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Highlander: Endgame
Part 2:
It Cuts Both Ways...

This article/interview about Highlander: Endgame appeared
in the December 2000 issue of Impact Magazine. We have
condensed it to just the interview with Bruce answering
questions regarding the film and his role as Jacob Kell.

Is it true that you came onto the project quite late?

No, that wasn't the case. I've actually known Doug for some time. He's a great, very organic guy. I'm sure you know, unfortunately, that the majority of ways that divisions happen (on productions) is that actors are meant to hang out with actors and the technicians hang out with technicians and all that nonsense. I've never conceded that. I've always thought we're ALL a part of it, together as one. I met Doug when he was a Second Assistant Director and we got on very well from the very beginning. There was a mutual respect there. He knew that I was in it for making films sake rather than being the centre of attention. And vice versa.

Unbeknownst to me (I was away filming Dungeons & Dragons in Prague from May 1999) Doug was trying to contact me about Endgame. He told the casting directors: 'Find me Bruce!' Well, he found me and told me about Highlander. We sat down together and went from there. I'm incredibly grateful that there are such directors out there that would go out and say 'I really want this actor!'. Most studios want to get as big a name as possible, which is fine, it is a business, after all. But that's why relationships are so important. The way it turned out was that Doug mentioned Christophe was on board plus Dougie Milsome and Tara Smith (with whom I was just filming Dungeons and Dragons). So that was an added bonus.

Filming in Romania was apparently quite tough and didn't quite go to schedule?

Miramax did an incredible job of trying to make a long-distance location work. But we were in a place that is not the most advanced country in Central Europe.

Various people have mentioned you were taken ill during filming. Was this part of the problem?

Put it this way. There are things that happened out there that you wouldn't believe or fathom. The end result is...I carried on filming anyway and that, as they say, is 'Life'.

But even given the bad conditions, there were some great crew-people to work with too?

Oh yes. Definitely. Besides Dougie Milsome, whom I had literally just finished working with on Dungeons and Dragons (which he lit so skillfully!), we had an incredible SFX supervisor, Nick Allder. Not many people appreciate that there is a subtly even in explosions. There is a millionth of a second between the glass blowing and the debris following it. Nick knows exactly how to do that. He and his team are very dedicated people.

On the whole there were many talented people in most departments - especially Wendy Partridge (the Costume Designer) she's lovely, very hands on and easy to communicate with and as far as I am concerned, you can't pay people like her enough. She always had the cast's welfare at heart, to the extent of flying in her own special, heavy-duty 'Snow Goose' parkas to prevent more casualties from the extreme weather.

Some people have complained that Kell is built up to be all-powerful, but ends up as simply an overly-intense man on a quest for vengeance. What was your perspective on Kell and his motivation?

I haven't seen the final version of the film yet. But I think that editorial decisions, possibly dictated by time constraints, may have led to omitting parts of my performance which would have shown the highs, the middle and the lows of my character...the whole spectrum. Was he over intense? No, I don't think so... Was he on a quest for vengeance...yes, an interesting hybrid of vengeance in as much as his ultimate satisfaction would be to keep Connor alive and prolong his suffering - while witnessing the annihilation of anyone's life that Connor cherished.

Swordfights are a major part of the Highlander mythology. Fans know that Christophe and Adrian are pretty proficient with swords. How good are you?

Well, let's not forget what the stunt arranger and swordmaster contribute to the movies as well, but this was not the first film where I was called on to fence. I learnt at RADA actually and have been fencing since 1980. Not to mention working with an Olympic national coach...but that's by the by. The interesting aspect of the sword fighting in this particular movie was that the weapons were practical. You know they weren't props...but for real. I still have the scars to prove it!!

There is some speculation as to whether Kell was already an Immortal when Connor slays him in the Highlands near the start of the film. What was your feeling?

I don't know the answer to that one...it was never proffered in any of our discussions.

What are your final thoughts on your Endgame experience?

I enjoyed working on the film because of the collaboration which took place between all of us... the actors, the director and the technicians. As an actor the first thing you have to contribute to the process is your trust and as far as Highlander: Endgame was concerned...I trusted them fully.

Director Doug Aarniokoski's response to being asked was Jacob Kell supposed to be more than just a vengeful villain?

I've heard people say that Bruce was way over the top. He's not. He gave one of the most dead-on performances. If you saw the film that we shot, Bruce Payne and I designed his character to be very specific and very motivated in the sense that he was bigger than the universe he was living in. That was his mind-set. To him there is no Holy Ground. Wherever he walks could be Holy Ground...there is a moment in the third act where he is playing Bonny Portmore on the harmonica. If you look at what he is leaning up against during the wide-shot, it is very symbolic of the mind-set that he is in. I won't get into it anymore than that, but take a look.

Article as it appears in its original format

Photos on left page:
Bill Panzer Executive Producer
Director Doug Aarniokoski relaxing on the set with
Donnie Yen (Jin Ke) and Adrian Paul (Duncan MacLeod)
Director Aarniokoski with "The Monks"

Photos on right page:
Doug Aarniokoski Director
behind-the-scenes with Ian Paul Cassidy (Cracker Bob)

Photo on left page:
Bruce with Doug Aarniokoski Director

Photo on right page:
Adrian Paul (Duncan MacLeod) with Director Doug Aarniokoski
Bruce with Director Doug Aarniokoski
Ian Paul Cassidy (Cracker Bob) with Wendy Partridge (Costume Designer)
Last photo is of course Bruce; it is a shot from Warlock III

Photo on left:
Christopher Lambert (Connor MacLeod)

Photo on right:
Donnie Yen (Jin Ke)

HEG Trailer Photos

This magazine was purchased by Bruce's Angels from Impact Magazine.

No violation of copyright is intended. This is purely for the benefit of fans who don't have access to this magazine