grateful for the opportunity to make their movie you know that the project is starting off on the right foot. After all making a movie is all about team work. I donít want to be political like Danny, but life is about team work. The way you work is much more important to your integrity then often why you work.
Director James Wan and Cary Elwes on the set of Saw. Photo credit: Greg Gayne
Again, these guys came to the project with such great gratitude for the opportunity to make this film. They could believe that it even got picked up because they were going to shot this for $15,000.00 back home in Melbourne, Australia. I told them that they had this unique story, and from the video I watched I knew James had a great eye. When I met James he had a portfolio under his arm. When I asked him to show it to me he took out all these watercolors and drawings that he had done of the costumes. Heís a great artist. The doll that you see in the film he made himself. How many directors do that? He had every shot in his head, and itís rare that first time directors even show up with a shot list. But when you are a confident director and able to get across to your crew and actors what it is your trying to get, like James is, then you can really concentrate on your performance because thatís just one less thing you have to worry about.

Iím just so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with them and now watch as their careers are exploding. I think they are at the beginning of what will hopefully be long and industrious careers.

FEARS: If the opportunity presented itself would you work with them again?

CARY ELWES: Oh, absolutely. In a heart beat!
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