‘Celtic Pride’ dissects sports world, fans

Wednesday, April 17, 1996

Wayans, Aykroyd, Stern take humor to the kidnapping comedyBy
Michael Horowitz

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

In what the former calls a "commentary on fandom in America,"
Daniel Stern and Dan Aykroyd play two over-zealous Celtic fans who
end up kidnapping their opposition’s star player.

When Stern, Aykroyd and "Celtic Pride’s" kidnapee Damon Wayans
talk about their soon-to-be-released film, the subjects of stalker
scenarios and too-close-for-comfort fans come up quickly.

Have any of these three had any encounters with the
afore-mentioned threats?

Aykroyd answers first. "They don’t come on my property," he
says, a touch too stern. "They know now."

Asked for elaboration he offers a single, well-enunciated word:
"Woodchipper."

Stern follows quickly with "I’m staying at Dan’s house."

Only Wayans is the least bit reality-based; recently, his
bodyguard turned into a threat. "It’s scary when your bodyguard
flips out on you!" he says, laughing. "He figured if he created a
stalker he’d keep his job."

Yet the event couldn’t have been too scarring, because Wayans
didn’t hesitate to make "Celtic Pride," the over-the-top new comedy
opening tomorrow. The first of his four upcoming films (also the
boxing flick "The Great White Hype," an action film with Adam
Sandler called "Bulletproof," and playing a hit man in "Eight heads
in a Duffel Bag,"), "Celtic Pride" appealed to Wayans for its edgy
humor and gutsy situations. "In comedy, you have to go for the
extreme," he says. "If you go for the middle, it’s not funny. It’s
puny."

"You have to go over the top to get the laugh."

Wayans crafted his in-your-face basketball star persona from a
blend of Deion Sanders, Charles Barkley, Dennis Rodman and "pinch
of Bill Walton," and headed for the courts to practice.

"We played a lot of basketball," agree Wayans and Stern.

When the two play one-on-one in the film, Wayans’ professional
hoopster easily outclasses Stern’s fan with a dream. Apparently in
real life, the actors’ athletic talents are a little more evenly
matched.

"He’s got a great shot," concedes Wayans of Stern. "But he can’t
dribble."

"I don’t need to dribble," corrects Stern.

As for tips on taking his game to the next level, Wayans could
have hardly been in better hands. Michael Jordan dropped by for a
few quick games. "He basically showed me how bad I was in
basketball," smiles Wayans. "That was the lesson I learned. I can
never be like Mike."

Wayans put some thought into the pressures of basketball
stardom. While his character echoes Barkley’s "I am not a role
model" rhetoric, the actor is on the other side of the fence. "One
of the messages of this movie is that you’ve got to draw a line as
a fan," he says, "but also as a celebrity or superstar you have a
moral obligation to your fans to be more than just a basketball
player."

Asked if he feels that "moral obligation" to his fans, he
answers "no" immediately. "Not any more," says Wayans. "I tried to
do something different in a little movie called "Blankman," and I
heard all these gripes about negative stereotypes."

The frustration forced Wayans to devise a new game plan, one
that "Celtic Pride" and his new crop of films fit into. "I tried to
do something different and people weren’t behind it," he says.
"I’ve had time to regroup, rethink what I do, pick roles that are
fun to do, and allow me to maintain my dignity."

FILM: "Celtic Pride," written by Judd Apatow. Directed by Tom
DeCerchio. Starring Damon Wayans, Dan Aykroyd, Daniel Stern, and
Gail O’Grady. Opens this Friday.

Dan Aykroyd, Damon Wayans, and Daniel Stern (left to right) get
a little too excited about sports in "Celtic Pride."