Doug E. Doug [Interview]

Douglas Bourne Headshots

Hello Folks! Oh, do we have a great interview to share with you all today! Today’s guest is another person that I have been wanting to get on Trainwreck’d Society since the site’s inception. He is an incredible actor who I have been watching on several different formats for as long as I can remember. It’s the incredible Doug E. Doug, Everyone! He iconically portrayed Sanka Coffie in the classic comedic rendition of true events known as Cool Runnings. And with a career spanning 30 years, he has had a lifetime of incredible roles that you all know and love, and we are just so damn excited to have him grace our digital pages today!

A man of several talents, Doug is also a brilliant writer who’s first novel, The Fall of ’87, coming soon! Be on the lookout for that! Below we will discuss his incredible career, Cool Runnings, the new book, and more! So Folks, please enjoy some incredible words from the absolutely brilliant Doug E. Doug!

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What initially inspired you to get into the world of entertainment? Was it a yearning you had since your youth, or did you just happen to find yourself in this line work at random?

Initially. I was just trying to cheer people up and stop then from wanting to hurt me. Later I discovered this was a primal form of  entertainment.

What was your very first paid gig as a performer? And were there any sort of lessons learned that stuck with you and affect your work to this day?

My first paid gig was as a standup comedian at the Savage night club in NYC . I learned that even if you do well as a performer some people are reluctant to pay you. I show up to get paid like I wont leave without money now.

It would be remiss of me to not ask at least one question about your infamous role in the 1993 film, Cool Runnings. It’s been 26 years since the film was released, but the love for the film has never faded away. In your personal and obviously knowledgable opinion, what do you believe it is about the film that has made it a staple to this very day? As somebody who lived it at the time, what do you believe made the film special?

It is about the little guy persevering and earning respect. All over the world people have this struggle . They root for the bobsledders in the movie because they are deserving of respect. Everyone is.

On a personal level, your lead role in the 1997 film That Darn Cat is probably the most memorable and most watched roles for me. Well, full disclosure: I was 12 years old and haplessly crushing hard on Christina Ricci, so that may have been a factor as well. Anyway, there is the old saying, ‘Don’t work with kids or animals”, in regards to working as an actor. And I guess Ricci was in her teens at the time, but you get it. So you did both on this project and it turned out great. With that, how was your experience working on a zany and fun family comedy of this nature?

I love making movies for families and children in particular.

That Darn Cat was a lot of fun. Christina had way too much responsibilty at a young age. I treated her like a kid. It scared everyone who was dealing with her like a porcelian doll.  My goal was to respect the kids in the audience and behind the camera.

You have worked in just about every job possible in the world of entertainment. From acting to writing, producing, stand up, voice over, YouTube….the list goes on and on. With that in mind, I am curious to know what you find the most appealing of all the types of work out there? If for some strange reason, you were forced to only work in one avenue of creativity, what would you want that avenue to be?

If I were forced to do one thing I would write . Nothing brings me more joy.

When you look back on your decade spanning career in comedy, film, television, and beyond, what would you say you are most proud of? Doesn’t have to be a specific project (although it could if you wanted), but when you look back on all the great work you have done, what brings you the most joy overall?

I am most proud of the novel I have just written.  I have always wanted to do it. I just didn’t have the time set aside to climb that mountain.

What does the future hold for you? Anything you would like to plug to our readers?

I have a book that will be available soon it is called the The Fall of ’87. I am also in post production on a film I co-wrote and co-directed called Lil’ Girl Gone. (Im in it too.)

What was the last thing that made you smile?

My daughter coming back home from college on a break.