Why does Dragonball appeal to you so much?
I love the way it helps young boys look at becoming a man. In that respect, it’s certainly helped me raise my son. Dragonball shows people that being a humble, goofy, mellow guy doesn’t mean you’re weak at all. I’m referring to the lead character, Goku, here. He shows the audience how to be a man in the movie and that’s the message Dragonball sends out.
Is your son a fan of Dragonball?
My son is 11 years old and he’s a huge fan. He’s going to kill me if this movie isn’t right. He said to me, 'I’m not sure I’m going to tell my friends about it because it might suck, Dad.' He’s seen what happens with movie adaptations and Dragonball is very important to him, so I’m feeling a lot of pressure.
What does he think of Piccolo?
I’ve been on a weight regime with this role and I told my son that I had a couple of cookies the other night. He said to me, 'Why did you do that, Dad? Why? Do you want to be fat Piccolo? Or do you want to be known for all time as the coolest character in the universe?' He told me! I soon stopped eating cookies.
Did he visit the film set?
No, he’s still in school and Durango, Mexico [where most of the movie was filmed] is not a place that I would want to ask his mother to take him. It’s a beautiful town, but he was better off in school.
Has he seen you dressed as Piccolo?
Not yet. All of the characters’ looks are being kept secret. I told him that I had one picture and I really wanted to send it to him, but he said, 'Don’t do it, Dad. Don’t compromise the security.' He’s great like that and very funny with it.
How does Piccolo compare to your Smallville character, Milton Fine?
My Smallville character thinks that humans are cute and he enjoys pretending that he cares about them but Piccolo thinks of humans as ants and vermin. Piccolo feels that he needs to get rid of humans so that he can let the beautiful planet breathe. Humans are beneath him. He’ll kill a million and he wouldn’t care.
Do you think Smallville fans will enjoy Dragonball Evolution?
I hope so. I also hope it attracts the Buffy fans, too. The movie has a completely different theme to Buffy, but I hope the fans come along for the ride. You know what? This film is going to blow people away. I can’t wait for everyone to see it.
Dragonball Evolution is out now.