Our interview with actor Kevin McNally, aka Joshamee Gibbs, follows Benito and Nate's work.
By now, you're no doubt thinking OK, so what does a deep fried monkey have to do with pirates?
Or maybe you're thinking Wow. I don't get it.
No matter. Read on and all will become clear. Or at least clearer.
Words and pictures © Bellegarde & Cereno, used by permission.
About the Artists:
Nate Bellegarde began making comics at the tender age of four when he finger-painted several comics about undead infants that appeared in the back of Battle Pope: Mayhem. Left alone and hungry after the cessation of Battle Pope comics, Nate was rescued from the brink of utter oblivion by the brine-encrusted captain of the mighty ship HMS Puffy Muffin, Benito J. Cereno III. Together, the two experienced dozens of bowel-quivering adventures, many of which were chronicled as short comics in the back of Image Comics' popular Invincible title.
To prove they were not simply a one-note joke, the pair submitted, both together and separately, several stories to the cult comic sensation Western Tales of Terror. Separate from Nate, but together with artist Graeme MacDonald, Benito produced the 2004 graphic novella Tales from the Bully Pulpit, which chronicles the adventures of Teddy Roosevelt and the ghost of Thomas Edison as they travel the space/time continuum. Nate, meanwhile, has contributed illustrations to various comics such as The Expatriate and Amazing Joy Buzzards, while also working as official artist for popular nerdcore rap artist mc chris.
Benito's and Nate's first full-length book together, Hector Plasm: De Mortuis, will be published from Image Comics in March 2006. Visit their web site at www.fetorpse.com to buy stuff, or just to keep up with the guys. It's all good.
Meet Kevin McNally, aka Joshamee Gibbs
A note from your commodores:
We are pleased to present the first in what will hopefully be a series of interviews with some of the people involved in the production of the Pirates of the Caribbean films. For our inaugural interview, Keep To The Code member Gibbs Wench, webmaster of the official Kevin McNally fan site, collected questions for Kevin directly from fans. The resulting interview is below.
Actor Kevin R. McNally, better known to Pirates of the Caribbean fans as Joshamee Gibbs, was born April 27 in Bristol, England. He has been acting on television and in films since the mid-1970s.
Actor Kevin McNally in a recent publicity photo.
Kevin's extensive film and television credits can be viewed at this link, and he also has a great deal of live theatre experience. To read more about the man and view a large collection of photos from various stages in his career, you can visit the official Kevin McNally fan site at this link.
Let's start with your Pirates persona. As an actor, what aspect of the character of Joshamee Gibbs do you find:
a) most frustrating,
b) most rewarding,
c) most challenging, and
d) most fun?
Was any backstory developed for the character that you are permitted to reveal to us?
a) The fact his shirt is made of sailcloth and he wears a jacket over it.
b) The rich diologue the writers give me.
c) The action sequences.
d) playing a salty old sea-dog.
The only back story is the one in Pirates that he was a sozzled old sailor who had a problem with authority so he dropped out for a few years until Jack offered him a new life.
We have heard that some of the actors were given a chance to give their characters their first names. If this is true, why did you choose Joshamee?
I wasn't one of those actors but if I had been I couldn't have made a better choice than Joshamee.
Who was the bigger rogue, Joshamee Gibbs or Joseph Buquet? Which role was more physically taxing to play?
Joshamee is the more forgivable rogue but Buquet is an out and out rotter. The chase in the rafters of the theatre in POTO [2004's Phantom of the Opera] was tough and scary to shoot as I don't have a great head for heights. But some of the filming for POTC 2 in Dominica was brutal--running for days across sand and through water in 90' heat and 75' of humidity.
How did you get to meet Captain Sparrow? Is your role this time bigger than the first one?
Well of course we never see this in the film but I suspect that after Gibbs left the navy he helped Jack out a few times in exchange for a few drinks and maybe some light deck work.
As you uniquely have followed orders in both camps, do you prefer sailing under the command of Norrington or Jack?
Sailing under Jack is a lot more fun if a little more unpredictable.
Quite a rogue's gallery we have here. That's Kevin as Joshamee Gibbs on your left.
You've been playing Gibbs for so long now, will you suffer any separation anxiety like Johnny Depp will with Jack Sparrow?
A little. But fortunately there are plenty of other misfits, hoodlums and madmen for me to get my teeth into on dry land.
Did you know what manner of pirate CJS was going be portrayed as by Johnny before shooting, or was the off-beat performance a surprise to you also, and what was your first reaction to it?
It came as a wonderful surprise to all of us.
What is your actual rank on board the Black Pearl....Jack's right hand man and confidant to be sure, but does the crew of the Pearl have a full chain of command? Who is in charge in Jack's absence, Gibbs or Ana-Maria?
I think both would think they were. I like to think of Gibbs as Bo'sun or first mate.
Does Gibbs still think it's bad luck to have a woman aboard? How about monkeys?
He always will be a good old unreconstructed man of the sea. Women, children and animals have no place on a ship in his world.
How did Gibbs go from fearing pirates to becoming one?
Very simple. The promise of money, beer and most importantly...rum!
Just how well do you know Barbossa [in the story that is]?
I know the legend more than the man. And that terrifies Gibbs so much he really is glad he doesn't know him any better.
What attracted you to this character? If given the chance, how would you tweak his character?
My favourite TV comedian of the sixties was a man called Tony Hancock. He used to do a character based on Robert Newton's Long John Silver in the forties film version of "Treasure Island," full of eye rolling and 'Aaaaar, Jim lad!' and desperate cries of 'Yellowjack!' I saw this could be a slight homage to him. As far as the tweaking is concerned I'm getting the chance to discover more in Gibbs in P2 & 3.
What was your screen test like? How much did you evolve the character of Gibbs since the first read-through to the day the first scene was shot?
As with most successful roles I had a very strong idea of how I wanted to play him when I first went on tape and fortunately Gore Verbinski loved it. He very much wanted the old storyteller aspect of the character. And though Gore helps me find other things in him I've always developed that first reading without deviation.
Is filming on the water as much a nightmare as I hear tell it is?
It obviously creates more difficulties than filming on land or in the controlled environment of the studio but as yet I would not describe it as a nightmare. Though filming "Shakleton" in the Arctic Ocean certainly had its moments!
Did you ever become seasick [during Pirates filming]?
Yes. If the sea is in any way rough I have a nasty few days but I soon find my sea legs.
Is there any down time when you're on a ship at sea? What do you do?
Good question. There can be a lot of down time and we all have various ways of dealing with it. For a while just sitting on the side of the ship and enjoying the sea breeze can be fun. Finding a quiet corner to read a book or do a su doku puzzle or catch up on sleep is very popular. There are a lot of people to hang with and chat to and of course an endless procession of drinks and snacks to while away the day.
Who was the practical joker on the set and what kind of jokes were played?
There are a lot of jokes and banter on the set and Johnny can be particularly fun but a film set or a sailing ship is no place for practical jokes. People are pretty sensitive to health and safety.
Who flubs the most lines?
The only diplomatic answer to that is...not me.
What's your reaction to the popularity of this movie and franchise? Is it what you expected or is it more overwhelming?
Thinking back I was utterly amazed at quite how successful it was. Very few films are, and film based on a theme park ride didn't look too hot on paper, at least to me. But the integrity, talent and enthusiasm with which it was realized by everyone on the film, particularly Gore, the writers and Johnny gave it a real shot at the sensation it has become.
Webmaster Gibbs Wench with Kevin at Holborn Tube Station, London. Note Kevin is in "full Gibbs facial hair mode" here, even off the set. Now that's dedication!
When you finish the [Pirates] movies, what will be your best memory of this experience and what was the worst?
The best will certainly be the people. Without exception the cast and crew of Pirates is a big happy family and some of the nicest people I have met. The worst...I'd have to say the Caribbean climate at the height of summer and all the bites, rashes and dodgy tums that go with it.
Are your lines strictly from the script, or are some of them your own ad-libs? Are you given the freedom to do a little ad-libbing?
In filming there is very little ad-libbing on the day and virtually none on camera even by people like [Robert] De Niro and [Joe] Pesce in, say, Raging Bull. The improvisation, if any, comes before and is agreed by everyone before we shoot a scene, so in that sense I have had input.
I'd like to know if the "human hair from my back" comment by Captain Sparrow was an ad-lib on the part of Johnny Depp or written by the writers. [Your] reaction makes it look like he is about to crack up, and makes me think it may have been unplanned.
As the exception that proves the rule in regard to my answer to [the question above] this was an improvisation of Johnny's. And although the take you see was probably the third time I heard it I was still finding it pretty darned amusing.
Are there any other roles you've played that you would ever want to reprise, besides Gibbs of course?
There are a few though not in movies. Some TV and stage work.
Some actors are uncomfortable with seeing themselves on screen. Do you have a phobia of that as well, or are you able to watch your performances without hesitation?
This very much depends on my performance, some I like, others I avoid. I don't mind watching Gibbs.
Would it be too cheeky to ask if you could bend Disney's or Mr. Bruckheimers' ear a bit? Since POTC is at stern (sort of) could we get a peek at what else ended up on the cutting room floor? I know a lot more was filmed than just the deleted scenes they chose to include on the DVDs.
I'll see what I can do though I suspect that over the next two years with the trilogy being repackaged as each film comes out more and more material will be released. I don't think you are going to be starved of Pirates for some years to come.
I hope you all continue to enjoy Pirates and look forward to hearing from you all in the summers of '06 and '07.
Thanks, Kevin.
Oh, one last question from the fans: Boxers or briefs?
Boxers, tight around the thigh.
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