Doug E. Doug has said he still has his character’s lucky eggs from “Cool Runnings,” the 1993 Disney film loosely based on the 1988 Jamaican Olympic bobsled team. They’re rubber.
Doug, now 45, recently reflected on his most well-known role while at the Tribeca Film Festival debut of his new film, “The Wannabe.”
The Brooklyn, N.Y., native has said he’s asked about “Cool Runnings” daily and called it a “sideline occupation” but is also proud of the fame.
Here are excerpts from Doug’s interview:
OlympicTalk: Did you follow the Jamaican bobsled team’s return to the Olympics in Sochi?
Doug: Yeah, I’m friends with Devon Harris. He’s one of the original Jamaican bobsledders and head of the bobsled federation. So it’s disappointing that they haven’t been able to be medal contending [Jamaica was 29th out of 29 finishers in the Sochi two-man event]. But a lot of that has to do with fundraising, so we’re working together with the federation to make sure that they have enough funds to train for the entire year, so they’re not unprepared.
OlympicTalk: Are the other actors involved with fundraising?
Doug: We reached out to them. Hopefully they’ll come aboard as well.
OlympicTalk: What was it like going back to Calgary for the film’s 20th anniversary in 2013?
Doug: Myself and Leon [who played driver Derice Bannock] were both there. It was incredible. The city was going wild. I was kind of surprised because it was so long ago. They had events and treated us very well.
OlympicTalk: How long had it been since you were in Calgary?
Doug: Since we did the movie.
OlympicTalk: What memories did it bring back?
Doug: How cold it wasn’t [in 1988]. We expected for it to be cold, so we had to pretend like it was cold [while filming]. I guess they call it a Chinook wind, like it was a warm winter that year.
OlympicTalk: Did you go to the 20th anniversary screening?
Doug: We had several screenings. They were all packed. I kind of walked out because I’ve seen it like 30 times. We had a Q&A afterwards. I tried to humor them [the crowd].
OlympicTalk: What was the most interesting question you were asked?
Doug: They asked me what I’ve been doing since. I thought that was really funny. I said if you have to ask, then probably not much.
OlympicTalk: Did you go on a bobsled run while you were there?
Doug: I actually did not bobsled there [in Calgary]. They also didn’t allow me to do it while we were shooting the movie. You know, insurance. I bobsledded for the first time in Utah in Park City a couple of years ago.
OlympicTalk: What was the first bobsled run like?
Doug: I was shocked [laughs]. It’s like something I can’t really describe. People describe it as several Gs of force on your face, so it’s like jumping out of a building. I was shocked how elastic my face was, but I would do it again.
OlympicTalk: What do fans say to you when they bring up “Cool Runnings?”
Doug: They say, “Where’s your lucky egg?” and “Sanka, are you dead, man?” I say, “Ya man!”
OlympicTalk: How’s your Jamaican accent?
Doug: It’s still intact. It was more like a Jamaican Jerry Lewis in that movie. My father is from Jamaica, so everybody from Jamaica tells me that’s not a real Jamaican accent. I’m like, I really know how to do one.
Jamaican bobsledder Winston Watts part of The Rock’s HBO series
