Supermegafest 2015: Interview with Michelan Sisti
At Supermegafest held in Framingham, MA I had a very rare opportunity to meet and eat (yes we had pizza) with the man behind the turtle in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, Michaelangelo himself: Michelan Sisti. Mich was very cool to give me some insight behind the movie magic and how it all came to be the great film most of us remember it as.
Graphic Policy: Ok so first off I’d like to state what an honor it is to be speaking to someone who had such an impact through a particular time in my childhood and gave me such great memories.
Michelan Sisti: Oh well thank you very much. That’s very kind of you to say.
Graphic Policy: So I wanted to talk to you and keep it Turtle-centric if at all possible?
Michelan Sisti: Sure, go ahead.
Graphic Policy: How hard was it, without giving a voice performance to portray the character of Michaelangelo in a way that was both memorable and at the same time, your own?
Michelan Sisti: Well that’s an excellent question. The way we did it, is that when we performed in the scene while we were filming, I would be speaking all the lines. My puppeteer Mac Wilson, who is the finest puppeteer in the world, he would also be speaking the lines. That way in my ears, in one ear I would hear him and in the other I would hear the director and what they call the “common feed” of the abient sound on set, but we would literally be saying the lines together. As an actor I have to say the lines. I mean it’s ok to mime the lines as they are going on, but it doesn’t have the same energy or the same intention unless you actually speak it. So that’s how we did it.
Graphic Policy: Sure, it becomes a silent movie at that point and I would think it would be harder to get the level of the performance across in a meaningful fashion.
Michelan Sisti: Exactly.
Graphic Policy: I was wondering what type of preparation physically you did to prepare for the role?
Michelan Sisti: Specifically after they hired all of us to be the Turtles, we were required to take 6 months of intensive martial arts training. That included us having special training with our weapons as well. We trained all the way through the filming of the first movie, and when they brought us for the second movie, that Leif (Tilden and myself. They then gave us another month of intensive training prior to shooting and then we trained all the way through. So all in all about 11 months of very intensive training.
Graphic Policy: Wow, that’s quite involving. I appreciate you sharing that. How do you feel about being directly involved with a franchise that has gone from such humble beginnings right here, in New England to over 25 years later now a worldwide phenomenon?
Michelan Sisti: It’s been an incredible and remarkable journey. The whole thing that had happened when the movie first came out, none of us expected. Maybe only Kevin (Eastman)and Peter (Laird) had an idea what it might turn into but we didn’t. We didn’t really know about the Turtles that much, and in fact when my agent called me with the audition in New York, we laughed because we have never really heard of it before. However as soon as the movie came out, everything changed. The attention and the amount of attention we got was just way over the top, I thought. Back then I started to get involved with conversations from the fans, and I realized at that point we were more than just actors in a movie. This was having a positive effect on people, especially young folks and I thought that was really cool. So all the way through the years, this kind of thing we are at now, this convention I had refused to do them. I had never wanted to sell my autograph, I would just give my autograph. I had it explained to me that these conventions were not about me, it is about the fans. So I said “Okay I’ll try one.”Let me tell you, that one experience was just like the beginning with all these people telling me that when they ten years old that I helped them get through a really tough time in their life is amazing. Those type of things, sorry… I’m getting a little emotional now. Those things touch my heart so much that I have to do more of this. I have to. So that’s why I do this. I’m squeezing this one in because right now I’m working on the new Muppet Show right now..
Graphic Policy: Oh wow, I had no idea!
Michelan Sisti: Yeah it’s great! So I haven’t had the time to do these as much as I’d like, but I already agreed to do this one and I wasn’t going to miss it. No way.
Graphic Policy: That’s great and glad you made it.
Michelan Sisti: Same here.
Graphic Policy: See I think the general direction of movies that we’ve moved into today since they are heavily based in CGI, we’ve lost the authenticity that someone like yourself and Leif gave to the role and because of that fact there hasn’t been a Turtle interpretation since then, that to me have captured what the Turtles are all about…
Michelan Sisti: Thank you. Thank you for saying that. I have also done motion capture work in the last ten years or so. So I know what effort goes into that. I agree with you though one hundred percent. Guys in suits, sweating and dying in front of the camera as it happens, for me have so much more of an effect than guys who are wearing motion capture suits where the CG is later tweaked, enhanced and played with isn’t the same. What we did, is what you saw. What they are doing, and I give full marks to the actors because they are working their asses off too. What they are doing though is being manipulated by three other people at least. It’s a different thing all together, as far I’m concerned.
Graphic Policy: I’d have to agree. To me what you guys did was more than just a 90’s action movie. It was a great movie that for decades now has stood the test of time. I watch it frequently so I know what I’m talking about. (laughs)
Michelan Sisti:(laughs) Well thank you so much.
Graphic Policy: So for me this has been an absolute joy to talk to you and hear the story behind the story. I thank you.
Michelan Sisti: Well it’s been a pleasure here too.
Graphic Policy: My final question would have to be, do you have any advice for someone who might want to follow in your footsteps?
Michelan Sisti: Follow your dream. As they say in this line of work, live your bliss. All those cliches, but what it comes down to is don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t happen right away or the way you want it to. I found, I came in the backdoor on Muppets and things like that, things happen in the strangest way. So keep at it. Find any way to perform and keep that fire burning and eventually Lord willing and the creek don’t rise it will happen for you too.
Graphic Policy: This has been fantastic. Thank you for your time sir.
Michelan Sisti: You’re welcome. Thank you for yours.
*This interview was an absolute blast. We talked about football and that week my team (Patriots) and his team (Bills) were going head to head so we had an exchange. (Sorry that one didn’t work out so well for you sir lol) Also of note, Leif Tilden (Donetello) was away from the table at the time this interview took place but I got to speak with him as well when he returned and we all (including April O’Neil: Mrs. Judith Hoag!) bonded over pizza. Leif is a New Englander like myself so it was a good time. They were both two of the nicest people you’d ever meet in this field. What they did for the time they did it in, still is as good as anything you see in comic book or action movies today. They molded an absolute classic. The pizza was great too!
To my other point, you’re not just known for one piece. You have such a vast body of work that took quite some time. Who are some of your major influences artistically?
Bob Camp: That’s definitely one way to describe it, but really we were making a kids cartoon. It just depends on your idea of what kids should or shouldn’t see is. I think that kids are smarter than people think. I think that kids know more than people think and they have good sense of humor. They’re funny it’s racy and we designed the show to be for kids and funny to watch because its just funny animation with funny characters doing funny stuff. Then under that we put layer upon layer upon layer of innuendo and suggestive stuff. Not in a creepy handed way mind you, it’s just sophisticated humor. I say sophisticated because it’s got pathos. it’s got satire. It’s got a million different kinds of humor. It’s deep stuff. There are jokes in the drawings and in the attitudes and deliveries. So you know, people have always put stuff in cartoons. If you watch Warner Bros. cartoons from the 40’s there’s tons of stuff in there, that when I grew up I go “Aha now I get that joke”. So that’s what we wanted to do with Ren and Stimpy. We wanted it to be funny for kids, and then we wanted them to grow up and be just as fun for adults. The show has legs. It has such depth. I think a lot of cartoons are pigeon holed for audiences 6-11 years old. Which is this weird graph that got created for programming. So what happens is you actually talk down to kids and you have these preconceived notions. They go, well we better decide what’s right for a 6 or 11-year-old and I think it’s all b.s.
