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From ice to stage, Kurt Browning can't sit still
Forget the sequined outfits. Now he's really letting loose
| Source: |
Globe and Mail |
| Date: |
December 7, 2007 |
| Author: |
R.M. Vaughan |
After a few minutes in a quiet room with the too-energetic Kurt
Browning, one surmises that he must have been a lemur, or maybe a
distressed squirrel, in a previous life. The champion figure skater
and professional ice dancer turned television skating commentator (and
now actor) cannot and will not sit still. I wonder: Does he sleep, or
just hang upside down and twitch?
Browning, of course, is best known as the four-time world champion
figure skater who represented Canada in three Olympic Games. He was
also the first skater to land a quadruple jump in competition (see
squirrel theory, above). Since he turned pro, Browning has appeared in
dozens of ice dancing shows, live and televised, and now lends his
quirky wit to ABC, CBC and ESPN as a competition commentator.
With all this going on, why would Mr. Browning want to put himself in
front of the most merciless audience in the world - preteen children?
Worse yet, he's doing it during the Christmas season, when the kids
are all hopped up on candy and off-gassing toys. Taking on the lead
role in Peter Pan: The Family Musical That's Silly. Very Silly!
(currently playing the Elgin Theatre in Toronto), Browning is expected
to roller-skate, fly, sing and, heaven help him, act.
So, you're playing Peter Pan's older brother.
Yes. Ha! Much older! No, I'm playing Peter.
But Peter Pan is the boy who never grew up.
And?
Um, well, you're obviously grown-up.
[Rubs bald head] You can see that, huh? I'm playing Peter, but a Peter
who is young inside. He just looks older outside because, in the play,
Neverland has become a really boring place and people are starting to
age. I take a lot of hits, jokes at me, in this show, because Peter
thinks he's getting younger-looking and he's not.
Who has the best skater booty, you or Josée Chouinard?
Depends on what you're looking for, doesn't it? Josée is cute in every
pore. She totally beats me in that category.
Why do you want to be an actor at this stage in your profession? It's
not an easy life.
I'm not sure I want to "be an actor." I mean, people train years for
this, and I've just walked into this role because I can work a pair of
roller skates - but the real actors are being very nice to me. Ross
[Petty, the producer and co-star of Peter Pan] is a friend of mine,
and after a night in Halifax when we became acquainted with every
bartender in town, he asked me to be in one of his pantomimes. I knew
a bit about pantomime and how much room there is for a performer to
let loose. I don't know if I want to keep doing this; it's not like
I'm telling the world this is my "acting debut." It's enormous fun,
and I'll let everyone else decide if I should continue.
Any figure skating costumes you regret?
Are you kidding? There are many, many outfits I regret!
Feathers?
Not too many feathers, no, but now it's like looking at pictures of
yourself from high school: What was I thinking? I once did a
Casablanca-for-the-nineties routine. I wore a low-cut tuxedo shirt and
a big chain around my neck. I've had lots of oversequined outfits too
- but, you know, it is figure skating.
You're known for your plain speaking when you do skating
commentaries.
I can be cranky, sure. I take it personally when I feel a skater is
not giving the audience everything, when they're being technically
perfect but aren't showing the people their personality. Then, I get a
little snippy.
I thought it was you in Blades of Glory, but it was Scott
Hamilton. Does it bug you that people confuse you two?
I don't mind being confused with Scott when I'm in the U.S., because
the man is a god down there. But it makes the hairs on my neck stand
up when people do it here.
Sorry! Everyone's talking about that poor Maple Leafs rookie who
posted naked pictures of himself on the Internet. Sports celebrity
sure has changed since your heyday.
There's a new style of media scrutiny, because anyone can use a camera
phone and now everyone has one. I don't even check my own
website.
But there are things I did when I was younger that I would never do
now.
Particulars
BORN
June 18, 1966, Rocky Mountain House, Alta.
STAR ON ICE
Having won four world figure-skating championships (but placed a
disappointing fifth at the Lillehammer Olympics), Browning retired
from the amateur ranks in 1994. Through events such as the Stars on
Ice tours, he became a crucial member of the nineties pro skating
crowd that included Brian Orser, Brian Boitano and Victor
Petrenko. Browning also competed in the world professional
championships, winning three times.
FAMILY LIFE
In 1995, Browning proposed - at centre ice in Maple Leaf Gardens,
while taping a TV special - to ballerina Sonia Rodriguez. The couple
were married in 1996. (Then a dancer with the National Ballet,
Rodriguez became one of the company's principal dancers in 2000.) They
now have two sons: Gabriel, 4, and newborn Dillon.
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