Bill and Ted Face the Music
The Grim Reaper render inBill & Ted Face the Music , the long - awaited final entry in the dear drollery trilogy . It ’s been 29 years since the release ofBill & Ted ’s Bogus Journey , but the new film does n’t overleap a round , seamlessly picking up 25 years after the end ofBogus Journey . Bill S. Preston and Ted Theodore Loganwere specify to change the world incessantly with their euphony , but have seemingly break down in that enterprise . Now firmly into middle - eld , the two rockers must live up to their ultimate luck before the total space time continuum is destroyed . To do so , they must venture on one last " excellent risky venture " to save the universe .
Bill & Ted front the Musicis filled with new faces and returning champions , including William Sadler , who repeat his office as Death himself , the Grim Reaper . away from his bout in theBill & Tedfilms , Sadler is arguably well known for his villainous turn inDie Hard 2as well as his part asPresident Ellis in the Marvel Cinematic Universe . Casual fans almost sure wo n’t agnize him underneath his black robes and ghostly makeup , but Sadler ’s iconic take on the Reaper is as charming and hilarious inFace the Musicas it was near three 10 ago .
Related : Screen Rant ’s Bill & Ted front the Music Review
While advance the release ofBill & Ted confront the Music , William Sadlerspoke to Screen Rant about his work on the film . Despite his difficulty with the extensive makeup cognitive process , he clear has a late - rooted love and appreciation for the character , and it shines through in every mo he appears on screen . He discusses what it was like to return to the Reaper role after such a farsighted time and ploughshare an interesting narration about genuine - life killer Robert Alton Harris , who famously quoted one of Sadler ’s iconic lines fromBill & Ted ’s Bogus Journeybefore being executed by the State of California .
Bill & Ted Face the Musicis out now in theaters and on all digital weapons platform .
Hello there !
Hey Zak , full to see you !
I think it would be at least a few more years before I ’d have to " trip the light fantastic toe with the Reaper , " but here we are .
You ’ve had a brush with Death .
I ’m sure every exclusive interview is go to lead off with something along those lines , but whatever !
You ’re the first one I ’ve said that to .
Well , thank you ! First things first … Death plays a five - string bass .
He rock out on it , too .
For my bass part - play friends , I have n’t distinguish them anything about the movie , but I know they ’re going to say something . LIke , " Ooh , five , huh ? " Why did n’t they go for the classic four or the hard-core six ? Why the five ?
Why ? Yeah . Why the five ? I do n’t know . I did n’t pick it out . I think I was going to dally the standup bass again , but it was funnier . If he ’s go off on … He ’s sort of had a bit of a solo life history . At the end of Bogus Journey , we see that Death has joined Wyld Stallyns , and then he goes off on his own solo career . But yeah , I find to the set , and they said , " No , he ’s got ta have this nerveless five - twine basso . " ( Laughs ) I do n’t spiel the bass at all . I ’ve meet lots of guitars and uke and banjo and mandolins , so it was n’t that foreign to me , but … There you go . So your friends who act the bass voice … One of my good friends in the business concern is Leland Sklar . I do n’t even think he plays a five string bass , does he ?
I could n’t severalize you . So , obviously , it ’s been a prospicient time since you ’ve been last . When you ’re coming back , obviously , the first thing is the makeup . For you , someone who does n’t often play these type of physical transformation persona , is it a necessary wickedness , or are you like , " Hell yeah , let ’s do it ! "
I guess it ’s a necessary evil , because it ’s a painfulness in the butt . It ’s less fun than it looks . This unearthly matter has bechance to my tegument . I dunno … Maybe ten or 15 years ago , my skin start reacting to makeups . Now my skin just hates it . You ca n’t put any kind of make-up on it without it reacting . So , all the path through the shooting of this thing … First of all , the makeup took about three hours to do , and then another 45 minutes to get it off . It ’s just a necessary evilness . There ’s no harvester if he ’s not " the man with no suntan , " you know ?
Was it a different process than withBogus Journey , in full term of the makeup ?
No . It was fundamentally the same thing . I did n’t shave my straits for either of them . It ’s a bald cap that ’s glued down , and then it ’s eyebrow cover . I guess they made my cheekbones stick out a little snatch . And then they set off paint ! And then airbrushing . It ’s just this big … And the work force , the bony hands … I have bony hands now . But yeah , it ’s just a process . My skin was really fighting it . My skin was , like , my hide was really hate it . But it was worthwhile . The thing we do for love . I really really enjoyed playing the harvester again , and letting that graphic symbol breathe and take the air and come alive and interact with Alex and Keanu . You put up with whatever you have to put up with . The robes were full-grown heavy contraband things , and it ’s 150 degrees in New Orleans in the Summer … But you just … You lie with … It was worthwhile . It was really fun to do . And the minute we were on the set together , the arcminute Alex , Keanu , and I were back together , it was just like * boom * the vim was there , and the merriment was there . That was really fun .
It ’s not just the visuals , for you , it ’s not just the composition and everything . You ’re not pigeonholed because you play a wide potpourri of characters , but I feel like your default , when your headshot gets pass around , is like the bad guy in Die Hard 2 or Memphis Beat .
Yeah . I do n’t know why that is ! I ’m not a knotty guy . I stand for , I ’m not any tough than anybody else . I ’m just an actor . I reckon the Reaper is a big stretch . He ’s a leap , you know ? He does n’t sound like me or look like me . And maybe that ’s why he ’s so much play to act . Because there ’s a mickle of exemption in that . It ’s almost like a clown . Like , the classic clowns who put on blanched composition and whatever they do , and all of a sudden , they ’re like … They can be huge ! It ’s very freeing . I sort of felt the same elbow room with him . As soon as he was all together , he ’s just a unlike brute .
Was there a learning curve to falling back into it , especially with the accent ? Did you have to relearn it , or has it always been there ?
It ’s always been there . It ’s always … Well , no . I watched Bogus Journey to get quick to play this one . I went back and find out the first two movies again , mostly to cue myself what I had done , what I go like , and what I reckon like , and little gestures and thing I did in Bogus Journey . But as shortly as I put the robe on and the constitution and the Czechoslovakian accent , he just come out . It did n’t really take much coaxing . He ’d been waiting . It was like he was in a box all these years , and I let him out to play … And then he did n’t want to go away . He was like , he wanted to improvise , he wanted to trip the light fantastic . I really did n’t require to put him away again .
That ’s awesome .
Yeah . ( Laughs )
When you ’re playing this function , and you ’ve got that time on the set , I ’ve heard the stories about Bogus Journey , you really set out to edit out loose and make material up and write your own Reaper Rap . Did you have that room to … That sounds like the first motion everyone always , " So , do you get to improvise on exercise set ? " But especially when you ’ve got all the downcast screens around , Hell is mostly , from what I can evidence , a gloomy screenland environment . Is that muffle creatively on set , or is it the opposite ? Do you experience like you get to ?
I did n’t find it stifling . The Reaper is moderately playful to start with . And I always ad - lib . I ’m always … I ’ll test things . If they work . If I do it in the Reaper ’s vocalization and it ’s right for the scene , if it ’s right for the present moment , and the gang fall on the ground laughing , then it was probably right . I do n’t recommend that actor extemporize all over the position , but … And I did n’t , either ! Things experience in . There were a few personal … You make it personal , you make it your own . I gauge that ’s how I experience about it . It happen on Bogus Journey , too . Once the character derive alive and he ’s there , he ’s in the situation , sometimes a thing will occur , just by accident . Just kind of naturally . Again , if it ’s right for the moment , if it ’s right for the prospect , it end up in the scene . And if it ’s not , then , you have intercourse , you just stay put to the handwriting . When I did the Reaper Rap , it was because they had written a slight poem to be the rap music , and I could n’t make it make horse sense . I could n’t make it scan and I could n’t make it make sense ! I asked them , " Would it be alright if I tried to write something ? " And they said , " Yeah . " And that ’s when I came up with , " You might be a king or a little street sweeper , but earlier or later you trip the light fantastic toe with the harvester . " That ’s gon na be on my tombstone , I believe . rummy story : in 1991 ( * actually 1992 ) , the State of California executed a guy diagnose Robert Alton Harris . When they read his last words , the warden or whoever does it , his last countersign were , " You might be a king or a small street carpet sweeper , but earlier or later you trip the light fantastic with the harvester . " And the pressure got a hold of it and state , " That ’s from Bogus Journey ! " And they started calling me and enounce , " That ’s something you tot , how do you feel about , you know , save this guy ’s last Holy Scripture ? " And I said , " I detest to lose a lover under any consideration , but … " ( Laughs ) One fan in the world , and you killed him ! I ’m happy he witness some comfortableness in that . I think there ’s an eternal truth in that .
emphatically . There ’s something especially … Actors get recognized . It ’s part of your trade wind , walking down the street and being agnise , and have to blot out your annoyance or enjoy the bit , but there must be an extra special kick when someone know you as the Reaper because he does n’t look like you .
I think it ’s only happened once … Well , I guess masses bonk me more now than back when I did that . Police recognise me , for some cause . They ’re really good with face . But even under the three hours of makeup and the bald cap … I had a cop one time in an lift say , " You ’re William Sadler , the Grim Reaper , correct ? " And I ’m like , " Phew . Yes . " Yeah ! ( pantomimes smoke and place out a roast )
As react to , " William Sadler , do with us ! "
Yeah ! It was n’t like , " Mr. Sadler , you have the right to continue silent . "
Right .
Yeah , that would have sucked .
It has been a delight to get to babble out to you . It was a delight to see this fantastic movie that I never thought I ’d get … I remember , I think I was in high school when they announce they were going to be doing it , and that was like ten age ago or so , and I was like , " Yeah , I ’ll believe it when I see it . " And I get wind it last Nox , and I conceive it , baby ! So thank you for everything that you did in that motion-picture show and all your film , I ’m such a huge fan and it ’s a joy to see the Reaper in action mechanism one more time .
give thanks you so much , it means a lot .
Sure ! Thanks so much , I ’ll capture you on the next one !
Alright !
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