Ever the creative polymath, David Bowie had a fascinating acting career that ran parallel to his music career. His roles were legion: The Man Who Fell to Earth’s Thomas Jerome Newton, an alien who went looking for water for his home planet and found sex, booze, and a chambermaid instead; Nikola Tesla in The Prestige; and even Lord Royal Highness in SpongeBob — because why not? He even parodied his own untouchable coolness in Extras and Zoolander. But perhaps his most notable role came in 1986 when he slipped into Jareth the Goblin King’s oversized hair and ultra-tight pants for Labyrinth.
The plot is deceptively simple: A young Jennifer Connelly, playing the role of the spoiled and dreamy young woman Sarah, fights her way through an M.C. Escher-like maze to save her brother from the clutches of an evil Goblin King. Meanwhile, Bowie is given the best job of all: hanging out with Jim Henson puppets, singing catchy pop songs, and strutting his way into millennial children’s nightmares forever. For many millennials of a certain age, this was our introduction to Bowie, a musician, actor, and creator who, even at his most down-to-earth, felt larger than life.
Which is why, as we honor what would be his 77th birthday on January 8, the eight years since his passing, and the creative legacy he left behind, we’re returning to Labyrinth’s puppet-populated corners for a fond look back. Here are a few things you might not know about the iconic film.
Why David Bowie signed on to the movie
Despite literal laughter from his peers at the thought of him appearing in a kids’ movie, Bowie eagerly signed on to Labyrinth. But how do you snag a performer for your project who already appears to have everything? Easy — give him all the creative control he craves.
“I’d always wanted to be involved in the music-writing aspect of a movie that would appeal to everyone, and I must say that Jim gave me a completely free hand with it,” Bowie recalled in an early interview. “The script itself was fun, and it also had a lot of heart. So, I was pretty well hooked from the beginning.”
Bowie wasn’t the only potential Goblin King in the mix
In another time and place, we might not have had David Bowie’s iconic Goblin King performance. Other names in line to slip into Jareth skin-tight slacks included Michael Jackson, Sting, Mick Jagger, and even an unnamed puppet — an idea that was nixed early in the process when director Jim Henson realized the story needed more humanity. However, Henson’s son John was a huge Bowie fan. And given that the rocker had already proved his otherworldliness as both characters on records (see: Ziggy Stardust and the Thin White Duke), and on-screen (that would be 1976’s The Man Who Fell the Earth), it became a no-brainer for Bowie to enter the Labyrinth.
Yes, David Bowie’s tight pants were intentional
Speaking of the scandalous trousers that launched a thousand sexual awakenings, yes, Bowie’s costume — including its, um, super-tight nether regions — was intentional. As reported in an interview with co-star Warwick Davis, there were at least seven pairs of socks in the mix. And as concept designer Brian Froud noted, it was part of the Goblin King’s devil-like allure. Check out the armor-like leather jacket, crystal walking stick, and oversized hair — a look that screams 1980s bad boy.
Bowie can’t actually juggle crystal balls
With all due respect to those who believe Bowie can do anything, the creative polymath did have a few limitations. When it came time for Jareth to perform his now-iconic crystal ball juggling, Michael Moschen had to offer an assist. To make the performance look seamless, the choreographer would hide behind Bowie, sticking his arms out to create the illusion that the Goblin King was working overtime — a trial-and-error process of juggling blind that initially frustrated Moschen and cracked Bowie up.
Toby still lives in the puppet world
Sometimes, we find our calling at a very young age. While Brian Froud was busy debating goblin-worthy codpieces, his son, Toby, was busy starring as the sweet-faced baby who was kidnapped and brought into the Labyrinth. Having started his life with his father’s creations littering the house, Toby reportedly took very little issue with his goblin puppet babysitters, so much so in fact that scenes where he was meant to be upset had to be filmed very quickly before naptime. And while Toby Froud has no direct memories of filming, he loves the fact that he had a close encounter with Bowie.
“I grew up a huge fan of his music — and knowing I sat in his lap!” he told Portland Monthly. “I believe the first time I met him, I peed on him, but I haven’t met him since.”
Today, Froud has followed in his father’s footsteps, working in special effects and character design. Still a fan of Labyrinth, he’s also known to occasionally pop in to cosplay events.
Director Jim Henson received a special on-set visitor
Jim Henson was a friend and collaborator with George Lucas, helping to bring Yoda to life for the Star Wars movies. So, it made sense that when it came time to start filming Labyrinth, Lucas — an executive producer on the project — would return the favor. On the first day of filming, he showed up on set with none other than Darth Vader himself to wish Henson luck.
Most of the special effects were practical
While the owl that appears in the opening and closing of the film is one of the first CG-animals to grace the big screen, the majority of the effects in Labyrinth are practical. Which means scenes like the Bog of Stench, the hundreds of ghastly helping hands, and the terrifying cleaners — all those elements had to be built from the ground up by hundreds of creatives. When it came time for Jareth and Sarah’s M.C. Escher-inspired chase scene, that also meant intense storyboarding and a Bowie stand-in willing to be dragged in multiple takes — all in the service of making the magic happen.
Where the Wild Things Are’s Maurice Sendak did not like the film
While today Labyrinth has many fans, Maurice Sendak was never one of them. The late author found the script to be too close to his novel Outside Over There, which was also about a young girl rescuing her brother from goblins. It also didn’t help that in some of the early drafts of the screenplay, the goblins in question were referred to as “wild things.” His lawyer reportedly sent a cease-and-desist letter. However, a gentleman’s agreement was reached, and the film’s credits read, “Jim Henson acknowledges his debt to the works of Maurice Sendak.”
Hoggle now lives in Alabama
While Jennifer Connelly went on to win an Oscar for 2001’s A Beautiful Mind, and Bowie continued to be Bowie in all the best ways possible, not all the film’s players went on to such illustrious futures. The puppet Hoggle, who guided Sarah through the Labyrinth while learning a very important lesson about the meaning of friendship, was lost in transit, only to end up in Scottsboro, Alabama. (Imagine opening up a trunk to find a human-like face staring back at you.) He’s still displayed at the city’s Unclaimed Baggage Museum.
The film was initially a box-office flop
Much to the devastation of Jim Henson, Labyrinth was initially a commercial failure, making only about $12.9 million in the U.S. of its $25 million price tag. Reviews were kind about the aesthetics but were otherwise harsh — Roger Ebert, in particular, wrote, “Some real thought went into it, and the David Bowie soundtrack is fine, yet there’s something missing. It never really comes alive.” However, its heartfelt story and imagination, mixed with a fair amount of camp, gradually won over audiences, making the film a midnight-movie viewing staple. Thankfully, it was a turning of the tide that Henson lived long enough to enjoy. Labyrinth might have been the last film he ever directed, but its creative legacy lives on.
Laura Studarus is a Los Angeles-based travel writer who has contributed to Fast Company, BBC Travel, and Thrillist. Follow her on Twitter at @Laura_Studarus.
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