Brad Dourif was extremely friendly and personable, which was something I did not expect. I’m not sure why, I just didn’t.
The laid back vibe at this particular show offered a great opportunity to chat with the man who played Grima Wormtongue.
As usual I brought with me a drawing and my old trusty book for signing. We talked a bit about the drawing after he discovered I was the artist, but I’ll leave most of that out as it will be boring to anyone reading. In short, he seemed to enjoy it.
In the midst of this topic, he told me about a role he’s currently working on in which he plays a creepy doctor, for which he has been learning to sketch and draw anatomy (not sure if this will be a character seen in any actual scenes or if this just is part of Brad’s own method preparation). He admits that he “isn’t very good at it” and that he now definitely appreciates a good drawing when he sees it.
I complimented him on his excellent work in The Two Towers. I told him the general consensus was that he was absolutely perfect in his role, and he seemed genuinely pleased to hear that.
In addition I asked him why Grima cries when he sees the army at Isengard. People have suggested the cause was of his realization then that Eowyn would be swept up in the inevitable chaos. This didn’t really cross my mind as I was watching the scene, but seemed plausible.
My interpretation, much more straightforward- is that he was simply overcome with this swelling majestic mass of evil. A tear of delight. Though he wasn’t exactly smiling or rubbing his hands together in a typical happy, evil villainous way, which may have led people to think his reaction was somewhat less joyful than it was. This was as good a person to ask as any other, and Mr. Dourif confirmed that indeed Grima welled up due to the inspiring view of ten thousand uruk-hai. At any rate, as soon as Brad heard my question he told me “people have been asking me that a lot!”
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Brad Dourif Sunday, January 19th
