John Karlen (Willie Loomis)
May 7th Web Chat Event Transcript
[5/7/02 2:57:58 PM]
This is John Karlen live from Los Angeles saying Thank You for being there and this is as much fun for me as I hope it is for you.
[5/7/02 2:59:50 PM]
question from drkfnlbm: Do you have a particular favorite out of all of the roles that you have played and if so, what is it and why??????
[5/7/02 3:00:29 PM]
answer: My favorite role was Willie Loomis because of his loneliness, his desperateness, his need for attention, needing to be wanted and then getting confused with a vampire.
[5/7/02 3:02:03 PM]
question from josette : Do you have a favorite memory of Louis Edmonds?
[5/7/02 3:02:30 PM]
answer: Louis Edmonds was nothing but fun - at parties, when he was half in the tank, he was even more fun. He was one of the best. He was great.
[5/7/02 3:03:42 PM]
question from maggie evans: Would you consider doing a Dark Shadow revival?
[5/7/02 3:03:56 PM]
answer: Yes, I would do a Dark Shadows revival, without question.
[5/7/02 3:05:59 PM]
question from White Lion846: John, Of all the characters you played during the run of Dark Shadows, which one did you enjoy playing the most that you feel suited your own personality-type??
[5/7/02 3:06:22 PM]
answer: Part of the greatness of Dark SHadows was getting to play so many extreme characters, you would never get a chance to play them anywhere else -- from Willie Loomis to Carl Collins.
[5/7/02 3:07:08 PM]
question from lyldd: Id like to ask how you felt about Willie, as a character. I thought you gave him a much more human dimension that the previous actor had, and I wondered if you did that on purpose, or if it was just your personality coming through?
[5/7/02 3:07:41 PM]
answer: The character of Willie, at that stage of my life, was an extension of my own personality, my own being. I was playing me. That is true of good acting -- you either have the range or you don't.
[5/7/02 3:08:31 PM]
question from sge204: When you replaced the first actor that played Willie Loomis, why didnt they have you play a similar charactor with a new name?
[5/7/02 3:09:30 PM]
I was hired to play Willie. I did not have anything to do with writing the scripts. Obviously they liked the character and wanted to keep it going despite the first actor not giving them what they wanted.
[5/7/02 3:10:10 PM]
question from lucy sedley : If there was another Dark Shadows movie, would you be interested in doing a Willie Loomis character on it?
[5/7/02 3:10:28 PM]
answer: Yes I would enjoy playing Wilie again. He was one of the great characters of all time, as far as I'm concerned. It is a Peter Lorre type character. I think he would have gone on to be in the Peace Corps and lived in Africa.
[5/7/02 3:11:08 PM]
question from doughboy : I saw the episode where Maggie Evans (Kathryn Leigh Scott) sing "London Bridge" with Sarah Collins (Sharon Smyth), did Kathryn ever sing songs?
[5/7/02 3:11:22 PM]
answer: No, Kathryn never sang songs on the set, as least not to me!
[5/7/02 3:11:40 PM]
question from maeangel : What work had you done prior to being hired at Dark Shadows?
[5/7/02 3:12:47 PM]
answer: Before Dark Shadows I had just finished doing "Prometheus Bound," a Greek tragedy at Stanford University, playing the title role. I'd also done 10 Broadway plays and some television guest spots on things like Naked City and Kraft Theatre with Basil Rathbone, my first appearance while at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.
[5/7/02 3:13:26 PM]
question from graemec :Why did they recast the Willie role after only 5 episodes of James Hall? Were you given any special instructions about what they did and didn't want from the role, or any parts of Hall's portrayal that you were told not to repeat?
[5/7/02 3:14:32 PM]
answer: I was given no instructions on how to continue the character of Willie, just to bring my own interpretation and talents to the role. I did see a copy of one of James Hall's performances on the show before I started, however.
[5/7/02 3:14:50 PM]
question from sacredreamer : what was it like working in scenes with Jonathan Frid?
[5/7/02 3:15:57 PM]
answer: Working with Jonathan Frid was great. He was a close friend and ally -- we worked together in harmony and often extensive scenes with lots and lots of dialogue. It wasn't easy but we did some good stuff.
[5/7/02 3:16:20 PM]
question from ldyanne : when not on DS did you know your role would continue or that you would play another role?
[5/7/02 3:16:59 PM]
answer: When I was off the show I would usually come back as a different character, although Willie reappeared from time to time. I never really knew what was going to happen next or who I would play. It was repertory television. What could be better?
[5/7/02 3:17:47 PM]
question from janet: What other actors did you work in the theater with early in your career?
[5/7/02 3:18:28 PM]
answer: SOme of the other great actors I worked with on stage were Geraldine Page, Rip Torn, Maureen O' Sullivan, Chester Morris, Tallulah Bankhead, Tab Hunter and on and on...
[5/7/02 3:18:47 PM]
question from jmancall@fas.harvard.edu : Has the enduring appeal of Dark Shadows been a blessing or a curse for you?
[5/7/02 3:19:08 PM]
answer: I think Dark Shadows' enduring appeal has been a true blessing. No negative all all. It's good to see my old friends and make new ones too.
[5/7/02 3:19:46 PM]
question from scarlett: All your characters were fantastic, but if you could have played any other character on the show what character would it have been?
[5/7/02 3:19:57 PM]
answer: I think ANgelique would have been a blast -- ha-ha!
[5/7/02 3:20:19 PM]
question from sacredreamer : What was the hardest part to acting on the DS set?
[5/7/02 3:21:13 PM]
answer: Nothing was hard in my mind -- it was fun. I would learn my lines in the subway in the morning on the way to the studio.
[5/7/02 3:22:09 PM]
question from mikebowl : Have you worked with any DS actors since the show was cancelled?
[5/7/02 3:22:26 PM]
answer: I just remembered I did an episode of Charlie's Angels with Kate Jackson.
[5/7/02 3:23:12 PM]
question from fangs : What did you think of the remake of DS on NBC back in 1991?
[5/7/02 3:23:43 PM]
answer: To be honest, I don't think the 1991 DS remake fully worked. The chemistry wasn't the same as the original.
[5/7/02 3:24:02 PM]
question from lucy sedley : Were you at all aware of the immense appeal of DS during its initial run or did it become apparent several years later?
[5/7/02 3:25:19 PM]
answer: I didn't realize how popular Dark Shadows was until years after it went off the air. I had a blind woman recognize my voice at the racing track years later. I have lots of stories about that. I even get more recognition for Dark Shadows than for Cagney & Lacey which is much more recent.
[5/7/02 3:25:51 PM]
question from lita : what character types would you like to play today, sci-fi, goth, or what would challenge you the most?
[5/7/02 3:26:47 PM]
answer: I would like to play the Pope and Gothic characters.
[5/7/02 3:27:04 PM]
question from rebelbelle : Have you ever been back to the mansion where House of Dark Shadows was filmed? And if not would you ever consider going back?
[5/7/02 3:27:21 PM]
answer: I have never been back to Tarrytown since we made the movies House of Dark Shadows and Night of Dark Shadows, but it was a beautiful place next to the Hudson.
[5/7/02 3:29:07 PM]
question from doughboy : John, I saw House of Dark Shadows it was great, what is like making a movie with the cast of Dark Shadows in 1970 and 1971?
[5/7/02 3:29:42 PM]
answer: Making the movies was a great experience -- going on location was terrific. We became movie stars and Dan directed us.
[5/7/02 3:30:59 PM]
question from midnite: Would you like to share any memories of working with Grayson Hall?
[5/7/02 3:31:21 PM]
answer: Working with Grayson Hall was in one word --- fun. Her sense of humor kept it interesting. She was a real character.
[5/7/02 3:32:06 PM]
question from Josettedupres: I thought you were just great as Willie, in fact ALL your characters were great. Do you have a favorite scene or memory from the show?
[5/7/02 3:32:20 PM]
answer: Probably my favorite scene was the one where I opened up Barnabas' coffin expecting to find a wealth of jewels but instead I found a vampire named Frid.
[5/7/02 3:34:05 PM]
question from mrjuggins: We all get a big laff at the scene with you, Adam and the chicken leg. Did you think it was funny at the time it was being filmed?
[5/7/02 3:34:38 PM]
answer: Doing the chicken leg scene with Adam -- played by Robert Rodan -- was a lot of fun. We clowned around, which wasn't always possible. Dark Shadows was usually pretty serious stuff.
[5/7/02 3:35:25 PM]
question from graemec : Do you (and actors in general) enjoy watching films and shows that you've been in, or does it remind you too much of the hard work that went into it?
[5/7/02 3:35:55 PM]
answer: If you are a good in a performance you don't mind watching it. At least I don't.
[5/7/02 3:36:13 PM]
question from lindsey : While working on the Dark Shadows series, did you have a favorite set? If so, what was it?
[5/7/02 3:36:28 PM]
answer: I thought the mausoleum set was cool -- I always felt at home there!
[5/7/02 3:38:18 PM]
question PattyDee1: Why doesnt Jonathan Frid ever make appearances at the Dark Shadows Conventions? Do you think he ever will come?
[5/7/02 3:38:29 PM]
answer: Jonathan Frid is basically retired and enjoys his private life back in his native Canada these days. But I enjoy catching up with him on the phone and maybe sometime we'll see him again for a reunion.
[5/7/02 3:39:22 PM]
question from willow : What was the 'big storyline' they almost did just before you went west in '67? Where would they have taken the character?
[5/7/02 3:39:34 PM]
answer: I don't know anything about stories that weren't produced on Dark Shadows, sorry.
[5/7/02 3:40:26 PM]
question from ily : I was rooting for you when you finally got the girl as Kendrick; how was it having love scenes with Nancy Barrert?
[5/7/02 3:40:39 PM]
answer: I loved working with Nancy Barrett -- she was a delight. She played my wife in one of the storylines and in the second movie. She's great.
[5/7/02 3:41:06 PM]
question from shyroxanne : John, what are you doing now? Anything in the works for you?
[5/7/02 3:41:49 PM]
answer: "m sitting in Dan Curtis' office drinking a Coca-Cola. I'm planning to be at the Dark Shadows Festival next month in Anaheim and Disneyland. That's about it for now.
[5/7/02 3:42:43 PM]
question from brbb: what is your fondest memory of Dark Shadows??
[5/7/02 3:45:14 PM]
answer: My fondest memory of Dark Shadows was going to supper after the show with Jonathan and David and Lara and Kate and the rest and eating frog legs at the Brittany around the corner from the studio. It was great people and great times.
[5/7/02 3:46:19 PM]
Thanks to all of you beautiful people for participating, I hope you enjoyed it and I look forward to meeting many of you at the Festival next month here in sunny California.
