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Richard Herd Interview
(T.V. and Film Actor)
He starred alongside Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon and Michael Douglas in “The China Syndrome.”
He made regular appearances on TV’s T.J. Hooker from 1982 to 1983.
He made guest appearances on TV shows NYPD Blue, Golden Girls, Quantum Leap, Starsky and Hutch, The Rockford Files, and MASH.
Richard Herd is the actor we are speaking of.
This interview, never before published, was conducted on June 22nd, 1982.
Q – Richard, You’re now a regular on T.J. Hooker are you?
A - Yes. What happened is I came back earlier. I wasn’t expected to come back until the 27th (June 27th, 1982) but they had a lot of picture sessions for the show regarding the affiliates and papers. We’re going to be doing 13 of them on or about July 6th (1982) when we start back to work for ABC..
Q - Is working on a TV show like T.J. Hooker a punishing schedule? Is it a grind? Do you have to be on the set something like 14 hours a day?
A - Well, each one of these hour shows was given seven days to shoot and there are a lot of exteriors which means a lot of set-ups for the camera and the crew as opposed to a show which is highly interiorized where you can move from one set to another. Dallas has a lot of standing sets. They have a very grueling schedule as well but the action oriented shows like T.J. Hooker, it’s kind of like an entire city traveling from one area of town to another which makes it complicated in a number of set-ups which means the day is long. The crew might be in at 6:30 AM and the actors might be called at seven or 7:30 AM and then you’ll probably be working because of the setups and the moving around to various locations, you’ll probably finish the day somewhere between 730 and 9 o’clock at night. Since were not on location that’s a five-day week but, it takes seven days to shoot each show. As soon as we finish one show, say we start on a Monday, we would finish that show on the following Tuesday which would mean Wednesday morning we would start another show immediately. So, you go from one show to another. You just take very good care of yourself and all it actually gives you time to do is go home. Go to bed and get as much rest as you can and get up and go back to work and on the weekends you try to recoup and have a little social life. It also means that you’re constantly trying to keep ahead of yourself with the scripts and the material as far as knowing what you’re going to do in the next episode. So, it’s not only the way you keep yourself physically but the way you sort of try to contain a certain sort of mental attitude because you are asked to wait around for long periods of time while they make the set up and then you go in you have to go in with the level of intensity and purpose that will add and lend some excitement to what you’re doing.
Q - What do you do with yourself in those long periods of time?
A - Well, in those long periods of time usually you can spend it studying for the next day. If you’re a little far ahead you can spend it reading the next script for the next episode. Or, if you have an hour or two between set-ups you might be able to get away with permission to do some chores, to go on some interviews or do some personal things. I do various things other than that as well. I do a lot of reading. I have a tape recorder. I belong to a place called books on tape which allows me both in my car on the way to work as well as when I’m sitting around often times to listen to the works of Hemingway or Shakespeare or Dickens that are recorded by a company located in California. Also I write. I am a produced playwright. I’m working on another play at the moment because I’m a member of the ensemble studio theater which has a theater in New York as well. So, I’ve had two projects done down there recently and I’m now expanding one of them hopefully into a three act play. Then you have friends who might visit you at various times from out of town that you might take out to lunch on the set. You also want to work out. You want to maintain a certain sense of physical level. So, you might do some exercises within the confines of your dressing facility and make some phone calls. If you do it by yourself there is a way of taking advantage of that time. Now, once you’ve been on two or three weeks a lot of those periods between the setups will mainly be devoted to studying and resting because you want to get as much rest as you can in between those times. You might be able to catch a half-hour to an hour catnap which gets you through some of those long evenings.
Q - What do you get out of Stella Adler’s Script Analysis Class? What is that about?
A - Well, as a matter of fact we just started on that last evening and I’m going back Thursday. This year yes Adler is dealing with five of Tennessee Williams plays like “Streetcar Named Desire”, “Summer in Smoke”, “Night Of The Iguana”, “Cat On A Hot Tin Roof”, etc. What you get out of a situation like that is that you break down the script into the various characters and their relationship to each other, why they react to each other the way they do. The reason for my involving myself in something like that, I think personally every four or five years you should go back to the basic acting techniques and the basic fundamentals on the research you do on a character to create a specific type of interpretation. You see, many people all they see of a character is when the character is on camera or when the character enters onto the stage in the theatrical production. And one of the most important things for my actor or actress is to create a prior life, a prior existence of the character. So, the character has a whole offstage or off-camera life. When you do walk on you have at least as an actor, all of these things within your mind. You are a total person that has a life other than the life the audience is seen. So, it’s a very good way to stimulate and also we do acquire, like anybody, pianists, cooks, repair man, you do a choir over a period of years, you get a little slop shed or you forget certain basics. So, it’s very good to go back and re-acquire these skills and craft that you might have a little fuzziness about at this particular time.
Q – You’ve said,” The only roles I’m interested in are the roles that I have not yet played”. Could you sit down and write yourself your own role much like Sylvester Stallone did with “Rocky”?
A - Every actor or creative person has certainly given that a bit of thought. Along those lines for the last two years I have been looking to do a one man show on stage and just to get my hands around the character and my mind around the character I could commit myself to put together an interesting evening is not the easiest thing to do. However, in a film I am more or less drawn to certain material. I would imagine that I could write a part for myself but what happened after having worked with Sly in “Fist”. Those are very rare things that happen Gary. They’re wonderful when they happen. I know a lot of actor’s write. Robert Shaw wrote “The Man In The Glass Booth”. They write a lot of things. Some people know enough about themselves to be able to write a particular type of character that suits them. Now I personally have not given it a great deal of thought because I involve myself in researching certain things for ideas for plays and films. I’ve written a few film scripts that have not been sold. People have liked them, but I would very much like to come across an idea or theme or characters that I felt very strongly about. But, the miracle about what he (Sylvester Stallone) did was not only did he do that but he was able to convince other people who wanted to buy the property from him to do it themselves, they had faith enough in him to go along with it. I certainly think I would be capable of doing something like that. When I was in Boston I was on “Good Day” show in Boston the day after he was on their. They did “Rocky” for about $400,000. So, the people did take a chance on him. But today to take a chance on somebody like that would be about eight or $9 million. There’s so much money riding on things now Gary that it’s very difficult to come along with a good script that you feel as though you could not only play the lead in. Certainly the people who know you would say absolutely we agree with you, but there has to be so many other things involved with the scripts today. A $9 million picture to break even has to make $30 million. It’s 3 to 1. I think “Annie” is a $40 million picture in order for it to break even, it used to be 2 to 1. Now it’s 3 to 1. The reason for that, a lot of people don’t understand why it’s 3 to 1, the money that was borrowed to make that picture has still not been repaid and the interest rate is growing every day. You see, interest has to be paid on those borrowed funds. So, they figure it’s 3 to 1. A $40 million picture has to recoup $120 million. Now to make one of our episodes, it’s close to $1 million, T.J. Hooker. It’s incredible the costs and the inflation and the various things that go into making any sort of picture.
Q - Having worked with people like Sylvester Stallone, Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman and...
A - Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon, Goldie Hawn. I’ve been very fortunate with the people I’ve worked with.
Q - Have you ever said to yourself I could do a better job with that role than what they’re doing?
A - I don’t know if it’s a matter of better. It’s a matter of different. What I look at is a play or a script or a film and may be out 50 scripts or hundred scripts you might actually see, if you’re very lucky, two or perhaps three roles that you could play. There are many others that you can act. Any actor worth his salt, naturally you should have a wide spectrum you could play. But, important roles, roles that are career builders, roles that can jettison you into the aurora borealis like Jack Nicholson in, “One Flew over The Cuckoo’s Nest”, there are career milestone in every actor’s career, but the opportunity it has to arrive for you. There are many things involved in year getting that particular role. There are plenty of roles I see that I would like to do in film or a play or in a TV movie of the week or PBS naturally when you hear about it you investigated and say hey, this is something I would really like to do. You get a hold of the agent and the agent talks to the people and the people say “well, hell yeah, we love Dick. Certainly he could do that part but we need somebody at this particular time that might have more power at the box office, might be able to attract more people to watch a television episode. What it actually boils down to is your hoping for that role to come along where you will have an opportunity to do it. You see I feel personally right now that I have to make a particular step. An opportunity has to happen in my career for a particular type of role the size of the one in the China Syndrome that will get me the attention I need to jettison me off to the next great step forward for my career. That’s done through certain roles. A role that I would have loved to have done is the role that Jack Lemmon did in “Missing”. A role of that sort is not only a quality performance, but his performance was impeccable and remarkable. I adore his acting. But, a role like that is not only a quality role but, it could get you an enormous amount of attention which would then put you in a star category. I need that next role to get me into the star category. What I’m saying is there is an enormous amount of competition for other people that are not only established stars but those like myself that are kicking and chewing to get that role. Plus, the money it costs for those people to produce a picture. There are a lot of things involved. As for doing a better job, when you look at something, I would say you would do it differently. No two actors do a role the same. By saying that you’re not criticizing the person doing it, you would just say if I had the opportunity I would’ve liked to have done that role.
Q - Is there a click in Hollywood where certain actors, directors and producers get the very best deals?
A - What it amounts to is first of all this is an industry. It’s not like the theater. It’s the motion picture industry. I imagine that we are rather fortunate in a way that we do have some very talented and gifted people working in the industry. But, number one it’s very difficult artistically to even think of it because you have to know that everything you do is creative. Number one, it’s a business where they’re going to lay out as I said before $15-$20 million and you’ve got to make $60 million to break even, you certainly want to go in with hopefully the best actor you can for the role, but even more important, somebody who’s is very well-known and can hopefully assure you of a turned out at the box office. There are only two ways to go with the picture, either mounting it with the stars and spending a lot of money or trying to get money and doing a low-budget production and hope that it will succeed. I mean, let’s face something here, last year there were five films nominated for the Academy Award. Two of those films almost didn’t get seen, “The Great Santini” and “The Stuntman”. They were both put on the shelf. The only reason they got seen is because the producers went out and rented theaters, got them seen and they got reviews. So, we might have never seen those pictures. It’s crazy. But, there are so many people moving around on so many different levels out here. There such a turnover in the business. So many miracles and incredible things. I think in every business there are friends and clicks and there favors done. But to say the entire industry is run that way, no that would be impossible. It is a very individualistic situation. An agent represents a certain group of people and we have 200 to 300 agents out here. We have 400 to 500 producers. We have several thousand writers. We have thousands of actors. So, it’s difficult when you think of anyone having that kind of power to run and manipulate that whole situation. There is an enormous turnover as well.
Q - I can think of two people who seem to get a lot of attention. Steven Spielberg. He’s got two films out now “ET” and “Poltergeist”. Or someone like Francis Ford Coppola.
A - Yeah, but those people had their failures. You can be the golden haired boy out here and everything can go along fine, but, you might have two or three failures and it’s very, very difficult to make a comeback. Spielberg had “1941” that didn’t do all that well. Francis Ford Coppola mortgaged his own home and property to get “Apocalypse Now” done and now he’s having trouble with a couple of films he’s had in his studio. He’s having financial difficulties raising money. So those people take a lot of risks not only with their investors’ money but with their own reputations and often their own personal funds. Now, Spielberg, not having seen the picture “ET” is supposed to be an extraordinary film. “Poltergeist” is supposed to be a box office smash as well. Like William Shatner’s films “Star Trek” that is just a blockbuster, “Star Trek two” is a blockbuster. “Greece to” is doing rather well. I think people like the Coppolas and the Spielberg’s they make their own opportunities. They are all part of a group that came out of the Koman group 15 to 20 years ago that did low-budget films. They learned their craft. They worked up with Lucas and all of the other guys together and they look out for each other. It seems that altogether they all had a pretty decent track record and made a good contribution. There are a lot of gifted actors and directors and writers out here (Los Angeles) that are getting the opportunities that they should. It’s totally illogical often times the way things are done. You just can’t figure them out. I’m sure that’s the way in every business.
Q - There are some agencies that make these package deals with the studios. You have to take not only the actor, but the director, the writer and the producer. Unless Richard Herd was represented by such an agency, you’re not going to get that opportunity.
A - I’m sure that often times that does occur, those things, those package deals, but, they represent the writer and the director and the star and as far as some of the other casting is concerned in the production. I’m sure their people get in there first, but I’m a bit of the Pollyanna. I’ve been in a major production that have been represented by major agencies like “China Syndrome” and “Fist” that have been packaged by major cos. most of the actors when in and either read or they looked at the film. If you look at the various representations of all of these people they all come from different agencies. I’m sure there are probably more from one agency and then another but by and large the things I have been involved with; they’ve generally gone with the talent, with the person they thought was right for the production. Now often times a major agency represents several people that are right for her role and you couldn’t do better and they say why should we bother? But there again there are things that put together that are strictly in-house situations you don’t stand a chance. That does happen.
Q - What is an equity card and why was that so important for you to have?
A - You see when I first started all I knew was the theater. To me that’s where I started, Community Theater I apprenticed in professional theater. In order for me to function in the professional theater I had to have an Equity card. I got an Equity card and I had to apprentice for two years. There was a rule at that time that you had to have two years of summer stock or something equivalent. You had to be in like four or five shows. This was in summer stock when they had the apprenticeship system which they no longer have. So therefore there were certain skills that you would gain and you would gain a modicum of the craft. It would allow you when you went to New York City to audition. If you didn’t have an Equity card you couldn’t even get into the audition. But, the main thing about it is the apprenticeship system and Equity at that time gave all actors, my contemporaries a fairly decent grounding in certain basic skills that you need.
Q – At one point in your career, you did not accept small roles, bit roles or extra parts. Did that win you some kind of respect in the industry?
A - Once you get an agent, if you continue to do small roles and bits and extras there is a certain pigeonholing that is done in the business. If you do too many of those things you just will not be considered for anything else. You’ll just be pigeonholed. When you’re starting out here “Los Angeles” it’s a little different, not that you do extras or anything. But, in California if you don’t have any film on yourself and you want to try, even if it’s one scene as long as it’s your scene, it’s worth it to a young actor to do something like that because then he has a piece of film that his agent can show to somebody to show his work. But, as far as doing an extra or a bit where you’re the Butler, unless you’re a comedian Butler, I think you can do better in an outside job monetarily. Perhaps some actors if they can break off will at least be on a set and learn a few things maybe doing that. But, they better be careful they don’t do it too often because they won’t take you seriously as an actor. They just won’t.
Q - Do people still come to Hollywood with the idea of becoming a “star”? What are the odds of someone from the Midwest coming into Hollywood in getting into the movies?
A - First of all, I think that anybody who gets into the business purely from that kind of motive, they’re in trouble. I don’t think you should go into a profession with a motive of being a “star”. Anybody coming to this town or New York without the skills and the craft that is required to function in this business, let alone ahead of iron; you deal with so much rejection that you first of all have to get your background, your summer stock, your schooling your theater and then come to this town. It’s really tragic anybody who feels they can just get off the bus and get “discovered” sitting in an ice cream counter. I’m sure those things to happen on occasion, but that’s what gives hope and misleads a lot of young people. See, they’re always thinking of the exception and not the rule. I would advise anybody who’s seriously interested in the theater or motion picture to first of all get into Community Theater and then go to a major school or a major city and take scene classes and study and try to get some off-Broadway experience and summer stock in regional theater. What’s a plumber going to do, walk into your home without his tools and unscrew the pipe with his bare hands? There’s a certain tool that anyone needs for his craft. I don’t like to see people misled because it takes a skill to be good at anything perhaps by what you do, whether it takes to become what they call a “star” but to want to become a star the motive is backwards. It doesn’t work that way
Q - Since you worked with Sylvester Stallone in “Fist”, what was he like to work with?
A - You see, you have to remember when he got this job in “Fist” Rocky hadn’t opened. Norman Jewison had seen a rough cut of it in knew he was right for the role. Nobody was prepared for the success that that film (Rocky) had. You can become an overnight star in this country with the success like that. All of a sudden here he was in Dubuque having the deal with things that he never had to deal with before and I thought he handled them pretty well. It’s a very, very difficult thing to do. He made himself accessible to the fans both on the location before he worked and when he came back from the hotel. I thought he handled it admirably. It was such 1000% turnaround. He says himself in that interview I saw in Boston that he thinks now that he’s finally able to really get back to where he was as a person. It’s taken him all these years because if you don’t really hold tight to yourself you can lose that basic fiber of your personality and begin to believe you are what people have made you into. You can lose insight. I think what everybody actually wants to maintain is a normality in their lives and really not live the fantasy because we create the fantasy as actors. But which were creating fantasy it is not fantasy to us. It is real. Often times we work on a project for a long time and you bring home a lot of the character traits of the character your portraying. You’re like a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde because you come home and you’re the same person who was on that set all day. There is a duality of things. You’re dealing with the character you’re doing plus he (Sylvester Stallone) had to deal with the celebrity that came to him in a very rapid way, in a very accelerated way. But, he was a decent sort of person. He was a hard-working man. Very disciplined. Always prepared. Always took very good care of himself. I think he handled it quite admirably.
Q - How do you prepare for a role? How much research do you do for the character you’re playing? Do you read up on the person if he’s famous?
A - Oh yeah. I did Omar Bradley. I did Gen. Groves who was the father of the Manhattan Project when I did “Enola Gay” I’ve done a lot of historical characters, characters that are still alive today. I do not try to imitate them in any way or copy them. All I try to do is get very, very familiar with their skills as coaches, soldiers, human beings by reading about them, looking at pictures of them, getting myself into areas where they would find themselves, like getting to know the football coach and getting into a locker room. Calling up some fields with the Army or like “T.J. Hooker” getting a hold of some police friends of mine, talking over certain things. If there are accidents involved then I go to a specialist and I try to acquire the accent or the dialect of the person where they’re from. Try to find the customs. I also do a three or four page background on the character, what smokes if he smokes, what he eats, what he drinks who his children are , what his habits are, what he wears, what his attitudes are politically, what he drives, where he lives, who he knows. All of those things are just the fundamental tools. It’s like a doctor. He takes an x-ray of you before he goes into your body. He’s got to find out what’s wrong. He’s got to take your temperature and blood tests. He’s got to have all of his background before he invades the most sacred of things. I think any actor or actress worth his salt; the performance can only be better by bringing the background, but you must imitate or copy and once you’ve got it all you have to make your own decisions about the character, and that’s it.
Official website: www.richardherd.com
© Gary James All Rights Reserved
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