Images Interview Spring, 1999
Duncan Regehr Fan Club Newsletter - Interview by Susan O’Brien
On November 22, 1998, in sunny Santa Monica California, Duncan Regehr kindly gave me the opportunity to interview him. We sat outside at a patio table while I endeavored to ask as many of the 85 questions all of you sent that I could. Duncan was very generous with his time, and most of the questions were answered. We have been very privileged to have this glimpse into his fascinating life. Here is a continuation of that interview.
Susan: Since writing your book five years ago, what if anything would you like to add or change in the book?
Duncan: About two-thirds of that book went on the floor. It was cut... so
I certainly would have, if I’d had my druthers, made a larger book. There would
have been more.
Susan: Well, we would have liked that.
Duncan: That’s okay. I’m writing another one, so hopefully more and newer
material will be there.
Susan: Okay, about your character on “Fast Track,” which we all wish more
time had been given to the development of, do you feel the same way? Wish there
was more you could have done with that role?
Duncan: There really was a confusion again about what direction they
wanted that character to go in. I was looking for somebody who was more
Machiavellian than he turned out to be. Many more layers again, much more
complicated, and terrifying in a way. But, there was some confusion as to which
direction the producers wanted that character to go in, and in the end, they
settled for almost a kind of comradery with the Dr. Beckett character, which was
played beautifully by Keith. So halfway through the series, there’s a definite
change in the direction of that character. You could see it particularly in the
first episode. There’s a much stronger character than later on.
Susan: I wondered about that.
Duncan: I wanted a more mysterious character where things would happen that you could not trace back to him, but you’d know that he must have had a hand in the orchestration. A much cleverer character than we ended up with. Interesting, in the early discussions, there was a lot of head nodding, agreeing that this was a great way to go, but it never ended up on paper. So...it was what it was.
Susan: It was a fun series. I loved your character on it. Like I said, I like the beginning parts better. Then he got nice...
Duncan: Yes they wanted to make him too nice and that’s’ when I lost interest...perhaps it’s true. Villains have more fun. (Grins)
Susan: How did you like working on “Wizards and Warriors?”
Duncan: Oh, I loved it! It’s a wonderful series, and I loved working with Clive Revill, and Don Reo who is such a wonderful writer. That’s my favorite series! I loved it. I wish we could do it again.
Susan: My next question was that if they could come up with it again,
would you do it?
Duncan: Oh sure, Prince Blackpool? Oh, he’s a bad boy.
Susan: You know, it has had a lot of effect...for eight episodes. You would be amazed at how much on the internet there is about “Wizards and Warriors.” That was a very, very well done, well written, funny show.”
Duncan: It was just ahead of its time. They didn’t know what to do with
it.
Susan: Yes, Look at what’s on TV Now. Xena, Hercules, same sort of thing.
Duncan: Yes, I know.
Susan: Do you keep in contact with any of the cast?
Duncan: I see Jeff Conaway once in a while. Don Reo who produced it, well, he’s not a cast member, but I see him every once in a while. But that’s about it. Clive Revill, I haven’t seen Clive for years. We were quite close for a while, but I haven’t seen him for a long time.
Susan: Have any of the costumes you have had to wear been especially uncomfortable, like the one for Dirk Blackpool?
Duncan: That one made a lot of
noise, and it had this enormous codpiece in front, that I couldn’t in my wildest
dreams hope to fill.
(Laughter)
Susan: But that would have been in character for Dirk Blackpool...
Duncan: It was fairly comfortable, but it was hot in there. It was made of leather, creaky leather, which was always causing us a sound problem. In the end, we incorporated it. The sound of that creaky leather became Blackpool’s hallmark sound.
Susan: I read somewhere on the net that you got to do some input on the lines and stuff on that show? The actors got to do that?
Duncan: Oh, sure. “Hi” was mine.
(Laughter)
Duncan: I put that in one day, and it stuck.
Susan: It was great!
Duncan: (as Dirk) Hi!
Susan: How do the stuntmen feel in all your shows about you doing so many of the stunts? Because we can tell it’s you.
Duncan: They’re pretty cool about it. There’s the odd one who perhaps feels his job is being threatened. And then there are a lot who feel that if they can work with the actor and get the actor to do it safely, then they can make the action look genuine. They are more than happy to work that way. They are after authenticity as much as anyone else.
Susan: Which “Star Trek” role did you like better, the one on “Deep Space 9” or “Sub Rosa”?
Duncan: Oh, “Sub Rosa” unquestionably. There was not enough development for Shakaar. He was a character that was talked about off-screen. I liked him much better when he was a rebel. When they made him Prime Minister, he became less interesting.
Susan: It was like once he became Prime Minister, he couldn’t’ do
anything for himself anymore, such as needing a security guard.
Duncan: That’s right. He became ineffectual...I sound like I am complaining about all these roles, but I really had a great time with them
(Laughter)
Susan: Do you prefer evil characters or good characters?
Duncan: Oh, there’s no real preference.
Susan: Do you find it difficult acting with shorter actors and actresses, because that would be just about everybody.
Duncan: That would be just about everybody. But no, there really are no short actors. You just put them on an apple box and then they’re tall.
Susan: There are a couple of scenes in “Zorro” and we know how tall
Patrice is. Then they do a close-up. All of a sudde, she is level with you.
Duncan: She would be up on the apple box.
(Laughter)
Susan: Which role has been the most demanding physically and mentally.
Duncan: Oh, I think physically probably Zorro, because all day long I was fighting and riding. Mentally they can all be challenging. The more complicated the better.
Susan: What would you really like to do? Pick a role or...
Duncan: On stage? Probably MacBeth would be nice to do. I would love to play Sherlock Holmes on stage.
Susan: Wonderful! I had thought of that role for you.
Duncan: I would love to do that.
Susan: When “My Wicked, Wicked Ways” premiered, you were all set up to be
the next Hollywood heartthrob, but you walked away from all that ...any regrets?
Duncan: No.
Susan: You could have gone on to be the biggest...
Duncan: No...because I would have pigeon-holed myself into something that I would never be comfortable with. I have a much broader calling than that of a matinee idol. It wasn’t comfortable for me, and it’s somewhere I don’t want to go. You know I want to grow in a lot of different areas. My art, my writing are very important to me as well. And also it’s not, as I told you earlier, about being a celebrity and wearing the badge of a celebrity. It’s renown for one’s work that is important. It’s getting the message across, offering truth beyond image. I believe I have something to offer beyond celebrity, something to give, and that’s why I’m here.