The Buzz - BuzzWorthy Radio

BuzzWorthy Radio: Michael Papajohn!

Michael Papajohn, actor and stuntman extraordinaire, will be making an appearance on BuzzWorthy Radio!

Papajohn was recently seen in an episode of HBO's True Blood. After leaving LSU, he went to being a stunt performer in films such as Money Talks and Starship Troopers and acting in films like For Love of the Game, where he plays New York Yankees slugger Sam Tuttle, and Spider-Man, in which he plays Dennis Carradine, the thief that was thought to have killed Uncle Ben. He is also starring in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Terminator Salvation, Land of the Lost, and G Force in 2009.

On June 22, 2009, it was announced that Michael Papajohn would return as Dennis Carradine, despite the characters' death.

Duration:: 31m
Broadcast on:: 13 Aug 2009
Audio Format:: other

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We are joined by Michael Hopp-John. Please tell me I said that right. Please. You did say it right. Just like the pizza. Just like the pizza. All right. I was wondering, was it really pronounced that way or are they shitting with me? I mean, really. It's really pronounced like that. Oh, my God. Can I ask how'd you get such a last name like that? Yeah, actually my, it's Greek, and my father was born in Greece. And Papa Yano was the Greek way to say it. But he changed it to Papa John because he owns a produce company in Birmingham, Alabama. And Papa John's produce sounds much better. Okay. Do you get like people saying that you're like the Papa John pizza guy? I have to ask that before we get right into it. Are we being interviewed right now? Yeah. Okay. Good. I love going live. Hey, and I'm a straight shooter. First, I appreciate you guys having me. And the answer to your question is all the time, whenever I'm booking a flight, like I just booked a flight yesterday. And the lady goes at the end of the conversation with Delta goes, Hey, Michael, are you, are you a part of Papa John's pizza? And I go, I wouldn't be using my frequent flower miles and flying coach if I was. That is a good point right there. That's true. Like, why would I find coach if I was actually the guy that makes Papa John pizza? Really? Well, you know, when I have a baby, I have a 17 month old and a wife and then when you're flying and then, you know, if you can save such and use your miles, that's great. And, but I get it whenever I'm on the phone dealing with, you know, if it's anything with the bank or, you know, whatever you're dealing with on the phone, at the end of the conversation, most people slide in there. So are you, are you, you know what I'm talking about? They'll say something like that. Or even when I'm at the grocery store, or any time I use my credit card where they can see my name, that conversation always comes up. Wow. I'm kind of envious. Kind of envious. Not so much, but I'm kind of envious. Be envious. Be envious. If Papa John's pizza calls me up and says, Hey, Michael, we'd like you to be a part of our company. And it, and, you know, we'll pay you a million a year to say you love the pizza and you're an actor and you're an entertaining business. And the next, you know, when you're on maybe Spider-Man 4, will you eat Papa John's pizza on the set? And I would say absolutely yes. Nice. Nice. Speaking of which of Spider-Man 4, you're actually going to be back in that movie playing a Dennis Carradine who we thought died. Well, I've never said that now. I'm a straight shooter. We thought. We thought that Dennis Carradine died. We as in me and the rest of Spider-Man fans. Oh, now my wife always told me, always, she's a smart woman. She goes, Michael, who said your character died in Spider-Man? I mean, you fell out a window, but who said you died? Right. It always reminded me of that. And it went really viral on the internet. I know, because I got a lot of emails and Twitters and Texas and everything else about it. But I did a Q&A with Ted Raimi in Philadelphia a few months ago. And it's online. I mean, at the beginning of the Q&A, we'd play about 300 people in the room. He started off the interview by saying, you know, me and Michael would come back to Spider-Man 4. And so I just kind of gave him a look. And maybe he knows something I don't. I don't know. You know, his brother is a guy named Sam. I don't know if you guys heard of him. But what I just said when they asked me, I just said, "Hey, who said I died?" So had the studio called me, no, not yet. But, you know, I did email the producer and tell him, you remind him that he said I died. And he emailed me back and said, "Hey, you never know with these characters. You never know." That's true. And after the first time I've ever said that, what I just told you, that is a first. That is a voice that out anyway. Okay. Well, ladies and gentlemen, we're going to vote here. Yeah. Do you feel special? I feel a little bit special. Yes, I do. I am not ashamed to say it. Well, you should with a name like Navell, you know that special name. That's cool. I like it. It's my own. No one else has it. And I'm like, if anyone else has it, they have to pay me money because it's patented, baby. Hey, baby, when I'm with Papa John's Pizza, I'm going to bring you over, Navell. I like that, man. I like that. You heard it. You heard it. Papa John, if you're listening right now, that is what we're going to be doing. We're going to endorse your pizza like no other. That's right. We're going to do a package deal. That is right. That's right. So you are a stuntman. You are a stuntman, and I think that's so cool, you know, because I always wanted to know when a person is doing those stunts, how injured does one get when they do that stuff? Because you probably are like going in there and going like, oh my God, this could like really severely injure me or something. Well, Navell, I, you know, honestly, after I doubled Adam Sandler and Water Boy, I took all his football hits. I am Bobby Boucher, you know, so that job was in the late '90s, and I knew in my heart after that job, I wanted to focus more on acting, and it was a really physically demanding job, even though it's a high comedy, and Adam Sandler's great, and all the people he has around him are awesome, and I've worked for him since then. I knew that my heart just wasn't in it, but I have taken a lot of, you know, I've come from an athletic background, a play baseball, Louisiana State, Taylor Hack forgot me in the business, doing everybody's all American, and I started off in the business, taking a lot of football hits, I doubled Dennis Quaid in that movie, and Taylor Hackers encouraged me to come out to Hollywood and be a stuntman, so when I first got in the business, I did a lot of sports-type movies, but to answer your question, I've taken a lot of hits over the years, my first commercial idea, it's kind of a first I've ever talked about this, I ran into a commercial, I ran into a goal post for hamburger joint, I won't name no names. And I hit a goal post 29 times, head first, and that job I had two black guys, they came out on the field, checked my blood pressure, and the wardrobe guy said he's done, it's a rap, so that was the first time a wardrobe ever is called rap for me. But as far as to wrap up the whole thing about being hurt, I've been banged up, I got banged up on Spiderman, but you know what, I can knock on wood, I've never had a broken bone, and I knew after Waterboy I was going to really focus on acting, but I still do a lot of physical type roles, you know, which I really enjoy doing, but when it's time to call in a stunt double, I'll be the first to call him in. Alright, so how did you get into stunt work and acting and everything? You were at LSU, you were on the college basketball team over there, so how did you get into that field? Yeah, I actually, it kind of came to me, I mean, you know, like, I think, you know, everything happens for a reason, I really believe I'm supposed to be in this business, because I actually played baseball, I'm from Birmingham, Alabama, I played at Junior College in Florida, got drafted by the Texas Rangers, I didn't sign, I went to Louisiana State, played on some really great competitive teams that went on to the College World Series, and when I was a senior at LSU, when I was finishing my last semester at LSU, they shot everybody's all American, and they were looking for LSU athletes to play the football players in the background, you know, around Dennis Quaid, and I started, I did that and I, they were looking for LSU athletes who weren't eligible anymore, you know, last semester and I kind of fit in that category, and they said, hey, if you take a hit or deliver it, we'll pay you more money, and I started doing that, and I guess doing a really good job at it, hey, little actor pulled me off the side and said, hey, we're gonna let you double Dennis Quaid, you're doing a great job, but we really like you and you're very athletic, and he goes, I think you would do really well in the stunt business out in Los Angeles, so I owe everything to him, him pulling me off the side, getting in my ear a little bit, I went off and played another year in my early baseball, I got released and I called Taylor Law and Distance from Birmingham, Alabama, he took my call, hooked me up to some of the top stuntmen in the industry to kind of watch over me, and what I did, what I did, what I wanted to better, I'd kind of played in my strengths, Navell, I'd play, I got right into stuntmen's softball leagues, entertainment softball leagues, where I was really athletic and people knew, you know, I was a nice guy and I was willing to learn, but I really kind of did see it there at the beginning, okay, very, very good, I mean, it just seems like you just, you found your niche from how you're telling me this story right now, it seems like you found your, you found your niche, this is where you want to be, this is what you want to be doing, I like that, well, you know, I absolutely love the business, I love the business that, you know, I'm 44 years old right now and I know a lot of times you're not supposed to say you're age, I will, I'm 44 years old, and don't be ashamed of it, that I know I can be doing when I'm 95 years old, and you can tell stories and, and be on a set, and you can produce, and you can direct, and you can act, and you can kind of leave something behind that, you know, and not to get, I don't know, it's just, it's a good feeling to know that when I get apart and say for instance, the Spiderman, I'm going in the wardrobe and, you know, they're handing me a gun and a hat, figuring out what shoes I'm going to wear, there's a feeling of people asking me, I'll tell you what's it like being an actor and I say, you know, for me anyway, it's like I'm eight years old again, and you know when you're Halloween and you don't know what you're going to be, like a holly, you know, like a cowboy or an Indian or an army guy, that's what I feel like when I get a job. Okay. Would you like to, could you, you were like saying, before I give you an example of like besides acting and producing, right, can you see yourself on the other side of the camera, like directing film or a TV show or writing for a TV show or movie, can you see yourself doing that as well? Well, yes, I produced one movie called Rushton, you can get it through Netflix, R-U-S-T-I-N. I'm real proud of that project, Wally Fittster was the DP on it, he got nominated for Batman, we had some really quality people around it, it sold the show time, you know, I went back to Birmingham, Alabama, my home and we produced it and I played a supporting role, but I learned a lot by doing it and I'm pitching my next project around LA right now and I'm excited to tell that story, but I'm a doc filmmaker at heart, I follow a couple subjects, I don't really talk about this much either, but you know, this is kind of a first interview and you've asked some really good questions. I have a couple subjects, one subject is Bo Eason, B-O-E-A-S-O-N.com, Bo Eason.com, I've been following that actor for about 10 years and him and Larry Moss, which is my acting coach, I've been following him for the last 10 years and I've just started the editing process and I have over 200 hours of footage, so yeah, I'm a doc filmmaker at heart, I love the truth, you know, when you can feel the truth, when you see a documentary or film, so as far as me, I want to be an actor that's a gun for hire, go work for Sam Rheen, go work for Mick G, go work for Michael Bay, but I'm producing and finding my own stories because it gives you creative control, not only financially, but to do the stories you want to tell, but also go out and work for those other great filmmakers. Absolutely, absolutely, and that's the perfect way to do it, start off with the acting. If my baby just walked in, I just want, "Hey Sean, hey, hey, I just want to hate my son, live on the radio, okay, I'm going to go outside in the backyard," all right, see that makes it real, doesn't it? Yes, you're not the first one that's actually had their kids make a cameo parent from this program. Oh really? Well maybe at the end I'll have them, he says only a few words, he says "ball" and "banana" and the "b" words, you know. Oh, and did you hear me okay? Yes. Okay, great, I just want to make sure you hear me all right. We hear you loud and clear, man, so he hasn't said "dada" yet or "hazy"? Well we use "papa", we use "papa", so I know he has not said that yet, but it shouldn't be much longer, he's 17 months. Okay, you'll be getting there, don't worry, he'll get there, that's right. Well I heard a little story about you yesterday, what kind of research should you do? It was an interesting, it wasn't really a story, it was a comment. And I just wanted to clarify what was true, that you were on an episode of True Blood. That did happen and you can actually, the episode is called Time Bomb and you can actually see that this week they're showing, it aired for the first time on Sunday night and they're doing the reruns all this week before the next episode airs on Sunday, it's one of the coolest shows I've done, it's really, really cool to be a part of. And I don't die, and my wife always reminds me when you don't die you have a really good chance to come back. That's right. Who did you play on them or what did you play on them for you? I play, I'm heavily involved, it's funny now I can talk about it because they're so secretive on what you could say, but I can tell you everything now because it's already aired. It's already aired. I'm heavily involved with the fellowship of the sun, the church, heavily involved with the church and I come really close to stabbing Eric in the back of the main vampire, tall blonde hair guy, and if I would have put that state through his back it would have changed his show, but he got me, he was able with his vampire powers to take control of me, but I was real close. Suki came up and screaming and everything else, but I got real close to stabbing him and changing the whole story, but it didn't happen, but the thing is, I was able to run away and he wasn't able to kill me, so I feel like I have a good chance to be one of the town folks, a member of the church, and there's next season rolling around and there's writers that write stories and change things, and I think they need to bring me back, I need to go toe-to-toe with these vampires, they have nothing on me. That's right, you could be the next angel, but yet not as a vampire, is that possible? I don't know, you got me thinking, I know my wife loves those vampires and she loves that show and it was just when you walked on that set you could tell it was a very successful show just because the way they handled everything and the actors, Anna Pack was a very good sexuality, she was very floating around in her summer dress like a little butterfly, and to work with her and Alexander Skarsgard and seeing how they're really friendly, but when the camera rolls they jump into these characters and the thing I said about Anna, you can look at my credits, I've worked with Cameron Diaz, Moon Blood Good, Megan Fox, some very attractive women and she ranks up there with all of them, and just to name another one, not name-dropping but I did, didn't I, yes, yes, yes, but that's fine, you're allowed to name-drop, just so you know, so yeah, no restrictions on that front, but I do have a calling here, I have no idea where they're calling from, I'm going, if you want to take it, absolutely, all right, I'm nervous here, I'm nervous with those callers that have no digits, so caller from wherever you're calling from, speak up, you're on the phone with Michael Papa John and Buzzworthy with Navell, where are you calling from, who are you, hey Michael Tom, this is John from Massachusetts, how are you sir? Hey John, I'm good, thanks for calling in. Yeah, hey, I just will follow you on Twitter and love the pictures that you're putting up and thought you kind of just share some thoughts, it seems like a lot of celebrities these days kind of go into sharing every detail of their life, but you do a really cool job, always wondering like what's going on at different movie events or shows and you get some great celebrity shots in there, so thought it would be something just to kind of share with us your thoughts on that. Yeah, no, that's a great, I've really had a lot of fun with Twitter and Snap My Life because of technology today and how fast it moves and how you can reach out, actually, you know, whenever I'm taking a picture and I Twitter it out and I know it's going to snap my life, I always, I don't really think about that actor in Los Angeles or people in the so-called entertainment business, I always think of about that person in the Midwest, you know, that's maybe never been to LA that, you know, if I can put them behind the scenes in a, for me, eating craft service or me putting some bullet hits on before I get shot or me about in makeup and not just about me being able to shoot, you know, Warner Brothers lot or, you know, going to some of these Hollywood functions and take some pictures of some things, my POV and be able to add a little, you know, be able to tweet something to go along with that picture, it's really cool, it's like shooting a documentary, I said earlier that I'm a doc filmmaker at Hunter, but now you have a chance to do a doc on your life and as far as pictures say a thousand words, you know, that saying, I really believe that's true, so when I do it, I don't, I just really enjoy it and actually when I go back to snap my life, me and my wife get the biggest joy out of going, oh, remember that, oh, we were in Palm Springs, so I really opened my life up to my son, my wife, my business and the ups and downs of it, of whatever might come my way, I love taking pictures of food, I love food, you know, so if I get a big food, you just have me sold right there, I think you just ate a million cool points with food with me, that's great, cool, and we can always plug Papa John's Pizza if they give me an endorsement deal, I'll take a bunch of pictures of Papa John's Pizza and say how much I like it, not just because it's the same last name as the pizza company, but I really like Papa John Pizza, oh, we love Papa John's Pizza, it's a bet, oh yeah, baby, but, but I appreciate your question, it's kind of the wrap up on the whole Twitter thing and snap my life, I'm having a lot of fun with it, I'm gonna continue, you know, my website's michaelpapajohn.com and they can follow me at @michaelpapajohn and I've been able to just really, really enjoy that, I think. Right, and I have to say, I'm addicted to this whole Twitter thing, I mean, if you ask anybody, they'll tell you right away that I'm addicted to Twitter, Twitter is like my whole life, and it's really cool for you and others as well, like the caller had mentioned to see, you know, more into their lives, so to speak, than we normally get to see, you know what I mean, like, now we don't have to worry about going to the gossip, the gossip shows with the gossip column, what exactly are they doing, they're pretty much so that's what they're doing right now on their computer, I think that's really cool and having a little bit, but, Navell, what you said is great, what I do love about Twitter, and I meant to say this one thing, it gives you your own voice, and you don't have to worry about people editing you a certain way, and you can always respond in that moment of time of how you feel what's going on, and it just gives, it's not even a celebrity, it gives anybody a voice, and it's a powerful model, I mean, I took some, you know, for me to say hello to Mick G last night and have a conversation, and I say this, but I was able to Twitter it out, excited because at the end of the conversation, I say hey, I'll see you on the next one, and to be able to Twitter that out, to not a fan base, just people that are following me that, hey, you know, I'm, you know, Keanu Reeves is right next to me, or whatever it might be, it's interesting to be in that moment of time and be able to pass that on. That's great, that is great. So one of the things I definitely want to ask you is what, you want to, well first of all, I have to ask this because a lot of people who we ask, they don't have time to watch television, do you watch TV first before I ask it? Well, I'm a straight shooter always, when I audition for a role on television, like I'm able to go to YouTube, I'm able to TVow some things, I want to watch the show before I audition for it to kind of get the feel on the show. I am a huge fan of True Blood, my wife got me hooked on the show, but as far as when I watch, I like dark blue, I'm not just plugging shows I was in, but when you're on a show, you're able to be, like when I worked on dark blue, it had a film like quality to it and a feel to it, so I dove into that show, and that's Jerry Brookheimer produced on TNT. There's a few shows that follow, my wife is huge on reality TV, I don't watch any reality TV, I got to be honest with you, I tweeted out a picture of the heels, and I mean there's attracted girls and a couple of guys, they were shooting some reality shows at the party last night, I didn't even know the heels were a reality show, but when I tweeted the picture out, I said, "Hey, well maybe there's some people out there that know what the heels are," and they would like to see a picture of these actors, you know? Right, right, what I wanted to know, what would you like to work on, that's on air right now or anything of the sort that you would like to work on that you haven't worked on yet? Well, you know, I actually in my DNA, I feel like I'm a cop, you know, a cop, you know, just trying out the truth, so whenever I work on theme sign New York and work for Gary Smith, I got a, that was a great, you know, a great on that show, I mean I guess everything I worked on, I got a story, but as far as me, what I would like to do, of course I'd like to be a series regular, not just to get started, I'd just pop in and shows up, plays a bad guy and dies, but hey, let's put Michael Pop John in a series and let's have him play a cop that maybe, maybe goes on the dark side to get what he needs, you know what I'm saying or find the answer, that feels really close to Mahardah, I would love to have a series not only because you're, it's that income coming in, but it's able to jump in a character and play him for three or four or five years or however long the show runs, that would be very, very exciting. I think so, because I, when I had saw your picture, your headshot, one of the headshots that they sent me, I immediately thought that you had this like Chris Maloney type look and feel about yourself, so I could picture you in that kind of like law and order kind of role where you're like one of the detectives, I could see anything, I think as a compliment, I worked with, I used to start Double Chris on a show called First and Ten years ago, probably one of his first series he got, and I know Chris from that show, but he does a great job on his show, but yeah, I feel that too, being a cop and trying to find out the truth and trying to find out the answer and then being able to work on that show weekly and develop that character where you find out more about his relationship issues or maybe his drinking problem or whatever it might be, that would be, that would be a thrill actually. So, before we sign off here, I can't believe a half hour just came and went, would you, I would be honored if you would do a promo for our show if you would like to do one. Do a promo? Yeah. Yes, absolutely, and I hope you guys have me back, man, I know that 30 minutes flew by whenever I saw that. I would love to have you back, man. It does, I would love to have you back, man, that door is always open. I will not shut it, ever. Cool. Until they kick me off the network, which I hope they don't for a long time, but yeah, man, we'd love to have you back here on the show. So, if you, it can go in the realm of this is Michael Papa John and you're listening to Buzzworthy Radio or you can put your own spin on it, your own feel to it, however you want. It's all up to you. The floor is yours whenever you're ready. Hey, this is Michael Papa John. You're listening to Buzzworthy Radio, it rocks. Very nice, sir. We'd love to have you back here anytime Michael Papa John, everybody, thank you so much for coming out today. Oh, thanks so much, Navell, and you better have me back or I'll hunt you down. Yeah. That's right. You better not, I might have a stake in my back pocket or something that I might. Who knows? I have guns. I got all kind of props. That's right. All right. We'll talk to you soon. All right, man. Take care, buddy. See you. Take care. All right, you guys. We are going to be back here on our 200 episodes. Our 200 episode is the milestone. I cannot believe we're going to be at 200 episodes on Tuesday. We are going to mark our 200 episode with another milestone, two milestones in the same show. Two milestones being our show hitting 200 and also are guiding my tribute show. A guy on the tribute show with Overa Rusell and some seeming surprised guests coming onto the show. Definitely want to check that out. On a 200 show, Tuesday, August 18, 2009 at 1 p.m. Eastern time, 10 a.m. Pacific Coast time. It's a two-hour broadcast. Celebrate our 200 episode milestone with another milestone celebrating 72 years of the light. Guiding light. So make sure you guys tune in next week. We'll see you guys on Tuesday on the Vell daily signing off, making sure you get the latest buzz with the Vell's ready video. See you guys then. Take care. Can't get enough of Buzzworthy Radio. Knock on now to www.buzzworthyradio.net. To get the latest news, I'm upcoming guests, past shows, and videos of all your favorite guests. She asks hard-hitting questions. I want to know if you guys are wearing clean underwear tonight. She invites listeners to actively take part in the show. You want to put makeup on my husband? She shares her innermost feelings. You know, I'm going to go on the record and say I would like a blow-up doll. It's broadcasting as only Annie can bring to the table. 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