Rocky's Interview

He's 24, 6 feet 4 and he's got the answers and more. Oh yeah! Some people confuse him with Sleek (how I don't know) but the fact that they are Lebanese may be the only thing they have in common. Erk chats to Rocky about pick up lines, the Stage Show and a lot more in this email interview.

Erk	How did you become involved with Pizza?
Rocky	Sleek called up a few of the guys to try out for a little scene, so I thought: "Oh yeah, what the heck! Nobody watches SBS, I'll do it for a laugh!'" HA HA HA. So I got called in to Pauly's office and he asked me to read a line that he had. So I used George Kapinaris's (Memo) accent that he uses in Acropolis Now and read the line. A few days later I get a call to say that I got the part for the scene, which was with Habib and I in the yellow Valiant. I think Pauly only planned to use me for the one scene, but I think he took a liking to me and decided to use me in the scene where the Lebanese Rambo was born. Next thing, I find out that the show I thought nobody would know about cause it was on SBS is now one of the biggest shows and cult followings in Australia & I also was able to work along side George Kapinaris in the stage show.
Erk	Speaking of the Lebanese Rambo, how did this name come about?
Rocky	Erk, the Leb Rambo was developed last year in the last series, when Pauly used me in a road rage scene. I arrived on the set and Pauly said that I'm doing a scene with 3 cars in a road rage scene. Now the 2 other drivers had weapons, 1 had a knife, the other a bat. I was given a bow & arrow. Now while I had some time to think of lines, because Pauly lets us make up our lines, I thought that it would be good if I used the Lebanese Rambo line, so the Rambo was born in my brain and I unleashed it on the big screen. HA HA HA. Now after that scene Sleek used the line "He's the Lebanese Rambo and I'm the Lebanese Lover" so I guess that night was the night the Lebanese Rambo and lover were born.
Erk	How much control do you have over the character of Rocky?
Rocky	Well, I haven't had much input on developing the character, that was Pauly's work. The input that I have had on Rocky is really what comes out of his mouth, because Pauly is really flexible. That is what makes him good and the show seem so real life, cause he will give us an idea on the scene, and will give us a chance to make up some lines of our own, as long as it flows in with the scene. So a lot of Rocky's lines were inputted by myself.
Erk	Is there anything that makes you think "Rocky wouldn't do that!"
Rocky	Well, I don't do drugs and I don't backstab my mates and pick up their girlfriends, and I'm not a sleaze, and I'm not always angry. So basically Rocky is a character and not a real life person. A lot of people seem to believe that what they see in the show is what you get in real life...Pizza is not Big Brother! HA HA HA
Erk	Did you think that the character of Rocky would be popular - especially with the women?
Rocky	No I did not. I'm still wondering what the big fuss is about Rocky HA HA HA. But when I think about it, I guess Habib and Rocky are like Kramer on Seinfeld. We come in to an episode for a little bit do what we have to do and say our one liners and get out of there, but Kramer seems to make a big impact on the show although he doesn't appear as much as the others. With the ladies, I guess its true what they say, girls attract to tough guys, so for all you guys out there act tough, but be a gentleman too! HA HA HA! So to answer your question, yes I'm very surprised about the reaction that Rocky has got, and I guess I'm not used to the attention just yet, especially for someone that thought he was only going to do one little scene in last year's series.
Erk	Is Pizza your first TV/theatre role?
Rocky	Yes. Before Pizza I have never appeared on TV or stage in an acting role. I have appeared on TV playing Rugby Union on a few occasions though.
Erk	Have you had any acting training?
Rocky	No but I am the type of guy that will sit back and watch guys like Sleek, Pauly and the boys do their stuff and pick up tips and ideas off them, so I guess I have trained myself by watching others in action.
Erk	If you weren't playing the role of Rocky, what would you be doing?
Rocky	I am an account manager during the day, and I also am a 1st grade Rugby Union player. I have represented Australia and NSW at Schoolboy Level, Under 19's and Under 21's. Injuries have slowed me down in the last 3 years, so I haven't been able to progress up the ladder as quickly as I'd like to towards my goal, which is to play for the Wallabies. I have also had one stint at rugby league and that was representing Lebanon in the Coca Cola Rugby League 7's which we lost to the Parramatta Eels in the Semi Finals.
Erk	How would you compare working on the TV Show compared to the Stage Show?
Rocky	TV is easier, because you can fix yourself if you make a mistake. When on stage if you stuff up, you just take it on the chin and keep going on. Stage is fun, because in my case I interact heaps with the crowd so I can meet all the fans. Plus with stage there is an atmosphere with seeing a big crowd. I guess it fires me up when there's a crowd, just like a game of rugby.
Erk	At the Stage Show, Rocky and George (or Sperm and Half Sperm as Pauly calls you) basically run wild. Has there been a time when you thought you were going to be in trouble with either the people you were hassling or the Police??
Rocky	On one occasion we actually had the Police come into the theatre and ask the ushers if they had seen 2 guys in the crowd dressed in white tracksuits, because someone from the public had complained about us but we didn't get busted. Another time, we jump on a bus nearly every night and get the driver to drive us 10 metres and then drop us off, but on one occasion the driver didn't stop and took us about to the main intersection up the road, which was about 800 metres away so we had to run back before the show started. Another occasion, George nearly got hit by a car. There are heaps more highlights of what happens outside, but I guess the fans have to see it to believe it. Because what we do outside is not scripted, and we use the general public as our test dummies. So there is a danger behind it, cause a lot of them don't know who we are or what we are doing. A lot of them think we are some thugs trying to mug them or something HA HA HA!
Erk	Even though I've seen the stage show 4 times, I still laugh at people's reactions when they see you and George outside the Enmore. Can we expect to see more Rocky in Series 3?
Rocky	I think that Rocky will appear maybe more than what he did this year, but we still haven't even discussed the plans for next year, so let's wait and see. I can't promise anything.
Erk	Do you get recognised in the street?
Rocky	Yes I do.
Erk	I've often chatted to you online in the Fat Pizza Chat Room. Do you chat on the Internet much?
Rocky	I don't chat too much, but I like having a chat to the fans on the site, and to friends or family overseas. I don't get the time to use my computer much.
Erk	Do you have a favourite site that you like to visit?
Rocky	Not really, but I always check these good sites below: www.erk.au.com/pizza www.fatpizza.com.au www.sbs.com.au/pizza
Erk	I must say that Rocky has been very supportive of my site which he listed above. Does the line "would you like some Lebanese between your knees?" really work? Can the line be altered so I can use it?
Rocky	To be honest I still haven't put it to practice, but I think you should try this line Erk, it might work for you....... "Hey baby, do you want to flirt with Erk"?
Erk	What does "yalla bye" mean? Does that mean I can say "yalla hello" as well?
Rocky	Yulla means "hurry" in Arabic, but when saying yulla bye, it is used in a way you would say "alright bye". Yulla hi is not used amongst Lebo's but lately I have been saying it, so maybe I can start a trend with it HA HA HA. Yulla bye.
Erk	What is your favourite Rocky moment? What is your favourite Pizza moment?
Rocky	My favourite Rocky moments are when Rocky does the slow motion running in the touch football scene & leading the gang of choco's with the big guns to save Sleek from ASSIO. My favourite Pizza moments are Sleek stripping at the hens night, Pauly doing his supermarket fight scene, and the scene Pauly does when he takes the eccy & the husband comes home and Pauly tries to find a hiding spot.

Erk: Now I'd like to play a game of word association. What is the first word you think of when you hear these words?

Rocky: me

Habib: funny

Sleek: legend

Pauly: inspiring

Bobo: scary

Claudia: chickybabe

Erk: apprentice choco (oops that was 2 words)

Pizza: huge

Stage Show: wild

Drugs: shit

stooge: Pauly

Wog: choco

Leb: proud

Guns: Rambo

Thanks Rocky for taking the time out to answer these questions and also for supporting this site. Keep an eye out for Rocky at the Pizza Stage Show and also Series 3 of Pizza. Yulla bye!

Page last updated 21 November 2001

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