Interview - Eric Johnson aka Flash Gordon

Eric Johnson - actor, part time super hero and all round nice guy takes time out to chat about his new series Flash Gordon, now showing on Sci-Fi.

This interview was postponed earlier in the day till further notice. I thought this would be a good thing as my voice was a little shredded (sore throat) and I hoped by the time of the rescheduled interview it would be back to it’s operatic best. I came home, plonked myself into bed and went asleep only to be woken in the depths of night by the phone. I would guess that Eric Johnson was a teensy bit startled by the incoherent Rod Stewart/Gollum who picked up at the other end. I apologised and tried to explain that I had been asleep for hours and would just need a couple of seconds to get set. “What time is it there?” he asked. It was only 11.00pm. Bad start.

After the interview I reclined, bit the end off a cigar and pressed play on my Dictaphone only to discover that the all I had recorded was electrical interference from the mobile phone. So I sat down to transform what was in my tiny mind into written words before the letters began to dribble slowly out my ears. What a pro.

Me – Hi Eric, thanks a million for taking the time to have a quick chat.

Eric Johnson – Not a problem.

Me – I guess the first thing to figure out is how you got to this point, was acting something you always aspired to or something you just fell into?

EJ – It was something I really enjoyed doing from an early age. I always loved being the centre of attention, my mother tells me that that was the case even before I could walk. So I guess acting was a natural step for me to take. In school there were small plays and I had great fun doing those so from about 9 years of age I knew I wanted to act for a living.

Me – You must be a very driven person to decide what course you want your life to take at 9 and to follow it through….

EJ – Well I wouldn’t say that (laughs) but it has worked out well. I really do feel like the luckiest guy on earth.

Me – Looking back, was there any defining moment where you felt, this is it, this is for me?

EJ – When I was 14 I was in Legends Of The Fall with some amazing actors (Anthony Hopkins, Brad Pitt, Aidan Quinn, Julia Ormond, Elliot from E.T. etc) and I realised during that time that this was about the most fun you could have while getting paid!

Me – How did you get the role of Flash?

EJ – I read the script and loved it and so I went and read for the part. As I was walking out the door afterwards I said to myself, “this is for me, I have got this one” and thankfully I was right. Usually I say that to myself but nothing comes of it! (Laughs).

Me – So I guess I have to ask if you are a fan of the comics or Flash's previous appearances on the big or small screen?

EJ – Absolutely, the opportunity to play such an iconic character was too good to miss out on. As soon as I read the script I saw that it wasn’t taking itself too seriously while Flash still had that innate sense of goodness. There are a lot of heroes now that seem a little angry or conflicted but Flash always seemed to have a kind of purity about him and that was very appealing to me.

Me – I mentioned to my parents that I would be chatting to Flash Gordon and they told me about Buster Crabbe, the original Flash Gordon. Did you have to do much research and if so, did you go back as far as Buster?

EJ – Hehe I did, Buster was probably the most perfect Flash Gordon. He was an Olympic athlete and also had that sense of inner goodness but I also loved the 1980’s film. I don’t think there was a 12-year-old boy out there who didn’t want to be Flash Gordon around that time. The Queen soundtrack alone was fantastic!

Me – Obviously the film had a huge budget at the time. Has the budget constraints of a budding TV series had any impact on the direction of the show? Was the decision to set it here on earth as opposed to the planet Mongo down to the budget?

EJ – I don’t think so, of course we were working on a tight enough budget but I think the idea of a mad scientist living in suburbia and building a spaceship in his garage is very appealing. Space travel is quite a difficult thing to do obviously but the chance of someone finding a wormhole and travelling through it to another planet with life upon it is interesting. The fact that inhabitants from Mongo can also come to earth through this wormhole is another area we examined.

Me – You mentioned Buster Crabbe being an Olympic athlete and of course Flash is so named because of his speed and sporting ability. Were you a sports star growing up or are your old school friends going to be ringing you up in disbelieve when they see the show?

EJ – Well, I was on the various teams but I must say that I wasn’t particularly good. I made up the numbers I guess and I would expect some ribbing from old friends. In saying that I really enjoy the running around and the action on the show.

In (the TV series) Smallville I played the high school quarterback and this would have been what I would have wished for back in high school but in reality I was just happy to be on the team.

Me – The show seems to have a tongue in cheek comedic style with plenty of action thrown in. What would you say you prefer doing, action or comedy?

EJ – Wow that’s a tough one, I mean I really love the comedy aspect and that was one of the things that most appealed to me when I read the script. Then again the action side was something I thoroughly enjoyed so I don’t think I’m going to be able to choose. Actually no, I think I’ll say comedy because I can still do that when I get too old for the action!

Me – Have you felt the series develop as filming progressed? I noticed the chemistry improve the longer the show went on, is this something that was obvious on set?

EJ – Definitely, Flash was unusual in that after we filmed the pilot we went straight into filming the show proper so were able to build on what we had quickly. This was helped enormously by the director Rick Rosenthal and while there were bumps in the earlier episodes I believe that as the series progresses these were ironed out. The chemistry between the cast was genuine; I can honestly say it was the best time filming I’ve ever had. We put in a pretty big shift across the eight months of shooting and I had an hour-long commute to the set in the morning and in the evening too. In the beginning I was amazed at how high the spirits were but I was sure the novelty would wear off a couple of months in but it never did. It really was the most enjoyable thing I’ve ever worked on.

Me – Well thanks a million for giving up your time Eric, I know you’ve probably got another thousand of these to get through.

EJ – No problem Steve, it was great to talk to you. Take care.