Roy Scheider interview
1
EDITORIAL ROUTING 9-21'93 TO: ENTER AINMENT sixtysomething Scheider dives into his latest role By Frank Lovece The title of producer Steven Spiel- berg's new super-submarine series is "seaQuest DSV," with the initials standing foi "deep submergence ve- hicle." But given the extraordinary array of female villains and angry, bitter women in the premiere, critics and industry wags have taken to call- ing it "seaQuest PMS." Even star Roy Scheider agrees. "When I got out here," says the vet- eran star of "Jaws" (1975), "All That Jazz" 0979) and other films, "there were 18 guys writing the show, and most of them didn't know their (fump) from a hole in the ground about marine research" - despite the presence of technical adviser Robert D. Ballard, the explorer who found the sunken remains of the Ti- tanic. "And most of them," Scheider goes on, "hadn't written for women, or didn't know any women. A lot of those writers are gone now," he notes. "The plain-talking passion, "audiences have to get into the characters. Never mind the toys and the special effects - be- cause if the characters don't mean anything to you, why are people gonna turn you on?" The weathered yet authoritative- looking Scheider speaks from an equally authoritative background. Though his last starring role in a movie hit was in 1983's "Blue Thun- der," he has continued to prove as ver- Some actors like myself, who get to the age of 60, are still thought of by producers and directors as 40, but Iooking older. I haven't made the jump (to Indisputably, however, Scheider was born in Orange, N.J., and became interested in acting while at Franklin & Marshall College in Pennsylvania. "I saw a production of 'Billy Budd,' and it just knocked me out," he re- members. "I tried out for the next show, and then it was three-and-a- half years of college theater. I told my father at the graduation ceremo- ny - I didn't even say I wanted to be an actor, I said I am an actor." Scheider spent two years with the Air Force after college, then made his professional theater debut in 1961 with the New York Shakespeare Fes- tival. Primarily a theater actor - he won an off-Broadway Obie award in 1968 - Scheider broke into movies with the drive-in flick "The Curse of the Living Corpse" (1964). Scheider also did several soap operas early on, including "The Secret Storm" and "Search for Tomorrow," and starred in the 1972 ABC pilot "Assignment: Munich" (which evolved into the series "Assignment: Vienna," with Robert Conrad replacing him in the lead role). He has a 30-year-old daughter from his first marriage, which ended in di- vorce after 25 years, and a 3-year-old son from his present marriage, to ac- tress and documentary filmmaker Brenda King (who had a cameo in the "seaQuest DSV" pilot, playing the holographic image of Bridger's late wife). And like his new character, Scheider has an affinity for water. So much so, in fact, "I'm building a house on the beach in Long Island." The beach in Long Island? Isn't that where the shark attacked in ttJaws"? "Yeah," Scheider agrees with a chuckle. "Seems a natural for me, doesn't it?" 01993 NEWSPAPER ENTERPRISE. ASSN. o o o o 5 € o o o ! o o o x o o 2 o € o tt o D o t a following shows will have more three being) the aging agtqf lffi?::i"""'women and other char- ini"in.y now tind the Scheider, who makes his prime- time-cast debut on the NBC Sunday- night show, plays Capt. Nathan Bridger, commanding officer of a fan- tastic deep-sea exploratory vessel in the year 2018. His supporting cast in- cludes Stephanie Beacham ("Bever- ly Hills 90210"), as Dr. Kristin Westphalen, and Don Franklin ("The Young Riders"), as Commander Jonathan Ford. But so far, the most attention has gone to the show's behind-the-scenes personnel - primarily, executive pro- ducers Steven Spielberg and Rockne S. O'Bannon. Both are known as spe- cial-effects kind of guys - Spielberg as the director of "Jurassic Park" and other blockbusters, O'Bannon as screenwriter of "Alien Nation" (1988) and a writer for the 1980s "The Twi- light Zone" and Spielberg's antholo- gy series "Amazing Stories." Yet the gosh-wow part of "seaQuest DSV" is what impresses Scheider the least. "What I kept telling these people when I first came out here is, 'You didn't put enough emphasis on who these characters are, and why they want what they want.' If we want this show to run," Scheider says with right parts for, satile in recent films like "The Russia House" (1990) and "Naked Lunch" (1991) as in his past hits. Very few actors have the range to play both the off-the-wall, obsessive choreographer of "All That Jazz" and the restrained, down-in-the-dirt sidekick cop of "The French Connection" (f 971), fcir which he earned an Academy Award nomi- nation. So why isn't he doing more promi- nent older-actor roles, a la his "French Connection" partner, Gene Hack4an? "Some actors like myself, who get to the age of 60, are still thought of by producerg and directors as 40, but looking older," Scheider says. "I haven't made the, jump like Jason Robards or Gene Hackman, the aging actor who they now find the right parts for." Ironically, even two standard movie reference books make this error: Ephraim Katz's "The Film Encyclopedia" and James Monaco's "The Encyclopedia of Film" each er- roneously lists a birthdate that makes Scheider 57. FRANK LOVECE STAR VIEW SE lli I z ld € v, tt D b i4 fr irl z Fl hl F rE E a t3l a (n o o D q 6 z N) O o FU 0) 3 .o z o € 5 H tf t ll o rA O) O) @ O I N) N) tJ I F @ lJ O)
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Nationally syndicated newspaper column (NEA, September 21, 1993). By Frank Lovece
Transcript of Roy Scheider interview
EDITORIALROUTING 9-21'93TO:
ENTER AINMENT
sixtysomething
Scheider dives into his latest roleBy Frank Lovece
The title of producer Steven Spiel-berg's new super-submarine series is"seaQuest DSV," with the initialsstanding foi "deep submergence ve-hicle." But given the extraordinaryarray of female villains and angry,bitter women in the premiere, criticsand industry wags have taken to call-ing it "seaQuest PMS."
Even star Roy Scheider agrees."When I got out here," says the vet-
eran star of "Jaws" (1975), "All ThatJazz" 0979) and other films, "therewere 18 guys writing the show, andmost of them didn't know their(fump) from a hole in the groundabout marine research" - despitethe presence of technical adviserRobert D. Ballard, the explorer whofound the sunken remains of the Ti-tanic.
"And most of them," Scheider goeson, "hadn't written for women, ordidn't know any women. A lot of thosewriters are gone now," he notes. "The
plain-talking passion, "audiences haveto get into the characters. Never mindthe toys and the special effects - be-cause if the characters don't meananything to you, why are people gonnaturn you on?"
The weathered yet authoritative-looking Scheider speaks from anequally authoritative background.Though his last starring role in amovie hit was in 1983's "Blue Thun-der," he has continued to prove as ver-
Some actors likemyself, who get to theage of 60, are stillthought of byproducers anddirectors as 40, butIooking older. I haven'tmade the jump (to
Indisputably, however, Scheiderwas born in Orange, N.J., and becameinterested in acting while at Franklin& Marshall College in Pennsylvania."I saw a production of 'Billy Budd,'and it just knocked me out," he re-members. "I tried out for the nextshow, and then it was three-and-a-half years of college theater. I toldmy father at the graduation ceremo-ny - I didn't even say I wanted tobe an actor, I said I am an actor."
Scheider spent two years with theAir Force after college, then madehis professional theater debut in 1961with the New York Shakespeare Fes-tival. Primarily a theater actor - hewon an off-Broadway Obie award in1968 - Scheider broke into movieswith the drive-in flick "The Curse ofthe Living Corpse" (1964). Scheideralso did several soap operas early on,including "The Secret Storm" and"Search for Tomorrow," and starredin the 1972 ABC pilot "Assignment:Munich" (which evolved into theseries "Assignment: Vienna," withRobert Conrad replacing him in thelead role).
He has a 30-year-old daughter fromhis first marriage, which ended in di-vorce after 25 years, and a 3-year-oldson from his present marriage, to ac-tress and documentary filmmakerBrenda King (who had a cameo in the"seaQuest DSV" pilot, playing theholographic image of Bridger's latewife). And like his new character,Scheider has an affinity for water.
So much so, in fact, "I'm buildinga house on the beach in Long Island."
The beach in Long Island? Isn'tthat where the shark attacked inttJaws"?
"Yeah," Scheider agrees with achuckle. "Seems a natural for me,doesn't it?"
01993 NEWSPAPER ENTERPRISE. ASSN.
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afollowing shows will have more three being) the aging agtqflffi?::i"""'women
and other char- ini"in.y now tind theScheider, who makes his prime-
time-cast debut on the NBC Sunday-night show, plays Capt. NathanBridger, commanding officer of a fan-tastic deep-sea exploratory vessel inthe year 2018. His supporting cast in-cludes Stephanie Beacham ("Bever-ly Hills 90210"), as Dr. KristinWestphalen, and Don Franklin ("TheYoung Riders"), as CommanderJonathan Ford.
But so far, the most attention hasgone to the show's behind-the-scenespersonnel - primarily, executive pro-ducers Steven Spielberg and RockneS. O'Bannon. Both are known as spe-cial-effects kind of guys - Spielbergas the director of "Jurassic Park" andother blockbusters, O'Bannon asscreenwriter of "Alien Nation" (1988)
and a writer for the 1980s "The Twi-light Zone" and Spielberg's antholo-gy series "Amazing Stories." Yet thegosh-wow part of "seaQuest DSV" iswhat impresses Scheider the least.
"What I kept telling these peoplewhen I first came out here is, 'Youdidn't put enough emphasis on whothese characters are, and why theywant what they want.' If we want thisshow to run," Scheider says with
right parts for,
satile in recent films like "The RussiaHouse" (1990) and "Naked Lunch"(1991) as in his past hits. Very fewactors have the range to play both theoff-the-wall, obsessive choreographerof "All That Jazz" and the restrained,down-in-the-dirt sidekick cop of "TheFrench Connection" (f 971), fcir whichhe earned an Academy Award nomi-nation.
So why isn't he doing more promi-nent older-actor roles, a la his"French Connection" partner, GeneHack4an? "Some actors like myself,who get to the age of 60, are stillthought of by producerg and directorsas 40, but looking older," Scheidersays. "I haven't made the, jump likeJason Robards or Gene Hackman, theaging actor who they now find theright parts for." Ironically, even twostandard movie reference books makethis error: Ephraim Katz's "The FilmEncyclopedia" and James Monaco's"The Encyclopedia of Film" each er-roneously lists a birthdate that makesScheider 57.
FRANKLOVECE
STAR VIEW
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