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Meet another girl/teen in our club who likes the same movie favorites as you do. To write her, click on the link to join the penpal club! Hangin' With Archives
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Updated
7/19/02 We're Hangin' With....MINI-ME!!
by Lynn B.
AGW: How did you get into acting? Verne: I just fell into it. They needed a stunt double for a nine month old baby in a film called Baby's Day Out and they couldn't find too many people who were agile enough and close to the same size. I got the part and it just grew from there. AGW: How did you get the Mini-Me part originally? I was such a big fan of the first Austin Powers and being able to audition to play Mini-Me in the second film, I watched the first one constantly so I already knew the mannerisms of Dr. Evil and it didn't really come that difficult. Mike helps a lot and Jay Roach, the director is amazing. AGW: If you weren't acting, what would you be doing? Verne: I've been doing this since '92 so it's hard to say. Before I got started in the business I was working for the telephone company doing customer service. I might be doing that still. AGW: How much has Austin Powers changed your life? Verne: It changed dramatically. I'm still trying to get used to it. Doing Austin 2 and now the third one, has given me a lot of opportunities. I'm getting scripts all the time and it's good now because I get to pick and choose exactly what I want to do. AGW: Mini-Me is practically an icon. How does it feel to play such a popular character? Verne: It's fun to portray Mini-Me and I'm enjoying it. I never realized how big it was gonna get and how big it is now; going to London, doing the press junket over there, it's worldwide. I'm still taking it day by day and adjusting. People say I'm such a nice person in normal life it's good to take your frustrations out on the set. On camera and off. AGW: How much improv do you get to do? Verne: Mike likes to improv a lot and when you're in a scene with him, you've got to react off of whatever he's doing. It makes it a challenge and also, it's fun. AGW: Some of the hardest laughter is when poor Mini-Me is being smashed around in a bag. Do you find that funny? Verne: It wasn't me in there the whole time. If it were I'd be in a hospital somewhere in a coma. If you see the end of the scene, he jumps right up, what the heck was this? What are you doing? He's totally fine. That's Mini-Me. Basically you can't hurt him. AGW: You started as a stunt man. Do you have to do all your own stunts? Verne: Yes, except for being knocked into a lamp and stuff like that. I really enjoy having that physical aspect. I got started doing stunt work and have been very physical my whole life. Doing some professional wrestler moves, that was my idea. Even in the second fight scene Jay gave me the opportunity to try different things. Some people don't realize all the things I can do. It's fun. AGW: Why do you think so many young people love these films? Verne: There's a lot of phrases that people say all the time.. [Oh Behave!] things like that. "Laser" (he indicates with the "quoting" motion). People have a good time with all the catch phrases. AGW: Were you injured on the last film? I heard you hurt your knee doing a dance routine? Verne: We were doing the dance routine and I actually dislocated it. I've been doing stunts for a long time and it's kind of weird that I'd dislocate my knee just dancing. Basically we had to cut the day short and they called an orthopedic surgeon down and he had to put my knee back in but if you see certain parts of the film after that happened, you can see that I have a brace on and I'm not very mobile, like in the space suit. Luckily it was towards the end [of filming]. I had two weeks left. Afterwards I went through physical therapy. It's better now. I have to do my own stunts. There aren't that many people who could fill in for me. AGW: Would you want a clone of yourself? Verne: That might be good because he could do my stunts and I could do just the acting. AGW: How sensitive is the little people issue for you? What are your ground rules? Is anything overboard for you?
AGW: Have you seen the films with fans? Verne: On the second film, I have a house in Texas so after I got done filming I went back to Texas and you try to sneak into the theater but you can't really sneak in. You try to wear your hat and sun glasses and it doesn't help. [Verne is barely 3 feet tall so people notice him!] but I just wanted to see the crowd reaction. That's what I really enjoy the most is seeing what the crowd likes. I enjoy making people laugh. AGW: When you are out on your own do you get bothered by fans? Verne: It's not so much being bothered. I actually enjoy it but there's times when you're having dinner with a good friend and you're in the middle of a conversation and somebody comes up and cuts you off. Can you sign this? Can I take a picture with you? And I'm just adjusting to all the attention. AGW: What's the most dangerous stunt you've ever done? Verne: In Jingle All the Way, I was playing a small Santa Claus on top of Arnold Swarzenegger. I'm harnessed and I flew back twenty-five feet into a bunch of boxes. After doing it nine or ten times in one day, you wake up the next day and you can't walk. That's the most dangerous I guess. In one scene [in this Austin film] it's a doll mostly but I fly out and I was harnessed off to stop me right in front of the camera. We wanted to get it as fast as we could and we did it a little too fast and I almost took the camera out! Doing stunt work is risky but it's something I enjoy. AGW: I think you and The Rock should do a film together. Would you like that? Verne: I think I might show him up. No, he's awesome. I got to meet him at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. His persona, when you meet him, isn't the same as when he's wrestling. He's a nice guy. AGW: Are you hoping for a role where you can play just a complete sweetie? Verne: We'll see what happens. Maybe playing a romantic character opposite Gwenyth Paltrow. AGW: Hey, you did a scene with Britney Spears in this one. Verne: Exactly. Maybe when Gwenyth sees that she'll come up with something. NOTE:
Austin Powers in Goldmember is rated PG-13
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Diminutive
actor/stuntman Verne Troyer is tiny in stature but has a huge heart and
great sense of humor. Super popular among kids and teens since appearing
as Mike Meyer's tiny clone in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me,
the actor has done numerous films and been a guest star on t.v. shows
like Shasta McNasty, VIP and Jack of All Trades. Now Mini-Me
is back in a much bigger part in Austin Powers in Goldmember. When
we talked with Verne in L. A., he sauntered into the room wearing gangsta
gear; black sleeveless tee, headband, chains, fake tattoo, backwards baseball
cap, etc. In addition to being very open, he's quite the flirt with the
ladies. When he said "laser" and did the little "quote"
symbol in the air with his fingers like he and Mike Meyers do in the Powers
films, I said "that's so cute. Do it again" Verne came back
with a wink and "later". 
Verne:
It doesn't really go overboard because it's a movie. It's entertainment.
If other little people feel like they're being offended, it doesn't offend
me so just take it as it is. I get a lot of questions from the press but
as long as I'm not offended by it, I don't think anyone else should be.
It's entertainment. Just enjoy it!