Back in 1979, there were rumors that John Belushi was going to leave Saturday Night Live, and they were going to bring in new cast members. I wanted to be one of those people. After all, I had been in two movies by then and a whole bunch of plays, so I knew how to work live and on film. I had also directed an improv group at PC and knew how to act on my feet. I had even made up the third act of "Blithe Spirit" on opening night at Anderson College. To top it off, I had done comedy on stage. It was a perfect fit for me.
I got a headshot and put together a resume. Burt Lancaster had said I could use him as a reference, back when I worked with him on "The Midnight Man". Besides all that, my ego was as big as all outdoors. When people tell you that you are a great actor, it is inevitable that you want to do bigger things. That was SNL. I also had a friend from high school who went to NYC to be on the stage. Her first audition was "A Chorus Line", and she got the part. How hard could it be?
Another plus for me was that I was doing drugs and drinking heavily back then, so I thought I would fit right in with the other cast members. I could also do a variety of accents. So, I sent in my resume and picture to Lorne Michaels at NBC. I waited for a call. He never did. Their loss.
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