Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
American actor best known for playing the young intern in the television series 'Dr. Kildare'.
On the island
Eight records
None But the Lonely HeartFavourite
not given in transcript
In conversation
Presenter asks
0:41Did you do a lot of student drama at college?
Yes, I did. I spent most of my time in the theatre there, to the dismay of my other teachers.
Presenter asks
1:25Being California based, your sights were set on television and films mainly — did you find work easy to come by?
No, I didn't. I found it impossible for about two years. And then I found a very good agent who began to get me work in television as a freelance actor.
Presenter asks
3:28This [fame from Doctor Kildare] must have made a lot of difference to your life — apart from the financial side, did it make a lot of difference?
Well, yes, it changes one's life completely because one suddenly becomes public property. Um, literally for a television sort of hero.
Presenter asks
4:27The keepsakes
The luxury
So after five years you discarded Doctor Kildare. What next?
I went to New York and did some what we call summer stock, two plays. And then Philadelphia story and private lives. Um, and then I went back to California and then I was offered breakfast at Tiffany's. The musical. Very big musical. Yes. And I was thrilled to death about it really, and went to New York and we worked very hard on it and played it out of town for a couple of months and then proceeded to go back into New York and flop miserably, disastrously with it.
Presenter asks
5:38Then you decided to come and live here in Britain for a spell. Why was that?
Well, I had an intuition that this was the place where I could get the best training. And where I could have the opportunity of playing the greatest variety of roles, and it turned out to be true.
Presenter asks
6:15How did you feel about [playing Hamlet] when you were given the proposition?
Well, I was I found it a terrifying idea, and in fact turned it down about ninety-nine percent, I left myself that one percent of choice. And then began to study the play and fell in love with it and thought, well I probably would never get another opportunity. So I said yes. Besides, I felt rather safe being in Birmingham. I didn't think the London papers would come up and review it.
“Well, it seemed to me I always wanted to be an actor. I've always been fascinated by the theatre.”
“I was almost immediately drafted into the army, and spent two years serving in the army. Yes. In Korea, yes. Luckily after the war. Well, it was [rough] because we were isolated in a tiny Korean village the whole time for sixteen months and there was almost nothing to do. It was very, very boring.”
“[Cyril Ritchard] wrote me a note after the great crash rather and said, you know, it's a good thing that it happened now because failure is very much a part of our business and it's about time you find out.”
“The acting is really my great love. The directing is fascinating. I'm not sure I know enough to do it. But that remains to be seen, I think.”