|
Can you
recall you very first ambition in life when you
were younger?
Yes, I wanted to be a detective or a spy. I was
about six or seven years old. I remember getting
dressed in overcoats and hats. I loved the city
offices so my bedroom became a city office. I
had a little desk and I used to come in and go
over my notes and make phone calls…the whole
thing! The first I wanted to be was an
undercover spy or a detective and be seedy. I
wanted to be really seedy.
Were you thinking about acting at the time?
No I didn’t have any idea of acting then. My
first acting desires began when I was about
10…when I moved out to California and went to a
taping of the Eddie Fisher Show. There were some
young kids about my age on the show and that was
the first time I wanted to be someplace else
other than where I was. I thought I would rather
be up on the stage than sitting in the audience.
So did you immediately begin pursuing an
acting career?
No, I spent a lot of time vacillating
back-and-forth when I was still in college about
what I was going to do. People kept telling me I
shouldn’t pursue acting because there are
millions of people trying to make it, so I
started out by studying sociology and
psychology. But then I finally ended up in
theatre and I spent most of my time in school in
the theatre Department. Then I did a
professional show and right after that, I
returned to New York.
Where did you go to school?
In Los Angeles. I moved out here with my mother
when I was around ten years old, shortly after
my parents split up.
Did your parents divorce really affect you a
lot?
Yes, my whole world caved in then. Between the
ages of ten and twenty I didn’t see my father at
all because he was living in New York, where I
was brought up.
How did you feel when you saw your father
after all those years?
It was very difficult at first. I didn’t know
him and I couldn’t easily accept him as my
father and he couldn’t see me as a son and it
took a good five years to really get a relation
ship going. It wasn’t a father-and-son thing –
it was just human being to human being and we
had to get all that kid of garbage out of the
way and start over. So right now, we are at a
very good place relationship-wise.
Do you feel that perhaps you turned to acting
to gain some acknowledgement and acceptance
because of your childhood experiences?
Well, I think for me acting was a good form of
self-expression, because personally I tend to be
very quiet and very mild-mannered. But when I
get into an acting role, I can forget about all
those things and get into another area that
might not be accepted easily in my personal
life.
What have you done career-wise that you have
been most proud of?
I would say probably right now The Rookies. Its
represented a great deal of growth for me. On
this show, there has been so much going on and
the growth has been tremendous as far as I am
concerned – both personally and professionally.
Have you ever met Michael Ontkean who you
theoretically “replaced” in The Rookies?
No, I ve never met him but I have a strong
feeling that I d really like him. I hope to
someday. He is doing a lot of writing now from
what I understand. I wish people would stop
comparing me to him – I didn’t really replace
him.
Transcribed by Christos Spirou for use on The
Rookies Online:
http://www.therookies.gr
For entertainment purpose only. No profit or
copyright infringement intended.
|
