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Gioia
- November 18th, 1988
Interview
with John
Forsythe: "I was born twice"
The
American actor talks about the three loves of his life: work, family,
tenis For over a month, Dynasty has come back to its rendezvous with Italian
televiewers. Joan Collins has returned, in her role of Alexis, more
glittering, jubilant and dangerous than ever before; and John Forsythe
too has come back, playing the role of Blake Carrington, whose
vicissitudes will get more and more dramatic, in this new series. I met
John Forsythe in Los Angeles, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. I worked as
an actress with John Forsythe 25 years ago, in television film, thriller
taking place in Mexico; nevertheless, I couldn't imagine he would
remember me. On the contrary, he does and he comes towards me with
enthusiasm. He hasn't changed that much: at that time, he was
dark-haired, while now he's gray-haired, but his complexion keeps smooth
and he is slender, nimble and he still holds upright. He really does not
look 70 years old. His glance is sweet, serene; his eyes talk also when
his voice stands still. With regard to this, John Forsythe's voice is
marvelous, low, unintentionally sexy, especially when he talks
intimately, as during an interview. What's more, John is also witty and
when he laughs, he communicates a sort of particular relaxation. On the
contrary, in Dynasty, most of times he looks authoritarian, severe,
intolerant.
"Just think" - John tells me "that my Carrington is much
more human than he had been conceived by the authors and by the
producer, at the beginning. They meant to make of him the rough copy of
J.R in Dallas. A complete blackguard, heartless and with no scruples.
Worse than Alexis. But I rebelled. And even if that role meant
life for me, in that moment, I felt it would be a catastrophe, also for
the play itself, if my character had looked so odious. People would be
disgusted by that. So, after long, exhausting discussions with the
producers and the authors, who would have to do everything over again, I
obtained to have him different. Now, Blake Carrington is more tormented,
he has many problems, he stirs up sympathy and he is credible. He is not a saint,
but not a devil either. Most of all, he's not detestable."
"With regard to "wicked" characters, let's talk about
Alexis. How does John Forsythe consider Joan Collins, the actress who
plays that role?"
"Joan is a friend, a real professional, very different from Alexis.
I didn't knew her at all, before meeting her on the set of Dynasty. And she immediately struck me, just like woman, by her
optimism and her strength. When I met her, I was getting out of a very
hard period of my life; I had been very ill, I had been afraid of never
working again. And every conversation with Joan, on the set, was an
injection of confidence. I'm really very grateful to her, for she helped
me so much!"
"Would you like to talk about your illness?"
"In 1979, six months before Dynasty started, doctors had given up
on me. I underwent a surgical heart operation. And I was saved. The
surgeon had told me that, even with the operation, I'd have had only
fifty percent possibilities to survive. In any case, without operation I
would have certainly died in a year or so. I felt lost. I was
losing strength, day by day. Finally, I decided to trust the surgeons
hands and those hands were blessed by God, because they saved me. They
didn't only give me back my life, but also the joy of living. The joy of
playing tennis again."
"And do you still play?"
"Like a nut, as soon as I can. Last weekend, I took part to a 16
matches tournament. I didn't win the cup, but I
obtained the third place. Tennis is integrating part of my life. My wife
usually tells me I love tennis more than her."
"I know you also show some interest in horses."
"That's true but I'm not a gambling-man. I have never bet a dollar
in all my life, it's something that doesn't attract me. But I breed
race-horses and I am joint owner of one of the most famous mares in the
Unites States: her name's Targa. We have already arranged a coupling
with the best-known American stallion: Nijinski, a marvelous horse who
has never lost a race. In fact, interpreting my mare's feelings, on her
behalf, I have sent him a postcard which says: "I am looking forward..." I don't know whether Nijinski will answer, anyway the
agreement has already been signed ... Besides, I'm sure that Nijinski
won't be able to resist Targa's charm." He laughs.
"Your laughter sounds so delightful!" I tell him "What a
pity that, on TV, you always look unpleasant, vexed or unhappy."
"It's certainly not my fault. It's my character's. It's because of
the events that harass him, poor Blake Carrington." He laughs once
more.
"If your fans could see you while you're laughing like that,
they would love you even more."
"But I laugh very often, you know, especially when I receive home
the cheque of ABC-TV, every week. Then, I'm neither grim, nor
melancholic. But in Dynasty too, from time to time, there are some
tender and happy moments, especially when I'm near to Linda Evans."
"In everyday life, is the relation between Linda Evans and you so
tender?"
"Oh, yes. I've known Linda since she was 15. She was then
starting to work in the cinema industry. I was acting in a screen-play
entitled "Bachelor Father" and we had to choose a
teenager about Linda's age, for the role of a girl who went to
school with my daughter and who fell in love with me. All this, however,
in a very light, comic tone. Among the several girls we interviewed and
we tested, we chose Linda. She was perfect for that role. We needed an
ingenuous type, a delicate, romantic child and, thanks to her innocent
statement, she was just the child we were looking for. And she was so
smart in that role that sometimes I felt uncomfortable, on the set, when
she looked at me with her marvellous, transparent eyes, full of
ingenuous love."
"Perhaps she was not only acting. Perhaps Linda had really fallen in
love with you. That wouldn't have been difficult."
"Don't joke! Certainly, at that time, I couldn't imagine that one
day, in another screen-play, she would even become my wife." "Before
Dynasty, you kept away from cinema industry for ten years. What prompted
you to come back, and, also, so soon after your heart operation?"
"The
operation was exactly the move that gave me the magical spur. It
revitalised me and filled me with a new interest in life. One day in New
York, while walking in the park where I used to go every day, a good old
woman barred my way. She scanned me quite carefully, then asked me:
"But, in old days, weren't you John Forsythe?" I still am, by
Jove! I thought. I have not departed at all! Still, the old woman is
right: for the cinema industry, it's as if I were dead. Nevertheless, in
truth, during the ten-year distance, I hadn't really given up
everything. Cinema had changed : they'd been looking for young elements,
for peculiar types. I had been somehow put aside. All the same, I gained
the privilege of giving my voice to the unfathomable Charlie, in
Charlie's Angels. Certainly, in Italy nobody has heard my voice, because
it was obviously dubbed. But the job was easy and very well paid: one
little hour per week at a microphone and an excellent cheque for each
episode. But, it proved to be just a minor satisfaction. My name didn't
even appear in the cast, among titles. Truly, that was my choice. Films,
none. I didn't even have an agent anymore! Compelled by events, I had
definitely retired when I was only 50 years old. A bit early, honestly.
But when that good old woman told me about the late John Forsythe, I
suddenly sprang up. At that same moment, I decided to come back to work.
Suddenly I realised how much I missed it. In Hollywood I met again my
old agent who received me euphorically. He had just an extraordinary
chance waiting for me: one of the leading roles in Dynasty, a new
screen-play, bound to compete with Dallas. I thought that my poor agent
had turned mad. Who would commit me such a role, after a ten-year
eclipse? And my age! I was 60 by now, a time when the greatest part of
Americans retires on a pension."
"On
the contrary, they were really looking for you. While your wife has
never come back to acting. I can remember her well: Julie Warren. She
was really smart."
"And
a great theatre actress as well. I met her on the stage and I fell in
love with her at first sight. After our marriage, we went on working
together. But, as soon as our first daughter, Page, was born, Julie left
everything. Three years later, it was Brooke's turn and Julie decided to
devote herself totally to our children, to the house and me."
"How
old are your daughters now?"
"Page
is 36. She's dark-haired, tall and unconventional, a very pleasant sort
of person. She loves writing. I call her "Gypsy". She's a
nurse. Brooke is 32, she's a methodical girl, very organised and a
genius in mathematics. They both play tennis wonderfully, like their
father, of course."
"You
have a real passion for this tennis, haven't you!?"
"That's
true. When I decided to undergo the operation, seven years ago, it was
especially on account of my possible inability to play anymore. Without
tennis, I was dead. It was just the same thing to tackle the
surgery."
"And
Julie? And your daughters?"
"They
were deep in despair. They didn't know what to suggest me. But they were
happy when I finally made up my mind."
"How
long have you been married, John?"
"My
marriage with Julie breaks any record, not only in the milieu of
pictures-industry, but also in the whole State of California. We have
been married for 43 years. Our daughters arrived quite late. For many
years, we seemed we could have no children!"
"To
what do you ascribe the long duration of your marriage?"
"To
the law of giving and receiving. I give, Julie receives. Of course, I'm
joking: we both give. As in the occasion of last New Year's Eve, for
example. I wished to go to Palm Springs to take part in a golf-tourney
with my friends. On the contrary, Julie preferred to go to a party at
producer Aaron Spelling's. So, we came to a compromise: we have been to
Spelling's party and we'll go to Palm Springs another time. But don't
flatter yourself, I'm not always as yielding as I'm telling. Sometimes I
get seriously angry. And when it happens, I turn wicked and everybody
get scared. The only way to quieten me is to invite me to a tennis
match."
John
stands up. I thank him for the time he has consecrated me. Goodness
knows when we will meet again! And yet we are working for the same
TV-network, the ABC-TV. John in Dynasty and me, in General Hospital.
By
Argentina Brunetti Translation
from Italian into English by Luciana Barbero Corrected by Denis Capwell & Timothy Paskaljevic
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