This is from Star Wars Galaxy Collector, "Masks of the Menace" Issue #8 (page 32-33)

Welcome to the Darth (Maul) side

by Bob Woods

(thanks to Gina for the transcripts)

Where actor Ray Park gets a kick out of all the collectibles based on his character, as well as their incredible popularity.

As the old saying goes, there's something about a man in a uniform. That adage definitely applies to certain men in Star Wars films, although we often don't know who they are when they first appear on screen. Still, there's something about them.

It started with Darth Vader, whose dark, enshrouded presence and evil aura captivated fans for years before he was finally revealed. Then there was Boba Fett, an instant and enduring fan favorite despite the fact that the mysterious bounty hunter underneath the too-cool Mandalorian armor remains hidden yet. And now there's Darth Maul, his wicked, if alluring identity concealed by that starkly tattooed face.

We're drawn way beyond just these characters and their stories, however, the magnetism carrying deep into the vast world of...merchandising. Yes, let's admit it. For more than 20 years we've been suckers when it comes to possessing toys, comics, books, clothing and the multitude of other collectibles based on Vader and Fett, and now the phenomenon is occurring all over again with Darth Maul. We can't get enough Maul stuff.

And if sometimes you wonder why your Darth Maul collection keeps growing and growing, think of how Ray Park must feel. After all, as the British martial arts expert turned actor, he has to deal every day with being the man in the uniform, the man who portrayed Maul.

"I had no idea at all," Park says when asked if he had anticipated his character's overnight sensation before The Phantom Menace hit theaters last May. "Even when I auditioned for the role and later was playing the part, I couldn't have speculated on how big he'd become."

Well, he's become enormous, and it didn't take long. At the core of his immediate attraction is Darth Maul's outrageous look, like some demonic alien wrestler, horns and all. And how about that double-ended lightsaber, not to mention the lithesome way he wields it? "I think it's also his attitude, the arrogance and the flamboyance, that impresses fans," says Park, who spoke to SWGC from Toronto where he was working on the upcoming X-Men movie--a part he landed, it's probably safe to say, largely based on his abilities in bringing Maul to cinematic life.

Someone must have expected that Darth Sidious' apprentice was going to gain mass appeal. Can you say licensees? How else do you explain the array of objects bearing Darth Maul's likeness that was unleashed upon an unsuspecting public, a campaign that actually began months before the movie opened? Toy figures of various sizes and complexity, watches, towels, mugs, boxer shorts, masks, T-shirts, key chains and on and on. Most of the official books, magazines, posters, calendars and other printed pieces feature Maul's devilish yellow eyes glaring menacingly from their front covers. The news and entertainment media got swept up in Maul mania, too. So what was it like for Park once he realized that the source of this hysteria was his made-up face, his costumed body, his deft moves in lightsaber duels? "It was strange," he states. "I'd be in a store with my girlfriend or some friends, and they would say, 'Does anyone have any idea that's you?' "

At first, hardly anyone did, and that anonymity was just fine with Park. But not long after his face, sans makeup, was plastered all over TV and magazines, things began to change. You can't get much by Star Wars fans to begin with, and soon there were Park sightings in public. "It's not like I walk down the street and I'm mobbed every day," he explains, though he has had some surprises. "Even when I was on holiday [last summer], people recognized me every day. They'd say that the highlight of their holiday was meeting me, but then they'd realize I'm just a normal guy."

Dealing with fans in person is one thing, but having so much merchandise based on the character you helped create is quite another. Not surprisingly, the self-effacing Park in nonchalant about the whole thing. "I feel honored," he remarks. "It's a real privilege. It's nice that the character has that kind of attention, and as a first time thing for me as an actor, it's great."

Plus, it gives him a chance to revive his one-time hobby of collecting action figures. "I had all the Batman, Superman and Spiderman figures," Park recalls, "and all the original Star Wars figures. But I was a kid and just enjoyed having toys. I never realized they were going to be valuable someday, so I was always giving them away to younger cousins or friends."

He's not apt to repeat that mistake. "Now I have a lot of the [Darth Maul] toys and other things, and I've collected articles, photos and other bits and pieces from magazines," Park reports. "But there's only so much I can collect or I'll have to buy a new place and have a separate room for it all. I don't want to get too fanatical, although I think it will be really nice to have these things when I'm older and have memories."

His favorite Maul collectibles are the Hasbro 12" figure and the mechanical bank from Thinkway. "The quality of everything is excellent," he states.

Fans got their first glimpse of Park at the Star Wars Celebration in Denver last April, especially those who heard him speak on stage. "The fans were really nice," he says. "I'd never done anything like that before in front of thousands of people, and I enjoyed it."

He's done a few more shows since then, including Wizard Con in Chicago last summer. He relates a fan anecdote which at first sounds like it's going to be an ugly episode, but turns out just fine. "There were these two girls, who were there every single day, for three days. And on the last day they came up to me," which is about where you begin to sense trouble. "They gave me a survival kit, which they said I should have at these types of conventions. It was a Return of the Jedi lunch box, and inside was some chewing gum, breath mints and stuff like that. That was really nice, and I never got the chance to thank them properly."

While pursuing his budding acting career, Park continues to train regularly, honing the vast martial arts skills that helped him get to this point. Of course, Darth Maul met his demise in The Phantom Menace, so we shouldn't expect to see that character in Episode II. Then again, there's something about those Star Wars men in uniforms. They just seem to keep showing up....