Uncurbed Enthusiasm

One day in 1978, four of us met in a parking lot at Hofstra University, where we were all theater majors. We piled into my car, drove to a train station and headed for Manhattan to try our luck at a ‘cattle call’ for the movie “Luna.” The main character’s teenaged son was being cast. Liv Ullmann was supposed to have starred in the Bernardo Bertolucci film, but when it came out the next year Jill Clayburgh had the role. It wouldn’t have mattered. As serious drama students we loved Jill and Liv equally.

We had a blast—even though we ended up waiting in a hallway with hundreds of other sweaty hopefuls for what seemed like hours. After all, it was New York City, and it was a real audition for a real movie in a real rehearsal hall. My friend Tom McGowan turned to me and said, “So this is a cattle call, huh?”

Frankly, I don’t remember who the other two classmates were. Perhaps that’s because of all four, Tom was the one who went on to great success on stage, television and motion pictures.

Small though noticeable parts in big films were already on Tom’s resume by 1993, beginning with “Sleepless in Seattle” and followed by “As Good as it Gets” and “The Birdcage,” as well as a starring role in the campy camp film “Heavyweights” in 1995, which also featured Ben Stiller. The TV shows he has guested on include “Boston Legal” (Noris Milk), “Desperate Housewives” (Mayor Franklin), “Hannah Montana” (Leo), “Hot in Cleveland” (Robert), “Judging Amy” (Mr. Moran) and more than a dozen others, including one of my favorites, “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” in which he played a man named John Tyler who wins an auction to have lunch with Larry David, only to get into a heated argument with him. On stage, Tom was nominated for a Tony Award in 1991 for “Le Bête,” has appeared off-Broadway, and since 2009 has been performing off and on as the Wizard in “Wicked” both on tour and on Broadway, in the role originated by Joel Grey.

It’s easy to think that Tom has changed a lot from our Hofstra days. Back then he was slim, had a piercing stare and a highly dramatic aura about him. I remember at the time saying that he reminded me of the character Ice in the movie version of “West Side Story.” He even played “Macbeth” during Hofstra’s annual Shakespeare Festival. But today most people recognize Tom from his recurring roles on “Frasier,” where he played KACL station manager Kenny for more than half of the series’ 11-year run, and “Everybody Loves Raymond,” where he played Ray’s friend Bernie for eight of its nine seasons—and that Tom is a rather pudgy fellow who mostly makes us laugh with his wisecracks and slightly bemused gaze. It must be noted, however, that there are many things about Tom that have remained exactly the same—most importantly his dedication to the craft of acting and his good-natured disposition.

“I had no illusions about this career, even when we were at Hofstra,” Tom told me during a recent one-on-one interview which I set up when I was working on another project about students who study acting in high school and college. “I knew I wasn’t a leading man type, and that the odds were against anyone trying to break in. But I loved it so totally that I just hoped for the best. I think I would have been happy teaching, too. Other than that, I really had no other job skills at which I thought I could make a living. I was a great short-order cook for a while, however.” Here's a big portion of that chat between two old friends.

Joel Samberg: Tom, when did you realize you wanted to be an actor?

Tom McGowan: When my parents took me to see my first Broadway musical, “Fiddler on the Roof.” I was 11 years old, and that was it for me—I was hooked. Besides, I was always a ham as a little kid, trying to get attention in a family of seven.

JS: That was my first Broadway musical, too. Right after that I auditioned for “My Fair Lady” at a summer camp and was cast as one of Alfie Doolittle’s cronies. What about you?

TM: In my case the first audition happened in high school. After being the last one cut from the freshman basketball team at St. Rose High School in Belmar, New Jersey, I decided to audition for “Hello Dolly!” I sang Luck Be a Lady from “Guys & Dolls” and shook so much with nerves that I automatically had a great vibrato! I wouldn't have been as nervous had I realized that just being a guy and showing up was enough to get me cast. I ended up being in the ensemble.

JS: From that point on did you have any particular teacher or high school director who inspired you?

TM: The director of “Hello Dolly!” was the local dentist, Dr. Arthur Weller, and he was a fantastic person. Dr. Weller taught me about blocking, pacing, acting choices and so much more. I volunteered to be his assistant director and watched him throughout the entire process. He then invited me to join an acting class that he held once a week at his home. He didn’t even charge for the class! He just loved theater so much. A few years ago I sent him a letter telling him how much he had meant to me, and what an inspiration he was. Unfortunately, he recently passed away.

JS: Does every student need someone to inspire them? I gravitated away from acting, and one reason was because of a teacher at W. T. Clarke High School in Westbury named Mrs. Newman who, after reading some of my book reports, told me that I should consider becoming a writer. Maybe she also saw me act!

TM: I think you can be inspired in many different ways, but it certainly helps if there is someone at your school or in your community who has the passion to share their knowledge on the things that are important to you. Certainly that’s not just for acting, as you’ve indicated is what happened for you with Mrs. Newman. If you meet an adult who loves what he or she does, loves working hard, loves to teach, loves their family—all that is inspiring by itself. Plus, you can certainly be inspired by your schoolmates who have passions of their own.

JS: Were there any clues you picked up in high school theatre that you think were of particular value in your pursuit to become a professional actor?

TM: In high school I learned that being dependable, being on time, getting off-book as early as possible, treating each other with respect, and working hard are things that are all part of being a true professional. People can and always will have opinions as to the level of your talent, because that’s subjective, but being a professional is undeniable—and it’s something I’m afraid is underrated today by too many people. I have always considered myself an actor who can be counted on.

JS: Which many of us discovered at Hofstra while working with you.

TM: Thank you. And speaking of Hofstra, I wish I had had the online resources when I was in high school that students have today when searching for colleges. I just can’t believe the amount of information that is out there. You can find out so much about any school in the world. My own high school guidance counselor only knew about one state school that taught acting, and I had an uncle who knew about Hofstra University. Hofstra was great, but I really wish I would have known about all the fantastic schools across the country that I could have auditioned for.

JS: On the other hand, Tom, some believe that everything happens for a reason, so maybe in some ways attending Hofstra was an essential road for your particular journey. Many of our classmates, though, never completed their journeys, despite tremendous talent. What do you suppose we can attribute this to?

TM: I would say that luck and resilience are two of the primary reasons why some ‘make it’ and others don’t. Obviously, it’s an exceedingly difficult profession to break into. I spent a few years after Hofstra waiting tables and doing small showcases. I did get my Equity card doing a children’s tour, yet was still caught up in the big ‘Catch 22’ of the business: no one wanted to represent me until they saw me in something major, but I couldn’t get submitted for anything
major without an agent.

JS: But then you made the decision to apply to the Yale School of Drama.

TM: Yes. I was accepted and continued to work hard to hone my skills. Since graduating from the Yale School of Drama in 1988 I have been fortunate enough to have worked steadily enough not to have to do anything else as a profession. I’ve had good years and bad years, but feel incredibly fortunate to still be acting after almost 25 years. I once heard Steve Martin say that you have to be prepared to get lucky. That sums it up pretty well. Work as hard as you can, so when you get your chance, you’re ready to pounce.

JS: But you have to get there first—to survive long enough to get to the point where you can pounce, and to know what to do once you get there. Do you think high schools should have more of an emphasis on the business side of acting, or on what to do when you’re trying to become an actor?

TM: I think that high schools should make students understand in no uncertain terms that acting is a very hard path to follow, but I don’t believe they need to get too specific about the business side of things. I really believe that high school theatre is just a great outlet, whether or not the kids want to pursue it as a career. There’s a great sense of accomplishment, and everyone should be encouraged to participate. Focusing too much on the business side might turn off the kids who just want to be a part of the team.

JS: What about college?

TM: Colleges should focus more on the realities of the business than they do now. During my recent tours with “Wicked” I spoke at many colleges and felt that the students were hungry for the information they knew I could share with them from my many years as an actor. I think bringing in working professionals, whether actors, casting directors or designers, is an important component of a true education in the arts. I realize that working on the craft itself is important during a college education, but so are topics such as auditioning, finding apartments and knowing where to look for survival jobs. These are all vital discussions to have.

JS: What’s the biggest pitfall for student actors to avoid when looking forward to a professional career?

TM: Ahh—one of the easiest questions, Joel. It’s simple: after they graduate they shouldn’t be too full of themselves, and they should be nice to everyone they meet. I tell that to every student I talk to. I also encourage them to select the city they want to live in, whether it’s New York, Los Angeles or Chicago, and move there the day after graduation. A few weeks at home turns into a few months, which turns into a few years. That’s wasted time. Get an apartment with as many people as you need to split the rent in order to afford your share, and find a survival job that can give you some audition flexibility. Also, seriously consider taking some classes to meet other actors and other professionals. But with all that said, doing showcases and summer stock are still also great ways to build your craft and make connections, though of course these aren’t always in the big cities.

JS: Tom, where do you see yourself in five or ten years?

TM: I’ve been able to bounce back and forth between theatre, television and movies for many years. As much as I love television, I believe in five years I will probably be doing more theater. With “Wicked” I sort of re-established myself in musical theater. In ten years I’ll actually be approaching what is often considered retirement age, so I really hope that by that time I can really only take jobs that truly interest me. I’d like to wrap up my career doing it mostly for the love and enthusiasm of it, which when you think about it is really how it all started in the first place.