A man of many talents, actor/writer and all around nice guy, Heath Kizzier,
certainly has much to be proud of. Rising up with a positive attitude from
humble beginnings, to a three year role on the award winning daytime soap
smash, The Young and the Restless, two published books, and several motion
picture spots landed, Heath has many things to look back on with pride and
look forward to with confidence. He's also taken the time to kindly and
fondly look back with me on his time in Europe, working with director Enzo
Barboni as the star of SONS OF TRINITY, for the readers of Cinema Nocturna.
An interesting and personable individual, it's my pleasure to present this
one on one with Heath Kizzier...
DK: Before we get into discussing SONS OF TRINITY, let's talk a little about
your beginnings. What was your upbringing like as a youth in South Dakota?
HEATH: I lived primarily with my father after age 6. We lived in small town
USA (Mancos, Colorado - Est Pop. 900). 4 brothers and sisters and all had
jobs at age 8 and always worked. The family was homeless for a time and we
lived in the mountains in tents - but as a kid it was terrific - Country
Freedom!
DK: When did acting first capture the imagination of a young Heath Kizzier?
HEATH: Not until I came to L.A. at 17 years old. I came out to work as a
stage technician and accidentally found acting.
DK: Who were some of the biggest inspirations that helped to shape the
direction of your life back then - both personally and entertainment idols?
HEATH: I loved Carey Grant. I was never "funny" and thought he was what a
man should be. He seemed to put his ego in his pocket...Poke a little fun at
oneself and life is easier on a day-to-day basis. My other idols were old
cowboys I knew who moved through life in an easy manner, not sullied by the
mundane details of life.
DK: What was your first acting job and did you find that initial experience
to be a bad or good one? What were the biggest lessons learned from that
first job?
HEATH: First job: a Las Vegas jewelry store commercial. I thought I'd hit it
big! A first class flight to Las vegas, nice hotel, good money, an
all-around good experience. I "learned" however, (when I saw the commercial
later) that I couldn't act. I instantly began classes.
DK: Okay, let's get to the center focus of this piece and talk a bit about
SONS OF TRINITY (1995)...otherwise known as TRINITA & BAMBINO...E ADESSO
TOCCA A NOI. How were you first approached for the role of the new Trinity?
HEATH: This occurred through the normal channels via my agent and the
audition process.
DK: Had you seen the original Trinity films?
HEATH: I do recall watching them when I was a kid, but a long time back. Of
course, once I got the job I watched them countless times.
DK: What was your first meeting with Enzo Barboni like? Had you learned how
to speak any Italian prior to the introduction?
HEATH: I took some Italian lessons before heading to Europe for the shoot. I
learned the basics to get me by. Enzo was absolutely wonderful. During the
audition process - which took nearly a year - I met him a few times, but he
was soft spoken. I didn't really get to know him until the shoot.
DK: Barboni often went under the pseudonym, E.B. Clucher, during his career,
and occasionally Italian directors would have actors even call them under
assumed Americanized names on the set. Was this the case here or did you
guys just refer to him under his real name - Enzo Barboni?
HEATH: He was just "Enzo" and he introduced himself as Barboni.
DK: How did you feel about filling the boots of the man who made the role
famous - the wonderful Terence Hill (Mario Girotti)? Had you been familiar
with him?
HEATH: I became familiar with him once the casting process began. His
character is much like that of Carey Grant - easy-go-lucky, happy guy. I was
honored to be accepted in this role - but also terrified. I worked extremely
hard to bring out that "what the heck" attitude.
DK: Did Barboni want you to approach the part the same way as Hill or did he
want you to make it more your own?
HEATH: Our first day in Spain, Enzo and the producers took Keith and I to a
hotel conference room and played all the Trinity movies for us. The only
thing Enzo said was, "You two are their sons. I don't want you to imitate
them, just assume some of their characteristics" - just like any typical son
might.
DK: How long was the filming schedule out there in Almeria and Andalucia,
Spain?
HEATH: We were in Almeria for 2 1/2 months. We worked 6 days a week, and on
the days off, Keith, some of the crew, and I hijacked our film horses and
explored the Spanish countryside. Good times over there.
DK: Your co-star Keith Neubert was certainly and impressive individual in
stature. How was he to work side by side with on a daily basis? Any amusing
anecdotes about him?
HEATH: Keith was a former pro football player and was used to all the
"pranks". During media day (1 day a week when the press came to the set for
interviews and such) he pulled aside a pretty female reporter and told her
"confidentially" that I was a former porn star (obviously not true - for the
record!). Anyway, this poor reporter finally had her chance to interview
me...I noticed she was especially nervous and then she blurted out the
question: "Tell me about your days in the porn industry". I was not a good
interviewee at the time and reddend and flustered and tried to explain that
this was not true...Finally Keith and the crew were laughing so hard that
the reporter accepted my lame defense and tried to go on...
DK: Have you seen Keith since SONS OF TRINITY?
HEATH: Keith and I became a writing team for several years. We put together
a number of projects, including a TV series for FOX television. It was
called "The Pit" and was a gritty drama about a professional football team
and it's players. One critic called it "NYPD Blue meets the NFL".
DK: What was the hardest aspect of shooting the film?
HEATH: The language barrier. There were four countries represented in this
production. Keith and I - English; the production crew - Spanish; the
producers and director - Italian; and additional producers - German. A lot
of languages and a lot of translation all around.
DK: Would you say that Barboni was a pleasure to work for? What are your
lasting impressions of him as both a director and as a person?
HEATH: He wore a great houndstooth jacket whenever we went out. When I got
home I went out and bought one just like it. As a director he was gentle,
short worded, and he talked with hands, which seemed, for me, to transmit
exactly what he wanted. I'd work with him again in a heartbeat. Wonderful,
gentle man.
DK: There were a number of veteran European actors appearing in various
roles throughout the film, familiar to many of us here at CN. Old pros like
Siegfried Rauch (Parker), Riccardo Pizzuti (card player/gunslinger in
saloon), Renato Scarpa (Pablo), and José Ruiz Lifante (hangman) popped up,
much to our liking (we often refer to favorites from these kinds of films as
"Euro-cult actors"). Who do you have good memories of among the Italian,
Spanish, and German supporting players?
HEATH: I got on well with everyone. Riccardo was also our stunt coordinator
(and the coordinator in the originals) so we spent a lot of time with him in
training sessions. As a jokester he had us laughing from dusk til dawn and
constructed some brilliant fight scenes.
DK: What did you think of the idea of the gun tree and who came up with it?
It was certainly an entertaining and key part to the story.
HEATH: I don't recall where the concept originated, but when I arrived on
set to find the "gun tree" in person, I doubled over laughing. Very, very
funny!
DK: Was the script improvised or changed at all as you went along?
HEATH: There were some minor changes. Keith and I worked for a month
together here in L.A. before leaving for the shoot, so we came up with some
dialogue changes and what-not, but the story remained consistent with the
original script.
DK: The big free-for-all battle at the end was for sure the film's
highlight. Any funny memories of shooting the big climax? Did you use a
stunt double at all during these wilder moments?
HEATH: We did all our own stunts. That fight took 3 or 4 days to shoot, and
while fun, I have never been so sore at the end of those days. Riccardo
would get us out in the dirt early, we'd rehearse for hours, and then we'd
shoot - then start a new series right away. It was non-stop. My hamstrings
hurt just thinking about it.
DK: Would you say that overall, doing the film was a rewarding experience?
HEATH: Absolutely. One of the funniest sets I've ever been on.
DK: Have you been offered parts in other European films since or prior?
HEATH: Once, but I was already booked and unable to get away.
DK: Following this you landed a pretty substantial part for a three year
period on the highly popular soap opera, 'Young and the Restless' as Dr.
Josh Landers. How would you compare working in a television series as
opposed to shooting a feature film?
HEATH: The soap is brutally difficult work simply due to the amount of
memorization. We are shooting 80 script pages in a single day. Film work is
typically longer hours on the set, but there is often substantial down time
because you are shooting 3-7 pages in a day.
DK: To follow-up on that, how would you also compare acting in Europe as
opposed to acting in North America? How is it different?
HEATH: The only major difference is the language barrier. It makes it
somewhat harder to keep everybody on the same page.
DK: You are also an accomplished writer. Tell us a little about some of the
books you've written and your success as an author.
HEATH: I've had two published books - thrillers. 'Dog Walker' and 'Urban
Healer' both have found terrific success in the book-on-tape format (I
recorded both titles for the audio book company, Books in Motion). I have
found that writing is my true passion and I'll continue to direct my
artistic energies in that direction. I've also written for film and
television and enjoy that venue as well.
DK: What's next on the horizon for Heath Kizzier?
HEATH: Writing and perhaps and occasional acting gig - the focus is on the
writing.
DK: In closing, what advice could you offer the young people of today
starting out in their chosen craft and facing a world that seems so up in
turmoil?
HEATH: I teach acting classes around the country and of course, that's the
first question from the class. To be frank, it's a hard, hard game. No other
industry in the world creates such an environment of rejection. So...if you
are going to put your foot in - step in deep. Convince yourself that this is
a business, not a hobby. That's the biggest mistake I see. Acting is not a
9-5 job, meaning the hours are not consistent, but it has to be taken
seriously. Training, training, training.
DK: All the best Heath, and again, thank you for taking some time out for
Cinema Nocturna. It's appreciated beyond words. Here's wishing you continued
success and healthy, happy times ahead!
Be sure and visit Heath's official site at heathkizzier.freeservers.com
-Interview Conducted by Cinema Nocturna Contributing Staff Writer Devin Kelly, March 28, 2006
***All Photos courtesy of Heath Kizzier.
Also Read Devin's review of SONS OF TRINITY!
© 2006 cinema-nocturna.com
