Mark Zupan is guy that you never want to battle in any court. Even though Zupan is a quadriplegic he still retains enough power of movement to make him the captain of the United States quadriplegic wheelchair rugby team. Zupan first came to fame as one of the stars of the Oscar nominated documentary Murderball and since then hes become the spokesman for the sport. Now Zupan explains everything about his life in his new book, Gimp: When Life Deals You a Crappy Hand, You Can Fold -or You Can Play.
Buy Gimp
Daniel Robert Epstein: Are you at work?
Mark Zupan: Yeah, I am a civil engineer.
DRE: Hows that going?
MZ: Good, this is the second day Ive been here in maybe three and a half months.
DRE: Because of the book tour and all that?
MZ: Well, just everything. Ive been busy with the book, with rugby and I do lectures as well.
DRE: Youre a big star now.
MZ: I dont know about big star. Im just recognized. Its odd. Its definitely different from everyday life. Two years ago I wouldnt have told you that Id be doing what Im doing.
DRE: So what made you sit down and decide to write this book?
MZ: I got approached. Someone said, Hey you want to write a book? I was like, Ok. I didnt really sit there and say, Yeah this is something that I planned on doing. Dana Shapiro, one of the directors of Murderball came up and said, Hey, did you ever think of writing a book? I said, No but I guess I could. He was like, Here Ill hook you up with a literary guy and we went from there.
DRE: What was the process of writing the book?
MZ: I worked with Tim Swanson who is the West Coast Bureau Chief at Premiere Magazine and this is the first book hes ever written. So it was a new experience for both of us.
DRE: Were you actually sitting there typing or did you work with him?
MZ: I worked together with him. How it initially started was that I wrote up my speech and put an outline together of my life and the stories and what have you. He interviewed a bunch of my friends to get more in-depth with it and then hed write some, hed send it over and Id change some things and wed go from there. It was a lot of talking on the phone.
DRE: In the book you dont talk a ton about rugby. Was that because you felt it was covered enough in the movie?
MZ: We went into more of the process of getting hurt and going through what you have to go through. We touched on rugby to an extent. The book could have been double the size. We just found that it worked how we had it. We just touch on rugby because I have so many stories from rugby. You dont want the book to sit there and go, Mmmm, please hurry up, lets finish this part and go on. We wanted to keep it moving.
DRE: Was it a difficult process to forgive your friend that caused you to be in a wheelchair?
MZ: No, I forgave him the day he walked into the hospital. Shit happens. Its not his fault I was in the back of the pickup truck. Its not his fault that I broke my neck. It is his fault that he drove. But its all about choices you make. If we made these choices individually and didnt string them together, then life would have been totally different. Its just thats how life is, you make one choice and another choice falls into it and then you go from there so it wasnt very difficult. Weve had hard times and we had difficult stuff to talk about but it is all part of life.
DRE: Did you have this great attitude even before the accident?
MZ: Yeah Ive always pretty much been this way. If somebody means something to me and shit happens, Im going to forgive you. Its just a matter of time.
DRE: I read that you said getting hurt was the best thing that ever happened to you.
MZ: Yeah if you look at what Ive been able to do and see, its amazing. Ive met more people and experienced more things as a result. So it has been the best thing.
DRE: Were you into sports before the accident?
MZ: Ive always been athletic. I was playing college soccer. Ive always played sports in my life and I was playing college soccer at the time and I found rugby and it pretty much completed everything. Now I had an outlet.
DRE: How was going to the Academy Awards?
MZ: It was cool, surreal, odd, strange, different. Its not something that I would have thought that I would ever have gotten to do in my life. It was a lot of fun. We got to meet a lot of cool people and we got to experience a different side of what we usually see on TV.
DRE: What did the movie do for the sport of wheelchair rugby?
MZ: It changed not only the perception of the sport but the perception of people in chairs. It brought something that wasnt necessarily in the mainstream into the mainstream. People look at people in chairs and they feel bad but now its like, Hmmm, maybe they play sports. It just piques their interest. It makes it not hidden. It answers questions people dont want to ask. It breaks every stereotype and every misconception you have about somebody in a wheelchair.
DRE: Youve become a hero to a lot of disabled people, how are you dealing with that?
MZ: Its just been strange. I get emails left and right and people are like, Thank you for living life. Thank you for doing this. Thank you for doing that. Im like, Dude, Im just trying to live life. If you take inspiration out of what I do, thats cool. Thats not something necessarily that I set out to do. I just want to live life. I want to get as strong as I possibly can and do as well as I possibly can in rugby and life.
DRE: I interviewed [rival wheelchair rugby player] Joe Soares for the theatrical release of Murderball and he said the rivalry between you guys was pumped up for the movie.
MZ: No, I dont get along with him. I could give a shit if he got hit by a bus. There are people in life that you dont get along with. He just happens to be one of them. Let me put it to you this way, I wouldnt go sit down at a bar and have a beer with him. Hes not coming over for Thanksgiving dinner.
DRE: Is there a maximum age that people can keep playing wheelchair rugby or do you just keep doing it until you dont want to anymore?
MZ: It is until you cant perform. Its not like I can say, Im going to play until Im 50 and then I wont be on the team. Ive got to try out every time. I was one of 12 people out of 500 to make this team. So if you dont perform you get cut. Thats how it is.
DRE: How did you end up in Jackass number two?
MZ: I befriended [Jackass co-creator and director] Jeff Tremaine after we did an episode of Jackass. When they were making the movie they said, You want to be involved? I said, Hell yeah, I want to be involved. That was a hell of a lot of fun.
DRE: I know youre back at your job but would you do more stuff like that or do your own thing?
MZ: Id consider it. Its not something that Im going to sell my house and go move to LA and say Hey Im an actor. But Id like to pursue some of that stuff. It piques my interest.
DRE: I read this movie youre in Z: A Zombie Musical. Im assuming thats an independent movie.
MZ: Yeah, I think its a B movie. Someone in Austin said, Hey, you want to be part of it? What I always do is I say, Yeah.
DRE: Do you sing in it?
MZ: No. You aint going to get me singing. Theres no way in hell. I dont like to hear myself sing, let alone have anybody else hear me sing.
DRE: You have quite a few tattoos, when did you start getting them?
MZ: I have about 20 now. Before I got hurt I wanted one and then I got hurt in 93 and I got my first when I was 19 years old and then the rest has been a process. Im waiting until my artist gets some time and Im going to go down and get a bit more done.
DRE: Whos your artist?
MZ: I have a couple but the newest guy that Ive been using is Ami James, the guy from Miami Ink. Hes a friend of mine and he did the last big tattoo I have. Im just going to have him continue on.
DRE: Do you eventually want to have full body?
MZ: I dont think so but Im still young. Right now I have my leg to my knee and my arm to my elbow on opposite sides. I like the contrast.
DRE: Are they designs or are they characters people would recognize?
MZ: No, theyre all tribal in black. I like my tattoos dark and black.
DRE: I heard about this movie that James Mangold might direct based on Murderball. Are you going to be involved with that?
MZ: I dont know. Theyre still trying to get all the paperwork through and what have you. I dont know the logistics of it. When it starts to come together Im sure Ill be involved to an extent just because it is my life.
DRE: Who would you want to play you?
MZ: Fuck, I dont know. I have no idea. Thats probably one of the strangest questions you could ever ask. Its like, So, if they were going to do a movie on your life who do you want to play you? I dont know. But Ive heard Matt Damon mentioned.
DRE: Thatd be great. He doesnt look totally unlike you.
MZ: Shave his head, give him some facial hair and there you go.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
Buy Gimp
Daniel Robert Epstein: Are you at work?
Mark Zupan: Yeah, I am a civil engineer.
DRE: Hows that going?
MZ: Good, this is the second day Ive been here in maybe three and a half months.
DRE: Because of the book tour and all that?
MZ: Well, just everything. Ive been busy with the book, with rugby and I do lectures as well.
DRE: Youre a big star now.
MZ: I dont know about big star. Im just recognized. Its odd. Its definitely different from everyday life. Two years ago I wouldnt have told you that Id be doing what Im doing.
DRE: So what made you sit down and decide to write this book?
MZ: I got approached. Someone said, Hey you want to write a book? I was like, Ok. I didnt really sit there and say, Yeah this is something that I planned on doing. Dana Shapiro, one of the directors of Murderball came up and said, Hey, did you ever think of writing a book? I said, No but I guess I could. He was like, Here Ill hook you up with a literary guy and we went from there.
DRE: What was the process of writing the book?
MZ: I worked with Tim Swanson who is the West Coast Bureau Chief at Premiere Magazine and this is the first book hes ever written. So it was a new experience for both of us.
DRE: Were you actually sitting there typing or did you work with him?
MZ: I worked together with him. How it initially started was that I wrote up my speech and put an outline together of my life and the stories and what have you. He interviewed a bunch of my friends to get more in-depth with it and then hed write some, hed send it over and Id change some things and wed go from there. It was a lot of talking on the phone.
DRE: In the book you dont talk a ton about rugby. Was that because you felt it was covered enough in the movie?
MZ: We went into more of the process of getting hurt and going through what you have to go through. We touched on rugby to an extent. The book could have been double the size. We just found that it worked how we had it. We just touch on rugby because I have so many stories from rugby. You dont want the book to sit there and go, Mmmm, please hurry up, lets finish this part and go on. We wanted to keep it moving.
DRE: Was it a difficult process to forgive your friend that caused you to be in a wheelchair?
MZ: No, I forgave him the day he walked into the hospital. Shit happens. Its not his fault I was in the back of the pickup truck. Its not his fault that I broke my neck. It is his fault that he drove. But its all about choices you make. If we made these choices individually and didnt string them together, then life would have been totally different. Its just thats how life is, you make one choice and another choice falls into it and then you go from there so it wasnt very difficult. Weve had hard times and we had difficult stuff to talk about but it is all part of life.
DRE: Did you have this great attitude even before the accident?
MZ: Yeah Ive always pretty much been this way. If somebody means something to me and shit happens, Im going to forgive you. Its just a matter of time.
DRE: I read that you said getting hurt was the best thing that ever happened to you.
MZ: Yeah if you look at what Ive been able to do and see, its amazing. Ive met more people and experienced more things as a result. So it has been the best thing.
DRE: Were you into sports before the accident?
MZ: Ive always been athletic. I was playing college soccer. Ive always played sports in my life and I was playing college soccer at the time and I found rugby and it pretty much completed everything. Now I had an outlet.
DRE: How was going to the Academy Awards?
MZ: It was cool, surreal, odd, strange, different. Its not something that I would have thought that I would ever have gotten to do in my life. It was a lot of fun. We got to meet a lot of cool people and we got to experience a different side of what we usually see on TV.
DRE: What did the movie do for the sport of wheelchair rugby?
MZ: It changed not only the perception of the sport but the perception of people in chairs. It brought something that wasnt necessarily in the mainstream into the mainstream. People look at people in chairs and they feel bad but now its like, Hmmm, maybe they play sports. It just piques their interest. It makes it not hidden. It answers questions people dont want to ask. It breaks every stereotype and every misconception you have about somebody in a wheelchair.
DRE: Youve become a hero to a lot of disabled people, how are you dealing with that?
MZ: Its just been strange. I get emails left and right and people are like, Thank you for living life. Thank you for doing this. Thank you for doing that. Im like, Dude, Im just trying to live life. If you take inspiration out of what I do, thats cool. Thats not something necessarily that I set out to do. I just want to live life. I want to get as strong as I possibly can and do as well as I possibly can in rugby and life.
DRE: I interviewed [rival wheelchair rugby player] Joe Soares for the theatrical release of Murderball and he said the rivalry between you guys was pumped up for the movie.
MZ: No, I dont get along with him. I could give a shit if he got hit by a bus. There are people in life that you dont get along with. He just happens to be one of them. Let me put it to you this way, I wouldnt go sit down at a bar and have a beer with him. Hes not coming over for Thanksgiving dinner.
DRE: Is there a maximum age that people can keep playing wheelchair rugby or do you just keep doing it until you dont want to anymore?
MZ: It is until you cant perform. Its not like I can say, Im going to play until Im 50 and then I wont be on the team. Ive got to try out every time. I was one of 12 people out of 500 to make this team. So if you dont perform you get cut. Thats how it is.
DRE: How did you end up in Jackass number two?
MZ: I befriended [Jackass co-creator and director] Jeff Tremaine after we did an episode of Jackass. When they were making the movie they said, You want to be involved? I said, Hell yeah, I want to be involved. That was a hell of a lot of fun.
DRE: I know youre back at your job but would you do more stuff like that or do your own thing?
MZ: Id consider it. Its not something that Im going to sell my house and go move to LA and say Hey Im an actor. But Id like to pursue some of that stuff. It piques my interest.
DRE: I read this movie youre in Z: A Zombie Musical. Im assuming thats an independent movie.
MZ: Yeah, I think its a B movie. Someone in Austin said, Hey, you want to be part of it? What I always do is I say, Yeah.
DRE: Do you sing in it?
MZ: No. You aint going to get me singing. Theres no way in hell. I dont like to hear myself sing, let alone have anybody else hear me sing.
DRE: You have quite a few tattoos, when did you start getting them?
MZ: I have about 20 now. Before I got hurt I wanted one and then I got hurt in 93 and I got my first when I was 19 years old and then the rest has been a process. Im waiting until my artist gets some time and Im going to go down and get a bit more done.
DRE: Whos your artist?
MZ: I have a couple but the newest guy that Ive been using is Ami James, the guy from Miami Ink. Hes a friend of mine and he did the last big tattoo I have. Im just going to have him continue on.
DRE: Do you eventually want to have full body?
MZ: I dont think so but Im still young. Right now I have my leg to my knee and my arm to my elbow on opposite sides. I like the contrast.
DRE: Are they designs or are they characters people would recognize?
MZ: No, theyre all tribal in black. I like my tattoos dark and black.
DRE: I heard about this movie that James Mangold might direct based on Murderball. Are you going to be involved with that?
MZ: I dont know. Theyre still trying to get all the paperwork through and what have you. I dont know the logistics of it. When it starts to come together Im sure Ill be involved to an extent just because it is my life.
DRE: Who would you want to play you?
MZ: Fuck, I dont know. I have no idea. Thats probably one of the strangest questions you could ever ask. Its like, So, if they were going to do a movie on your life who do you want to play you? I dont know. But Ive heard Matt Damon mentioned.
DRE: Thatd be great. He doesnt look totally unlike you.
MZ: Shave his head, give him some facial hair and there you go.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
VIEW 14 of 14 COMMENTS
kitschy said:
She's actually his wife, now.
fuck...
Its great to watch Zupan with the Jackass guys too ...