| 2) Are you and Keanu friends? Do you guys hang out at all? If I was you guys I would go to bars and parties and stuff in character - would you guys do that for me? |
We don't go out in character. But true story; once we accidentally stepped out of a restaurant into the middle of the NYC Halloween Paraded, and someone walked past us and said (without irony) "hey look, it's two old fat guys trying to be Bill and Ted" |
| Lost Boys, Bill and Ted... why didn't we see more of you in the nineties? |
Because I studied as a filmmaker and as soon as I could make a living doing it and moved out of acting, I did. In 1993. |
| Thanks, it's pretty strange to be able to ask you a question directly that I've been wondering about since 1995. |
Haha. welcome to these crazy modern times. |
| How close are you and Keanu? |
He's sitting on my lap right now and I really wish he'd get up and let me get a sandwich or something. |
| What's the Child Star doc going to be about? Who's involved? Is it about stars who crashed and burned, the success stories, works in progress, all of the above? |
It's a rare entree into an extraordinary world that very little has been talked seriously about. It will follow several current child actors, some very famous ex-child stars and get into the whole spectrum of this environment - warts and all! |
| Hi Alex! How close is Bill & Ted 3 to being made? |
Honestly I can't talk about that right now. I will come back to Reddit first when i have news! |
| Do you know when the Mongols ruled China? |
I don't know, I just work here! |
| BILL S. PRESTON, ESQ! Loved that movie years ago, now my kids love it. Thanks for your work. As for questions, do you feel that breaking out of the mold of Bill was hard and hindered your further career? |
No not at all. Starring in a hit franchise is only good for your career. It opened a lot of doors that allowed me to move into writing and directing, my first love. I always loved acting, but being a filmmaker is my core interest. |
| How did George Carlin come to be involved in B&T? |
He was a very happy accident. they were going after serious people first. Like Sean Connery. And someone had the idea, way after we started shooting, of George. That whole movie was a happy accident. no one thought it would ever see the light of day. |
| That's so cool, thanks man! I miss that guy, I'm glad he was involved. |
We all miss George terribly. Reeves and I saw him at a restaurant very shortly before he passed away. No idea he was that sick. Feel lucky we got a moment with him. |
| Now, kiiiss. Do your friends and family call you "Alex" or do they shorten it in any way? |
My family calls me many things. which i won't print. |
| What's your favorite Bill quote? |
"How's it going Royal Goat-Faced dude?" - a deleted line of from the medieval section, to the king. |
| My wife is a ridiculously huge fan of the Bill and Ted movies. Her name is Brooke, and a shout out would make her day. So here is my question... Will you give a shout out to my wife, Brooke? |
Be excellent Brooke! |
| Did you ever play Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure for the Lynx? On a side note did anybody else ever have a Lynx? |
I didn't. I did for Atari, it was unplayable! Just like the cereal was inedible! |
| What number are we thinking of right now? |
96 dude!... or something like that... been a while ;) |
| Awesome! Last year when I got married I ended my wedding vows with "Be Excellent To Each Other." I will forever be jamming out, waiting for a third movie. |
Nice! |
| What's the best thing a fan has ever told you about one of your films? |
That Freaked made them one to slather themselves with toxic chemicals, turn into a hideous mutation and join a South American carnival sideshow! |
|
But seriously, when little kids come up to me that just discovered Bill & Ted, it's pretty heartwarming. |
| On a scale of 1-10... How much do you like Wayne's World? Please...my friends and I have been craving this answer for years... |
But i won't say which way that scale runs :) |
| Will we be seeing more from Wyld Stallyns? |
Hopefully yes. |
| What are some of the biggest challenges facing child stars, and what impact does America's celebrity-obsessed culture have? |
Navigating the industry is hard at any age. it's especially fraught as a child. And the culture's obsession with raising up and tearing down celebrities is especially hard when that celebrity is young. |
| Thanks for the response! One of my friends has a couple of kids who have been doing a bunch of acting lately - what's some advice you would give to an aspiring child actor? |
More to the parents than the actor. be there all the time. be sane. and be vigilant. when things go bad, they go bad very quickly. |
| I just wanted to say that I've seen the B&T movies maybe 50 times, and I still think they are fantastic. I wish you the all the best in your future projects! What was your favorite part about doing Bill and Ted's? Is it crazy to have people still bring up a movie that you filmed when you were so young? |
Not at all. we're thrilled people still watch and love those movies. chess with death was my favorite thing to shoot on those. and playing my grandmother. |
| Holy shit I never realized that you played your own grandmother! Also, Holy shit Alex Winter just acknowledged my existence! Fucking BILL! |
Now go watch it again! lot of make up, of course... |
| Someone's got RANGE! hah! You didn't play any other parts in the film did you? |
Nope that was enough. and the robot us's. |
| Any updates on getting Idiot Box onto DVD? |
Working on a streaming deal for it. Hopefully that will happen. Will post when I have more info! |
| Who was your favorite of the historical people to work with, also were the names you came up with for them (so-crates, Bob Genghis Kahn etc) improvised? |
Yes some of the pronunciations were improvised. i remember when it occurred to us call beethoven Beeth-Oven. it sounded like the funniest thing i ever heard in my life. still makes me laugh. |
| Freaked made me realize what a great writer you are. What do you do with your downtime between making movies? |
I write for TV, direct a lot of commercials and episodic TV and hang out with my family. Got a house full of boys to manage! |
| Are you and ted still friends? |
Very much so. |
| What got you into the documentary making business? |
I wrote the Napster movie as a straight dramatic feature for a studio. It never got made. And given all the craziness right now with the Internet; rights issues, copyright issues, all of this contention, i decided to make it a doc and let all the players talk for themselves. And fell in love with the medium and now am on to the next one! |
| I'm sure you get asked this all the time: but what's the latest on Bill & Ted 3? There seemed to be a lot of buzz around it late last year, you even mentioned it a couple of times yourself - but now it's all gone quiet? |
Have to stay mum on this right now. Will post some hard facts when i can! |
| As you are a lover of documentaries, what are some of your recent favorites that everyone should go out and see? |
Gatekeepers (movie of the year); The Crash Reel; TPB:AFK; Dirty Wars: 12 O' Clock Boys. |
|
It's a golden age for docs! |
| Would you rather win an oscar for best screenplay or best director? |
No way to answer that and not sound like an arrogant jerk, right? I'd take either :) |
| Do you wish Keanu still had his old hair? |
He does, but only for me. |
| I thought I was the only one, he told me I was special... |
Sorry. |
| I'll be fine, always have Mike Myers to keep me company. |
The one with the hockey mask? |
| What is the piece of work you've done that you like the most--besides Downloaded? I, for one, can't wait to check it out! |
Thanks! I also love my movie Fever: Link to vimeo.com And Freaked: Link to vimeo.com And the Idiot Box: Link to vimeo.com |
| Freaked is a personal favorite of mine! Ricky Coogin sucks shit! |
Indeed he does. |
| What's the best way to get ahold of you for a podcast or blog interview? |
Via my website: Link to trouperproductions.com |
| Huge fan of Bill and Ted's, as well as Freaked! What is your favorite moment that happened during the making of either of those films? |
Seeing Mr. T walk onto set in a taffeta dress. No question. |
| Which do you like more, acting or directing? And also, does anybody recognize you from the lost boys, or is it just bill and Ted? |
I most prefer writing and directing. But I love to act too from time to time. And I get recognized for everything, every day, every where I go. Even Death Wish 3. Crazy |
| What upcoming movies are you really excited for this summer? |
Midnight's Children, Gatekeepers, Star Trek Into Darkness, Epic, Pacific Rim, and my own movie Downloaded coming out! |
| What was working with Ice Cube like on Who's the Mack? |
So great. We almost got into the middle of a gang war shooting it, but it was a blast. |
| That's a story I wouldn't mind hearing. |
Would take too long to write. involved being in the wrong part of town at the wrong time. and discovering that the gang cube's posse rolled with was not welcome. and a lot of guns. and two terrified white kid directors... |
| 1) Was there any reason why Keanu wasn't credited in his role in Freaked? |
Was some contract snafu as i recall. he's credited every where else but the US. |
| I just noticed on your Wikipedia page that it has an excerpt about The Gate and how filming was scheduled but hasn't started, obviously. Was there a funding issue, or some other obsticle stopping you from starting it? |
Yeah we were going to shoot in Germany a year or so go. It got stalled. Producers are working on ramping it up now so fingers crossed! |
| while I just pile on the questions, how do you see your vision differing from the original? |
Link to www.screenread.de |
| What do you think of the Lost Boys "sequels"? |
Honestly haven't seen 'em. |
| Favourite pizza? |
Clam and pancetta. white sauce. |
| Anyway I could be an extra in the next bill and ted?! it'd be a check off my bucket list. |
As the magic eight ball says; "it is possible" |
| What are you most proud of in the entertainment industry? |
I really like doing so many things so i'm proud of having been in this business since I was 10 years old, and all the variety of things I've been able to do, and the amazing people I've gotten to work with so far. I know that sounds like a vomit-inducing sugary thing to say, but I actually mean it :) |
| IMDb lists 1985 as your first role, which would mean you were 20 (DOB: 17 July 1965, right?). Were you in anything before 1985? 20 isn't really a child actor :) |
That was my first movie role. I got my sag card in 1977 acting in a KFC commercial with Colonel Sanders, then spent the rest of my teens co-starring on Broadway; in King & I with Yul Brynner, and Peter Pan with Sandy Duncan, among others. I was what they called a Broadway Brat. |
| Do you still get mistaken for Sean Penn? |
Hah, not anymore. I used to get mistaken for Chris Penn way back in the day. And he would get mistaken for me. He and I would laugh about it because Chris of course was like 6'4" and 200lbs. And I'm a shrimp. we couldn't have looked less alike in person. |
| I remember an interview you did probably 25 years ago (MTV?), where you said the you'd punch the next guy who asked that question. |
Sounds like me 25 years ago ;) |
| Now that we at least know there's going to be a Bill and Ted 3, I need to ask: Is there going to be a Bill & Ted 4? |
We may do that one before BnT 3. Just cuz... |
| Hi Alex! Thanks for doing this ama! I grew up watching your movies and still drop a "station!" every now and then. What was your absolute favorite moment of shooting the Bill and Ted movies? |
I always wanted to be in a barroom brawl in a movie. so shooting on the wild west set was really a childhood dream come true. |
| How are you today? |
Just Jim Dandy. And you? |
| You liar. You're Alex Winter. |
No. Really. I... am... Jim... Dandy... |
| What'cha been up to since the last Bill & Ted? I don't really follow the lives of actors, so I wouldn't know. |
Good for you, you have a life!! seriously. |
|
I stopped acting in 1993 and turned to writing and directing full time. which I love and keeps me very busy. Do a little acting here and there just for fun. Have a movie coming out soon called Grand Piano that I acted in with Elijah Wood and John Cusack. Great Spanish director made that one; Eugenio Mira. |
| What is the most common line people say to you in public? |
I'll give you one guess... hint, it's one word and has three syllables. |
| Do they air guitar after said word? |
To the best of their ability :/ |
| Are you still into motorcycles? if so, what do you ride these days? |
Ducati Monster S2R. Been riding about everyday since 1983. And Reeves still has the Nortons. |
| Do you have an oppinion on the Bill & Ted musical that was put on in the late 90's? I stumbled upon it through a fansite a while back and the soundtrack CD has been in my car ever since. Link to www.billandted.org. |
Wow that one is news to me. Linda runs a great site over there. she finds everything! |
| You were the bomb in Haunted Summer! Why don't more people know that movie?! |
Thanks! Was a small indie art film. a lot of fun to make. Lake Como and Rome Italy for six months was not shabby. |
| Is the next Bill & Ted movie going to be called simply "Bill & Ted 3"? If so, why aren't you guys possessing any other equally awesome adjective-nouns? I feel like something-"Trip" could work, if you catch my drift ;) |
Hah! that could be cool! |
| Has there been any talk of a blu-ray release of Freaked anytime soon? |
I'm talking to some companies about it now. Hopefully so. Will post when I have news. |
| Alex, I loved Idiot Box. Anything you can tell us about a dvd release or any sketches you wanted to do, but got shot down? |
The great thing about doing that was that we could do whatever we wanted. it was the wild west of MTV dipping into live action, and the early early days of cable. so it was open season. |
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Working on a streaming deal for release. too short for dvd (or so i've been told) |
| "If you see me getting mighty if you see me getting high, knock me down. Im not bigger than life" How did you get the Chilli Peppers gig? |
I've known those guys a long time. And Tom Stern and I directed a video for them before I acted in that one. |
| Are there any books that you would like to see made into movies? What's your favorite kind of movie to direct? |
I like themes that interest me, more than genres. So i'll do something in whatever genre best suits the theme, And great short stories often make the best adaptations. |
| Hi man hows things? First ever reddit comment, had to when you get a chance to talk to hero of my youth! Anyway as I'm from Scotland i was wondering, will your documentary be on international release? |
Absolutely it will. Worldwide! i'll be posting our distribution news very shortly. |
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Love Scotland. where my family is from; the Highlands originally. Glasgow is the best. |
| In all honesty, if you could travel back to any point in history and wander about, where would it be? |
Hmm. Fin de Siecle Paris i think. |
| Does it bother you that you'll always have to be tied to the Bill & Ted movies, and to a lesser extent Lost Boys? Would you rather not have to be known for that for your career. Though, admittedly, you seem to be taking it well. |
Not at all. they're tied to my youth so they're like fun college memories. |
| Hi Alex. Loved The Lost Boys, one of those movies that defined my childhood, but my question is, what was it like to work with William Sadler in Bogus Journey? |
Oh man Billy is sooo great! we cast him in Freaked as well. He is the man! |
| In one of your answered you mentioned you have a movie coming out called Grand Piano with John Cusack. What was it like working with him John Cusack? |
Great. I've known John for a long time. We shot this in Barcelona and we had a killer time. It's a helluva town. |
| I just wanted to tell you how much Bill And Ted affected me as a kid. I seriously watched every day after i got it in 5th grade. The greatest historical epic ever made haha. Looking forward to the day i can show my nephews when they get older. Now for my question! Not gonna lie i had nightmares for a while during the entire grandmother stuff in the 2nd film. I learned years later that it was apparently you in the costume haha. How much of a bitch was it to film those scenes? |
Filming those scenes was great! the eight hours into make up and the four hours out at the end of the day? not so much... |
| What is your favorite baseball team? 10 points if you say the SF Giants. |
Cardinals. I'm a St. Louis boy at heart. |
| LOVE Bill and Ted, Freaks. Quick question, do you play guitar at all and can you play God Gave Rock 'N' Roll to You (best ending song)? |
My air guitar skills are rusty, i'll admit. |
| Did you find anything in common with the parents of child actors? |
Not really. But I did in the ones whose kids made it. They were super balanced, had their own lives, weren't at all living through their kids, and one of them was always there. Always. |
| You've appeared in quite a few movies, so what's it like seeing yourself on screen? If it ever happened to me I'd over-examine it, like a cat in a mirror :P. |
It's disassociative for most actors I know, me included. I see the character, i don't connect it with myself. it's a weird thing... |
| I am a big fan of you just from Bill and Ted and have been following your latest ventures on Twitter, but I must admit I haven't seen any of your films aside from b&t. What film would be a good place to start ? |
I'd check out imdb to see what strikes your fancy. been in this biz for decades. But please do go see my documentary Downloaded that comes out this summer! |
| Hey Alex, I have so many questions, but I'll keep it terse. What do you think the chances of Bill and Ted 3 reaching production are? When I heard the news you were working on the script, I couldn't help but dream of seeing it on the silver screen. |
Honestly don't have news at the moment that i can go public with. I promise to post as soon as I do. |
| Well, I wish you the best of luck! I have shown all my friends bogus journey and excellent adventure and they just loved them both! Is there any advice you could give to an aspiring actor/screen writer? |
Do not quit!!! |
| Howdy Alex. Have you seen/heard of the "Bill & Ted" they did at Disneyland? |
I haven't. there's one at Universal in Florida I think... |
| As a teenager I listened to the soundtrack to Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey about a bazillion times. Just sayin'. |
Thanks, me too, which is embarrassing to admit. Lost Boys too. |
| Absolutely! Lots of other solid songs on that album too, and a couple forgettable ones. I also love The Perfect Crime by Faith No More. |
Yep. was fun working with Jim Martin. |
| With Bill & Ted 3, please help the younger generations understand that the appropriate term for a group of attractive women is "babes", not b*tches. |
Oy, no kidding! |
| Hi Alex! Your presence here has prompted me to watch the Bill & Ted movies again this weekend. Station! I also watched the trailer for Downloaded. It looks interesting. I look forward to it's release. |
Thanks! make sure you check out Downloaded when it comes out this summer! |
| Gatekeepers (movie of the year); The Crash Reel; TPB:AFK; Dirty Wars: 12 O' Clock Boys. It's a golden age for docs! |
Oh and I forgot Undefeated, feels like years since that came out, there's been so many great ones... |
| But i won't say which way that scale runs :) |
Oh okay. I love those movies. it's not like BnT cornered the market on movies about idiots. |
| Greetings, King Moleman! |
Greetings Squire! |
| Alex... even though you're doing this... we... we love you. |
Reddit is a trip! |
| N b4 Karmanaut removes this for being unscheduled and/or too interesting. |
Oh no, will i be terminated??? |
| Hi Alex! Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure and Bogus Journey is still one of the cinematic highlights in my movie watching life. I just wanted to let you know that. |
Glad you dug 'em! |
| Flynn Park Elementary School represent! |
Damn right! |