A Biography of Red Sonja (1985)

“Her name was Red Sonja. She lived in a savage world in an age of violence… A fierce warrior with flaming red hair. In the Hyborian Kingdom her quest for justice and vengeance became a legend. This is how the legend began.”

So reads the opening scroll of the 1985 Sword and Sorcery film and Conan spin off, Red Sonja. Poorly received when it came out, it has since become a cult classic.

Arnold Schwarzenegger talks about Red Sonja his memoir Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story (2012):

The second Conan out earned Conan the Barbarian in the end, breaking the $100 million mark in worldwide receipts. But what was good for my reputation was not such great news for the franchise. In the United States, Conan the Destroyer made it onto fewer screens than the original and grossed $31 million, or 23 percent less money. Our fears had come true. By repackaging Conan as what film critic Roger Ebert cheerfully called "your friendly family barbarian," the studio alienated some of our core audience.

I felt like I was finished with Conan; it was going nowhere. When I got back from my publicity tours, I sat down again with [producer] Dino De Laurentiis and told him definitively that I didn't want to do any more prehistoric movies, only contemporary movies. It turned out he had cooled off on Conan too. rather than pay me millions for more sequels, he'd rather I make an action movie for him, although he still didn't have a script. So for now I was free to do more projects like The Terminator.

It was very agreeable and just as we had talked about the previous fall--except that, being Dino, he had a favor to ask. Before I hung up my broadsword for good, he said, "Why don't you just do, you know, a cameo?" He handed me a script called Red Sonja.

Red Sonja was Conan's female counterpart in the Conan comics and fantasy novels: a woman warrior, out to avenge the murder of her parents, who steals treasure and magic talismans and battles evil sorcerers and beasts. The part that Dino had in mind for me wasn't Conan but Lord Kalidor, Red Sonja's ally.

[Future wife] Maria read the script and said, "Don't do it. It's trash." I agreed, but I felt I owed Dino a favor. So at the end of October, just before The Terminator was due for release, I found myself on an airplane to Rome, where Red Sonja was already filming.

Dino had searched for more than a year to find an actress Amazonian enough to play Sonja. He finally found Brigitte Nielsen on the cover of a magazine: six-foot twenty-one-year-old Danish fashion model with blazing red hair and a reputation for being a hard partyer. She had never acted but Dino just flew her to Rome, gave her a screen test, and cast her as the star. Then to make the movie happen, he brought in veterans from the Conan team: Raffaella as producer, Richard Fleischer as director, and Sandahl Bergman as the treacherous Queen Gedren of Berkubane.

My so-called cameo turned out to involve four whole weeks on the set. They shot all the Lord Kalidor scenes with three cameras, and then used the extra footage in the editing room to stretch Kaildor's time on screen. So instead of making a minor appearance, I ended up as one of the film's dominant characters. The Red Sonja poster gave twice as much space to my image as Brigitte's. I felt tricked. This was Dino's way of using my image to sell his movie, and I refused to do any promotion the following July when Red Sonja appeared.

Red Sonja was so bad that it was nominated for three Golden Raspberry awards, a kind of Oscar in reverse for bad movies: Worst Actress, Worst Supporting Actress, and Worst New Star. Brigitte ended up "winning" as Worst New Star. Terrible movies can sometimes be hits at the box office, but Red Sonja was too awful even to be campy, and it bombed. I tried to keep my distance and joked that I was relieved to have survived.

The biggest complication of Red Sonja for me was Red Sonja. I got involved with Brigitte Nielsen, and we had a hot affair on the set. Gitte, as everyone called her, [editor's note: they called her that because that was her name] had a personality filled with laughter and fun mixed with a great hunger for attention. After the shoot, we traveled in Europe for a couple of weeks before parting ways. I went home assuming our fling was over.

In January, however, Gitte came to LA to do the looping of the movie--the rerecording of dialogue to make it clearer on the soundtrack--and announced that she wanted a continuing relationship. We had to have a serious talk.

"Gitte, this was on the set," I told her. "It was fun over there, but it wasn't serious. I'm already involved with the woman I want to marry. I hope you understand."

"If you're looking for a serious relationship with a Hollywood star," I added, "there are guys around who are available, and they will flip over you. Especially with your personality." She wasn't thrilled, but she accepted it. Sure enough, later that year, she met Sylvester Stallone and it was love at first sight. I was happy for her that she'd found a good partner.

--pages 314-316

My plan was always to double my salary with each new film. Not that it always worked, but most of the time it did. Starting from $250,000 for Conan the Barbarian, by the end of the 1980's I'd hit the $10 million mark in pay. The progression went like this:

The Terminator (1984) $750,000

Conan the Destroyer (1984) $1 million

Commando (1985) $1.5 million

Red Sonja "cameo" (1985) $1 million

Predator (1987) $3 million

The Running Man (1987) $5 million

Red Heat (1988) $5 million

Total Recall (1990) $10 million

--page 338

Director Richard Fleischer's autobiography Just Tell Me When to Cry (1993) only mentions Red Sonja as an entry in his filmography.

Fleischer apparently cared so little about Red Sonja that he spelled the name of the star wrong. This is particularly egregious when you realize that Brigitte Nielsen changed her name at the request of the producers. We can get some insight from Schwarzenegger's description of working with him on Conan the Destroyer:

This time Richard Fleischer was the director. He'd been making movies in Hollywood for forty years, including some very memorable ones like Tora! Tora! Tora! and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It wasn't his idea to make Conan PG, but at age sixty-six he was happy to have a job and was not about to argue with the studio or Dino. They told him to make the tone more comic-book-like, more fantasy and adventure, and use magic castles instead of the Nietzsche and the gore. On Conan the Destroyer, Richard was a terrific director in every other way, but he was adamant that we stick to those guidelines.

--Total Recall, page 305

Brigitte Nielsen (born Gitte Nielsen) wrote about Red Sonja in her 2011 autobiography You Only Get One Life:

A beautiful summer’s day in Copenhagen and a voice from the life I’d left behind in Italy. David from Elite Models in Milan called me in July 1984. ‘Hey Gitte, how are you doing? How’s Kasper? [her husband] And Julian? [her son] Hope you’re well.’ The pleasantries left me a bit uncomfortable. I didn’t want to go back into that world again and I knew he had to be calling for a reason. ‘There’s a casting in town and they want to audition you for the lead role in a Hollywood movie. Are you ready for that?’

It was out of the question. For a start I was a model, not an actress and I was a family girl now. He was fine with that. ‘Your choice, but let me know if you change your mind.’ My parents and Kasper were impressed that I’d got the call. Kasper, in particular, had great faith in my talent. ‘Why not?’ was his typical laidback point of view. They thought it could be a good direction as an alternative to university. I began to consider the option seriously: I only needed to take a flight to Milan to give it a try. Within 24 hours I had called David back. ‘Okay,’ I told him, ‘I’ll meet the producer.’

I was agitated on the flight to Milan. What am I doing? I thought to myself. I felt awkward and wondered how I looked in my jeans and white tank top. As it turned out I was given a costume, along with 90 or so other hopefuls. I had a Viking outfit with a sword that looked as if it had come from a fancy dress shop and I was given six pages of script to memorize in 40 minutes.

I had no idea how to approach an audition and couldn’t decide whether to be angry with myself for having put myself in such an odd situation with all these girls I’d never met or simply to laugh hysterically. I took a couple of minutes to calm down while donning the funky warrior outfit and realized that, despite the pressure, I didn’t have time to learn the dialogue. Just do what you can, I thought. That helped a bit, but I felt so unprepared. I had the ridiculous costume on but I still felt naked. The giraffe in Viking’s clothing. What the hell - I could be on a plane heading back home to my family within two hours.

We were told the film was to be called Red Sonja, an adaptation of a comic published by Marvel. I’d never heard of either name so that didn’t help me at all. The whole atmosphere of the casting was completely different to anything I’d ever experienced as a model. I’d been to thousands of calls but here the girls were far more competitive. Everyone wanted that lead role so badly; you could smell the jealousy. Where hopeful models chatted with their rivals, even shared an apartment with them, it was all very bitchy here, very cold. It was quite funny in a way because it wasn’t my world and I knew I wouldn’t see any of them again. The sooner I could get out of that stupid costume, the better: this really wasn’t me.

When my name was finally called out I was introduced to the director, Richard Fleischer, who was sitting with two other men behind a long table. ‘Please, go ahead,’ he said. I gave them my most open Danish smile and told them I couldn’t remember anything of their script, not one word: ‘I’m not an actress, I’m so sorry.’ About the only thing I could do was raise the sword aloft -- so I did that.

‘Stop, stop, stop,’ said Richard. ‘Okay, don’t worry about the script, we’ll coach you through what we need you to do.’ He asked me to look as if I were really happy. Then I was to look confused - no problem there. Seductive was also pretty easy. I had to follow that by looking as if I was about to give up on everything and saving the hardest for last, I had to cry on request. Somehow I managed it all, though there was some laughter in the crying.

‘Thank you very much,’ said Richard in time-honoured directorial fashion. ‘We’ll be in touch.’ I felt very silly as I trudged out in my Viking gear. What the fuck am I doing here? That director must have thought I was a moron, I thought. I convinced myself that I had never wanted to be in a movie anyway.

I was in the dressing room when a plump little Italian woman summoned me back - ‘Mr. Fleicher wants to see you.’

The film’s producer was the legendary Dino De Laurentiis and he was in his office with Richard when I arrived. There was a desk with two sets of papers. De Laurentiis was a small man with a deep voice and a dominating presence. I seized the opportunity to drop the very few random Italian words I knew.

‘You speak Italian?’ he said. I laughed and told him I’d picked up some while modeling. ‘You did very well,’ he continued. ‘There’s the script and a contract. The part is yours. Whaddya want to do?’ There was a pause in which his words failed to sink in. This was like a Hollywood film in itself and I really couldn’t believe it.

So what I said was what I always said when faced with great moments in my life. ‘I don’t know - I’m not an actress. I’ll have to phone my dad.’ Unfazed, De Laurentiis turned the telephone on the desk to face me and slid it my way.

‘Hi Dad,’ I said and told him what I’d been offered.

‘Well… what do you want to do?’

‘I don’t know dad. They say I’m very good.’

‘Why don’t you go for it?’

We ended up agreeing that my dad would look over the paperwork for me. The director added that I would be starring opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger, a name which meant absolutely nothing to me: ‘The guy with the muscles.’ I said that it still didn’t sound familiar and anyway I don’t like big muscles. They laughed at me, the Danish backwoods girl, and it was all rather embarrassing. Arnold had already made The Terminator and Conan the Barbarian, [The Terminator had been shot but was not released until October 26, 1984] though he was still known as the bodybuilding superstar -- I really should have had some idea of who he was.

Filming was to begin at the end of September in and around Rome and was preceded by stunt training in London. I did riding - which I already knew well - and how to fight on horseback. I did my own stunts, including falling off a horse properly. For two months I lived in an apartment in London and with a Japanese fight specialist. Slowly I became Red Sonja. I was totally dedicated to the role and as always, completely professional in my work.

Leaving Julian was hard. I’d just stopped breastfeeding him before I came over and that process was tough enough. Now I had to go away, but when training began he came over with my mum; Kasper too. I was very busy but he shared my excitement at my new role. Shooting was to take seven months and combined this with taking care of the baby with the help of my family, but I could have done with just another couple of months of being with Julian full time. The adjustment was one more major thing to take on when there was so much else to learn. Evenings were often spent with a language coach, who helped me turn a very heavy Danish accent into something that could pass for the speech of warrior Sonja.

The trainers were very impressed with how much I already knew about horses and how quickly I took to the physical side of things, choreographing the fighting and the sword play. I would go on to do my own stunts for years to come almost as if I had become a real Viking. Just four months since giving birth and I had become very strong. I threw myself into discovering who Sonja was and learning the dialogue. It came very easily to me and I fell in love with her. She had two sides - the fearsome superhero you see at first and the sweet, intelligent and fair woman you get to know after a while.

Fantasy characters present particular difficulties for an actor in constructing a framework for their role and bringing it out of the realm of the cartoon, but the more I got to know Sonja, I found a mirror for aspects of myself as a woman. Having a baby made it easier for me to identify with her and how she had to balance love with power; the private with the public - that was really what it was all about for me.

Red Sonja saw me typecast as the emotionless super-villain character and that was just too bad. I guess my height and those icy Scandinavian features made it inevitable, but I always look back on Sonja herself, even though she was just a fantasy character, with great fondness and warmth: it was a good time. I was proud of what I’d created in that training period in London and ready to take on the shooting when the production got up to speed in Rome.

Being on set was a great experience. The crew had a way of working which suited me perfectly. I could see how this could become a passion for me in a way which modeling never was. There was magic to movie making which was meant for me. I was encouraged to create character and express feeling where as a model I was only ever told to be blank-faced. Looking pretty and having a good body were just physical attributes that I only had limited control over. On set none of that mattered if I couldn’t turn in a convincing performance - there was just so much creativity.

Even when the cameras weren’t rolling I wasn’t just Gitte. Everyone was calling me ‘Miss Nielsen.’ I was a star! One assistant would be manning the coffee machine, another tasked with making sure I had enough to eat. The attention alone was pretty cool and the life more than made up for the poor pay. I got just $15,000 for seven months of work, nothing compared to the sort of fee I could command as a model and probably less than the multi-million dollar production would spend on a secretary, but it didn’t matter: I was learning so much and having so much fun I would have done it for free. Everyone had to pull together as a team to make it work - from the director down to the guy sweeping the set. We all needed to make a huge effort to ensure the film happened and I loved that.

I soon learned the movie-making expression ‘hurry up and wait.’ Indeed, I spent most of my time hanging around for that moment when I would be deposited in front of the cameras and everyone would be ready. In that precise second everything would be silent and as the scene started I had to remember all the lines, all the moves - and bring them to life. Sometimes there were explosions going off and the set would be filled with fighting and fire but I still had to concentrate on my small section. It took a lot of getting used to but I felt I was coming home and at 21, I knew this was what I wanted to do. I still love that feeling and always have done, whatever film I’ve been on.

On set there’s always a sense of barely contained chaos and insanity; directors often work themselves into a fury making their ideas work. Everyone on set forms such intense relationships over the course of shooting and the sheer volume of different people working on individual tasks makes everyday a constant turmoil of creativity. And then somehow it works out at the end - it has to work out.

I soaked up the atmosphere and when shooting finished, I was very quiet and usually returned to my apartment. I lived near the coast outside Rome and Kasper and Julian stayed with me for awhile, but it just wasn’t practical with me working long hours and six-day weeks, and so they just ended up hanging around for no real reason. Julian was too small to have such constant upheaval in his young life and back home Kasper could get on with his music.

We took turns to visit and when we weren’t together I called every evening to find out how everyone was doing, but something had changed. The days with Sonja seemed to be longer and my conversations with Kasper shorter; we talked without actually saying anything. While we never failed to discuss how Julian was doing, we gradually stopped finding out how the two of us were doing. Before long we weren’t saying ‘I love you.’ Our chats were those of close friends, respectful but distant. Passion had been replaced by trust and routine; there was no longer any chemistry. It was quite a shock for me to realize that I couldn’t love him as I had and this was heartbreaking: I had been so sure that my feelings could withstand anything. As the months on location went by, I became increasingly upset about my personal situation - it was clear that we couldn’t go on.

It was mostly my fault. As things became more difficult with Kasper, I began spending more time with Arnold. Today, with the distance of time, I can see the tension stretched between life on a movie set and a home life hundreds of miles away but I wasn’t capable of managing the situations simultaneously and so I chose the nearest one. I thought that I had a big opportunity to make it in this new world and I gave it everything; there was nothing left of my creativity after working on dialogue, costumes and in the acting itself. I didn’t leave enough to maintain a relationship, let alone a family. Always tired, I didn’t have the wisdom to balance out the personal and the professional. When I was with Kasper and Julian I did really want to be with them, but there didn’t seem to be a workable compromise. My young head was filled with dreams I’d had since I was a kid, and so I went for it.

The crew had become a 143-strong ‘family.’ Groups of us would go out after our 16-hour days and Arnold sometimes came along. I was naturally very flirty and maybe there was already something there because of our roles in the movie, I don’t know: we were supposed to be in love on screen. Away from the cameras, superstar Arnold was charming, kind and confident in himself. Very down-to-Earth, though his body always seemed impossible - you couldn’t ignore it when we were running around half-naked in our battle gear! He was so out of proportion, it was crazy. I can’t say that the look did much for me but he was an incredible sight.

The two of us had energy between us, not only as actors but also as two real people. What started as fictional characters became part of us. It was also hardly news in Hollywood that two people working in the charged atmosphere of a film set might get into some inappropriate situation; that was the way it was. You could be briefly thrown together with someone you found attractive and then, unfortunately, you had to go back to reality. It wasn’t any different Arnold and me.

It started with longer conversations about everything and anything. Work was tiring and the intensity didn’t just evaporate as shooting finished. At length it channeled itself into an outrageous affair, and we both knew that when the film was finished so were we. Time was limited so we didn’t hold back - we really made the most of it. The set lights would barely be off before we disappeared to do our thing: we wanted time to ourselves and we wanted to try everything. And when we were alone, that’s exactly what we did. Afterwards, I would be back as the rookie actress and he was back to thinking about his dreams, his goal - a long way down the road - of being the governor of California. Even then.

[Brigitte talks more about Arnold’s political aspirations, the ending of her marriage to Kasper]

I traveled a lot and had the next four months of my life mapped out in my contract to do publicity for Red Sonja.

[Brigitte talks about leaving Julian with her parents, which would end up going on for 5 years. Negative media coverage about her divorce.]

I not only promoted Red Sonja without my first child and my husband but also without my own name. Being told that ‘Gitte’ sounded ridiculous was not a big deal in relative terms, but changing the identity my parents gave me didn’t do anything for my self-esteem at that point. I wasn’t Hollywood enough as Gitte, said producer Dino De Laurentiis. ‘What about Brigitte?’ he asked me. I guessed I thought it was fine.

[Brigitte talks about having two identities. Gitte, the shy rule following homebody and Brigitte the risk taking movie star.]

--pages 93-106

The biography Dino: The Life and Films of Dino De Laurentiis (2004) by Tullio Kezich and Alessandra Levanstesi takes pains to avoid any mention of Red Sonja. The book notes that after Conan the Barbarian the producer and Schwarzenegger “worked together again on Conan the Destroyer and Raw Deal.” Skipping over their work on Red Sonja (page 253).

That is all the books associated with the creators of Red Sonja, but there is another source. The July 1985 issue of Prevue magazine had a lengthy interview by Steranko with Nielsen.

Even if she did not have a mane of rich, reddish hair, tape in at 36-24.5-36.5 or measure just half-inch less than six feet tall [Her autobiography says she is 6’2”. Wikipedia says she is 6’1”.] Brigitte Nielsen would be a standout sensation. The 21-year-old beauty is following a host of charismatic models who have parlayed their magic into cinematic stardom. As an international queen of high fashion photography, she won the title role of Red Sonja in a worldwide search which considered more than a thousand possibilities. Born and educated in Copenhagen, Denmark, the lithe and lissome actress embarked on the filmmaking adventure that took her back to a barbaric age when swordplay battled sorcery for the domination of the world. As the lead character (created by writer Robert E. Howard of Conan fame), she is supported in the action fantasy by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sandahl Bergman, both of whom appeared in the original Conan epic.

Nielsen discussed the production with PREVUE in New York, where she hopes to live after the film’s summer release. Like Red Sonja, she was direct, charming and compelling, with extraordinary presence - even without a sword.

PREVUE: Red Sonja is a fiery warrior woman who matches Conan deed for deed. Has an Amazon been hiding inside you, just waiting to leap out?

NIELSEN: Not really. I’m just naturally bursting with energy.

PREVUE: Describe Sonja to me.

NIELSEN: She’s a woman in a man’s world doing a man’s job. In the beginning of the story she’s raped and her family is killed by an evil queen. So, out of anger, she swears revenge and takes an oath never to allow herself to be loved by a man unless he has defeated her in battle. A vision gives her special powers, and with her sword, Stormbringer, she becomes invincible. She doesn’t need any man’s help!

PREVUE: What personal attributes did you use to create her?

NIELSEN: Now that you mention it, I am a bit like Sonja: very outgoing and not afraid to stand up for my opinions. I take care of myself because I’ve had to - since age 16, I’ve lived alone. I’ve been all over the world, working with photographers I didn’t know at strange studios, always presenting a strong image.

But, my modeling made me comfortable in front of the camera: I’m not nervous with 300 people watching me. I can blank out lights and technicians and concentrate on getting the job done.

PREVUE: What part of Red Sonja isn’t part of your personality?

NIELSEN: She doesn’t like men!

PREVUE: Had you seen the Conan films?

NIELSEN: Yes, that’s a story in itself! When I watched Conan the Barbarian, I said to a friend, “I wish I could play a character like Sandahl Bergman” - she was Valeria. Now, three years later, I’ve done it!

PREVUE: How did you make the connection with Red Sonja?

NIELSEN: I was in Milan for a three-week modeling job when Dino De Laurentiis called from New York to ask if I’d test for Sonja. Truthfully, I had no idea who Dino De Laurentiis was! So, I made a few calls - you never know who’s a crackpot - and when I said, “De Laurentiis,” they said, “Go for it!” So, I flew to Rome to meet him.

He’d searched for Red Sonja for about a year-and-a-half when he saw one of my magazine covers, and had his people find out who I was. He thought I looked right for the character, and asked if I could act. I said “I have no idea, I’ve never tried!” So, they sat me on a tall stool, had me talk about myself, and asked me to read four or five pages from the script. Then, Dino took me into his office - and the script and contract were there waiting for me! It happened so fast, I was confused. I didn’t know who to call, so I took a chance - and accepted.

I wasn’t scared - I was in shock! I woke up Monday morning, and realized I’d landed the title role!

PREEVUE: It must have taken some detective work to track you down in Milan. Maybe it was fate that put you so close to Rome.

NIELSEN:Yes, it was strange because I was tiring of modeling, and thought a bit about acting. But, who do you call and what do you say? Besides, a model is just another pretty face to movie producers.

PREVUE: You can get their attention much more quickly when you’ve got a sword in your hand. How did you prepare for the role?

NIELSEN: I went to London for five weeks, took sword fighting lessons, rode horses everyday and read through the script with my dialogue coach.

PREVUE: Why did they send you to London instead of Rome?

NIELSEN: They gave me a choice; I preferred London because I have a Danish accent - going there would help me speak English better because I’d hear it all the time.

PREVUE: How many languages do you speak?

NIELSEN: Five - Danish, German, Italian, English and Swedish or Norwegian, which is very similar to Danish.

PREVUE: Then you really had no problem communicating with Dino.

NIELSEN: No; I walked in and said, “Bon juorno, signor De Laurentiis; como estas?” He liked that.

PREVUE: Did you have to put on weight or muscle, or reshape your body for the role?

NIELSEN: No, I’m very athletic, and I didn’t want to start bodybuilding for bigger muscles. I’m very tall and naturally muscular, so I did gymnastics and horseback riding to get into better shape.

PREVUE: After training, did you fly directly to Rome to shoot the film?

NIELSEN: Yes. I met Arnold when he was there for a fitting one morning. I was a bit shocked - he’s so big!

PREVUE: Did you discuss your character with the diretor, Richard Fleisher, at that point?

NIELSEN: A little bit. He wanted me to flesh out the character myself, and he’d make changes when we began filming.

PREVUE: How did you handle the responsibility of having a multi-million-dollar production resting on your shoulders?

NIELSEN: I’ll be honest with you - I never really thought about it. Up to then, I was just into my character, doing my job and I didn’t realize how many people were working on the production. I never knew much about movies, how much they cost, who makes them. I was a model.

PREVUE: I’m not sure whether that attitude is very courageous or crazy.

NIELSEN: When the chance comes up, why not take it? I’d never tried, but I thought I could do it.

PREVUE: Acting and modeling are similar in many ways: make-up, costuming, props, an ambiance. Incidentally, how were the costume fittings for Sonja?

NIELSEN: I tried many outfits until settling on a tight snakeskin top with laces and a leather mini-skirt. Four costumes were made for me - and I wore them all out! The biggest surprise was the first time my stunt double wore the outfit, because he was a man - the top competitive athlete in Italy, in fact! At first, I thought, “My God, he’s my double?” But, his body is like mine - long and slim. So, when he put on the costume and wig, he looked just like me! You see, there were certain stunts and high jumps I couldn’t do. But, I performed all the swordfights, riding scenes and a lot of other action. We were all very lucky because nobody was seriously hurt. Of course, there were welts when we hit each other accidently, but that's nothing. I’m not a swordswoman - I’d only had a month’s practice! Sandahl has been working with weapons for several years. She almost lost a finger during Conan, and Arnold’s double, who also worked that picture, almost got his throat cut this time.

PREVUE: What kind of swords did you use?

NIELSEN: Metal encased in rubber; others were fiberglass. Even so, I got nicked a few times. But, we had excellent stunt coordinators: Vic Armstrong in Britain; Sergio Mioni in Italy. Kiyoshi Yamazaki was the swordmaster during filming. We trained in groups in a big gym at the hotel.

PREVUE: Riding horses is usually a problem in this kind of film. For example, the small outfit you wore must have caused your thighs to rub raw.

NIELSEN: They were black and blue until we found a solution: padded material between my legs and the horse. Nevertheless, I loved every day. It was one of the best times of my life.

PREVUE: What did you find irritated you the most?

NIELSEN: WAITING! It can be very tiresome, but as a model, I’ve learned to be patient.

PREVUE: What did you do between set ups?

NIELSEN: Read fashion magazines, talked to crewmembers, drank coffee or rested for an hour - it was very hot.

PREVUE: What was your average day like?

NIELSEN: We stayed at a hotel 30 kilometers outside Rome, five minutes from the studio. Morning calls were at 5:30am, so I woke up at 5:00, rushed through the bathroom to a waiting car and had breakfast at the studio. After two hours of make-up, everybody was on-stage by 8:00. We broke for lunch about 1:00, shot until 7:00, worked out for about an hour, showered and went to dinner. Then to bed

PREVUE: Did you watch your dailies?

NIELSEN: No; Fleischer didn’t want us to be self-conscious about our performances.

PREVUE: Arnold is well-known for breaking up on-set monotony with his perverse sense of humor. Were you one of his victims?

NIELSEN: No, but I heard stories about the Conan shoots, and thought, “What am I getting into?” Arnold brought two Danish friends with him, Sven and Eric, who were in the Conan films. They were all funny; really had me laughing. For instance, all the actors were sitting at the dinner table, and a very sophisticated couple was next to us. As the woman began screwing the top of the pepper mill around, Arnold and his pals started groaning and pretending to grab themselves under the table. I thought it was funny, but the couple didn’t!

PREVUE: Did you ever get a serious case of giggles during a scene?

NIELSEN: Oh, yes! This darling little kid, Ernie Reyes, who plays Prince Tarn, would make funny sounds and facial expressions just before the camera came on me, and always break up! And once I got started, I couldn’t stop!

PREVUE: What was the funniest moment on the set?

NIELSEN: The grotto scene. Pat Roach, a professional wrestler who plays Brytag, the keeper of the gate, was lying on a huge bed with Sven and Eric on each side as costumed bodyguards and about 50 soldiers encircling the room. Eric and Sven were supposed to attack me- Eric came first and took one or two sword strokes before I “killed” him, but the director didn’t like the action. He told Eric to do it like a man. Now, Eric’s a big guy and was very embarrassed. So, he’s got something to prove and says, “You mean like this?” and brings his sword down very hard on what he believes is the bed, but is really Pat’s knee. Everybody laughed - except Pat!

PREVUE: In a long shoot packed with action scenes, there’s bound to be some wounded egos. Arnold once told me about the time he was knocked over by a horse - very un-Conanish. Or the time he jumped onto a saddle and fell off his mount.

NIELSEN: Oh, yes. I remember he came running down some stairs to jump on a horse - but it walked away. Arnold ended up sprawled in the dust.

PREVUE: Stunts aside, does Red Sonja find a man as strong as she is?

NIELSEN: Well, Arnold’s character falls in love with me, but I despise him in the beginning. Then, I see he’s very helpful and sympathetic towards me. At one point, as I get ready to sleep, he takes my hand, embraces me and kisses me. I push away, saying “No, I can’t do this because I’ve vowed no man can have me unless he can beat me in a fair fight.” He smiles and says, “So, let’s fight.” He thinks he’s stronger than me, but after a long battle, we’re equal and at the end of the picture, he again asks, “What about right now?” We cross swords, look at each other, kiss and the film ends.

PREVUE: So you never make love?

NIELSEN: No. And I never show anything.

PREVUE: Well, that calls for a sequel. Was that a difficult emotional scene for you?

NIELSEN: No; that honor goes to the encounter I have with Sandahl - she’s the evil queen - just before our climactic battle at the film’s end. Another rough scene was the beginning, when I’m an 18-year-old. I’m taken into the house by raiders, tied to the table and raped as my family is killed and the house is set on fire. That was tough - lots of screaming and crying.

PREVUE: Can you cry on cue?

NIELSEN: Oh, yes. I screamed so loud I got hysterical and started to cry.

PREVUE: In real life, are you a very emotional woman or a cool Nordic goddess?

NIELSEN: I’m very secure and strong. But sometimes I do get upset: I go 100% into things. When I’m happy, I’m very, very happy, but when I’m upset, I’m very upset.

PREVUE: What things upset you the most?

NIELSEN: In work, not getting a scene right. Personally, friends and love: if I care very much for somebody and I lose them, I become very upset.

PREVUE: How do you ward off that depression when you have to go to a shoot and be beautiful, happy and casual?

NIELSEN: During a film, one is not oneself. Acting is playing another person. And being upset often supplies extra energy, especially for very emotional scenes. Playing the role exaggerates the feeling. It’s not a problem until I take off the costume - and I’m by myself. Then, I put on some music and tell myself life goes on. Music helps me to overcome loneliness. I’m not married, engaged or even dating steadily. Sometimes I have a boyfriend, but I can’t be with someone if I’m not in love. And it’s not easy to fall in love.

PREVUE: What kind of man appeals to you?

NIELSEN: Most girls say, “I like a tall, dark haired man with muscles.” But I’m more interested in a man who’s sure of himself and secure. I’m crazy and outgoing; I need a man to control me. I don’t like to take over a relationship. I want a capable, confident, dependable man - a “rock” - and a strong, sharing relationship. I’ve had tall muscular boyfriends and small skinny ones; that’s not what really matters.

PREVUE: How important is physical appearance to you?

NIELSEN: It depends. When I meet new people, I’ll take an hour in front of the mirror to look my best, to feel secure. It doesn’t matter if I am beautiful; if I feel beautiful, I think in a different way.

PREVUE: What are your beauty secrets?

NIELSEN: I’m an imposter, because I eat everything I like to eat even though I shouldn’t. But I like to eat even though I shouldn’t. But, I love good food. I try to do things that make me feel good. I don’t say, “I have to eat carrots today;” I’d get fat being nervous.

PREVUE: So, you don’t do anything special to stay in shape?

NIELSEN: I used to swim a lot, not to stay in shape, but because I loved to swim. During filming, I worked out every night, but I don’t have to do gymnastics everyday to stay in shape. Some people need to go everyday, some just three times a week.

PREVUE: As a model, what do you think is your best feature?

NIELSEN: My height, my athletic build and my long legs. I don’t have a beautiful face.

PREVUE: Did being tall as a child set you apart from your friends?

NIELSEN: Yes, it’s always been very difficult. I was tall, skinny and underdeveloped - taller than some of my teachers, taller than all the boys! And I had terrible teeth. I had braces for four years. I had to change schools six times! In two of them, the boys beat me up because I was so tall. And I had loads of nicknames - Giraffe, Matchstick. They said I’d blow away in the wind. It was terrible. Then the summer between ninth and tenth grades, I finally developed, got rid of my braces and cut my hair. I was another person when classes began - and suddenly my whole life changed! I became a model; boys came to me saying, “Oh, you’re great, you’re beautiful, you’re tall, you’re slim, you have long legs.” I gained self-confidence and worked to make lots of money.

PREVUE: It’s the tale of the ugly duckling who grew up to be a swan. Are your parents very tall?

NIELSEN: My father is 6’4”.

PREVUE: You’ve been away from home for a long time; were you rebellious about following your own path?

NIELSEN: I have a wonderful relationship with my parents. But when I was 14 and went out, my father wanted me home early. He held me back from certain things I now realize were useless, but then I just knew my friends could be out two hours longer. At 16, I was ready to leave home; I was through school - Danish law only requires ten years of attendance. I spent two months at another school when I was asked to model, and I thought “Why not?” My dad said, “I know you can take care of yourself. I hope everything works out for you.” So. I left on the 5:00 am second-class train to Hamburg, Germany. I arrived at my hotel at 6:00 and rang the bell, but it was snowing and freezing and no one opened the door. I slept two hours outside in the snow, and then called my parents, crying that I didn’t want to be a model. But, I did anyway. Then, I went to Paris and one day - boom! - I started to work. Six months later, I had bookings in New York.

PREVUE: So you found yourself in the world’s top fashion magazines. Will you be an instant sex symbol when the film premieres?

NIELSEN: I hadn’t really thought about it. But, I hope people like the way I look and act.

PREVUE: Have you signed on to sequels to Red Sonja?

NIELSEN: No, but I’d like to do them.

PREVUE: Are you considering moving to the United States?

NIELSEN: I’m planning to move to New York, but I don’t think I’ll be able to do American characters here because of my Danish accent.

PREVUE: What kind of films would you like to make?

NIELSEN: I loved Red Sonja - it was fun to play a fantasy character. But, I’d also like to play contemporary women - more romantic, more realistic.

PREVUE: Will your height get in your way?

NIELSEN: I don’t know. They can do many things in film, like stand my male co-stars on a box. Many actors are small.

PREVUE: You mean you’d sit Al Pacino on your lap.

NIELSEN: I might do that. You never know! I love Al Pacino and Dustin Hoffman. It also depends on my character. If I play an insane wife dominating her husband, height wouldn’t matter. With Arnold it was no problem; he’s a little taller than me.

PREVUE: Will you continue to take modeling assignments?

NIELSEN: I don’t think so; I was tired of it. It’s a dead end for personal fulfillment, and that’s boring; I like to learn new things all the time. And I love a challenge.

PREVUE: But, modeling is very demanding.

NIELSEN: Sure, but of two million models, only five will become famous. It’s like acting - it’s hard to be a Pancino or DeNiro.

PREVUE: What jobs pay the most?

NIELSEN: Catalogs pay a lot of money, and commercials even more. But, what really counts is Vogue, which pays almost nothing, but offers quality exposure. And, although catalogs pay well, agencies won’t hire models they don’t know. I came to New York a few months to work on Vogue and prepare for Bloomingdale’s and all the other $2,500-a-day assignments. I tried to get a Vogue cover but they just laughed at me. I’m not blue-eyed and I don’t have that commercial smile. With a girl like me on the cover, one-third of the Vogue buyers will love it, one-third won’t notice and one-third will hate it. American Vogue Covers sell because everyone thinks they’re pretty; people buy the book without really thinking about it. They use the same five models for a whole year; the covers are almost interchangeable.

PREVUE: If you hadn’t become a model, what would you have done?

NIELSEN: Studied - possibly languages. But, there’s always been something in me wanting to get out there, to try something new rather than going to school. I might have tried singing, too. I trained for two years, but stopped when I began modeling. I love to sing; I do it every day to train - and not just in the shower, either! I also like to dance, and I play the piano and guitar. Maybe I’ll start that again too.

PREVUE: What are some of your long-range goals?

NIELSEN: I’ve made one film and survived it - that’s where I’d like to continue. I want producers to regard me as a good actress they can use. I hope to find a wonderful boyfriend and settle down more than I have for the past five years - I’ve traveled quite a lot.

PREVUE: Settle down at 21?

NIELSEN: I’ve done so many things already. I feel older than 21; I’ve been through everything. I’m really happy with acting, though - it’s fantastic. I hope to get better, work on other films and eventually establish myself. Success is one thing I don’t mind! And if anyone objects - well, I’ve always got my sword handy!