Exclusive Interview: Sonny Landham (Billy) Gets the Last laugh!

You know you’re feeling old when one of our most beloved films is going to turn 26 this year! Predator might be a blast from our past but it still holds up as one of the all-time greatest action movies. Feeling nostalgic and wanting to uncover some behind-the-scenes stories of the movie, I decided to call the coolest cinematic Indian tracker, Billy, played by Sonny Landham. Shhhhh, he’s tracking and recalling these stories now so listen up.


TheArnoldFans: When was the last time you saw PREDATOR and do you think it still holds up today?

Sonny: I saw it in the last year and it holds up to date. It’s like a comic book done serious. It’s been rated as one of the top 100 movies of all time.

TheArnoldFans: Do you come across many Predator fans?

Sonny: I see people at these autograph things and at gun and knife shows all the time. Yeah, they’re really into Predator.

TheArnoldFans: Was the death of your character ever shot on film or was it always an implied death?

Sonny: When we shot it, I had no way to die in the film. One night where we were all sitting at the dinner table and we were trying to figure out a way to die. Then I remembered a story of Tim Rossovich, this guy at USC who made about 12 guys angry at him one night at this bar. He was up against the wall and he was 6 foot 5” at 265 pounds. They all came at him and he reached for a beer bottle and smacked it over his head and turned around with this giant bottle with blood streaming from his head and he said ‘Now which one wants me first?’ Well, it scared them all to death and they went running out of the bar. So when we did Predator, I thought of that and I said, here we are running and I said what are we running from. I’m just going to stop, throw all this stuff down and take the machete and draw the knife across my chest and say, you want my blood? Come and get it! And I owe that to Tim Rossovich.


With my death, you did hear me scream and then later you see my skull and backbone jerked out up in the tree. Well, what was supposed to happen was Arnold was supposed to find the spaceship, and blow the spaceship where the Predator went back to regain life…where his life-system was. But they blew the money for the spaceship and you were going to see all of these trophies from all over the universe…

TheArnoldFans: So the Predator would have placed Billy’s skull here? This scene is like what they did in the sequel with the Alien skulls.

Sonny: Yeah, but this was supposed to happen in the original. But they went somewhere like Romania or somewhere like that to have the music done and blew about a quarter of a million dollars there on that and it wasn’t usable.

TheArnoldFans: Do you know who did the original score before it was redone by Alan Silvestri?

Sonny: No, I don’t. Alan came to the set, who was supposed to be the composer, but I don’t know why they tried to use someone else. It didn’t pan out. Joel said they could do this film for 18 million and I think after 8 weeks there was problems… with the gun shipments, make-up, sound…TheArnoldFans: Over time, there were licensed Predator machetes from the film? Do you own one?

Sonny: I did. I got mine but gave them to friends of mine out in California. But I have some pictures still that I kept. But most of my stuff has been given away.

TheArnoldFans: It’s said Arnold is a big practical joker on his film sets. Do you recall any practical jokes?

Sonny: There were a lot of practical jokes played but Arnold is a class gentleman all the way. He’s totally a class gentleman and I never will forget. In Mexico they always say the gentleman who first sits down gets the check. Well Jessie Ventura and I and came in and Arnold and someone else, I think Sven-Ole Thorsen. Were already sitting in the restaurant when we went in. In this hotel restaurant, Arnold told us to come on over and we sat down. They were already eating and we got our food. They gave Arnold the bill and we said, oh, let’s split it. That’s an even bill. But he just took it and paid it. That was a very classy thing to do. And everything I’ve ever seen Arnold do, has always been class.

TheArnoldFans: Didn’t Arnold’s wedding interrupt the filming for a few days?

Sonny: When Arnold had planned to get married and they had to take a break to shoot around Arnold’s absence. Well, when he came back, he threw a nice reception up in his suite to introduce Maria to all the cast and crew.


TheArnoldFans: Did you get to meet Van Damme, who was in the original ant-looking Predator costume?

Sonny: It wasn’t an ant costume…it looked more like the San Diego Chicken in fuchsia red. Look, they tried to do something to make the screen out of focus where that Predator was. The part that he moved to would be out of focus. This was a hard concept to sell in the first place. In the fuchsia red suit, it was made of stretch polyester and Van Damme came out to meet with Joel Silver. He was doing all these kicks and Joel said sign this man. So they signed him to the contract. But Van Damme stands only at about 5’ 10” and the rest of us are between 6’ 2” to 6’ 5”. Joel wanted this to be a beefcake picture so when they took Van Damme and measured him for the suit…I mean you can not have your bad guy, smaller than the good guys. It doesn’t look like a real adversary.

They then decided to put muscles in the suit so they padded it up but Van Damn is Claustrophobic. In it They’re shooting him moving around but he was waddling like a drunk with bad sea-legs. They were shooting him with a special computer camera. Which plots all his moves…then they take him out of the picture and then plot the scenery right where he was. Then they do an overlay with this fuchsia red San Diego chicken. fuchsia red is the only color that you could blot out and make it blurred and out of focus. When 20th Century Fox got the footage, they could not put it together in their minds. If this was done with anyone but Arnold, it would have went straight to video. I’m serious; the studio gave up on the film. The word was we’ll finish this on the back lot. The word was this thing was wrapped in late June. They edited the film and by January and then said ‘let’s do a newly–designed Predator and take Arnold down and finish this in Palanka. When he goes down into the waterslide, that’s Palancia and the last 3rd of the film.


TheArnoldFans: There’s only been two characters out of the team to get action figures made in their likeness. Arnold’s Dutch and Billy. Did the toy companies pay you a fair amount?

Sonny: I lost a lawsuit on that because I never signed or saw a contract. Every time I turned around, I was fired off the set of Predator. Joel Silver and I got into a couple of things like my travel. They were supposed to include travel for my girlfriend and they didn’t and I said take the contract and SHOVE IT! One night Joel and I got into it over the phone and I was saying ‘cram this movie, I don’t want to do it anyway.’ They’d say ‘okay, today we have to make the Sonny Landham contracts’ but then they’d forget them. I never got a contract to sign and in those contracts they ask you to give up your likeness and waive that. I don’t waive anything. I want my share. So I sued and I lost.


TheArnoldFans: Was that laugh of yours in Predator your real laugh or did you create that for the film?

Sonny: No, that was basically my laugh. It was first done in “48 Hours” and then it became one of those things were people said, do it again. Then it started to become in every movie. I mean, what am I going to be know for: my laugh? In Predator they wanted the laugh and it was used a couple of times. In the ending of Predator, it was really exaggerated.


TheArnoldFans: Finally, What are your three favorite Arnold movies?

Sonny: Predator would have to be number one. I guess the Terminator movies too. Oh, and Twins! If you talk to Arnold, tell him I say hello and God bless.


Thanks you, Sonny! Predator fans can pick up a copy of my book, Arnold’s Army, at www.ArnoldsArmy.com to read more behind-the-scenes stories from Arnold’s co-stars. If you want more online interviews, STICK AROUND!