The Gyro vs. Jedediah Controversy Settled

[HUMVEE Driver]

Ok guys and girls. Its time to settle this...


I'm talking about that Gyro Captain/Jedediah controversy. I think we all know the story, but for those who don't:


Bruce Spence played two similar characters in The Road Warrior and Beyond Thunderdome. In The Road Warrior his character had no name but was called 'Gyro Captain' in the credits. In Beyond Thunderdome he wasn't named either, but in the credits he was called 'Jedediah the Pilot.' The controversy is whether he is supposed to be the same guy or not. I am of the opinion that he is the same guy.


So I'm going to present my case.


First of all, common sense. Why would George Miller (or anyone else) pick the same actor to appear in a sequel but as a different character? Not only a different character, but as a character very similar to one in the previous movie? It doesn't add up. Also, Bruce is a rather distinctive looking guy. I find it hard to believe he is supposed to be thought of as a different guy. Let's see: he plays a conniving shyster with a goofy sense of humor who flys aircraft. So are we to believe that there are two very similar conniving shysters with goofy senses of humor who fly aircraft in the Mad Max world? Imagine if they met.


"Hey what do you do?"


"Well I sneak up on people and steal from them."


"Hey, so do I!"


"Yeah, I usually say something funny when I steal."


"So do I!"


"My thing is flying aircraft."


"Damn, mine too!"


Not the greatest dialog, but I hope you get the point.


Second, the popular opinion of the layman. I've asked everyone I can imagine about this, from my mom to non-fans to friend's girlfriends. Not one has thought they were different guys. Hey, mom isn't ever wrong.


I've saved my strongest argument for last: evidence from the movies. Gyro showed an obvious interest in Max in The Road Warrior. I don't think he would forget him. (Nor would Max forget Gyro). So with that being stated...


Ok, their first 'meeting', "Sayonnora, sucker!" I think Max would have thought of Gyro as the one who robbed him. The M.O. is the same. Max may have even heard Gyro's taunt. That will come up later.


Their second 'meeting'. I think this is the best piece of evidence in the 'one character' theory. As Max is walking into Bartertown, Gyro SPOTS him and SMILES. To me, his smile says 'That Max, I knew he would turn up.' He obviously recognizes Max. If Gyro was a separate character he would have never seen Max before, and hence not recognized him. You might say Jedediah saw Max when he robbed him, but going as fast as he was? Besides, Max's face was fully covered by his robes. This seems very concrete to me.


Third meeting. "You! You got a plane!" Here, Max recognizes Gyro. Max may have heard Gyro at the robbery, but not seen him. So, Max sees him, recognizes him as the flying thief, and it all comes together. If Gyro was a different character, I doubt Max would have been so 'friendly'. But he knows Gyro to be a good guy and accepts his help, and his trust, right away. If Gyro didn't know Max, why would he help Max at all? He had nothing to fear from the Bartertown guards; he may have even profited from Max's capture. Gyro surely had some guns laying around to protect himself. But, Gyro knows what kind of man Max is, he remembers what they have been through, and he jumps to help him.


Now there is the argument that Gyro rode off into the sunset to lead the Great Northern Tribe. Who's to say he wouldn't have left them? His son is about the right age to fit in the chronology, and he sure does look like Arkie Whitley.


There is also the argument of the interview with someone, can't remember if it was George or not, but they stated the two were different characters. I personally am suspicious of this. I would need to see some hard evidence rather than hearsay. For me, it would take nothing less than George Miller standing up and stating that Gyro and Jedediah are two different guys.


As I've stated, this is my opinion and my opinion only. I'd like to invite everyone to debate this. I know this discussion has been raised many, many times. But, hey, that is what the discussion forum is for, right? I'm even going to put it to a vote. You all know my vote. As of right now, the 'one guy theory' - 1, the 'two guy theory' - 0.


HUMVEE Driver


"I'll see you on the road!"

[Big Bopper Bart]

I too always figured they were the same guy,it was several years after Mad Max2/TRW in the story line with Beyond thunderdome so Max already being a onry and cold person he wouldn't exactly warm up to him and just start gabbing about old times.imho Gyro Capt.and Jedediah are one in the same.

[Anklecranker]

Read the Starlog 1985 post............ This is the "interview" that proves Gyro and Jedediah were two different characters. For years I concluded they were the same, but the article written during filming differs and sets the record. This information was hard for me to accept. I too saw many parallels.


"While traveling in the desert in his camel-drawn vehicle, Max is overtaken by a small methane-powered plane flown by the freewheeling bandit Jedediah and his son. Although the two characters bear no relation to each other, Jedediah is played by Bruce Spence, who was the much-loved Gyro Pilot in Road Warrior. Jedediah succeeds in taking off with all of Max's worldly goods, leaving the hero to perish in the desert"

[Big Bopper Bart]

But it seemed MIller was trying to add similarities between the two charactors.Why make them so alike and why make it soo plausable thier charactors being the same person?

[Tom Millan]

Hmmm... Interesting..... I too believed in the one character theory. I never like it when a sequel brings back a same face to play a different role. Miller should have written Jedediah with still the sarcasm BUT a little more difficult to deal with and more differences than the Gyro captain in RW.








Hmmmm..... Maybe they're lost twins........ Naaa.........








Tom

[Anklecranker]

There were more similarities than differences.

[Tom Millan]

True but Miller should have been more original with Jedediah. There should have been compareable differences. I'm sure that abunch of us can agree. I hope.





Tom

[Deaths Head]

For a long time I thought Jed/Gyro were the same but now I do not, along with the Starlog article and a bit of thought over the years I now see why they are not. The director wrote a similar part and cast the same actor because he enjoyed working with him. This isnt the first time.


In the Fistfull of Dollars Trilogy (Fistfull, For a Few Dollars More, Good the Bad and The Ugly) Sergio Leone cast Lee Van Cleef in the second film as a black clad gunslinger named Col. Mortimer. In the 3rd film he was cast again as a different character Angel Eyes. To some one looking at the movie cover or only seeing part of the film they could appear to be the same guy but they are not. They both were almost the same in appearance and were both good pistol shots/quick draws, but they were not the same character. Sergio just liked the actor and brought him back in a new part. Mario Brega was in all three movies playing different heavies.

[bert]

the way max and jebediah interacted with each other always had me thinking jebediah and the gyro captain were two different characters.

[04GTInterceptor]

I think that they are the same character. Like I said in another post, how many different people would be flying aircrafts in the wasteland? One big difference between the two are the teeth. In Road Warrior they are almost rotted. In Thunderdome they are almost perfect. Perhaps Bartertwon has good dentists.