|
Billy,
you've got a new film coming out soon - The Man Who Sued God. Tell
us a bit about it.
It's
about a guy - Steve Myers, who I play. He studied law as a young
man and didn't like it, so he became a kind of hippyish guy who
fishes for prawns in Australia.
He
borrows money for his boat from his ex-wife's husband, who runs
a caravan site. Then the boat gets struck by lightning and the insurance
company won't pay because it's an act of God.
You can't sue God because he won't turn up...  |
|
-
Billy Connolly on his film 'The Man Who Sued God'
|
So
he decides to sue God for the money. But you can't sue God because
he won't turn up! Or she won't turn up, whatever. So you have to
sue the representatives of God on earth.
So
he gets the representatives of Catholicism, Presbyterianism, Church
of England, Judaism and gets them all into court to have a go.
It's very good, it's beautifully written.
I made
it in Australia about three years ago. We couldn't get a release
for some reason over here until now - it was very successful down
there. It's coming out on 22 August and I'm looking forward to seeing
it on the street again.
Whenever
we see you on TV, you're driving round Australia on the bike or
in America with your feet up - you cleseem to like the idea of the
idyllic lifestyle!
I do,
and I think everybody does, but I found it within my grasp, and
I like it.
 |
| Steve
(Billy) and Anna Redmond (Judy Davis), a journalist who helps
him with his case |
But
often you'll see me in situations which are the director's idea
- "I want to see you beside this swimming pool" - and
people think it's your house.
And
although my houses are nice places to live, TV and film people will
always want you to be beside a big pool!
If
you're in Hollywood, they want you to look as if you're in Hollywood,
so they stick you beside something that's turqoise and white and
blah blah blah kaboom kaboom! My life isn't actually like that.
I play the banjo and go fishing...
What
about your standup, Billy?
I haven't
done it in a while, it's beginning to sacre me! I'd better go and
do it again...
I find
everybody else awful funny, and myself deathly dull, so I'd better
go on the road again!
Is
it true that your standup shows are pretty much hoofed - that you
go on and make it up as you go along?
I make
up lots of it. But there is a skeleton of stories.
|
If you're in Hollywood, they want you to look as if you're in
Hollywood. My life isn't actually like that. I play the banjo
and go fishing... |
|
-
Billy Connolly
|
You
have to have that because there are nights when nothing comes into
your head.
You
can't stand there staring at them so you've got to have this body
of work that has a shape, but the trick is to surround it with everything
that comes into your head.
And
that way the thing you went on with has no resemblance to the thing
you come off with. On a good night it works very well.
There
was a guy on a Washington newspaper who wrote, "Connolly comes
onstage with a Christmas tree and decorates it before your very
eyes." That's the best way to describe it. But you can't go
on without the tree. You bring all the lights with you on a good
night, but they don't always turn up...
I
sometimes come offstage and think, "I'm getting away with this."
Do you ever feel that?
 |
| Billy
in period costume for 'Gentlemens Relish' |
Yeah,
well, there are nights when I come off to huge ovation and I thought
I didn't do so good because I didn't get anything new coming through
or enough new stuff.
Then
there are nights when I've come off to a very good reception - but
not as good as the one I was talking about - and I've said to my
manager, "Yes! What do you think of that?" you know? It's
just one of those things.
Some
nights you come off wishing you were in the audience to hear the
stuff you've just done because you don't know where the hell it
came from, and you wish it would happen every day.
But
that's the joy of it all.
Listen
to the full interview! (28k, 7 min)
Realplayer required. BBC
download guide Free
Real player
|
