Images Interview Summer 1999
This is the final part of Susan’s interview with Duncan. It appeared in the Summer 1999 issue of Images, the Duncan Regehr fan club newsletter, but actually took place in the Fall of 1998.
Susan: How was Spain? What did you do for fun? In your copious free time?
Duncan: In my copious free time! Which was non-existent. It was all work in Spain. During hiatus, I got to go to Barcelona and Paris, which I enjoyed enormously. I got to visit a lot of different museums. Most of the time, we would fly out of Spain, and go to other countries in Europe. Visit museums.
Susan: Did you stay in Spain the whole 3 years or did you fly in for filming?
Duncan: No, we would do six months at a time and then fly out. But in that six month period, there were occasional weeks, or five days here, five days there, that we could hop off somewhere else. Europe’s very small.
Susan: That one picture from your book is a favorite of mine, at the Matterhorn.
Duncan: On the Matterhorn, yes. I got into a lot of trouble for doing that too.
Susan: Really?
Duncan: Yes, they weren’t too happy about me climbing mountains.
Susan: They didn’t want you to get injured?
Duncan: Right. Even though I was jumping on and off of horses, with swords flying around all over the place on a daily basis. Far more dangerous than climbing a mountain.
Susan: And they’re worried about you falling off a rock…
Duncan: Right.
Susan: What was it like working with the other cast members, and were any
of them like the roles they played?
Duncan: I don’t think any of them were like the roles they played, but there was certainly much to be enjoyed in working with Ephrem Zimbalist Jr. And John Herztler was a lot of fun. He’s a wild man. Henry Darrow as well, and they all bring a great body of work with them you can enjoy. They were all very quick on their feet. It was a lot of fun to work with them.
Susan: I notice that you read “My Wicked, Wicked Ways” to prepare for your role as Errol Flynn. Did you find similarities between yourself and Flynn which enabled you to play the part so well?
Duncan: It wasn’t so much reading “My Wicked, Wicked Ways” that gave me clues to his nature. It was really looking at a few of his film clips. That is what people are familiar with. They have a visual image and an idea of what he is about from the movies. In the limited amount of time I had to prepare, which was about a week and a half, I looked at as many of his films as I could. The one in particular that was valuable was “Gentleman Jim”. Oddly enough, you would think it would be “The Sea Hawk” or something like that, but it was “Gentleman Jim” that really gave me a clue as to what Flynn was all about. It clicked for me.
Susan: Why did you only have a week and a half to prepare?
Duncan: I went straight from England and Italy where I was shooting “The
Last Days of Pompeii” into “My Wicked, Wicked ways.”
Susan: Did you have fun doing “My Wicked, Wicked Ways?”
Duncan: I had the best time of my life!
Susan: Well, you were wonderful!
Duncan: I had a ball. HE had a ball so I had a ball playing him. And
again, I worked with some marvelous people on it.
Susan: There is one drawback to that movie though.
Duncan: What?
Susan: You were better looking than Errol Flynn!
Duncan: Oh, my gosh. (laughs)
(Laughter)
Susan: Can you name someone from you various acting roles that influenced you the most on that set as an actor?
Duncan: No, not really.
Susan: With a recurring role as “Shakaar” on “Deep Space Nine,” did you keep up with the story line between appearances?
Duncan: No.
Susan: How did you like doing “John Brown’s Body”?
Duncan: A remarkable play. Directed by the remarkable Peter Hunt. I had the great honor of playing Lincoln, General Lee, and also John Brown. And an added bonus to the production was working with my soul-mate Linda Purl - an amazing talent and dear friend. As actors we work together a lot. But this play is magic for us and our production was a great success.
Susan: So you would do “John Brown’s Body” again?
Duncan: In a second, absolutely! I think it’s a very important piece. As I said, it was an honor to do it.
Susan: How have you enjoyed being on such a variety of shows? Some taking place in the distant future, the past…
Duncan: Well, its been a gift, really. I think that’s what every actor wants. A variety in their working. That’s really what it’s all about, not to be pigeon-holed.
Susan: Were you interested in a “Mask of Zorro” movie role?
Duncan: You know I have been there and done that, but I would have been interested in playing some small part in it, that would have been fun, just to show up.
Susan: A cameo?
Duncan: Yes, do a cameo of some kind. That would have been fun. No, it’s nothing I pursued. It’s history for me. I enjoyed the movie though. I saw it on an airplane. It’s good fun.
Susan: How do you choose the subject for your art?
Duncan: It chooses me. I don’t choose it. It is usually something that
just evolves. It occurs, and I end up following it, very rarely do I lead. It
just happens.
Susan: Do you have a favorite artist or poet that you enjoy?
Duncan: Several e.e. cummings, William Carlos Williams, T.S. Elliot, Ezra Pound, and more recently, David Whyte, and many more. What was the rest of the question?
Susan: Artists?
Duncan: Artists. Frank Auerback. Odd Nerdrum, Rembrandt. There are so many I appreciate.
Susan: Any film and television plans in the near future?
Duncan: Always! I’m working on several different projects, with different
people, developing series and scripts. I am developing a new series of drawings
called Lifelines and another book of art. Also, I’m hoping to do some more
stage in the future.
Susan: You will let us know!
Duncan: Absolutely! (smiles)