Biografia

26 marzo 1932 · Macon, Georgia, Stati Uniti

29 marzo 2012 · Portland, Oregon, Stati Uniti (cancro al polmone)

Milton Dillard Askew Jr

1,80 m

Used to sing blues songs in the same club (the Gaslight) as Bob Dylan in the 1960s. A 33-rpm record was issued once but sold poorly. Confessed to Philippe Garnier (in the book "Caractères") that it was not so bad because "I had lost my voice when we taped this. Had too much booze the night before . . . ". According to the same interview, his Easy Rider (1969) contract had stipulated his name should appear as big as Peter Fonda's and Dennis Hopper's.

His most famous role was in the 1969 film Easy Rider (1969) as the stranger on the highway.

The way I feel about a movie has more to do with the experiences I had making it. Did I like the people? Did I like the location? Did I like the wardrobe? You know, wardrobe is very important. It's overlooked by a lot of people, but it's one of the most important things in the business because once you put on that outfit, you can be that guy. Like when you're a kid and you put on a cowboy suit, you're a cowboy. Easiest thing in the world.

[on his acting technique] I don't do anything really; I'm just there.

[about making Rolling Thunder (1977)] I received one of the best compliments ever on that film. The director, John Flynn, told me that working with me was like working with Robert Ryan, and Robert Ryan was one of my favorite actors years ago. So I asked him, "Why is that?" And he said, "Well, you can do anything--you do it by the numbers. All you gotta do is one shot and that's it." Because I am a very good, as they say in the business, technical actor. If there's a lot of physical business to be taken care of, I can do it. For instance, when I threw the knife in Fango, sudore e polvere da sparo (1972), I'd never thrown a knife before. But you just do it. And that's one of the great things about being an actor: You get to do things you'd never do otherwise.