John Dybvig
King Kong

For more King Kong information and news, see Kong is King.net, including A Mini Biography of John Dybvig

A message from John Dybvig:

Every once in a while you get to have an acting experience that you’ll always cherish. Making movies is a tough business, and it’s not always that glamorous. There’s never enough money, everybody is under stress, there’s never enough time, the sets are crap, the director is a jerk, egos get out of control, etc., etc….

But….sometimes you get lucky. I got very lucky when I was offered a part in Peter Jackson’s remake of King Kong. Firstly it’s not every day that you get to work with a director who’s received not one but several Oscars, and then throw in the fact that he’s one of the world’s nicest human beings and bingo, you’ve got some moments to treasure. The following thoughts are my impressions of being on the set of King Kong:

One day on the set of King Kong

Firstly, it was very sentimental to get a part in the picture as it was one of my all time favorites when I was a little kid. I loved the dinosaurs and Skull Island and of course Kong and the Empire State Building, and especially the energy of Carl Denham. He made it seem that anything was possible, which was great stuff for the imagination of a little boy. I absolutely loved the picture, so I was excited to land a part, and then to be in the very last scene with Jack Black was the icing on the cake.

The production was first class in every aspect. I was discussing with my wife what we were going to do when I flew from Auckland down to Wellington car wise. Would I drive myself and leave the car at the airport or would she and the kids drop me of, etc? Then I got my travel itinerary and viola, there’s a corporate cab to pick me up at home and drive me to the airport. That’s probably not a big deal to most movie actors, but when you’re an unknown, that’s very cool. It just makes things so much easier, and it’s nice not to have to worry about the hassle of parking. It’s a nice one hour flight down to New Zealand’s capital where I’m met by one of the production drivers. He says he’ll take me first to the production offices where I can see the back lot where a lot of the Venture scenes were shot ( that’s a phrase I haven’t heard in all the 12 years I’ve been acting in New Zealand: back lot. That’s because Peter has built the very first one. That’s cool.) Next, I’m taken to my hotel, which is right on the harbor’s edge. Very nice. I’m on the ninth floor.

The next morning we drive out to another back lot where Peter has built New York, and I have to say, when you see it for the first time it just takes your breath away. You can throw in all the adjectives: the buildings are so perfect in every detail, the lay out is spectacular and the feel is there. The day I’m on there are about a thousand people on the set with all the extras for the final mob scene and the buzz is electric, and yet it’s also the calmest set I’ve ever worked on. This is a tribute to the man himself. Peter Jackson is just so respectful of everyone that he comes into contact with. It’s beautiful to watch and it’s an absolute blast to be part of. Kind of the way you think making movies should be – fun and creative!

I’m playing a New York policeman who has to push the crowd back so Jack Black can come in and deliver the final line. I probably lost about ten pounds in sweat that day. The police costume I have on is a heavy wool number. There’s not a cloud in the sky, nor is there a breath of wind, and it’s smokin’ hot. The first take took me completely by surprise. When action was called the rush of the crowd almost knocked me over, and I’m not a small guy at 6’3” and 220 pounds. I did literally have to fight and push to keep them back, and of course Jack Black never made it through, but that was cool. Peter came out and said so to the extras that they were doing a great job and then he worked out how to get Jack through, but that’s the mark of the man that he was so enthusiastic that his extras were doing a great job. I had to laugh at one point one of the other actors in the scene did a little ad-libbing with one of the key lines and Peter, with a nice bemused smirk on his face, told him that that was one of the most famous lines from the original movie so he’d appreciate it if he didn’t add anything to it. Beautiful!

Jack Black was a true professional in every way, working hard to get this vital scene just right. All in all the day just flew by way too fast and before I knew it I was back in my suite at the hotel. Peter was very gracious in thanking me for coming down. I have to say walking off the set that day reminded me of walking out of Disneyland when I was a kid and knowing the feeling of the magic, disappearing and leaving it behind. I did get to see Adrian Brody walk across the set all decked out in a beautiful three-piece pin-striped black suit looking extremely cool, and I immediately thought of Clark Gable. I have no idea why, but that’s what popped into my mind. I also did some voice work with the dialogue coach Liz Himmelstein, who was a great help. In fact, everybody that I came into contact with on that production from the assistant ad who made me a great flat white to the drivers to the sound guys to the make-up people; everyone was first class and a pleasure to work with. 

However, I got my biggest thrill the next day bright and early before I flew home. A little after six in the morning an earthquake shook me out of bed, and naturally, originally being from San Francisco, I was up and out the door and raced down nine flights of stairs in a flash. The guy at reception greeted me with “That was a good one, wasn’t it?” Uh, yeah.

And that was it. I flew home and my corporate cab delivered me to my door, and now I’m part of a movie that I know will rock the socks off moviegoers when it comes out. Can’t wait!