The actor who used to play Quentin, the werewolf brother to vampire Barnabus Collins on the original ABC television series Dark Shadows, has been transformed into Commissioner James Gordon for Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. To mark the arrival of Part 1, Warner Home Video has released a Q&A with the man behind the voice of Gordon, David Selby. Here are some excerpts:
You had more than 300 episodes to get to know Quentin Collins for Dark Shadows. You spent 209 episodes creating Richard Channing for Falcon Crest. Today you had about four hours to become James Gordon. How do you develop a character that quickly?
You don’t. You just sort of depend upon Andrea Romano and Bruce Timm, because they know this territory far better than you. I did do a little research, though. I asked my son, who is a great aficionado of Frank Miller and all of these things. That was my first call. He gave me a great rundown, so there was a little preparation. So mostly you put yourself in the hands of those that know the character, and learn from their experience.
Having spent several hours in his mind, how do you see Police Commissioner James Gordon in this film?
Because Bruce Wayne is Batman, and even though we all want to be heroes, Gordon is willing to take a quieter, more backseat role. I think he’s persistent, he’s calm. He’s a very practical man, like certain presidents. Lincoln was a very pragmatic guy, and I think Gordon is a very pragmatic commissioner. Gordon is the type of guy that would think, “If I’ve gotta do it, and it’s going to make it right, and I look out and I know that my wife is going to be fine, and the children are going to be fine, then if a certain kind of justice is required to do this, I can live with it.”
Was there a centering emotion you used in James Gordon to help you focus on his motivations?
Originally published September 13, 2012. Updated April 14, 2018.
