V Graham Norton
WARNING: This Interview has swearing and Sexually Explicit Content. The Show is a post-watershed programme.
I do love those futuristic action movies. I happen to know that one of the stars from Terminator 2 is in the building. Yes! He was the young John Connor in Terminator 2 and starred in American History X and Pecker please welcome him, Edward Furlong is here. (Edward enters to the tune of Duran Duran’s Wild Boys)
Graham Norton: You’re very welcome! How long are you in London for?
Edward Furlong 3 days, and I’m kinda jetlagged
GN You’ve come to London at a weird time, cos we’re all full of the Terminator furore, which was weird for you because you weren’t a particularly stage school or Hollywood kid. That movie did really change your life.
EF Yeah, I would say so!
GN How did they find you?
EF Actually I was just at this place, y’know girls and boys club. This casting director came up to me and asked me if I wanted to try out, and that was that. I went from regular Joe to T2 and chicks and parties!
GN The odd thing in the film is that you kind of grew up making it! You had a growth spurt. How much did you grow making it?
EF The first scene that we shot in that movie is the scene where we’re standing next to the car and I’m like. ‘there’s gonna be a war isn’t there, aagh”. I was 2 inches shorter. We shot a scene later and they had to dig a hole for me.
GN That’s so sweet! I have to say one of my favourite films that you’ve done is Pecker, the John Water’s movie Pecker which is just fantastic. The scene that always intrigues me, and I think I tried to ask John Waters but he got distracted by other things, is when you’re taking all the photographs of Baltimore, and you do one with rats, were they showbusiness rats or just rats?
EF I dunno. They were rats!
GN Did they have a tiny trailer, or did you just wait for some to show up.
EF We just waited for rats. It was the first day we shot that. I’d never shot a comedy before, and I’m mister broody, sad guy. John Waters was saying ‘smile, smile, smile’. And that was just hilarious. They did it last minute, they put the two rats in the trashcan and they were trying to get them to fuck. Or screw, sorry!
GN It’s so too late for that
EF They laid them on top of each other! And eventually they did it so it’s real! It turns me on!
GN Watching that scene over and over again!
EF With my dog!
GN The other thing about Pecker was the whole ‘teabagging’ thing! Had you ever come across that before?
EF No I’d never heard of it really! (Graham asks him to explain what ‘teabagging’ is.) Basically (simulating ‘teabagging’), It’s what I do to my girlfriend. I put my balls in her face, and bang, take it! (Laughing) She likes it. It’s fun.
GN Some part of green room, girlfriend not happy now!
EF Sorry! She’s pretty sweet!
GN You’re in such trouble! You have this other career. It’s such a classic thing. You are huge in Japan.
EF Yeah, well I was.
GN I think you still are! I’ve got the cover of one of the albums. There you are. ‘Hold On Tight’. Where did you do the album?
EF I did it in America, this guy Michael Connor approached me. I can make you a huge star in Japan.
GN So it was all made for the Japanese market.
EF Yeah. It was huge! It was bigger than Whitney Houston’s single.
GN Do you mind if I just play a little bit of it?
EF Oh God! Go ahead. (plays song, and Edward dances)
GN That’s probably enough! It seems they still love you over there. We got in contact with a karaoke bar in Tokyo. Some of your fans, are waiting. It’s very late there, but they’ve waited and they’ve got a little treat for you on their karaoke. (Graham dials phone man answers speaking Japanese). It’s Graham Norton, British TV
Japanese Man Yes Can I help you
GN As I explained to you, our special guest tonight is Edward Furlong
JM Edward Who?
EF (Laughs) Edward Who!!!!
GN Edward Furlong the singer! Apparently you like to sing Edward Furlong songs! Can we hear a bit of the song! (The patrons at the bar sing). They’re shit but it is your song!
Talking about the fans. You’ve had fans recognise you in awkward situations?
EF Yeah. This fan recognised me when I was taking a piss one time. He was like ‘ wow you’re Eddie Furlong, can I shake your hand’. And I’m like shake this!
GN You just spent two months in London filming. What were you filming? Was it a British film?
EF I don’t really know! There was a lot of British people in it!
GN Trust me if its any good, we’ll claim it! It’s a thriller, but it sounds quite dark! Talk us through the premise.
EF I’m this weird kid. Surprise! What happens is I see this murder on the internet. You know those webcams? I realise there are snuff killings on the internet! Turns into a love story, and keeps twisting around and you don’t know if she’s involved.
(Edward and Graham play a game with the audience)