Chris Hendrie (Guest Star of Little House) Exclusive Interview!
Hi
Chris! Thanks for letting PrairieFans.com interview you about your
role as "Coy" from the "Little House" episode, "He was only Twelve"
(Season Eight).
1. Little House on the Prairie has grown so much since it first
aired a little over 30 years ago. The fan base is stronger than
ever. What do you think of its success after so many years? Would
you have thought it would still be as popular today as it was many
years ago?
Michael Landon wisely chose the Laura Ingalls Wilder books for his
first outing as actor, writer, director and producer because I
believe he recognized the beauty and simplicity of these uniquely
American stories as they affected the frontier family and knew they
would touch a chord with contemporary American families. I am not
surprised they are still enormously popular because Michael remained
true to the spirit of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s writing and being an
extraordinary renaissance man of many talents, he was able to
consistently deliver compelling TV every week for many years.
2. Before landing your guest appearance on Little House had you
ever seen the series or read the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder?
Prior to my first guest appearance I was not really familiar with
the series because I had spent several years as an actor working
full time in regional theatres around the country and was not
watching much television.
3. How did you get the role of Coy? Was it competitive?
My first theatrical agent in LA, a great guy named Gene Lesser,
pitched me to Susan Sukman McCray, Michael’s casting director, as a
leading actor from the Dallas Theatre Center, as I had just come
from 4 seasons there. My first reading for Susan was for one of the
brother parts in “He was only 12.” She called me back to read that
role for Michael. After the first reading with Michael, he asked me
to read the part of Coy, which I did after a quick study. Susan
called within the next hour and said Michael would like to offer me
the part.
4. What are your thoughts about the character of Coy? Anything
you wish you could change about the character?
I was thrilled to play Coy. He was a most interesting guy, as are
most baddies, enjoying himself immensely robbing banks and leading
his gang of brothers. He was tough and had a rather perverted sense
of humor but his saving grace was that he loved his son enough to
teach him to lie, rob, cheat and steal, as well as self-reliance
with a gun. Growing up in Texas on a ranch, playing the lead baddie
in a high quality western with Michael Landon was a dream come true
for me. I would not change a thing about the character, he remains
one of my favorite creations.
5.
Michael Landon directed the two part episode, He Was Only Twelve you
appeared on. How would you describe working with Mike as the
director?
I appeared in the first part of ‘He Was Only Twelve” and I learned
that Michael had originally written the script for “Bonanza,” which
he later rewrote for ‘Little House.’ As a director, Michael was an
amazing force of nature on the set. Not only was he writing the 2nd
part of the episode while he was directing and starring in the
first, but he had assembled a crack crew (many held over from “
Bonanza”) and ran a very tight ship. My experience with him as an
actor was that he was simply wonderful to work with on every level.
6. What was it like being a guest on Little House? Who would you
say on the set made the biggest impression on you personally?
Guest starring on the show was a fun, high-energy experience. The
family atmosphere Michael created with cast and crew alike was very
relaxed and friendly and allowed the actors to take risks and do
their best work. Michael himself made the most lasting impression on
me. He worked like a benevolent dictator on the set and kept things
moving at a breakneck pace, but he was very sure of his shots, and
knew exactly what he wanted. He had short rehearsals before every
scene and would try to capture everything in one or two takes.
Watching him wear that many hats, all equally well was truly
amazing, much like another renaissance man from television, George
Clooney, whom I did “Fail Safe” with.
7.
What were the kids like to work with and to be around? Jason Bateman
(James) and Matthew Laborteaux (Albert).
I only had one short scene with Jason Bateman and Matthew Laborteaux
during the bank robbery and didn’t really get to know them, but they
were both consummate professionals.
8. What, if any, affect did your role as Coy have on your career
over the years? Are you still associated with or recognized from
being on Little House?
The role of Coy, along with the leading role of Deputy Pool in
“Psycho II” gave me instant credibility as a serious actor and
served as an entrée into many Hollywood-casting offices.
9. Many fans don't know this, but you were cast as "Brad Kearns"
in the first season of Highway to Heaven in the episode "A Match
Made in Heaven," Did Susan McCray cast you because of your previous
work on Little House? What was it like to be working with the same
crew again?
Susan McCray cast me as a guest star on “Highway To Heaven” because
of my previous work on “Little House.” Michael directed me as Brad
Kerns and, again, he and his wonderful crew worked fast, furious and
brilliantly with great humor. I miss him. He was totally unique,
went out with great courage and style, and was taken from us at much
too young an age. He did however, play an angel. I’m thinking he may
still be around.
10.
Finally, How are things going for you these days? Any projects in
the works?
Things are going well these days. Recently I played a lead, Alfred
Underhill, in Sheldon Wilson’s “Shallow Ground” which is now running
frequently on the Sci-Fi channel. Appearances on “Grey’s Anatomy” as
Dr. Harry Victor and “Strong Medicine” as Dr. Madden, as well as a
recurring role on ‘Passions” as billionaire businessman Mr. Collier,
to name a few. You can see clips from all of these on
www.youtube.com/chrishendrie.com and
www.myspace.com/chrishendrie
Thanks very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to
answer my questions.
Click
here to view a clip from Chris Hendrie's performance as Coy.
