EXCLUSIVE: Josh Pais Talks 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' 30th Anniversary
The film and TV star also gave an in-depth look into his acting school Committed Impulse.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are one of the most storied franchises in pop culture history. From comic books and action figures to cartoons and blockbuster films, the guys in green have entertained audiences for generations. A landmark moment for the franchise came in 1990 when New Line Cinema released Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - the first live action installment - on the big screen. The film was a hit at the box office, earning $202 million.
Since 1990, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles feature film franchise has hauled in $1.15 billion across six movies from three different studios. New Line released three live-action flicks between 1990-1993 which grossed $323.2 million. The last two movies, released by Paramount and Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes in 2014 and 2016, were also live-action and earned a combined $730.6 million.
The last time there was a feature CG version of the Ninja Turtles was Warner Bros.’ TMNT (2007) which generated $96 million worldwide.
The year 2020 marked 30 years since the iconic original live action flick premiered, and Kulture Popped caught up with star Josh Pais (Raphael) for an exclusive trip down memory lane.
"I knew when I was at the premiere and watched the opening credits, I really had a sense that it was definitely going to be something," Pais recalls.
His turn as Raphael in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film was one of Pais' breakout roles. Since then he has been a steady force, appearing in hit television shows like Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Sex and the City, Younger, 2 Broke Girls, and Ray Donovan.
Pais has also made a significant contribution to the Law & Order universe, having played 8 different characters across the three flagship shows - Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. He first appeared in one episode of Law & Order's launch pad show Homicide: Life on the Street. His final turn as Deputy Commissioner Hank Abraham on Law & Order: SVU was a brilliant performance of a complex character.
Pais' film credits include Scream 3, Phone Booth, Adventureland, and That Awkward Moment, among others. He had a big year in 2019 with appearances in Motherless Brooklyn and the Oscar-nominated blockbuster Joker.
Check out our exclusive chat with Josh below about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' 30th Anniversary, his lengthy career, the Committed Pulse acting school, and so much more.
- Paul Brown is the founder of Kulture Popped, and to this day has yet to see TMNT2 from 2016 because he had a chance to audition for the role of Casey Jones which was given to Stephen Amell.
*true story*