Features > Interview Dec 2006 Part Two

Q:	What would you say has been the most challenging role that you have played to date and why?
VA:	The most challenging role in my life?; wow! well, I guess that might be when I was 17 years old; the first Shakespeare part that I ever did was 'Romeo & Juliet', that was pretty challenging because I had never even read a 'Shakespearian' play before, then I got this role as 'Romeo' and had to not only memorise the lines which is pretty much all I could do at that point, but come up with the character; the emotions were pretty easy to find because they were that of a teenager, but the challenging part was realising that was all I had to do was to give my real emotions as 'Romeo', that was the most challenging; I don't know? I did 'Brutus' at the 'Old Globe' in San Diego, which is one of the more renowned Shakespearian company in this country (USA), and I did it in ten days!, because I was replacing an actor who had to leave, that was pretty challenging!, to put 'Brutus' together in ten days; but what was nice about that was I didn't have enough time to screw it up!; I got the basics of the character,and just added the true character,and then we didn't have time to fool around with it to mess it up, but I think that might be one of the more challenging.
Q:	Who would you like to guest star with the 'Enterprise Blues Band'?
VA:	Well, Ethan Phillips plays the saxophone; I'd love him to come and play with us, and Gary Graham has been wanting to play with the 'Enterprise Blues Band, so...
Q:	Is this something perhaps for the future?
VA:	I'll love for that to happen sometime as guests, yes.
Q:	Have you a favourite song from the two C.D's of the 'Enterprise Blues Band'?
VA:	Well, OK, I'll pick one!, I like the 'Red Shirt Boogie Blues, I think that's fun on the first C.D.; I think that everyone can relate to that; 'Traveling Through Space' is kind of fun to, it's got a nice theme to it and a nice message. The other one, I think, 'Consomee' is my favourite with all those little snippets of things that we do, we each get to shine for a moment, and it's got a nice bluesy feel to it, and I think I like that.
Q:	Where do you get your inspirations from for your words and music for your songs? Does it just come to you?
VA:	It varies, sometimes I come up with a basic rhythm on the Ukulele, and then try to enlarge that into a song, in fact that's usually what happens; I'll start doing some kind of music and then put words to it, every now and again a first line of a song will come to me, and then I'll try to find some chords; a riff on the Ukulele, which is really just a chord reference to write the songs that fit that first line; so it varies, sometimes it's the words first, sometimes the music first, every now and then I'll get a desire to write a song, and I'll sit down and start writing one or the other.
Q:	Do you get contacted by people that want you to use their words or music or both?
VA:	Yes, one person and 'Bill' (of course our drummer), will say, I've got some words, can you help me with the music, eh, but not often!, the guy I told you about that writes the play 'Ravensridge' has a song that he wants us to do, it's '4 Door Daddy', it's about having a big family, and all the kids in the sedan but not often.
Q:	What would you like to be remembered for?
VA:	I'll like people to remember me as the finest actor who has ever lived! But truly, and this is an example of that, what I want on my tombstone is 'Stupid but Deep'; I want my wife's tombstone to have a finger pointing over to my tombstone that says 'I'm with stupid!'.
(DF)	I'd think you'll be remembered for that certainly!
VA:	I'll think that will be pretty cute.

Part Three

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"I'd love Ethan Phillips to come and play with us...



"It's about having a big family, and all the kids in the sedan...



"What I want on my tombstone is 'Stupid but Deep...