How's your Wild West accent coming along? Do you sound like Yosemite Sam? "No, we're working with the mythological West of American movies, and Antonio is archetypically based on Clint--High Plains Drifter."

So you're playing Antonio, "The Merchant" himself? "I am. I believe it's the smallest title role in Shakespeare."

Ever ridden a horse? "I was very young, but my grandfather in Vermont had horses when I was a kid, so I rode them growing up. Once you get past the initial terror, it's not so bad."

Why Clint for Antonio? Isn't Antonio kind of melancholy? "Well, Clint's melancholy. But Paul Mitri, the director, says that every Antonio he's ever seen was kind of a wuss, and he wanted an Antonio who would be feared--and who is more feared in Western mythology than Clint?"

Is there an Eli Wallach? "I know the name...."

He's the ugly in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. "Well, this is a strange Western, there's no preacher and there's no sheriff--it's a lawless little town. We have a Jew."

Who's John Wayne? "The Duke is John Wayne."

Of course. How about Gary Cooper? "Ooohh, I don't know if we have a Gary Cooper."

How can you not have a Gary Cooper? "I honestly don't know. But probably Bassanio is the closest we get to Gary Cooper."

Who's Bassanio? "Bassanio's basically the hunky love interest. There's this whole thing about Antonio loving Bassanio, and Bassanio's borrowing money from Antonio so he can try to win Portia. So the working theory is that Antonio is in love with Bassanio, but he's also Clint, so that presents a conflict for him."

Because Clint would never suck dick?

"Clint would never be caught showing any interest in sucking dick--whether Clint would suck dick or not, that's another question."