OPJFC Forum Guest PAUL JOHANSSON
appearance on 02/29/00
 please note that miscellaneous commentary has been omitted
(Firinn) a round of applause...WELCOME PAULJ!!...I can't thank you ENOUGH, Paul for taking time out of your HUGELY busy day to visit with all of us. Bon chance, mon ami. Your public awaits...

(PJ) ...Thanks for setting up this blind date, Firinn! I'm very happy to finally get a moment to spend with the coke can club  I've been lurking.

(Harmonica)  ...Hi Paul! Welcome!!!

(PJ) ... Harmonica Thank you so much for your efforts with the screen caps for the club.

(Harmonica)  ...Always a pleasure. :-)

(Lurks)  Hi Paul... and welcome to the forum! I've got a question to start things off. You told us previously you were working on a new screenplay. Have you finished it, and if so, what are your plans for it now?

(PJ)  Its absolutely terrifying! I did finish right before I went to Africa for Glory Glory and sent it to Nick Cassavetes who sent it to his mother, Gena Rowlands.  She liked it and agreed to a meeting.  That meeting was in Palm Springs a week ago and she commited to the project.  I'm now rewriting pieces but look forward to shooting in July.

(Mistress Rose) Paul, question about Glory Glory...When will we be able to see it? Will it be a theatrical release, cable or network? And thank you, by the way, for the behind the scenes pics you sent!

(PJ) ...It's a motion picture for the big screen. Distributers have been contacted and are responding favorably to the entities involved.  Thank You   Well hopefully it'll be a Christmastime release

(transit) actor to actor... any hints for a semi-newbie in this wonder, scary business of ours?

(PJ)  ...If you don't like being hungry, desperate,  or well, let's just say there are easier ways to make a livin.  But if you REALLY want to be a successful actor treat it like a business and work harder than anybody else.

(Red Hunter) Paul, A question about "Conversations in Limbo...During "Conversations in Limbo", you worked with Dale Midkiff. I went to High School with Dale, and my Sister graduated with him. I don't mean to take the focus off of your work, but I'm interested in some of the people you've chosen to work with. How did you get Dale involved? Any other comments on other cast members and why they were on board?? I know you have a long standing friendship with Jason Priestly, but I can't believe people are chosen purely on who they know. It's got to help. I mean if Jason wasn't a talented actor he wouldn't have been there I imagine. Red Hunter

(PJ)...I personally feel he's a Terrific actor. Very subtle and intelligent  I would like to use him in something else one day.  I actually had Gena Gershon in the role of the prostitute and she called and cancelled the day of her scene.  AAAAGGGH.  I invited Cameron Diaz to play the girlfriend but she was off to Paris for something.  So those two roles were cast through the producers and Missy THE OTHERs Crider and Gina Mastrogiacomo did great jobs. Yea Jason is great and he's a buddy so he was involved from the beginning.  But agents submitted some of the others.

(Night Owl MacMerlin) Conversations in Limbo...Greetings, and Welcome Paul. I was quite impressed by Converstions in Limbo. Have you had any ideas about expanding it to a full length movie or perhaps one or more episodes on a TV Detective show? (there always seem to be plenty of those to choose from!)

(PJ) ...Finally we meet. (Swords cross, McOwl!!). Thanks for the compliment . I had a lot of help. I don't think, so I've got other things I'd prefer to do at this point, but it was instrumental in allowing me to try a new and exciting facet of the film making process.

(tirnanog)   I've been waiting for a chance to ask this...In your bio, over in another part of the website, you mentioned that you paint, and that painting is boring. Now I think the fact that you paint is very interesting, and I want to know more about it. Can you tell us something about your painting? Like what medium you use? Are your paintings abstract or realistic? What do you think your paintings express, if anything? Why do you paint if you think painting is boring? Can we possibly see some of them one of these days?

(PJ) ... I haven't had much of a chance to paint this new year but I am getting the urge as you bring it up. Its really abstract, mostly acrylic some oil, and my mother paints in oil and watercolor.  I really don't feel its boring at all   I probably was a little burnt out.  In fact I'm writing a new script that takes place in an art gallery and the title of the script is "The Ascanius Question"

(Brena Rosal)   Sorry Paul, but I can't find that word...Ascanius in the dictionary. What does it mean?  If you have the time to answer it, because the questions are coming pretty fast. Thanks~

(PJ) ... Ascanius is a character in a painting.  He was poaching in the king's forest and is about to let fly an arrow into one of the king's finest stags.  A beautiful creature with great long antlers.  In the foreground is a meadow with children playing in the sun.  In the background is a storm rolling in off the horizen.  If he lets go of the arrow, man is thrust back into the Dark Ages.  His innocence is lost.  If he relents and does not kill the stag, we continue on in the Golden Age.  It is about choices.  It is a beautiful painting.

(tirnanog)  Here's a link:  virgil's aneied http://vergil.classics.upenn.edu/comm2/names/ascanius.html

(Robin from Rysher forum)  So how often do you lurk? Hmmm. ...lol

(PJ) ....I lurk when it's not about swimsuits or Coke cans or well...you know. That's when I go to my favorite web site STRATFOR.COM its awesome.


(MacK MW)   Hello, Paul. Got a message for you....I promised a good friend I'd post this here tonight, since he's (hopefully) asleep by now. (After all, it IS the middle of the night in England!)  Anyhow... here goes - and please remember, this was HIS idea! *g*  On behalf of John Mosby (intrepid Impact/Dreamwatch reporter)... Paul, Many thanks for your  interview for Dreamwatch on the last day of filming The Raven in Paris. I appreciate the funny but frank and honest comments about the show. But...can you finally put this argument to death and tell everyone that I didn't hurt you too  much??? Best, John.

(PJ)  ....Sorry to dissappoint JM, but I vividly remember the ride in a French taxi to the hospital to set my broken beak. How are you?  That was a great time, I remember it well!  Best to you.  Go see Jason Priestley in the West End of London in a play called SIDEMAN.  It opened last night.  Send him my regards.

(NickChick) Hi Paul! -- First Wave ?...Hi Paul, Thanks for dropping by. I just did an interview with Chris Brancato and Roger Cross about FW. How did you like doing that show? Any teasers you can give us about the ep since we're not going to see it til summer?

(PJ) ...Well lets just say. I'm a bad ***   Just what I like to play sometimes and also how I drive on the LA freeway sometimes.  It's a fun show nice people.  I don't get the girl, though, in the end.

(Laurie MN MacWench) Hello Paul! A quick question...I hope it's not too personal... and if you feel it is, please feel free "not" to answer. Since we share the same birth date, I was curious as to whether you celebrate your birthday and if so, what's your favorite way to celebrate? Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to spend some time with us. You did an awesome job on "Hope Island".

(Pj) ....Family Laurie. If it's possible it's the only way to go as far as b-days go. But this year I was at Sundance Film Festival, so Jason Priestley took me out for Italian and then we went to a party for someone else, but it was great. Wayne Gretsky and Paul Newman also share our b-day.  I havn't seen Hope Island.  But I really liked the way it was written.  It was a real wonderful acting experience. I also want to add that the Scholarship Fund is so impressive. I couldn't ask for a better Hommage than something like this. I have two items to add to the cachet. They're great, but I'll let Firinn make the announcements. Lakers are about to take on Portland if anyone is interested.

(Robin)  Now that Raven is out on tape... I can finally watch all of them. Alot of people liked the show but the TV stations kept moving it. Would you play Nick again? Would you come to a Highlander con if asked?

(PJ)  ...I think it's time to move on, but I do miss it sometimes. I've never officially been invited to a Con. Is it scary?

(Georgette Trollster) Getting back to Hope Island...I loved it! It was so different to see you as a father, a dad, even though a delinquent one. Since I don't think you've even played a father before, where did the character *Steve* come from? He was so tender and reaching out to his son in one moment but also kind of standoffish, not surprising since he's been out of his life. Is Steve really interested in being a father or more interested in being husband first and THEN father? Even though I thought this was some of your best work, I LOVED you as Leonard in Dharma and Greg. You do comedy soooo well, a natural. You should do it more often, what with that twinkle in your eye :-) Thanks for all the happy times you've brought us on screen and off here at *Your Place*, and your forum.

(PJ) ...Thank You!  I think Steve let it go too long. If only he would have tried earlier. But did he come back to heal himself or mend the breach in his family. He is very complicated. I liked the character. It made me want to be a better person and long to be a great dad. Leonard was just pure joy. I loved live audience taping.  If I do more live audience comedy, I'll leave plenty of notice and secure tickets to the taping to distribute here on our site.

(Ligia Pacheco) Any new projects underway?... Hi Paul, hope you are well, and in good spirits. Paul, I ran into last August at Granville Island, B.C. You mentioned something about a new project, I think it went something like this: there were all these immortals living underground because of an evil President who wanted to do away with all immortals. I hope I'm close on this one. Any luck getting this project underway? It was definitely intriguing. Wish you great success on all your endeavours.

(PJ) ... I remember very well talking with you.  In front of the wine shop, right?  I was buying um er booze. I wrote out the pitch and gave it to Bill Panzer after dinner at the famous Palm restaurant one night and he never mentioned it again. But this Highlander universe is his world, so .

(Dianne) How does it feel to have a whole website...devoted to you? Amazing, scary, embarrassing at times, humbling, proud are a few of the things I think I might feel if I were in your shoes. What are your feelings?

(PJ) ...I think you've pretty much covered it. But most of all I'm getting to know the personalities behind these monickers, so it's fun.  I want and try to keep things fun.cause the world can feel awfully big sometimes. No I ain't from Kansas .

(petshark) Okay, a very odd question...(btw, no fair, no warning, when caught unawares I do come up with the most asinine questions....) Okay, what are the chances you could start signing diet coke cans? Also, thanks for taking time to be here, hope others had better questions.

(PJ) ..Diet Coke cans?  What's wrong with regular Coke cans or Classic Coke?  Thanks to everybody I've had a great time.

(Firinn) GOODNIGHT, PAULJ...thanks SOOOOOOOO much...from us ALL. Please consider coming back again sometime....it's been HUGELY fun.

(PJ)  ... Thank you. I will, and believe me it won't be so long in the interim again. Best to everyone, and sorry Jette and Rebecca couldn't be here cause of the time differences. Ciao!

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