Critical Questions: Bruce Campbell

Bruce Campbell may not be a household name or a big box-office draw, but in the eyes of his many ardent fans, he's a reigning superstar. Until recently, Campbell was best known for his lead role in the beloved Evil Dead film trilogy and his frequent playful appearances on the fantasy shows Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess, but he now entertains millions of viewers as a regular on the popular spy series Burn Notice. Between shooting the show in Miami and making seemingly endless public appearances, Campbell answered a few of our questions, to which we can only respond, "Groovy."

CM: You're currently on your fifth season of Burn Notice, and you recently starred in your character's own TV movie, Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe. How has the show changed your life?

BC: Not that much, actually. I was a working actor before Burn Notice, and I hope to work after. It's been a really great gig, though, and I hope to milk it as long as they'll let me.

How much of Sam Axe is based directly on your own personality, wardrobe included?

I wore Tommy Bahama before Burn Notice, so it was just a happy coincidence. I think with most actors on TV shows, the actors start out talking how the writers write. Over time, the writing tends to morph to cater to the strengths and weaknesses of the actor. Sam is me in many ways, minus the military part.

You've been involved in some pretty high-profile animated films (Cars 2, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs) recently. What do you like about voice-over work?

It's fun, clean, and magical. I love watching the progression of going from an isolated recording booth in rural Oregon to the big screen all around the world.

You directed yourself playing yourself in My Name Is Bruce. How tricky was that?

I've actually done that a lot, between another feature I directed and a bunch of Hercules episodes, so it wasn't that strange. It is very challenging to do, however, since doing both jobs requires twice the amount of "homework."

Which of your old TV characters do you miss the most - Brisco County, Jr. (The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.), Autolycus (Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess), or Jack Stiles (Jack of All Trades) - and why?

I'm sure it will be Sam Axe by the time we get cancelled, but I surely enjoyed playing each of those roles - including Ash from the Evil Dead films. Sam Axe has grown on me, so it will be sad to see the crusty old bastard go.

Any plans for you and Nathan Fillion to join forces as leads in a movie or show, and make every sci-fi/horror geek's head explode with sheer awesomeness?

Never say never, but since I have never worked with him, and have never met him, I wouldn't dare venture a guess.

Seems like Sam Raimi's got a little more free time these days. Are you two any closer to reuniting for another Evil Dead installment?

Are you kidding me? He's about to direct a $200 million prequel of The Wizard of Oz, so I don't think that's gonna happen any time soon. We do, however, have a great script for an Evil Dead remake, so stay tuned for that in the next year or two.