By Christina Radish
In the rollicking Touchstone Pictures comedy Wild Hogs, four of Hollywood’s biggest stars -- Tim Allen, two-time Oscar nominee John Travolta, Martin Lawrence and Academy Award nominee William H. Macy -- star as a group of friends who decide to rev up their monotonous suburban lives with a cross-country motorcycle trip.
Taking a long dreamed-of breather from their jobs and responsibilities, the foursome can’t wait to get on their Harleys and feel the freedom of the open highway. But, after unwittingly finding themselves in a rivalry with the real-life, bad-ass biker gang known as the Del Fuegos (led by Ray Liotta), they quickly discover that heading down the road to nowhere can take you places you never expected.
The film’s four stars, Allen, Travolta, Lawrence and Macy spoke with MediaBlvd Magazine about their previous motorcycle riding experience, past road trips and why they’ve been lucky enough to escape the dreaded mid-life crisis.
MediaBlvd Magazine> What kind of experience did you have riding Harleys before this film, and were there any spills?
John Travolta> I've ridden a bike since I was 18. It was my first transportation when I came to Hollywood because it was inexpensive and easy for me. Then, I rode Harleys with the Daytona Bike League several times prior to the movie. That's my history. Tim was the only one that had spills, and that's because he was showing off, like he always likes to.
William H. Macy> I rode bikes when I was a kid. I had a Honda the first time I moved to L.A., and I got around on that, but I'd never ridden Harleys, so I went to Harley school. I learned how to ride Harleys for about a week, a couple of weeks before we went there. And, I dropped the bike once, just because we had to pull in and put the kickstand down, and climb off very quickly. I did all of that, except the part about putting the kickstand down, so the bike fell. They roll, if you don't put the kickstand down.
Tim Allen> I rode many bikes and motorcycles, and my brother was in an accident when he was a kid, so my mom forbade us to use motorcycles. About four years ago, I bought a Norton that I've been riding around L.A. a little bit, but this was the first time I was on a Harley.
Martin Lawrence> I rode a long time ago, but I wasn't that good. I started riding again for this movie, and I was really nervous.
MediaBlvd> Are any of you still riding? Travolta> Yes.
Macy> I'm hooked.
Allen> Me too.
Lawrence> I feel really good to announce my retirement from riding.
MediaBlvd> Do you have any favorite road trip memories?
Allen> I took a trip with the best looking girl from college, who I somehow convinced to go with me. She was a rich girl, and we took a trip in her Camaro. I was the most frustrated, angry man. She drove in a bikini because we didn't have air conditioning, so I had to sit there in the car, as we drove across the country. When we got to Los Angeles, I was gonna go home and explode, if I didn't get out of the car. She said, “Why don't we stop by the capitol before we go home?,” and I said, “The capital of what?” She said, “We're almost to Washington,” and I said, “That would be Washington, D.C. We’re heading towards Washington State.” And, she said, “There can’t be two Washingtons.”
Travolta> When I was a kid, I would take short trips to Santa Barbara and Palm Springs. But, there was no road kill to report, or any such thing.
Lawrence> My road trips have been to Vegas, and what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.
Macy> I went on a road trip, right out of college, with a buddy of mine, and it was uneventful. We didn't get laid. Although, one time, it was about 800 degrees and we were in Texas, wearing shorts and nothing else. Somehow, a motorcycle cop pulled up beside me, and it turned out that we were in a huge state funeral. There were about 40 black Cadillacs in a row, and we were in a green van, called Mr. Greenjeans, with two guys with no clothes on. We went right out of town, onto the freeway, and I waved goodbye to them.
MediaBlvd> Since you’re all big Hollywood stars who haven’t had to go through that middle age, soul-searching crisis, how were you able to relate to these characters?
Travolta> We're too blessed to be stressed. Well, I am a wanderlust, as far as travel and adventure, so I will go off to explore the world, at any given moment, with the family and friends. I go around the world, once a year. I go to Africa, Russia or wherever. I love it. That's probably the only thing I identify with, for my character.
Allen> I went to all my old high school reunions. I love all my old friends and I'm still in contact with them. I've got three guys that I’m still friends with, one of whom raised one of his brother's kids. He's got two of his own kids and he took over the drywall and plumbing business, when his dad died. We were both at this party and he said, “What happened to my life?” This guy was gonna go to Africa and skin beasts with a pocket knife. He had all these plans, and now he's living in a modest size home, outside of Warren, Michigan.
MediaBlvd> Have any of you gone through a mid-life crisis in your romantic life?
Macy> I don't think the film is about four guys having a mid-life crisis, as much as four guys who are trying to regain something. One of the things that I love about it is that these guys adore each other, but they don't know how to say it. They don't know how to express it. Because they face this danger together, it never has to be stated, but it's more palpable at the end of the film. I think it's four guys, who are tired of being afraid all the time. They're afraid of saying the wrong thing, they’re afraid of not being there when they're needed, they're afraid in their jobs, they're just afraid. One of the things about the whole Harley motorcycle culture is that it's a little bit renegade, and it's a little bit dangerous. Things get intensified when they run afoul of this other motorcycle gang, and they stand up for themselves, once in their lives. So, it's not about the mid-life crisis, as much as being about four guys who need to plant their flag. Travolta> With my character, it takes the whole movie for him to admit that his wife left him. If it was about four women, they'd get it out there in the first five minutes. It takes guys longer to communicate with each other, in an emotional way. I think these guys have a lot of growth, in that way, and actually end up in a good place with each other.
MediaBlvd> John, was the scene where you teach William H. Macy how to dance in the original screenplay, or did that get added in?
Travolta> The dancing was actually in the screenplay. We modified it, and made it more about Bill's dance with Marisa than about me intruding. We actually removed a lot of what they wanted me to do because I thought it was a little arbitrary. Basically, I said I would teach him and let him go do his thing, but I didn't want to go out there as well. They actually eliminated some ideas there, more than added to it.
MediaBlvd> What was it like to work with Peter Fonda? Travolta> It was my idea to have Peter Fonda in the film, and I will take full credit for that idea. I was 13 years old when I saw him on the screen in Easy Rider, and was wowed by that, so I thought it would be the perfect cherry on the cake, to bring him in as the savior of the day. I am very fond of Peter and Jane Fonda, and I’m glad that we used him in the movie.
MediaBlvd> Tim, what is the word on Toy Story 3?
Allen> Disney would like us to not talk about it, for some reason. Even though it was in the Wall Street Journal, they'd like us not to talk about Toy Story 3.
MediaBlvd> John, what is the status of Hairspray and Dallas?
Travolta> Hairspray comes out on July 20th. Dallas starts whenever they say it does. I've already started to get paid on that, I just haven't gotten a start date.
MediaBlvd> What was it like to dress in drag for Hairspray?
Travolta> Gals have such power, it's amazing. I would get in that get-up, and the men would flirt. I'd be like, “Don’t they realize it's me under here?”
