ACTORS IN ACTION (hardback)
ISBN 9781629332048
You’ve seen movies that transport you into outer space and shove you into the middle of martial arts battles. You’ve dodged bullets with John Wayne, fought off aliens with Sigourney Weaver, rocketed past planets with Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill, soared with Christopher Reeve as Superman, and driven through walls with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Now, you want to become an action film actor, too . . . but how?
The tough truth of the trade is finally revealed by author Jason Norman and those who learned how to put the “act” in “action.” Discover the secrets of their work, from seeming to become the characters moviegoers love and hate to the unique trade tricks that only insiders have known—until now.
Join your favorite stars from Star Wars, Terminator, Million Dollar Baby, Suicide Squad, Casino, Midnight Express, Death Wish, Towering Inferno, Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Karate Kid, and other action-packed movies that inspired you.
Want to be the next Bruce Willis so you can yell something like "Yippee Ki Yay, motherf***er?"
Take action.
Illustrated with more than 140 photos. Index.
About the author: Jason Norman’s previous works include Welcome to Our Nightmares: Behind the Scene With Today's Horror Actors and Behind the Screams. He has won two Virginia Press Association awards.
“This jam-packed tome is loaded with inside info and personal recollections ably delivering on its subtitle: How Our Favorite Action Stars Became Their Characters. Arnold Schwarzenegger tells how he tore the skin off his hand and fingers "practicing a 100 times" to get the bike riding, gun action and acting coordinated in Terminator 2: Judgement Day. R, Lee (Full Metal Jacket) Ermery plumbs his psyche to explain an addiction to military discipline. Actors reveal how they approach guns. Some gravitate to violence; others recoil. Norman focuses on films- Alive, Death Wish, The Last Starfighter, Eliminators, among numerous others- providing insight into plot, actors' preparation, and set psychology (actors who need to hurt each other don't socialize). This is a sweeping book, brims with factoids, and is loaded with frank interviews. There's Eli Roth, who plays Donnie Donowitz in Inglorious Basterds, recounting how Tarantino told him to channel the spirit of Frankenstein, spent days "slugging a punching bag," then, for his climactic scene blowing up Hitler and Goebbels in a theater admits: "It felt like 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. I had never experienced pain like that. But with thousands of clip reloads and weapon changes, this adrenalin kicks in." When Tarantino called "Cut," he fainted”.
- Shock Cinema
“I really enjoy your writing how you so eloquently can change my ramblings into a wonderful piece of work. It was a honor to read your words.” -Stephanie Finochio
“You really can write, be factual, and entertain all at the same time.” -Patrick Reynolds
“It is so beautifully written! I will be honored to have your book on my bookshelf someday.” -Christian Pitre