Presents
Interview with
actor
Michael Swan
From 1994, AS THE WORLD TURNS ©
Conducted by Scott Michael Bosco
on 8/8/2001
SMB - Lets talk about your association with Kenneth Johnson
(writer/director
of V).
MS - Kenny hired me in 1978 to do a TV series called “Cliffhangers”
It was a series constructed like three old radio serials in an hour.
I was in one of the segments, along with Susan Anton, it was called
“Stop Susan Williams”. It was basically the Perils of Pauline. Every
week she would get into a situation – and every week I’d
save her!
(Both laugh)
We ran opposite “Laverne & Shirley”
and “Happy Days” right during the
height of their popularity. So
we ran thirteen weeks, and that was that.
Kenny and I worked together after that, and we became friends. I did
a couple episodes of “The Incredible Hulk”. Anything he would do he’d
try and get me in. Then in 1983,
I was doing “The Taming of the Shrew”
on stage when he came out to see me, and that’s when he showed me the
“V” script. He said to me, I wrote this part with you in
mind.
SMB - … the cop?
MS - No, the LEAD.
SMB - Oh, wow!
MS - So I said, “Oh, Great!” We then
went to the Networks. There was a
a guy at NBC at the time that just didn’t want a guy as unknown as me
in the lead. This went down to
the eleventh hour, the last minute with
Kenny really pushing for me all that
time. It was the day before they
started shooting they hired Marc Singer. So, I ended up playing “Bob –
the Cop”.
SMB -
That so disappointing.
MS - Well, I was disappointed at the time.
SMB -
I don’t blame you.
MS -
Now of course it’s ancient history.
SMB
-
… and it wasn’t brought up in on the DVD’s Audio Commentary.
MS -
Oh, Kenny may not have brought it up, but
he certainly wouldn’t
dispute it. If you asked him to
confirmed it, he would say that he
did write the lead with me in mind.
SMB -
You know, it’s a strange thing.
Marc Singer was first choice
for one of the leads in the PLANET OF THE APES series but
lost the part because he, at that
time, was not known – so instead he was given a smaller role in an
episode. Getting back to “V” …why the role
of the cop?
MS - Well, Kenny kinda wrote this role of Bob, the cop as an inside gag.
When we were doing “Cliffhangers” or anything we did together
there’s this Mexican restaurant in the barrio with probably the best
Mexican food on the planet called, El Tepeyac. In one of my scenes
during a roadblock I stop a guy and ask guy in the car where are you
going? He answers, “El Tepeyac.” (laughs)
SMB -
Yes, I remember. In fact,
Kenneth mentions that in the Audio
Commentary. He says that it was
your favorite restaurant.
MS - I’ll be darned.
SMB
-
Officer “Bob” isn’t the first or last time you portrayed a cop though.
MS - Oh, many times. I had done so
many night-time TV shows as either
featured roles, or as a guest star, or co-star. Shows like THE BLUE
KNIGHT, JOE FORRESTER, POLICE WOMAN, POLICE STORY.
In 1975 I was in a Jack
Palance show called BRONK. That was a recurring
role as the young detective Sergeant Venamen who was his assistant.
… many years experience as playing cops.
SMB - A classic cop-type, huh?
MS -
(with a laugh) … cops are the bad guys.
SMB -
…except in FRIDAY THE 13Th
, PART 6.
MS - I was a cop!
SMB - So, how did you get mixed up fighting Jason?
MS - That was a straight forward call, a read for the part. Then I read for
the director, and they hired me.
SMB -
You had a great death scene in that.
MS - Oh, yeah! That was so much fun
having my head crushed.
SMB - So they had to make a cast of your head then?
MS - Exactly, and the head cast experience isn’t
the greatest one of all.
Whoever goes though it, one point or
another in their career, will tell
you the same.
SMB - Did you get to keep the head?
MS - (with a surprise) Oh, no. (then a laugh)
SMB - Where was it filmed?
MS - In Georgia. It was little town 60
miles south of Atlanta called Covington
Georgia.
SMB - How long a shoot was that part for you?
MS - A week and half, I guess. You
know who else was there with me?
Tony Goldwyn, we became friends.
SMB
-
Oh, right, from GHOST.
MS - He gets killed pretty fast in the picture.
SMB -
ah, a prestige part. (laugh)
MS - Well, yeah. (laugh)
SMB -
Sure, in those kind of films, that’s what counts.
MS - Exactly.
SMB - What time of year did you film? It gets very hot down there in the
summer.
MS - It must have been springtime. I
remember flying back from Georgia
immediately to do AS THE WORLD TURNS, I
think it was in the
beginning of April.
SMB - Considering you were making a horror film, was it a pleasant experience?
MS - Yeah, in fact, this is a funny story…
We were in the motel, in the middle
of nowhere, in Georgia. The only
bar in the area was this little one
attached to the motel. We were
doing all night shooting so the production
company made this deal with the bar – the guy opened at 7 o’clock in the
morning.
Everybody would get done shooting, then go to the bar, then the
owner would close at 10 in the morning, and everyone would go to bed.
(both laugh)
Then we’d all get up 5 o’clock in the
afternoon and go shoot.
SMB -
… and start all over again.
MS -
Well, yeah. It was morning drinking.
(more laughing)
SMB
-
Did the special effects involved in your scene make it for difficult for
you as an actor?
MS - No, I don’t think so. They did
the whole head crushing thing in a
different shot anyway, so I wasn’t involved at all.
SMB - Oh, so you didn’t get to see it then?
MS - Oh, no, I saw
it. It was just a dummy head. They filmed me up to the point where he
(Jason) has his hands around my head, and is pressing. Then they
just cut to a different shot and
he actually squashes the fake one.
SMB - Did everything you shoot for V and the Jason film make it on screen?
MS - I think so. But I do remember one
line I wish they had cut from FRIDAY
THE 13TH, PART 6.
SMB - Oh?
MS - It was something to the effect, “The whole enchilada!”
SMB - That’s not that bad, is it?
(moment of silence)
MS -
Lets just say, it’s a “strange” phrase.
SMB -
No, not really… (thinking about it) …well
(Michael
laughs first, then I join in) – Hint, watch the movie.
SMB - Are you fan of horror or science fiction?
MS - I’m a fan of any good thriller.
SMB -
Yeah, but that cuts out a lot of science fiction and horror. (slight
laugh)
MS - No, you’re right. It does. But if it’s a good thriller, and it happens
to be
science fiction, or horror then that’s great.
SMB -
At the time, had you seen any of the previous FRIDAY THE 13TH
films?
MS - Yes, the original, the first one, so I knew who Jason was.
SMB - The gore didn’t bother you?
MS - Well, it’s the thrill element. If
suspense is done well, that’s what I like.
One of my favorite horror pictures of all time is a simple little film
based on Henry James’, “The Turn of the Screw”, called THE
INNOCENTS, with Deborah Kerr.
SMB -
… and Pamela Franklin from THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE.
MS - Yes, that right! It’s just
masterfully directed. It’s just a great
little horror picture – a ghost
story. For science fiction I think of
Charlton Heston and Edward G. Robinson in SOYLENT GREEN,
directed by Richard Flechshler.
SMB -
I’d like to talk about something people may not be aware of, your
singing career.
MS - (a laugh of modesty) … that might me true.
SMB - … and at the time of this interview you are performing…
MS - Yes, I’m singing at the Las Vegas Hilton, in the nightclub. Everyday
from 4 to 7.
SMB - … and you’ve done this previous?
MS - In New York, yes. I was also part
of a group called Singing Soap
Opera Stars.
SMB - When you’re on your own, what kind of songs do you perform?
MS - Swing, 40’s, 50’s, Tony Bennet type stuff. I was doing musical theater
when I was in my teens. Singing cabaret and some of the jazz that I
do
now, and have been doing since the late
80’s.
SMB
-
Too bad it can’t be incorporated into your theatrical, or TV career.
MS - Yeah, where are those MGM musicals? (with a
laugh)
SMB -
They’re a lost form of art now.
What’s terrible about that is the fact
there are people out there that have that kind of talent
who just can’t incorporate it into
their theatrical career.
MS - Yeah, that’s true. Well, if I
were I was a different age I’d love to do a
the remake of PAL JOEY. It’s a
great musical.
SMB - What are some of your favorite musicals?
MS - Oh well, there’s MY FAIR LADY.
Then of course there’s THE SOUND
OF “MUCUS”.
(both laugh)
SMB
-
How long have you been in and out of Soap Operas.
MS - From 1986.
SMB - Describe the differences in working in theatrical, and other Television?
MS - Well. theatrical, meaning on stage, aside from the live audience, you
have lots of time to
rehearse. With TV film or movie film
there’s a
lot of hurry up or wait because of lighting set-ups and the like – but
you do have a lot of time to rehearse as
well. With day-time TV, the
soaps, there’s very little time for that. So one has to act “right now”, and
make it believable. I think
day-time actors are the most underrated
artist working, and the best performers in the performing
arts … as
far as acting is concerned. That’s because they are required to deliver
right there and then, with virtually no re-takes. There’re are no, “I didn’t like that, can we do it again.” (laughs)
SMB -
So going by what you’re saying, it’s the closest thing to what was live
TV and mixed with live theater.
MS -
That’s right.
SMB
-
So your stage background really helps you then.
MS -
Yeah, and even as late as I started, when
they were looking for people
in New York, they were looking for people with a strong stage
background.
SMB - Is it still that way now?
MS -
Now, I don’t know. Maybe in New York.
SMB -
I bring that up because how much stage background can some of these
people have … (both laugh) – I mean, the plot
lines seem to concern themselves with
younger, and younger actors/characters.
MS -
Yes, 18 to 34. And you’re right, they don’t.
What’s a shame, is that the
powers that be in the ad agencies, and
at the Networks, are pushing
that age thing. Remember, the core audience of Soap Operas
are
Baby Boomers, and those in power have
pretty much snubbed their
nose at their core audience. There something else that they just don’t
get.
The Story lines of Soap Opera are passed down to generation to
generation. People who watch AS THE WORLD TURNS watched it
because their mother watched it,
and their grandmother watched it.
So it doesn’t really matter how old the
people are on the Soaps,
what matters is that they tell good
stories – with entire age ranges!
SMB
-
Exactly.
MS -
The Soaps always used to have Grandma,
and Grandpa. Now it’s all
kids.
SMB -
Having the wide range of ages also gave the various plots more depth.
MS -
Oh, of course.
SMB - When you come down to it, the life experiences of mature people
, and older persons, have a larger scope and intricacies
than, let’s
face it, the squabbles of those in High School.
MS -
Exactly.
What they’ve tried to do is write that kind of story –
a story that would usually be for
people in their 30’s or 40’s –
recycled for the kids … it just
becomes unbelievable. I mean
kids just don’t have those problems,
plus the actors aren’t
equipped to portray them. A lot of this happened due to the O.J.
trial. They lost a
lot of viewers then. So they had to do
something
to gain them back, and gain new
viewers.
SMB
- It was the beginning of what we call today “reality TV”.
MS -
Yes, that’s right. But you know, it didn’t work because the
ratings
are steadily declining every year.
SMB -
On AS THE WORLD TURNS, you’ve portrayed Duncan and have
returned again as that character. Is he an enjoyable one to portray?
MS -
Yes, he’s very enjoyable to portray.
SMB -
You do a great Scottish accent for the character. Has that stood
in your way? The
actor James Doohan from STAR TREK has stated
it has for him.
People actually think he is Scottish.
MS - The fans I used to run into when I
was doing AS THE WORLD
TURNS thought
it was real. To day when I meet some
people they say, “You don’t have an
accent!”
SMB
- Do
you think that may have stood in your way – you know, “We don’t
need a Scotsman in this role.”
MS - No, I don’t think so. Although,
Brad Bell when he hired me for
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL did say, “Hey, you don’t have
an accent!”
SMB -
Now if it went up that far, you know it has to have reached the
thinking of casting agents. But hey, it’s a complement.
MS - It’s one of those things that facilitates a character. It hooks a
character, and allows you grab on to the character.
