Interview
WAMG Interview: Actor Bill Moseley – Star of Rob Zombie’s 3 FROM HELL
Tickets for the September 16th/17th/18th nationwide release of 3 FROM HELL are available at FathomEvents.com/3FromHell
Bill Moseley is a film actor and musician who has starred in a number of cult classic horror films, including HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES (2003), REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA (2008) and as Otis Driftwood in THE DEVIL’S REJECTS (2005). His first big role was in THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2 (1986) as Chop Top. On the HBO TV series Carnivàle (2003), Moseley had a recurring role as camp cook Possum. He’s also released records with guitarist Buckethead in the band Cornbugs, as well as featuring on the guitarist’s solo work.
Bill Moseley took the time to talk to We Are Movie Geeks about his newest film 3 FROM HELL, director Rob Zombie’s long-awaited sequel to THE DEVIL’S REJECTS
Interview conducted by Tom Stockman September 5th, 2019
Tom Stockman: Hi Bill
Bill Moseley: Hello Tom
TS: I’m calling from St. Louis. I met you hear about a decade ago when you attended a screening hear of REPO: THE GENETIC OPERA
BM: Oh right, I remember that.
TS: And I’ve met you several times, the first time being close to 30 years ago at a Fangoria Convention do you like doing those type of conventions?
BM: Oh I love them. In fact I’m here right now in Louisville Kentucky for a convention called Days of the Dead
TS: Are you surprised at how many Otis and Chop Top tattoos you see?
BM: I’m not really. When you get the idea that people get a tattoo like that to memorialize or commemorate their love for a certain character that they saw at a certain time in their lives, It’s humbling. It keeps me from being more of a dick! If someone is committed to having a tattoo of you on their arm or whatever, you don’t want to be a jerk and make them think they’ve done something they’ll regret. I get really excited when I see those and I wanna make sure that they are happy with those
TS: Let’s talk about 3 FROM HELL, I’ve seen it and I think it’s a worthy sequel to THE DEVIL’S REJECTS. Have you seen it yet?
BM: I have. First I saw a rough cut, and then finally I ended up talking to a lot of people in the press, and realized that they had seen the final cut, and I hadn’t! So I finally got a link and watched the final film
TS: You said you saw a rough cut. It’s only showing here in St. Louis for three nights. Did they have to cut some of the violence out of it for this version that will be showing at theaters soon?
BM: No. The rough cut was missing a lot of it’s soundtrack and wasn’t color-corrected. So the final film was a lot different than the rough-cut, especially with all the music which gives the film much of its atmosphere, but nothing was missing between the rough-cut and the final film in terms of violence.
TS: Are you excited about going out and promoting this character Otis Firefly again, and why did it take 12 years to get a sequel?
BM: That’s more of a question for Rob Zombie. I really have no idea If had been up to me, I would have done a sequel right away. I was very happy with the way that he decided to do it. I’ve been going to conventions now for years with Sid Haig and when horror fans would walk up to us and ask if there was going to be a sequel, I would turn to Sid and ask “Hey Sid! Is there going to be a sequel!?“ And Sid would say “No“, then we’d say in unison “Because we’re fucking dead!“
TS: Rob Zombie performs with his band a lot so perhaps that had something to do with the delay.
BM: Well there’s that but I think it really has to do with the poor marksmanship of the Ruggsville Sheriffs Department I mean here we are hurtling towards them in the Cadillac and they’re shooting their hearts out, but they couldn’t quite bring us down. Really because they were shitty shots! That to me was the most logical way to keep us alive and well. Or if not well, at least alive Also, consider the alternatives. Did somebody awaken for the dream? The cheesiest of all Hollywood devices?! Another alternative could be that we did die, then went to hell and the Devil rejected us, hence the title. But then we’d be supernatural! I think it’s best to just blame the Ruggsville sheriff department and their lousy marksmanship
TS: Yeah, Baby Firefly doesn’t seem to be hurt at all, dancing around and such.
BM: Well, you figure we’ve been in prison for 10 or 12 years when this new film starts, so that gave us time to heal. And I will say about the Driftwood and the Fireflys, we have regenerative power!
TS: Were you involved in the script for 3 FROM HELL? Was there much improv involved in the film?
BM: Not really. The script was pretty tight There wasn’t really any need for improve. There were a couple of things that I improvised in THE DEVIL’S REJECTS. Not that much though. If you compare that to my role in THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2, in which I think about 50% of my lines were improvised. But in this Rob zombie trilogy, we pretty much stuck to the script.
TS: Yes there is some really good writing in this new film, especially in some of those scenes where you and Richard Brake are having some conversations that are so dark and funny.
BM: Richard Brake did improvise some of those lines. When he started going off about Salami Man, That to me was so funny! That was Richard just coming up with stuff! Everybody in front of and behind the camera was cracking up during that stuff. I hope when the film comes out on DVD, there will be some sort of behind the scenes so we can show some of that footage of that. I’m sure there were some time constraints on how long the scene could be, but he was so funny. He was awesome. And a great addition to the family I might add.
TS: Between Chop Top and Otis, you have had so many great lines. Do you have a favorite line that you have said on screen?
BM: Well with Chop Top, I would definitely say it was in character “Lick my plate you dog dick!“, Which I did make up on the spot back in Austin Texas in 1986. My family made us eat all of our food and I had to be part of the’ clean plate’ club. That kind of inspired that line With Otis I would have to say “I am the devil. I am here to do the devils work“
TS: Well, I am honored that I am hearing these lines from you over the phone. That Devil was line was used recently in ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD.
BM: Yes but Quentin used what was Tex Watson’s actual line which was “I’m here to do the devils business“. Rob simply changed it from a two syllable to a one syllable word with “The devils work“, which I like better actually
TS: I do too. Good luck with 3 FROM HELL.
BM: Thanks and let’s hope there are more films in the series.
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