Michael T. Weiss in Venice Magazine January 2000

It's Sunday, 4 PM, the ever popular Rose Cafe in Venice is filled with patrons, when a relaxed, confident Michael T. Weiss strolls in, wearing sort of a James Bond vibe. He was building a respectable career in independent films when his NBC show "The Pretender" blew up big time. Now the man is an incredibly popular TV star, yet, true to his televison persona, he can maneuver through the crowd unrecognized. With hot tea in hand, we find a corner table in to the chat.

Venice: How was growing up In Chicago?

MTW: I grew up thinking Illinois was the center of the universe. Big sports fan, spent many a summer at Wrigley Field, Cub shortstop Don Kessinger was my next door neighbour. Cubs, Bears and Bulls, loved them all.

Venice: How did you survive those brutal winters?

MTW: 30 below zero my friends and I would hang out in our basement and watch all those great tv shows, Mannix, Streets of San Francisco. I was a big Wild Wild West fan, which has something in common with The Pretender. Ross Martin, alias Artemus Gordon, was always in disguise, pretending to be a different character every week. Very much like Jarod. That I always say, hands down I have the best job on tv. For four years, every week it's a different challenge, different look, different wardrobe. One week it's a doctor, cop, cowboy, race car driver. I would hate to have to put the scrubs on and be the same doctor all the time.

Venice: This week you just finished your first foray into TV directing. You helmed a "Pretender" episode. What was that like?

MTW: It was really fun, enlightening, and incredibly exhausting. As an actor I work 15 hours a day, as a director it was more like 20, and mentally draining. There is always a question you need to answer. To my surprise, I found out that all the hours I've spent on the set as an actor (have) sunk in. I've learned and absorbed a lot by osmosis. And we have a great crew, a real family, very talented people, which made the job run very smoothly. Our episode takes place in the South - it deals with white supremacists, so we had this southern church, with 12 gospel singers, 100 extras and the ospel singers, 100 extras, and the great Billy Preston. One of the lights blew out, so (while) we are on a break waiting, Billy is is sitting at the piano when he starts playing "Nothing from nothing leaves nothing". Suddenly, the gospel singers start impromptu impromptu singing, soon the extras chime in, then the crew. Before you know it, we had 400 people singing! It's one of those moments (when) you're so proud to be a part of the entertainment industry.

Venice: Sounds like you'd like to do more directing.

Michael T. Weiss: Definitely. It was great. I'd like to direct more TV, maybe an independent film.

Venice: Before "The Pretender" you did some interesting parts in independent features like "Freeway" and "Jeffrey". What made you commit to TV?

Michael T. Weiss: One, a great part. Two, I like to eat. Macaroni and cheese gets old quick. It's funny, when I started the show many actors looked down on TV, Now everyone wants to do it.

Venice: Let's talk about movies. What was the "Freeway" experience like?

Michael T. weiss: It was my first film, produced by Oliver Stone, which ain't bad. Kevin Bright is a wonderful director. I got to work with Amanda Plummer who has this huge energy. She is so great, I idolize her.

Venice: And "Jeffrey" got critical acclaim. You had a great cast - Patrick Stewart, Sigourney Weaver, Nathan Lane.

Michael T. Weiss: At the time it was really cutting edge. That was the first time anyone adressed the AIDS issue as a comedy. To this day, people still come up to me how much they loved it.

Venice: What's the upside and downside of being a TV star?

Michael T. Weiss: Well, the network flew all their stars to the Super Bowl last year. That was fun. Imagine if that plane went down, there goes the entire fall lineup (laughs). Downside, well, when 12 million people a week watch you there isn't much privacy. Sometimes I'm in the grocery store and someone will come up and say, "Are you pretending to do your grocery shopping?". That get's old, too. But hey, I'm not complaining, I've got a great job.

Venice: You once said if you weren't an actor, you'd either be a really active environmentalist or living on your own island near Tahiti with a harem. I think Brando already beat you to it.

Michael T. Weiss: Yeah, I'll stick to being an actor. But everyone needs to help out with the environment, for the future of the planet. For a while everyone was on the bandwagon, lots of attention, but lately it's taken a backseat to other things, a backseat to anything.

Venice: You wrote that you most humble experience was at the edge of the Grand Canyon thinking how awesome nature is and how insignificant we are. Isn't that the truth. So what's next?

Michael T. Weiss: Hopefully, "The Pretender" will get picked up for a fifth year( là, il dit qu'avec espoir, que Le Caméléon reprendra pour une 5ème année ), and when the show's over I'll have the freedom to make choices based on artistic merrit, not financial needs. More free time to devote to environmental causes. I want to do some travelling, more directing, writing.

Venice: You recently wrote a play, "Streams Of Consciousness", which you did at the Met Theater under the auspices of Ed Harris, Amy Madigan and Holly Hunter. What was that like?

Michael T. Weiss: It was incredible. Sitting around talking, acting with Holly Hunter. Need I say more?

Venice: How long dit it take you to write the play?

Michael T. Weiss: I acually get these bursts of creativity. I don't like writing. I never enjoyed that, but occasionally, I have to say so- mething. It just bursts out of me like a muse.

Venice: You drive an electric car?

Michael T. Weiss: Yeah, I had a pure electric car, Toyota RAV4, now I drive a Toyota Prius, a hybrid, part electric, part fuel. It's great, gets 70 miles a gallon, gives out 10% of the emissions. At low speeds it runs on electric, so at the drive-thru it gives off zero emissions, switches over to fuel automatically at high speeds, plenty of pep. It's not on the market yet, but Toyota will be co- ming out this car Summer 2000. Hopefully,( on pourra remarquer qu'il espère beaucoup!!!) in the near future every family will have at least one and their quality will improve by 70%

Venice: Word has it you're a big fan of Venice and Venice Magazine.

Michael T. Weiss: Yeah, I love it, read it all the time. I live here in Venice, have since 1986. It's got a New York vibe. I can leave my car parked all weekend, walk to the beach, gym, restaurants, it's great. Shhh.. don't tell anybody. ( hum...très intéressant!!!!)