PM Show with Robert Conrad on CRN

02/02 Burt Young

rconrad@crni.net — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:00:00 PST

Gerald Tommaso DeLouise (born April 30, 1940) better known as Burt Young, is an American actor, painter and author. He is best known for his Academy Award-nominated role as Sylvester Stallone's brother-in-law and friend Paulie in the Rocky film series.

Young made his name playing rough-edged working class Italian-American characters, the best-known example being his signature role as Sylvester Stallone's brother-in-law Paulie in Rocky (1976), for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He is one of three actors (the other two being Stallone and Tony Burton) who have appeared in every Rocky film.

He has played similar roles in Chinatown, Convoy, Back to School, The Pope of Greenwich Village, Once Upon a Time in America, Last Exit to Brooklyn, Downtown: A Street Tale, and even a brutal and darker role in Amityville II: The Possession. Young has also appeared in many television programs, including The Rockford Files, Baretta, Law & Order, Walker, Texas Ranger, M*A*S*H, guest-starred in a Miami Vice episode, and made an appearance on The Sopranos ("Another Toothpick") as Bobby Baccalieri's father, who is dying of cancer and comes out of retirement to execute a hit on his godson.

Young is a painter whose art has been displayed in galleries throughout the world. He is also a published author whose works include two filmed screenplays and 400-page historically based novel called Endings.

He has also written two stage plays: SOS and A Letter to Alicia and the New York City Government From a Man With a Bullet in His Head.

01/26 Marsha Mason

rconrad@crni.net — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:09:36 PST

Marsha Mason’s distinguished and vibrant career in film, theater and television has
garnered her generations of fans, four Academy Award nominations, two Golden
Globe Awards, an Emmy and a Grammy nomination. A comedienne at heart with the
soul of a dramaturge, Ms. Mason is equally accomplished on the stage, in front of the
camera or in the director’s chair.

Always in demand, Ms. Mason just wrapped filming her popular reoccurring role on ABC’s hit comedy, The Middle where she plays Patricia Heaton’s zany mother; and this year she was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Gulf Coast Film Festival and co-starred in the Westport Country Playhouse’s production of W. Somerset Maugham’s The Circle under the direction of Nicholas Martin.

Ms. Mason’s extensive film career includes her iconic roles in 1973’s Cinderella Liberty where she was nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award and received the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama and 1977’s Goodbye Girl for which she
received her second Academy Award Nomination and her second Golden Globe Award. In
1979, she starred in the critically acclaimed films, Promises in the Dark and Chapter Two where
she was nominated for an Academy Award and two Golden Globe awards. Her role in the
film Only When I Laugh was recognized with a fourth Academy Award nomination. Other
feature film credits include The Cheap Detective, Stella, Max Dugan Returns, Heartbreak
Ridge, Nick of Time and Two Days in the Valley. She can also be seen in 2004’s Bride and Prejudice: A Bollywood Musical, directed by Gurinder Chadha. In 1987, Marsha directed the television film Little Miss Perfect and received the People’s Choice Award for Best Actress in both 1979 and 1981.

Marsha’s many theatre credits include Cyrano de Bergerac, You Can't Take It With You, A Doll’s
House, The Crucible and The Merchant of Venice at ACT in San Francisco. In New York, she
appeared in Norman Mailer's The Deer Park, Israel Horovitz's The Indian Wants the Bronx, Neil
Simon's The Good Doctor and Richard III. She directed Juno's Swans for The Second Stage. She
starred in 1996’s Night of the Iguana and the following year in Michael Cristofer's Amazing
Grace. In 1999, she was reunited with her Goodbye Girl co-star Richard Dreyfuss in Neil
Simon's The Prisoner of Second Avenue at the Royal Haymarket Theatre in London. The
subsequent recording was nominated for a Grammy in the best comedy category. In 2004,
she appeared in Charles Mee's Wintertime at the McCarter Theatre and the Second Stage in
New York. In 2005, she co-starred with Delta Burke, Christine Ebersole, Frances
Sternhagen, Rebecca Gayheart and Lily Rabe in Steel Magnolias on Broadway. In 2006,
Marsha starred in the Greek Tragedy "Hecuba" at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. She
appeared in 2007’s “A Feminine Ending” at Playwrights Horizons at the Lincoln Center and
starred most recently in the Shakespeare Theater Company’s performance of “All's Well
That Ends Well” in Washington, D.C.

In addition to her film and theater credits, Ms. Mason has guest starred on NBC’s Lipstick
Jungle, Lifetime’s Army Wives, Showtime's Bereft, NBC's Life with Judy Garland, and Hallmark
Channel's The Long Shot. She was featured on six episodes of Frasier for which she was
nominated for an Outstanding Guest Actress Emmy.

While taking a sabbatical from show business to explore other interests, Ms. Mason
purchased a spread of land in the Chama River Valley of Northern New Mexico and
transformed acres of overgrazed, infertile earth into a vibrant oasis of healing herbs and
flowers. Utilizing timeless biodynamic, holistic and organic practices that restore, maintain
and enhance the ecological harmony of the earth, the vitality of her Resting in the River
Farm ™ rewarded Marsha's tireless efforts by yielding an abundance of organic medicinal
herbs and flowers. Ms. Mason formed a holistic products line, Resting in the River where the
herbs and flowers are transformed into beneficial homeopathic and beauty products.

During her time in New Mexico, Ms. Mason authored her bestselling memoir, Journey (Simon
& Schuster 2000) and for several years pursued her long-time passion for car racing by
driving a Mazda RX-7 in SCCA events. Coming full circle to where her entertainment career
began, Ms. Mason is selling her farm in New Mexico and moving back East to focus on

acting.

01/19 Larry Wilcox

rconrad@crni.net — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:48:13 PST

70s and early 80s TV star Larry Wilcox was born on August 8, 1947 in San Diego California, the product of a broken home. His father, a bartender left the house when Larry was but an infant and died soon after divorcing Larry's mother. His mother, a secretary, found the going rough trying to feed four children and moved the family to Wyoming to live with relatives. Raised on his grandfather's ranch in Rawlins, Larry was a quiet, introspective youngster but grew up fast and worked occasionally in the summer on sheep and cattle ranches. He trekked to Los Angeles, following high school and a year in college, and worked a series of menial jobs while learning the piano in order to pursue a music career. The love of acting, however, finally won out. In order to avoid the draft, he interrupted his acting studies by enlisting in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1967, and wound up serving over a year in Vietnam as an artilleryman. Discharged with the rank of Sergeant, he went back to college and focused briefly on a career in dentistry before resuming his acting training on the west coast.

The clean-cut young lad with corn-fed good looks soon went out for commercials and won a number of them including one for Old Spice, the after-shave lotion. In 1972, he found perfect casting as assistant ranch hand "Dale Mitchell" in the revamped "Lassie" (1954) series for two seasons, and also appeared in scattered guest parts on prime-time TV, including "M*A*S*H" (1972), "The Streets of San Francisco" (1972) and "Hawaii Five-O" (1968). In 1977, he hit the jackpot when he won the role of "Officer Jon Baker" in "CHiPs" (1977). An accomplished motorcycle rider, horseman, race car driver, and jet skier, Larry performed many of his own stunts. He and co-star Erik Estrada became major TV idols with Estrada taking a slight edge as the "bad boy" charmer.

Larry formed his own production company, "Wilcox Productions", which is still running today. He has continued acting and directing, primarily in action adventures. One of his producing projects early in the game involved the retelling of the murder of actress/Playboy playmate Dorothy Stratten in a mini-movie starring Jamie Lee Curtis. Nurturing his entrepreneurial talents, Wilcox moved into business outside the entertainment arena with a pharmaceutical company called "Team Elite" in the 1980s. He is also the president of "MediaCore", a software company specializing in CD-ROMs and Internet compression technology. On the humanitarian side, Larry has served with the National Health Foundation Luminary; served as Honorary National Chairman for Toys for Tots; and Honorary Member of the California Highway Patrol. He is also a member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association.

In 1999, Wilcox returned to his "Officer Jon Baker" role in the TV-movie reunion movie CHiPs '99 (1998) (TV) with former co-stars Estrada, Robert Pine and Paul Linke. Not seen much since, the father of five children currently lives on his ranch in the San Fernando Valley with his third wife and their two children.

01/12 Paris Benjamin

rconrad@crni.net — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:12:55 PST

Paris Benjamin is known for her great characterizations of strong women in her native France, so it didn't take long for the young actress make her mark with American filmmakers in a big way with two new films and more on the way.

"I've always been very driven and very much of a risk taker when it came to my career and being involved with great creative people as I have been here, is very much what any actor would want," said Benjamin, star of the film "The Flying Dutchman: The Legend," which she just completed.

Playing a character named Laura, who follows her former lover to a tropical island where she hopes to rekindle the romance, Benjamin is as driven as her character when it comes to her work. She didn't think twice when director Christian Lara told her she'd have to move to an island near Tahiti and live there for four weeks for 12-hour days and virtually no contact with the outside world.

"It was a great location with fabulous scenery, but you couldn't really enjoy it or take advantage of the gorgeous beaches very much because you have to work. But it was a great experience," she said.

"The director, Christian, was great. He was very knowledgeable and had a great vision for what he wanted to achieve and he transferred that to the actors and we all realized we wanted the same thing so he was fun to work with."
Starring opposite veteran actor Barry Primus of "Boston Legal," and "Arliss," Benjamin excelled in bringing the strength of her character to bear during their scenes. The chemistry between the two actors was a key element in the film's production, Benjamin said.

"Barry is a very talented actor and playing opposite him was really a great experience. We really complimented each other which made for some great scenes."
Her new film, "Folklore" sends Benjamin in an entirely new direction. She plays Annabelle, an android, in director/producer Justin Calen Chenn's science fiction comedy set for release in 2012.

"It was a fun shoot. I never played an android and working on a comedy is always fun." she said.
The fill tells the story of an android, a water nymph, a vampire, extra terrestrials and other assorted beings who are asked to talk about their lives by a government agency in a far-off future.

"I liked the idea of a science fiction comedy, but I also liked being a really strange character that has to explain herself even though she's really a robot. There's something really funny about that but also something very meaningful."

Born in Burgundy, France and of Moroccan descent, Benjamin began acting at age 5 when she began reading children's poetry and performing several characters in children's plays before an audience. By the time she was an adult she had studied in London, Paris and New York with legendary acting coach Jack Waltzer as well as at Stetson University's Drama School in Florida.
Despite having moved to the U.S., she would often be asked to return to France for roles there where her talents blossomed and became well known.

"I love working in France, but it's here where I wanted to work and it was as if somebody heard me because in these last few years, I've been working a lot in the U.S. and with some really great people," she said.

With credits in TV's "Grey's Anatomy," a slew of films including "Paranoia," "Wild Side" and many others including the 2007 film "Le Chambre Vide," Benjamin is just getting started.
Today, she's set to star in another American film this winter and is weighing her options on another independent film now in preproduction.

01/05 Dee Wallace

rconrad@crni.net — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 18:07:19 PST

Originally from Kansas City, Kansas, Dee Wallace has worked as an author, teacher, dancer and actress in film, television and the stage for over 30 years. With over 100 credits to her name, Ms. Wallace is a true tour de force in this industry, working with countless directors, producers and some of Hollywood's biggest names including Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson, Wes Craven, Joe Dante, Stephen King and Blake Edwards.

Dee's career began in New York where she studied with famous acting teacher Uta Hagen before moving to Los Angeles where she continued to hone her craft with her mentor Charles Conrad.

Her many feature film credits include such classics as The Hills Have Eyes, The Howling, Cujo, Secret Admirer, The Frighteners, 10, and most notably her starring role in one of America's most celebrated films, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, directed by Academy Award winning director and film icon Steven Spielberg. She was recently featured in the exciting new remake of Rob Zombie's Halloween.

Her countless television credits only add more cache to an already illustrious acting career, with starring roles in over twenty Movies of the Week and four hit television series including her most recent portrayal as the passive aggressive matriarch in a very dysfunctional family on the 2006/7 ABC comedy "Sons and Daughters". Other most recent television credits include, "Grey's Anatomy," "Cold Case," "Without a Trace," "Ghost Whisperer," and a recurring role on "My Name is Earl."

As a much sought after celebrity and renowned actress, Dee has appeared on every major news and talk show and has been featured on E! True Hollywood Stories, Oprah and The O'Reilly Factor.

Her speaking engagements include numerous national and international venues including the Love and Harmony Forum in Tokyo, Japan; the Dillion Lecture Series; Unity Temple; the Kansas Film Commission; Spiritworks; Energetic Healing seminars throughout England, and her own healing and teaching seminars throughout the United States.

On a weekly basis, Dee conducts numerous private healing sessions at her office in Woodland Hills, California.

As an author, Dee has written a book devoted to the art of self-healing. She conducts monthly workshops to introduce people to the healing techniques outlined in her book, Conscious Creation.In addition to her ongoing work with fellow actors as an acting teacher and mentor, Dee devotes all her extra time to her beautiful daughter Gabrielle.

12/29 Robert Conrad Talks to YOU!

rconrad@crni.net — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:59:16 PST

The show is all about you! Your letters, your emails and YOUR calls! It's a love-fest between you and Robert Conrad!

Don't forget to "Like" Robert's Facebook Page:The Real Robert Conrad

12/22 Tom Dreesen, Gary Sinise, Linda Blair

rconrad@crni.net — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:05:09 PST

Join Robert Conrad on his Special Best Of Christmas Edition with some of his favorite interviews over the past years, including Tom Dreesen, Gary Sinise and Linda Blair!

12/15 Gena Rowlands, John Cassavetes

rconrad@crni.net — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:14:26 PST

Gena Rowlands is an American actress, recognized for roles as tough, boozy, or traumatized women, and for her long professional collaboration with her husband, art-house filmmaker John Cassavetes. They were married just two months after they met, and stayed together until his death in 1989.

Her father was vice-president of a local bank, a state assemblyman and later a state senator. Rowlands dropped out of college after a big argument with her parents (the subject remains unclear) and moved to New York, where she supported herself by working part-time at a movie theater. She studied drama at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and wrote dialogue for comic books during dry spells between low-paying acting gigs. She was first understudy in the Broadway production of The Seven Year Itch, and took over the lead role late in the play's run. Her first Hollywood hit was opposite Kirk Douglas and Walter Matthau in Lonely are the Brave, in 1962.

Rowlands starred in Cassavetes' films such as Faces, A Woman Under The Influence, and Love Streams. She also worked alongside Cassavetes as an actor in Two Minute Warning, and Paul Mazursky's version of The Tempest, with Molly Ringwald.

Sans husband, Rowlands later played Mom to Joan Jett and Michael J. Fox in Light of Day, and mothered one of TV's first AIDS deaths in the drama An Early Frost. She was the accidental eavesdropper in Woody Allen's Another Woman, and was also featured in Night on Earth, The Neon Bible, and The Notebook.

12/08 Corbin Bernsen

rconrad@crni.net — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 02:25:08 PST

Rugged, hirsutely handsome Corbin Bernsen blazed to TV stardom in 1986 on L.A. Law as opportunistic divorce lawyer "Arnie Becker", whose blond and brash good looks, impish grin and aggressive courting style proved a wild sex magnet to not only the beautiful female clients desirous of his "services", but his own lovelorn secretary who frequently bailed him out of trouble. Bernsen invested the Becker character with a likable "bad boy" charm that made him a favorite among the tight ensemble for eight solid seasons. In the process, he earned multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. He also proved the role was no flash-in-the-pan or dead-end stereotype, maintaining a steady career over the course of three decades now with no signs of let up. Moreover, his deep love for acting and intent devotion to his career recently impelled him to climb into the producer/director's chair.

Born in North Hollywood, California, on September 7, 1954, Corbin was raised around the glitz of the entertainment business. The eldest of three children born to 70s film/TV producer Harry Bernsen and veteran grande dame soap star Jeanne Cooper (the couple divorced in 1977), he graduated from Beverly Hills High School and attended UCLA with the intention of pursuing law. Instead, he went on to receive a BFA in Theatre Arts and MFA in Playwriting. He worked on the Equity-waiver L.A. stage circuit as both actor and set designer, making his film debut as a bit player in his father's picture Three the Hard Way. Appearing unobtrusively in a couple of other films, he set his sights on New York in the late 70s. During his salad days, he eeked out a living as a carpenter and roofer while sidelining as a model. His first big break came in 1983 with the role of "Ken Graham" on daytime's Ryan's Hope. During this time, he also met and married TV costumer designer Brenda Cooper, who later worked on The Nanny sitcom. They divorced four years later. This break led to an exclusive deal by NBC and eventually the TV role of a lifetime. The perks of his newly-found stardom on L.A. Law included a hosting stint on Saturday Night Live and the covers of numerous major magazines. Wasting no time, he parlayed his sudden small screen success into a major movie career, usually playing charmingly unsympathetic characters. He co-starred as Shelley Long's egotistical husband in the lightweight reincarnation comedy Hello Again; played an equally vain Hollywood star in the musical comedy Bert Rigby, You're a Fool; and starred as a disorganized ringleader of a band of crooks in the bank caper Disorganized Crime. He capped the 1980s decade opposite Charlie Sheen and Tom Berenger in the box office hit Major League, which took advantage of his natural athleticism, playing ballplayer-cum-owner "Roger Dorn". Two sequels followed.

Corbin's career has merrily rolled along ever since - active in lowbudgets as well as pricier film fare portraying both anti-heroes and villains. On the TV homefront, he has appeared in a slew of mini-movie vehicles, including Line of Fire: The Morris Dees Story as the famed civil rights attorney, and has ventured on in an assortment film genres - the mystery thriller Shattered, which re-teamed him with Tom Berenger; the romantic comedy Frozen Assets, again with Shelley Long; the war horror tale Grey Knight; the slapstick farce Radioland Murders; the melodramatic An American Affair, and the fantasy adventure Beings. Topping it off, Corbin's title role in the expert thriller The Dentist had audiences excogitating a similar paranoia of tooth doctors as Anthony Perkins had decades before with motel clerks. As spurned husband-turned-crazed ivory hunter "Dr. Alan Feinstone", Corbin reached cult horror status. The movie spawned a sequel in which he also served as associate producer.

Into the millennium, Corbin returned to his daytime roots with a recurring role on mother Jeanne Cooper's popular serial The Young and the Restless, and is currently seen as "John Durant" on General Hospital, a role he's played since 2004. A game and excitable player on reality shows, he added immeasurable fun to the "Celebrity Mole" series, and has enjoyed recurring roles on the more current and trendy The West Wing, JAG, Cuts and Psych.

Of late, Corbin has decided to tackle the business end of show biz. In 2004, he formed Public Media Works, a film/TV production company in order to exert more creative control over his projects. On top of the list is the loopy film comedy Carpool Guy, which he directed, produced and co-starred in. It features more than 10 of the currently reigning soap opera stars, including a wildly eccentric Anthony Geary in the title role, and, of course, his irrepressible real-life mom, Jeanne Cooper.

Obviously, his errant on-camera antics does not reflect a similar personal lifestyle for Corbin as he has been happily married (since 1988) to lovely British actress Amanda Pays. They have appeared together in the sci-fi film Spacejacked and the TV-movies Dead on the Money and The Santa Trap, among others. The couple have four children, including twin boys. Just a few years ago, they relocated to Los Angeles after living in England for some time. In between, he still shows off as a master carpenter at home and continues to dabble in writing. Perseverance and dedication has played a large part in the acting success of Corbin Bernsen. Gleaning a savvy, take-charge approach hasn't hurt either -- characteristics worthy of many of the sharpies he's played on screen.

12/01 Robert Conrad Talks to YOU!

rconrad@crni.net — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:08:00 PST

The show is all about you! Your letters, your emails and YOUR calls! It's a love-fest between you and Robert Conrad!

Don't forget to "Like" Robert's Facebook Page:The Real Robert Conrad

11/24 Loretta Swit, Robert Forster

rconrad@crni.net — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 16:04:00 PST

Loretta Swit (born November 4, 1937) is an American stage and television actress known for her character roles. Swit is best-known for her portrayal of Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on M*A*S*H.

Robert Forster (born July 13, 1941) is an American actor, best known for his roles as John Cassellis in Haskell Wexler's Medium Cool, and as Max Cherry in Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown, the latter of which gaining him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

11/17 Robert Conrad, Robert Forster

rconrad@crni.net — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:39:28 PST

Special guest, Robert Forster joins the show!

Robert Forster was born in Rochester, New York in 1941 and first become interested in acting while attending Rochester's Madison High School where he performed as a song-and-dance man in musical revues. After graduating in 1959, Forster attended Heidelberg College, Alfred University, and the University of Rochester on football scholarships and continued to perform in student theatrical revues.

After earning a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Rochester in 1963, Forster took an apprenticeship at an East Rochester theater where he performed in such plays as "West Side Story." Forster moved to New York City in 1965, where his first big break came when he landed the lead in the two-character play "Mrs. Dally Has a Lover" opposite Arlene Francis. But after the play ran its course, work was hard to find in the theater. Forster returned to Rochester where he worked as a substitute teacher and construction worker until an agent from 20th Century Fox Pictures offered him a five-picture deal. His movie debut was a small part in the 1967 drama Reflections in a Golden Eye, which starred Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando. Forster went on to appear in small and minor roles and acting alongside some top Hollywood actors in films like The Stalking Moon (1968) and Medium Cool (1969), and a large part in Justine (1969). Although he continued to act in feature films, he took the part of a hardboiled detective in the short-lived 1972 TV series "Banyon."

Forster also appeared in notable parts in The Black Hole (1979), Avalanche (1978), and as the lead in the cult horror flick Alligator (1980), and played the part of a factory worker-turned-vigilante in the 1982 thriller Vigilante. Forster also was offered the lead as a taxi driver in Walking the Edge (1983) by director Norbert Meisel. A series of action flicks followed, the most notable being Delta Force (1986) which starred Chuck Norris. By the late 1980s Forster's acting career had begun to slide, with work becoming less and less, and if there was any, he would be cast in small parts playing villains. Forster then began to work as a motive speaker and an acting coach in Hollywood film schools.

But then in the mid-1990s, Forster's career was resurrected by writer-director Quentin Tarantino, a long-time fan of Forster's early work, who offered him an audition for a part in his latest movie. After a seven-hour audition, Tarantino cast Forster in the role of the tough but sympathetic bail bondsman Max Cherry in Jackie Brown (1997), which netted him an Academy Award nomination and some nationwide recognition. His success landed him more high-profile starring roles in films such as All the Rage (1998), Gus Van Sant's remake of Psycho (1998), and Supernova (2000). Forster continues to act in many big budget Hollywood productions playing many charming characters who often steal the scene.

11/10 Join Robert Conrad as he chats with actress Loretta Swit!

rconrad@crni.net — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 13:13:39 PST

Swit was born in Passaic, New Jersey of Polish descent. She studied with Gene Frankel in Manhattan and considered him her acting coach. She regularly returned to his studio to speak with aspiring actors throughout her career. Swit is also a singer who trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts before entering the theater. She graduated from Pope Pius XII High School in Passaic, NJ, in 1955.

In 1967, Swit toured with the national company of Any Wednesday, starring Gardner McKay. She continued as one of the Pigeon sisters opposite Don Rickles and Ernest Borgnine in a Los Angeles run of The Odd Couple.

In 1975, Swit played in Same Time, Next Year on Broadway opposite Ted Bessell[1]. She also performed on Broadway in The Mystery of Edwin Drood. From there, she played Agnes Gooch in the Las Vegas version of Mame, starring Susan Hayward and later, Celeste Holm. Most recently, Swit has toured with The Vagina Monologues.

In October–November 2003, she starred as the title character in North Carolina Theatre production of Mame in Raleigh, North Carolina.

In August–September 2010, Swit starred in the world premier of the Mark Miller play, Amorous Crossings at the Alhambra Dinner Theatre in Jacksonville, Florida, directed by Todd Booth.

When Swit arrived in Hollywood in 1970, she performed in television shows, including Gunsmoke, Mission: Impossible, Hawaii Five-O, and Mannix.

Starting in 1972, Swit played Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan in the television series M*A*S*H. She inherited the star-making role from actress Sally Kellerman, who portrayed Houlihan in the feature film. Swit, Alan Alda, Jamie Farr, and William Christopher stayed for all 11 seasons of the show, from 1972 to 1983.

She and Alda were the only two actors to have been on the pilot episode and the finale; she appeared in all but 11 of the total of 251 episodes. Swit received two Emmy Awards for her work on M*A*S*H. Later, she was also the first M*A*S*H star to visit South Korea, when she narrated the documentary Korea, the Forgotten War.

In 1981, Swit played the "Christine Cagney" role in the movie pilot for the television series Cagney & Lacey, but was precluded by contractual obligations from continuing the role. Actress Meg Foster portrayed Cagney for the first six episodes of the television series with Sharon Gless taking over the role from that point on.

Swit also guest-starred in shows such as The Love Boat, Win, Lose or Draw, Match Game, Pyramid, and Hollywood Squares. She also starred in Christmas programs such as the television version of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and 1987's PBS Special A Christmas Calendar.[3] In 1992 she hosted the 26 part series Those Increbible Animals on the Discovery Channel. Loretta's latest appearance was on GSN Live on October 10, 2008.

11/3 Robert Conrad Talks With YOU!

rconrad@crni.net — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 18:29:52 PDT

The show is all about you! Your letters, your emails and YOUR calls! It's a love-fest between you and Robert Conrad, today, so call in at 800-336-2225 or email Robert Conrad at rconrad@crni.net!

10/27 Robert Conrad talks with Dyan Cannon!

rconrad@crni.net — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:16:08 PDT

Cannon made her screen debut in 1960 in The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond, however her small screen debut was in the late 1950s including a guest appearance on Bat Masterson in 1959, in the episode entitled "Lady Luck". Another role was as Mona Elliott, with fellow guest star Franchot Tone, in the episode "The Man Behind the Man" of the 1964 CBS drama, The Reporter, with Harry Guardino in the title role. She also made appearances on 77 Sunset Strip, the perennial western series Gunsmoke, The Untouchables and the syndicated Two Faces West in the 1960 episode entitled "Sheriff of the Town".

In 1969, Cannon starred with an ensemble cast led by Natalie Wood in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, a film about sexual revolution in which she played Alice. She received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the film, as well as two Golden Globe nominations.[citation needed] Most of Cannon's later roles in the 1970s were less successful,[citation needed] although she did receive a Best Actress Golden Globe nomination for Such Good Friends (1971).[citation needed] In addition, she became the first Oscar-nominated actress to be nominated in the Best Short Film, Live Action Category for Number One (1976), a project which Cannon produced, directed, wrote and edited.[citation needed] It was a story about adolescent sexual curiosity.[citation needed] In 1978, Cannon starred in Revenge of the Pink Panther. That same year, she appeared opposite Warren Beatty, Julie Christie and James Mason in Heaven Can Wait. This performance earned her a second Oscar nomination and also won her a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress.[citation needed]

In 1976, she hosted Saturday Night Live during its first season.[citation needed] She was a guest in the fourth season of The Muppet Show in 1979.[3]

In the 1980s, Cannon, who is also a singer/songwriter, appeared in Honeysuckle Rose (1980) with Willie Nelson, Deathtrap (1982) with Christopher Reeve and Michael Caine, Caddyshack II (1988) and has starred in several TV movies.[citation needed]

In the 1990s, she appeared on the popular television shows Diagnosis: Murder and The Practice, as well as being a semi-regular on Ally McBeal. She made appearances in films such as That Darn Cat (1997), 8 Heads in a Duffel Bag (1997), Out to Sea (1997) with the duo Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon, and Kangaroo Jack (2003). She also starred on the short-lived sitcom Three Sisters (2001–2002).[citation needed] In 2005, she appeared in Boynton Beach Club, a movie about aging Floridians who have just lost their spouses.

10/13 Robert Conrad Talks With YOU!

rconrad@crni.net — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 09:20:10 PDT

The show is all about you! Your letters, your emails and YOUR calls! It's a love-fest between you and Robert Conrad, today, so call in at 800-336-2225 or email Robert Conrad at rconrad@crni.net!

10/06 Robert Conrad Talks with Tanya Roberts!

rconrad@crni.net — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:18:13 PDT

Tanya Roberts is best known for two great TV series: Charlie’s Angles and That 70s Show. She has entertaining stories from the set of Charlie’s Angels and her work with Ashton Kutcher on That 70s Show.

Rogers played Julie Rogers, Charlie’s Angels in the series fifth and final season 1980-1981. As Charlie’s “final” Angel her face was on 1,000s of magazine covers, 1,000 of bedroom walls with a bestselling poster and watched by millions on ABC-TV. She became one of the most recognized women in the world overnight.

ON That 70s Show, Roberts was casted as Midge Pinciotti. The series began in 1998 on the FOX Network and Roberts was seen in six seasons on the series. The series also starred a cast of young Hollywood unknowns. One of those unknown actors was Ashton Kutcher who as Kelso became the #1 heartthrob of screaming teenagers. Now, that young man is an accomplished actor and one of the highest profile men on TV as he steps into the set of Two and a Half Men.

Roberts went other memorable roles; such as a James Bond girl in “A View to a Kill”, Sheena in “Sheena: Queen of the Jungle”, and Kiri in the cult classic “The Beastmaster.”

Roberts herself keeps her super hot body in shape with a daily walk with her two dogs and her never miss a daily protein shake. She keeps her angelic face gorgeous with her daily regiment with LifeCell. LifeCell is her favorite product that keeps her skin as beautiful as the days on Charlie’s Angels.

September 22, 2011 was the 35th Anniversary of the original TV series. Charlie’s Angels originally premiered on the TV airways Wed, September 22, 1976. The show ran for five seasons and starred Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Jaclyn Smith, Cheryl Ladd, Shelley Hack and Tanya Roberts.

The Charlie’s Angels series hit the silver screen in 2000 with Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu. The film grossed over $260+ million worldwide and was followed up with the sequel, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle in 2003 which grossed $259+ worldwide. Charlie’s Angels has been empowering woman on TV and film for over 35 years now and the new series is set to continue that tradition.

9/29 Robert Conrad Talks with Stephanie Powers!

rconrad@crni.net — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:01:47 PDT

Powers appeared in several motion pictures in the early 1960s in secondary roles such as the thriller Experiment in Terror with Glenn Ford and Lee Remick, the comedy If a Man Answers with Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin, and as the daughter of John Wayne in the lighthearted comedy-Western McLintock! (1963). She played a schoolgirl in Tammy Tell Me True (1961) and the police chief's daughter Bunny in the romantic comedy Palm Springs Weekend (1963). She was also in the 1962 hospital melodrama The Interns and its sequel The New Interns in 1964. In 1965, Powers had a more substantial role playing opposite veteran actress Tallulah Bankhead in the Hammer horror film Die! Die! My Darling (originally released in England as Fanatic). Her early television work included Route 66 and Bonanza (both in 1963).

In 1966, her "tempestuous" good looks led to a starring role as April Dancer in the short-lived NBC television spy thriller series The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.. This was a spin-off of the popular The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. Powers' linguistic skills, dance training, and interest in bullfighting were written into several episodes of the series. She also learned how to fence for a five-minute fight sequence with sabers.

Shortly after the series' debut, she was featured on the cover of TV Guide (Dec. 31, 1966–Jan. 6, 1967). The article mentions her "117-pound frame is kept supple with 11 minutes of Royal Canadian Air Force exercises every morning." It also noted: "Unlike her fellow U.N.C.L.E. agents, the ladylike April is not required to kill the bad guys. Her feminine charms serve as the bait, while her partner Noel Harrison provides the fireworks." Dancer was written as a demure, passive figure instead of an action heroine like The Avengers' Emma Peel. The show's reliance on self-parody and camp humor instead of dramatic action and suspense was not a success. The series lasted for only one season (29 one-hour episodes) airing from September 16, 1966 to April 11, 1967.

In 1967, she was in the film Warning Shot with David Janssen. Her 1970s began with two Disney films, The Boatniks (1970) and Herbie Rides Again (sequel to The Love Bug).

She was a guest star on the Robert Wagner series It Takes a Thief in 1970. The two would go on to co-star in the popular Hart to Hart series nine years later.

Prior to the Hart to Hart success, she starred in The Feather and Father Gang as Toni "Feather" Danton, a successful lawyer. Her father, Harry Danton, was a smooth-talking ex-con man played by Harold Gould. It ran for 13 episodes. Guest roles on other popular TV shows include: McCloud (1971), The Mod Squad (1972), Kung Fu (1974), The Rockford Files (1975), Three for the Road (1975), The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman (1976), and McMillan & Wife (1977). These shows were the ones that Powers appeared, long after she signed a contract with Universal Studios in 1970, coincidentally, her longtime friend and Hart to Hart series' star, Wagner, signed up a contract with Universal, but did not guest-star on more shows than Powers did. Her role as stripper Dottie Del Mar in 1979's Escape to Athena with Roger Moore turned out to be Powers' last theatrical film to date.

Powers became widely known as a television star for her role opposite old friend Wagner as a pair of amateur sleuths in the 1979-1984 series Hart to Hart for which she received two Emmy and five Golden Globe Award Best Television Actress nominations. In the 1990s she and Wagner reunited to make eight Hart to Hart made-for-TV two-hour movies. In 1985, Powers starred as twins who swap places leading to dire consequences in the two-part made-for-TV movie Deceptions.

She starred briefly in a 1991 London musical, Matador, which closed prematurely due to the sharp drop in tourism during the Persian Gulf War. In 1993, she won the Sarah Siddons Award for her stage performance in Love Letters.

In 1996, she toured in a production of Applause which was slated to go to New York in hopes of a Broadway revival. She played the role of Margo Channing, played in the original production by Lauren Bacall (and later Anne Baxter), and in the source film All About Eve by Bette Davis.

She toured the United Kingdom in 2002 in the singing role of Anna Leonowens for a revival of The King and I. She also toured the U.S. in 2004 and 2005 in that role. Powers released her debut CD in 2003, titled, On The Same Page. The album features selections from the classic Great American Songbook era. Since 2006 she has been the U.S. location presenter on the BBC's long running Through the Keyhole panel show.

On April 30, 2008, she was reunited with Robert Wagner for the filming of a special Hart to Hart edition of the Graham Norton show [BBC]. On 12 March 2011, she received the Steiger Award (Germany) for accomplishment in the arts.

9/22 Robert Conrad Talks with Lesley ann Warren!

rconrad@crni.net — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 21:41:43 PDT

Lithe and lovely Lesley Ann Warren started gearing towards a life in show business right off the bat as a child ballerina; little did she know that Hollywood stardom would arrive on her doorstep in the form of a "Cinderella" story -- literally!

The New York-born actress (born in 1946) was the daughter of a realtor and a night club singer, Margot Warren, who gave up her own entertainment career for marriage and family. Lesley attended New York's Professional Children's School and eventually studied under Lee Strasberg at his Actors Studio, the youngest student to be accepted at the time (age 17). The freckled, talented hopeful gathered musical stage experience in such shows as "Bye Bye Birdie" playing swooning teen Kim McAfee. She made her illustrious Broadway debut in "110 in the Shade", the 1963 musical version of "The Rainmaker," and subsequently received the Theatre World Award for her work in the 1965 tunefest "Drat! The Cat!"

The attention she received immediately led to her capturing the beguiling title role in the Rodgers and Hammerstein TV musical production of Cinderella (1965) (TV). Although sweet-voiced stardom was certainly hers on a silver platter, she didn't necessarily carry the sweet tooth for it. Her impact as Cinderella led to her signing with the Walt Disney Studio as their principal ingénue. Co-starring in the rather blah musical showcases The Happiest Millionaire (1967) and The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968) further convinced her that she needed to nip the saccharine stereotype in the bud if she was to grow as an actress and sustain some type of career longevity.

Rebelling against her studio-imposed image, she left Disney determined to pursue roles with more depth, drama and character. Changing her name temporarily to "Lesley Warren" to reinforce her goal, she replaced Barbara Bain in the long-running espionage series "Mission: Impossible" (1966) in 1970, but the audiences were quite cool in their reception to the "new and improved" Lesley and didn't buy her as a femme-fatale replacement for the cool and aloof Ms. Bain. After only one season, she left the show and sought greener pastures in the TV mini-movie market playing a wide range of vulnerable neurotics as well as sexy, worldly ladies. She made her mark in such sudsy 1970s material as Love Hate Love (1971) (TV) co-starring 'Ryan O'Neal (I)'; The Legend of Valentino (1975) (TV); the rags-to-riches story "Harold Robbins' 79 Park Avenue" (1977), for which she won a Golden Globe award; the epic WWII story "Pearl" (1978); Betrayal (1978) (TV); and Portrait of a Stripper (1979) (TV).

In the early 1980s, Lesley's movie career resurrected itself with a priceless performance as kingpin James Garner's whiny-voiced, peroxide-blonde spitfire Norma Cassady in the musical film slapstick Victor Victoria (1982). This scene-stealing turn led to a couple of other quality offbeat films: Choose Me (1984) and Songwriter (1984), along with the usual quota of TV projects. She also matured into a steamy, sexier "older woman" type and earned some worldly roles opposite various gorgeous young guns, including Christopher Atkins in the critically-drubbed A Night in Heaven (1983). Her riotous "dumb blonde" act, however, had Hollywood discovering her potential as a scatter-brained comedienne, an image she has reinforced over the years with recurring TV guest parts on such popular shows as "Will & Grace" (1998) and "Desperate Housewives" (2004) Lesley has a son, Christopher Peters, from her 1967-1977 union to makeup artist/hair stylist-cum-film producer Jon Peters. Since 2000, she has been married to advertising exec Ronald Taft, a former v.p. at Columbia and sometime actor. From Cinderella to sexy mamas, the effervescent Lesley is still going strong in a career now hitting four-and-a-half decades.

09/15 Robert Conrad Talk With YOU!

rconrad@crni.net — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 15:33:28 PDT

The show is all about you! Your letters, your emails and YOUR calls! It's a love-fest between you and Robert Conrad, today, so call in at 800-336-2225 or email Robert Conrad at rconrad@crni.net!

9/8 Robert Conrad Talks with Cassandra Peterson and Airrion Copeland Producer of White Wash!

rconrad@crni.net — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 12:34:23 PDT

Cassandra Peterson, Elvira's alter ego, was born in Manhattan, Kansas, and raised in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She remembers always being a fan of Ann-Margret. Since Cassandra saw her in Viva Las Vegas (1964), she wanted to be a dancer. Just days after graduating from high school, Cassandra traveled to Las Vegas where, at the age of 17, she became the youngest showgirl in Las Vegas history. When Elvis Presley saw her perform he encouraged her to pursue a singing career. She toured Europe extensively as lead singer for an Italian rock band. She settled in Rome, where she became fluent in Italian. Here Cassandra met Federico Fellini, who cast her in his classic film, Fellini's Roma (1972). Returning to the US, Cassandra formed her own nightclub review, "Mama's Boys", which toured the national club circuit. In the late 1970s she joined the satiric improvisational troupe, The Groundlings, which also produced such stars as Paul Reubens (aka "Pee Wee Herman"). There she honed her now renowned comedic skills as both a writer and performer. Film and television appearances such as Cheech & Chong's Next Movie (1980) and others followed, but Cassandra was just the typical struggling actress and spent years wondering where her next meal was coming from. It was the fall of 1981, with the birth of her character, Elvira, that it all changed. While she has since played herself in many film and television shows, Cassandra Peterson ultimately combines her numerous talents into an intriguing persona which has not only become a Halloween icon, but a "vamp" for all seasons.

Producer Airrion Copeland joins the show to talk about a new Documentary featuring 10time ASP World Champion Surfer Kelly Slater, Triple Crown of Surfing winner Rob Machado, Legendary Pro Surfer Buttons Kaluhiokalani, and more. Narrated by Grammy winner Ben Harper, in conjunction with Black Thought of the Grammy Award winning group, The Roots, the documentary explores the history of surfing culture and breaks all 'surfer dude' stereotypes by uncovering the succession of African-Americans riding the waves. While paying respect to the ocean, filmmaker Ted Woods and producers Airrion Copeland and Dan Munger illustrate a comprehensive study from the perspective of black surfers from Hawaii, Jamaica, Florida, and California, blending archival footage and conversations with professors, historians, authors, organizations and professional surfers.

Beginning September 9th, White Wash, will be shown at the Laemmle Theater, 8000 W. Sunset Blvd in West Hollywood, for one week until September 15th. Screening Times are 5:40 p.m. and 9:55 p.m.
Although surfing originated in Hawaii as part of Polynesian culture, Americans adopted a blonde-haired, blue-eyed male surfer cliché that still dominates the sport today. White Wash breaks all manifested barriers and explores the role of black surfers by introducing audiences to the likes of: Michael Green, Founder of Brooklyn Surfing; Rick Blocker, Black Surf Historian & Founder of BlackSurfing.com; Sal Masekela, TV Host, Sports Commentator, Actor & Singer; and Dr. Charles Ross, Author of "Outside The Lines", just to name a few. Featured guests recount their personal journey, while discussing surf history, its origin, and its evolution, all the while preserving the love of catching that giant wave.

Presenting facts such as less than 2% of swimmers registered with USA swimming (of competitive swimming associations) are black - compared to 69% of the National Football League; and nearly 60% of black children can't swim - compared to 30% of white children, Woods takes viewers on an eye-opening crusade for the need of a black surfing association to help establish their place in the water and in surfing competitions.

Others featured in the film include: Billy "Mystic" Wilmot, Jamaican Surf Team; Sam George, Surf Historian & Filmmaker (Riding Giants); James Meredith, Integrated the University of Mississippi; Bruce Wigo, President, International Swimming Hall of Fame; Patrick "Quashi" Mitchell, Founder of Quashi Surfboards International; Lee Pitts, Swim Historian & Instructor; Dr. John Oberman, Author, "Darwin's Athletes"; Dr. Doug Flamming, Author of "Bound for Freedom"; Alison Jefferson, Santa Monica Historian; Audwin Anderson, Sports Sociologist, Texas State University; Dr. Mark Chapman, Chair, African American Studies, Fordham University and more.

09/1 Robert Conrad Talk With YOU!

rconrad@crni.net — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:38:58 PDT

The show is all about you! Your letters, your emails and YOUR calls! It's a love-fest between you and Robert Conrad, today, so call in at 800-336-2225 or email Robert Conrad at rconrad@crni.net!

Conrad on KABC

rconrad@crni.net — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:21:40 PDT

Robert Conrad's new gig as radio talk show host | abc7.com: LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Actor Robert Conrad has been a boxer, surfer, cowboy, and pilot.

Using a tough guy image, he also starred in a series of famous TV commercials daring you to knock a battery off his shoulder.

8/25 Robert Conrad Talks with Lana Wood - and YOU!

rconrad@crni.net — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:57:21 PDT

Lana Wood was born in Svetlana Nikolaevna Zakharenko Russian on March 1, 1946. She is an American actress and producer. She was born to Russian émigré parents, Nikolai and Maria Zakharenko, and is the sister of actress Natalie Wood. Her first major role was at age 9 in the John Wayne western The Searchers. She was a regular on the soap opera Peyton Place. She is best known for her role as Plenty O'Toole in the James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever. She appeared in a number of small films and television guest roles throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

Early in her adult career, Lana Wood played bit parts in Natalie's films; but, in the 1960s, her own career took off. One of her roles was in the beach party film The Girls on the Beach (1965). After appearing in the short-lived drama series, The Long, Hot Summer, she landed the role of Sandy Webber in the prime-time soap Peyton Place, which she played from 1966 to 1967.

In 1971, Lana appeared in the April 1971 Playboy issue, along with her poetry. Even though Natalie strongly disapproved Lana's posing nude, the publicity was a major reason for her being cast as Bond girl Plenty O'Toole in Diamonds Are Forever (1971). In a scene with Sean Connery, she appeared wearing only a flimsy pair of see-through panties.[1]

Wood has more than 20 other films and over 300 television shows to her credit, including The Fugitive, Bonanza, Mission: Impossible, Police Story, Starsky and Hutch, Nero Wolfe, Fantasy Island, and Capitol. Some of her other film roles have been in the Disney film Justin Morgan Had a Horse (1972) and the western Grayeagle (1977). After appearing in the horror film Demon Rage (1982), she retired from acting, concentrating on her career as a producer.

In 1984, Wood published the controversial tell-all book Natalie, A Memoir by Her Sister, which reached #3 on the New York Times Bestseller List. In 2004, she produced the biopic The Mystery of Natalie Wood. She recently returned to acting and has several projects in production. Lana is a character in the new Steve Alten book "Meg: Hell's Aquarium".

8/17 Robert Conrad Talks with Lana Wood - and YOU!

rconrad@crni.net — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:10:46 PDT