Fansite Fridays- Gil Birmingham & Chaske Spencer

Posted on 21. Aug, 2009 by AmyO in News

This week’s Fansite Friday features interviews with Gil Birmingham, who plays Billy Black and Chaske Spencer, who is playing Sam Uley.

From what I understand Gil was a bonus interview because when Kara and the rest of the sites arrived on the set they were told that Gil was not going to be part of the interviewee’s but he wandered over during a break to figure out who they all were and was able to answer a few quick questions while he before he had to go back to work. 

Here is the transcript from that interview-

Transcript Gil Birmingham Interview

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Fansite Press Junket: His Golden Eyes, Twilighters Anonymous, Twilight Lexicon, Twilight Moms, Twilight Source, Twilight Series Theories

Transcribed by Laura of Twilight Lexicon

Q: What’s this movie like compared to the first movie. What’s the production been like overall? 

Gil: It’s much larger (laughs) I’ll tell you that. I don’t know. That’s a good question. How was it different? Being in Vancouver is slightly different. You know the cast members are still like a family. You take a little break, and you’re back together again. So, it picks up where we left off.

You know they found such a great location to-look at that house-(indicates the newly created Bella’s house set) it looks like the other one exactly.

You know I’m not here that much. I just got in this weekend. So this is my first day on-I was here a couple of weeks ago when we did the shoot (speaking of scenes shot at the Black House location). Now I’m here for today and I’m gone tomorrow. So, I don’t know whether I’m in a position to tell you if there is a whole lot of difference.

Q: The weather better?

Gil: The weather is nice. The restaurants are great. 

At that point Gil had to return to work and Chaske came over for his interview.

Here is Kara’s write up and the interview transcript-

We were lucky enough to have a few minutes with the new leader of the wolf pack Chaske Spenser aka Sam Uley.  ** We weren’t able to record Chaske’s interview but he gave us the run down of his role, newfound fame and life with the wolf pack! Chaske was constantly being followed on set by a trainer and whenever he wasn’t on camera he was doing jumping jacks and other exercises- to stay in shape? Nope- to stay warm!!

**The transcript below is taken from our collective notes since we were unable to record. Whenever something is a direct quote and not a paraphrase quotes have been used.  Special thanks to Pel from the Lex for transcribing all of our combined memories of this interview

Q: Why are you working out so much between takes? Is the workout regimen that strenuous? 
Chaske: It’s cold outside it’s survival.

Q: What was your casting process like?
Chaske: It was a long casting process with Rene Haynes. It lasted several months, but when they decided on me it was just two weeks before the first scene I was in was shot.

Q: Have you read any of the Twilight books?
Chaske: I have read up to Eclipse and New Moon is my favorite. I read the book first and then the script.

Q: So what was it like working with Chris Weitz?
Chaske: He’s a “laid back director” and one “cool dude!” He’s a “guy’s guy” and is a lot of fun to hang out with.

Q: What’s your favorite scene so far?
Chaske: The scene where Bella confronts the wolfpack. “It was pretty epic”.

Q: How did the wolf pack bond together?
Chaske: We were all rooming in the same hotel, so we always saw each other. We trained together and hung out together playing basketball.  We knew we “needed to be a band of brothers” on screen, so we tried to bond on and off screen. We made sure that we would go to meals together and sit as a family.

Q: What do you do when you’re not shooting?
Chaske: I train a lot and explore Vancouver.

Q: How has the role changed you?
Chaske: So far, it hasn’t really.

Q: What was it like dealing with the press and the new found fame?
Chaske: I didn’t really know what to expect, but “it’s been surreal”.  When there are too many press around, “I just put on my sunglasses and hoodie, and I get my Jason Bourne on. I sneak off into the sunset.”

Q: Did you do any research on the Quileute people? Can you tell us about the pack tattoo?
Chaske: I didn’t have as much time to research as I would have liked because everything happened so fast. I only had two weeks from when I was cast until I had to be on set. But I did a little bit. The tattoo is a circle with two wolves based on a Quileute legend

Chaske was very charming and seems to be taking to his first full-length motion picture and the press that comes with it all in stride…. and from afar his Sam looks perfectly menacing- I can’t wait to see more of him in November!!

For those of you lucky enough to join me next week in NJ for Creations “Official Twilight Convention” you will get to see Chaske in person!! I can’t wait to see him out of the moonlight….

Tags: Chaske Spencer, Fansite Friday, Gil Birmingham