Transcript by Becky Dorrie:
Julie Brown: I'm here saying Hi to you and I promised you Anthony Stewart Head and look who's just shown up. Oh, I feel something here. You bring a certain aura about you, you know that,
Anthony Head: Do I?
JB: It's very scary of course you all know that Anthony plays Rupert ah Buffy's, Buffy's what?
ASH: Mentor
JB: kind of mentor, watcher. What is a Watcher exactly?
ASH: He's a mentor
JB: Okay well it was nice meeting you
ASH: He watches, watches a lot and kind of is deeply uhm
JB: Are you comfortable like that?
ASH: No actually - I was like this (lays down on couch) but I thought it was bad
JB: No, no, no you can just lay there cause we have so many questions actually (reads question). "Mr. Head a quick comment before I ask my question, I share the same birthday as you."
ASH: Do you?
JB: "And I would like to wish you a happy birthday, and on to the question. Do you ever get distracted from your work with a set filled with such pretty women, Sarah, Alyson, and Charisma." They're asking you the question.
ASH: Constantly
JB: Constantly ?
ASH: I'm constantly, constantly distracted, uhm, (laugh) well no I kinda think I'm most often a father figure to them all. But uhm, no, we actually have a good time, no I don't.... Yes - Well they do their best to distract us, basically, that's, that's what it comes down to uhm, they're uhm, they're very distracting people.
JB: "Tony, What's your brother Murray up to lately?"
ASH: I dunno, he's just, uhm, he's just done a, he's doing something, he's playing something in
JB: You've got to know more
ASH: Bangkok
JB: Oh between Bangkok and Mr. Head I'm having a great time - all laugh
ASH: Shame on you - uhm, well it's one night in Bankok isn't it
JB: yeah I remember that, just one night, story of my life
ASH: He's playing aaaah gay drug dealer in something
JB: oh really?
ASH: yeah
JB: for the BBC? all you guys out there the big familiar, familiar, of course I used to be on the BBC also
ASH: There you are you see, Crackerjack
JB: you know nothing about me
ASH: Well I know Crackerjack. Now you see they weren't still doing the...
JB: no it wasn't the crackerjack pencils
ASH: They've done away with the crackerjack pencils?
JB: Yeah by the time I got there, I was only little,
ASH: That's saad
JB: I'm only 25 now
ASH: well oh ..you know ..laughs
JB: We've got hundreds and hundreds of questions for you I'd like to start this interview with: How you actually got to be on Buffy the Vampire Slayer cause I heard a wonderful story that how when you first got the script how much you enjoyed it
ASH: I did, uhm
JB: Do you remember where you were?
ASH: I do remember I was actually in uhm, in a ah, restaurant in Santa Monica called the uhm, Border grill
JB: Great, we can get free food now at the Border Grill good plug, nice one
ASH: Very good, Tex-Mex, extremely good, very nice Margaritas and uhm, I was on me own which is very sad, 'cause I must admit I haven't often been on my own there, it's a favourite haunt of mine
JB: Had you just come here?
ASH: I'd been here for awhile but uhm it just so happened, you know, I'd picked up the scripts from my agent and I wanted to sit down with them and have a good read and I thought, I know, I'll go and have a meal you know and do it, you know
JB: Do it the real way
ASH: You know, like you do
JB: It's easier to go out to a restaurant when you're reading a script cause then you look like you're working and you're not really lonely and you're on you're own. I carry bags of scripts of course, none of
ASH: It doesn't work, cause we still look lonely, that's the point, you're sitting in a corner either looking posey, cause you've got scripts by you, like a poser
JB: Yeah, I don't do that as well
ASH: Neither do I, uhm, or ah you look lonely, But I, 'cause I was laughing a lot - it was a very funny script
JB: Well. That's amazing to me that you found the script so funny because the American sense of humor is is complettely different to of course what we've grown up with
ASH: Well, Joss Whedon and for the record it's Joss, J O double S Whedon, W H E D O N, no, the last time I did an on line thing I was quoted as calling him Joe Sweden
JB: I've got a friend that was on the Internet his name was Nick Straker and they came up with Dick Stroker, nothing could be worse than that
ASH: Nope you're right (laughs) Uhm, shit, forgot what I was
JB: Do you want me to get you out of this with another question?
ASH: Yeah, ask me a question
JB: Look how many questions we have on the board "Are Giles and Miss Calendar going to work out their relationship problems?" Straight to work here cause these people want to know everything that's happening with the show
ASH: Uhm, we're gonna try
JB: Anthony did you conciously adopt a different accent in VR.5 than in Buffy because they say your accent is completely different
ASH: Well, yeah, in VR.5 he was, he was a little bit uhm, he was corporate but he was a little bit funkier than Giles, Giles I wanted to make that sort of public school repressed uhm, and I did, I saw uhm, Four Weddings and a Funeral coming over, I'd already seen it, but I saw it coming over on the plane and I thought well hello, thats kind of you know that sort of not, that stammer because you're not quite sure what you're going to say next kind of caught up in the emotion of the thing and the excitement of the thing and I thought "that's cool" so that's uhm, that's where it came from really.
JB: That's where it came from. Alyson mentioned something about you always hitting her on the set is it true?
ASH: (laugh) Not necessarily only on the set no.
JB: Really because she did a chat last week and that's where that came from
ASH: Well I did, the best one, I must admit. I am, I am, I'm better these days but I've always been a bit of a klutz and in more romantic moments with my girlfriend I have been known to uhm, you know hit her in the nose with an elbow or just you know, put my, just you know
JB: Put your hand where?
ASH: Anywhere (laughs) uhm but Alyson I did get, we went to a charity gig, uhm, the cancer society, American Cancer Society and I, ah I was greeting somebody standing next to her, I'd already said hi to her and hugged her and then I went to hug somebody else and hit her in the face, on the nose, she went in with a red nose basically we went in together - It wasn't intentional.
JB: Of course it's not, every day it's never done with. "How are the characters Olivier Sampson, Oliver Sampson and Rupert Giles similar to play and which do you prefer?"
ASH: Not remotely similar to play except that no, I suppose they're both deeply troubled by ah, anguished sad people uhm, and they both
JB: Gosh
ASH: What?
JB: Nothing Whiggins is going crazy out there alright Whiggins we're gonna answer all your questions
ASH: Oh Whiggins
JB: How did you get the part , is there a following in England, do you get recognised in public, what do you do when you're not working on Buffy are you working on other projects......
ASH: Slow down Whiggins, one at a time. How did I get the part of Giles? I auditioned uhm, and ah they liked me
JB: Is there a big following in England
ASH: Uhm, it's just started on Sky which is uhm
JB: Oh great, I used to work for Sky
ASH: Did ya?
JB: Yeah, I've worked for many people
ASH: It seems to be
JB: struggling
ASH: You've been around haven't ya?
JB: Yeah certainly have
ASH: Seems to everything starts in on Sky in England, it's uhm, a, a satellite
JB: Actually you know Sky in England is also the wave of the future it was when we only had a few tv stations and Sky now is like the big cable outlet it's just like DirectTV here we could get anything we want
ASH: And they seem to do all the buying, now, I mean, that's how X-Files got on British tv
JB: Well that's just brilliant
ASH: And then you know, the BBC normally sort of picks it up
JB: Cause Sky also is not only England it covers the whole of Europe.
ASH: And also
JB: So it will go where your coffee commercials have gone before you
ASH: Yes it will, in fact I met somebody at the airport a couple of weeks ago from Norway who said if I ever want to make some, do some public appearances in Norway I'm big in Norway
JB: Are you, from the coffee commercials?
ASH: Well both, from the coffee commercials and from Buffy
JB: Wow, you're a big star
ASH: International me, no bounds
JB: Well headspace has a question for you: "Do you see any more coffee commercials coming up in the near future?"
ASH: Well uh, no not at the moment
JB: Oh sorry, my dress is twisted looked like I had one bigger than the other but they are perfect I'm alright now
ASH: Uhm
JB: You're used to all this stuff with women
ASH: Oh, of course, yes
JB: Does anybody ask you if they look alright, on the set
ASH: Oooh, all the time
JB: And you're very true about it
ASH: I am!,no I am actually I usually say Yes, you look lovely, uhm.....And they do, indeed. Uhm, anymore coffee commercials? ummm
JB: If the bucks are big enough basically
ASH: If they asked me I'd like to finish it off but I mean, they basically I don't think theres a lot of likelyhood of them asking me
JB: Do you drink coffee?
ASH: Uhm, yeah, I do
JB: Really
ASH: Yeah,
JB: Oh okay, I was just wondering
ASH: I drink more tea
JB: You know because I did a little MCI commercial once and they made me sign up so I was wondering with the coffee if you did the commercial if you have to drink it like every morning for the next year
ASH: I've always, yeah, I do drink coffee and when drink coffee I do, I have to be said, it has to be said that I do drink instant coffee
JB: Great, I love you, I can't stand that ground stuff, it's like chewing tobacco
ASH: Yeah and it gives you all that sort all angst, not good for you all that brewing and for hours...
JB: That's why they need newspapers and magazines in the bathrooms here, all that ground stuff - instant's better
ASH: Freeze dried
JB:Okay, I think we'd better get saved by the questions
ASH: Where's Whiggins gone?
JB: Whiggins'll be back - Come back Whiggins. "Do you like English film, tv or American Hollywood better?"
ASH: Uhm, well I'd love to say that, there isn't much English tv really,
JB: Pardon?
ASH: I like American stuff better in as much as there is much more of it, there's much more product
JB: Careful, careful
ASH: What?
JB: Think about what you're saying, you are going on Sky to Europe and everything
ASH: Well only because in England unfortunately, there aren't enough outlets, if there was, if there was more uhm stuff being made, and I think now there is more stuff being made but uhm, say, three years ago, uhm, you know, I mean, don't get me on the Thatcher thing but Thatcher kind of uhm, ah, demolished our film and tv, expecially the tv system.
JB: Yeah, and now Prince Charles of course, has made it a wonderful place to go and live, and the queen of England right now she's really made me want to jump on a plane and go back
ASH: Why, what have they said, have they said something?
JB: No, it's just that whole, no they don't really have to say much. No but that whole Di thing that was a bit of appalling
ASH: That was a bit sad really
JB: Awfully sad Oh, we have a telephone call for you - I forgot to tell you we could take phone calls anytime we feel like it
ASH: Fair enough
JB: And we have Jay on the line - Jay how are you doing
Jay: Pretty good thank you and good evening to you Mr. Head
ASH: Good evening Jay
Jay: I go by Shalazar on the posting board and this is my question for you: In your own words please describe the character of Giles to us and if you could, elaborate on what you feel his flaws and virtues are.
ASH: Oh my God - oh this could be a looong one. Uhm, in my own words describe? okay - He's uhm - well ah, describe him? He's uhm, basically the role he plays is ah, being very establishment in a very disestablishment world, he's basically very old school in a very modern world, he's very uhm, ah, old fashioned in a very up tempo, funky world, so basically because he doesn't fit at all it makes him both funny, I hope, uhm and also he kind of is a good foil to ah, to Buffy uhm, and to everyone around him basically. It's one of those plot designs that that makes everything keep moving. If you have antagonism and ah, and uhm, ah, opposites playing against each other then things happen, if everybody's exactly the same it gets extrEMELY BORING. Uhm I don't know if that answers any of the question
JB: I think it answers everything
Jay: I think it was a good answer and I thank you very much
ASH: Thank you
Jay: and we enjoy your work
ASH: Thank you, very much
JB: Thanks a lot for calling in we've got so many questions I want to keep everybody happy otherwise they'll write nasty letters to me I think it's Azazal: "Would you rather be a vampire or a werewolf?"
ASH: Oh definately vampire, I've always, always wanted to play
JB: Why?
ASH: Oh Werewolf, all that shaving it's very unfortunate. Uhm, but uhm, Vampire, I've always wanted to play a vampire
JB: You're interested in this vampire thing though aren't you
ASH: Deeply
JB: Yeah, should I move my hair from my neck
ASH: Oh yeah, Uhm I just, I just always wanted to play one of the, you know, the, the ..those sort of uhm, the, romantic kind of vampires... Are you alright?
JB: Yeah, these... tits nearly keep falling out
ASH: Good Lord - ya seen it here, or not, as the case may be....
JB: They'd love it, they'd love it
ASH: Uhm, but I've, yeah, I think the thing about vampires is that they're very sexy I guess, the concept of being a vampire is sexy
JB: And the thing about real tits is that they're always moving too I mean
ASH: Yeah, they're real, they're real
JB: Julia says do you see more limelight opportunities for Giles like the episode with the costume shop guy whose name momentarily...
ASH: Ethan
JB: There you go
ASH: Ethan - more limelight opportunities what do you mean like do I get to hit more people? Uhm, ah, yes I get to hit a few people in up and coming episides uhm, and ah in terms of uhm, the ah, the range of what I get to play uhm, there's some nice stuff coming up.
JB: Oh good, well that sort of leads into the next question from Higgy actually: "Are you anything like Giles in real life now the role that you play, are you anything like him?"
ASH: Do I look anything like Giles in real life?
JB: Well, you just said Ah, the character do you have similarities?
ASH: (Whbbeeyyyhaahh) - No, not really .....God they don't half jump backwards and forth
JB: It's their perogative
ASH: It is, that's what they're here for. Uhm, I'm not remotely like Giles
JB: Really,
ASH: Really
JB: What are you like? What is he like?
ASH: What is he like
JB: What are you like when you're not playing this wonderful guy on Buffy
ASH: I guess, uhm, I'm a blank, sheet of blank paper to be written on
JB: No, no no
ASH: I don't know, I'm a bit, I'm a bit funkier than poor old Giles, he's uhm, there's a bit of my father in him
JB: In Giles?
ASH: In Giles, and a bit of, bit of Prince Charles, uhm, and
JB: Bluegh - I'm not talking to Prince Charles, I will never take his phone calls again
ASH: You took his phone calls?
JB: Just one. But really, what are you like, do you like to go to party and eat at restaurants...
ASH: Oh yeah, I like to, to watch movies, I like
JB: What's your favorite food
ASH: Ah, Thai I guess
JB: Do you drink Thai Ice Coffee or Thai Ice Tea?
ASH: Uhm, Neither actually
JB: I'm a Thai Ice coffee girl
ASH: Really
JB: Yeah, I love it, I can't drink regular coffee but Thai I can really get into
ASH: Something I miss here is good Indian food
JB: Yeah in New York you can get good Indian
ASH: But not here
JB: Actually there's a little place on Melrose that uh,
ASH: Free food ?
JB: Is pretty, Free food for me - called Star of India? okay - that gets me a pompodom or two, yeah and pretty good curry actually.... But England
ASH: But you haven't got Balty here, Balty's all the rage in England, it's a different way of cooking and they cook into the woks and it's just fantastic, a bit hotter than your standard tandoori
JB: Oh really, Well we'll have to take a trip
ASH: Can I cook? naaah
JB: Can you cook?
ASH: Yeah
JB: Like what?
ASH: I cook a very, very, very, very, very lean uhm ...no I always, always cook Sunday lunch when I'm home
JB: What like chicken?
ASH: No you see, we're, we're veggies, uhm but I do cook you see we have something in England called Kworn which you don't have here yet, because the board of trades and standards won't let it in yet but it's a meat substitute that is extraordinarily good, like chicken and I make an extremely good stew
JB: If you don't like meat, why do you want to eat something that tastes like it?
ASH: I don't, well....I don't particularly, but it's, when you've got a stew, you don't always just want a vegetable stew, you want something with a bit of consistency, like a bit chewy, you know like you do, I have to say the one thing I do miss as a veggie, is bacon and I do come across some extraordinarily good you know, fake bacon
JB: Really, this is amazing, I never got that concept you know if you were a vegetarian, why would you want to taste something that taste like meat but anyway we're going to go off that subject
ASH: Yes
JB: And back onto your life as a brilliant actor. You and Ethan are wonderful together as good Brit/bad Brit, did you know each other prior to doing Buffy?
ASH: No, he's, he's a good man is Robin, we, we got on extremely well, and ah, and uhm it, he pops back to the set every now and again, it's nice to, nice to see him, I have no doubt that he is going to be back
JB: Yeah no doubt
Hello Tony
ASH: Hello
JB: You can see it's Kimborne: "Alyson Hannigan said last week about you hitting her off camera what's that all about"
ASH: We've sorta done that one
JB: Yeah
ASH: Oh, when I remember it I saw Nicky, I just dropped in at the set and, and he said to send his love to everyone
JB: Oh, Nicky sends his love to everyone out there?
ASH: And I also saw Alyson, and she didn't know I was coming on here, but if she did then she would have said, send her love as well
JB: So everybody sends their love from the show and "Hi I watch PBS a lot I'm sure I've seen you in something before, have you done British tv?"
ASH: Yes, uhm, all sorts of stuff really, way back to the days of Secret Army and ah Enemy at the Door
JB: Are they wonderful memories to think about all the work you've done back home - cause it started off pretty, you come from a show biz family right, pretty much kind of, your mum's an actress and your dad,
ASH: Documentary film producer
JB: Okay I got that one
ASH: And yeah, and Murray is a rock singer stroke actor
JB: Oh, well we're going to elaborate a little bit more on that and would you please talk to
PhoneCaller Amy: We just wanted to ask you what do you feel is the most exciting or maybe suspenseful part of working on the Buffy series?
ASH: You were just posting just before yes, yes, before we came on weren't you?
JB: Yes, she was chatting
Amy: I was just so excited
ASH: The question was the most exciting part of what? being on the series? Uhm, I guess ah, working with someone like Joss, JOSS WHEDON uhm, because he's just, he seems to have a finger on the pulse.
JB: And he likes you
ASH: Yeah, the bottom line is he's assembled a remarkably uhm good, talented cast and it's it's very rare that you see something that everybody is uhm, has an equal share in the product, usually you see something you think well, he's a bit of a let down but..uh. I'm not, I can't speak for myself but just, generally everybody else in the show is just remarkably adept at what they do.
JB: I don't think you've let Amy down at all. Is there anything else you'd like to ask Amy maybe what's your favorite part of the show?
Amy: Oh, I think my favorite part, are just some of the great comeback lines that's all you hear at my school right now between some of my friends and I.
JB: Is that like adlibbing some of those comeback lines?
ASH: No, largely I mean, I've thrown a couple in, uhm but it's generally, it's Joss, and the thing that's remarkable about him is that he uhm, he writes different humor, and now I mean, we have staff writers as well, we have Robert Dean and Marty and we just had a script from somebody who writes from outside, Ty King, uhm but Joss always kind of oversees, all the scripts come through Joss and he kind of Jossifies it and he writes different comedy for all of us. I mean my, my comedy is different from Alyson's, from Nicky's, you know, and it's extraordinary and uhm, a new character Oz joined....
JB: Do you like Oz, Amy?
Amy: Oh yeah, Oz is so funny and I love the show in general yeah
ASH: Well Seth again, Seth has another completely different kind of humor and it's just you think he's going to run out of ideas cause it's remarkable that he just keeps going.
JB: Well maybe you can thank Amy for calling in
ASH: Thank you Amy, thank you very much
JB: And maybe you could send her a Valentine's kiss. "Anthony what is your all time favorite non-Buffy show in which you have performed?"
ASH: Non-Buffy show in which I've performed? Now you see is that stage or tv?
JB: TV
ASH: I guess, VR.5 uhm, just because ah, it was, it was equally uhm, equally well written, it became a bit obscure at times and we were sometimes really up against it because uhm, scripts didn't, by the time they got approved they wouldn't get to us until we were sort of about to film, sometimes you'd get pages as you were going down to the set to film but it was uhm, some very exciting plot lines in that - it was cool.
JB: Anything exciting coming up for you - I mean when you started Buffy you were here for what 5 years?
ASH: Four or five years.
JB: Four or five years, waiting for that big break
ASH: Well I, I mean, it's been extraordinary, I did, I did VR.5 a couple of months after I'd come here. I did, the first time I came I sat and twiddled my thumbs and it was all very depressing and uhm, very shortly afterwards suddenly got VR.5, did VR.5 for a year went back, something like 6, 8 months or something, went home, came back again, got, got a pilot for something called She I was doing which didn't go.
JB: You did a movie though, with one of my favorite guys Mr. Belushi
ASH: Jim Belushi - yeah that was cool, Miguel Ferrer and a whole bunch of English actors uhm but we shot in Budapest, it was very cold. Uhm, ah, yeah that was cool, I've done pretty consistent work since I've been here which is, which is very nice. That pilot She was the only thing that I've done that hasn't gone. Otherwise, everything's got picked up or
JB: So you're happy
ASH: Yeah! yeah, I mean I would, I wish it was closer to England because then I could get backwards and forwards to see my family more.
JB: But your family, you've got you family here now
ASH: No my immediate fam.. , my my girlfriend and my daughters live in England.
JB: Oh really?
ASH: Yeah, I mean I get back, uhm I get back as often as I can, I mean, I got back Thanksgiving and then Christmas and a couple of weeks ago I went back uhm, but its a looong way and I could bring them out more and I could get back to see
JB: They don't want to move here?
ASH: We've talked about it but uhm, their home is there. We've got a beautiful Regency house just outside Bath and we've got horses.
JB: Bath by the way is one of the most beautiful places in the world in England if you're ever traveling to England
ASH: It is gorgeous
JB: It's one of the most incredible places, cobblestone roads and old, old buildings
ASH: Eighty percent Georgian
JB: Yeah - we have history, and I'll be history if I don't get back to
ASH: "What was it like being in the musical Chess and how did you get interested in the role."
JB: EwokAngel
ASH: EwokAngel (laughs) Ah, it was great, it was phenomenal music and it was great to sing some of those songs. I got it basically because my brother did it uhm, and they asked me when he was leaving they said did I want to do it and I said that I thought it would be a very bad idea, cause it would sort of beg comparison but uhm, like a year, year and a half later they said please, please would you do it and I said yeah, yeah alright
JB: And you made them beg
ASH: No not really, it was just, it was just I was so surprised that they came back and, and said now will you, will you do it and I went to see it and I saw, I'd seen what he'd done with it and I saw what the guy who took over from him was doing with it and I thought I can, actually there's something else that I can do completely different that nobody else hase done with it uhm, and it worked very well, and I had a great time
JB: So do you still love to sing?
ASH: Oh yeah
JB: Yeah?
ASH: Yeah
JB: You don't sing in this part do you,
ASH: No I don't
JB: what's your favorite song?
ASH: My favorite song?
JB: Yeah, something special for Valentine's
ASH: Uhm, no I don't really, but I'm just trying to think
JB: I was on the red carpet and Tom Jones sang to me, he sang My Funny Valentine to me
ASH: Did he? Wow
JB: Mr. Tom Jones. But me being from Wales and Bridge End and all that, there's a kinship yeah
ASH: You bond easy there
JB: That's were I grew up, I grew up in Wales where we call sneakers baps which I think could be a very trendy thing here
ASH: Baps
JB: My didas and my baps, could be a rap thing - a song, a little song
ASH: Uhm, ah well I mean I've, I well, I don't know, Sweet Transvestite, I suppose
JB: They know me I'm a big sucker for a little song or two, I'm a big sucker period, no a big, you know, I really like people that can sing, I kind of melt
ASH: (sings) How do you do, I see you've met my....
JB: If you wanted to sing a little love song to me for
ASH: Oh alright, I've gotta do something
JB: Tis Valentines after all just around the corner
ASH: No it's miles away
JB: No it's just next week
ASH: I don't know the words...(sings) My funny Valentine
JB: You can sing me anything
ASH: Can I?
JB: I like When you get caught between the moon and New York City as well
ASH: Oh, that's, that's Arthur isn't it
JB: What one do you know?
ASH: Not many, I sort of, I write alot
JB: Can't you sing me something?
ASH: If I could think of something to sing
JB: Will you sing me at the end maybe will you can think of something? Should I get back to the interview?
ASH: Yeah
JB: Okay
ASH: While I spend my time thinking what can I sing
JB: Well, something'll pop into your head. Okay, we're going to take #3060 "Anthony I've heard some pretty weird things go on on the set, who is the biggest practical joker on the set?" I'm thinking of songs, go ahead.
ASH: I honestly, I haven't, I haven't done any practical jokes uhm, here, specifically, I did, I did, uhm, I did do a few, when I was doing Chess I must admit, a couple of, a couple of good good ones. My favorite one in Chess uhm, the first time I tried it, the whole thing was that there were some older cast members that sort of frowned on that sort of stuff so you have to be very sort of subtle about it uhm and I did sit down to the chess game with Toby Burt who was playing the Russian and I'd made this booger out of you know rubber cement, and I just sat there with this thing, and it was about an inch long. The most elaborate one I did, getting right off that one. Uhm, was at the end, on my last night
JB:This is on Chess, not Buffy
ASH: This is on Chess and, my last night and Freddy Trumper does a tv report on camera and I went out and rented uhm, a straight jacket and a nurses uniform for my dresser and just at the end of my report I ah did the whole thing in the straight jacket and two security guards stood next to me and she injected me and it went out and it was shown, I should explain it was shown, in, when in our production there were huge video banks all around the stage so not only did the cast see it but the entire audience saw Freddy Trumper's demise
JB: So you're the funny one
ASH: Umm.
JB: We've got another phone call for you baby, you're very popular you know
ASH: That's nice
JB: Jamie are you there
Jamie: Hi Julie, Hi Tony I was kind of wondering, I apologize, I don't know her name but is there a chance that your co-star from the Taster's Choice commercials will ever make an appearance on Buffy? Cause I think you should really suggest the idea to Joss, I think it would be really kinda funny.
ASH: Sharon Maughan is her name. Well there's a thought, I will, I will suggest that to Joss
Jamie: Also, what do you think Snyder's deal is, he apparently knows more than the average Sunnydale citizen, do you have a theory?
ASH: Ah, yeah, well that, that, that plot line's has sort of kind of got put aside by ah, by the goings on with Angel but yeah I was interested in that and I asked Joss what that was all about and he just smiled wryfully, wryly and kind of oh you'll find out, so you know, I'm in the dark as much as you are really but...
JB: He's not lettin it out Jamie, he's not lettin it all out
ASH: It's true!
JB: You've gotta keep on watching. Is there anything else Jamie?
Jamie: No that's about it
JB: Thanks a lot for calling sweetheart Bye. Next question 3071 Twiggenbery:
ASH: "Anthony what's it like working with Sarah?"
JB: Yeah, they wanna know, they wanna know
ASH: She's great, she's amazing, I mean she has extraordinary stamina in fact she I think she goes from, she's in movies on the weekends and at night. She shot Scream uhm, while we were filming and was going from you know the weekend, she began work on that and then come back and ah occasionally you know, you'd say "Where are you going off to tonight " and she'd say just oh, I'm just gonna go
JB: Do a movie
ASH: do a movie. She's lovely and uhm you know, when we have you know scenes together, it's a very good chemical relationship, it's extrememly good
JB: Like ours, like ours
ASH: Except I won't sing to you because I can't think of a song
JB: Don't worry, we've still got a little while, I don't want to pressure you that's just awful
ASH: I started to sing you Sweet Transvestite and then you said that wasn't
JB: You sang in Rocky Horror Show right you did that whole thing - We've got somebody on the line, Patty, I believe and she's got a question about Rocky Horror Show - Patty are you there?
Patty: Yeah Hi Anthony how are you?
ASH: Good thank you
Patty: I just wanted to find out if you're looking forward to coming to New York for the Rocky Horror convention in April?
ASH: laughs, Yeah I am, it's, it's still pending Patty, it's not an absolute definite, theres, I'm basically ah,
JB: He's waiting for the money to come up
ASH: No, they asked did I want money for it, I said no, I don't want money for it but I can't give them a definite yes or no yet, cause I don't know if I'm going to be here or whether it's going to be one of those moments I get to go back to my family. We finish on the 31st of March, uhm, we finish Buffy and just depending on whether I go back, or whether I stay here is basically gonna depend
JB: But we'll keep you posted if you stay tuned to us here we can keep you posted a few days before so that you don't run down there and...
Patty: Well okay, I hope you might be able to come, I'm from New York and if you do, I'd love to see you.
ASH: Cool - If I do go, they've asked me to do some singing so no doubt it'll be Sweet Transvestite, I dont know, I mean, my favorite song from the show is ah, is Going Home but ah, ST is the one they
Patty; We'd love to hear you sing
JB: You know what, stay tuned, cause I'm gonna try and get him to sing at the end okay? I'm trying very hard and if I don't, then I'm a complete failure, and I know he won't let me fail.So thanks a lot Patty, have a nice time at the convention too, God Bless.
JB: Sharra: "Your character has a history of the occult, have you found yourself more interested in the occult or phenomenon?" I can never say that work real quick
ASH: Phenomenon?
JB: Yeah phenomenon, since taking this role
ASH: Aaaah, no there's not been any sort of, I've not ..
JB: Found yourself floating or
ASH: No I've always ah I've believed that you know that there's a dark side and a light side and I got very worried when I was in my teens, another person that this is loosely based on, uhm a friend of mine who was an archaeologist for sometime, but he started to get really interested in black magic just cause he found the whole thing fascinating uhm, and said that sort of was reading all these books about people running around in circles in the nude and things and I got very worried and he used to think it was all very funny
JB: Sounds like a regular cocktail party to me
ASH: He thought it was all very funny uhm, but I tried to dissuade him but ah, and yet, later in life, he, he became a librarian so part of, part of him is, is in, is in Giles. Uhm but uhm, no I don't, I mean, as I say I just, I think there is a dark side and it's not how people say it's extraordinary how you, you, you seem to believe everything you're saying A) it's my job as an actor to believe what I say without thinking necessarily every word is true but I believe it if you know what I mean
JB: But you cover it well, this acting thing can play havoc
ASH: Oh it screws, screws with your mind, it certainly does but ah, uhm, I forgot my question.
JB: But you not really into, you don't take it seriously
ASH; I don't, I don't pursue it in that way
JB: It scares the heck out of me
ASH: Yeah, I mean, we, the house, the house we live in is, is, has a spirit in it, I wouldn't say it's haunted but it has a spirit
JB: What's the difference between haunted and a spirit?
ASH: Well, a haunting
JB: Are hauntings scary?
ASH: Well, no not necessarily, a haunting, I mean any of it can be scary if you think, because we don't understand it uhm but something, a friend of ours who is a psychic said that uhm, the dead can't hurt you, only the living can. Uhm but uhm, basically the difference between a haunting, or a ghost and a spirit is that a ghost is like a, a replay on a video thing it's like a certain period, portion of time keeps playing over
JB: Like Groundhog Day
ASH: Yeah, like that thing with Liam Neeson that's set in an Irish Castle anyway
JB: Does anybody know that?
ASH: Uhm
JB: Like, it's like, I thought haunted houses, like things that you can't see but that noises and scary and stuff and that spirits are like things you could see
ASH: Spirits are, I mean a few, a couple of people have seen the spirit in our house, it's a little girl and her nanny. Uhm, but I've heard her and ah
JB: Really? Happy or sad?
ASH: It's, it's a little sad cause she cries out, and you rush upstairs to see uhm, if it's one of the children and the children are all fast asleep and ah, uhm, and she bumped about a bit when we first, when we first moved in, cause we did a few sort of, moved a few things about
JB: And you're not scared of her?
ASH: No cause she's really sweet and she's, you know, both of my daughters have, one, one, I think they've both seen her
JB: Wow, I told my father that when he died I begged him Please don't sit on my bed, sit on my sister's.
ASH: Oh no!
JB: I would freaky deaky out, my sister's comfortable with it all but I'm uncomfortable, I'm not a spirit person.
ASH: Well, I can understand, I mean, a friend of ours who, I mean she's one of the leading, leading psychics, mediums in England, she's, she's, she's so matter of fact about it and, and you just get talking to her and you sort of you're talking to, I've talked to my grandmother is, is, is the one who comes through to me the most, she's my guide. Uhm but uhm,
JB: You never know what's pushing you in this direction darling. You have no idea
ASH: This direction?
JB: Yeah the direction that you're taking, in your life
ASH: Yeah, I mean the fascinating, we really are digressing here but uhm, I mean the thing that's interesting in all that is that they all tell you roughly, they all tell you where you are headed but nothing is written in stone, the bottom line is that you are always free to change your destiny. And uhm, it's, it's an interesting area.
JB: Yes, it certainly is I believe everybody's been somewhere before. Where have you been? You know what, we'll take one last question, there's four on the board there, actually there's a hundred and four bzillion but four on our screen, would you like to chose one that you'd like to answer?
ASH: Well we've done Snyder. Ah, "is the rumour about Willow leaving true?" NO!!!
JB: Wow you got here there
ASH: NO IT'S NOT, not remotely
JB: "What was the last American movie you saw?"
ASH: The last American movie I saw was last night was the Replacement Killers, Uhm, I went to the premiere, lots of guns, lots of people getting shot
JB: What was it?
ASH: Replacement Killers
JB: Okay, they said one more question but unfortunately, we can't let you go that easy because ah, Dewey wants to know if you really like the Bay City Rollers? She talks about being a BCR fan.
ASH: (laughs) I begged Joss to change that line but basically we couldn't actually, he said alright well come up with someone else, and I couldn't because the Bay City Rollers basically did it really.
JB: Before I let you go have you come up with a song?
ASH: The simplest way I can get out of it
JB: No don't give it with all that love I couldn't accept
ASH: (starts to sing Anthem...and forgets words).....No man no madness, though their sad powers may prevail, can posess, conquer my country's heart, she stands, they stand to fail. etcera, etcera..
JB: Oh here I go, getting all soppy again I hate it when I do that. Thank y
