Spidey 2's actor Alfred Molina wraps his tentacles around Sam Raimi, kicking Tobey's ass and his 1950s body builder physique.

( Wizard #144, October 2003) Wednesday, January 14, 2004

WIZARD: I hear you've really buffed up for the role of Doctor Octopus.

MOLINA: I was still trying to lose the weight I put on from "Frida," so I started just doing an hour of cardio every day and an hour of weight training. Then when I got to a decent place, I just began trying to maintain. I'm not really cut. [Laughs] I look more like a 1950s body builder. I'm kind of old fashioned in that sort of way. It's worked out really well.

Have you been surprised by the fan reaction?

I always knew they were a very committed and knowable fan base. They take their characters very seriously, but I never quite realized how well organized and knowable they were. A lot of the people I've spoken to really know their stuff and it makes all of us want to do our best for them. We want them to be as satisfied as possible.

And now that Doc Ock's been shown off to the fans?

Fans really enjoyed us debuting the poster and the first look [as Doc Ock] and the first scene we've shown of him from the movie. It's all very exciting. All the fans really appreciate the movie and what we're trying to do. It was very gratifying to get their reaction.

How has working with the tentacles been?

It's always fun rehearsing. We've actually given the tentacles names now: Mo, Flo, Harry and Larry.

Did you read any Doc Ock from the Spider-Man comics in preparation for the role?

I remember some of the storylines from when I was young. But I had to go back and re-familiarize myself with the first time [Doc Ock] shows up in the comics from the '60s. I picked up a few collected editions to remind myself of all the cool stuff. The artwork was very helpful to see how he's changed and how the tentacles have changed over the years. His entire look has kind of changed over the years. He started off as this overweight, middle-aged guy and he's become more and more defined. It was fascinating to remind myself of all of this. Of course, our storyline is completely original.

Are you ready for the onslaught of fans as the movie grows closer and closer to a July 2004 release?

I'm not sure how much of a life-changing experience it'll be. On one level, this is a great job to have, but on another level it really is just another gig. I just approach it with professionalism. It's certainly a lot of fun. If ["Spider-Man 2"] leads to other things or ups my profile, that's great though.

The sets have been strictly off limits to most people, right?

Security on set is very tight and rightly so. These kinds of movies are huge events and any leak of the plot or what's been done just kind of spoils the event. It's a bit like anticipating a really fantastic sporting event and then finding out the score in advance. It just takes away the "oomph." So I think it's important to keep this as special as we can - not just for us - but also for all the fans out there.

How's working with director Sam Raimi going?

Sam's great. After the first one, he has this level of experience and ["Spider-Man" has] really become very much his thing now. I can't imagine doing this with anyone else. And he creates a very good atmosphere on set and he's very pleasant. He never shouts and his crew is very loyal to him. This is what everyone wants. He inspires everyone to do their best.

And Tobey Maguire? Are you kicking his ass everyday?

On a daily basis. We pit ourselves against each other and it's good fun.

-- MIKE COTTON