Bruce Campbell is a name every horror fan knows. The writer/actor/director/producer has been involved in many iconic films and series. One of the jewels in his crown is The Evil Dead franchise, in which he plays the unforgettable character Ashley “Ash” Williams.
His “Ash vs Evil Dead” series premiered in 2015 on Starz, giving us three seasons of Ash, along with his deadite fighting sidekicks Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo) and Pablo (Ray Santiago) and the sometimes evil Ruby (Lucy Lawless).
Fans were heartbroken to learn earlier this year that “Ash vs Evil Dead” wouldn’t return for a fourth season. Bruce announced that Ash had been permanently retired, leaving fans to wonder what was next for the one-of-a-kind, suave badass.
When I had the opportunity to talk with Bruce, I jumped at the chance (and with excitement) to find out what was next for our favorite leading man and ask a few questions, which I’ve always wanted to know the answer to.
Horror Fuel: “Among other things, Ash is known for his one-liners. Which hat is your favorite?
Bruce Campbell: “I don’t have one. Leave that up to the pundits. k nd of like one from Evil Dead 2; there’s a demon going ‘I’ll swallow your soul’, and goes ‘swallow this’ and he blows it up with a shotgun. MI madeup that one, and I’m happy with tit ShShes full of them. Sh vs Evil Dead gave us three New Year’s worth of one-liners. Can’t remember half of them.”
Horror Fuel: “That is a great scene. I enjoyed Ash vs Evil Dead. Is it true that they used a dead chicken for some of the sound effects in Evil Dead?”
Bruce Campbell: “It was a dead, raw, store-bought chicken. They needed a fleshy sound. t asn’t a live chicken that we killed. t left a smelly residue in the studio after a while because it was there for a few days. It is a little gnarly. That’s why I wrote a book about it to dispel any myths. I wrote the Evil Dead in my first Chin Book and dispelled rumors.
Horror Fuel: “Not long after the series ended, you announced that you were retiring Ash. How do you feel about that decision now?”
Bruce Campbell: “I retired. So why would I feel bad about it? Feel great about it. It is time. No more dicking around. Don’t want to tease fans anymore. They’ve been teased and tormented for a long time. Hee wanted more Evil Dead; we gave them thirty episodes, fifteen more hours of the character. You know what? It’s all I got. He is no more. I can’t give the character any more physically, mentally, or spiritually. I’ve left it on the table. This season almost killed me. I’m sixty now, so I’m like, let’s stop doing this before it gets embarrassing.”
Horror Fuel: “I respect that, I do. Ash has always been a very physical character. He’s constantly fighting something. I respect that you retired him while he’s still on top.”
Bruce Campbell: “With actors, there is an expiration date. You can’t hear anymore because of explosions. They have random injuries. This is a perception that actors are carried around on a pillow.
Just look at Brandon Frazier. In an interview not long ago, they were like, ‘What happened to you?’ He was like, ‘What do you mean what happened to me? I got the shit beat out of me making these dumb action movies for years.’ He’s not a little guy, so it left a mark when he bashed into stuff.
That was one motivation for Ash’s retirement. I think we have wrapped it up. We took care of the character. We brought him back, fully fleshed out, and used our new skills when presenting that character to the world. Now I can say I’m done. And I’m done.”
Horror Fuel: “I understand. He is such a physical character. He was never a character to show up and talk; there was always a fight.”
Bruce Campbell: “I would long for those days. In three years of Ash vs Evil Dead, there were probably two scenes where Ash just talked. Then, boom, a demon would pop up. I long for that where I can sit in a room talking.”
Horror Fuel: “Besides Ash, what has been your favorite role?”
Bruce Campbell: “I have about a handful. Risco, Autolycus in Hercules, and Xena were fun, and so was Bubba Ho-Tep. There are a couple of random things. I’ve done some fun ones.”
Horror Fuel: “You’ve been great in so many roles and loved you as Elvis in Bubba Ho-Tep. You do a mean Elvis impression. Many fans wonder if we’ll ever see a sequel to Bubba Ho-Tep.”
Bruce Campbell: “No. I’ve already told Don Coscarelli and Joe Lansdale no. I’m out. I’m done with that character, too. Thought that the movie was very special. Didn’t care for subsequent scripts. Just pulled out of it. Let that one be; it’s a little movie gem.”
Horror Fuel: “Sometimes sequels can be a bad thing.”
Bruce Campbell: “Sequels can ruin movies sometimes. You will always remember a shitty sequel.”
Horror Fuel: “Can you tell us anything about your role as Gary in the upcoming series Lodge 49?”
Bruce Campbell: “It’s a great part. I was finishing a book tour last year – it started in August, and I did thirty-five cities for my third book. At the end of a book tour, you’re throwing up blood, and you don’t know your name. I was going down to Florida for my last book signing in Tampa. Au Giamatti contacts me and says, ‘Dude, you’ve got to play this part. I haven’t been talking to anybody else. I’m not auditioning anybody. You have to do it.” I wasn’t prepared to do anything except sleep for a week. Read the script, and it was three episodes for this show, Lodge 49. I was like ‘Oh shit. He’s right. I have to do this. o, against my better judgment, I went back up to Atlanta. Hopefully, it came out nice. Don’t think my episodes come out until next year.”
Horror Fuel: “We’ll be watching.”
Bruce Campbell: “It’s such a great part.”
Horror Fuel: “Sam Raimi is working on a project with short films. Will you be involved?”
Bruce Campbell: “I don’t know. I had a fun excursion recently, but I don’t know. I don’t plan to do that, but you never say never..”
Horror Fuel: “You mentioned your books a few minutes ago. Is there any chance we will get another one?”
Bruce Campbell: “I’m working on a new deal with my publisher. I will tour and hopefully do twenty cities in 2020 for the new book.”
Horror Fuel: “By any chance can you reveal the title?”
Bruce Campbell: “I can, but I won’t. Things like that can change, and then people go ‘[changes voice] What happened to that book Flight of the Pheonix?” No, now it’s named Death Wish 3000. Sometimes titles change.”
Horror Fuel: ” Oh, okay. [Laughter]. I can’t wait to check it out.”
Bruce Campbell: “It’s part of the new chapter in my life—the new non-Ash chapter, more homegrown material. Want to write new stuff. Over the years, I’ve developed a lot of stuff: a dozen different projects, books, movies, and TV shows. The other day, my wife was like, ‘If we don’t start doing this now, when will we do it? ou’re sixty, you’re old.’ That’s the thought behind that.
Regarding writing, it’s the most gratifying work I’ve ever done, more than movies. You make a million-dollar movie, and there are many opinions and ideas. Even more, people have views, ideas, and demands in a cost film, and the creative process gets worn down. In the book world, I’ve got one guy, my editor, who reads stuff and gives me feedback. Has it, one guy- like that world. The last book I put out, good or bad, was a bestseller. It got to number eight. It’s the book I wanted to put out about ninety-eight percent. You’re lucky to get thirty percent of the shit that you like before somebody gets it.—llot oftime in a film. If you’re a director, you turn it over to the producer and never see it again. They could cut it into a musical if they want to. People talk about how creative movies are; they’re okay, but being creatively satisfying, nah. They’re not satisfying. Hey, going through so many approval processes costs so much money. It’s much more of a pure artistic experience with writing, I’ll tell you that.”
Horror Fuel: “What type of writing will you be doing? Will there be more books like your previous ones?”
Bruce Campbell: “There will be everything, fiction, nonfiction. It’s fun to mix it up. Here are movies, some scripts, and some for TV shows.”
Horror Fuel: “I can’t wait to see your third act. If it is anything like your first two, it’ll be epic. Are you working on anyther roles right now?”
Bruce Campbell: “There’s plenty of stuff. Right now, I’m working on Tangled, the Disney cartoon. Hey, we are doing a TV show. I’m playing the king.”
Horror Fuel: “Hail to the King, baby.”
Bruce Campbell: “It’s fun to do voice work. The Evil Dead video game is coming, too. There’s more of that. There are things that are there and that will happen but aren’t worth talking about yet.
In the meantime, I’m doing my game show, Last Fan Standing. About half a dozen events are coming up, everywhere from Berkeley, California, to Denver. I’m in this game show for geeks, Last Fan Standing. I’m in the game show phase of my career now [laughter]. T’sng me busy, and I’m still doing conventions too.”
Horror Fuel: That sounds fun. Where can fans find your convention schedule?”
Bruce Campbell: “Horror Hound, but I have a website. Anybody can always go there.”
Horror Fuel: “If you could go back and give your younger self some advice, what would it be?”
Bruce Campbell: “I don’t take advice and try not to give it because it’s so meaningless. If I had advised my younger self I think I still would have done my own damn thing anyway. The business is so topsy-turvy. A strange world. No advice holds any water. The best advice for any actor is that no one will do anything for you.
Horror Fuel: “What are your thoughts on actors and social media?”
Bruce Campbell: “On social media, there are certain specifics that you don’t touch. These days, you can lose half your fans with just one Tweet. These days, you can lose your whole career with just one Tweet. You have to be careful, man. Don’t be drunk Tweeting or Ambien Tweeting. Beware of social media.”
Horror Fuel: “That makes a lot of sense. I’ve seen many people in the news lately who have gotten in trouble over Tweets.
While waiting for Bruce Campbell’s next film, series, or book, be sure to check out the long list of his past work, including his books, which are best described as “groovy”.
Follow Bruce on Facebook and Twitter. To see his projects and learn more about “Last Fan Standing,” please visit his official website. Here, you can also find the schedule of his upcoming appearances and so much more. Meet the legend himself at the Fandemic Comic-Con, running September 14th through September 14th in Houston, Texas (get your tickets HERE).
Don’t miss Bruce in “Lodge 49,” premiering on AMC on August 6, 2018.
[eAugust 6https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onkv-68pE1M[/embedyt]
