Genial!!!!!
Ich kopiere das Interview mal ab, weil teilweise schon die Bilder raus sin, ists ja möglich, dass die seite bald ganz weg ist.
Finding the PassionA Conversation with Richard Hatch
By Robert Falconer, HNR Senior EditorMany of us remember November 22, 1963 as a date in history that forever changed America. It was also a date that forever changed the life of Richard Hatch, for it marked the beginning of a personal journey that would lead him to a career in the performing arts, and a starring role in one of science fiction’s most enduring series.
From fledgling actor, to teen heartthrob, to science fiction icon, to writer/producer/director and lecturer, Richard remains first and foremost a gentleman; genuine and unaffected.
As anyone reading this article probably already knows, over the past several years Richard has also been at the epicenter of the Battlestar Galactica revival attempt, a double-edged sword that has proven to be a source of both frustration and inspiration to him.In this exclusive, in-depth interview, I talked with him about acting, his formative roles, working on the original Battlestar Galactica, and sundry other entertainment industry topics. I also asked Richard if he would entertain the notion of appearing in the new Battlestar Galactica series, were the role sufficiently engaging. His response just may surprise you.
Robert: Tell us about the early days of your acting career.
Richard Hatch: Acting to me was always an amazing art, but I never, ever in a million years thought that I could be an actor or make a living as an actor. I kind of fell into it—I was going to Harbor Junior College, studying liberal arts, not knowing what I really wanted to do, except thinking maybe about being an architect.
I got into an oral interpretation class that I was forced to take because the other English electives were already filled up and I had to take it if I wanted to qualify for Track in the spring—track was a sport that I was very involved in…I wanted to go to the Olympics as a pole-vaulter. I have to tell you that the first day of class I freaked out wondering how I was going to pass this class when it meant getting up in front of people and having to read material. The grade was based on your performance. Normally, I would mumble through my readings and look down, not making any eye contact. Consequently, I was failing half the course.
Then, in November 1963, President Kennedy was assassinated. I happened to read an article in the newspaper about it that literally made me cry. The teacher asked us to bring in articles the following week and read them, so I decided to bring in this particular article that had moved me so deeply. Of course, everybody in the class looked away in boredom thinking, “Oh no, here comes Richard Hatch again.”
The thing I discovered was that as I began to read the article I got so involved in it that I forgot myself. And I realized that all of a sudden—without even trying—I was making eye contact with people. Something took over inside of me and this magical “thing” happened and I blew away everybody in the class. I really enjoyed the experience I had reading that material. At the end of the day people came up to me and said, “God, you should be an actor!” and I said, “Thank you very much, but I don’t think I could do that.” But I did find that when I read something of meaning to me that it unlocked my heart and spirit and allowed me to move beyond my self-consciousness, fear and insecurity.
Robert: Clearly it was a defining moment for you.
Richard Hatch: Yes, it was. I think that was the beginning of laying seeds that later on came into play when a good friend of mine, Elliot Mintz—who once served as a publicist for Yoko Ono and John Lennon, and later as a PR director for Don Johnson—said, “You know, you ought to go to this acting class.” I said, “What acting class is that?” He said, “The Eric Morris Actor’s Workshop.” I said, “Listen, I don’t think I can act…I don’t even know what it is, and the whole idea terrifies me.” But he said, “No, I think this would really be helpful for you.” So, in 1966 I got the courage to go, and I remember the sign over the door said: “No Acting Please.” I thought that was an interesting sign to be on the door of an acting class. Nevertheless, as I went into the class, I realized it was more than just an acting class; it was a class in life…a class in learning how to be yourself. It was based on Stanislavsky and the Method, but it led you to get more honestly in touch with yourself first; learn how to be vulnerable—then from this place of vulnerability you would make creative decisions, judgments and acting choices that would finally lead you to creating characters. As our teacher said: “Act less and experience more.”
I didn’t think of it as an acting class so much as a class where I could overcome my crippling shyness—never thinking that it would lead to an acting career. At that time, Jack Nicholson was stopping by, Sue Lyon—who played the original Lolita—and her boyfriend, Hampton Fancher—who wrote Blade Runner—were also hanging out at that class. I was the lone surfer guy, going to college…working as a lifeguard.Eventually, after about a year, I did a play, This Property is Condemned. During one scene, I was able to connect so fully to the other actor on stage, that I again forgot myself and got into this creative flow where you lose sight of where you are and you just get into the zone. It’s what every artist lives for. You go beyond your limitations, you go beyond what is possible, and you have this feeling of infinity. I never felt freer or more uninhibited.
Robert: Did you have any mentors or role models when you first began acting?
Richard Hatch: No. Because to tell you the truth, even from the beginning with the acting, it never seemed real to me. I used acting as a method to grow as a human being and overcome my inhibitions. In the class people said, “You should go out and audition.” I didn’t quite take it seriously, but slowly I got various jobs: working as a production assistant, doing extra work on a couple of soaps, etc. Eventually, I met some producers and directors who steered me to an agent, and this agent began sending me out on modeling and commercial gigs for products like Maybelline and Coca-Cola.
Robert: Did you continue with live theater during this period?
Richard Hatch: Yes. I moved into a repertory theater group where I was doing one-act plays and poetry readings. The group eventually moved to New York in a caravan of cars. We lived in an empty ballet studio for about three months, doing plays and one-act readings, until eventually they left to go to Rome. I ended up staying because I had friends there, and I thought, “Hey, this is New York,” and when you start studying acting you think of New York, since so many plays are written about the city. I lived in one room with no bathroom or kitchen, and studied with an acting teacher named George Morrison.
Robert: What was your first regular television role?
Richard Hatch: Eventually, I read for a new daytime drama called All My Children, which was my first major role. I played Philip Brent, and along with Susan Lucci and Karen Gorney—the latter who actually went on to star with John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever—the three of us were the original children in All My Children.
It was at that time that I realized that maybe I could make a living as an actor. It kind of blew me away, because I never thought of myself as somebody who would actually be on television or make money at it. And when I started getting recognized for All My Children it was an amazing experience. I had originally looked at acting as a healing modality, and it just happened to turn into something else.
Robert: What do you find the most difficult or challenging part of the acting process?
Richard Hatch: The most challenging things in acting for me personally are learning how to get in touch with your emotions and feelings…how to use your imagination to make choices…exploring hypothetical possibilities…learning how to step into a character and get into the body language…and learning to empathetically move through a character’s life and back story.
Robert: That’s a lot of creative thought processes to juggle at one time.
Richard Hatch: It can be. And in this industry, they don’t make it easy for you to do your best work, unfortunately. I’ve seen better performances in acting classes than I’ve ever seen in movies. Some of the most talented, gifted actors I know do not audition well. It’s one thing to be in an acting class where everybody supports you and creates an optimum working environment. But when you walk into an audition, you get ten, twenty people in there you don’t know—strangers—and you’ve got two minutes to shine, and it’s at that moment that you have to find a way to get to your best performance. You really have to learn how to audition well.
The same goes for working in front of a camera. It can be in the middle of the night or three in the morning, they’ll spend hours setting up, and then all of a sudden they say “It’s time,” and you’ve got to walk in front of that camera and make choices and decisions and jump into that reality and give your best performance. Learning how to do it when that camera rolls is the hardest part. You have to learn how to focus, concentrate and yet relax at the same time.
Robert: Many stage-trained actors remark at how they relish live theater by comparison, as it offers not only audience feedback, but also a linear progression of the story without constant retakes.
Richard Hatch: Absolutely. In fact, it’s amazing to me that great performances ever get done in front of a camera. It’s much easier when you’re on stage and you get into the flow of the piece. The continuity helps you to get more mentally, emotionally and spiritually connected to the part.