As a child,
what did you want to be when you grew up?
Alex Robinson
STILWELL, KANS.
Probably a baseball player. Then a boxer. I
think it was always sports in general. I was not
very comfortable in social settings. I was more
comfortable on a ball field or in a gym than
anywhere else.
Looking back, why do you think you were so
self-destructive after your initial success?
Rian Cooney,
SAN FRANCISCO Oh,
there were a lot of reasons. None of them
outstanding. I had a very naive outlook on what
I thought acting was all about, and I wasn't
really prepared to deal with the business end of
it or the politics. And I think that sort of
short-circuited me.
Do
you feel like the same person you were 25 years
ago?
Amir Khan,
ATLANTA God,
no. Absolutely not. I don't walk the same, talk
the same, look the same, sound the same, hear
the same, react the same, especially. Before,
with me there were no rules. I didn't really
care about repercussions. Those added up and bit
me in the ass.
I always loved
your '80s stuff--Barfly, Angel Heart and the
like. Even though those movies are still panned
by critics, what do you think of your '80s work?
Andrew Fedeli
GREENBRAE, CALIF. I
had a good time when I was working with good
directors. When I was working with Adrian Lyne
on 9 1/2 Weeks, I was fine with that. I was fine
with Francis Ford Coppola when we did Rumble
Fish. It would fall apart with me if I did
material for a payday. When you got bills to
pay, you've gotta take a part that I would call
a piece of crap. Then you just don't like
yourself. That was when I really started to
self-destruct. Harley Davidson and the Marlboro
Man--that started it.
Do you ever
regret leaving acting to pursue boxing?
Quan Pham,
MELBOURNE
There are days when I do and days when I don't.
Looking back, I probably should not have done
it. But it was something I did to save myself
from myself, and at least I found direction in
something honorable. It could've been worse if I
didn't have that outlet.
Does it
bemuse you that your performance in The Wrestler
should get so much attention?
Lindsay Coleman,
MELBOURNE I think it was not just my performance. It
wouldn't have been the same movie without Darren
Aronofsky and the team of people that he
surrounded me with--my wrestling trainer and
Doug Crosby, a great stunt coordinator. Evan
Rachel Wood was just so focused. When you're
working with somebody as talented as she is, you
can take each other to another level.
Where'd
you get such great style?
Zach Kienitz,
BOZEMAN, MONT. I
grew up in Miami. [Laughs.] Probably my
grandmother. I lost her about four months ago.
She was 99. But you know, she was pretty sharp.
How hard was
it to train and get in shape for The Wrestler?
John Luma
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CALIF. It was
murder. I walk around at about 192 lb., and I had to
get up to 228 and put muscle on, not fat. I found
this trainer, this Israeli ex-commando, and he made
it real serious. He's like, "You gotta be here at
this time. You've gotta eat seven meals a day. You
have to run every day." I respected him, and he
respected his job
In your Golden
Globes acceptance speech, you thanked your dogs.
What kind do you have, and what are their names?
Jill Fritz,
MADISON, WIS.
I've got Chihuahuas, pugs and a Samoyed. There's
Loki, the Chihuahua, who had a brother,
Chocolate--he passed away. And then there's La Negra.
She's a pug. And Ruby Baby. Taco Bell, he's a
Chihuahua. Jaws, who's a Chihuahua. He's named Jaws
because when I rescued him, I went to give him a
kiss and he gave me two stitches in the face. He's a
character.
What is your advice
to survive and come back in hard times?
Jose G. Camil
QUERETARO, MEXICO Get a
lot of sleep, a lot of exercise. Eat real good. Say
your prayers. And be good to your dogs.
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