![]() | An Interview with CORY DANZIGER Kipper on Beauty and the Beast | ![]() |
Some of us had the pleasure of
meeting you at the convention last summer in
I was surprised by the invitation to
Tell us a little about yourself in
general - where you grew up, your acting background, and how you got
started in show business, etc.
I grew up in
How old were you when you appeared
on Beauty and the Beast? Did you continue in other acting work after the show
was cancelled?
I was Kipper for a season and a
half. I believe I was 11ish. I actually left the show in the second
season because I wasn't signed to a guaranteed contract of a minimum of
episodes per season. During the second season of BATB, I received an
offer from Disney to appear on another show, The Magical World of Disney.
This series provided a guarantee and required me to not appear on another
series. That marked the end of my days on BATB.
How did you originally get the role
of Kipper? Another boy had played him in the pilot episode. How did the change
come about?
The young man that played Kipper in
the PILOT was Jason Allen, a great young actor from
Did you audition specifically for
the part of Kipper, not as a random tunnel child? Were you aware at the time
that he would be a recurring character?
The interview was initially for
Kipper, and the first episode to be shot was for the episode “Children's
Story.” At the time, we knew that the role would be recurring.
How much of yourself went into
creating Kipper and what kind of instruction were you given about his
background and how he should be played? Did you have your own ideas about who
he was, or a back story for him?
I did receive some backstory on the
character and the fact that he was a child that would assist Vincent above
ground. Initially that was the intention of the character...hence several
episodes involved Kipper running through
the streets of the city and doing little
errands like in the Children's Story's plot. I can tell you that the most
assistance I received in terms of developing the approach of playing Kipper
came from Roy, who took an interest in my acting and supporting me as I was
learning how to portray the character. He was a very generous actor with
so much knowledge, and was always a great mentor to watch and learn from on the
set.
From the viewpoint of a child, what
was your reaction at your first sight of the tunnels set and of Ron Perlman in
full Vincent make-up?
It was incredible. The sets were
so elaborate that it was impossible not to be mesmerized by the creativity
involved. The show was wildly expensive at the time to shoot and
create. The sets were testament to that fact. In terms of Vincent's
makeup, I was impressed by it and certainly shocked the first couple of times
that I saw him on the sound stages, but funny enough, it became very normal by
the second week. I didn't think twice of it by the fourth or fifth
week. Funny how the mind works.
Our fans’ minds know it’s TV, but the
tunnels still hold some magic for us. Are you, or were you a fan of the
show? If so, does having also been part of it spoil some of the magic we fans
find?
The tunnels hold magic for everyone
on the show, who has ever seen the show, and anyone who appreciated what BATB
was about. I'm sure of it. They were remarkable...so special.
As I've grown older, I've learned to really appreciate what BATB stands for and
how special the bond that Vincent and Catherine share. As a child, many
of the stories were a bit to sophisticated for me, but with time, I've learned
to appreciate just how special the series is.
Of the episodes you appeared in, did
you have a favorite? If you did, why that one?
I would say that “Children's Story”
was my favorite because I got to work with Kamie Harper who ended up being the
first girl I ever kissed. We took a liking to each other while we were
shooting and she ended up being my first kiss...haha...sounds silly, but its
true.
Do you have a favorite memory of the
show or your time as a part of it?
My favorite memory of the show was
hanging around the Renmar sound stages because the Golden Girls were shooting
at a soundstage next door. They were really sweet ladies and used to make
a big fuss over me. Another thing that I've grown to appreciate is the
time I got to spend with mom while I was working. She and I are very
close. I miss having those special memories on the set and having her be
an important part of it. She was definitely my teacher in terms of lines
and how to deliver them.
What was it like for you when Beauty
and the Beast became a well-known show and the fan interest began? Were you
recognized as Kipper? Did you catch any flack at school?
When the show came out I had already
been acting for a while so I had already learned to not make a big deal about
it at school, hence I don't know if many of my friends really knew about
it. They were young and probably watching Full House instead. It
was on at the same time. I used to get recognized a bit outside of
school. I always thought that was kind of neat.
Were you aware then that you were
being seen in about 90 other countries? Did you ever see yourself dubbed in
another language?
I've known about the other countries
because there are international press agencies that would periodically contact
me over the years relating to BATB debuting in different parts of the
world. I remember we did some photos for promotion several years later,
long after the show was off the air. But I've never seen the episodes
overdubbed...how fun!
How was school handled when you were
on set for the entire day?
We had a studio teacher that worked
with me. My school would provide work in advance and the teacher on set
would see to it that I completed it and would help with any questions I had.
The tunnel garb all appears to be
heavy clothing. Was that a problem when filming in warm weather? Were
fittings as difficult for you to tolerate as they would be for most boys at the
age you were then?
Great question. The clothing
was very heavy and had a ton of layers. I remember it was hard to move
around with ease once I was fully in costume. But I remember the studio
actually being very cool and the clothing didn't seem to overheat me during
work.
We’ve interviewed adult members of
the cast. From your perspective as a child, what was the working atmosphere
like on the set?
It was intense. Everyone was
very serious about what they were doing. I've worked on sets where things
were very light hearted and fun, but BATB was so expensive and elaborate and
carefully orchestrated that it was a very serious environment where everyone
was taking their jobs very seriously.
Was there any cast or staff member
in particular who took you under his/her wing as a young actor?
Linda was wonderful and so
sweet. Ron was awesome and always kind. No doubt about it,
Do you have any souvenirs from the
show and if so, what are they?
I have a bunch of neat
artifacts. I have a design for one of Kipper's costumes that is hand done
by Judy Evans. I also have scripts galore, photos, notes, etc... My mom
saved a lot of stuff knowing it would mean more and more the older I got.
She was right!
Have you stayed in touch with anyone
else you met while you were filming the show?
I haven't stayed in touch with
anyone in years from the show. After the show finished, I saw Ron a few
times at various places/events. But unfortunately, haven't seen too many
others.
Do you have any ideas about why the
show is still remembered and so much enjoyed by its fans after all these years?
It’s a very special story, and it's
multi-dimensional. It’s sophisticated and beautiful. It's positive
at the core and is inspiring. It's easy for me to see why :)
Have you ever been part of another
project that had this kind of devotion?
I've appeared on a few things which
both have an interesting afterlife (like Star Trek TNG and The Burbs), BUT BATB
is different.The people that I met at
Did being a part of Beauty and the
Beast specifically, or a child actor in general, affect what you’ve done since
those days?
Another
great question. I
would say that being a child actor was a real privilege. I was
lucky,
too, because I had great parents, who kept me in line and gave me a lot
of
support. The most important thing that acting taught me was to
not be fazed by rejection. I learned to keep moving forward.
As well as meeting you, those of us
at the convention also enjoyed meeting your proud papa. May we assume that he’s
played a part in your successes over the years?
My Dad is awesome. Thank you
for mentioning him. He and I are very similar and he's definitely the guy
I trust most. He gives it to me straight, and has my back. I'm very
lucky.
What are you doing currently – your
life/career at the moment, your most recent projects?
I own a company called SceneFour in
downtown
Is there anything you would like to
say to our readers or comments you would like to make about you, Beauty and the
Beast or the show’s fans?
I would like to let everyone know
that I really appreciate being included in this event. I'm so happy that
the show and all the work involved lives on. I know it means a lot to the
whole cast and crew. I can't wait to see you all again at a future
meet-up!