Born On This Day- September 9th... Singer/Actor Tom Wopat

I started watching Inside The Actors Studio in 1994 when the first guest was, appropriately Paul Newman. Despite host James Lipton’s slightly demented gushing, it was interesting & engrossing to watch quality, experienced actors chat about their craft & experiences. When the program started veering away from guests like Robert De Niro & Estelle Parsons (real Actors Studio folk) & towards guests like Martin Lawrence or Teri Hatcher, I got off the Inside The Actors Studio boat. I would catch it from time to time, but I missed seeing the heavy hitters, I mean, why was James asking questions of such legends of stage & screen as Barbara Walters or Jennifer Lopez? I caught a recent episode, brought to my attention by the Husband, with Mickey Rourke... pretty fascinating stuff. I always love when James Lipton does the Proust questionnaire made popular by French broadcaster Bernard Pivot. I am just going to pretend that I am Mr. Lipton’s guest & do the Proust:

1. What is your favorite word? onomatopoeia
2. What is your least favorite word? no
3. What turns you on? giving & receiving love
4. What turns you off? cruelty to animals
5. What sound or noise you love? a baritone in song *
6. What sound or noise you hate? a dentist drill
7. What is your favorite curse word? cocksuckingmotherfuckingcunt
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? architect
9. What profession would you not like to do? dental hygentist
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? “Wow…you look even better in person”

All this brings me to today’s birthday boy- Tom Wopat. I cared nothing of & never saw an episode of The Dukes of Hazzard, & was just vaugley aware that Mr. Wopat was a great looking guy from his small role on Cybill. In 1999, the Husband & I saw him in Annie Get Your Gun with Bernadete Peters on Broadway & we became instant fans of Tom Wopat. We went to see Bernadette, of course; we are huge fans of Ms. Peters & I love the score to this creaky Irving Berlin classic. We were not prepared for how good the revised book would be & how first rate the production was, but the big surprise was the world class acting & singing of Tom Wopat. It was a thrill to see a masculine, self assured, funny, old fashioned Broadway leading man. Except for Brian Stokes Mitchell, this seemed a dying breed, with Alfred Drake & John Raitt long gone. Wopat has appeared on Broadway in 42nd Street, City Of Angels, I love My Wife, Guys & Dolls, & last season’s A Catered Affair. He will be in this season’s new musical- Catch Me If You Can. I love Tom Wopat's presence & I love his strong, whiskey voiced baritone. Check out his albums, especially In The' Still Of The Night (2000). *A baritone singing a great song is my favorite sound… at least that is what I told James Lipton during my Proust questionnaire.

I would love to read your Proust Questionnaires.