WERNER HERZOG ON JULIEN DONKEY-BOY

Offscreen: Talking about things you can bring to a script, did you suggest certain things to Harmony Korine when you played the father in Julien Donkey-Boy? Like the parrot story, when you are getting your hair cut...

Werner Herzog: I always had to invent it. I don’t remember what was said because there was never any dialogue. That story... Oh yeah! Now I remember. It’s a parakeet, the World Champion Talking Bird who said very clearly: “Birds are very smart, but they can’t speak!” There was never any dialogue. He sat me at a table with my family, I mean, “family.” And I knew I had to be dysfunctional and wild and primal and terrifying with them. And I turn around and I see that the cameras are rolling and I say: “Are we rolling?” and he nods to me and I say: “What’s the scene all about?” and he just shrugs. And I say: “What’s the dialogue?” and he just said to me: “Speak.” So what can you do? I just had to do some dialogue.

Offscreen: And there it was the Clint Eastwood story…

Werner Herzog: Yes. All of that was just born out of the pressure of having to speak and having to say something.