Willie Nelson: Fighting with Anger
By: Stuart Alson
Country music icon Willie Nelson won Best Actor and Best Original Song for his latest independent film Fighting with Anger (Best Action Film) at the New York International Independent Film & Video Festival in Los Angeles 2007.
In Fighting with Anger, the country music legend is featured as Will, the experienced hit man who takes Ray (Kelli Fleming) under his wing. Nelson is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and has a great interest in the action movie genre. Nelson has been friends with Director Sam Um (Fighting with Anger) for years and has trained with him in martial arts. The martial arts duo teamed up and collaborated on Fighting with Anger. In addition. Nelson conquers two roles as executive producer and actor in his latest award-winning martial arts action film.
IFQ speaks with Willie Nelson about Fighting with Anger, martial arts, Jessica Simpson and his Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, appropriately named Willy Nelson’s Country Peach Cobbler.
IFQ: Is Fighting with Anger the first film that you executive produced?
Willie Nelson: Not really. I’ve done a couple more. We did The Red Headed Stranger, which I served as executive producer.
IFQ: A majority of the time, you are involved with big studio pictures, but Fighting with Anger is an independent picture.
WN: Fighting with Anger is very independent.
IFQ: I watched Fighting with Anger and you do a lot of fighting in it. How long have you been studying martial arts?
WN: Practically all of my life. At one time or another, I started out as a kid doing wrestling, jui-jitsu, judo, kung fu and tae kwon do. I’ve been involved in some form of martial arts all of my life.
IFQ: Why do you like martial arts? Is it just for peace of mind?
WN: I think it is good physically, mentally and spiritually and keeps you busy and keeps you going.
IFQ: Also, didn’t you do the music on Fighting with Anger?
WN: Yes, a couple guys around Austin and I worked on the soundtrack a little bit.
IFQ: Do you feel that you get a little more freedom with independent films?
WN: You have more freedom, but on the other side, you are giving up the financial end.
It’s a toss up. Sometimes when you use big studios’ money, you really don’t get to do it the way you want to.
IFQ: You did The Dukes of Hazzard with Jessica Simpson and are you collaborating on more projects with her?
WN: Yes, we are shooting a video together next month.
There is another movie that I did with her called Blonde Ambition. We did that film a year or so ago which hasn’t come out yet. I haven’t heard of the exact release date, but it should be pretty soon.
She is a good gal. We hit it off well during the first Dukes and we decided we wanted to do some more acting and music together. I am producing her album now and writing some things for her.
IFQ: Will her next album cross over to country?
WN: It’s probably going to be a little more country than what she is known for.
IFQ: Yeah, mix it up a little. Tell me about the recent music video that you shot.
WN: I just did a video called Gravedigger in New York City on September 11th. It is based on a song written by Dave Matthews. It’s a pretty dark thing. We did it in black and white.
IFQ: You even have a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream named after you, appropriately named Willy Nelson’s Country Peach Cobbler. Have you tried it yet?
WN: Yes, it’s a southern peach cobbler. You will love it!