Hey folks, Harry here with the latest on SPIDER-MAN our man in Hastings, NY!!! For all you JK Simmons doubters... well, get set to love him, I know he's gonna be dead on perfect for the role. Now, without further ado, I must sleep and you must read... c-ya...
Hi Harry,
JK Simmons lives in the next town over from me (Hastings, NY), and the latest issue of our local weekly paper has an extensive article on him. He talks about Spider-Man, Oz, and The Mexican, and there's a picture of him with his JJJ mustache. Since its not available on line I thought I'd give you the highlights. All quotes are from The Rivertowns Enterprise (Westchester, NY), March 9, 2001.
On JJJ:
For research, Simmons "read just about every 'Spider-Man' comic that 'highlighted predictably juicy JJJ episodes,' and downloaded relevant information off the internet." In addition to the mustache, Simmons will wear a flat-top wig and a set of prosthetic teeth. "'He's always screaming,' Simmons said of Jameson. 'I have crooked yellow teeth, and he's got a mouth full of square white teeth.'" He is also working on his pitch for Jonah's voice;"Basically, it'll be loud-- a variation that I haven't really used before. Sam [Raimi] said no heavy New York dialects."
Evidently Jonah will be involved in at least one action sequence. The article mentions Simmons' desire to at least get "first crack" at doing his own stunts, and that some green screen work will be shot in the spring.
On Oz:
"At the end of last season's shooting schedule, he and fellow 'Oz' cast members shot an alternate ending, just in case the series wasn't picked up for another year. 'My character dies, and my nemesis is set free,' Simmons said of that plot."
On The Mexican:
Simmons voices his disappointment the finished film. Over half of his performance was edited out, resulting in a character that doesn't make sense. "'The script that we shot was one of the smartest, funniest, most atypical Hollywood movie scripts [by newcomer J.H. Wyman] I have ever seen, but ultimately the studio and producers, I think, chickened out and catered to test audiences of the lowest common denominator.' The story was reconfigured 'based on what a 19-year-old couple on a date wanted to see--which is not me, even with hair,' Simmons said, alluding to the wig he wore for the film."
The article ends with Simmons' take on Spidey;
" 'Spider-Man is so easy to identify with,' he explained. 'He's just this little nerdy guy with problems. He has a hard time paying his rent; he gets pimples, and he can't keep a girlfriend. [Then], he becomes this invincible crusader for all that's good and right.' "
