Ioan Gruffaz and Michael Chiklis spoke at the Back to the Baxter Building panel at New York Comic Con on Thursday about their experiences playing Mister Fantastic and The Thing, respectively, in the original Fantastic Four film series and what it took to bring the superhero characters to life.
Chiklis begins the conversation by revealing that he nearly quit the role because the suit made him claustrophobic, and points out that it would take the costume design team five hours to transform him into the Thing.
“Once we glued things together, we couldn’t get out of there,” Chiklis explained. “Once my hands are glued, I’m stuck inside this suit with no zipper. I’m always thirsty because as soon as I get it, the thickest latex is in the chest area, so I can’t breathe at all.”
“I immediately started to feel high, my body temperature rose, and I started to feel a little panicky at times. I’m not claustrophobic, but I was claustrophobic in that situation.”
Chiklis said his claustrophobia became so severe that he had to call a psychiatrist to keep him from quitting the movie.
“She (my psychiatrist) taught me all sorts of things to get me out of my head and into a room. And yet, there were two times I flipped out and said, ‘I have to get out.’ It took hours because they took everything away from me. I didn’t mean to, I just flipped out.”
Despite being immersed in American culture, Gruffudd said learning to develop an American accent was an “interesting experience” that required him to spend hours with a dialect coach and get up close and personal with Mr. Fantastic.
“It’s important to find the authentic voice of the character,” Gruffudd says. “That came from reading the script over and over again and sitting down with the dialect coach to get an idea of what would sound right. He’s a very bright, smart, honorable guy, so that helps him get into the role. The voice and the accent had to be married to who he is. So I’m very proud of the way he came across.”
Both actors said they would be open to reprising their roles, with Marvel’s Avengers: Secret Wars now in full swing, and Chiklis announced his participation in the crossover, saying, “It’s time to make a fuss,” to loud cheers from the crowd.
As the original Mr. Fantastic and the Thing, both actors reflected on their bond with each other and their castmates on the set of Fantastic Four and its sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.
“When you’re immersed in something like that for almost six months and then travel around the world promoting it, it certainly becomes a family,” Gruffudd said. “You guys have shorthand for each other and you look out for each other and look out for each other.”
“Being able to see all the blood, sweat and tears that went into making the movie, and all the work that went into it after it was shot, on the big screen and even promote it. It was just a wild journey.”
