"Special Ops Force"

Boxtop presents

July 08, 1998

Actor Brad Johnson chats about his exciting career and his role on television’s Special Ops Force.

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CCCMyst: Talk City Presents, in association with iXL Live, welcomes you to tonight’s feature presentation! And now without further ado, please welcome Brad Johnson. Brad, welcome to Talk City!

Brad Johnson: Hi, thanks for having me!

Mysterygirl: Brad, welcome to Talk City! Tell us about your new movie!

Brad Johnson: It's a TV series actually, last year it was called Soldier of Fortune. Now the name has been changed to Special Ops Force, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, who gave us movies such as Top Gun, The Rock, Con Air and last weekend’s biggie, Armageddon! By the way, Special Ops Force is a syndicated action picture show.

Minerva: Brad, welcome! You've worked with some powerful directors already, do you have a favorite one? Who would you like to work with but have not yet done so?

Brad Johnson: It would have to be John Miles, whom I've done two pictures with, Flight of the Intruder and Rough Riders. For those of you out there who aren't familiar with Mr. Miles' work, he wrote Apocalypse Now, Dirty Harry, Patriot Games, Wind in the Lion, Clear and Present Danger, etc. He's one of my favorites! Of course Steven Speilberg is another. I'd love to work with Ron Howard, Oliver Stone, Billy Bob Thornton and Michael Caton-Jones who did Rob Roy, he's a great storyteller. There are a lot of great directors out there!

Romeovoid: I think SOF is so cool. Given the content of the show, what do you have to say to those who harp about violence on TV?

Brad Johnson: Our show doesn't have gratuitous violence. It is a violent show, but done at the proper time. I really feel that it's a parent’s responsibility to monitor what the children watch, to be the on/off switch of the television sets. Kids should be drawing and reading for the early parts of their lives. Their viewing should be limited until they get older I have four children. I think I know what I'm talking about!

Yellowdogdemocrat: What has been your best experience as an actor?

Brad Johnson: As an actor, I would have to say this series. In the whole realm of things, probably my second movie which was with Steven Speilberg was a great experience because of patience that Mr. Speilberg showed me. It allowed me to make a lot of mistakes. Also, last year’s movie Rough Riders because it was maybe one of the best roles, characters I've ever played. Now the series, is a good experience because as an actor I'm able to experiment and because of the nature of the show and my character I'm in virtually every scene. This means I work every day, and a chance to act every day. Every day I learn.

Elevatorup: I remember you in Always. I loved that movie. Was that your first one?

Brad Johnson: It was my second. My first picture was with Roger Corman, King of the B Movies. He started Jack Nicolson, Peter Bogdonavich, and a lot of other Hollywood heavyweights. It was called “Nam Angels,” Hell's Angels in Viet Nam. I believe Jack Nicolson’s first movie was “Hell On Wheels,” another Hells Angels movie, destined for the now extinct Drive-In Theater.

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