TAFs Interviews Stephen Lang on Total Recall (Book), Conan & Avatar 2!

Although actor Stephen Lang has not starred in a film with Schwarzenegger (yet), we know that this star shines bright within Arnold's universe! Like Arnold, Lang has been directed by James Cameron as an unforgettable bad guy. Lang has also had a lead role in Conan the Barbarian (although not the version we love) and they both share a birthday in July. But the strongest connection Stephen Lang has to Arnold is the fact that he narrated Schwarzenegger's audio book, Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story!

Lang typed his responses to TheArnoldFans but we like to think he was typing from his base on planet Pandora.

 

TheArnoldFans: Would you like James Cameron to cast Schwarzenegger in an Avatar movie so you can work with him? 

Stephen Lang: "As far as Jim casting him in Avatar, I think it would be totally cool. I'd be happy to go toe-to-toe with him (Schwarzenegger) on something."

That's right, Lang's character, Colonel Miles, will be back in the sequel!

Stephen Lang: "AH! well it's a little premature to be revealing things. I can reveal that we will begin shooting in the not-too-distant future. There will be 3 films as you know. I think it's fair to say the Colonel will be resurrected in a pretty unique fashion and go on his own journey of the soul. And I understand that that's pretty general, but I really am not at liberty to be much more specific. But have faith. Down the line there will be much to say about it." 

TheArnoldFans:  I listened to Arnold's TOTAL RECALL, which you narrated. How was that experience to voice Arnold's life-story and did James Cameron recommend you to Arnold for the book?

Stephen Lang: "It was very interesting, and I've done many, many audiobooks over the years, and Arnold wrote this book but didn't really want or have the time to record his autobiography. It actually didn't have anything to do with Jim Cameron, oddly enough, but with the publishers and the producers on this project. I thought it was a very entertaining book, very interesting, and of course there's a temptation when you're recording to do Arnold's voice because his voice is so distinctive, but I got over that temptation really quickly because it would have been a bad choice to make. I did it in my own voice, and I hope that his voice came shining through the words. The recording was for 4-5 days, they were long days because it was a very long book. But interestingly enough, Jim had nothing to do with me doing the book." 

TheArnoldFans: You were in the Conan reboot. Next Universal Studios will make King Conan with Arnold. Are you a Conan fan and are you looking forward to Schwarzenegger's barbarian return?

Stephen Lang: "Well, I was a great fan of our Conan the Barbarian. I thought Jason Momoa did a splendid job as Conan. Now i realize that Arnold is iconic in that role, that for a whole generation of filmgoers he is Conan. At the time it came out, I was not a particular fan of it. I was just not so much into comic book movies at the time. So I was wholly committed to doing the remake. that is the Conan I was in and the film I did. Having said that, I have great respect for Arnold and if he's doing another Conan, I think it would probably be quite terrific. So yeah sure, I'm looking forward to it. But having said that I have to re-iterate that I think Jason Momoa was a splendid Conan the Barbarian. You gotta be loyal to your own, you know?"

It's unfortunate that Lang can't pick between Momoa and Schwarzenegger as to who's the better Conan but we like to hear he still has praise for the Austrian Oak.

TheArnoldFans: How did it feel to have your own action figure of yourself (as Colonel Miles) from Avatar? Do you still have your figure?

Stephen Lang: "Well, it's the best. I think everybody should have their own action figure. I guess if they did it might not be that cool, but it's really really nice having your own action figure. I think we have 4 of them. My wife refused, there was a time when I kind of gave them to people, and my wife finally put the lid on that and said "No more! We have 4, one for each of our kids!" and so we have them. And I don't know, I never expected to have an action figure, I can check that off my list: I have a baseball card, I have an action figure, I don't know what else I need. Oh yeah, an Oscar."