Tutte le interviste TV
a Michael T. Weiss
dal 1990 al 1999
Parte 3
Questa sezione contiene tutte le trascrizioni delle interviste TV originali realizzate a Michael T. Weiss, interprete di Jarod, dal 1990 al 1999, raccolte in vari siti americani grazie ad un lavoro di Danny. A ciascuna intervista sono abbinate le immagini dell'apparizione in TV di Michael.
MICHAEL T. WEISS ON CHANNEL 5 NOONDAY MAGAZINE
Host: Michael T. Weiss is The Pretender and he joins us
today on Noonday Magazine. Hi Michael.
Michael T. Weiss: Good Morning. How are you all?
Host: Great, thank you. Now as I said, your character Jarod can master any
profession. Now is it a challenge to take on different professions every week?
MTW: It's not only a challenge, but it's a tremendous gift for an actor to have
a network series where you get to play someone different every week. You're able
to keep everything fresh... you're always reinventing yourself. So you always
have to keep on your toes, and that makes for a really fun job experience.
Host: Now, the show has been on the air for a couple of years now, and it's
gotten critical acclaim.
MTW: Yes. It's hard to beleive.
Host: Do you think the cast has gotten better with age?
MTW: I'd like to think he is. You know he's certainly becoming more savvy out in
the real world, and he has a better haircut, so there you go!
Host: Now, many of our female viewers will remember you from your time as Dr.
Mike Horton on Days of Our Lives. Do you miss daytime television at all?
MTW: Oh, you know, I've had the lovely opportunity in my career to do many diff...
to do television, to do film, to do theater. And all the mediums are a lot of
fun to do. I mean it's just a way of expressing yourself so I have a good time
doing them all.
Host: Well, you're also a playright. Is the theater your true love?
MTW: I love the theater. It's a wonderful thing to have a live exchange with the
audience, that you don't get when you're making a film, but both are different
mediums to the same sort of end and it's to bring a sort of enlightenment, so
it's kind of fun.
Host: Well, you can see The Pretender, on Saturday nights at 8 here on KCYB.
Michael, Thank you.
MTW: My pleasure.
MICHAEL T. WEISS ON THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO - MAY 15, 1998
(Michael enters acknowledges the audience with the "peace"
sign. He then shakes hands with Jay Leno and then with Matt Stone & Trey Parker
and gives Brooke Shields a hug, before taking his seat)
Jay Leno: Good to see 'ya.
Michael T. Weiss: Good to see you again.
JL: And thanks for shaving. Now what is that? Is it...
MTW: Boy you really gotta shave on this show don't you? (he indicates Trey
Parker's messy hair)
MTW (to Matt & Trey): This is like sitting next to royalty, you guys are so cool.
Matt: Thanks.
JL: Now what is this? This moustache, are you doing a magic act in Vegas? What
is that?
MTW: You didn't ask them about their hair, Jay, I mean... come on...
JL: Well that's pretty self explanatory. They're writers, writers don't have to
have any appearance, they have writer bodies. You're an actor, you're like a
handsome leading man guy.
MTW:Well, I... bless you.
JL: I'm asking you about this moustache.
MTW: I was actually more worried about my shirt, cause I realized its a little
see-through and you can kinda see my nipples.
JL: I think I saw Madonna wearing that shirt in a video. Now why is this? Is
this for a part?
MTW: I'm playing a porno producer, it's set in the eighties, so that's the
moustache. I'm doing a film this summer.
JL: Kinda a Boogie Nights...
MTW: Kinda a Boogie Nights...
JL: Now what movie is this?
MTW: It's a little secret film I'm doing this summer so I can't really tell
about it.
JL: Now what happened you got caught and you had to explain to people... "ah..it's
a film..."
MTW: uh.. it's a film...
JL: Now your career is going good, why are you doing secret porno?
MTW: You know facial hair for an actor is like a bonsai tree; you can trim it,
you can clip it, it's very peaceful. You get one of those little Wahl trimmers...
it's like Sir Lancelot...
JL: No, no, no... I wanna go back to the porno thing. So you're playing a porno
producer?
MTW: I'm playing a porno producer in the film.
JL: Is it like an X-Rated movie?
MTW: No, no, it's another sort of expose of the underbelly of pornography.
JL: I see, it's an expose? So what you're saying...
MTW: And you never watch that, do you Jay?
JL:Of course not. So what you're saying is... any nudity is an intrical part of
the story?
MTW: There's no nudity, just moustaches (everyone laughs).
MTW: No. wait, wait, wait, wai....(gets all embarrassed).
JL: This must be a kinky movie.... so when does this movie come out?
MTW: It'll probably be out sometime next year for the festivals.
JL: Oh, for the festivals... for the porno fest...
MTW: The porno festivals...
JL: Let me ask you something else. I'm going down Sunset Blvd., and there's this
huge billboard of your face, this giant Weiss face.
MTW: It's a big Weiss face.
JL: Now what is this all about?
MTW: I did a campaign for Saks Fifth Avenue, and I thought it was going to be
this subtle little billboard. It ain't subtle. You know Sunset Blvd. is like
this major thoroughfare in Los Angeles, and it's this huge thing of my head. And
I remember, you know... I can't drive down Sunset Blvd. anymore...
JL: Oh... tell me you don't drive down there, you don't drive a date and go 'oh
look at that', tell me you've never done that.
MTW:It's a little embarrassing.
JL: Give me your word you have never driven a date down Sunset Blvd.
MTW: Well the truth is I had an appointment, and you have to drive down Sunset
Blvd., and I got stuck right by my billboard. And I'm thinking,"Please God, no
one look at me, looking at this billboard" and then some guy is like, "Hey
duuuude, is that your billboard?"
JL: And you were parked there for hours weren't you?
MTW: Yeah... I'm like," That's me".
JL: You didn't answer my question, have you ever driven down there with another
person in the car, and accidently went "Wow. I didn't actually know that was
there."
MTW: No I'm very actually really shy. You can ask Brooke about that, it's a
weird thing.
Brooke: I wasn't in the car with you...
MTW: Brooooke... come on...
Brooke:You looked great, I told you you looked so handsome (all laugh).
JL: Now let me ask you about special talents you have, besides the giant faces
on the street and the moustache thing. Some sort of talent with your ear?
MTW: Now are we back to the porno thing?
Brooke: Oh, this I've seen...
JL: You've seen the talent we're talking about? What movie?
MTW: We did do a movie. A movie called Freeway. Where I played another rather
sleazy individual, and Brooke...
Brooke: I blew my brains out, and he was a bad guy.
MTW: I was a bad guy.
JL: Oh, ok. Now back to the ear talent.
MTW: Your producers man... I would love to sit here and talk about
existentialism, and they really want me to wiggle my ears...
JL: Now can you wiggle them together or individually?
MTW: I can do them whatever way you like Jay... whatever rocks your world.
JL: Wow, I see why they picked you for the porno movie. Try dual... do both...
MTW: Can you believe this... okay (he clasps his hands and as camera zooms in,
he wiggles both of his ears simultaneously).
JL: Both ears are moving, okay... let's go individual, okay left... (this time
it doesn't work)
MTW: I can't do it.. now I'm nervous...
Brooke: Yeah, I tied a knot with a cherry stem in my mouth on this show, so...
MTW:You were the one?!
Brooke: I was the one, so you can move your ears...
MTW (to South Park writers): You guys impressed with my ear wiggling?
Matt: Yeah...
Trey: What the hell is going on?
JL: He's drunk again.
MTW (to them again): You guys suck!!! Tom will wiggle his ears this season, and
I want money!!!
JL: Now let me ask you this. Is all of show business closing this week?
MTW: It just closes up shop.
JL: So you have your big two hour brouhaha.
MTW: We have our big two hour finale tomorrow night. It's really, exciting, it's
action-packed, it answers all the questions... where Jarod come from? How did he
get to The Centre?
JL: The Pretender...
MTW: The Pretender, or the character I play on television. It's a really well
done two hours. It's action-packed, and if you've never seen a Pretender episode
this is the one to watch.
JL: I used to go out with a girl who was a Pretender...
MTW: Oh... you too?
JL: We're gonna see a cl... we gotta go... (Michael looks disappointed that they
didn't have time to show a clip - and uses hands to wiggle ears to show everyone
what time got wasted on)
INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL T. WEISS - SUMMER 1998
Howie Mandel: How did you get the part of The Pretender?
Michael T. Weiss: I was at the Movie Festival of Sundance, I was skiing and
somebody offered me the part... I accepted it because it allowed me to
impersonate a new character in each episode. And it allows me to come to Paris!
HM: How did Jarod evolve during season two?
MTW: The second season is more achieved, but the next one will even be better!
It’s interesting to see how the relations between the characters develop. There
will be more action, more maturity. Jarod is now evolving in a world more adult,
this is what makes things more interesting. At the beginning, he was taking
different jobs that were, let’s say, very physical... now that he is more
mature, we can tackle more subtle aspects. Last year he was a wild dog, this
year it’s better and I think that next year he will, at last, be a real
civilized adult man! It’s very difficult for me to develop his innocent part,
because for me, it’s pretty long ago!
HM: Do you sometimes intervene on The Pretender screenplays? Do you think you
will write or direct an episode?
MTW: We all do intervene, Andrea, Patrick... to have each screenplay as perfect
as possible. The series is tackling, pushing it to its extremes, familiar
dysfunction which is currently so frequent. Jarod proves that one can get
through and become a good person. I will direct an episode in season 3. And I
will make the budget completely explode! Wine will flow and it is going to be
great!
HM: Speak of your partners.
MTW: Patrick has an incredible presence. As soon as he hears “action”, he is
monopolizing the whole attention. As far as Andrea is concerned, she is a great
actress... she is fascinating me especially when she is running after me on 7
inch heels! It’s incredible what women can do!
HM: How will the relationship between Miss Parker and Jarod evolve?
MTW: There will always be this attraction/repulsion between them, but there will
be more sex! That should please you, French guys. The other day I saw in the
streets of Paris the poster of the movie Wild Things that has been renamed Sex
Crimes in France. Why not a “Star Wars Sex” or a “The pretender sex”?!
HM: What are your criteria when you are choosing a part?
MTW: My philosophy is simple: life is too short and you must enjoy it. I try as
much as I can to choose interesting characters with a minimum of intelligence.
And then, it’s necessary that I'll enjoy it as we are working 16 to 17 hours a
day, and it's really better when you like your part!
HM: And do you like Jarod?
MTW: Yes, of course! First of all, he can do any job, take any identity, that
allows me to be a different person each week; then, he has at the same time the
innocence of a child and a dangerously dark and revengeful side... and then that
allows me to wear those nice costumes! As well as he has discovered a lot of new
things during the past two years... I remember an episode in which I had to eat
thousands of Twinkies, I hope he will discover Porsche next year!
HM: What do you think about this wave of paranoia which started with X-Files and
that somehow The Pretender perpetuates?
MTW: I love X-Files, I saw the movie which is great. Personally, I don’t believe
at all in this worldwide conspiracy (he looks around suspiciously then bursts
out laughing)...but it’s a fantastic dramatic ingredient, it’s fun!
HM: A TV star who is making a movie, is more and more frequent... your last
movie was Jeffrey. Is it something you will put in first row?
MTW: In the US, there is no real frontier between TV and cinema for actors. The
big advantage of TV is its international dimension; you are reaching far more
people when you are doing a successful series, whereas you can never be sure
with cinema, even with a good movie.
HM: You just started the shootings of Net Worth. Can you tell us more about it?
MTW: It’s a wonderful screenplay, directed by Ken Griswald, on a subject that
has been little used in movies. It’s about the friendship between four men in
their early thirties who discover each other through their relationship, their
relations with women, with life. It’s a hearty movie on the value of a person,
on a spiritual as well as on a social, professional and even financial level (this
is the reason of the title of the movie). This is really a change because as
much as Jarod is innocent and pure, my character in the movie is a womanizer, an
alcoholic...
HM: And in your life, how are you?
MTW: I am... a pretender! In life, I think that we are all more or less playing
different parts; parent, child, friend, lover... people think that they have a
monolithic personality. But, each of us has different aspects that we must learn
to respect. It’s an inestimable richness that you must develop without lying to
yourself. I think that this is what explains the success of The Pretender,
because people long to do a lot of things but without necessarily daring. Jarod
fascinates them because he is doing whatever he wants.
HM: Can imagine yourself grow old with Jarod, as Peter Falk did with Columbo?
MTW: I signed a five year contract after which I will stop, I think. It’s a
wonderful part but, before all, I am an actor and I am looking for diversity. I
don’t want to be Jarod till the age of 60. Maybe they will ask me to do a remake
in thirty years!
HM: Are you receiving a lot of propositions for movies and TV? And for what kind
of parts?
MTW: This year has been very rich since proposals are flowing. It’s difficult to
choose because I only have three months to shoot outside the series. In the US,
a lot of movies are directly distributed in video; I tend to privilege those
which will be showed in theaters.
HM: The shooting of Net Worth has just started and The Pretender will start in
August, how will you do to do both?
MTW: I don't know (laughs)... there will be two or three weeks of overlap
between both productions, but we will find a solution.
HM: Jarod can be anything he wants. And you?
MTW: Jarod has far more possibilities than me. I have been lifeguard, I have
sold hamburgers, I have worked in a zipper factory...
HM: With your lifeguard experience, have you never thought to audition for
Baywatch?
MTW: I look awful in a swimsuit! But may Baywatch be blessed, it is a real gift
from heaven!
HM: What were you watching on TV or in theaters before you became an actor?
MTW: Like all Americans I have been brought up with TV. I grew up in Chicago
where the weather is not very hot, then we liked to stay home. I liked Bewitched,
The Wild Wild West, I Dream of Jeanie...
HM: Did you always want to be an actor?
MTW: Yes, it’s a real vocation, a real profession of faith, as for priests! I am
from a typical middle class American family. A family with dysfunction, like any
other family... and they never let me out of the basement. This is why I became
an actor! Now that’s what I became, I would like to be a basketball-star or a
rock-star! I will start to train as soon as I'll be back. Michael Jordan must
beware!
HM: Let's talk about the play you wrote.
MTW: It's called Streams of Consciousness, but I am too busy to take care of it,
so a friend is producing it. I love to write. It’s a hard and lonely activity
that suits me totally.
HM: What else are you doing outside the 16-17 hours shootings and your writing?
MTW: I sleep!
HM:You are member of an environmental association, are you actively involved in
it? In LA are you, for example, driving an electric car?
MTW: I am a member of the ECO committee (Earth Communication Office). I think
that you must treat our planet with benevolence and justice. I am living in
Santa Monica, on the oceanside and I don't even dare to swim in the sea. I think
it is horrible! I don't claim to be the perfect ecologist militant but I think
that any of us at our level can and must do whatever is possible.
HM: When you will have children, is this a value you will teach them?
MTW: Certainly. If my philosophy is to enjoy each moment, it doesn’t mean you
must neglect the future... even if I am conscious that it is more convenient to
use disposal diapers than to wash and reuse cloth diapers! Who knows... maybe
we’ll find a way one day to have selfcleaning babies! That day maybe I will have
kids!
MICHAEL T. WEISS ON THE HOWIE MANDELL SHOW - OCTOBER 16, 1998
Michael T. Weiss appeared as a guest on The Howie Mandel
Show. Dressed all in black and sporting a flat silver ring on the middle finger
of his right hand, Michael stayed on stage throughout the entire program, often
joking with Rita Rudner and Catherine Hicks, other guests with him. Rita
teasingly remarked that both Weiss and Mandel, who were dressed in black, looked
like they had been outfitted by the Angel of Death.
During the interview with Mandel, Michael reiterated the stories about his
skidiving escapade and the fact that two different psychics told him that he was
going to die scuba diving. The first was a male, the second was a woman who had
sent him a letter in which she had also stated that he was descended from the
Atlantians: he wasn’t too sure about that himself.
Weiss said that he was often subjected to good-natured jokes about his stint as
Jarod in NBC’s The Pretender. He said that he had been stopped by fans while at
a grocery store, who had asked him: “Are you just pretending to buy groceries?”.
Although the joking could get on his nerves, he enjoyed very much playing Jarod
and liked the fact that people appreciated the character so much.
The most interesting part of the program was when Howie started talking to Weiss
about his conservationist tendancies. Weiss said he didn’t necessarily describe
himself as an “environmentalist” per se, but that he defined himself as an
”Environmentalist Idividualist”. He believed that individuals could make a real
difference in the effort to clean up – and keep cleaned – the natural global
environment. To prove his point, he went backstage with Mandell and showed Howie
how he and his staff could do their part to help.
Before they got backstage, however, Michael lost the battery pack for his mobile
microphone and had to resecure it to the back of his pants. He then had to run
to keep up with Howie, who knew the backstage “maze” better than him.
The paper that was being discarded in trashcans could be bundled up or shredded
and recycled, Weiss noted. Another way to recycle old office paper is to chop it
up, bind it into notepad sized bundles and use tha blank side of it for scratch
paper. When both sides of the paper are used, it can be then shredded and
recyled.
Video tapes can be reused, rather than discarded after they’re used once. And
then, when they can be no longer used to copy anything, their plastic casings
and filament-type tape can be recycled to make new items.
Rather then using paper cups – which require trees b killed to make the paper
and landfills cluttered with the cups – Weiss suggested to Mandel that everyone
on his staff bring their own reusable coffee cups from home. The office would
save money – by not having to purchase paper cups – and the environment could be
protected at the same time.
Stryofoam cups, which do not degrade well in landfills and can pollute the land
and watershed, should also be avoided.
Michael also discovered that someone on Howie’s staff had brought their lunch in
a plastic bag. He said that paper bags were better – because they are
biodegradable – but if plastic had to be used, it should be properly recycled.
One can also buy plastic-lined cloth lunch bags which can be reused over and
over again, thus avoiding the cost of paper bags and eliminating litter they
usually become.
Later in the show, Michael sat on stage while Mandel interviewed Rita an
Catherine. Throughout their interviews, Michael joked and laughed with them and
applauded their efforts. Rita seemed particularly amusing to Michael, especially
when she joked about how he might “recycle” tooth brushes. Eh-ehm.
MICHAEL T. WEISS ON LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O’BRIEN - FEBRUARY , 1999
Michael T. Weiss is introduced, and walks out while
looking in a Playboy magazine with Pamela Anderson on the cover. He shakes hands
with Andy and Conan O'Brien. Conan tries taking the magazine from him. Michael
hides it under his arm, sits down, and puts the magazine on Conan's desk. Conan
picks it up and says: We better put this away (tucks magazine into coat pocket).
Uh, Michael...
MTW: Yes sir... hello.
COB: (stuttering) I, uh. I, I ,I, gotta say thank you for being here. I gotta
say the name of the show... The Pretender. I just kind of always liked that name.
I love those kind of show names... (changes voice to parody tone) The Equaliz-ah,
The Pretend-ah.
MTW: (interjecting) It's kind of like your love life...
Audience: ooooooooh!
COB: (Laughs, pulls magazine back out) My life used to be sad, but not anymore (holds
magazine up and shakes it).
MTW: (points to Conan) Now she's on your show.
COB: No, I just have this magazine. (puts it under desk). But I just kind of
like that name. Do people ever give you a hard time about being the Pretend-ah?
MTW: It, it, it, gets a little tiresome. Like when you're...
COB: You like the way I say it? Can I be the new guy that says it on the show? (parodies
an annoucer's voice) Michael T. Weiss is eh-The Pretend-ah.
Audience laughs and applauds.
MTW: There's all those "P" shows on Saturday night, like The Pretender and The
Profiler.
COB: Profil-ah meets Pretend-ah. Together they make love to the Equaliz-ah.
MTW: Actually, we're doing a cross-over show, The Profiler and The Pretender. I'm
going to be on her show - Ally Walker - and she's going to be on my show.
COB: That's going to confuse everybody.
MTW: That's gonna make everybody completely...
COB: Do people give you a hard time about the name though?
MTW: Well, you know, like at the grocery store... and they're like... what are
you pretending to shop for today? Well, I haven't heard that about 4,000 times
today!
COB: Try being named Conan.
MTW: (mumbles) The Barbarian.
COB: "Hey Conan, where's your sword?"
MTW: (giggles)
COB: (to the camera) Dad, Stop it!
MTW: Well, on the streets of New York, it's like (starts doing different accents)
- Yo, Pretend-ah, you know, the Pretender, and in Paris, it Le Chameleon.
COB: Le WHAT?! Oh, the chameleon.
MTW: Yes, the chameleon. And in Australia it's ah, The Pre-tin-dah.
COB: And in Germany, Die Pretend-ah.
MTW: (audience laughing makes this hard to discern) Pretender, Die...
COB: (starts faking German)
MTW: (laughs)
COB: Why do I portray all German people as crazy? I don't know, it's not right
what I do. You're originally from Chicago...
MTW: Yes sir.
COB: ...and I understand, uh, a lot of actors starting out, they, you know,
struggle a bit. You were actually one of those people who delivered singing
telegrams? Is that right?
MTW: (hangs his head down) Thank you for bringing up the most dark period in my
acting career. I appreciate it! (laughs)
COB: That's what I do, my friend. I'm the Embarasser. Week nights.
MTW: I did, I did...
COB: Meet my friend (gestures to Andy), the Humiliator.
MTW: (looks at Andy and laughs) I, um, sang telegrams, yes in a very dark period
of my acting career. I remember, I was stuck, my car ran...
COB: What's the lowest point of being a singing telegram person? What's, what's...
MTW: You have a choice between the pregnant nun costume or the leprechan.
COB: I wanna hear about the leprechan. I love it when people are forced to dress
like a leprechan.
MTW: (in unison with COB) ...a leprechan. But not by choice. If you choose to
dress like a leprechan by choice, it's completely up to you and I can see it,
but for me it was...(Audience laughs and oooooohs).
COB: (in a serious tone) Don't mess with the Embarasser.
MTW: (holds two fingers up to make a cross at Conan) No, I uh... and my car ran
out of gas. It was 30 below zero...
COB: And you're dressed like a leprechan.
MTW: And I remember thinking 'there's just gotta be a better way'. And I thought
to myself, "One day I'm gonna tell this story on a talk show".'
COB: And you're kind of right. And we qualify now!
MTW: And Pamela Lee said "hello".
COB: She said hi to you?
MTW: Pamela Anderson. (he realizes his mistake about her last name, and covers
his mouth with his fingers.) Pam Anderson.
COB: She's gone. I'm glad. She's not watching us now. She's, she's gonna run
home (imitates frantic female voice) "I've gotta see myself on Conan!"
MTW: (laughs) I'll stay up ya know.
COB: That's my life. I don't have Pam Anderson, I have you in my corner...
MTW: (raises his hands) I'm sorry!
COB: ...watching me on the TV. Let's talk about fan mail... you must get
Pretender fan mail. You get, you get...
MTW: (in a serious reply) Yes, we get lots of wacky fan mail.
C: Did you ever, was there ever anyone you wrote fan mail to?
MTW: I used to have a crush on Valerie Bertinelli (starts laughing) when I was a
kid. Remember that show?
COB: That's not something to laugh about. That's... Valerie Bertinelli is still
hot, I think. But the time, I just saved myself a lot of grief!
MTW: One Day at a Time. Remember that show? I wrote her a fan letter. She sent
me a letter back and a picture of her...
COB: Back then she was cute.
MTW: In cutoffs. I remember running into her...
COB: I have a picture of Ed Asner in cutoffs!
MTW: (Big laugh) ... I remember seeing her at a party again and saying "I wrote
you when I was 12 and she went 'he he huh', laughing as if to say ' yeah, ok,
whatever.
COB: Yeah, it's like you at the supermarket - "Hey, whattaya pretendin' now,
buddy!?" You know.
MTW: I know.
COB: She probably didn't like that you said "when I was 12, I was writing you
fan lettters". Uhh...
MTW: I know...
COB: You, uh, went to the Super Bowl, I understand?
MTW: I did, I went to the Super Bowl. It wasn't a very exciting game, but it was
a lot of fun to be there.
COB: Now, I wanna ask one thing... they always give... I've never gone to a
sporting event and gotten special tickets. But it seems like they put... like
when Fox has a sporting event, they put all the Fox people there and they keep
cutting to them like, you know what I mean, to promote their shows. Do you get
special cool seats because you're The Pretender?
MTW: (laughs) Well, I, I...
COB: Or do you just pretend they're good seats? Why am I sitting here way in the
back?
MTW: I was on the 38 yard line. Well, it's funny, I was sitting there, and this
note passed down from the upper stands... it was like, the third quarter, and I
got the note and it said (holds hands up as if to hold note to read it), um,
hello there Mr. Pretender, um...
COB: (laughs and points to Michael) Michael T. Weiss!
MTW: Nobody knows my name is Michael, they call me The Pretender... (continues
with note) um, we're really big Atlanta fans, and we were wondering if you could
go down and pretend to be a quarterback?! Well, Mr. Chandler... I'm kidding!
Don't beat me up.
COB: This Saturday back to back episodes of The Pretender, starting at 8...
M: Back to back.
COB: ... On NBC. Michael, thanks for stopping by...
MTW: My pleasure.
COB: Best of luck with the show.
MTW: Thank you.
COB: Michael T. Weiss! (he gets the Playboy magazine out and hands it to
Michael) You can have this. (MTW takes magazine, holds it up to the camera and
then turns it to himself and looks in it. Stands up and shakes Conan's hand.)
MICHAEL T. WEISS ON REGIS AND KATHIE LEE - FEBRUARY 5, 1999
Regis: His resume consists of impressive stage, screen and
television credits. Currently starring in the NBC drama The Pretender, here's
Michael T Weiss. Michael... (MTW comes out dancing from side to side and waving
to the audience. He bends down to shake Regis and Kathie Lee's hands and then he
sits down next to them).
Kathie Lee: Hello Michael, nice to meet you.
R: How are you? OK?
MTW: I'm doing great.
KL: Everybody's sleepy today.
R: Yeah... but after the way Michael came out. You know (in an expansive voice)
hey and how are ya (waves hands around). I like that.
MTW: How ya doin? (indicating the fake snow outside the studio window) I know
for sure there's no snow outside in New York City.
R: I know and Gillman's still got the snow outside. It's embarrassing. Really it
is.
KL: Still got our Christmas lights out... please.
MTW: It is freezing in your studio.
KL:Not as bad as Letterman's though.
MTW: Not as bad as Lettermans?
R and KL: Nahhh...
R: That show... The Pretender gives an actor all kinds of range, right. Every
week there's somebody else you're going to play.
MTW: Kind of like Clinton... I love Clinton by the way. I'm a Clinton supporter,
so I'm kidding.
R: How did it begin Michael? This young man was taken from his home and was
raised...
MTW: It's the most complicated to discuss. Because I...
R: In 2 lines.
MTW: 2 lines... I was a child prodigy that was raised by a nefarious
organization called The Centre. I was raised 27 floors below a cement building.
They exploit my genius for research. I escape out in the world. I like bubble
gum and I can be somebody new every day.
KL: Thank you for keeping it nice and plain for us.
R: That's good.
R: So you're enjoying this. It's been a hit over at NBC.
MTW: It's been a tremendous gift and great fun. It challenges me everyday.
KL: Did you find that training on the soap was great for you?
MTW: Well, sure you had to learn 3 million lines every session.
KL: I did that one years and years ago.
MTW: Did you really?
KL: I played the minorest character ever.
MTW: Did I have an affair with you?
KL: No I was the only one you didn't have an affair with.
MTW: I had an affair with everybody.
KL: I remembered I was a nurse. Nurse Callahan. I used to take pulses and I
always use to say "Dr. Horton".
KL: And you were...
MTW: And I was Dr. Horton.
KL: Yeah, isn't that something... of course I could be your mother now.
MTW: You know you do a soap once and you'll never live it down for the rest of
your life.
KL: That's right.
R: But anyway... you're moving on to direct a few of the episodes next season.
MTW: Yes, next season. I'm going to direct a few. I direct a lot of theatre so
it will be a lot of fun.
R: Did you work here in New York?
MTW: You know I have a place here but I never really do too much here. I work on
the West Side.
R: But you kept the place here?
MTW: (grins) Yes.
R: Really for what reason?
MTW: Because it keeps me grounded. I love New York. I'm like New York, you know...
R: You're with real people.
KL: You'll see everybody you will pretend to be in New York.
MTW: It's true. More life happens on the street... just if you walk out your
front door to get the paper. In LA you cannot see somebody for 3 weeks.
R and KL: That's right.
R: You get the real thing here.
K: Except gardeners right.
MTW: Yeah you're gardening (motions like trimmimg a bush while making a snipping
noise)
R: Let's take a look at this Pretender series now. In this scene you're talking
to a woman about her sick son and I suppose you're pretending to be a doctor.
MTW: Well actually this isn't... I'm actually doing a clip show. We have 2 shows
this week back to back.
R: That's right Saturday night.
MTW: Two new ones
KL: 9 and 10 o'clock.
MTW: Which is really nice and in this one I'm helping someone. Who knew?
KL: Go figure.
R: Let's take a look at The Pretender, Michael T Weiss (a clip from the Red Rock
Jarod episode rolls).
MTW: Ooooohhhh, dark and serious.
R: I like that. I like this premise though. I liked it when it came out. I think
Tony Curtis played in the movie.
MTW: It's based on...
KL: ... a real guy...
R: ... on The Imposter.
MTW: There was a... Ferdinand de Marco was his name, he...
KL: Are we sure?
R: Uh huh....
MTW: I'm not positive.
R: And it was a real guy based on a real life character.
MTW: Yeah, he um... pretended to be many different things...
KL: ... and he got away with it.
MTW: ... he was a surgeon, a general in the army and something like that.
R: So you're a single guy. So when you go on dates you must have all this little
trivia information to snow your date with.
MTW: What's a date?
R: A date is...
MTW: Now is it .... does a date occur between a 19 hour work day and getting up
the next morning?
R: Oh yeah, in other words you're that overworked.
MTW: Oh yes, it's terrible. I can never get a date. It's such a shame.
R: Oh, it's one of those guys.
KL: Lets have a telethon for him.
R: Listen Michael, thank you so much for coming by.
MTW: Thank you.
R: The Pretender, two shows on Saturday, night 9 and 10 on NBC.
Jarod il Camaleonte Italia © 2000/02 Antonio Genna