Linden: I don’t know if you know anything about the financial balance sheet of an off-Broadway theater, but this (appearing in “Two Jews Talking”) is practically for free. MarketWatch: What’s a job you’d do even if you didn’t get paid? Linden: Not only do I not expect to get an Oscar, I’m worried about ever getting another movie role. MarketWatch: You’re only two awards away from being an EGOT recipient (an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony winner). Father of the year? What do they know? What is that? Linden: In my office I keep all the awards (at home in California). MarketWatch: You’ve won a Tony and some Emmys. MarketWatch: What’s a favorite possession of yours? We didn’t spend money on things, but we did go skiing and camping and traveling to places. MarketWatch: What’s something you’re willing to splurge on? I did a lot of voiceovers for years and jingles and whatnot, and that’s manipulation. Because I spent so much time in the advertising business. I’m really annoyed when I see anybody in my family spending big money on the big names. Linden: I hate being manipulated by brand names. MarketWatch: What’s something you hate spending money on? I don’t think I have that eye for detail that is necessary in a business, you know. If I ever had to go into business, I don’t think I would have been much of a success. But I thank heaven I found a career that I love doing and I did for all these years. I’ve never been a big gambler financially. MarketWatch: How have you approached your life from a financial perspective? Hal Linden uses the same acting technique whether he's performing the punchline or the straight line. Linden: Yes, I know insane for a 91-year-old man. MarketWatch: You just had a hip replacement?! So, what do I know now? I got great kids. And from the moment I left the hospital I had one child - either daughter or son, or son-in-law - with me every minute. Linden: I have just had a hip replacement. MarketWatch: Being a senior statesman of sorts, tell me something you know at age 91 that you didn’t know as a younger person. That’s kind of what it’s about, peppered with as many funny lines as possible. If you communicate with somebody honestly, you’ll have somebody on your side. The other theme has to do with friendship, the ability of two people to speak to each other and end up caring what happens to the other person. I wouldn’t say cynical, I’ll say skeptical. The major theme is skepticism versus belief - being able to believe in something as opposed to being very skeptical about it. Linden: Yes, there are larger issues that are talked about. MarketWatch: What would you say the play is about? It’s obviously a comedy about two older Jewish men talking, but it also has bits of wisdom that are imparted. Hal Linden (right) and Bernie Koppel star in the new off-Broadway play “Two Jews Talking.” That process is I guess what has energized me all my life, and it still does. Otherwise, it’s just execution…Not nearly as fulfilling as starting with words on a piece of paper and ending up with a human being. The creation of the character, the creation of everything. What I really like most is rehearsal because that’s where the process kicks in. The most asked question (I get) in most interviews is, “Which do you prefer - the screen, television or stage.” And I used to say, “All of the above.”Īnd then I realized about 25 years ago, that’s not really true. Linden: Well, first of all, I fell in love with the process of acting. MarketWatch: You’re at an age when most folks, if they’re lucky to still be around, are taking it easy. Here are edited excerpts from our conversation: MarketWatch caught up recently with Linden to ask about his life and work as well as to hear his money-related views. He formed his own band at the age of 15 - and as he says, “From that point on, I was a professional musician.” He played clarinet and saxophone and attended New York’s High School of Music and Art (now part of LaGuardia High School, otherwise known as the “Fame” school). He’s also appeared in several movies, from “Bells Are Ringing” (1970) to “Out to Sea” (1997).Īnd while Linden is best known as an actor, he started his career as a musician. Of course, Linden’s career goes well beyond “Barney Miller.” He’s been a regular on Broadway through the years and won the Tony Award for his performance in the musical “The Rothschilds” in the early ‘70s.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |