Creepy interview
Posted: August 12, 2013, 14:24
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Creepshow happens to be one of my favorite horror films, so I definitely wanted to ask you about your part in it. I heard that you were originally interested in playing the role of Jordy…
Tom Atkins: Yeah, that was Stephen King’s role. George was in LA putting Creepshow together and I remember going into this building in Santa Monica and sitting down with him. He asked me if there was any role I liked a lot and I said I’d love to play Jordy, the guy that gets eaten by green swamp shit. He said that he couldn’t because Stephen King was doing that part, and it made sense because he helped him write it. He asked if I’d do him a big favor by playing the dad that ties the beginning and the end, and I said “Hell yeah!” We had a lot of fun.
Many people don’t realize that you shot those scenes with Stephen King’s son, Joe.
Tom Atkins: That’s right. His real son Joe was nine years old then. That was a long time ago and he was great. Stephen was very nervous because I had to slap Joe in the bedroom. Stephen was afraid and I said: “I’m a professional actor. I’ve done a lot of stage work, Stephen, and I know how to hit him and make it look good and not hurt him.” We did a couple of takes and it was just fine. They add sounds to make it seem horrific, but I barely touched him.
In Boston a number of years ago, I was at a table and Adrienne was next to me. All of the sudden, I’m aware of this tall person standing next to me. There’s this guy with long brown hair, glasses, a full brown beard and you could barely see any skin in there. He was just standing there watching me, and I asked: “Is there a Joe King in the middle of all that shit somewhere?” He said, “Yeah Tom, it’s me, but don’t say anything. I’m selling books as Joe Hill in the back.” I went back to his booth and we ended up talking for a little bit. He’s a terrific kid and his dad was fun.
I met his dad on the first night of filming on Creepshow. I think I only worked two days on it. Someone brought Stephen to the wagon and said: “Tom Atkins this is Stephen King. Stephen, Tom Atkins.”
Stephen’s first words were “What is Jamie Lee Curtis really like?” He thought she was just the bee’s knees [laughs].
Thanks to Bev Vincent
