I was booked for three days filming on ‘Leprechauns’. My role was that of Chief Grococh (the leader of the ‘fairytale creatures’, and known as ‘The Grococh’!). On my arrival at Shepperton Studios that first day, I was whisked into Wardrobe and handed an Orange ‘outfit’!? My next stop was the Makeup Department where a makeup artist asked, “who are you, and who are you supposed to be playing” (the costume clearly didn’t do it for either of us!!) “Chief … something, umm, “Grococh?”, I replied, not knowing quite how to pronounce it! An hour and several layers of makeup later neither of us could mistake the fact that I was indeed ‘The Grococh’!!
It eventually transpired that my makeup man had been under the impression that ‘The Grococh’ was to be played by an actor who was in his later years – and bald of head! (Umm ... No!). Unfortunately, the hairpiece I was to wear had been designed to sit at the very back of, yes, a bald head – a la Bill Bailey! Not to be daunted we proceeded, and I sat patiently while the hairpiece was fitted to the back of my very un-bald head, and the front of my real hair was painstakingly painted green to match. Next my entire face and then my hands were also painted … green. Now looking like the unfortunate offspring of the ‘Wicked Witch of the West’ and the ‘Frog Prince’, my teeth were blackened and a big floppy hat was placed on my head. With a final flourish a long piece of green hair was glued to my temple! I now looked like a used Swan Vesta! Oh, the glamour!
‘Leprechauns’ is part Romeo and Juliet (the seemingly doomed romance of the Fairy Princess and a teenage Leprechaun), part contemporary romance (with Randy Quaid in the romantic lead), and a large part fable – fleshing out this ‘Irish stew’. There are even Braveheart-style battle scenes (!) and Riverdance-like interludes (?). My main scene … well, lines … was opposite the Irish Actor Colm Meaney (of ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ fame). The most stunning scenes in the film are the fairy sequences that take place in a futuristic castle in the sky (Wizard of Oz meets Star Wars!), and the epic battles with innovative leprechaun bark-and-stick armour!
Made by Hallmark Entertainment for NBC Television in America (and known also as ‘The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns’, or ‘Kampf der Kobolde’ in Germany) this entertaining piece of film was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2000 for ‘Visual Effects’.
Released in the USA in November 1999, Germany in April 2000, France in February 2001 and Hungary in October 2005.
Released on DVD in March 2000.
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