MovieChat Forums > WKRP in Cincinnati (1978) Discussion > Howard Hesseman's dismissive attitude?

Howard Hesseman's dismissive attitude?

posted 10 years ago by jersey-3
13 replies | jump to latest

I've been a big WKRP in Cincinnati fan since I was a small child. Love the show and am so happy it is now on DVD. But through the years, and it is very obvious on the extras disc, Howard Hesseman always seems so bored and dismissive of what the fans want.

As fans, we love the show and the character of Dr. Johnny Fever he helped to create. But I get the feeling that he looks down on us for liking the show and the character. Even while Tim Reid and Hugh Wilson were talking on the extras, Howard looked two seconds away from rolling his eyes and yawning.

I know Howard considers himself an artist and possibly thinks a sitcom about a radio station is pop-trash, but the show made him famous. Indulge the fans a bit. Watch Gary Sandy on the extras, or Loni Anderson, or Tim Reid. They understand how so many of us love the show. They are happy and open to talk about the show. Wish Howard would be, instead of giving the illusion that he looks down on us for liking it.

Any one else get this feeling?

[–] Ariane1998 10 years ago

I always got the feeling that is just Howard's personality. Apparently he even told the author of a book about the show that he was spending too much time writing about a TV show.

http://www.amazon.com/Americas-Favorite-Radio-Station-Cincinnati/dp/08 79725850/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1416973937&sr=1-1& amp;keywords=wkrp+in+cincinnati&pebp=1416973936577

Oops! You caught me!

[–] jersey-3 10 years ago

Yeah, I actually own that book. It is a great read.

[–] Fluke_Skywalker 9 years ago

Hesseman strikes me as a guy who always felt like he should be doing something more edgy than sitcoms or lowball comedies (Police Academy 2, Private Lessons). Like he was selling out.

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[–] Ariane1998 9 years ago

If I remember correctly, he wasn't happy doing Head of the Class, either. He actually left that show.

I wonder how he liked doing One Day at a Time?

I think Loni once said that the cast of WKRP was very close -- except for Howard Hesseman.

[–] justanicknamed 9 years ago

I thought I'd seen an interview where Hesseman and Anderson negotiated their contracts together. If so, that seems interesting, if not odd. 

[–] awhite2600 9 years ago

Actors negotiating in pairs or small groups is not that uncommon. I seem to recall reading about how actors for The Big Bang Theory negotiated in groups. The actors who play Sheldon, Leonard and Penny negotiated together and Howard and Raj negotiated as a pair.

[–] justanicknamed 9 years ago

The group from Friends did the same thing, but was it common in the late 70's/early 80's?

And, again, if I remember correctly, it was just the two of them that did that. No one else in the group.

[–] KobiyashiMauru 9 years ago

I think Fever and Travis were the straight men. Everyone else was comic relief except for maybe Jennifer who was Hooters relief and maybe Bailey.
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[–] devildog1982z 9 years ago

I think Fever and Travis were the straight men. Everyone else was comic relief except for maybe Jennifer who was Hooters relief and maybe Bailey.

I disagree completely, the Fever character was extremely funny.

[–] Ariane1998 9 years ago

Not surprising if Hesseman and Anderson negotiated their contracts together. They were the breakout performers from the show.

Loni never said that Howard was unfriendly -- it's just that the rest of the cast became pretty close. I think Howard was kind of on his own "trip" back then. He was more of a counterculture figure.

Apparently, back in 2014 Howard was willing to take part in a "celebration" of the show's 35th anniversary.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69HPBTvbpnA

[–] HellboundHero 9 years ago

I don't get how someone who spent so much of their career doing comedy movies and sitcoms could feel like he's so above it all. It's not like he's Laurence Olivier or something.

[–] Catnip86 9 years ago

That seems to happen often. Actors talking about how much they hate the roles that made them famous. Or at least that they were best known for.

[–] Bubzilla 8 years ago

Maybe he just got tired of people yelling "Booger!" at him lol