Larry:

You remember his face first.  Now with almost 41 years and 55 films under his Hollywood belt, actor Dean Stockwell is making a name for himself.  Stockwell recently caught moviegoers' attention in Blue Velvet, won an Oscar nomination for a brilliant performance in Married to the Mob, and

stars in the television series Quantum Leap.  Plus, three new movies in the making.  (now looks at large screen behind him, where Dean is being interviewed by Satellite.)  What's going on, Dean?  What's happening?  You're hot!

Dean:

I'm hot, and I'm having a good time.

Larry:

What took so long?

Dean:

(Jokingly)  I don't know, Larry!  I had a long . . . . (Larry King laughs)  No, I don't know!  I had a long period where I just didn't have anything tumbling my way, and now the ball's going in every time the wheel goes around.

Larry:

Do you know what changed it?

Dean:

No, I don't!  I really don't.  It had something to do with my starting to raise a family, though, I think, and also I was almost at a point of quitting the business.

Larry:

Really?

Dean:

Yeah, yeah.  I mean, I couldn't get any work, and I was living in LA, and I decided the heck with this, I'm going to get married and go have kids.  And I moved out of LA, I moved to New Mexico, and got a Real Estate license.

Larry:

No kidding?

Dean:

No kidding.

Larry:

Because I think, to me, in my head you've like always been around.  In fact, you were a child star, weren't you?  Like you were forever.

Dean:

I was a child star.  Forever.  A long time ago.  Yeah.

Larry:

So you're selling Real Estate in New Mexico.  What happened?

Dean:

I never sold any Real Estate.  I got the license, but just moving there seemed to, uh, it changed things.  And I started to get, slowly but surely, one job after another.  SOME of them were successful.  And if people don't see them, and they're not successful, it doesn't do you any good.

Larry:

Are you telling us, that by suddenly saying you don't want this, you've got it?

Dean:

Something like that.  Apparently, yeah.  It's ironic, but that's what happened.

Larry:

What came first, Married to the Mob or Blue Velvet?

Dean:

Well, Blue Velvet came first, but the first film that kind of precipitated the start of a comeback for me was Paris, Texas.  Wim Wenders film with Harry Dean Stanton.

Larry:

But Married to the Mob blew it up, right?

Dean:

Blue Velvet kicked it up, and then Married to the Mob blew it out, yeah.

Larry:

Did they look at other people for that role?  Because after seeing that film, one cannot imagine anyone doing it but you.

Dean:

(Leans back, big grin on face.)  Oh, that's nice of you to say that.  Yes, he was . . . .  Jonathan Demme, who's the 'he' . . . the flim-maker . . . was thinking of someone very specific, very different from myself for that part.  And then, as he tells it, he was coming to Los Angeles on a plane and saw a full-page photograph of me in the Daily Variety, a Reporter one.  I had gotten a new agent and taken out an ad, and when he saw it, he said 'That's Tony the Tiger.'  Which is the name of the character.  And then he looked at the bottom and saw it was me.  And put in a call when he landed to meet with me.  And that started it.

Larry:

Wow.  Did you like that guy right away, did you like that part right away?

Dean:

Right away.  I went to New York then to meet with him about it.  He expected me to read for it, but I wouldn't read for it because I never got anything I read for, and I didn't want to lose it.  And I remember calling my wife up from the Hotel, and I said if I get this part, it's all over.

Larry:

(Laughing)

Dean:

No kidding.

Larry:

(Still laughing)  How did Quantum Leap come about?

Dean:

Well, I had inquired about getting a series, I mean through my agent.  That's the only avenue you have, really.  And got no response for a long time.  But after Blue Velvet, Married to the Mob, and so forth, and I was getting hot, then they called back.  And I started to get interests for a series.

I have small children.  I have a four year old and a six year old, and it's very convenient for me to work in town all the time, instead of going off on location to New York or out of the country.  Most of the films are on location, and it's good to stay home.  So I figure a series is the best thing.  And then I try to be selective and pick the best thing.  And it came to me.

Larry:

We never get to talk about this much, but how important in this play is the Agent?

Dean:

The Agent is, is, quite important . . . the Agent you can't do without, and you have to have a good one that you get along with.  One that has some sort of prestige, and commands respect.  But the ultimate decisions are really all yours.  You have to make them.  They'll advise you, and so on . . . .

Larry:

And then when the turn comes, though, now they come to you, right?

Dean:

Yes, they come to me . . . .

Larry:

I mean your Agent doesn't have to say 'Hey, look at Dean Stockwell in this.'

Dean:

I . . . don't . . . think so.  (Grins)  I don't think so.

Larry:

No.  Now, you got three new movies coming, too?

Dean:

I have some films that should be coming out, I don't know when.  One of them, uh, sometime this summer, Sandino, I'm looking forward to, that I shot during hiatus from Quantum Leap, for Miguel Lutin, the Chilean director who's world-class wonderful, an artist.  Um, that's the story of Augustus Sandino, a guy that in the Thirties was the guerilla against Somoza.  And a couple of other ones, that I don't know when they're going to be out.

Larry:

How's Quantum Leap doing?

Dean:

Quantum Leap is doing very well.  It's starting to . . . I love this show, Quantum Leap.  I think it's great.  And it's building an audience that they come to me and say it's their favorite show, all these people.  And they sit down with their family, even though it's a late show.

Larry:

Are these kind of like Trekkies, Star-Trekkie movement toward this show?

Dean:

Well, I don't know.  I don't know any Trekkies.  Um, I know that Star Trek had a very loyal following, if you mean that, I think, yeah, yeah.  No, I think that's kind of starting with it.

Larry:

Like Quantumers.

Dean:

Leapers.

Larry:

Leapers?  (laughs)

Dean:

But that show is slowly building, finding, as they say in the industry, building an audience, so that now last week we broke out of the pack and took our time slot against two very good shows, China Beach and Wiseguy.

Larry:

I will tell you that Brandon Tartikoff was on our radio show a couple of weeks ago, and that most calls were about Quantum Leap.

Dean:

All right!

Larry:

And he was winding up assuring people that Quantum Leap is there to stay.

Dean:

Well, I hope so.  I hope it stays for a good long while, because it's original, it's an original concept, and it allows for great variety.

Larry:

That's a tough time slot though, Wednesday nights at ten.  As you mentioned, China Beach and Wiseguy.  I mean, that's an interesting choice for people to make.  I would imagine there's a lot of taping going on.

Dean:

Probably a lot of taping going on.  But we're doing very well now.

Larry:

Let's take some calls for Dean Stockwell!

Dean:

All right!

Larry:

Michigan!  Hello!

Caller (male):

Hi, Larry.  This is the guy that got to kiss Michele Pfeiffer in Married to the Mob.  I'd like to know how many takes did it take?

Dean:

As many as I could!  (Smiling)  Usually I try to get everything on the first take, and that's one instance where I let my professionalism slip a little bit.  But I didn't get to do it enough.

Larry:

How would you describe her abilities?  I mean, beyond the looks?

Dean:

Oh, she's very good, Larry.  She's a very talented actress, and she's very serious about her work, she's very dedicated, she has the right approach.  She doesn't take herself TOO seriously, but serious enough for a great beauty like that, not to sit back and rely just on her beauty.

Larry:

So her work in the Baker Brothers thing didn't surprise you.

Dean:

I didn't SEE it, but the reaction to it doesn't surprise me at all.  I sense she's going to get another Academy nomination.  She won a Golden Globe.  I know, I was there, and looking up at her, 'Oh God, she's so beautiful.'  (Glances off-camera, leering).

Larry:

Klamath Falls, Oregon.  Hello.

Caller (male):

Hello, Larry.  Great show.

Larry:

Thank you.

Caller:

Got a comment, and a question for Dean.  Uh, we grew up together in Culver City, California, if you remember that far back.

Dean:

Uh, yeah, I remember that far back.

Caller:

You do?

Dean:

How ya doing?

Caller:

Pretty good.  How are you, sir?

Dean:

Good.  It's nice that we're both still around, huh?

Caller:

Yeah.

Larry:

What's your question?  What's your name, sir?

Caller:

Uh, Sam.  Balamente.

Dean:

Hi, Sam.

Larry:

What's the question, Sam?

Caller:

I know the transition was very difficult from child star to, uh, to an adult roles.  How long were you in limbo from the time you were doing the child roles until now?

Dean:

Uh, well, I was in limbo for awhile from age 16 till about 21, and then I did a number of films.

Larry:

You did Compulsion, right?

Dean:

That's right, right around that time.

Larry:

Weren't you nominated for an award for that?

Dean:

Uh, no, I won an award from the Cannes Film Festival for that.

Larry:

That was a hell of a movie.

Dean:

It was a good movie, it really was.

Larry:

Los Angeles, for Dean Stockwell.  Hello.

Dean:

Hey, home town.

Caller (female):

Hi.  I want to ask you this:  I'm from Los Angeles, I work in the picture business.  How did you not become bitter through all the changes you've gone through?  And I have so much respect for you.  I have SO much respect.

Dean:

Well, thank you, dear.  What's your name?

Caller:

My name . . . .  I can't reveal myself because I work . . . .

Dean:

(laughing)  I thought you were going to say I can't remember.  Uh, I had to fight bitterness.  I think anyone that goes through periods of disappointment has to fight that, and I think I fought it successfully.  But it takes an effort, it takes willpower.  (pause)  And believe in yourself, which is real important.

Larry:

By the way, you did Long Day's Journey Into Night, that great . . . .

Dean:

I did the film of it, yeah.

Larry:

And you did the film, and literally the part you played was O'Neil.

Dean:

That is correct, yeah.

Larry:

Was that tough, with those three other people?

Dean:

No, they were great.

Larry:

I mean, do you excel . . . .  Qhen you work with better people, are you better?

Dean:

Um . . . I think so, yes.  Yes, I think so.  I don't know if that was true in that case.  I'll tell you what, to be perfectly honest, that role . . . of the four, there is four roles (there's the maid, that was the fifth), but there's four main roles in that play.  And the role of Edmund, which is autobiographical of O'Neil, is the most difficult part.  It's the one with the least in it.  And I think a lot of people who have done that play recognize that.  So it doesn't shine like the other three roles, you know what I mean?

Larry:

And that makes it more difficult?

Dean:

It was a difficult role, yeah.  I'm sorta happy with the way I handled it.  I don't know.  I think maybe I could have done some things better.

Larry:

Great play, though, isn't it?

Dean:

Great play.  Oh yeah.

Larry:

Long Beach, California.  Hello.

Caller (male):

Yeah, Dean, I saw a piece of your art at the Long Beach Museum of Art this weekend.  And I thought, uh, can you talk about that side of your life a little bit, maybe?

Larry:

You paint?

Dean:

What piece was it?  Was it a collage?

Caller:

  Yeah, it was a very small little piece, and it was a collage of mixed-media, I think.

Dean:

Hmm-hm.  Well, of course, I don't know exactly which piece it was.  It might have been a piece that another artist put in there, like an artist's choice kind of show.  I did a number, uh, a fairly considerable number of mixed-media pieces in the Sixties and in the early Seventies.

Larry:

Was that during a period of pain to you, too?

Dean:

No!  I was having a great time in the Sixties (laughs).  The Sixties were fantastic!  And uh, no, it was something I enjoyed.  Very much.

Larry:

Belma, New Jersey, for Dean Stockwell.  Hello.

Caller (male):

Hello, Dean.

Dean:

Yeah.

Caller:

You know what I'd like to know?  What was it like working with such great actors as Myrna Loy, Keenan Wynn, Frank Sinatra, and Errol Flynn at such an early age?  Even Gene Kelly.

Dean:

Well, they were all impressive people, and all the ones that you've mentioned, and in fact I did work with them all, were very . . . they were kind and considerate people.  So it was quite pleasant to me.

Larry:

That is no easy potatoes, being a kid star, is it?

Dean:

No, it wasn't easy.  No.  It wasn't impossible, but it wasn't easy.  Look it, when it comes down to it, it's a very bizarre form of it, but it's work.  It's work.  You go in, and you work eight to ten hours a day.  And you have to go to school at the same time, six days a week in those days.  So it's a job!  That in itself is unusual, for a child to have a job!  A paying job!

Larry:

That's right.  And it's an unreal kind of world, isn't it?

Dean:

Very unreal.  And a lot of pressures.  Al lot of pressures.

Larry:

Alexandria, Louisiana.  Hello.

Caller (male):

Hi, Dean.

Dean:

Hi.

Caller:

Two words.  Blue Velvet.

Dean:

Blue Velvet.

Caller:

Would you explain David Lynch, the way that man works, and that scene that Letterman talked about to you on . . . you know what I'm talking about.

Dean:

Yeah, well, David, he smiles a lot, he's very cheerful, he's like a grown-up Eagle Scout.  And he says things like 'Oh, gee, that's keen' and 'You bet.'  And at the same time, the type of things that he's writing are very strange.

Larry:

Very strange.

Dean:

Yeah, I love it.

Larry:

When you were doing Blue Velvet, were you right with it?  I mean, did you say, yeah, this is going to work?

Dean:

I thought it was going to work, but I didn't expect it to work on as wide and broad a level as it did.  It was received with a lot more enthusiasm than I thought it would.  I thought it would have been more of a narrow cult acceptance.

Larry:

It touched lots of age groups.

Dean:

Yeah.  And I'm still amazed by that.  I'm still amazed.  I'm still amazed at the impact of the one scene, because I was only in it for like four minutes, five minutes, one scene.

Larry:

Who can forget?  Dean, thanks very much.  Continued great success.

Dean:

Thank you very much, and let's try to stop the ozone hole from getting any bigger.

Larry:

You're not kidding.