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Willesee (1975)
Rod Taylor was interviewed by Mike Willesee after filming his
appearance on "This is Your Life" in
Australia. Willesee, the host of "This is Your Life," recorded the
interview just a few hours before Rod's departure back to the United
States. It aired on another Willesee TV show. Australian Ken Lynch
found an audio recording he had made of the TV program and has shared
the 13-minute interview with this website:
Click here
to download the mp3 file. In the interview, Willesee challenges
Rod's tough, brawling image, but Rod downplays these perceptions. He
said he was a "tough kid," and that reputation seemed to stick with him.
He resents this unlucky typecasting because he feels he is merely a
dedicated actor who enjoys his craft.
He cited "Young Cassidy" as a role
and movie he particularly liked, calling it "a gentle, lovely, colorful
story."
He also said he was enjoying the show he was jetting back to the U.S.
to resume filming -- "The Oregon Trail."
He called his character a Gary Cooper type of guy and that it was a
pleasure to be kind of laid back, portraying a family man.
Speaking of family, Willesee asked Rod about his reunion with his
daughter, Felicia, during "This is Your
Life." Rod had not seen Felicia for two years. He referred to having
gone through a difficult divorce, and Felicia lived in New York. "I have
been doing an incredible amount of work and travel" and had missed her
vacations from school. This prompted Rod to explain the "strange
loneliness" of being an actor. "Out of professionalism comes a great
deal of loneliness. You are constantly with people, but you're
constantly alone to the thing you really cherish. You're never alone but
always lonely, as it so happens when you're busy." Willesse referred
to Rod as a "star," but Rod had a different perspective: "I'm flattered
to be called a star, but I'm just a very busy working actor." He went
on to speak about wanting to elevate the Australian film industry on the
international market and wanted to help young Australian actors do the
same. He also discussed his desire to film "Last
Bus to Banjo Creek" offering to donate his script and star in it for
nothing. (Alas, nothing would ever come of that production.) |
