Seattle theater-lovers “get it.” That’s why actor Judd Hirsch says he loves coming back to perform in our city whenever he can. When it comes to new and innovative stage productions, Hirsch says Seattleites “demand it, they’re interested, and they’re practically saying, ‘Please show us something’.”
The renowned stage, screen and television actor is here for a new production of “Below the Belt” at the ACT Theatre. Hirsch joined us in our studios for an upcoming episode of Conversations at KCTS 9, and talked about his new production, why Seattle is such a great city for theater, and why, despite a mantle full of awards for television and film, the stage will always be his first love.
Here’s a sneak peek of the interview:
Video Clip: KCTS 9 host Enrique Cerna interviews Judd Hirsch.
No stranger to the Seattle stage, Judd also starred in two plays at the Seattle Rep by Herb Gardner, “I’m Not Rappaport” and “Conversations with my Father”; roles that would later earn him Tony Awards on Broadway.
Growing up in the Bronx, New York, Hirsch had a strong aptitude for numbers and figures, and says math flowed through his mind like music. One day, while performing a skit for some of his peers, who were usually half-asleep, he noticed they were attentive when they watched him act – and a career in acting was born.
Hirsch first gained nationwide fame on the 80s sitcom “Taxi.” As Alex Reiger, the levelheaded, practical, compassionate center of the show, he would earn two Emmy Awards for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. But believe it or not, the role he really wanted was Latka Gravas, the simple but quirky mechanic from another country played so memorably by off-beat comedian Andy Kaufman. (Kaufman won the role over Hirsch because of his comedy act, “Foreign Man.”)
After his success on television, Hirsch would later make his foray into film, playing the distinguished role of Dr. Tyrone Berger in Robert Redford’s "Ordinary People" (the musical score composed by Marvin Hamlisch, who we also interviewed recently on Conversations), for which he would receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
For more information about “Below the Belt,” or to buy tickets, go to ACT Theatre Website.
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