|
[Home]
[Up]
[Brimstone Interview]
[Brimstome Interview #2]
[Brimstone Pictures]
[Brimstone Contest]
[Collision Course]
Click
Here For Diabetes T-Shirts, Items and Gifts
Click
Here for Diabetes Books and Products
| |
Interview #2 With Brimstone
February 2009, Questions by PopStarsPlus.com
 Brimstone,
thank you for taking the time to do another interview with me. In the
first interview,
which was almost two years ago, I asked you a number of basic questions
about you and your career. This time around, I would like to dig a little
deeper and try to find out more about the mystique of the Brimstone character,
but first, I want to get a low down on all of the things you have been up to.
In the past year
alone, your career seems to have been jumping from leaps and bounds.
Quietly you have been stretching yourself into all different directions and
may very well become the new king of all media. Let me ask you a few
questions about each. . .
First off, you have roles in a number of movies that are about to be
released on the big screen and videos, such as Blood Line, The Roadhouse and
Touch and Go. Tell me something about these movies, and how different is
playing the role of Brimstone as opposed to player the various roles in
these movies?
It's great to be back here on Pop Stars Plus,
it's been awhile! I'd made a life changing decision not long after the last
interview where I decided that the future of my career would need to be of a
more "mainstream" nature. I have always loved the acting aspect of
professional wrestling and it seemed like the perfect transition into the
realm of movies and television. However, the first projects I started
working on initially outside the "safe" umbrella of wrestling were as you
know theBORDERHOUNDS comic book
and penning my autobiography. I've been fortunate enough to get involved
with a bunch of great projects that are premiering this year and others that
will begin filming this year. I'm excited that I've been given the
opportunity to take my career in entertainment to the next level through
film; it's such a completely different atmosphere! In Blood Line I
play a character named "Tyler Stone" who is the personal bodyguard for a
sleazy record executive. I do a featured cameo right at the beginning of
the
 movie
and face-off against one of the lead characters. I attended the wrap party
at the beginning of the month out in the Hamptons and I have to say that the
director Steven Rahaman (Falling Leaves Films) did a phenomenal job on
putting Blood Line together! The Roadhouse, a movie by Nick
Pavano (Lightining Films) was a tremendous amount of fun! I play the role
of "Vince" who is a childhood friend of the main character "Joe Nuzzo"
played by a good friend of mine, Joe Sernio (All My Children,
Haunting Evidence, As the World Turns). Nick (Pavano) gave Joe
and I the go ahead to improv a five minute dialogue which allowed us to just
feed off each other. Both films have already been quickly accepted into
some of the biggest film festivals and will both be premiering in the first
few months of 2009. It's really been a lot of fun to be able to dive into
these characters and I'm looking forward to taking on a few of the principal
roles that I'll be filming this year. It's certainly a different feel
playing these characters as opposed to "Brimstone," although it is all about
telling a story… so as much as it's different, the more it's the same.
I've done a handful of cameos in some hot
videos as well which was a lot of fun. As you mentioned, I was in Joe
Budden's video for the club banger "Touch and Go." Video shoots are long
and dare I say painful even when dropping in for a cameo. I spent the day
hanging with a few friends which was a positive, but it is a long process
that is normally banged out in one or two days with a lot of ground to
cover. It's very interesting how it's all put together, just very tedious.
Rece Steele (VH1's Miss Rap Supreme) was on deck with me waiting for the
scenes we were scheduled to do our cameos in and we kept it moving by
getting to know each other better. Other videos that I've been featured in
are Bethany Davis' "Lose Control" and two of my friend Frank Lucas Jr.'s
videos for "Street Star" and "Let's Go." I actually met Pablo Escobar Jr.
on the set for "Let's Go" and have become very close with him since. I've
somehow gotten tight with the sons of two of the most notorious names EVER
which has been the topic of many discussions for some reason. It was quite
surreal to have Frank Jr. introduce me to the real "American Gangster"
himself while on the "Street Star" set. It's never a bad thing to have
Frank Sr. on your good side!
 Your
fans might find it interesting that your first foray into television
actually happened 30 years ago, on an episode of Sesame Street. However,
you recently did some acting for the small screen and filmed the pilot to
Power of Six – what type of a role do you have? Did you find any
difference between acting for a movie as opposed to acting for a TV show?
LoL, yeah… I am a Sesame Street alumni and Romper
Room alum as well! People think it is wild considering they think of
me "now," and just find it fascinating. I've actually been looking to do
something with Sesame Street again now which I think would be really
cool! The Power of Six pilot has actually not been filmed thus far.
The directors are still casting and are in pre-production however we were
supposed to begin filming in January and now will begin in March. The
project is a cross between Heroes and one of my all time favorites
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and has interest from HBO and the Sci-fi
Channel. I'll be playing a principal role as the main "bad guy" John
Whisper who is more or less the devil (a far cry from Brimstone, huh?). I'm
also in conversations for a couple of very exciting projects for VH1 and
others that I'm waiting for the final word on. It's strenuous to sit and
wait, wait, wait… but that is the way that this industry works. Once they
are ready to go, it's like gangbusters!!! My fingers are crossed that one
of these will go into production by Spring, although anything can happen.
It is a very unpredictable business with many twists and turns, but that's
just entertainment. Movies are just a bigger production of television which
is a bigger production of a video shoot. The one major thing they all have
in common is the downtime factor.
 You
have also entered the arena of print media. As many of us know, your
self-titled comic book, Borderhounds, is nearly completed [check out the
artwork on
www.theBORDERHOUNDS.com]. What is holding it back
from completion and do you have any estimated release date?
There has thankfully been a lot of hype surrounding
theBORDERHOUNDS comic book which is terrific! As many people may or may not
know, it takes a lot to get something like this off the ground. The first
challenge was finding my team who as I have mentioned in the past is an
extremely talented group of individuals from around the country (thank G-d
for the Internet). The next progression was to write and then illustrate
the comic. We are currently finishing the production of issue two and will
be jumping right onto issue three as it wraps. The way we are looking to
launch the comic depends on which direction we will ultimately decide works
best for the marketing. We will not be releasing the comic until all four
issues of the primary mini-series are complete; however we are in
discussions about a few big things that will take the comic to a whole new
level. We are looking to solidify an animation deal that will bring
theBORDERHOUNDS directly to your homes via a major cartoon network and then
launch the comic through the network to coincide with the animated show
(yes, I would be voicing my own character). I've also had meetings with a
few different companies who are very interested in the rights to do
Brimstone action figures, so I feel that it may be a good idea to wrap the
release of each character with an issue of each of the four issues. In this
economy, I want to try and give the fans the most bang for their buck as
well as giving them the best product possible.
You are also trying to tackle the print world
in another format, by publishing a book, an autobiography entitled
Brimstone: From the Barren Wastelands of My Mind. Although you and the
Brimstone character have been around for a while, it is not until recently
that you have begun to make a name for yourself in the public consciousness
outside of wrestling, why are you writing a biography now?
 I
had started writing the autobiography awhile ago as a personal project to
reflect on my life in general. I made the decision to take it to the public
after an immense amount of feedback from friends and fans telling me
repeatedly that with everything that I have accomplished and are yet to
accomplish; that I should write a book. I've been told that I have a very
interesting personality and I think that may be a reason why the
BrimBLOG on my
Official Website is so popular.
Personally, it's just my life and I hope that my fans will enjoy the read.
I'm moving forward in my career and life in general so now just seemed like
perfect timing. I'm not closing the chapter on professional wrestling, but
it is not my main focus anymore. In order to aspire for greater things and
move forward, I felt the need to express how I got here to begin with.
I was recently asked to answer a few questions in another book that will be
published in June/July 2009 by BenBella Books. The book entitled, The
Bra Book: The Fashion Formula to Finding the Perfect Fit was written by
Jene' Luciani, and my answers will be featured in chapter 8 Your Bras and
Your Beau. Jene' is a rising star in the fashion industry that I had
the pleasure of meeting when she interviewed me on the red carpet at the
Parkinson's Foundation event that I did for Michael J. Fox. The Bra Book
will be available for purchase in Wal-Mart, Nordstrom, Fredrick's of
Hollywood, Target and a countless number of other stores across the
country. I've also written three children's books that I'll be releasing
shortly after the autobiography is launched.
What is really interesting is that you are
launching your own clothing line . . . tell me something about that.
Yea, the BrimWEAR line brand of clothing is in the works. The
brand is set to be be a unique blend that mixes urban and metal creating a
fusion that is very rarely seen. The original company that I signed with
has not been moving at a pace that I feel is appropriate, so I am
temporarily putting them on the back burner as opposed to the forefront. If
they cannot get on the ball, then I'll quite simply pull out of the deal and
go with another one of the companies who were very interested in moving
forward with the BrimWEAR Brand. It's a process.
Besides all of these activities, you are still
wrestling and training other wrestlers, putting out Brimstone trading cards,
and making tons of appearances – while managing to still have time for your
family. What else do you have up your sleeve that your fans should be on
the lookout for?
 I
have a bunch of new products that I sell exclusively at autograph signings
like Brimstone buttons & magnets as well as my new trading cards that I JUST
dropped off to be printed. One thing specific that I am looking forward to
(and cringing about at the same time) is the "Brimstone Roast" that is in
the works for my 35th birthday this year. I've already had a few "roaster"
confirmations from some good friends including Like Dat (VH1 Flavor of
Love & Charm School), Claire Unabia (America's Next Top Model),
Bumblefoot (Guns N' Roses), Jose Hernandez Jr. (HBO's Oz,
Law & Order, Fringe) and plenty more depending on schedules.
Rest assured it will be an amazing event that will be well attended. It
isn't easy, but somehow I have managed to juggle a zillion things at once.
I make it a point to spend as much time with my family as humanly possible,
nothing is more important than them. I'm full of ideas and surprises, so
fans and haters alike can always check my
Official Website for everything
that is going on with me. LoL, that's all you are getting out of me for
now. If I gave it all up then there would be nothing to look forward to!
One thing I have noticed is that over the past
year, you have expanded your online presence. Your main website
www.EntranceToHell.com
has really been overhauled from only a year ago, you have also put up
Facebook
and MySpace pages. How
important is it to have a web presence and how has it benefited you? Do you
plan to expand your virtual self in the future?
Quite simply, to be seen is to be heard. I'm still in the
process of updating my website with every bit of information possible that
will give fans the ability to bounce around and learn factual information
about myself and my career. It is always a case of the good, the bad, and
the ugly, considering the Internet is like yin and yang. It is the perfect
avenue to gain a new audience and entertain people from around the world,
but on the flip side, you always have your haters who are jealous of your
success and want to tear you down any chance they get… hell, look at
Britney Spears! That is why it is
important to have as much factual information out there as possible so
potential fans know what is real and what isn't.
OK, I have asked you enough
questions about your march to control the many outlets of entertainment media,
let's turn to some questions about Brimstone and William Kucmierowski . . . .
 I
asked you during our last interview whether you are like the Brimstone and
you stated that you are actually the opposite. I was wondering, when you are
wrestling and making personal appearances as Brimstone, do you become that
character in your mind . . . and if so, to what extent?
Well, Brimstone is a brand. It's also become who I am, my
identity so to speak. I'd say that 80% of the people who I know call or
know me by Brimstone or Brim. Outside of wrestling I only turn on the
"persona" when it's needed. People love the character, but people are
intrigued when they meet the real person behind the character.
In some communications with you, you sometimes
refer to yourself as Will and sometimes as Brimstone. Although the
Brimstone persona has been the driving factor to rise you to some notoriety,
as a budding actor, what type of distinction do you, or are you, making
between "Will" and "Brimstone" and are you trying to make that distinction?
Yeah, sometimes I get confused on who I'm calling… eventually
my damn Blackberry will be surgically implanted to the side of my head I'm
on it so damn much! Most of the time the only people that I refer to
myself as Will are the people that I am very close with, or consider
personal friends- although for the most part they call me Brimstone simply
because it is like a nickname. Everywhere I go and everything I do I am
solely known as Brimstone… it's all about the branding and even in the films
that I am involved with I am credited under that name.
On your
Wikipedia
page, the first sentence makes a point of stating that you are Jewish. Has
your religion had any influence on you and your career, and if so, to what
extent? Along the same lines, has being Jewish affected your wrestling
career . . . has anti-Semitism or prejudice ever been a factor for you
within the wrestling industry?
In everything we do in life there are always going to be people
who feel slighted and are haunted by their own shortcomings. These people
are going to hate you for any reason they can (it's ok, I know why you're
mad). My Judaism just happens to be another thing about me that some people
attack. Again, I'm proud of who I am, where I came from, and my heritage.
Since we are discussing the wrestling
industry, if you could make one change to the industry, what would it be and
why?
The vulgarity is one major change I would make. I understand
that sex sells but it makes it very difficult for the people who grew up
watching "wrestling for the wrestling" to continue the tradition with their
children. I also believe that there is way too much time spent on
meaningless talking and less emphasis on telling the story in the ring as
opposed to out of it.
 At
one time you were really into your music. Is that a thing of the past or do
you have any thoughts about rekindling that old spark (if you ever have any
extra time to do so)?
I still love music and every time I have the opportunity I try
to get behind the drums and play a little. Never say never, but for now as
much as my first love runs through my veins… I have a new focus. It just
happens that I have a good portion of friends that are very well-known
musicians and the feeling I get when I see them doing their thing is
intense. Rod Morganstein (Winger, Dixie Dregs) and I were having a
conversation about this while out to dinner not too long ago and he
nonchalantly hinted that I should play again even if just for the fun of
doing it. The feeling in my gut became a lot deeper after hosting the
recent Drum Fight VII on Long Island where I actually did an impromptu set
of quads on the drum-kit while waiting for the next contestant to make their
way to the stage. I guess I can say that I would consider it if the right
deal came along. I'm actually trying to find the time to go and jam in the
studio with another friend Dan Nelson, the vocalist for Anthrax which should
be a lot of fun. LoL, I told him I was probably going to suck because it
has been way too long but he said it best, "It doesn't matter how it sounds,
as long as we are having fun!" I could not agree more.
What does your family think about you being a
wrestler?
My kids love it… they just hate the amount of time I have to be
away from home, but they understand that it's just life in the world of
entertainment in general. I am traveling more and spending more time on the
business end of things nowadays, as well as the performing side which takes
serious toll. The family supports me and my work ethic which I am extremely
thankful for. I'd be lying if I said that they weren't a bit happier that I
am spending less time in the ring- considering that there is less of a
chance that I'll get hurt! I can honestly say that I believe my family is
as proud of me as I am of them.
Let's play a word association game. I am
going to list a few words, and for each, let me know the first thing that
comes to your mind:
Paper - Contract
Clouds - Heaven
Leather - Renaissance
Butterfly - Nature
Undertaker - Icon
Box – Squared Circle
Breasts – Chicken or Human?
Guitar – Guitar Hero
Book – Tommy Lee's
Autobiography
Once again, thank you very
much for answering these questions.
|
