A Conversation with Mel Novak

The second highest grossing movie genre in the United States are action movies.

The secret weapon of any great action movie is not the hero, but the villain.

Good villains bring out the best in our heroes by intensifying the action and tension in the movie.

Tonight, we have a guest who has starred or costarred in 69 feature films, mostly as a villain.

But we'll find out that he's more than his villain persona.

I'm so happy you're joining us.

From Los Angeles.

This is KLCC.

PBS.

Welcome to everybody with Angela Williamson and Innovation Arts, Education and Public Affairs Program.

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Thank you.

And now your host, Dr. Angela Williamson.

Nell Noveck is our guest with us tonight.

Mel, thank you so much for being here.

Thank you for having me.

It's my pleasure.

And I mentioned that you were in 69 when either you starred or costarred in 69 movies.

But there's another fact that I didn't.

Say, and I've died 26 times.

And you're with us today.

Can you tell our audience a little bit how you got into movies?

Well, I didn't come to California to be into movies or ministry or anything.

When I got out of high school, I had to 60 scholarships for football made for the university.

I signed a pro baseball contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and year and a half later, they butchered me.

I got an 18 inch scar and I was crippled five years and I got tired of people saying, You sure you would?

And I came to California and I was working with an insurance company.

One of the gals.

You look great in clothes.

My cousin's a modeling agent.

Would you like to meet her?

I said, Sure.

So I started with modeling, and then they sent me to acting school for commercials.

And then I started to go to some drama places that were really good.

Learn Camera Technique, Screen Actors Studio.

Estelle Harmonies are very powerful teachers, and I learned, but I had income coming in and that was important because some of the guys in the in the class and this wasn't a salary have your denims are torn.

And they laughed because I had a regular job, but I had a free car, money coming in and I learned my craft.

And the first big role on TV was Mannix.

I played a hit man from then on, but in the movies, my first big role was Black Bill Jones.

I played a hitman named Blue Eyes, killed six, now five people that day in that movie.

I mentioned earlier, that first movie that you were in.

Can you I mean, you remember that first movie?

Can you remember the feelings like what you felt when you landed that first major role in Hollywood?

That was great, because when I when I went for the reading with Robert Clouse, he was a director and I wore a gangster suit, had a gangster hat, and that was for the character.

And I, I thought I blew it as the last line was, look at me sweating like just like a pig.

So I grabbed it like this and look at him.

He's sweating just like a pig.

And I spit on and he went, Oh, okay.

Thank you.

That were very good.

All the way home.

I'm beating myself up.

So when I got home, the phone's ringing.

And it was Oscar Williams.

He wrote the script and it was casting his life for you, man.

He loved you.

You got the role.

So first day of shooting went really well.

The next day, I said, Mel Novak, as your director and producer, went to see you.

So I said, Why did I do something wrong?

I don't know.

So I went in and I said, Did I do something wrong?

He says, No, you did everything right, but your crime partner can't handle dialog.

We went, Oh, if he can give you the dialog, his dialog, give me all the dialog you want.

And my part increased and two thirds through the movie, he cast me in a game of death.

Bruce Lee's last picture where I play Stick the Assassin and the Iram Mitchell, the executive producer, didn't want me and very Morgan to produce it.

They wanted some big name villain and the director says, no, he's stick.

And two weeks into the shooting in Hong Kong, I was there seven weeks.

They came to me and said we were wrong.

You are stick.

And it's like everybody in the world is saying that.

Yeah, and I've been in ministry.

It's been incredible.

It was that your second movie with.

That second one was was Bruce Lee the game of Death?

Wow.

And Mike, question is, I mean, you actually start acting because you felt you found another love.

You start acting, you take it seriously, you get that first role, you do the job, do it so well, you end up with more lines.

You develop that relationship.

The director knows what you can do.

He you don't.

Even so, what I'm hearing you say is you didn't even try out for that movie.

He just put you in.

He cast me in two thirds, three black Paul Jones.

You see, I did a lot of TV and like, Man X was my first big role as a villain.

Yeah, but I did a lot of TV, did commercials, and.

And it it really worked out well.

It well, it definitely did.

And so my question to you is, normally when you do well in a certain role, everyone wants to cast you.

And in that role, how did you feel about because I know you and you are completely different than what we think villains are.

So how did you feel about always being cast in this certain role?

Well, I really like playing villains.

I got to be honest with you.

I could see somebody beat him up.

I go home, take my makeup off, I don't have to go to prison.

And they were all meaty roles.

But you're right.

It didn't like maybe it'll last the 2020.

Some movies I've been playing roles where I wasn't a villain, so but I remember Gary Marshall, a director.

He did Pretty Woman and stuff, and we played that Hollywood softball league.

And one of my one of my friends said, Why don't you use Milner?

He's he's a gangster.

He says, Well, if you're a good actor, you could play in In Cancer.

I end up doing 2 to 2 movie roles with him when he finally realized so.

But any time of a villain gave me that villain role.

Because that's what you have developed.

Yeah.

Now my question to you and I don't even know this because I've never been in acting school or anything, but because you have perfected that role so much, do you ever meet other actors that have used you as inspiration for their roles as a villain?

Yeah, because they know I focus, like in my prison ministry, I would watch the guys I ministered to, you know, lifers 200 years and I watch on a walk to how they talk.

And some of them are ex mafia guys.

So I, I would make a bank run a biography on each character because I, I never killed anybody in real life.

But and I learned I used to hang out with a stuntman.

I and I did learn to do a my own fights and stunts.

And that's why Robert Clouse hired me for the game of death, the fight I did.

And the Bruce Lee movie was from eight at night to late in the morning in the rain, hitting the concrete and everything else.

So I became very good, actually.

Then Yul Brynner movie, The Ultimate Warrior.

I did the second toughest start in the whole movie.

They made me an honorary stuntman.

But on the way home I was praying.

I said, Lord, I had a big mouth.

I should have told me I could do it.

And fortunately I didn't get hurt.

I didn't get burned.

Then after that, after I was killed, they put Sunflower seeds and peanut butter on me and dump 40 live rats all over me.

Uh oh.

I told that the lady who owned them, if that rat bites any rat bites, I'm going to bite you.

Because human bites worse than a red bite.

Oh, my goodness.

Well, this is amazing, because that was one of the questions I wanted to ask you.

You did a lot of your own stunts.

Yes.

Has Hollywood changed or do actors still do a lot of their own stunts or was it before where you did a.

Lot of you know, some of them still still do.

You know, they're really good at it.

It makes it easier for the director.

They don't have to call cut and put someone in there to do it.

And then they so I just rock and roll and then I'm and I enjoy I enjoyed it.

And I I've got I gotten hurt I had a cracked Rubin Black Paul Jones one in Game of death and the hard way here is I. I hurt my back as for discs but I don't I don't regret anything.

I just I mean, it was fun to do those things.

And in real life, I have a Skid Row prison ministry for 39 years, which is the exact opposite of what I do in the films.

And that helps when I go into the level for maximum security because you've got to sign a paper for taking the hostage.

I don't make deals and I just I, I never let them think that I was I never had fear when I went in those places.

This is a perfect way for us to go to break because I want to talk more about your work in the prisons and the different type of ministry that you're doing now, because it's much different than what we, the male, we see in the movies.

So I want to talk a lot about that and come back to hear more of my conversation with Mel.

So we're here at the OSP, which is Operation School Bell on Wheels, Universal Day of Giving, and it's basically where three different partnerships come together to bring this really spectacular day where kids get the opportunity.

They can get clothing, they get new shoes, they get pampered and just treat it with all this love and care, and then they get to go into the park at Universal Studios theme park and have a really great time with the chaperons and then also see their favorite characters like the Minions and things like that.

Whether there is my birthday today.

What do you get today?

Clubs, uniforms and I mean their adventure starts when they go inside the park.

And we know that a lot of our kids have not had the opportunity.

I know, to go to theme parks or adventure parks in quite some time.

And so they're like so very excited.

And like I said, even the adults here are excited to give this experience to the kids.

Welcome back.

I am going to continue my conversation with Mel.

Mel, when we went to break, you talked a little bit about your work in the prisons and I stopped you because I really wanted us to get in deep here and talk a lot about it.

So can you tell me what led you to start going into the prisons in the first place?

Because we're looking at almost 40 years here.

And also Skid Row.

It's a prison without bars.

I've been there 39 years and 38 years in prisons and penitentiaries all over the country.

I was invited to the Union Rescue Mission as a celebrity at the Easter Sunrise service, and all my life I was memorizing scripture not not even knowing why.

And I was ministering to 25 street people and they were hanging on every word.

And the CEO said to me, he says, That was amazing if you got to do a service.

Sure.

So I started doing services at the Union Rescue Mission.

Then the L.A. Mission contacted me.

I ended up being on the board of directors, L.A. Mission, then the Fred Jordan Mission and the Long Beach Rescue Mission, and one of the inmates from County jail got released and he went to the Union Rescue Mission Spiritual Growth Program.

He he called the chaplain, Mark Marshall, who is a big Bruce Lee fan.

He says, you're not going to know it.

Stick the assassin from game at this is a preacher.

I started an L.A. County jail.

From there, we went to Rahway, New Jersey.

These are the level four level fours in Pennsylvania, New York.

And I've been to Alabama, Florida, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Washington, Walla Walla.

I was there seven times, and I've been to every level three, level four penitentiary in California.

And you been to Pelican Bay 12 times.

This is the worst penitentiary in the country.

Well, in my question to you, so that I can wrap my head around it, what is the difference between a level three and a level four?

Level four is the worst in the world.

I mean, these are lifers.

And like in San Quentin, there's 700 on death row and two thirds of them are saved.

I mean, it's amazing.

I mean, it's see, in a prisons, they didn't believe that they could they could be forgiven.

And so what I do, I would I would be giving sermons on forgiveness is the key to healing.

God's forgiveness is bigger than your sin.

And it's amazing because I have I've had between four and 500,000 who gave their life to the Lord.

I mean, it's in the worst possible places.

The level three like that is in an undone of a penitentiary.

It's a mile from the Mexican border.

It's a level level three.

But it's still I mean, there's so much racism and hate and fights, stabbings.

I've been involved in a couple of riots.

I'd just be twisting around in the name of Jesus.

I bind up all these and I never got touched.

And in L.A. County jail, we had two stabbings and a church service in 12 days.

I had a service three days later and I said, Listen, you all know me and I know you heard about the stabbing.

So I got to express some.

And if you come out with a shank, I said, I'm going to take your eye out.

Then they're going to repent.

I establish no, nobody said boo because I know I have.

For Martial Arts Hall of Fame Award three Living Legend Awards.

My Lord turns this cheek.

I don't because this one time and they could take you out.

I would protect that all those years and it's amazing.

And it sounds like you have this high level of respect coming from.

Yes.

People within the prison system.

How did you get that?

Well, this one inmate at Pelican Bay asked me.

He said, you know, it's amazing.

You're a movie star.

You came there just ministered to us and we were talking what how how do you stay humble?

I as well should have died seven times.

I've been crippled from pro ball five years, had a wife walk out of a marriage, live with pain all these years and he's gone going like this.

And they understood because, you know, I was I never I never got paid in my ministry in all these years.

My my payment was ministering to the the wound walking wounded in Skid Row.

Those people loved me down there.

I there were times I went home after surgery and just cried, you see.

And when I told you that my my 60 scholarships were gone.

Yes, my baseball career is gone, I'm a cripple.

97% will turn to drugs or alcohol to numb the pain.

Medicate the pain, Escape.

God kept me firm.

I never drank or did drugs.

I'm Serbian.

My real name is Milan Magenta, which and I never drank in service.

Like to drink.

Oh.

But God, I.

He had a plan.

Jeremiah 2911.

I know the thoughts and plans I have for you.

Peace not to be able to give you your future and the hope and I mean, even to me sitting here doing this wonderful show, he he has a plan.

And I listen, we were all called to serve.

And look, look where he put me.

Skid Row on prison.

In I my next question to you would be because you are still working today.

I mean, you I believe you just got a movie role and you're going to be back on set or you're already on set, right?

No, I finished it.

I played it called Paradise Motel.

I played a Norman Bates psycho character.

So still playing the same same type of role.

That.

Different.

But I played several.

I did nine movies this year, first billing on on six and then second twice and third in our science fiction, Ebola works, the murder, Hornets versus Army.

These are fun, but I didn't play an implied villain in there.

But my last time I got killed by two Ebola Rex babies.

Who are you?

This person has injected the T rex with Ebola, effectively forcing the dinosaurs to escape the lab.

It's a downtown Los Angeles.

This is one of the biggest catastrophes the world has ever seen.

The dinosaurs are going to kill us all.

Where are you hiding?

Down.

This is dinosaur.

Oh.

Oh, my.

God.

He's eating that guy's run.

I was a lieutenant in the Marines and I was head of all this trying to kill them.

And the sergeant.

I fired her when she came back, and I got knocked out and they tied me up.

And here comes the Ebola Rex babies.

Oh, my goodness.

Son, is that movie in post-production?

Yeah.

Okay, There's.

There's about to let us know.

Now, you set it up.

You have to let us know when the movie airs so that we can watch it and support you.

Well, because you spend a lot of your free time and you, like you said, you do this as minister.

You don't require people to pay you.

Do you ever have any of your friends when you're on set and they ask you, what are you doing in your your spare time mail?

And you tell them, I mean, do you have any friends that want to join you or are they just amazed?

I love to hear a little bit about that.

I have a Bible study every other Monday, and I had 20 this Monday, 23 to 1 before been doing that for 39 years.

And the people know they know where I go.

A lot of a lot of places were dangerous and but we all have a calling.

Matthew 2028 Mark 1045 We all do.

And I heeded that.

And that's I got to bless.

You know, I'm a cancer survivor.

So many times I should have died.

And yet God kept me going.

I do it in Omega Man radio dot com.

I've done over 200 shows where I do the first hour it goes 167 countries on Skype.

Then I do another one this, this husband and wife don't on the the radio network and he loved the game of death He loved me playing stick.

He calls us stick with Jesus.

Oh, that's a play on words.

That goes yeah, that goes to 40 countries.

So I stay busy, know I get a lot of calls for prayer and I counsel a lot.

And we, you know, it's like we have to reach out to people who are hurting.

When is COVID hit?

So many were overwhelmed with fear and fear and faith got to live in the same heart.

And it's it's just I'm there.

I always I've had tough I my brother just went home with the Lord and it was very difficult.

And I, I can't talk with my brother.

I know, but I know where he is.

Second Corinthians five eight, absent friend, body person by the Lord.

He's with the Lord.

No more pain, no more cancer.

So but there's so many people right now who are struggling.

Yeah, they are.

And as we end our time today, because we, we recognize there are so many people that are struggling, what would Mel say to these people that are watching tonight that are struggling as one piece of advice that you could give to everyone as they're watching our interview?

You know, I would encourage you to start reading the word of God.

There's thousands of promises and a lot of answers.

So questions are in there and like I lead people to the Lord has nothing to do with religion or denomination.

It's it's a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus Christ who died for our sins and it's amazing how it changes the heart.

It gives the devil attacks the mind, heart and emotions.

And that's that's the battlefield.

The mind is this playground.

So many people who did something bad 20 years ago, they confessed to repent and yet they're tormented and God is even remembered anymore.

So this is what I would encourage you seek first, the Kingdom of God and as righteous as all these other things, be out of that to you.

And he promised, Take care of your needs.

Philippians 419 So these are dark days are getting darker, and today is a day of salvation.

Second Corinthians 622.

Martin I promised I was to do a wedding up in Washington, uh, Vancouver, Washington.

So I stay with my daughter, Leah in Oregon.

I went up on the fourth August 14th.

The lady got pneumonia, went into the hospital and got COVID.

Two days later, she died.

That's why tomorrow's not promised.

I mean, it's it's just I have peace, I have joy, I have hope.

I loved our conversation tonight and I just felt so encouraged.

And I know our audience has felt encouraged as well.

But thank you so much for not just all of the years you spent entertaining us on the big screen, but that you take the time to go out there and meet people who are hurting and encourage them.

So thank you so much and we'll make sure that people can reach out to you.

We'll share all of that as well, too.

So thank you, Mail.

Thank you.

And thank you for joining us on, everybody with Angela Williamson.

Viewers like you make this show possible, join us on social media to continue this conversation.

Good night and stay well.