Although his part in Blade was a small one, the pragmatic policeman played a vital role in keeping Quinn alive.

We spoke with Marcus Aurelius about his part in the Blade movie.

The Big Bad Wolf: Does it feel like it has been 10 years already?

Marcus Aurelius: Can you believe that? Ten years. I cannot believe it has been that long.

The Big Bad Wolf: How did you get involved in Blade?

Marcus Aurelius: I crashed the audition. I called and they told me I can't just go there. I called and called Stephen Norrington. I called at the end of August. Finally I got through to someone around November. They told me in December they would be auditioning again. December came and it was a Friday afternoon, and I decided to go down there. They told me Stephen had just left and he wasn't going to see anyone. He had to leave for the Christmas holiday. I caught him outside before he got to his car. I told him I had been calling forever and I just want the opportunity. He said "Well I am going to go back into the room and give you a chance. If you aren't a good actor, I don't ever want you to call me again."

We went back into the room and he said "Here is the scene... A body is on fire and burning..ACTION!"

The first thing I did was starting coughing and fanning the smoke. He said "CUT! Congratulations, you got the job."

Stephen went on to explain he told that same scene to every actor that came in and nobody coughed. He said "You are the first person that coughed."

Now here is the crazy part. The casting directors want there people to get the small roles in these films. They were making it difficult for me to get on the set. My agent dropped me because they thought I was lying about getting the job. The casting directors kept telling Stephen I wasn't available.

I kept calling Stephen's office to update them about the situation. Finally when it was time to film, Stephen was pissed because I wasn't there. He wanted people to contact me and ask why I nagged him for the job but never showed up for work.

Finally things worked out when I went back. The casting agent actually had a replacement for me there already. Stephen showed up and helped get things straightened out.

After we wrapped they had a cast party. I went to the cast party and I didn't know anybody. I was just standing in the corner. Stephen actually came up to me and introduced me to Wesley Snipes. I have a lot of love for Stephen Norrington.

The Big Bad Wolf: Did you have any idea who Blade was before the film; Did you read the old Tomb of Dracula comics?

Marcus Aurelius: I didn't. I was familiar with Superman, Batman, Spiderman, etc, but I wasn't familiar with Blade.


The Big Bad Wolf: Let's talk about your character, "Pragmatic Policeman". Were you actually on set for the bloodbath scene?

Marcus Aurelius: We shot in that room. I wasn't there for the actual scene I just saw what was left over. It was very sticky.

When I saw Quinn on fire I walked in and came up with the "Put him out." line, it wasn't even scripted.

The Big Bad Wolf: What stands out as your favorite memory during filming?

Marcus Aurelius: Stephen Norrington.. He is a no nonsense director. People were coming at him with this and that. It was just amazing watching him work. He had a great vision and nothing could stop him from achieving what he wanted.

The Big Bad Wolf: Do you keep in touch with any of the cast members?

Marcus Aurelius: It's hard to. Everyone has their on projects that they are working on and unless you see them, it is hard to get messages delivered.

The Big Bad Wolf: Did you get to keep anything from the set?

Marcus Aurelius: No. You had to return everything. They made sure of getting their goods back.

The Big Bad Wolf: Did you think that Blade would be such an impactful film? It pretty much kicked off all the Marvel movies, had two sequels, a tv show, and even inspired other movies, like The Matrix.

Marcus Aurelius: No I didn't. Because of my line of work I shop late at night. Sometimes I go to the supermarket and will get noticed for the small part I did in Blade. At first, I thought they were security just following me around. (laughs)

I have done about 36 films and that one film is what folks see me and recognize me from.

Blade is on a lot, even in foreign countries!

The Big Bad Wolf: What are you working on today?

Marcus Aurelius: I wrote and directing an action film called Almost Related. I am talking with one of the mini-majors to go out with a bigger cast and re shoot it. I have a new producer and we are going to Hong Kong and talk about locations.

The Big Bad Wolf: How can fans find out more information about you, and what you are currently working on? Do you have a website or MySpace account?

Marcus Aurelius: They are going to remake the Almost Related website.

The Big Bad Wolf: Finally, what would you like to say to all of the Blade fans reading this?

Marcus Aurelius: Thank you for all the support. Everyone that was associated with that film was so cordial. These guys went above and beyond the call of duty. They let us use Wesley Snipes basketball court and gym. I never once felt like there was a pecking order. They were really happy to have you come on and help them make a good film.

When we would break for lunch, Donal Logue would come over and hang out with everyone and encourage us. Everyone was really nice, we played cards, laughed etc. I was happy to be a part of something that was great.

The Big Bad Wolf: Thank you for your time Marcus! Best of luck with everything in your future!

Talk about the Marcus Aurelius Interview.