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| Billy Crawford remembers role as Hollywood 'demon'Column: Entertainment International Fil-Am performer Billy Crawford still remembers the very first Hollywood picture he starred in--and why shouldn't he? It was 2005's "Dominion -- Prequel to the Exorcist". His role in the film wasn't just a bit part: he played a dual role as the crippled boy Cheche, and later, the demon-possessed Cheche who battles the lead character, the disillusioned priest Father Lankester Merrin "Hindi naman ako masyadong bata noong ginawa ko 'yung movie. I played the character of Cheche a thin helpless boy, tapos limp ako dito na na-possess. "A priest took care of me but 'yun nga I was possessed talagang I transformed into evil," Crawford said. Crawford, who became popular with Filipino audiences in the 1980s as a member of "That's Entertainment", said he had to audiition for the role. He revealed that one of the casting staff called him up after seeing the cover of his album "Ride" where he was portrayed in demonic fashion. "[In] my album "Ride" I was wearing a hood... and my eyes parang mata ng evil...and when I went there, they saw me tapos that's it," he said. Crawford said during the shoot, he found it very difficuilt to wear prosthetics for almost an entire day. "Yung prosthetics talaga. We started shooting at three in the morning up to 10 in the evening, mga ganoon kahaba wearing yung prosthetics," Crawford said. Far from his current R&B pop image, in "Dominion," Crawford can still be seen by audiences on the film's DVD edition, transforming from crippled boy to evil incarnate once the possession occurs. Crawford said he didn't have to do anything very complicated to give life to the character. "All I did was to be devious, that's it." Unexplained events In keeping with traditional horror film lore, "Dominion" had its share to unexplained "accidents". "Our first director [acclaimed American filmmaker John Frankenheimer of "Manchurian Candidate" fame] he died before we even started filming. Ako when I arrived sa set, may mga pumuputok na lights or nahuhulog. Then 'yung a family member or a close friend yata ng sumunod na director namatay naman something like that," Crawford said. Even then, acting wasn't new to Crawford who had starred in several movies here in the Philippines. He was part of the movie "Kasalanan ang Buhayin Ka in 1990, "Everlasting Love" in 1989, "Bote, Dyaryo, Garapa, "Pahiram ng Isang Umaga," "Eh Kasi Bata" and "Pardina at ang mga Duwende" with actress Sheryl Cruz. Aside from "Dominion" Crawford also sang "Super Freak" in a French animated film "Astérix." Billy Crawford or Billy Joe Crawford in real life, 26, is Filipino-American. His mother is a Filipina. Crawford became known around Europe and Asia with hit songs such as "When You Think About Me", "Never My Love", "Steamy Nights" and "Bright Lights". Crawford dated singer Mandy Moore when he was a teenager. He was also romantically involved in the past with with French pop singer Lorie, as well as ABS-CBN contract star KC Concepcion. He was rumored to have found a new love with Maryss, a dancer he met for his Big City Tour Live album--she however denied this and described Crawford as "just a good friend." Source: ABS-CBN News |
