Bruce Spence Biography

Fast Facts

• He attended Henderson High School in West Auckland, New Zealand
• Quote: "(On being directed by George Lucas) "As I said, George Lucas was a dream to work with․ George sets a high standard in his direction and I love that․""
• Quote: "(On acting in heavy makeup in "Star Wars," "Lord of the Rings" and "The Matrix") "Once you have everything on, including the costume etc․ it is really the same․""
• Quote: "(On being made up for his role as Tion Medon) "The makeup took over four hours to put on and just over an hour to get off․ Remember there were hands to be made up as well․ But I loved the makeup․""
• Quote: "(On how he landed the voice role of Chum the shark in the Disney animated film "Finding Nemo") "They thought of me, really․ I was just very, very fortunate․""
• Quote: "(On the power of myth) "Everyone, no matter how humble their lives are, has a quest․ Whether it's just to get a job, or to fall in love, or to see out the next day in some degree of comfort and have a good meal․""
• Quote: "(On the prosthetics he wore for his role as Tion Medon in Star Wars) "The great thing about prosthetics today is that they move with your face whereas the old ones were much like wearing a mask - almost nothing moved․ With Tion Medon I could grimace, smile, sneer, etc․ and it would translate through the prosthetic․ The costume had echoes of the kind of vestments that religious priests wear․""
• There is controversy among fans on whether his character in the film "Mad Max 2" was meant to be an extension of the one he played in "Thunderdome․"