SHOW BUSINESS - ACTORS - 1930s-1940s





PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS VOICE FOR THE VOICELESS:
Storyline: The mellifluous baritone finds, loses and refinds his voice in his ongoing struggle to claim himself against a personal and societal backdrop of abandonment and prejudice, while proving himself to be a memorable presence even when unseen.
James Earl Jones (1931) - American actor. Outer: Of African/American descent, as well as Choctaw and Irish. Father was Robert Earl Jones, a prizefighter who became an actor, then left his family before his son’s birth. Taken at 6 to the the Michigan farm of his maternal grand/parents, and only saw his mother occasionally afterwards. Began to stammer so badly, he could only communicate through writing. His subsequent sense of abandonment would scar the rest of his life. Forced himself to join debating teams and enter oratorical contests as a high school student, and overcame his handicap by the time he graduated. 6’1”, well over 200 lbs., and increasingly larger as he has gotten older. Enrolled at the Univ. of Michigan on a scholarship to study medicine, but found a far greater interest in dramatics, and joined the school’s drama program. Served in the army under its ROTC program, and almost made the military his career. Enrolled at NYC’s American Theater Wing under the G.I. bill. Waxed floors with his father while both pursued their theatrical ambitions, the son soon out-shining his sire. Made his Broadway debut in his mid-20s, and appeared in numerous productions, as well as spending several seasons with the NY Shakespeare festival. The turning point in his inner life came when he played the lead in Jean Genet’s “The Blacks,” and he began to see those of African descent as tragic heroes. Married actress Julienne Marie in his mid-30s, later divorced. In 1982, he married actress Cecilia Hart, one son from union. Notable as both Othello and Emperor Jones in the Eugene O’Neill play of the same name, then established himself with the role of boxer Jack Johnson (Magic Johnson) in “The Great White Hope,” winning the Tony Award for his efforts in 1989, as well as later recreating his characterization for the screen. Began his film career in his mid-30s with Doctor Strangelove, and worked steadily in that medium over the next several decades, as well as expanding into television, ultimately starring in two TV series a decade apart, “Paris” and “Gabriel’s Fire.” Won a 2nd Tony Award in his mid-50s, for his role in “Fences.” His distinctive rich baritone was the voice for the villainous Darth Vader in the Star Wars Trilogy. His career has continued unabated in film, TV and the stage, and he has also appeared as a spokesman in commercials, bringing a good-humored dignity and imposing presence to all his well-wrought characterizations. Inner: Well-read, disciplined, albeit removed from the civil right’s movement, preferring to use the stage and screen as his private pulpit of integrative equality. Healing lifetime of dealing with the issues of abandonment and building on the successes of his previous incarnation in this series, without succumbing to the unhappy pressures of proving himself as a minority in a world that still has great difficulty in seeing beneath surfaces.
Charles S. Gilpin (1878-1930) - American actor and singer. Outer: Of African/American descent. Father was a laborer in a rolling steel mill. Mother was a nurse. Youngest of 14. Attended a black Catholic school until he was 12, then learned the printing trade. Appeared in theaters and restaurants as a singer, before leaving Richmond in 1896 and joining a minstrel show. Although he was stranded after two towns, he was picked up by another troupe which also went bankrupt, forcing him back into the printer’s trade in Philadelphia, where he also helped train prizefighters. Married Florence Howard at 19, one son from the union, which ended in divorce. Joined other traveling troups, as well as hooking up with George Walker (Little Richard) and Bert Williams (Sidney Poitier), and eventually became part of the first legitimate black theater company in Chicago, the Pekin Stock Co. Became a leading man for them in both drama and opera. Married a 2nd time to Alice Bynum. After further touring, he went to NYC, where he was the star of a black stock company, the Lafayette Theater Company. Wore whiteface as a villain in one piece, but ultimately resigned over a wage dispute. Played his first Broadway role in his early 40s, and became a huge star through Eugene O’Neill’s “Emperor Jones,” the play which later brought actor Paul Robeson to prominence. Became the first African-descended actor to play a major role in an American tragedy. Became identified with the play, although his versatility saw him in many roles. Eventually lost his voice, however, and was forced to retire. Suffered a breakdown at life’s near-end, and died shortly afterwards. Inner: Strong-voiced to voiceless lifetime of transcending fears and prejudices through the sheer dint of his skills, although ultimately internalized his struggles at the end of his career, and did himself in through the burden he had been forced to carry as an exemplar of a talented minority in a hard-hearted majority-oriented world.
James Hewlett (?-1840s) - West Indian/American actor. Outer: Little really known of his life. From a family of mixed descent, which was black on his father’s side, and white on his mother’s. Born in the West Indies, although his family was American. By 1816, he was singing professionally, while working as waiter in NYC. Mulatto, and of middle height. Despite being poorly educated, and unable to read well, he became an actor, and quickly established himself as a presence upon the stage. Became a principal player for the African Grove Theater in NYC in the early 1820s, a briefly run all-african company. His signature role for them as Richard III. Worked in Saratoga during the summers, and NY in the winters, and eventually disappears from the records in the 1840s, at which point, he probably died. Inner: Act one lifetime of a multi-act affair of integrating himself into a recalcitrant culture through the sheer dint of his talent and relentless drive to be someone whom everyone takes notice of, no matter how blind they are to anyone of any other shade than white.
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PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS ANGRY MASTER CRAFTSMAN:
Storyline: The intemperate artisan finally comes to grips with the great rage at the root of his craft, and in so doing, climbs out of his own self-created shadow to accept the mantle of greatness, without cannibalizing his talent in the process.
Anthony Hopkins (1937) - English/American actor. Outer: Born in the same small town in Wales as Richard Burton, and spent a longtime under his imposing shadow. Had a blue-collar upbringing, with little interest in formal education or authority. Both parents were bakers, father was often given to dark moodiness. Suffered feelings of isolation and displacement as an only child, and a lonely sense of failure while growing up. After 2 years of military service, he decided on an acting career, and went to school in Cardiff, then transferred to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. 5’8 1/2”, with a prominent head. Made his stage debut in his early 20s, and his London debut 4 years later, proving himself to be a masterly actor, filled with passion and intelligence, but also obsessed with technique. Married actress Petronella Barker at 30, one daughter, Abigail, a musician, from the union, later divorced in 1972. The following year, he wed Jennifer Lynton, a former production assistant, no children from the 2nd union. Despite the longterm relationship, he characterized himself as a wanderer, spending more time with actress/model Joyce Ingalls than his wife in the latter stages of the union. Specialized in Shakespeare and the classics for the next 2 decades as a leading figure for the National Theater. Well-respected for his abilities although far from at peace with himself. Often angry and doing battle with the bottle, he quit his prestigious place, prompting his director to view him in the same terms as Burton, ambitiously self-deceptive. Went to Broadway where he triumphed in “Equus,” and then stayed in America for 10 years, while he continued his heavy drinking. Made largely unmemorable movies in Hollywood, and also appeared on TV. Waking up in a motel room in Phoenix after a binge, without remembering how he got there, he walked into an AA meeting and has been dry since 1975. An avid reader, he turned to self-help books to put him where he wanted to be, an integrated artist who could channel his anger and ambition directly into his performances. Became an unabashed Amerophile, breaking down some of his British internal reserve, while embracing the far more optimistic culture of the colonies. In 1992, he was knighted and won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance as a cannibalistic murderer in Silence of the Lambs, and his career zoomed into high profile, with a variety of well-received and intelligently conceived characterizations in his subsequent movies, becoming one of filmdom’s most heralded and prestigious actors, despite professing a profound distaste for his profession in his early 60s. Moved permanently to Southern California in 1998, and subsequently became an American citizen, much to the vocal chagrin of his native land, where he still retains dual citizenship. Divorced in 2002, he married Stella Arroyave, an antiques dealer, the following year. Made his directorial debut in 2006 with Slipstream, scoring and scripting the film as well. Inner: Initially depressed, repressed and angry, unable to integrate his talent with his self. Took a long road to maturity while battling the drunken ghost of Richard Burton. Finally able to take himself less seriously, undoing his inner self-important Englishman. Highly ambitious, but highly self-critical. Self-loathing, then, self-expressive lifetime of exploring his own angry depths, before finally taking control of his life and learning to live with himself, one day at a time.
Sir John Hare (1844-1921) - English actor/manager. Outer: His parents died when he was young, and he was sent by a guardian to a school to prepare for a career in the civil service. Played truant, instead, to see the great actors of his time. After becoming involved in amateur theatricals, he persuaded his guardian to allow him to study instead for the stage. Made his debut in Liverpool at 20, and moved to London the following year, appearing on the boards and proving himself well-equipped for a long career. Joined Squire Bancroft and his wife Marie over the next decade, specializing in comedy roles. Became a pioneer in the use of natural facial expression and carriage on the stage. Married at 30, 3 children. Became actor/manager of the Court Theater, and from his mid-30s to his mid-40s, established his reputation as the dominant actor at the St. James Theater. Became actor-manager of the Garrick Theater from 1889-1895, producing several of Arthur Wing Pinero’s (David Hare) plays, and later managed the old Globe Theater. Achieved popularity in the United States during this period as well, reviving old successes and touring with them. Knighted in 1907, and retired from the stage in his early 70s. Recognized as the greatest character actor of his day, with particularly adept penchant for playing old men. Inner: Modest, charming, private, with a dislike of publicity. Highly inventive and naturalist actor, avoiding the exaggerations of the stage of the time. Prepatory lifetime of showing a mastery of technique, albeit not emotion, which he would explore late in the century, after first resisting his great gifts. John Rich (c1682-1761) - English actor/manager. Outer: Father was originally an attorney who became a theater manager, but was a difficult employer. His mother died when he was 2. One of 7 children. Uneducated and largely illiterate, although it did not stop him from pursuing a theatrical career. Married at 24, wife and son both died. His 2nd wife and their 2 daughters also died. Along with a brother, he received a 3/4 share in Lincoln’s Inn Theater from his father in his early 30s, when his sire added to the family necrology. There was nothing distinguished about his first 2 years until he introduced Italian pantomime to English audiences, creating stories revolving around Harlequin and Columbine in the commedia dell’arte style. Managed the theater successfully for the next 18 years. Founded the Covent Garden Theater afterwards. From his mid-30s til the near-end of his life, he played Harlequin under his stage name of Lun, thereby developing the harlequinade of English pantomime tradition. In his mid-40s, he produced John Gay’s (Donovan) “The Beggar’s Opera,” which ran for a record number of performances and inspired the quip that it made “Gay rich and Rich gay.” Lived a libertine life until 52, when he was lassoed by his housekeeper, a former barmaid turned actress who converted him to Methodism, and dominated him thereafter with her greed and religiosity, 4 children from union. Produced a pantomime annually from 1717-1760, but was less successful as a manager, unable to integrate art and finances. Inner: Brilliant mime. Highly affected, would often forget names of people on purpose to put them in their place. Anti-intellectual lifetime of expanding his theatrical sensibilities, through purposefully forgoing the power of the spoken word in order to explore the possibilities of mime and pure expression via physical, rather than cerebral, emoting.
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PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS HIS OWN DARK FRANKENSTEIN:
Storyline: The angry monster-maker explores his symbolic self both directly and indirectly on the silver screen, while trying to make sense of his various conflicting characteristics, which are continually exacerbated by unhappy upbringings.
Malcolm Macdowell (Malcolm Taylor) (1943) - English actor. Outer: Mother ran a hotel., while his alcoholic father owned a pub, where he later served drinks. Had a working-class upbringing, 2 sisters. Sent to private school, excelled in athletics and drama, but suffered the stigma of a less than elite background. 5’10”, 150 lbs. Worked at a coffee factory, then became a regional salesman for the company in Yorkshire. Hated the job and began attending acting classes, taking several months to get rid of his working-class accent. Took his mother’s maiden name when he began working professionally. Joined a repertory company on the Isle of Wight and a year later the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company, where he spent a year and a half doing little more than carrying a spear on stage. Worked as a messenger, and then began getting roles on British TV, before making his invisible film debut in a bit part in Poor Cow, although his actual appearance wound up on the cutting room film. His role as an arrogant schoolboy in Lindsay Anderson’s If in 1969, ultimately led to a similar sneering, insolent turn in A Clockwork Orange, which made him an international star in his late 20s. His earlier experiences as a coffee salesman fed into his next collaboration with Anderson in O Lucky Man. Married Margot Bennett, a former publicist and ex-wife of actor Keir Dullyea, in his early 30s, divorced 5 years later. In his late 30s, he married actress Mary Steenbergen after appearing with her in Time After Time, divorced a decade later, daughter and son from the union. Moved to Los Angeles, and married again in 1991, to Kelly Kuhr, a Ukrainian/ American artist, two children from his third union. Mixed his later career with both heroes and villains, although never quite reached his earlier peak, despite the distinct ability to project his own interior darkness in many of his roles. Has appeared in over 100 films, many of them eminently forgettable, preferring the sheer act of acting to the material in which he is often cast. Inner: Cynical, untrusting, brooding, with a great desire for longevity in his career, rather than being a stellar screen personality. O lucky man lifetime of using the stage and screen to work through an indelible, internal anger at the vicissitudes of his early life, while dealing with his own personal theme of being loved and respected for who he is, a talented monster of his own making.
Colin Clive (Colin Clive-Grieg) (1900-1937) - English actor. Outer: Father was a British colonel, and son followed in his militaristic footstep, but had to abandon his martial career because of a knee injury. Knees are often symbolic of an unwillingness to bend to other’s authority. 6’. Became a stage actor and began his celluloid career at the age of 30, beginning with Journey’s End, playing both leads and second leads, often as brooding characters. Married character actress Jeanne De Casalis in 1929. Best remembered as Dr. Frankenstein in the original Hollywood film version of Frankenstein, in a curious reflective reprise of his last go-round in this series. Heavy drinking foreshortened his career and he died from a combination of tuberculosis, and pulmonary and intestinal disorders. Inner: Alcoholic, extremely self-destructive. Frankenstein lifetime of turning himself into a vehicle for the walking dead, through his journey’s end desire to obliterate himself with drink. Thomas Potter Cooke (1786-1864) - English sailor and actor. Outer: Shared birthdays with William Shakespeare (William Butler Yeats), a happenstance he proudly boasted about in later years. Father was a surgeon who died when his son was 7. His mother went into service afterwards, while he became an errand boy, before a melodrama he saw on stage about the navy showed him what he felt was his life’s path. Claimed to be 13 in 1796, the minimum age for service with the Royal Navy, and signed up to become a powder monkey on the HMS Raven, participating in several battles aboard it and the H.M.S. Prince of Wales. Survived a wreck by clinging to boat shards for two days and nights in extremely cold weather, and then suffered a near-fatal attack of rheumatic fever afterwards. Athletic and well-made, with a noble bearing, although he would be plagued by gout through much of his life. Returned to sea duty, and in 1802, he ended his naval career, with the desire to broaden himself. Joined a traveling circus, and made his stage debut in 1804. Engaged by equestrian showman Philip Astley (Clint Eastwood) for several seasons at his Amphitheater, while also appearing elsewhere in London and Dublin. Evinced a skill at arranging pantomimes and theatrical spectacles, which led to his becoming stage manager for the Surrey Theater in 1809. Began gaining notice as a character actor in contemporary melodramas over the next decade, appearing in various London theaters, and in 1819, he wed Louisa Maria Ann Cremer, a propertied woman, with whom he had a daughter. Started getting meatier roles as heavies, and scored a huge success as the Monster in an adaptation of Mary Shelley’s (Lynn Barry) saga of Frankenstein. This nonspeaking part would prove one of his career highlights, and he wound up assaying it some 365 times. His pantomime skills would lead to other supernatural roles to excellent effect, as well as sailor portrayals, including Long Tom Coffin, from an adaptation of “The Pilot,” a James Fenimore Cooper (John Steinbeck) novel. His most memorable role would be Sweet William in “Black-Eyed Susan,” where he played the hornpipe, and turned himself into a national institution, while setting his own record for performing a singular character with 785 perfromances, by using his earlier nautical experiences to truly invest the part with a resonant pathos and dignity, replete with a rolling sea gait and gestures galore signifying a thorough familiarity with movement aboard a bucking ship. Became one of the first English actors to appear in Paris in 1826. Given a naval general service medal in 1849. Finished his career in 1861, after several benefits, and then was shook to the core by his wife’s death in 1863. Moved in with his married daughter, and died the following year from what would be described as a “decay of nature.” Managed to amass a handsome fortune, and indelibly etch his name into 19th century English melodrama. Inner: Upright, practical and a genuine celebrity with a gift for indelible character upon the stage, be it otherworldly or highly familiar. Old Salt lifetime of giving play to his sense of adventure early on, and then using both his experiences and imagination to create memorable theatrical portrayals, while reaping both modest fame and fortune for his efforts.
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PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS MIGHTY MITE:
Storyline: The diminutive dynamo proves it’s not the size of the package but the content that counts in a kinetic career geared towards transitions, and the ability to adapt his own ongoing evolving performance persona to the demands of changing times and tastes.
Danny DeVito (Daniel Michaeli) (1944) - American actor/director. Outer: Father was a smalltime entrepreneur, serially running a candy store, dry cleaner’s and pool hall. Youngest of 3 in a highly verbal family, where he proved to be a movie buff as a child. Attended Catholic schools, and played St. Francis of Assisi in a high school production. Trained at a beauty school, and began working at 18 as a hairdresser in his sister’s salon, where he was known as ‘Mr. Danny,’ although his real ambition was to be an actor. 5’, 155 lbs. Attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and made his NY stage debut and first film appearance in his mid-20s. Began by doing small bits, then made a memorable stage and screen appearance as one of the loonies in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, a role he had originally played off-Broadway. Parked cars in Los Angeles for 2 years, but continued his movie career, and also won an Emmy as Best Supporting Actor for his role as Louie De Palma, the dishonest dispatcher in the popular TV series, “Taxi.” His mother also appeared in the series, as did his future wife, TV comedienne Rhea Perlman, whom he lived with for 11 years, before marrying her in 1982 on a lunch break from the show, 3 children from union. Built his screen persona on vulgar, hyper-intense self-involved characters in a number of hit movies, and began directing vehicles in which he starred in his early 40s, beginning with Throw Momma From the Train. Also produced 2 films with his wife, Minestrone and The Sound Sleeper. Returned to TV with “It’s Always Sunday in Philadelphia,” in 2006, playing a manipulative widower after a two decade absence from the small screen. Also entered TV’s embarrassing extemporaneous pantheon with a drunken display on “The View,” mugging his way through a derogatory view of Pres. George W. Bush, then later came out with his own version of limoncello liqueur, the alcoholic devil that made him do it. Also added a Miami Beach restaurant, DeVito South Beach, as a further comestible sideline to his acting career. Inner: Energetic, self-described ‘gentle maniac.’ Little big man lifetime of learning from past limitations, while continuing to investigate the possibilities of a large personality in a small body.
Bobby Vernon (Silvion de Jardin) (1897-1939) - American actor. Outer: Mother was stage and screen actress Dorothy Vernon, who had been born Germany and went on to a highly successful career. Father was an actor, director and writer. Began his professional career on the stage at 11, and forged a career for himself in vaudeville, then entered silents at 16, making comedy shorts for Universal’s Joker Comedies. 5’2”, highly energetic. 2 years later, he joined Mack Sennet’s (Quentin Tarantino) Keystone-Triangle, where he was paired with Gloria Swanson in a series of romantic comedies that often featured a Great Dane. Went to work at 20 for Al Christie’s Comedies, continuing as a light romantic comedian. A popular screen comedy actor during the era of silent shorts, but he could not adapt his style of play to sound, and was forced to retire as a performer. By his mid-30s, he was a comedy supervisor at Paramount, overseeing the new breed of talking comedian, like W. C. Fields (Robin Williams). Died of a heart attack, and both his parents wound up outliving him. Inner: Another ‘gentle maniac.’ Abbreviated lifetime of being born to perform, without the ability to accommodate his talents to changing tastes and times.
Tom Thumb (Charles Sherwood Stratton) (1838-1883) - American performer. Outer: Father was a carpenter of medium height, as was his mother. 3rd of 4 children, with his siblings all within the normal range. Weighed 9 pounds and 2 ounces at birth, and for his first 6 months, developed like an ordinary infant, before he suddenly stopped growing. After a year, he was still the same size, 25 inches long and 15 pounds. A perfectly proportioned midget, his parents were extremely embarrassed over his unusual size. Showman/shaman P. T. Barnum (Bill Veeck), who was a distant cousin, heard about him, and saw him as a highly exploitable entity. Taught him courtly manners, a few witty quips, and how to sing, dance, mime and do impressions, while making his initially reluctant father a business partner of his, after a trial run of one month. Although he was only 4 and bashful, Barnum claimed he was 11 and renamed him General Tom Thumb, stating he was fresh from Europe, to add to his exotic reputation. Costuming him as Hercules, a Scottish Highlander, and the Emperor Napoleon, among others, he took him on a highly successful American tour, drawing huge crowds everywhere, with an act that featured comic patter, along with singing and dancing. Proved to be a natural entertainer, with a ready wit, a cheerful and lively personality and a good sense of showmanship. In 1844, he was brought by Barnum to Europe and appeared before England’s Queen Victoria (Mary Renault), making him an international celebrity. Mobbed wherever he went, he proved a bonanza for Barnum. Began growing again at 9, although extremely slowly, so that he topped out that year at 2’3”. Eventually retired in 1852, although he made several tours afterwards. By the time he reached 18, he was 2’ 6 1/2”. In 1863, he was married to another midget, Lavinia Warren, who was 2” 8’ and 22 years old, in a spectacle that received maximum publicity, and attracted some 20,000 guests. The pair was even received by Pres. Abraham Lincoln in the White House. Had one daughter, who died early in childhood. Quite acquisitive with a sharp eye for property, he wound up owning a considerable amount of real estate in his native Bridgeport. Became quite wealthy, and enjoyed living well, with a taste for fine cigars, race horses and yachts. Became Barnum’s business partner, and at one point, in 1856, was able to save him from financial difficulty with a timely loan. Finally grew past 3 feet in the early 1870s. Made his second and final European tour in 1878. Barely escaped a fire, along with his wife in Milwaukee in early 1883, but the experience detrimentally affected his health. Died suddenly of a stroke six months later. At his death he was 3’4” tall. Grew relatively heavy his last several years, and wound up 70 lbs. His funeral was the last spectacle of his well-received life, attracting some 10,000 curiosity-seekers. Afterwards his widow married an Italian dwarf with a papal title. Inner: Natural performer, although his inner life is ill-recorded. Little big man lifetime of having his specialness exploited by a master of the art, and, on a material level, enjoying it quite thoroughly, before coming back in slightly larger size to continue to explore his own outsized desire to perform and be well-loved for his outsized enthusiasm for life.
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PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS VULNERABLE ICON:
Storyline: The one-way mirror man hides his manly feelings and desires behind a handsome facade, only to come sick and staggering out of the closet as a familiar herald to let everyone know that a plague was upon them, and it knew no bounds.
Rock Hudson (Roy Scherer, Jr.) (1925-1985) - American actor. Outer: Father was an auto mechanic, mother was a telephone operator. His sire lost his job during the depression and left his family. The duo divorced when he was 8, then his mother remarried, although he didn’t like his step-father, who abused him both physically and emotionally. Shy and introverted as a child. Despite trying out for school plays, he could never remember his lines, frustrating an early and abiding interest in being on stage. Worked as a postman after high school, and then served as an airplane mechanic in the Philippines in the Navy during WW II. On his discharge, he did a variety of jobs, including truck driver, piano mover and mail carrier, before finally coming to Hollywood through the efforts of a persistent agent who saw in his 6’4” frame the seeds of a movie star. Given a marquee name, after he had taken on his mother’s surname as Roy Fitzgerald, he also had his teeth capped and was presented with an intensive course in acting and other entertainment skills by his discoverer, Henry Willson, who lived handsomely off him afterwards. Despite an inner resistance on his part to becoming a movie icon - it took 38 takes for him to get his first line right in his first picture, Fighter Squadron - he was a megastar by the mid-1950s, the very embodiment of Hollywood masculinity and male beauty. Unbeknownst to the thousands who had his picture pinned in their high school lockers, he was an active homophile, but the studios covered over this perceived aberration by having him marry the secretary of his agent, Phyllis Gates, in 1955 and then quietly divorce her 3 years later, after she sued for mental cruelty, so that he could pursue his natural inclinations in private. Later acknowledged that she was only one of two people he had ever really loved, despite hitting her several times, and once trying to choke her. Gates never remarried. A well-known figure on the gay party circuits, he, nevertheless, maintained the illusion of his heterosexuality throughout a lengthy near-four decade career in which he expanded his abilities to include comedy and drama as well as action and romance. His coupling in a series of comedies with actress Doris Day, served as the very apotheosis of bright cheerful romances for the audiences of the 1950s and 1960s, even though, she, too, would reveal later on, a far more conflicted character than the smiling virgin she played in those films. The two, however, would retain an abiding and affectionate relationship for the rest of his life. Switched his focus to TV in the 1970s, starring in “McMillan and Wife,” which ran for a full 8 seasons, while also continuing with a lesser movie load. Quintuple by-pass surgery slowed his career down in the early 1980s, although he did do a recurring stint on the nighttime soap opera, “Dynasty” in the middle of the decade. Soon after, however, he began to appear gaunt and sickly in public, and to the shock and horror of his fans, announced that he was stricken with AIDS, the first major entertainment figure to make that admission, and a giant step in bringing public awareness of the ongoing devastation of that disease, for here, at last, was someone everyone knew who had it. Died shortly after of complications from AIDS, and then had his secret life exposed when his live-in and longtime lover successfully sued his estate, claiming he had never been told of the star’s condition and had been put at extreme risk because of it. His posthumous autobiography, written in collaboration, was Rock Hudson: His Story. Inner: Gregarious, athletic, manly, with a predisposition towards men. Once told his wide, “All women are dirty.” Competitive, had a great enjoyment of games, as well as sailing. Also moody and capable of dark rages. Wife claimed their sex life was always brief and hurried. Make believe lifetime of dealing with illusions, both his manly attraction to men, and his reinvention as a movie star from his name on up, while serving as a pioneer in awakening the public’s awareness of a deadly plague, and breaking its stereotype of just how a homophile looks and acts. Arthur Johnson (1876-1916) - American actor. Outer: Father was an Episcopal minister. Had an unpleasant, repressed upbringing, and ran away from military school as a teenager to join a touring stage company in 1894, where he developed enough skill to become a large, handsome leading man in NYC. Discovered on the street by director D.W. Griffith, when he was out of work he starred in the former’s directorial debut, “The Adventures of Dollie,” in 1905, and went on to become America’s first matinee idol of the screen, after establishing his name and comely physical presence on celluloid. Starred in many of Griffith’s early films, often opposite the biggest female star of the day, “The Biograph Girl,” Florence Lawrence (Farrah Fawcett). A desire to both write and direct brought him into conflict with Griffith, and he wound up with a Philadelphia company, Lubin, for the rest of his abbreviated career. Married actress Florence Hackett, two sons from union, Albert and Raymond Hackett also became actors, taking on their mother’s name. Began directing in 1912, and made more than a dozen features. By 1915, he was in poor health, thanks to a combination of over-work, and possibly alcoholism, along with tuberculosis. At the height of his fame, he died prematurely of tuberculosis. Inner: Angry and ambitious with a compulsive need to continually prove himself. Handsome is as handsome does lifetime of preparing himself for taking on a much larger pioneering role the next time around in this series, before repeating his role as handsome hero cut down in full bloom.
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PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS RISEN AND FALLEN HERO:
Storyline: The All-American athlete brings a sparkling grace to his on-field performances, which lead to a long commentator career, but is ultimately undone by some off-field shenanigans geared to penetrate and expose his natural reserve.
Frank Gifford (1930)- American athlete/announcer. Outer: Father was a roughneck in the California oilfields, the middle of 3 children, with an older sister and younger brother. His sire kept the family going during the Depression, although they moved all over Southern California, ending up in Bakersfield. A star football player in high school, he won a gridiron scholarship to USC, where he became an All-American triple-threat halfback, excelling on both offense and defense. 6’1”, 190 lbs. Did stunt work in movies to help him get through school. Married Maxine Ewart, a homecoming queen, 3 children from the union, with their daughter Victoria marrying into the Kennedy clan. Became the top draft choice of the NY Giants in 1952, although he didn’t get his B.A. until 2 years later. His first season started slowly on both offense and defense, but once he had established himself, he had an illustrious All-Pro career as the gifted Mr. Gifford. Suffered an acute brain concussion from a blind side tackle in 1960, and was forced to retire. Divorced and married a 2nd time in 1978, to Astrid Lindley. No children from the union, which ended in 1986. Also had an out-of-wedlock daughter. Became a radio sportscaster for one season, then returned to football in 1962, although he initially found his comeback rough going. An 8-time All-star. Retired to the broadcasting booth and became a longtime fixture on "Monday Night Football." Although prone to verbal errors, his telegenic presence was the one consistency in the changing trio who manned that longtime program. Met TV personality Kathie Lee on the set of “Good Morning, America,” and his first reaction to her was, “I’ve got to quiet this woman down.” The duo married in his mid-50s, and she later came to prominence with a long-running morning TV show with Regis Philbin. She continually bragged about their family, and the 2 sons they produced, while unknowingly exploiting child labor elsewhere in the clothing-line she manufactured. Got caught in an adulterous sting with a large-breasted airline stewardess when pictures of them embracing were published in a tabloid. His older daughter had earlier been cuckolded by her Kennedy clan husband, who had been having an affair with their teenage baby sitter. Following the scandals, he was demoted after 27 years from his commentary seat on "Monday Night Football" and given a pre-game show, from which he announced his retirement the following year. Inner: Shy and reserved, but projects confidence and hides his true feelings. Republican and Presbyterian. Handsome, charming, social, given all the tools for a successful life. Gifted lifetime of constantly being in the public eye, for better and for worse, as a way of looking at his repressed self.
William Russell (William Leach) (1884-1929) - American athlete/actor. Outer: Father was a professor of languages at NYU, mother was a stage actress. Became an usher, then substituted for a sick actor in his stage debut as a teen. 6’2”, 206 pounds, solidly built. Left the stage to become an acrobat, then a circus tumbler, although his mother put a halt to his career. Did a flip to impress friends, but broke a leg, and developed tuberculosis of the hip. Spent 4 years on crutches, during which time he became a physical culture expert, a swimmer and an amateur boxing champion, while winning 2nd prize for the most perfectly built man in America. Attended Fordham Univ., where he played football, before joining a stock company in Philadelphia to embark again on a stage career. Became active in vaudeville and on the stage, initially pursuing both careers at once until the advent of films, which he entered in his mid-20s. Starred in many vehicles which took advantage of his athletic prowess, including westerns, proving to be a dashing and popular star, despite his limited abilities at emoting. Married actress Charlotte Burton in 1917 and divorced 4 years later, then wed actress Helen Ferguson in his late 30s. Died of pneumonia right after the advent of sound. Inner: Handsome, athletic, with similar looks to his later life as Gifford. Muscular lifetime of exploring various avenues for his charismatic athletic skills, before settling on filmdom, in order to open up his natural reserve.
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PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS QUIET CRAFTSMAN:
Storyline: The enigmatic everyman buries himself in his portrayals to such extent that his larger personality remains hidden to everyone save those who intimately share his life.
Robert Duvall (1931) - American actor. Outer: Descendent of Civil War Gen. Robert E. Lee (George Marshall), whom he would play in 2003 in Gods and Generals. Father was a 30 year Navy man, who was educated at Annapolis, and ultimately wound up with the rank of admiral. Middle of three brothers. Developed a lifelong love of outdoor life as a teen, during vacations at his uncle’s Montana ranch. Educated at Principia College in Illinois. After 2 year’s military service in Korea, he began training at the Neighborhood Playhouse in NYC for 2 years, then acted in stock and Off-Broadway. Roomed with an equally unknown Dustin Hoffman early in his career. Made his first film appearance as a weak-minded mute in To Kill A Mockingbird in 1962 and then steadily built a reputation as a solid character actor in both films and TV, with the ability to totally submerge himself in his roles. Married Barbara Benjamin in his early 30s, divorced 11 years later. His 2nd marriage to actress/producer Gail Youngs lasted from 1982 to 1986, while his 3rd marriage to Sharon Brophy spanned 1991 to 1996. No children from any of his unions. Worked in many high visibility movies, including The Godfather series and Apocalypse Now and was finally recognized for his craft with a Best Actor Oscar in 1983 for Tender Mercies. Directed his first movie that year as well. Won numerous international awards, without ever becoming a public personality, preferring to be seen as a skilled actor capable of a wide range of roles. Best remembered for his starring role in the TV mini-series “Lonesome Dove.” Capped his career with a turn as an evangelical reverend in The Apostle, a film that he produced, directed and starred in, as well as financed, as a culmination of his considerable skills. A longtime fascination with the tango, and many visits to Argentina, led to Assassination Tango in 2003, a film he wrote, directed and starred in as well. Married his co-star, Luciana Pedraza, an Argentine documentary filmmaker, some four decades his junior, and also owns an inn and spa in northern Argentina, while living primarily on a 362 acre Revolutionary War-era estate in rural Virginia, replete with horses. Added an Emmy to his trophy shelf for miniseries acting in 2007. Inner: Quiet, intense, far more interested in characterization than mass recognition. Always looking for contradictions in his characters. Researches all his roles deeply, and often looks at takes as rehearsals. Politically conservative and outspoken. Outdoorsy, nonsmoker or drinker, and fitness adept. Deceptive dancer’s lifetime of plunging into his craft from the viewpoint of being a consummate performer rather than a heralded star, while subsuming his private life to his career. Alfred Paget (1880?-1925) - English/American actor. Outer: Little known of his life, while his death is also largely unrecorded. Character actor and lead of early silents, most memorably as Belshazzar in D.W. Griffith’s epic, Intolerance. Worked with Griffith on several films, ending his career in his late 30s, and then disappeared totally from the Hollywood scene. Inner: Singular legacy he left of himself was his work. Veiled lifetime of developing his skills at self-expression, while largely remaining hidden from the biographical eye of posterity as an ongoing emblem of craft and technique over mass recognition.
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PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS MATINEE IDOL TURNED SCIFI ICON:
Storyline: The iconic captain gets permanently beamed into a role, and despite a warp speed diversity to his talents, never feels recognized enough for his enterprises.
William Shatner (1931) - Canadian/American actor, writer and musician. Outer: Only son of an upper middle-class Jewish family. Mother was an elocution teacher and encouraged him to become an actor. Father headed a clothing manufacturing firm, which he was expected to join. Enjoyed a privileged childhood, in which he was always given the best. Good athlete and very outdoorsy. At 6 years old, he played a Jewish boy in Nazi Germany in a camp play, and made his public debut at Montreal’s Children’s Theater, as Tom Sawyer. Pursued football and acting in high school, while becoming an avid sci-fi aficionado. Graduated from McGill College of Commerce, where he produced, wrote and directed college musicals. 5’11”, 165 lbs. Despite parental opposition, he pursued the theater, and wound up serving his apprenticeship via 3 seasons with the Stratford Shakespearean Festival, portraying 100 characters in some 60 plays. In “Henry V,” he went on as an understudy and forgot some of his lines, but used abrupt pauses to cover it, and was acclaimed by critics for his intuitive acting, and later used the same technique in subsequent performances. Seen as a Canadian wunderkind, he made his Broadway debut the following year, 1956, in Christopher Marlowe’s (Tennessee Williams) “Tamurlane the Great.” The same year he married Gloria Rand, a Canadian actress, 3 daughters from the union, which ended in 1968, with his wife taking him to the cleaners, forcing him briefly to live in a truck bed camper. Turned down a lucrative movie contract to maintain his sole captaincy of his career, and became a TV celebrity in Canada, opting for melodrama over the classics. In the late 1950s, he came to NY and found TV his most receptive medium, doing numerous small-screen dramas. In 1958, he made his film debut as the most spiritual of The Brothers Karamazov, and became bi-coastal, while proving himself very picky when it came to doing TV series. In 1966, character met actor, and he would be forever more cemented into public consciousness as Capt. James Tiberius Kirk of the Starship Enterprise on the series, “Star Trek,” which ran for 79 episodes, before being endlessly recycled in a time warp, which would keep him in that role forevermore, and spur a half-dozen features, as well as numerous spin-off generations and his own book length reminiscences. Also authored a series called “TekWar,” which made it to the small screen, as well. Never got along with his costar, Leonard Nimoy, who was born the same week as he, although well after the show ended, they resolved their competitive differences. Married Marcy Lafferty, an actress, in 1973, later divorced in 1996, one son from the union. Typecasting consigned him to mediocre fare in filmland, and he returned to TV in 1981 as the eponymous T.J. Hooker in a police-action drama. Worked with 2 of his daughters, while giving one-man shows and appearing in commercials during the 1990s, in addition to his dramatic fare. Also pursued a recording career down through the decades, doing covers of other singers, as well as his own material, veering from the self-parodic to the self-revelatory. In 1997, he married the much younger Nerine Kidd, an alcoholic who was found floating in their pool 2 years later, amidst rumors of unsmooth waters tween the two. Devastated by the loss, he was left to ponder a life that so pandered to popularity, it would not be allowed to move on in the public perception, and whether or not it was worth it. Nevertheless, he married again, in 2001, to Elizabeth Martin, a widow and fellow equestriphile, and in 2004 won his first Emmy for supporting actor in a drama series, playing an amoral lawyer on “Boston Legal,” and the following year, won his second for the same role. In 2005, he debuted a reality TV show, “Invasion Iowa,” which failed to capture the public imagination. Launched his own well-received interview series, “Raw Nerve,” on the Bio channel in 2008, and the same year, published his autobiography, “Up Till Now,” while remaining a ubiquitous presence on the small screen via commercials, parody poetry readings and a continuous need to remain in the limelight. Inner: Huge ego, with a sense of the hero about himself, and self-admitted applause junkie. Horse enthusiast, with his own breeding stables in Kentucky. Straitjacketed lifetime of achieving enormous popularity on the small screen, and never being truly allowed to beam up to more challenging thespian realms by a doting and possessive public, despite talents in a variety of expressive spheres.
James Hackett (1869-1926) - Canadian/American performer. Outer: Father was noted actor James Hackett (John Candy), although he died when his son was 2, so that the latter never saw him on stage. As a youth, he acted in amateur theatricals, then attended the College of the City of NY, where he received prizes for his oratory and declamatory skills. Served as a manager and leading actor of his college drama society. Tall and virile, with sharply chiseled features. Studied law briefly, but his heart was in the theater, and he made his debut in Philadelphia in 1892 with a stock company. Became Lotta Crabtree’s (Grace Slick) leading man, while continually switching companies over the next several years. In 1896, he took over the lead in “The Prisoner of Zenda,” the most popular romance of the day. The following year, he married actress Mary Mannering (Annette Bening), no children from union. Despite his popularity in romance dramas, he felt extremely straitjacketed by them, but continued to pursue those roles anyway for both the fame and fortune it brought him. In 1905, he was able to rent a NY theatre and redubbed it the Hackett, while branching off into managing, albeit with limited success. Divorced in 1910, and the following year he married another of his leading ladies, Beatrice Beckley. Came into an unexpected inheritance in 1914 through a niece, who disliked him, but she died intestate and he was the next of kin. Produced “Othello” and “MacBeth,” which marked a step forward in scenic development in the U.S., although he was noticeably untrained in the classics, and evinced a harsh, stilted sense of histrionics around them. In 1920, he went to Europe with a well-received “MacBeth,” and never acted in America again. Died after an illness brought him to Paris for treatment. Inner: Full of himself, but willing to work hard to master Shakespeare, even though he was best-suited for cloak and dagger romances. Matinee idol lifetime of trying to break out of typecasting, but without the skills to really do so, despite dedicating his mature years to stretch himself beyond his limited, albeit popular, appeal.
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PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS SELF-CREATED STAR:
Storyline: The cockney charmer makes it look effortless in his ongoing draw towards foot-lighted fame and fortune, while thoroughly enjoying the successes derived from his strong work ethic.
Michael Caine (Maurice Micklewhite, Jr.) (1933) - English actor. Outer: Cockney father worked as a porter in the Billingsgate fish market, while mother was a charwoman. Had an impoverished upbringing, lived in a two-room gas-lit London flat, with little hope save for becoming a fish porter. Younger brother also became an actor. Had greater ambitions, however, and after dropping out of school at 15, worked at a variety of odd jobs, and became interested in acting after serving tea at a London theater. 6’2”. Appeared in a few amateur plays while working as a laborer, and following a tour with the Royal Fusiliers in Germany and Korea, he began playing parts in both provincial theater and on British TV. Married Patricia Haines in his early 20s for 3 years, one daughter from the union. Made his film debut at 23, and had his breakthrough role 8 years later as an upper-class English officer in Zulu. Enjoyed a ubiquitous screen presence from that point onward, in a variety of roles showing both his versatility, and his need to be constantly employed, a holdover from his deprived childhood, which has seen him associated with much forgettable fare. His trademark eyeglasses have often accompanied his portrayals. Happily married in 1973 to his Indian co-star from The Man Who Would Be King, a near-miss Miss Guyana, Shakira Baksh, daughter from union. Nominated several times for Academy Rewards, he finally won one for his role as a clumsy suitor of his sister-in-law in Hannah and Her Sisters in 1986. A successful restauranteur in both London and the U.S., and the owner of 3 homes as well. Had a notable feud with actor Richard Harris about the respective talents of each. Wrote his autobiographies, “What’s It All About” and “Acting in Film.” Took 2 years off in the mid-90s to travel and relax, then returned with several gems. Never portrayed an American until his 80th+ film, The Cider House Rules. Knighted in 2000. Inner: Charming, articulate, accessible, domestic, professional, self-deprecating, with a strong drive to succeed in whatever he does. Understated actor, never plays anyone like himself, prefers toying with who he is not, while also seeing film as an extension of repertory theater, where any and all roles are possible for him. Up-from-his-bootstraps lifetime of hard-knocks beginnings in order to inculcate an unstoppable ethic for success, and the ability to enjoy a life well-lived and well-rewarded for his efforts.
Robert B. Mantell (1854-1928) - Scottish/American actor. Outer: Father was a landlord. One of 8 children. At 5, he was taken to Belfast, where his begetter became an inn-keeper. Had only brief schooling, did amateur theatricals, showing an early interest in the stage. Originally wanted to be a lawyer, but served his apprenticeship in the wholesale liquor business, then decided on the theater over the objections of his mother. Initially called himself Robert Hudson. At 19, he assayed his amateur debut in the Belfast Theater in “Richelieu.” The following year, he made his passage to America as a steward on a steamship where his brother was a purser, but couldn’t find work in Boston and returned back home 10 days later. 2 years later, he made his professional debut as a supporting player with an English stock company in “Arrahono-Pogue.” In 1878, he sailed to America again, and in the same year made his American debut, playing Tybalt to Helena Modjewska’s (Ingrid Bergman) Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet,” in Albany, NY. Returned to England at the end of the season, and after several years of hard work and few engagements, came back to America, but, once again, to little acclaim. In 1883, he finally won audience approval, playing opposite Fanny Davenport (Jane Fonda) in Victorian Sardou’s (Neil Simon) “Fedor”’ in NYC. For the next 40 years, he would be closely identified with the American stage. Handsome, expressive and vigorous, he had always wanted nothing less than to be a star. In 1886, he headed his own company, and played melodramas both new and old. Essentially a melodramatic and romantic actor, he was graceful and impassioned in his youth, but grew heavyset with the passing years. In later years, he devoted himself almost exclusively to Shakespeare. Married 4 times, all to actresses who were members of his company, with his first 3 unions ending in divorce. Lame and slow-moving by the end of his career, he died at home. Inner: Ambitious and impassioned, ultimately the victim of his own body, and poor health habits. Self-inventing lifetime, once again, of humble beginnings and a strong drive to overcome them to become a highly recognized strutter upon the stage.
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PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS FOCUSED ARTISAN:
Storyline: The Canadian craftsman infuses his characterizations with a great love for his muse, while sacrificing his personal life for the self-involving rigors of the cinema and stage.
Donald Sutherland (1934) - Canadian actor. Outer: Father was a salesman, mother was a math teacher. The family moved to Nova Scotia when he was young. Made puppets as a boy and initially wanted to be a sculptor. Worked as a disc jockey at a Nova Scotia radio station while in his mid-teens, but did not begin acting until he went to the Univ. of Toronto as an engineering student, and began playing with local groups. 6’4”, 184 lbs. After graduating, he went to England to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Appeared on the London stage, then made his film debut in a dual role in an Italian horror film, Castle of the Living Dead when he was in his late 20s. Played supporting parts in a number of British and American films, before being thrust into the spotlight through his role as an irreverent surgeon in M*A*S*H in 1970. Became a popular and busy actor from that point onward. Called ‘an erasable face,’ by director Federico Fellini, who spent a year remolding him in his own vision of the legendary lover, Casanova. In his late 20s, he married and then divorced, actress Susan Douglas, the daughter of a former premier of Saskatchewan, twins from union, including actor Kiefer Sutherland, although did not see much of him while he was growing up, and had a strained relationship afterwards. Later appeared with him in A Time to Kill in 1996, although the two did not share screen-time. A liberal political activist, particularly during the Vietnam War, when he was involved in Jane Fonda’s antiwar troupe, after appearing with her in Klute. Had a long relationship with a French-Canadian actress, Francine Racette 3 sons, Roeg, a filmmaker, and Rossif and Angus, actors, from the union, which became official in 1972. Eventually established himself as a topnotch character actor and lead, always giving an intelligent dimension to all of his performances, whether heroes or villains or ordinary men in extraordinary circumstances. In 2005, he did network TV via “Commander in Chief,” as the female president’s arch-nemesis, playing against his normal liberal persona. Inner: Witty, thoroughly dedicated performer, with a mischievously dignified bearing, and a long, thin, angular face. Admittedly complex, temperamental, self-centered, aloof. Self-involved lifetime of exploring his dualistic interior through activism and performance, while trying to integrate his gifts with his own complicated sense of self.
Henry Miller (1859-1926) English/Canadian/American actor/manager. Outer: Father was an English railroad conductor. The family moved to Toronto when he was 12 or so. At 15, he attended a performance of “Romeo and Juliet,” and decided to become an actor. 6’, slightly portly. On stage at 18, he soon became a leading man. Received training in both sentimental drama and classic repertory in his ongoing work in American theater, and had a great love for and knowledge of his profession, with a particular affinity for playwright/actor Dion Boucicault (Robert Shaw). Married actress Bijou Heron in his mid-20s, their son Gilbert became a well-known actor. Also had a son and daughter. Became a leading man with the Empire Stock Co. in NYC in the early 1890s, and after achieving stardom, fulfilled his lifetime’s ambition by becoming an actor/director/manager. Had a conventional early career, until he donned all 3 theatrical mantles in 1906. Produced the first prose play by an American poet, “The Great Divide,” which was popular despite its unconventionality. A far more daring producer than actor, he successfully brought higher fare to the theater, making him an extremely important figure in the evolution of American stagecraft. Died of lobar pneumonia. Inner: Great love of craft,his entire adult life was dedicated to the betterment of the American theater. Hyphenated lifetime of bringing true art to the stage in the guise of popular plays, and also allowing his own art to deepen and mature.
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PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS UBIQUITOUS PRESENCE:
Storyline: The charming centerfold learns how to resurrect himself from his tendencies towards over-exposure and self-indulgence, while continuing his search for satisfying partnership to his own propensities for wanting to be centerstage in all he does.
Burt Reynolds (1936?) - American actor/athlete. Outer: Father was a former cowboy who served on the staff of General George Patton and then became police chief of Palm Beach, Florida. Mother was Italian, paternal grandmother was Cherokee. Had an oppressive home life, ran away at 14, but later returned, to be an all-state high school halfback. Won a football scholarship to Florida State Univ., but a knee injury and a car accident curtailed his potential athletic career, and he turned to amateur dramatics instead. 5’10”, with a manly charm. Dropped out of school and hopped a bus to pursue a stage career in NYC, although he was initially unsuccessful, winning only bit parts on TV. Worked as a dishwasher and bouncer, until he began getting TV roles in several series, before starring in two series, “Hawk” and “Dan August,” while appearing in several films, first as a stuntman, then as a star of low budget features. Initially looked like a young Brando in his early films, with the same simmering intensity, although opted for a more charming acting persona, for its wider appeal. Married to comedienne Judy Carne during the mid-1960s, then began liaisons with singer Dinah Shore, nearly 2 decades his senior, and actress Sally Field. His career began to take off in the early 70s, thanks, in large part to his glib wit on TV talk shows, and a strong performance in Deliverance. Appeared as the first male nude centerfold in Playgirl magazine in his mid-30s, which helped establish him as a sex symbol as well. Continually and compulsively worked during the 1970s and 1980s in a mixed-bag of efforts, combining action and humor, while trying his hand at directing, as well as establishing a dinner theater in Florida. Enjoyed a number one status at the box office from 1978 to 1982, but his career in films began to ebb because of the vehicles he selected, so he turned to TV, winning an Emmy in 1991 for his role in “Evening Shade.” Rumored to be suffering from AIDS when his weight dropped to 140 after breaking his jaw in a film. Became addicted to painkillers, then went off them and fell into a coma. Went through death’s doorway, then came back, when he felt it would be said he died of a disgraced disease. A well-publicized marriage in his early 50s to actress Loni Anderson ended in acrimony and a highly public divorce with a $10 million settlement, with both sides taking to TV to explain their differing viewpoints, and smearing one another in the process. One adopted son from union. Made a successful film comeback as a porn film producer in Boogie Nights. His hairpieces would be a continual butt of comedians’ jokes, and his face would grow tighter and tighter through repeated plastic surgery, but somehow he has been able to continually rebound from his various career trajectories, and project an insouciant elan deep into middle age. Wrote his autobiography in 1994, “My Life.” Inner: Charming, quick-witted, manly. Seemingly ubiquitous lifetime of keeping his focus on his career, despite its ups and downs, so as not to sink into his own propensity for self-indulgence and self-destruction as he had done in an early life in this series.
Nat C. Goodwin (1857-1919) - American actor. Outer: A slight and delicate youth, he won a prize for declamation in school. Apprenticed to a Boston Dry Goods firm, but haunted theaters in his spare time. Good mimic. His father finally allowed him to study with an old actor, and he made his debut at 16 in Boston, fainting dead away from stage fright. Became a shoe clerk afterwards, but the lure of the theater proved too compelling. Went to NYC, where he appeared at Tony Pastor’s (Frank Sinatra) theater. At 20, he married Eliza Weathersby, an English actress, who died a decade later. Performed with her in burlesque entertainments, and also appeared with the comedy team of Harrigan and Hart (Jackie Gleason and Art Carney). A low comic, he did light farces and musical pieces. Co-founded the Boston Elks Lodge, and, as a sports fan, became a member of the governing commmittee of the Actors’ Amateur Athletic Assoc. of America. Remarried Nellie Baker Pease at 33, divorced 3 years later. Toured with actress Maxine Elliot (Sally Field) and married her at 41. When they split after a failed co-production of “The Merchant of Venice,” his career never recovered. Divorced from her 10 years later, and married his leading lady, Edna Goodrich, although that union also ended in divorce several years later. Married again in his late 50s, to Marjorie Moreland, but divorced 5 years later. Lost his stage sense after a comeback, and died suddenly when his system went into shock. About to marry a 6th time at his death. His last years were spent largely in dissipation. Inner: Wayward, impetuous, reckless. Medium height, genial wit, more interested in his social life than his career, despite an innate popularity. Loved to gamble and pursue the hedonistic trinity of wine, women and song. Genial, easy-going but coarsened in later life through his failures. Dissipated lifetime of unfocused pursuit of pleasure, despite having both the charm and talent to make for a highly successful career.
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PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS DOWN-TO-EARTH STAR:
Storyline: The easy-going emoter evinces both integrity and a warm charm in pursuing his own agenda within the limitations and freedoms of acting out his interior through carefully selected vehicles that offer him the full range of his naturalistic talent.
Albert Finney (1936) - English actor. Outer: Father was a bookie, had a lower middle-class upbringing. Grew up near a local race/track, and was an athlete and actor in school, appearing in some 15 school plays, while participating in sports. Failed twice to get his high school diploma, but on the advice of his headmaster, wound up with a 2 year scholarship at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where he appeared in a number of academy productions and won a prize for his potential. Joined the Birmingham Repertory Company, despite more lucrative offers elsewhere, and got a chance at a broad range of roles. Made his debut at 20 as Brutus in Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar,” and then played Shakespearean roles exclusively, with his particular favorite, Macbeth. 6’, stocky. Married Jane Wenham, an English actress, in his early 20s, divorced 4 years later, one son. Made his London West-End debut in 1958 with “The Party,” then rejected more offers for an apprenticeship season with the Shakespeare Memorial Theater, joining it for its 100th anniversary year. Made his breakthrough on both the London stage in “Billy Liar,” and as the workingclass hero of Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, in 1960, and became a celebrated actor. Continued working with playwright John Osborne and director Tony Richardson, scoring a huge success with Tom Jones in 1963, which made him an international star. Took the next year off and traveled round the world, while turning down the lead in Lawrence of Arabia, because he didn’t want to get stuck with a longterm contract. Married French actress Anouk Aimee in his mid-30s, divorced 8 years later. Made no films between 1974 and 1979, preferring to concentrate on stage work. A race track aficionado, he has bred and raced horses. Hailed as the finest actor of his generation, for his meaty, character-filled portrayals, although quite capable of hamming things up as well. Formed his own production company in his late 20s, Memorial, and directed himself in one of its films. Has appeared in both high quality fare and strictly commercial films with equal aplomb. Also a singer, recording an album in his early 40s, and has worked on TV, although doesn’t care for the medium. Has enjoyed a longterm relationship from his early 50s, with a fellow world traveler. Allegedly turned down an CBE in 1980, and a knighthood 20 years later, preferring not to have a sir appended to his name, as he remains a relatively busy actor into the new century. Inner: Down-to-earth, strong sense of integrity, extremely generous, not into possessions at all. In the earlier part of his life, he could put everything he owned into a suitcase. Hedonistic, with gourmet tastes. Refuses to be a celebrity, unwilling to compromise on his growth as an actor. In control lifetime of an unmaterialistic stab at artistry through acting, proceeding at his own pace and calling his own shots, as the heavy favorite in all his own races.
Charles Hawtrey (1858-1923) - English actor, director and producer/manager. Outer: Father was a reverend who was master of the lower school at Eton, mother was the daughter of a military man and his/storical writer. Cousin of the provost of Eton, where he was born and enrolled at 8, then played cricket for Rugby, good athlete. Intended for a career in the military, but became a tutor instead. Went to Pembroke College, Oxford, but dropped out at 23 for the stage. Initially acted under the name Charles Bankes, 2 brothers also followed him in front of the footlights. Took a company on tour in his mid-20s, then had a German play rewritten into “The Private Secretary,” which gave him a 2 year run in a successful vehicle. Claimed to have invented the queue for the pit and gallery to control the crowds, as a result of its popularity. Married Mae Harriet in 1886, divorced 7 years later. Had a 40 year career as a hard worker and naturalistic actor, who managed almost 20 different theaters, and served as a mentor for playwright Noel Coward. Particularly adept at light farce. Good teacher of acting, as well as producer of plays. Had an out-of-wedlock son, Anthony Hawtrey, with actress Olive Morris, in 1906, although took no part in raising him. Made his film debut in 1913 in A Message from Mars. Married Elsie Petre, a reverend’s daughter and a baron’s widow, at 60, no children from either official union. Knighted in 1922. Following his death from pneumonia, another actor, George Hartree, took his name and claimed to be his son, thinking it would advance his career. Inner: Had an immobile face, but with a good wit behind it, making up for his lack of expressiveness with plenty of heart. Charming, great love of race horses. Good at playing liars, selfish men and erring husbands. Loosening up lifetime of working out his own personal quirks upon the stage, and thereby either ridding himself of them, or at least seeing them through completely different eyes.
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PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS ATHLETIC ARTIST:
Storyline: The handsome homebody does his own sundance to the glories of the natural world, while providing both support and a showcase to those less striking than he, in order to strut their stuff outside the commercial stranglehold of Hollywood.
Robert Redford (Charles Robert Redford Jr.) (1937) - American actor. Outer: Father was a milkman who became an accountant for Standard Oil. Younger of 2 brothers. Never interested in school, although he went to the Univ. of Colorado on a baseball scholarship. 5’10‘, classically handsome, blonde and blue-eyed, athletic, and initially unfocused. Dropped out of school after a year of play on the ski slopes when his mother died and went to Europe as an art student. Moved back to Los Angeles, married Lola van Wagonen in his late teens, 3 children from the union, including actress Amy Hart Redford. Close-knit family, although the longterm union would unravel in 1985. Moved to NYC with the idea of becoming an art director, and enrolled at Brooklyn’s Pratt Institute. It was while taking acting classes at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, however, that he finally found a true focus for his life. Played bit parts in theater, beginning in 1959, and did some TV work, finally achieving success on Broadway in a starring role, in Neil Simon’s “Barefoot in the Park.” Hollywood called and he did a series of films in the mid-1960s, which completely disenchanted him with the movie business. Lived in Greece and Spain with his family for a year, but returned to Hollywood because of a contractual obligation to do a filmic reprise of Barefoot. His following role in Butch Cassiday and the Sundance Kid, with Paul Newman catapulted him to the first rank of Hollywood stardom, and by the mid-1970s, he was one of America’s favorite movie stars, specializing in handsome, loner heroes. Established his own production company, Wildwood Enterprises, and then won an Academy Reward in 1980 for his first directorial effort, Ordinary People, and continued in that vein with several well-received films, in addition to his starring roles in other vehicles. Outdoorsy and athletic, he has used his fame as a pulpit for environmental and conservationist causes, while buying up land around Sundance, Utah, starting with 2 acres and ultimately expanding to 4000, which he has turned into a ski resort, ranch and quarter horse training farm. In 1980, he founded the Sundance Institute, a training farm for young filmmakers and the site of a yearly film festival, whose importance as a showcase for alternative films has increased each year, while growing ever more commercial and mainstream. Also an important cog of the Institute for Resource Management, an agency dedicated to solving environmental problems. Despite his ambivalence about Hollywood and his chosen profession, he has continued working there, while maintaining the privacy of his personal life, and giving succor and encouragement to artistic voices in the wilderness that ordinarily would not be heard by the commercial money machines of the institutions that gave him the freedom to live as he chooses. In 2009, he married his longtime partner, German abstract artist Sibylle Szaggars, who was two decades his junior. Inner: Intensely private, adventurous, and committed to his ideals of an integrated active life lived in conscious balance with nature. Handsome is as handsome does lifetime of building on the patterns of his previous existence in order, ultimately, to try to make the world a better place for his having passed through it, not unnoticed.
Richard Mansfield (1857-1907) - American actor. Outer: Born in Germany while his mother was on tour. She was the daughter of a noted Dutch violinist, and was an opera singer. Father was a London wine merchant who was proficient in music. His sire died when he was 5, and he spent his childhood in various places on the continent. Far more athletic than he was studious. His mother was temperamental, and the duo often quarreled, since he was equally impulsive and high-strung as a child. Unsure of what he wanted to do, he worked at a variety of things in a variety of places, deciding finally to become an artist, while also joining an amateur theatrical troupe. 5’6”, stocky. At 22, he gave a one man show at the Boston YMCA, then returned to London to eke out a precarious existence as an artist, before abandoning that calling. Joined a touring Gilbert & Sullivan company, and eked out another precarious living playing small roles. Acted primarily with his body, but also had an expressive face, and a splendid voice, but used an eccentric delivery. When he was 28, his mother died, and he was persuaded to return to America. His first professional performance was in an operetta, but his singing career ended when he broke an ankle. Tried straight drama afterwards and made a sensational debut in “A Parisian Romance,” along with the arrogant proclamation beforehand that he would be famous. Toured with the play, then bought it, but was forced to disband his company and borrow money to come back to NYC. Returned briefly to operetta, traveled back and forth twixt continents, but grew restless despite further G&S successes. Finally achieved both fame and fortune in his early 30s, and for the rest of his career was a successful actor/manager. Married Beatrice Cameron, his leading lady, in his late 30s, one son, very domestic when not on stage. "Dr. Jekyl & Mr. Hyde" became his signature part, although he ultimately toured with a half/dozen roles. Died of liver cancer, burning up all his nervous energy and literally killing himself with ambition. Acted in the grand style of the romantic tradition. First to recognize the playwriting genius of George Bernard Shaw. Inner: Egocentric, high-strung, temperamental, but also loving husband and father. His duality was portrayed in Jekyl & Hyde, the home/maker and the burning star. Dualistic lifetime of trying to integrate his mother’s emotional excess into his own needs for self-expression and a solid domestic base.
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PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS CLOWN TURNED ACTOR:
Storyline: The hairy teddy bear brings his good-natured charm to bear as he expands his deft facility for light entertainment into more challenging realms, while rediscovering himself in the process.
Elliot Gould (Elliot Goldstein) (1938) - American actor. Outer: Mother was a classical ‘stage mom,’ father worked in NYC’s garment center. Through the driving ambition of his adoring mother, he began taking stage instruction at 8, and performed as a child singer/dancer in a host of local venues, while occasionally appearing on TV. Went to the Professional Children’s School and during his summer vacations, worked in the Catskills as an entertainer. 6’3”, hairy and teddy-bearlike. After studying ballet, he landed on Broadway as part of a chorus at 18. Did odd jobs, while his first few years as an adult entertainer were thin, then a stage part led to the lead in his mid-20s in “I Can Get it For You Wholesale.” Fellow player, Barbra Streisand, who rose to stardom through that show, officially linked up with him the following year, and in short order, she was a superstar and he was Mr. Streisand. Son from union, Jason, also became an actor. After his own career seemed to disappear, he wound up managing his wife’s enterprises. Began a long delve into analysis to try to rediscover himself, and in 1971 divorced Streisand, whose popularity was just too overwhelming for his own ambitions. Began reclaiming his career, reaching a plateau with his performance as a droll doctor in the hit, M*A*S*H in 1970. Seemed to appear in every other comedy of the early 1970s, as a hairy anti-hero dealing with urban and suburban angst. Married his 2nd wife, Jennifer Bogart, twice, in 1971 and 1977, with a divorce in between, 2 children from union, with the duo eventually and ultimately separating soon after. After shooting the film, The Touch in 1971, with Swedish master, Ingmar Bergman, he came back to the U.S. in an emotional dither. Folded his production company, withdrew from an expensive project and was unable to work for a year. When he did return, with the ironically titled The Long Goodbye, the studio made him take a sanity test before proceeding with him. Afterwards, he bid his own long goodbye to mega-stardom by steadily pursuing a less and less visible film career, as he switched over to character parts, giving him more space to truly see himself away from undue applause. Inner: Neurotic, self-obsessed, good-humored. Outgoing, but introspective clown, with an obsession around self-knowledge. Redirected lifetime of slowly learning who he is, by first seeing who he was not - the appendage of a superstar, and then an icon himself - before finding a far more comfortable niche as combination family man and secondary character actor.
Eddy Foy (Edwin Fitzgerald) (1856-1928) - American entertainer. Outer: Both parents were Irish immigrant Father was a tailor who died in an insane asylum from syphilis dementia when his son was 7, leaving the family in dire poverty. 2nd oldest of 4 children. Began singing and dancing on the street at 8, accompanied by a wandering fiddler. The family moved to Chicago when he was 9, where he did odd jobs, but had little formal education. At 16, he called himself Eddie Foy and made his professional debut in a concert hall. Thin, elfin, blue-eyed, with a hissing voice. In 1878, he formed a partnership with James Thompson and the duo sang and danced in mining camps and boomtowns, before appearing on the stage in melodrama and comedy in San Francisco. In his early 20s, he married Rose Howland, who was part of a singing sisters act, and died 3 years later in childbirth. In his early 30s, he began using clownlike facial make/up, which became his trademark. With his unique stage mannerisms, quizzical expression and small upturned smile, he reflected the circus clown assaying the more subtle demands of the theatrical stage. Established himself as an eccentric farceur through leading comedy parts in extravaganzas. His second union, which may not have been official was to Lola Sefton, who died a decade later in 1894. Two years later, he wed Madeline Morando, an Italian dancer, 7 surviving children from the union, many of whom also carved out show business careers, with his same-named son, Eddie Foy, Jr. the mmost prominent. Played a heroic role in a theater fire in 1903 which cost 600 people their lives, when he climbed to the stage to calm the hysterical crowd, and was finally forced to retreat when his wig caught on fire. Went into vaudeville with his children, ‘The 7 Little Foys,’ in 1913, and continued as a family act for the next decade, before retiring. After his 3rd wife died, he married a 4th time to Marie Reilly Coombs, who was 40 years his junior. Came out of retirement for 4 years, but was stricken during his last play and died of heart disease Inner: Natural-born clown, with total identification with the stage and performance, turning all the elements of his life, including his children, into extensions of his showboat self. Classic clown lifetime of being given sorrow and loss through his father and wives in order to temper his clownish nature and need to perform, with a sadder, deeper sensibility.
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PATHWAY of THE PERFORMER AS CHARACTER ACTOR’S CHARACTER ACTOR:
Storyline: The intense exhibitionist leaves no visceral or emotional stone unturned in his desire to expose himself to himself in his cinematic portrayals, while turning elements of his private life into public theater as well.
Harvey Keitel (1939) - American actor. Outer: Father was Polish, mother was Rumanian. From a traditional workingclass Jewish home. HIs parents owned a luncheonette in Brooklyn, where he later labored. Younger of 2 brothers. Had a stuttering problem as a youth. His tough neighborhood, and decidedly nonintellectual home environment led to a disinterest in school. Left high school and enlisted in the Marines when he was 17, with 2 friends. On his discharge, he had no real direction, and eventually followed his older brother and became a court stenographer for 8 years. During that time, he was rejected by The Actor’s Studio every year, although kept perservering, and was finally accepted in his mid-30s, after already having appeared in films. After working on Off-Off-Broadway, he met director Martin Scorsese in his mid-20s, and appeared in one of his early films, as well as the movie that established both Scorsese and co-star Robert De Niro, Mean Streets, although his own work continued to remain largely unnoticed. Fired from the role that would have established him, the lead in Apocalypse Now, he continued working, before taking off for Europe and appearing in French and Italian cinema. Returned to appear on Broadway in his mid-40s, and then continued his American film career, finally establishing himself through a series of literally naked performances, most notably The Bad Lieutenant in 1992, a searing portrayal of a man on the perverse downslide. Married actress Lorraine Bracco in 1982, then became involved with her in a protracted custody battle over their daughter after their break-up eleven years later, and her subsequent marriage to actor Edward James Olmos, whom he accused of buying his way out of molestation charges. She would later portray him as self-pitying and a drug user, in an auto-biography. Married an Israeli actress, Daphna Kastner in 2001, one child from union. On the board of The Actor’s Studio, and continually working in a variety of well-wrought roles, as one of the most intense and uninhibited players on the American screen. Added series TV to his long resumé in 2008, with a stint on “Life on Mars,” a BBC time travel transplant. Inner: Private, intense, analytic, with a visceral intelligence and a willingness to try anything to get to the core of the characters he plays. Persistent, driven, angry, principled, mystical. Driven lifetime of self-discovery through acting out his complex interior for public view.
Theodore Roberts (1861-1928) - American actor. Outer: Educated at Cal. Military Academy in Oakland, then spent 2 1/2 years at sea, in part as a captain of a schooner. Began his show business career at 17, working in vaudeville, carnivals and stock. Large, ruddy, with dark blue eyes, also heavy voiced, with an imperious manner. Made his stage debut in San Francisco in 1880, then supported Fanny Davenport (Jane Fonda) for several seasons. Taught elocution at home, and, for a time, was a public school teacher. Married an actress, Clyde O’Brien, in 1890, later divorced. Married actress Florence Smythe in 1905. Entered motion pictures in the latter part of his career, beginning in 1914, with Call of the North, although he saw film as a retiring place for broken-down actors. Nevertheless, he established a solid reputation as a character actor, often playing heavies, as well as physical types, particularly frontiersmen and Amerindians. Referred to as “the grand duke of Hollywood,” by the fledging industry. An initial member of director C.B. DeMille’s production company, appearing in 23 of his films. His best known role was as Moses in that director’s first stab at The Ten Commandments. Heartbroken after his wife’s death in 1925. Died from uremic poisoning after an attack of the flu. Inner: Studied his roles carefully, taking his craft seriously. Second billing lifetime of pursuing a traditional acting career and enjoying success as a secondary player, before returning in far more intense and driven form to try to get a far deeper handle upon himself.
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PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD:
Storyline: The suntanned philanderer hides his fear of women and intimacy through a focus on surfaces and veneers, while unconsciously dealing with his own victimized sense of the seducer undone by his own seductive ways.
George Hamilton (1939) - American actor. Outer: Mother was from a wealthy smalltown Arkansas family. Father was a bandleader, the 2nd of 4 husbands of a formidable former southern belle nicknamed “Teeny.” The middle of 3 brothers. His mother would give him a fearsome image of womanhood, which would make him both attracted to and afraid of the opposite sex, and far more interested in superficial seductions than undying love. Much later in life, he admitted to having had relations with his stepmother, June Howard, when he was 12 and she was in her late 20s, and then resuming them later when he was actor, without any guilt. Went to some 25 schools because of his father's job, and ;earned to appreciate the good life in Palm Beach, Fla., where he studied the casual elegance of the truly wealthy. Appeared in high school dramatics, and decided after graduation to head out to Hollywood for a film career, after his mother and older brother failed in the same quest. 6’1”, handsome, charming and perpetually tanned, with a strong affinity for the sun and the surfaces of things. Given a playboy image by MGM, he made his movie debut at 20 in Crime and Punishment U.S.A. Though he worked steadily, he never could quite reach the movie star plateau that his looks and abilities warranted. Became better known as a jet-setter, whose ease and charm made him a favorite on the international party circuit. Involved with Lynda Bird Johnson, the daughter of Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson at the outset of the build-up of the Vietnam War, which brought him considerable publicity and some flack, since he had avoided involvement in the U.S. military at the time. His career through the 1970s proved far more productive on the social scene than the cinematic one, although at the near-end of the decade, he made a handsome comeback as a vampire in Love At First Bite, on which he was also executive co-producer. Followed that up with an equally popular portrayal of Zorro, The Gay Blade. Married Alana Collins, one son from union, his wife later wound up with rocker Rod Stewart. Frequent escort of movie queen Elizabeth Taylor, while flitting from one relationship to another, in an ongoing acting out of a secret fear and fascination with beautiful women, a legacy no doubt of his earlier existence’s undoing at the hands of saidsame. Hooked-up with best-selling author Danielle Steel, before returning to Taylor. Fathered a son with an actress in 1999. An active entrepreneur, in addition to his film career, with a Dominican-based cigar company, several restaurants, and a color tanning system. Published his co-written memoirs in 2008, “Don’t Mind If I Do.” Inner: Socially adept master of the light and the charming. Fearsome mother probably a reflection of his earlier assassin, and a reminder to keep himself protected from the needs and ambitions of driven women. Unashamedly vain and hedonistic. Lothario lifetime of playing with the same elements that previously undid him, while trying to do a better job of it this time around.
William Desmond Taylor (William Deane-Tanner) - Irish/American actor/director. Outer: 3rd child of a British army major. Educated in Dublin, but failed his exams to enter the army, and left the family in disgrace. Came to America around the turn of the century. Tall, suave, handsome, glib and seductive. In 1901, he married Ethel May Harrison, a former actress who was the daughter of a NY broker, and became a part owner of an English antique shop in NYC, one daughter from union. One day in 1908, he never came back from lunch and abandoned his family. A younger brother repeated the pattern 4 years later. Worked as a timekeeper for a gold company in Alaska, a night clerk in a Wyoming hotel, and a prospector in Colorado and Alaska, before turning to the stage in San Francisco, and finding a venue that satisfied his desire for money, fame and enticement. Became a screen actor in the early days of film, making his debut in 1913 in The Counterfeiter, and graduated to director in 1914, doing several star vehicles for Mary Pickford, as well as numerous other films for Famous Players-Lasky. Extremely social, with a roving eye for beauty and a seductive charm, he was rewarded more for his connections than his artistic abilities with the presidency of the Screen Director’s Guild. Enlisted in the Canadian army in 1918, but WW I soon ended, and he returned to directing the following year. His career might have been a footnote in Hollywood his/story had he not been found shot to death in 1922, with a bullet hole in the back, which exited his heart, in his Hollywood mansion under clouded circumstances that remained unsolved, and ended the careers of several stars with whom he had been involved. His studio bosses were burning papers in his fireplace when the police arrived, while actress Mabel Normand (Gene Wilder) was frantically searching for love letters, having visited him the night before. Both she and child-star Mary Miles Mintner, with whom he had also been having an affair, were the prime suspects, although no one was ever charged with the murder. Pornography and dated and initialed lingerie were also among his collected artifacts, and the day he died he was supposed to testify on a morals charge against his houseman for trying to pick up young men in the park. Director King Vidor became obsessed with the case, and from his notes, many years later, it was projected that Mintner’s mother, an ambitious stage mom, had done the deed for fear of the effects their affair would have on her daughter’s career, which was ended, anyhow, by the revelation she had visited him the night before as well. A very minor actress, Patricia Palmer, confessed to the deed on her deathbed many, many years later, but it may have been a ploy for a little more immortality than her career had ever offered. The murder, coupled with several other high profile scandals of the time, effectively brought to an end Hollywood’s lusty opening chapter, and paved the way for the corporate control that has run it ever since. Inner: Charming seducer, bisexual, perennially chasing after beautiful young women. Sacrificial lamb lifetime of literally acting out his dual fear and endless fascination with beauty, while serving as an unwilling martyr for the destruction of the free-spirited foundation of America’s ongoing fantasyland.
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PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS STRAIGHT ARROW STRAIGHT SHOOTER:
Storyline: The straight-laced warrior takes it upon himself to be an upright model of integrity, fortitude and morality in his personification of the triumphant nature of good in its ongoing never-ending battle with the cardboard evils of the world.
Chuck Norris (Carlos Norris) (1940) - American actor and martial artist. Outer: Both sides of the family were of mixed Irish and Cherokee blood. Named after a family minister, oldest of 3 sons. Father was an itinerant auto mechanic, bus and truck driver, who was also an alcoholic that couldn’t hold a job. Grandmother was the steadying influence on the struggling family, who settled in California when he was 9. His sire was often absent, and his parents divorced when he was 16, before his mother remarried a far more supportive progenitor. Initially wanted to be a police officer. 5’10”, 170 lbs. Enlisted in the Air Force to join the military police, and was called Chuck in bootcamp, and the name stuck. Not a natural athlete, he took judo lessons in Korea in order to improve his skills. Had to work hard but eventually became a karate black belt. After his discharge, he went to work as a file clerk for Northrup Aircraft, then started a karate school with borrowed money. Began entering karate tourneys to attract publicity and more students. Married in his late 20s to Diane Holechek in a close union, where he considered his wife his best friend. 3 children, 2 sons became actors. The duo eventually divorced 30 years later. Met karate master Bruce Lee and the pair began training together. Lee got him bit parts, which led to a role in Return of the Dragon, and a memorable fight scene in the Roman coliseum, where one of his kicks to Lee’s head may have inadvertantly fed into that actor’s premature death. Developed a trademark spinning back kick, and became a world middleweight karate champion from 1968 to 1974, holding an 8th-degree black belt as a grandmaster in tae kwon do. Established 5 schools, but because of bad management, he had to sell them, which forced him into a movie career, which began in 1969 with The Wrecking Crew. An extremely limited actor, he nevertheless found a repetitive role for himself as a heroic loner, with minimal dialogue. His younger brother was killed in Vietnam in 1970, and he subsequently made 2 cinematic tributes to him. Harbored a great desire to be a clean-cut role model, avoiding sex in his films, and concentrating on action, where the white hats always triumph. Later established himself as a popular TV star in “Walker, Texas Ranger,” and created Kickstart, a foundation dedicated to character-building through the martial arts. Remarried Gena O’Kelley, a former model nearly three decades his junior, in 1998, twins from the union. Co-wrote his autobiography, “Against All Odds: My Story,” in 2004, and continued putting pen to paper with a series of Western novels, with Christian themes. Also launched the World Combat League, a martial arts competition with teams from 8 cities, and male and female participants, as well as invented a new martial arts form known as Chun Kuk Do, replete with its own code of honor. Became actively involved in the 2008 presidential race with an enthusiastic endorsement of Mike Huckabee. Inner: Positive thinker, conservative, admirer of values of the religious right, archfoe of permissiveness. Loving family man, and a creationist, as well as a cultural phenomenon, as the object of satire by some, and serious Christian consideration by others. Has a great love for westerns and idealized braveheart values. White hat lifetime of having a sire to serve as his teacher of opposites, before developing his innate athleticism to serve as an upbeat, heroic role model for the traditional values he was denied as a youngster.
Fred Thompson (Frederick Thomson) (1890-1928) - American actor/athlete. Outer: Father was a Presbyterian minister, a pathway his son elected to follow as well, after growing up in a religious atmosphere. Often beaten by his sire “in the name of God.” Mother was a 4’11” dynamo, and the only survivor of a brood of 13, who had all caught TB from their father. After marrying a dying medical student, and becoming widowed, she got a master’s degree, then wed her late husband’s brother. Third of 4 brothers, with the youngest an excellent athlete. Grew up wanting to please, while his father, in addition to being a pastor, was also a surveyor, a civil engineer and a teacher among other occupations, while proving unsuccessful at all of them. In addition to excelling at all athletics, he was a good student. 6’2”, blue-eyed and sandy-haired, with handsome chiseled features. Studied to be a clergyman at Occidental College and Princeton Theological Seminary, where he stood out as a student/athlete, playing football, baseball, and running track, as well as being elected president of the student body. Well-read, with musical abilities as well, to top off his all-around attractiveness. National 10 Events Champion in 1910, 1911 and 1913, and world champion all-around athlete in 1913, the year in which he also married, although his wife died 3 years later. Did not try out for the Olympics in 1912, since he was morally opposed to competing on Sundays, despite the fact he would assuredly have made the team. After his father died, he was ordained a minister in his early 20s, and served in Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and in Las Vegas, where he was a scoutmaster and later Boy Scout Commissioner. Enlisted as a chaplain in WW I, and while convalescing with a broken leg in an army hospital, met screenwriter Frances Marion, becoming her 3rd husband in his late 20s, one natural son, one adopted one. Moved to Hollywood, left the ministry and entered films, feeling children learned a lot from the screen. His rugged athleticism and good looks soon made him a star in cowboy vehicles, which featured difficult stunts that he performed, rarely using a double. With his horse Silver King, he became one of the top action performers of the 1920s, although his 7 year career was abruptly ended when he suddenly died of pneumonia in a hospital in his wife’s arms. Inner: Consistently shunned spotlight. Teetotaler, nonsmoker, pleasing persona. Probably had conflicts between his initial chosen path, the ministry, and the heroic mold in which he was recast, as movie star, ultimately resolving them by an early death and a life of far greater struggle in order to integrate his need to be both heroic and Lord-loving. Straight arrow lifetime of turning a childhood dominated by an unstable father, but balanced by a dynamic mother, into his own sense of heroic spirituality, in order to give himself a righteous pathway, while pleasing as many people as he possibly could in the process.
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PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER ON EMOTIONAL OVERLOAD:
Storyline: The supremely self-involved thespian always takes the over-the-top route to get where he is emotionally going, no matter the vehicle, in an all-out attempt at purging his depths of every last drop of feeling residing there, in keeping with ancient theatrical tradition.
Al Pacino (1940) - American actor. Outer: Parents were of Sicilian origin, mother was emotionally troubled, father was an insurance salesman, who abandoned the family when son was 18 months, and ultimately married 5 times. An only child, he lived in Harlem, then the Bronx with his mother and grandmother in a bilingual house. The family was continually impoverished, very close to his mother, although neither she nor his grandmother lived to see his success, with the former dying of a heart attack when he was 22. Contained childhood, he was forbidden to go outside alone until he was 7, although the family shared an interest in movies. Entertained his grandmother with one-man shows, impersonating movie stars he had seen. Used to try to impress other children with fantasy projections on his own life. 5’7”, compact. Non-academic, went to the High School of Performing Arts, but dropped out at 17, and drifted through a series of anonymous jobs, including bike messenger, which ended when he was hit by a bus, before saving enough money for acting school. Coached by actor Charles Laughton at the Herbert Berghof studio, then did off-Broadway, before being accepted at the Actor’s Studio. Won an Obie for his role as a thug in “The Indian Wants the Bronx,” in his late 20s, and made his Broadway debut the following year. Won a Tony award in 1969 as a drug addict in “Does a Tiger Wear A Necktie,” and made his screen debut the same year in a small role in Me Natalie. After another junkie role, he scored his big breakthrough as Michael Corleone in The Godfather in 1972, and starred in its sequels as well. After several Oscar nominations, he finally won for Best Actor in 1992 as a blind officer in Scent of a Woman. Despite a highly successful screen career, Broadway remained his first love, allowing him to garner a second Tony in 1977 for “The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel.” The same year, he ended his destructive relationship with alcohol, after having a great deal of difficulty in integrating stardom, film and theater into his persona. Despite a continuous tendency to overact, he has remained a screen favorite for nearly 3 decades in a host of memorable roles, always bringing a passionate intensity and strong emotional intelligence to everything he assays. Has directed for the stage in vehicles in which he has been, preferring the immediacy of the theater to film work, and has also directed films, bringing the same careful attention to detail and slow gestation to all he does. Although linked with several actresses, has never married, preferring to live alone. Had a daughter from a brief romance with an acting teacher, as well as twins with actress Beverly D’Angelo, before the duo acrimoniously broke up over his wandering eye after five years together. In 2004, he won an Emmy for Best Actor in a miniseries or movie, for his role as Roy Cohn in “Angels in America.” Inner: Obsessive perfectionist, intense, sensitive, analytical, emotional, highly private. Careful study, always researching his roles to get the outer and inner essence of them. Feels the worse the script, the more money it will elicit for the actor, while the better the script, the less chance for it to prove profitable for anyone involved. Particular fascination with Richard III, giving endless variations of him in many of his characterizations. Tunnel vision lifetime of a highly contained childhood, in order to give him the discipline to focus single-mindedly on his craft, and continue his development as an actor of uncommon emotional sensibilities.
Tomasso Salvini (1829-1915) - Italian actor. Outer: From a well-known Italian theatrical family. Father was an actor. Trained in stock in boyhood. Began his career at 13, and won renown by the following year. The possessor of a musical voice, with excellent control over his face and body. Fought in the Roman uprising of 1849 and was imprisoned briefly for his political activities. Married at 27, his wife died 12 years later, while his son became a successful actor. On a U.S. tour, he spoke Italian, while the rest of the cast emoted in English. His reputation subsequently spread all over Europe, thanks to his particular gift for tragedy. Remarried in his mid-40s, but his wife died 3 years later. Enjoyed a long and productive career, acting in a traditional impassioned style, and leaving a memorable legacy of characters and roles in his over-emotional wake. Inner: Histrionic thespian, capable of conveying great emotion on stage. Often took a year to prepare for new roles. Punchinello lifetime of tapping into Italian traditions, and bringing a far more dynamic realism to all his roles, than was heretofore known on the European stage.
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PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS ALOOF ICON:
Storyline: The shy superhero eschews all star trappings in his workmanlike approach to his craft, while dealing with his own removed sense of self via his choice of public profession, in an ongoing attempt to reconcile his conflicted desire for privacy and overt recognition.
Harrison Ford (1942) - American actor. Outer: Irish grandfather was a blackface comedian in vaudeville who died of alcoholism in his mid-20s, leaving his sire to be raised in an orphanage by nuns, and ultimately become an ad exec and producer of TV commercials. His father, who was Roman Catholic, also did some radio acting as well as voiceovers for commercials. Mother was Russian-Jewish. Both parents were leftist in their views and held a strong moral sense, although neither was religious. Older of 2 sons. The family moved to the Chicago suburbs, and he became the object of neighborhood bullies who ritually rolled him down a hill every day. Unable to defend himself, because he was so small. Later felt it was an exercise in humility to temper his aloof arrogance. Still remains distant, but understands his internal processes. Originally wanted to be a forest ranger. 6’1”, and solid-bodied. Found freedom from his shyness in acting in school productions. Felt lost in Ripon College in Wisconsin, and didn’t graduate despite 4 years there. Decided on an acting career and headed for Hollywood, where he was quickly signed to development contracts, although it took quite a while for his career to truly develop. Married Mary Marquardt, a college classmate, in 1964, 2 sons from the union, which ended in divorce in 1979. Made his film debut in his early 20s in Dead Heat on a Merryground, but found his career going nowhere, and himself in mostly secondary parts in film and on TV. Discovered he made more as a carpenter, an occupation he pursued for a decade, before returning to the screen in his early 30s. By his mid-30s, he suddenly found himself enshrined in the Hollywood firmaments through Star Wars. Quickly became a superstar after adding the Indiana Jones trilogy to his trophy belt. Married screenwriter Melissa Mathison in his early 40s, 2 children from union. Developed into a leading man of strong sensibilities, effective in both comedy and drama, and capable of carrying blockbusters on his strong shoulders, such as The Fugitive. Lives in both Los Angeles and Wyoming, where he has a rustic ranch, allowing him to be surrounded by nature, and away from his working milieu, which he does not feel a part of. Despite all, he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000 by the American Film Institute. An enthusiastic pilot, with both a pilot and helicopter's license, well as 8 planes, he has survived one crash-landing, although remains resolute about his love for the skies. Separated from his wife in 2000, and two years later took up with uberthin actress Calista Flockhart, some 23 years his junior, adding her adopted son to his extended brood. From the early 1990s, he has been very active in the conservation movement, as a moral counterbalance to his career, which would see him reprise his Indiana Jones series in 2008 to good box office as always, despite mixed reviews. Appeared with the reincarnation of his earlier silent screen namesake, Brendan Fraser, in 2010 in Extraordinary Measures. The same year he finally wed Flockheart, with NM Gov. Bill Richardson performing the ceremony. Inner: Private, thoughtful, always involved in all aspects of his films. Earnest, hard worker, although unable to take himself seriously as a movie star. Cyncial, ironic and stoic, with a strong sense of humor, and a desire for personal excellence. Environmental activist and highly principled, viewing his career as a living, while taking its detail seriously. Lifelong sense of being a boy scout, with his idea of fulfillment in action rather than reflection. Conscientious carpenter lifetime of using a highly public career to overcome his own sense of aloof shyness, while adjusting to superstardom on his own uncompromising terms, in order to better understand himself.
Harold Lockwood (1887-1918) - American actor. Outer: Father was a horse-trainer and breeder. Showed himself to be an adept athlete, excelling in swimming, track and football, as well as being an expert rider. Also showed a fascination for the theater, particularly after the family moved to Manhattan when he was in his teens. Went to business college on the urging of his sire, and then briefly worked as a drygoods salesman before convincing his father that he would be better served with a show business career. Spent the next seven years working in musical comedy, vaudeville and as a stock player. In 1908, he married an actress, son became an actor, after changing his name to reflect his father’s. The couple would eventually become estranged with his stardom, and they quietly divorced in 1917, after which his wife was unsuccessful in launching her own screen career. Entered films in his mid-20s, working for a variety of studios, beginning with The White Redman, and moved out west to California, when one of the companies, Nestor, opened a studio there. Established himself as a handsome star in the early silent era, forming one of the first romantic teams in films with actress May Allison, making 22 movies with her between 1915 and 1917, until they became too expensive for their studio. Began a magazine column in 1918, and was also active in the Liberty Loan drives for America’s involvement in WW I. Played in some 120 films, before his early death of pneumonia complications in the great influenza epidemic of the WW I period. Inner: Handsome and heroic in his outer projections. Modest, hard worker, and very well-liked. Conventional lifetime of acting out of a more extroverted persona, before prematurely making his exit in order to delve into the same milieu from a far more complex interior character.
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PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS OBSESSIVE REALIST:
Storyline: The intensely introspective artist paints aspect-filled self-portraits each time he puts make-up brush to camera-filled canvas, revealing his imaginative side for one and all to see but keeping the painter behind it totally hidden from view.
Robert De Niro (1943) - American actor. Outer: Father was an abstract impressionist painter and sculptor, mother was an artist. Only child. At 10, he began acting classes at the New School for Social Research, finding emoting to be a vicarious experience. Attended NYC’s High School of Music and Art but dropped out to study under Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg of The Actor’s Studio, and began his career doing workshop presentations, off-Broadway and working with touring companies. 5’10”, and originally fine-featured. Married actress Diahanne Abbot in his mid-20s, one step-daughter from the union, as well as a son. Entered films through several low budget Brian de Palma productions in his mid-20s. During filming of Bloody Mama, he became so involved as criminal Lloyd Barker, his health began to fail. Did not attract attention until his early 30s, when he appeared as a dying baseball player in Bang The Drum Slowly, and then began a highly productive union with director Martin Scorsese that would stretch over the next 2 decades in a series of violent roles of life lived on the edge. Won an Academy Reward as Best Supporting Actor in 1974 for his characterization of a young Vito Corleone in The Godfather II, and his career swung into high gear, reaching an initial peak in Scorsese’s Raging Bull, for which he won a Best Actor Oscar in 1980 for his portrayal of boxer Jake La Motta, putting on 50 pounds for the final scenes. Despite an extremely sensitive face when younger, he allowed it to harden as he grew older, in reflection of many of the tough guy roles he played. Showing his range in a variety of roles, from the hyperviolent to the romantic, he continually etches his characterizations with a thoughtful realism that goes deep inside them. Constantly working as one of filmdom’s most respected actors, he formed his own production company, Tribeca Films, as well his own production facility in NYC. Made his directorial debut with A Bronx Tale at 50. Fathered in vitro twins with an ex-lover, actress Toukie Smith, which were carried by a surrogate mother. Married a second time in 1996 to his longtime live-in love, Grace Hightower, a former flight attendant and sometime actress, later divorced, one son from the union. Awarded France’s Legion of Honor in 1997, one of the few American’s given it, but after being questioned by French authorities the following year for 10 hours over an alleged luxury call-girl ring, he fumed he would give it back. By the turn of the century, he began valuing his $4 million asking price more than the vehicles he was in, leading to a succession of mediocre fare, and horror of horror, an appearance in a commercial for American Express, which had contributed to his Tribeca Film Festival. Also added a successful restaurant in Tribeca and real estate holdings to his portfolio, as well as a high-priced hotel. Successfully combated prostate cancer in 2003. The same year, he was given the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2006, he donated his movie archives to the Univ. of Texas, Austin, revealing his obsessive preparations, with every page of his scripts covered with notes on details of projected performances. Also released his second effort at direction, The Good Shepherd, a look at the CIA’s beginnings, a longtime fascination of his, to excellent reviews. Inner: Serious and intensely private. Never rehearses, preferring to work out his characterizations on camera. Sees acting as a process of self-discovery. Shy and sensitive at heart, despite a brusque screen exterior. Interior-building lifetime of holding a self-view as an artist from his upbringing, while using himself as an emotional canvas in order to augment his own ongoing sense of self-discovery.
James A. Herne (James Ahern) (1839-1901) - American actor/playwright. Outer: Father was an Irish immigrant who had converted from Catholicism to the Dutch Reform Church. Proved to be an unaffectionate and strict parent who took his son out of school at 13 to work, although his employer saw his alertness and ambition and wished him to continue his education. His father said ‘no,’ so he was forced to educate himself in his spare time. After seeing his first play, he decided to become an actor. Secretly saved his salary and sunk $165 into a barnstorming company, who allowed him to act with them. At 20, he secured his first real job in the theater and changed his name to James A. Herne, although his sire was disgusted with his choice in profession. Sturdily built, with a large heard. Acted in the Baltimore and Washington area during the Civil War, although his initial ambitions were somewhat limited. Married the sister of actress Lucille Western in his mid-20s. Managed a theater for financier Jim Fisk (Bob Hope) in NYC, then became a stage director in San Francisco. Married actress Katherine Corcoran, who became a dominant influence in his subsequent life, 3 children from his unions, including actress Chrystal Herne (Beverly D’Angelo). Worked with a young David Belasco (Stephen Bochco) an early proponent of realism in the theater, and collaborated on a play with him. Bought out Belasco’s interests and acted in the play for 7 years, which secured his fortune. A pioneer in stage realism with his wife, even though his own dramas were not that well-received. Moved to NYC in his early 50s, and became a stage manager, although he had difficulties with his vehicles there. Finally had a success with his play “Short Acres,” playing it for 5 years and recovering his equity, which allowed him to build a stately home on Long Island. Wrote 2 more plays, but couldn’t find an audience for them. His health began to fail after campaigning for presidential hopeful William Jennings Bryan (Al Sharpton). Broke down and died the following year. Inner: Realist in all his undertakings, did his best work as a character comedian. Oedipal lifetime of exploring the theater as both playwright and actor, preferring to work repetitively in his own vehicles to give himself a sense of realistic projection, rather than immerse himself in a host of characters created by others, perhaps as reflection of an insecure son looking to be his own creative father.
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PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS WELL-LOVED GHOUL:
Storyline: The menacing dancer uses the stage and screen to release his underlying creepiness, while reserving his normalcy for his private life, in a neatly compartmentalized go-round geared towards bringing out the best of him in both worlds, without allowing the two to meet.
Christopher Walken (Ronald Walken) (1943) - American actor. Outer: Father was a German immigrant, mother was Scottish. His sire worked as a baker, then bought his own shop, where his boys worked after school. 2nd of 3 sons, named after actor Ronald Colman (Orlando Bloom), and raised a Methodist. Imbued with a work ethic from his father, while his mother wanted her 3 sons to enter show business. Began his career at 14 months, posing with some kittens for a calendar. The 3 brothers became catalog models, then did bit parts on live TV shows while they attended the Professional Children’s School, learning to sing, act and dance. Performed all through childhood, and originally wanted to be a stand-up comic. Worked as a lion tamer’s assistant at a circus at 18, playing his son. Went to Hofstra Univ. with the intention of becoming a teacher, but quit before completing his freshman year to re-enter show business. 6’1/2”, with one blue eye and one hazel one. Got a part in an off-Broadway musical, then danced in several chorus lines, as Ronnie Walken, although Belgian singer Monique Van Vooren introduced him as Christopher, a name he came to prefer. Asked to audition for “A Lion in Winter,” but had total stage/fright in the tryout. Taught to relax under the threat of being fired, and went on to win an award for his performance. Tried Shakespeare and was awful, but persisted in learning his craft, doing odd jobs at the Actor’s Studio for a decade before being accepted. Met his wife, actress Georgianne Thon, in a summer-stock production and they were married when he was in his mid-20s, no children. She became a casting director, and the two remained extremely close. Developed an unusual pattern of diction, often not even looking at punctuation in scripts, in order to make him a highly unique screen and stage presence. Won an Obie in 1975 for the title role in “Kid Champion,” and did a successful Broadway revival. Despite his stage triumphs, he rarely made any money from them, and his wife supported them selling cosmetics. Made his film debut in his late 20s, and eventually established himself as an oddball character, often exhibiting over-the-edge behavior in his roles. With his pale skin and strange demeanor, he became adept at parts that demanded believable creepiness. Won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1978 for The Deer Hunter, in which he assayed an innocent Viet vet driven to suicide. In the 1980s, he did a number of macabre turns, including terrifying psychotics, which firmly established him as a distinctive character on the Hollywood landscape. An accomplished dancer as well, he has tripped the light fantastic on music videos and TV. Has done over 100 stage roles and more than 90 films, many of them highly forgettable, save for his presence in them, with a continual desire to remain humble and active. Nominated for both an Oscar and Razzie one year, for two different films, an apt summation of his willingness to appear in anything that mildly intrigues him. Appeared as a character named Max Schreck in the 1992 film Batman Returns in an unconscious nod to himself. In 2001, he made his directorial debut with Popcorn Shrimp. Inner: Despite dark work, conventional, positive, upbeat workaholic. No real interests outside of acting, basically lives for work. Uncomfortable with strangers, creature of habit. Extremely private, expert cook, and a big fan of zombie movies. Compartmentalizing lifetime of distancing himself from his own strangeness through his work, so as to re-integrate himself better as a conventional human being.
Max Schreck (1879-1936) - German actor. Outer: Real name unknown, adopted the name, ‘Shreck,’ which means fear, to underscore his desire to probe his own darkness through theatrical work. After serving his stage apprenticeship, he became a character actor of the German stage, and was most closely associated with producer Max Reinhardt’s Berlin theatrical company, while specializing in off-beat roles. Married popular actress Fanny Normann in 1910, and entered films 11 years later. Best remembered as the screen’s first vampire in 1922 in F. W. Murnau’s (Werner Herzog) Nosferatu, in a performance for the ages, in its sheer creepiness. Played numerous other horror roles as well, and continued his career into the sound era. Died of a heart attack. Inner: Off-the-wall acting lifetime, once again, of outward normalcy and inner strangeness and a desire to integrate the two by acting out the fantasies of others.
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PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS TRANS-GENDERED STAR:
Storyline: The show business scion serially follows his mother’s, then his father’s pathway, using each as a foundation model to ultimately find his own unique self, and in so doing, ultimately integrating his two halves into a comfortable whole.
Michael Douglas (1944) - American actor. Outer: Father was movie star Kirk Douglas. Oldest of four brothers. His parents divorced when he was 5, and his progenitor tried to win his mother back, but she couldn’t forgive him his compulsive chasing after women. Had a rocky relationship with his ubermacho sire, which was eventually smoothed in adulthood. Went to a military academy, then UC Santa Barbara, and hung out at the Fillmore in San Francisco in a quasi-hippie existence. Became a theater arts major in college, but was terrified of performing. Entered the entertainment industry initially as an assistant director, but by his mid-20s was acting on TV, the stage and in films. Co-produced One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, a film that won a Best Picture Oscar in 1975. Became a popular movie star the following decade, hitting his early peak in Fatal Attraction and Wall Street, and winning a Best Actor Oscar for the latter as a ruthlessly greedy businessman in 1987. In 1977, he married Diandra Luker, a documentary filmmaker with more than a passing resemblance to his mother, then proceeded along the same pathway as his progenitor. Their son, Cameron, became an actor as well as a meth addict, and was ultimately nabbed for dealing drugs. Caught twice by his wife in flagrante delicto with her friends. Checked into a rehab clinic to deal with his alcohol problems in 1992, as his son would later do for drug addiction, and the duo were divorced in 1997. Continued playing in controversial films in the 1990s, including the highly eroticized Basic Instinct. Able to put his life back together by decade’s end, forming a production company, Furthur Films, and marrying much younger actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, with whom he shares birthdays, in 2000, two children from the union. Able to show added vulnerability as an actor through his adversities, with the desire to continue his career through selective roles mirroring his interest in continually expanding his craft. Invited to join the Council on Foreign Relations, as one of its 4000 plus members, through his political activism. Stunned at a five year sentence given his son for drug-dealing in 2010, while earning the judge’s opprobrium for being a far too distant and immature parent, which fed into his progeny’s unhappy downward spiral. To add to his woes, discovered a tumor in his throat from decades of smoking, which might imperil his voice, while his ex-wife sued him for potential profits for his sequel to his earlier hit, Wall Street. Inner: Political liberal and Democratic activist. Thoughtful, alternately in-control and out-of-control, and finally in harness for where he would like to be as an artist and human being, despite ongoing reminders of his failings via his son. Trans-gendered lifetime of dealing with the legacy of a hyper-masculine father, while exploring the same career from a male and much more problematic perspective, after earlier delving directly into the feminine as a means to excavate his emotional capabilities and vulnerabilities.
Laura Hope Crews (1880-1942) - American actress. Outer: Mother was a stage actress, who retired at daughter’s birth, father was a carpenter. Youngest of 4. Made her debut in stock at the age of 4 in San Francisco in “Bootle’s Baby,” then retired at 7 to attend school and have a normal childhood. Her parents divorced and her mother remarried. Returned to the stage at 18, and moved to NYC in her early 20s with her mother, joined a stock company and was soon playing leading ladies on Broadway, before becoming a character actress. Steadily employed on stage throughout the 1920s. Came to Hollywood initially as a speech coach during the transition period from silents to talkies, teaching diction to the stars and soon began playing character roles in films. Never a star, but always a respected actress. Played mothers and society matrons, whose manners conflicted with their darker sentiments, and is probably best remembered for her role as Aunt Pittypat in Gone With the Wind. Had a distinct talent for playing scatter-brained women, although was not one herself. Died of a kidney ailment. Never married, putting her total focus on her craft, while no scandals ever accrued to her solid show business reputation. Inner: Dependable, focused and dedicated. Member of the crew lifetime of pursuing her mother’s pathway and acting out the full career that had been denied the latter, while preferring to keep her innate maternality in the fantasy, rather than the reality realm.
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PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS FALLEN AND RESURRECTED STAR:
Storyline: The conventional luminary never quite matches his imposing matinee idol physique with his voice, evincing a not-quite integrated sense of himself in his ongoing pursuit of the basic American values of handsome is as handsome does.
Tom Selleck (1945) - American actor. Outer: Father was an investment executive. 2nd of 4. Close-knit, conservative family, who moved to Southern California when he was 4. Attended UCLA on a basketball scholarship, also a good football and baseball player, majoring in business administration. 6’4”, 200 lbs. and handsome, with a voice not quite as strong as the rest of him. Started acting in 1967 on the advice of a drama teacher. After college, he began modeling and doing TV commercials, before appearing in guest roles in that medium. Made his film debut in a bit part in Myra Breckinridge in his mid-20s, then appeared in several unmemorable movies. Married Jacqueline Ray, a model, in his mid-20s, divorced a dozen years later, one stepson from the union. Spent 2 years on the TV soap opera “The Young and the Restless,” and did more film and TV work before enjoying widespread recognition with his own series, “Magnum P.I.,” which had an 8 year run and won him an Emmy in 1984 while establishing him as a small screen star. Married stage actress-dancer Jillie Mack in his early 40s, one daughter from union. His movie career never quite took off, and in his early 50s, he returned to the small screen, which has been far more hospitable to his handsome presence, although his subsequent series as an ad exec, “The Closer”’ closed early. Staunch supporter of the National Rifle Assoc., winning sympathy for his stance after being blind-sided on a TV talk show over it. Made his Broadway debut in 2001 in a revival of “A Thousand Clowns.” Inner: Politically conservative, athletic, modest, diehard Detroit Tiger fan. Lightweight lifetime of trying to expand his acting talents, while using the additional medium of TV to offset a curious sense of ongoing acceptance/rejection that the silver screen has thus far held for him.
John Gilbert (John Pringle) (1897-1936) - Outer: Father was the leading comic of the Pringle Stock Company. Through family connections, he began his film career at 16 as an extra for the Thomas Ince (Sam Peckinpah) Co., and within a year was doing featured parts and occasional leads, usually playing off the hero as his competitive adversary. 5’11”, 165 lbs. Collaborated on some of his scripts, and became a popular leading man by his mid-20s, thanks to his good looks and manly screen image. Married actress Leatrice Joy in his late 20s, divorced 2 years later, one daughter. By his early 30s, he was a screen idol, 2nd only to Rudolph Valentino (John Travolta) as the hottest screen lover of his time. Also hosted orgies, as a genuine celebrator of sex, which Valentino was not. Reached his peak when he was teamed thrice in succession with Greta Garbo in the late 1920s. Married actress Ina Claire in his mid-30s, divorced 3 years later. Married actress Virginia Bruce in 1932, divorced 2 years later, one child. His career suffered a devastating blow when filmdom switched to sound, for his voice did not quite match his screen presence, being somewhat high-pitched, while the type of romantic figure he played had gone out of fashion. Not particularly talented as an actor, he was not able to make the transition to changing public tastes, even though he made 10 talking pictures. Began drinking heavily when his career fell apart and he died of a heart attack at home in his early 40s. Inner: Externally manly, but internally insecure. Disappointing lifetime of enjoying unparalleled success, only to experience the equal depths of failure without the constitutional fortitude to handle it.
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PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS DELICIOUSLY WIRED HAM:
Storyline: The merchant of menace changes ethnicity but otherwise sticks close to his earlier patterns of playing with both the dark and the light of his characterizations in highly electric fashion, as a master of foreboding mood and unsettled energy.
James Woods (1947) - American actor. Outer: Father was a U.S. Army intelligence officer who died during routine surgery in 1960. Mother was a teacher who eventually set up a prestigious pre-school following her husband’s death. Brother became a video-store owner. His sire would read Shakespeare to him as an infant, and he was able to hold conversations at the age of one. Thought of himself as brilliant as soon as he became self-aware. Possessor of a 180 I.Q. Originally wanted to be a surgeon or in the military. Despite scholarships that would have allowed him to pursue the former, he put his hand through a glass door, ruining his potential, and was educated at MIT on a full scholarship, where he majored in political science, instead. Began his theatrical career in the Boston area, taking to the stage so naturally that he decided to make a lifetime venue of it. Only had 2 formal acting lessons in his life. Moved to NYC, and worked both on and off-Broadway, winning an Obie for “Conduct Unbecoming.” Began his film career in 1972 with The Visitor, and by the end of the decade, he had established his unique wired presence on the screen, bringing an unusual intensity to all his characterizations, while choosing his roles for their off-beat, rather than their star-making, potential. Won an Emmy for playing a disturbed brother in “Promise.” Married Kathryn Morris, a model and costume designer, in 1980, divorced in 1983, then wed Sarah Owen, a horse trainer in 1989. Pulled a gun on her and forced her to have an abortion, and the duo were divorced soon afterwards. Filed a huge harassment suit against actress Sean Young, and later discovered his ex was the guilty party playing with his mind. Came to think of the latter as his own personal antiChrist. Had numerous liaisons with attractive younger actresses during the 1990s, giving play to his earlier life reputation as an over-the-top lothario, without the string of children that followed. A cable TV mainstay in numerous productions, with a particular fascination for the villainous and the ambiguous. Increasingly more politically conservative as he has gotten older, after initially characterizing himself as a liberal Democrat. In 2006, he entered mainstream TV with “Shark,” a conventional courtroom drama tailored to showcase his unique personality, rather than stake any new territory. Inner: Intense, wired, narcissistic and unafraid of giving full play to his complex interior. Quite full of his own self-admitted brilliance, extremely opinionated and difficult to work with. Mirror mirror on the wall lifetime of juicing up both stage and screen with his ongoing provocative presence, while playing with his ongoing self-infatuation.
Jacob Adler (1855-1925) - Russian/American actor. Outer: Father was a wheat merchant, although a poor businessman, more interested in stimulating conversation than affairs of the wallet. His mother, a tall beauty, had earlier divorced and been forced to give up her first son. Eldest child, raised in a lively, happy, Orthodox Jewish household, later had a younger sister. A trickster and poor student as a child, where he was often beaten by his teachers. Worked as a peddler in his teens, then became a boxer, before laboring in a textile factory, then as a document copier, while affecting the clothes of a dandy, enjoying low companions, and continually chasing after women. Tall, charming and handsome. Served in the medical corps in 1877 in a typhus ward, during the Russo-Turkish War, then became an official in the Dept. of Measures and Weight, the first Jew in Odessa to occupy the post. Joined a Yiddish theater troupe when it came to Odessa, realizing a longtime dream while touring with it, despite initial family resistance. Married actress Sonya Oberlander in his mid-20s, after a turbulent courtship, then followed the trajectory of the touring Yiddish theater, until it was banned in Russia after the assassination of the tsar in 1881. Set sail for England in 1883 with his troupe, wife and son, and quickly garnered a reputation as a great actor, gaining a patron who built a theater for him, only to see his first child die, then his wife pass on after giving birth to a son, while he also had a child with another actress, before she fled him. Married a 2nd time to a young actress, Dinah Shettin, son from union. Emigrated to America in 1887, some 5 years after the Yiddish theater had been established there, and began his new career in Chicago, before returning to London, where his wife was now a leading lady with her own troupe. Stayed 2 years, then returned for good to America in 1889, where he was later joined by his wife, whom he would soon divorce to marry Sara Heine, yet another actress, who had been wed to a Yiddish star. 5 children all told from union, daughter Frances became an actress, daughter Stella became a noted actress and drama teacher, while his son Luther became a well-known actor. Never could remain faithful to his spouse, although he adored her, and was heartbroken when she fell in love with a Russian singer, and left him, only to contract TB, recover and return, although she established her own separate identity as an actress, while he could no longer feel she was his alone. Played many of the major Shakespearean roles, including Shylock, Iago and King Lear, with the latter finally bringing the Yiddish Theater into full flower in the early 1890s. Known as the Nesher Hagadel, the ‘Great Eagle,’ for his profile and the meaning of his last name in Yiddish. Partnered with Boris Thomashevsky (John Turturro), and together the 2 became the competitive lights of the American Yiddish theater. In 1903, he played the Jewish Shylock on Broadway, speaking his lines in Yiddish with an English-speaking cast, his singular foray into mainstream theater, fulfilling a longtime dream of his, and then retiring from it. Returned to the Yiddish theater, and helped oversee its Golden Age during the first decade of the new century, while enjoying a special prestige as a deeply respected figure. Eventually suffered a stroke, gave a round of farewell performances, declined and died after a hemorrhage. Wrote his memoirs, “A Life on the Stage.” Inner: Self-possessed, intense, seductive and driven, yet humble about his own achievements. Always conscious of his lack of schooling. Great eagle lifetime of coming to America with his roots intact to infuse the stage with his electric presence and further influence its development with the teachings of his progeny and the memory of his own magnetic persona upon it.
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PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS PRYCELESS CHARACTER ACTOR:
Storyline: The strongly domestic thespian puts all his drama in his professional life, and none in his private domain, which he prefers to keep close and loving, in contrast to the dark outsiders he often plays to excellent and highly believable effect.
Jonathan Pryce (John Price) (1947) - Welsh actor. Outer: Father was a coal miner, and both his parents were shop keepers. The third of three, with two older sisters. Grew up in modest circumstances, and left home in 1963 to attend art school, where he also took drama classes, before getting a scholarship to Edge Hill College. Trained to be a teacher, but found the lure of the stage far too enticing after appearing in college productions. Finished his education via another scholarship at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, while supporting himself selling velvet paintings door-to-door. 6’2”, and slim. Met Irish actress Kate Fahy in 1972 and married her two years later, with the family settling in London. Two sons and a daughter from the union. Made his stage debut in Liverpool at the Everyman Theater, where he was also artistic director, before hitting the boards in London, as part of the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company, among others, assaying roles both modern and classic, including Shaw, Shakespeare and a turn as Hamlet in 1980, winning his first Olivier Award, while also playing the indecisive Dane’s ghostly father in regurgitated fashion. Won a Best Supporting Actor Tony for his Broadway debut in 1976 in “The Comedians.” His father had earlier been attacked by a local teen, and died from his injuries at the same time. Made his feature debut the same year with a small part in Voyage of the Damned, and since then, has appeared both on stage and the large and small screen, doing made-for-TV films. Most of his initial appearances saw him typecast as a villain, but his innate range ultimately allowed him a wide swath of roles, including several star turns. Changed the spelling of his name to join Actor’s Equity, only to see them bar him from reprising his London role of a Eurasian pimp in “Miss Saigon,” because of his ethnic inauthenticity when the play crossed the Atlantic, although the ruling was overturned and he was doubly vindicated when he won his second Tony for it in 1991, after winning an Olivier for Best Actor the previous year. Has had numerous triumphs, while always referring himself to an actor, rather than a star, with notable appearances in the dystopic futurist fantasy Brazil in 1985, and the same year The Doctor and the Devils, as well as turns in blockbusters, such as Evita and Pirates of the Caribbean. During the 1990s, he was also an ad spokesman for Nissan’s luxury auto, Infiniti. Appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2009. Inner: Instinctive actor, relying on feeling rather than analysis for his roles. Sees himself as an outsider, and is attracted to roles that reflect that sentiment. Strongly domestic, and a homebody at heart. Outside/insider lifetime of deliberately coming in at a distance from the English stage, in order to explore his own alien sensibilities via his work, despite his longtime crypto-association with his craft.
Gerald Du Maurier (Gerald Hubert Edward Busson du Maurier) (1873-1934) - English actor/manager. Outer: Father was transplanted French artist and novelist George Du Maurier (William Wyler). Youngest of 5, with his sister Sylvia the mother of the boys who were the inspiration for James Barrie’s (Donovan) “Peter Pan.” Educated at Harrow, albeit a self-proclaimed Cockney. After initially pursuing a business career, he found the stage a far more rewarding calling, and used his sire’s connections to land his first role, in “An Old Jew,” in his early 20s. “Peter Pan” in 1904, would prove his breakthrough role, playing both the Darling’s father and Captain Hook. His association with Barrie would continue to both their theatrical benefit. Except for 13 years, he lived his entire life in Hampstead. Ultimately became an extremely popular actor, although his reputation was somewhat undermined by his doing contemporary plays and playing characters that reflected his own personality, limiting his choice of roles. Became an exponent of a realistic style of acting that suggested rather than stated deep emotions, although he was extremely effective in his deceptive simplicity. Married Muriel Beaumont, an actress who was the daughter of a solicitor, and was an affectionate and devoted father. 3 daughters from the union, including writers Angela and Daphne Du Maurier, who penned a biography of him, which appeared the year of his death. Joined the management of Wyndham’s Theater in his mid-30s, enjoying a 15 year association with it, and later managed the St. James in his early 50s. Knighted in his late 40s, he also did some filmwork in character roles. Careless of his performances towards the end of career, when his heart really wasn’t in his work. Died of lung cancer after an operation, thanks to a smoking habit his entire life. The English cigarette brand Du Maurier was named after him, in celebration of his addiction, and as part of an endorsement deal. Inner: Strongly domestic, with a sense of family affection. Casual, deceptive actor, and skillful producer of plays. Domesticated lifetime of exploring himself through his stagework, an ongoing process of self-expression and self-examination, to which he continues to hew.
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PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS DRIVEN EVERYMAN:
Storyline: The cocksure craftsman channels his natural aggressiveness into creative characterizations, while evincing a strong social conscience and an equal facility for putting his head in the jaws of potential self-destruction in close encounters of the hurting kind.
Richard Dreyfuss (1947) - American actor. Outer: Father was a Jewish attorney. One of 3 children, brother Loren became a writer-producer, sister Cathy became a criminal defense attorney. Spent his early childhood in NY’s boroughs, then his family moved to Los Angeles when he was 9, at which time he went to his first audition. Began acting as a teen at the Beverly Hills Jewish Center. Spent a year at San Fernando Valley State College, then declared conscientious objector status and spent 2 years as a clerk at a Los Angeles hospital. 5’5”. Began his career afterwards, appearing on both coasts on Broadway, off-Broadway, and in repertory, doing improvisational comedy and making guest appearances on TV. Made his film debut with a couple of bit parts at 30, and then drew notice as gangster Baby Face Nelson in Dillinger, and as an uncertain college-bound cut-up in American Graffiti. The following year, he underlined his burgeoning reputation with The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, playing an aggressively ambitious Jewish youth, before cementing his reputation in two blockbusters, Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Won an Academy Reward for Best Actor in 1977 with The Goodbye Girl, his first romantic lead, and went on to fashion a notable screen career, most often playing cocky, self-confident types who make up in personality and perseverance for what they lack in looks and charm. Once thought of running for political office. In the early 1980s, he suffered a serious auto accident, when he crashed into a tree. Drugs were subsequently discovered, and he spent some brief jail time, which was enough to make him reassess his life afterwards. Married Jeramie Rain in his mid-30s, daughter and two sons from the union, divorced a dozen years later. His wife suffered from lupus, and one child was born blind in 1 eye. By the middle of the 1980s he had re-established himself, although the following decade saw his career in decline again, as he grew indifferent to his work, while spending his time thinking and walking. In addition to producing and co-authoring “The Two Georges,” he has been a stage director in England, doing “Othello” there. Married an accountant in 1999. Assayed another resurrection in 2001, with TV, playing an extension of himself on “The Education of Max Bickford,” in an attempt to reintegrate himself with show business, and continues to do the transatlantic stage, as well as filmwork. Does extensive charity work as well, and is a liberal activist for social causes, as well as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. In 2006, he married a Russian-born American. Inner: Intelligent, compassionate, self-involved, self-confident. Suffers from attention deficit disorder. Brash lifetime of transcending his unprepossessing physicality with an actorly energy that has made him a film favorite, while continually expanding his own sense of craftsmanship and social conscience, by learning to correctly channel his considerable drive, even when it’s taken him off his life’s road.
Richard Bennett (Clarence Charles Bennett) (1872-1944) - American actor. Outer: Father owned and operated a saw mill, and was also a lay evangelical preacher, and later a sheriff. Acted in church and school theatricals as a boy. His mother encouraged his stage aspirations, while his sire wanted him to enter the lumber business. Left home and did odd jobs, including boxing professionally, working on a Great Lakes steamer and in a medicine show. 5’10 1/2”, and quick-tempered, often getting into fights, which forced him to keep moving on. Joined a tent show, and then a minstrel troupe, as part of his apprenticeship. Made his stage debut at the age of 17 in Chicago in “The Limited Mail,” and found easy success afterwards, with a natural talent in front of the footlights. Had a long association with producer Charles Frohman (Harvey Weinstein), and after a number of hits, developed into one of the leading Broadway stars of his day. Married Grena Heller, a future music critic in his late 20s, divorced 2 years later. In his early 30s, he married a Broadway actress and literary critic, Adrienne Morrison, and had 3 daughters, all of whom became screen personalities, Barbara (Emily Blunt), Constance (Anne Hathaway) and Joan Bennett. Began bringing more challenging plays to the American public in his early 40s, beginning with “Damaged Goods” in 1913, which dealt with the subject of syphilis, and to which he had acquired the rights. Addressed clubs, churches and theater groups on hypocrisy surrounding the forbidden subject, and made a less successful followup attempt by producing a play on abortion. Helped create a change in theater in the U.S. after WW I, to one that was more relevant to modern life. Made his screen debut in his early 40s in Damaged Goods, playing leads in early silents, and then character roles up until the near-end of his life. After a separation and divorce from his wife in 1925, he began drinking heavily, undergoing a period of instability that made his later work uneven. Married a 3rd time, to Aimee Raisch, a divorced socialite and aspiring actress, in 1927. The duo separated in 1934, and divorced three years later. Returned to Broadway in his early 60s, but within a few years, he began suffering from memory blocks. Did some directing, suffered from heart disease and died of a heart attack. Inner: Handsome, aggressive, and dynamic. Learned all the other roles in a play, before memorizing his own lines. Famous for curtain speeches and biting ad libs, as well as sparring with critics. Serious, dedicated artist with a strong social conscience. Two-fisted lifetime of learning how to channel his aggressiveness and talent to amuse, to positive social and cultural ends, while doing battle with the innate self-destructiveness that often accompanies highly driven creativity.
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