Just weeks after the release of Logan, Tyler Man discussed his role in the franchise and how the opportunity came about. Depicting the Marvel villain and Wolverine's ultimate nemesis Sabretooth for the 2000 original X-Men, the 50-year old Canadian was quizzed as to how he landed the part. Don't ask too many questions though. As the actor admitted that he needed a refresher course on the subject material.
"I got the call to come in and meet the director (Bryan Singer) for the film," he begun. "I had seen the cartoon previously, and knew the character in that capacity. I wanted to do my research for the role and walked into a comic book store in the Valley and asked if they had any X-Men comics. The guy looked at me like, 'newbie' and pointed with disdain to four full rows, all X-Men titles. I proceeded to ask if he had any with Sabretooth in them, and he pointed to two rows. Clearly, I needed help, so I said I was looking to buy some for my nephew. I marched out of there with my arms full comics. Then I bought fangs and Polydent and got into character. Very method of me, right?"
Outlining how unorthodox Singer's casting techniques were, he recalled with delight how he went to extreme lengths to find the right man for the job.
"I walked into my meeting with the fangs in place and met a very young-looking Bryan Singer. As auditions go, it was probably the easiest one I’ve had. He jumped up on the coffee table and asked me to choke him. I snarled with my plastic fangs, and that’s how movies get started, I guess."
Mane: I Had To Get Taller Than 6 ft 7 For The Part!
Explaining that his hefty size of 6ft 7 gave him the perfect grounding for the role, Mane remarked that the Australian's own capacity was bigger than what the comic books had intended. This scenario required the giant to grow an extra few inches.
"At the time, Hugh and I were both completely unknown, and he is the most genuine guy around," said Mane. "Very down to Earth. I’m very happy to watch him through the years. He’s definitely gone above and beyond in doing Wolverine justice! Funny thing, Wolverine is supposed to be short. And Hugh is actually pretty tall. I’ve never had to wear lifts in my life other than to make me tall enough to match his Wolverine!"
Tyler Disappointed At Origins Snub
Of all the mistakes X-Men Origins: Wolverine made, the casting of Liev Schreiber was probably not one of them. Especially since the two played off each other well. Yet Mane understands that the studio wanted a more established name for the extended screen time and dialogue.
"That was the producers’ decision," he replied. "The storyline was them rising as brothers, and Liev (Schreiber) and Hugh look a lot closer in that respect, so I understand. I can’t say I wasn’t disappointed. I’d love to get my claws back into that role. But that’s Hollywood."
Having tracked the franchise from it's raw beginnings 17 years ago, which one stands out for him?
"Would you say I was biased if I said the original?" he responded. "But it is definitely my favorite. I have great memories from the filming of it. Then again, I haven’t seen Logan yet. It’s definitely on my watch list, though. It’s a darker turn for the character, so I can’t wait to see what Patrick (Stewart) and Hugh did!"
Source: THR
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