Eric Bana says he was "blissfully ignorant" of all the hoopla surrounding the production of The Hulk, but that has all changed recently with the impending release of the movie on Friday.

Bana recently sat down with the press at a junket for The Hulk. Following is an edited transcript.

QUESTION: How familiar were you with the Hulk?
BANA: I grew up with the television show. I was very familiar with that, and loved it. Wasn't a huge comic-book reader as a child, so most of my association was immediately to the television program.

QUESTION: Did you meet Lou Ferrigno?
BANA: I did, I did. That was a big thrill because I was always a big fan of his, not only from the Hulk but as a body builder. Him and Arnie in Pumping Iron were a big part of my youth.

So I did what everyone else does when I met Lou for the first time. I said, "Do you mind if I touch your arms?" and get a good handful. It was a big thrill to meet him. Absolutely.

There's actually a scene in the film that was cut where him and I have dialogue together. So it might turn up in the DVD.

QUESTION: A lot of actors enjoy those scenes where they can act out their rage or get out of control. It seems like you were deprived of it because of the CGI moments. Was that a little bit of a letdown?
BANA: Yeah, it was. It was a bit frustrating, you're right. Because I kind of take him to that point, that kind of orgasmic place, then get denied of it. So, yeah, that was a bummer. Oh well, I'll survive.

QUESTION: The potential here was getting associated with a franchise. Was that an element you thought about or discussed?
BANA: Yeah, it's obviously discussed. Was I worried about? No. Because the only reason they'd do a sequel is if the first one's a success. So I knew if the film was going to work on the levels that Ang (Lee, director) was wanting it to work, then there would be a great reason to do a sequel, in which case it's not a concern.

I guess the only danger in the sequel thing is if the first film's not great and they want to do another. That I would be concerned about. But, no, I wasn't overly worried about it.

QUESTION: As you do more movies, do you find you're picking up new techniques from each director or is it just a matter of practice makes perfect?
BANA: I think there's a potential for experience to help you. I think there's also the potential for experience to be a hindrance. It is one of the reasons that I didn't want to, when I was young, attend drama school. I think sometimes too much knowledge can be a hindrance.

And I've found that myself. As you go through more and more productions, there are some things that can weigh you down. I actually find myself reverting more than anything else and try to tap into primal instincts that haven't been tapered.

QUESTION: Kind of like a child?
BANA: Yes, exactly. And that's the beauty of this film. And doing scenes with someone like Nick (Nolte, who plays David Banner), who takes you to that place straight away. You don't even have to work it. He literally makes you feel like a child in a sandpit. And that's where it should be and how it should be, and that's where it's the most thrilling and fun.

Even though the scenes with Nick and I in the film are kind of emotionally difficult, at the same time they were kind of the most fun because you felt you were truly playing.

QUESTION: You started out as a comedian. Could you see yourself 12 years ago being associated with more dramatic work?
BANA: To be honest, this is where I've always dreamt of being. Would I have totally expected to be the case? Maybe not, because I wouldn't have been so bold as to say this is where I'm headed, look out.

Now that it's turned out that way, obviously, I'm elated and I feel very, very fortunate. Yeah, it was always kind of where I wanted to be. I really didn't know exactly how I would get there. I was always following my gut instincts.

QUESTION: I understand you passed on some other comic-book movies?
BANA: Well, I wouldn't say I passed on any. People have mentioned that before. It was simply that I met with Avi Arad some time ago and he discussed a slate of projects that were going to be coming up and asked whether I would be interested in this genre or not. And I said, "Yes, maybe."

So it wasn't specifically that I was offered things directly. I wouldn't go so far.

QUESTION: Were you involved in the acting of the Hulk?
BANA: No. My sole responsibility was Bruce. And the rest, thank goodness, was up to other people.

QUESTION: What was your favorite scene?
BANA: There's probably two or three. I really liked the scene in the hangar between Nick and myself towards the end, where we're both sitting on those chairs in that kind of darkened environment.

I always really liked the scene between myself and Jennifer (Connelly, who plays Betty Ross) in the log cabin after I have been Hulk the night before in the dog fight, and we're playing the notion . She comes up with this idea that emotional damage has no limits and if it manifests itself physically that then there are no physical limits and the idea of the Hulk could keep on going and going and going and going.

It was actually a scene that Ang had rewritten at 3 o'clock that morning. And we got a knock on our doors saying, "The scene's been rewritten. Here it is. Learn it and we're going to start shooting it in a few hours." It's probably one of my favorites.

Rob Allstetter, Deputy Sports Editor for the Detroit News, has been a comics journalist for the past decade, having written for numerous publications. He currently publishes The Comics Contiuum. He can be reached at: RobAlls@aol.com.

The Trailer Park Archive

July 2 2003 - Hellboy June 25, 2003 - Ang Lee June 18, 2003 - Eric Bana June 11, 2003 - Spider-Man Animation June 4 , 2003 - Lou Ferrigno May 27 , 2003 - Teen Titans May 20 , 2003 - Bryan Singer May 14 , 2003 - Al Gough May 8 , 2003 - Kelly Hu April 22, 2003 - Aaron Stanford April 18, 2003 - James Marsden April 15, 2003 - Jaime King April 8, 2003 - Halle Berry April 2, 2003 - Anna Paquin March 26 , 2003 - Scott McNeil March 21 , 2003 - Alan Cumming March 18 , 2003 - Michael Rosenbaum March 14 , 2003 - Ted Raimi: The "Other" Raimi Is Coming Back March 11 , 2003 - Maria Canals likes the call of the wild March 7 , 2003 - John Shea - Welcome to Mutant X March 4 , 2003 - Anthony Cistaro - Witchblade February 27 , 2003 - David Kaye - Professor X February 18 , 2003 - Victor Webster February 14 , 2003 - Ben Affleck February 11 , 2003 - Colin Farrell February 7 , 2003 - Comic Controversy? January 31 , 2003 - Static Shock January 24 , 2003 - Jennifer Garner