It's hard to imagine Mr. Black from Quentin Tarantino's violent masterpiece Reservoir Dogs being humbled by the opportunity to voice a character in DC Comics' latest animated feature, Green Lantern: First Flight, but that's exactly the way actor Michael Madsen feels, according to a recent interview.When asked why he wanted to voice Kilowog, an alien member of the Green Lantern Corps and the primary trainer of new Corps recruits, Madsen said:
I liked the idea that Kilowog was forceful, yet has a gentle nature. I'm often thought of as playing villainous characters in movies. Everyone forgets that I was the father in Free Willy -- they only like to remember that I cut off a policeman's ear in Reservoir Dogs. There's me in the middle somewhere and I think that's kind of like Kilowog, He's dangerous, yet he has a heart. That's what attracted me to the part.
Also, I was quite humbled by being asked to play Kilowog in the first place. I don't often get asked to voice animated characters, and I've always wanted to do something like that -- it's great fun for me.
Because of Madsen's work in such genre pictures as Sin City, Species, and Kill Bill, he has developed a loyal fan base and sometimes makes appearances at comic book conventions. When asked if there is a particular comic book character that he would ever want to play, Madsen said:
I've always thought I'd make a great Batman. Batman needs to have a light side and a dark side. I think I'd bring a duality.
Animation visionary Bruce Timm produced Green Lantern: First Flight and it is the fifth direct-to-video DC Universe Original Animated Movie released by Warner Premiere and Warner Bros. Animation.
Posted 06.09.09 by BrentJS