Actors

Suzanne Somers: From Laughter to Healing

Bill Thompson

WARNING: You’re about to listen to true stories of abuse, some of it sexual in nature. Some of the descriptions are graphic, and may be disturbing.

For many years actress Suzanne Somers kept us laughing. A talented comedic actress, she also knew how to leverage her blonde good looks for a laugh.

But until she wrote a memoir in the late 1980s, few people knew the truth about the abusive childhood she had endured. An alcoholic father made her life miserable, and she said in that memoir that laughter is what got her through.

A few years later, she followed up with another book, helping others confront and deal with their own painful childhood memories. That book was called Wednesdays Children.

I had interviewed Suzanne once before, but only by telephone. This was our first face to face meeting. So here now, from 1993, Suzanne Somers.

Suzanne Somers was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000, but recovered. However the cancer returned earlier this year and Suzanne died last month one day before her 77th birthday.

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Leslie Nielsen: The Doctor of Comedy Who Made “Airplane!” Fly

Bill Thompson

Do you remember the very first time you saw the movie “Airplane”?

Even if you have never seen it, however, everyone knows its most famous lines.

At the time the movie was released in 1980, Leslie Nielsen had already been an established dramatic actor for decades.

But “Airplane” literally changed the entire course of his career, propelling him into comedy. The television series “Police Squad” was followed by the movie “Naked Gun”| and its sequels.

And by 1993, Nielsen had a book called Leslie Nielsen’s The Naked Truth. And that’s when I first met him.

So here now, from 19933, Leslie Nielsen:

Leslie Nielsen died in 2010. He was 84.

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From Jed Clampett to Abraham Lincoln: The Extraordinary Journey of Buddy Ebsen

Bill Thompson
Photo by CBS Television

Buddy Ebsen, best known for his iconic role as Jed Clampett in”The Beverly Hillbillies,” had a remarkable career in Hollywood.

Ebsen’s career spanned more than seven decades, and his experiences offer a unique perspective on the entertainment industry.

As he told in his 1994 autobiography The Other Side of Oz, Ebsen worked with some of Hollywood’s iconic figures like Shirley Temple and Louis B. Mayer. And even other figures like Al Capone.

And you may know that Buddy was the original Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz, but in this 1994 interview he reveals a few things you may not have known.

And he tells about the three questions everyone always had for him.

So here now, from 1994, Buddy Ebsen.

Buddy Ebsen died in 2003 at the age of 95.

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Hume Cronyn

Bill Thompson

Sometimes if you’re an actor, it’s helpful to not have a specific look about you. Early In his career, a casting director told Hume Cronyn that he didn’t look like anything, but that may have helped him achieve the longevity many actors only dream of

The Canadian-born Cronyn had a decades-long career in the theater, movies, television and radio. Not to mention a 52-year marriage to actress Jessica Tandy

In 1991, the then-80-year-old Cronyn wrote his autobiography a book he called A Terrible Liar.

So here now from 1991. Hume Cronyn.

After 52 years of marriage, Jessica Tandy died in 1994. Two years later Hume Cronyn married Susan Cooper, his old friend who had persuaded him to write his autobiography. He died in 2003 just a month before his 92nd birthday.

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Lynn Redgrave

Bill Thompson
Photo by John Mathew Smith

She was born into a prominent show business family in 1943, so it was perhaps her destiny to become a successful, award-winning and acclaimed actress.

Lynn Redgrave made her theatrical debut when she was still a teenager, and by the early 1960s had appeared in several movies.

It was her title role in the 1966 film Georgy Girl that catapulted her to startdom.

But a side effect of that newfound attention was what we would now call body shaming. Critics felt license to comment mercilessly on Red Graves weight and figure.

She struggled with bulimia. Finally, in the 1980s, she joined Weight Watchers, ultimately starring in TV commercials for them.

In 1991 she told her story in a book called this is living. And that’s whem I met her .

So here now, from 1991, Lynn Redgrave.

Lynn Redgrave died in 2010 after a long fight against breast cancer. She was 67.

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Ron McLarty

Bill Thompson

A funny thing happened on the way to Ron McLarty’s career as a famous novelist.

He became a very successful actor first .

If you’re a fan of TV series such as Law & Order, The Practice, Judging Amy, or Spenser for Hire, you’ll recognize Ron McLarty.9. Often cast as a police detective or a judge, McLarty has had a long and successful career as a character actor.

But when I met him in 2005, it was on the occasion of his first published novel, The Memory of Running. And it turns out that’s what he wanted to do all along.

So here now, from 2005, Ron McLarty

Ron McLarty died in 2022 at the age of 74.

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Eartha Kitt

Bill Thompson

Orson Welles once called her timeless.

With a sultry and distinctive voice, Eartha Kitt established herself early on as a great singer and actress.

She started performing professionally in the 1940s, and made several hit recordings in the 1950s and ”60s. Her most famous recording is a popular Christmas tune…

Baby Boomers will recall her role as Catwoman on the TV series “Batman.”

Younger audiences will recognize her voice from the voiceover work she did on several Disney productions.

I never got to actually meet Eartha Kitt in person, but we talked on the phone one day in 2001, about her book Rejuvenate! It’s Never Too Llate.

So here now, from 2001, Eartha Kitt.

Eartha Kitt died on Christmas Day 2008, just days before her 82nd birthday.

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Douglas Fairbanks Jr

Bill Thompson

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Was born into one of Hollywood’s first royal families. His father, Douglas Fairbanks senior, was a swashbuckling movie star. His stepmother was Mary Pickford. The two of them were among the founders of the Academy of Motion Picture, Arts and Sciences, you know, the people that give out the Oscars.

But, as you are about to hear, Douglas Fairbanks Jr was by no means a born actor

One the acting bug bit, he became as big a star as his father had been. Douglas Fairbanks Jr made his movie debut 100 years ago this month, in 1923, in a silent picture called “Stephen Steps Out.”. He made a few more silent pictures before becoming a major star in the 1920s and 30s in the talkies.

Douglas_Fairbanks_Jr._and_mother

He was married three times, including a fiery relationship with actress. Joan Crawford.

He also served with distinction in the navy during world war II. But his military service was not his only contribution to the war effort, as you’ll hear in a few minutes.

Finally, in 1988, at the age of 79, Douglas Fairbanks Jr wrote his autobiography — at least, volume1 of his autobiography, a book. He called The Salad Days.

So I had the rare opportunity, which I was not about to pass up, to actually shake hands with and converse with a real life silent movie star.

So here now, from 1988, Douglas Fairbanks Jr

Douglas Fairbanks Jr died in 2000. Hewas 90.

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Ann-Margret

Bill Thompson

In the early 1960s you would have been hard pressed to find an entertainer who was hotter, more popular, and more in demand than singer and actress and Margaret.

The young star, born in Sweden as Ann Margaret Olsen, captivated everyone’s attention.  With her combination of Scandinavian beauty, a youthful s*******, at a sort of undercurrent of danger, it’s easy to see why Ann-Margret quickly became so popular.

Many said she appeared to be a female Elvis. And, by 1964, she was starring alongside the real Elvis Presley in the movie Viva Las vegas- and famously having an affair with the king.

But her star didn’t fade. Well into the 60s, ’70s, ’80s, and beyond, and Margaret has remained a popular favorite.

In 1994 she was prompted to write her autobiography. And that’s what I had a chance to meet her.

So here now, a candid and emotional interview with Ann-Margret, from 1994:

And Margaret will be 82 next month. Her most recent screen appearance was in 2017.

Her husband, Roger Smith, died in 2017 after 50 years of marriage.

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Michael York

Bill Thompson
Photo: Allan warren

For over five decades actor Michael York has been a fixture in Britain and in the US, in film and on television.

Beginning in the late 1960s, York starred in a number of huge hit movies, including Romeo and Juliet, Cabaret, and Logan’s Run. Younger fans may even remember him best from his role in the Austin Powers series.

In 1992. Michael York published an autobiography, and that’s when I had the chance to talk with him.

So here now, from 1992, Michael York.

Michael York is 80 now. He and Pat live in Minnesota.

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