Interview: Corey Feldman (Tommy Jarvis, Friday the 13th Part 4 and Part 5)
Corey Feldman is a living legend in his own right. He not only acted in some of the most engaging and memorable films from an era of an entire generation, he also has been actively involved in the music industry as well, playing alongside and meeting some of the biggest names in the business.
With roughly 30 years in the entertainment industry in music and films, Corey has amassed an impressive resume and when it is all said and done will have many great stories to tell of one of the most interesting journeys a person can take in the movie business.
As I found out, phrasing questions the correct way can go a long way to getting the answers you hope for. You will see in some of the interview questions below, I missed the mark on a few. Fortunately, Corey made sure to step in and make sure what I was asking was being portrayed in the correct light!
Corey Feldman Interview
(F13TH FRANCHISE) I first have to start off by saying that so many of your films in the 80's were influential to all of the readers of our website. Did you always want to act and did you think at the time that your earlier films would have such a lasting impression on our society?
(COREY FELDMAN) I always had a vivid imagination as a kid. I loved to dress up in costumes and run around as superheroes, in costumes. But I didn't choose to act, it chose me! My parents began my career before I knew my name. They put me in the business at 3 years old. It was not my choice. Now I choose to act and now I hope I make films which remain a part of cinematic history. When I was a kid it was all quite haphazard and I just got really lucky in terms of number of successful films. I do however feel honored to have been a small part of some movies that people still watch.
(F13TH FRANCHISE) You acted in so many great movies in the 80's, do you have an absolute favourite from that era?
(COREY FELDMAN) Well there were so many great movies made in those days, it would be very hard to shoose just one.....some of my favorites include.... ET, Color Purple, Scrooged, Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and The Breakfast Club to name a few.
(F13TH FRANCHISE) Corey Haim tragically past away recently. What was your favorite movie working together with him and do you have any thoughts to share with our readers on his life and your friendship with him?
(COREY FELDMAN) I guess my favorite Two Coreys film to make was License to Drive, looking back on it, we had such a blast on that set, we were a bit of a terror for the producers...running around like wild beasts half the time, but that was our peak as teens!
In regards to our friendship he was like my actual brother. We had our share of fights and competition, but we made each other laugh....a lot! We had some great times together! I only wish there could be more.
(F13TH FRANCHISE) Among your acting credits were a few Friday the 13th movies. For Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, you were eventually revealed to be the star, and at such a young age. What was it like working on such a popular horror film as a kid and what was your most memorable experience in that film?
(COREY FELDMAN) Well I was really excited at first when my mom told me I was up for the part in the new Halloween movie, I loved Michael Myers as a character....until she said..."oh never mind its the other one "Friday the 13th" and I said..."Oh....whats that?" But I did my research and watched a bit of it and then got excited to be in the movie. I had a lot of fun on that set.running around making my own imaginary versions of the movie with friends that would visit all the bloody sets at lunchtime. I was mostly excited when I foolishly believed I would actually be present for a nude scene with the hot older girls. I thought it would be my first chance to see a real naked woman!!! Unfortunately I was gravely mistaken.
(F13TH FRANCHISE) In that same film, Jason Voorhees actor Ted White mentioned that he sometimes felt you were difficult to work with. Do you think that was just him having trouble working with a kid in general or do you think you were really troublesome to work with at that age on that particular film?
(COREY FELDMAN) I recently saw Ted at a convention he was signing at for fans, I was there doing a brief appearance and stopped by his table to say hello. We gave each other giant hugs like old family. I'm sure what Ted meant was that it was difficult for a stuntman playing an evil slasher to work with a nice sweet kid because we got along pretty well and there was one scene in particular where he literally scared the hell out of me. I was really crying for half an hour after the shot ended. I know that was hard for him.
(F13TH FRANCHISE) For Friday the 13th: A New Beginning, you had a small cameo role due to other filming obligations. The Friday the 13th film crew actually came out to your home to film your scene. What was that whole experience like, having a camera crew filming you in your back yard for a Friday the 13th film you were really not going to be in past the first few minutes?
(COREY FELDMAN) Well they originally wrote the fifth film for me to star in, but I couldn't do it due to the fact that I was working 6 days a week on Goonies. So I agreed to open the film with a cameo. which of course I had to shoot on my only day off which was Sunday. We didn't shoot it in my backyard however. I was living with my grandparents by that time and we ended up shooting in the backyard of my friends house down the street from. I was very cold as we shot the scene where it was supposed to be raining and they had to set up rain machines off the hose outlet in the backyard....it was dead of winter at night...I was freezing!
(F13TH FRANCHISE) You fell on some rough times after your success in films from childhood through your teen and young adult years. Music seemed to help get you through those times and give you something to look positively towards. Could you talk about your music, what influence it plays in your life and what projects you created because of your passion for music?
(COREY FELDMAN) Well lets be careful to not fabricate the truth in our wording....I have had my shares of ups and downs as we all do in life...however I have steadily worked in both film and music for the past 25 years. I have released 4 full studio albums, I am currently working on a 5th. I have done 8 film soundtracks, and 4 U.S. Tours. I have also been fortunate enough to perform alongside and meet some of the biggest legends in music. I feel very honored to be fortunate enough to have fans and sustain a career in both arenas
(F13TH FRANCHISE) Within the last few years, you have made a serious comeback into films, particularly in the horror genre. What drove you to return to such a familiar genre?
(COREY FELDMAN) Again we must be careful with our words. I usually make 3 films a year every year, and I always have. If you look on IMDB you will find this to be true, not a year has passed where I have not made at least one film, and every film I have done has been successful on whatever level. I do every genre as I never want to be boxed in or labeled as one type of actor. However I will agree that the horror world has been especially receptive to me as a whole.
(F13TH FRANCHISE) Your new movie that you are filming right now is called 'Six Degrees Of Hell'. Can you tell us a little bit about it and what fans can expect to see?
(COREY FELDMAN) Well it's an interesting concept, it's about murders that take place inside a Halloween haunted house which is in fact supposed to be haunted. The hotel we shot in which is actually a haunted maze is in fact supposedly haunted as well.
I want to thank Corey Feldman for taking the time to answer my questions and for Harrison Smith (Writer and Producer of Six Degrees of Hell) for helping to set up the chance for Corey to do so.
With roughly 30 years in the entertainment industry in music and films, Corey has amassed an impressive resume and when it is all said and done will have many great stories to tell of one of the most interesting journeys a person can take in the movie business.
As I found out, phrasing questions the correct way can go a long way to getting the answers you hope for. You will see in some of the interview questions below, I missed the mark on a few. Fortunately, Corey made sure to step in and make sure what I was asking was being portrayed in the correct light!
Corey Feldman Interview
(F13TH FRANCHISE) I first have to start off by saying that so many of your films in the 80's were influential to all of the readers of our website. Did you always want to act and did you think at the time that your earlier films would have such a lasting impression on our society?
(COREY FELDMAN) I always had a vivid imagination as a kid. I loved to dress up in costumes and run around as superheroes, in costumes. But I didn't choose to act, it chose me! My parents began my career before I knew my name. They put me in the business at 3 years old. It was not my choice. Now I choose to act and now I hope I make films which remain a part of cinematic history. When I was a kid it was all quite haphazard and I just got really lucky in terms of number of successful films. I do however feel honored to have been a small part of some movies that people still watch.
(F13TH FRANCHISE) You acted in so many great movies in the 80's, do you have an absolute favourite from that era?
(COREY FELDMAN) Well there were so many great movies made in those days, it would be very hard to shoose just one.....some of my favorites include.... ET, Color Purple, Scrooged, Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and The Breakfast Club to name a few.
(F13TH FRANCHISE) Corey Haim tragically past away recently. What was your favorite movie working together with him and do you have any thoughts to share with our readers on his life and your friendship with him?
In regards to our friendship he was like my actual brother. We had our share of fights and competition, but we made each other laugh....a lot! We had some great times together! I only wish there could be more.
(F13TH FRANCHISE) Among your acting credits were a few Friday the 13th movies. For Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, you were eventually revealed to be the star, and at such a young age. What was it like working on such a popular horror film as a kid and what was your most memorable experience in that film?
(COREY FELDMAN) Well I was really excited at first when my mom told me I was up for the part in the new Halloween movie, I loved Michael Myers as a character....until she said..."oh never mind its the other one "Friday the 13th" and I said..."Oh....whats that?" But I did my research and watched a bit of it and then got excited to be in the movie. I had a lot of fun on that set.running around making my own imaginary versions of the movie with friends that would visit all the bloody sets at lunchtime. I was mostly excited when I foolishly believed I would actually be present for a nude scene with the hot older girls. I thought it would be my first chance to see a real naked woman!!! Unfortunately I was gravely mistaken.
(F13TH FRANCHISE) In that same film, Jason Voorhees actor Ted White mentioned that he sometimes felt you were difficult to work with. Do you think that was just him having trouble working with a kid in general or do you think you were really troublesome to work with at that age on that particular film?
(COREY FELDMAN) I recently saw Ted at a convention he was signing at for fans, I was there doing a brief appearance and stopped by his table to say hello. We gave each other giant hugs like old family. I'm sure what Ted meant was that it was difficult for a stuntman playing an evil slasher to work with a nice sweet kid because we got along pretty well and there was one scene in particular where he literally scared the hell out of me. I was really crying for half an hour after the shot ended. I know that was hard for him.
(F13TH FRANCHISE) For Friday the 13th: A New Beginning, you had a small cameo role due to other filming obligations. The Friday the 13th film crew actually came out to your home to film your scene. What was that whole experience like, having a camera crew filming you in your back yard for a Friday the 13th film you were really not going to be in past the first few minutes?
(COREY FELDMAN) Well they originally wrote the fifth film for me to star in, but I couldn't do it due to the fact that I was working 6 days a week on Goonies. So I agreed to open the film with a cameo. which of course I had to shoot on my only day off which was Sunday. We didn't shoot it in my backyard however. I was living with my grandparents by that time and we ended up shooting in the backyard of my friends house down the street from. I was very cold as we shot the scene where it was supposed to be raining and they had to set up rain machines off the hose outlet in the backyard....it was dead of winter at night...I was freezing!
(F13TH FRANCHISE) You fell on some rough times after your success in films from childhood through your teen and young adult years. Music seemed to help get you through those times and give you something to look positively towards. Could you talk about your music, what influence it plays in your life and what projects you created because of your passion for music?
(COREY FELDMAN) Well lets be careful to not fabricate the truth in our wording....I have had my shares of ups and downs as we all do in life...however I have steadily worked in both film and music for the past 25 years. I have released 4 full studio albums, I am currently working on a 5th. I have done 8 film soundtracks, and 4 U.S. Tours. I have also been fortunate enough to perform alongside and meet some of the biggest legends in music. I feel very honored to be fortunate enough to have fans and sustain a career in both arenas
(F13TH FRANCHISE) Within the last few years, you have made a serious comeback into films, particularly in the horror genre. What drove you to return to such a familiar genre?
(COREY FELDMAN) Again we must be careful with our words. I usually make 3 films a year every year, and I always have. If you look on IMDB you will find this to be true, not a year has passed where I have not made at least one film, and every film I have done has been successful on whatever level. I do every genre as I never want to be boxed in or labeled as one type of actor. However I will agree that the horror world has been especially receptive to me as a whole.
(F13TH FRANCHISE) Your new movie that you are filming right now is called 'Six Degrees Of Hell'. Can you tell us a little bit about it and what fans can expect to see?
(COREY FELDMAN) Well it's an interesting concept, it's about murders that take place inside a Halloween haunted house which is in fact supposed to be haunted. The hotel we shot in which is actually a haunted maze is in fact supposedly haunted as well.
I want to thank Corey Feldman for taking the time to answer my questions and for Harrison Smith (Writer and Producer of Six Degrees of Hell) for helping to set up the chance for Corey to do so.
