An interview conducted by Bob Freville
April 29, 2003
By Bob Freville
Nobody knows much about writer/actor/musician Bill Moseley, except, of course, that he played the legendary metal-plated freakshow anti-hippie in Tobe Hooper's splatterfest sequel to TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. In fact, if most people saw him on the street, they'd really have to squint to see the resemblance to the memorably fucked-up cartoonish villain of the aforementioned film. Aside from his fan-friendly website (www.choptopsbbq.com) and his recent work with GUNS N ROSES GUITAR maniac Buckethead in the cult side project CORNBUGS, there is little known of Moseley's private or public life.
Moseley landed the role of Choptop, the crusty Nam-obsessed miscreant of TCM2, after a screenwriter friend of his showed director Tobe Hooper the short parody ("TEXAS CHAINSAW MANICURE") he had concocted with him as the memorable Hitchhiker character. After his tongue-in-cheek performance as Choptop, Moseley got an agent, moved from New York to L.A. and quit his day job (he was a journalist for the likes of NATIONAL LAMPOON and PSYCHOLOGY TODAY). He starred in a handful of films in a series of delightfully inexplicable and insane roles (see: SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT PART 3: BETTER WATCH OUT!, CHARLES BAND'S CRASH & BURN, THE CONVENT, etc.), taking care not to offend his core audience with anything too pompous or self-important (you won't see this guy hamming it up in a Shakespeare production).
Beyond what little one can gather from his official website (Bill contributes to Planned Parenthood and the St. Vincent School of Handicapped Children in Port-au-Prince, Haiti), Mr. Moseley remains an enigma for the most part. And after sitting down to talk with the man in a few e-mails, I get the sense that he likes it this way. Hell, who the fuck can blame him? I mean, I guess if I was a Yale grad raising two lovely daughters, I wouldn't want it getting out that I gnawed on headcheese either.
Nevertheless, as a devout TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE fan, I knew I had to beat something out of the ole coonshit. So, when I discovered that Moseley was playing the role of the lead killer, Otis Driftwood, in Rob Zombie's long-awaited HOUSE OF 1,000 CORPSES, I made it my business to bring home the bacon for y'all. What other chance can I expect to get to literally "chew the fat" with the good & great king of spunk, the wild and wooly straight razor-wielding hatchetman himself?! None, I would guess.
Note To TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE Fans: If you're expecting a barrage of TCM references, turn back now! It's bad enough I made a fool of myself by introducing myself to Moseley as "a far out fan" and telling him that "music is my life". So save the fanboy bullshit at home and appreciate this for what it is: a straight interview with a serious actor. Enjoy!
What is it like to be a devoted father and a gifted professional who just so happens to also perform in a heavy metal outfit as Choptop, the irresistible psycho you played almost eighteen years ago in TEXAS CHAINSAW 2? Can the recognition be negative at times? How do you handle it?
Bill Moseley: Being Choptop and Otis hasn't hindered me much when I'm driving a kid to some soccer game or shopping at the supermarket. Because they're makeup roles, no one really recognizes me. So I move through the general population with my secret intact...my secret identity as a head basher and psycho screamer, an employee of the likes of Tobe Hooper, George Romero and Sam Raimi, a Cornbug with Rob Zombie's home number in my cell phone. And that's the way I like it.
In your new role as Otis in HOUSE OF 1,000 CORPSES, you play a much larger and more complex role than your fans are usually used to. Was this daunting in any way or did you have a lot of fun winging it with Otis as you did with Choptop?
B.M.: Winging it sounds like jumping out of a plane at 30,000 feet and hoping the parachute will open. When I played Choptop, I just kinda was Choptop. Same thing with Otis---I immersed myself in the story, made it real by reading the script 20-30 times. That way, I can concentrate on hitting my marks instead of worrying about if I'm in character.
What were some of the physical requirements for acting in HOUSE OF 1,000 CORPSES? Did Rob [Zombie] keep you on any exercise or diet regimen? Maybe a headcheese/bat's head health shake or anything like that?
B.M. The most excruciating physical demand placed upon me by the production for playing Otis B. Driftwood in HOUSE OF 1,000 CORPSES was no cookies for two months! You see, Otis was supposed to be a skinny pecker, and even though I am slender at the right angle in front of the bathroom mirror, one of the producers asked me if I could lose ten pounds. Well, I tried just eating protein at my trainer's suggestion, lost a lot of weight alright. But when I'd stand up after sitting for awhile, I'd get light-headed and damn near pass out! So I added a few sides to my diet of lean burger and cottage cheese---rice and butter, maybe some spuds or green beans. Anyway, I did shed six pounds, which was a lot for me. And I stayed cookie-free all that time. And mind you, I love my cookies! Rob joked that when we wrapped the film, he was going to make a statue of Otis made out of my then-favorite cookie, the pecan sandie.
What sort of roles would you like to tackle in the future, and what is next for Bill Moseley?
B.M.: I'm currently playing Possum The Cook in a new HBO series called CARNIVALE which is set to debut in September '03. And I just shot the part of a crazy motivational speaker called Mr. Suitcase in the feature "Home Sick" (www.sonicmonkeyfilms.com). I had lunch with GUNS N ROSES guitar god Buckethead yesterday, took him to see HOUSE OF 1,000 CORPSES (which he loved!), so maybe we'll finally get together for some more CORNBUGS music. We've done three CD's (available at my website), and we've got a lot of great ideas for some new hoodoo. I'm also going on the horror circuit this summer. I'll be signing autographs and such at the Fangoria con in Burbank, CA, May 24 & 25, Flashback Weekend in Chicago, June 13-15, the San Diego comic-con July 17-20, Horrorfind outside of Baltimore August 15-17, and finally, Chiller Theatre in the New Jersey Meadowlands on Halloween. Pant! Pant!
In closing, how would you best describe the overall experience of HOUSE OF 1,000 CORPSES?
B.M.: I had a ball working on HOUSE OF 1,000 CORPSES. It was a dream some true to work with the likes of Sid "Spider Baby" Haig, Karen Black, Dennis Fimple, Sheri Moon and Michael Pollard. Rob was a real pleasure too, not only because he'd written such a cool, gory tale but because he encouraged us all to go for it! As a professional movie monster, I was getting particularly sick and tired of TV teens killing the monsters in the so-called corporate horror films of the last ten years. Since when do stupid teens start beating the monsters?! Imagine my delight to find out that in this House, the teens aren't winners, they're dinners! It's been a long, hard road to the big screen (we started shooting in summer 2000!!!), but for my money---and I have paid for my ticket---well worth it. A gift to the long-suffering horror fan. And folks, you ain't seen nothing yet!!!
