Joxing Clever
Ted Raimi talks to Kate Barker about playing the fool.
Official Xena Magazine: Issue 02
The world of Xena: Warrior Princess can be a dark and gritty place. Gods play havoc with the lives of mortals, tragedy and evil lurk around every turn, and even brave and noble warriors may be struck down in the prime of their adventurous lives.
Yet despite all this apparent toil and trouble, there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Comedy plays a vital role in Xena, and actor Ted Raimi plays a vital role as Joxer, the would-be hero who provides much of the comic relief.
Though originally written in for just one episode of Xena, Joxer has become a recurring character in the series. And it’s a role that Raimi finds very enjoyable.
“It's a hell of a lot of fun,” Raimi says, “because it's generally a pretty serious show and it's fun to play a counterpart to it.” He goes on to praise Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor for their part in making his job easier. “Lucy and Renee are great - for want of a more non-sexist terminology - straight men. They really know how to [react to funny lines], and that is half - or more like 75 per cent - of any good comedian's back-up.”
Raimi cites a classic comedy team as an example of the teamwork required for successful comedy. “When Jerry Lewis was with Dean Martin, everyone said, ‘Hey look at that kid, oh that kid's so funny.’ No one was paying much attention to Dean Martin. As soon as they broke up, [Lewis's] career took a dive. It's because you don't notice the straight guy. Your eye goes from the funny guy to the straight guy for the reaction, then back to the funny guy. Your brain says it's the funny guy that did it all, but it really wasn't. I think Lucy and Renee are so good at giving those reactions back.”
Although some may see Joxer as merely someone to laugh at - Raimi himself describes Joxer’s antics as “buffoonery” - there is no doubt in the actor's mind that his role in the series is a positive one.
Raimi has been acting for over 15 years, appearing in such movies as Darkman and Evil Dead. He is also well known for playing the role of communications officer Tim O’Neill in the television series Seaquest DSV.
Constant work in the industry has made Raimi humble on the subjects of fame and popularity. “Getting noticed is always fun and I'm getting used to it,” he admits. “But you get a little older and a little wiser and you realise that it's just a recognition. You can really let that go to your head, but it’s not necessarily that you're a good actor. People just recognise your face.
“You’ve got to deal with the fact that you’re recognised but you’re not necessarily brilliant or great. It's not really for you to decide.”
Raimi adds that although he is often recognised and stopped by fans, one place this does not happen is Los Angeles, because “in LA it’s not cool to notice celebrities - there's so many of 'em. You're obviously a tourist if you're pointing at a celebrity!”
Celebrity he may be, but Raimi is under no illusions about stealing the limelight. “Joxer shouldn't be in the middle of everything,” the actor states. “Now that Lucy's going to have a baby, they're putting some more stuff in for me to do. I'm there to fill the gap a little bit, because of course having a baby takes time. But Joxer really isn't in the show all that much.”
In the episode Animal Attraction, Joxer finally admits his love for Gabrielle. Yet this has not altered the dynamic between the characters, and this is a decision that Raimi agrees with. “They can do a lot of things with Joxer. but they'd never change his direction or plan anything substantial about him.
“You can't change a comic character. I mean you can, but you run the risk of mucking up the dynamic between the actor and the serious part, so you can’t really change it in a dramatic way. It might be fun for a while, but ultimately I think you’d hurl it more than you'd help it.
“I don't think enough people are actually interested in watching Joxrr have an affair or a romance. I suppose they gave him a little bit more of a relationship with Gabrielle, but beyond that, he hasn't really developed at all - he's pretty much stayed the same. I don't think [the writers] are interested in developing Joxer too much, and that's fine with me.”
So no big plans for a major love story involving Joxer? Not likely, says Raimi; it's not Joxer's place to play the lead. “Joxer's sort of ageless and timeless and he doesn't really change at all. Nothing substantial ever really happens to him - but that's his point.
“You're not there to follow Joxer and his exploits,” Raimi reminds us, “you're there to follow Xena. That's the name of the show.”
One of the most challenging and fun episodes that Raimi has done was King Of Assassins, in which he played both Joxer and his twin brother, Jett. Although many of the scenes involved lots of exhausting split-screen filming - Raimi acting opposite himself - the actor relished the role. “Jett was fun to play,” he says, and admits that it was easy to play the character a little over the top. Jett is the expert swordsman that Joxer wishes he could be, yet is also the more roguelike of the two.
“Everyone wants to be the older brother,” Raimi says of the character, “to torture your little brother. I think Jett sort of falls in that category. Playing bad guys is something I've done lots in the past and something I’d like to do again. It's fun - a lot of fun.”
Much of that fun comes from the freedom Raimi is given to play with his role. “If [writers] are smart,” he says, “they’ll let a decent comedian do a certain amount of his own bits. Sometimes they're very generous, in that I've had writers actually write in, ‘Ted will do something funny here’. That's my favourite part of the day.”
Freedom to do “something funny” has a lot to do with having a good director, Raimi points out. “There are some directors who are extremely creative. If you get good ones on your side, who like to work with you and enjoy watching the character, then you're in a good place. It's a great creative place to be.”
Again, Raimi acknowledges his other colleagues in making his working environment such
a comfortable place. This includes his stunt double Mark Rounthwaite (“He does most of my stunts, he knows how to move and fall like me - he's great”) and Lucy Lawless (“she always has energy”).
With all his larger-than-life acting, Raimi nevertheless describes himself as quite reserved. “I'm generally a very shy person,” he says. Yet he is quick to add that the comic part of himself has always been there.
“I do the dumbest things alone, just to make myself laugh. I make myself laugh more than anybody else I know. I do like to do comedy.”
The shy actor-turned-comedian is reminiscent of an episode straight out of Xena - in fact, one of Raimi's favourite episodes. For Him The Bell Tolls sees Joxer affected by a spell from Aphrodite; whenever he hears the sound of a bell, Joxer becomes the skilled and confident hero he has always wanted to be.
“For Him The Bell Tolls was my favourite. I'm a script sort of person, and story always comes first for me. That's such a beautifully, coherently written story. It’s rare for any television show to have really good scripts, and that one was terrific.
“It had a very good theme too, which was that the person that you've always wanted to be, is right inside you right now. That's a very lovely thing to think about.”
It seems too, that on the set of Xena: Warrior Princess, the comedian inside Ted Raimi has found a very creative and encouraging home. That's great to think about, too.