Q & A with Stefan Arngrim

Stefan was kind enough to take time from his busy schedule to answer a few email questions about LOTG and his current work. My thanks to Stefan for his ocassionally glib but always thought-provoking responses.
--Ray Dutczak 

1. How did you get the role of Barry Lockridge?

"I don't know much about the politics of it, but I auditioned, as I would with any part, I was told they liked me but 'went another way' (a common reason given for not being cast in a part that you may have been right for), so I went happily back to school (I went to a very wonderful private school, not for kid actors-just a school with tuition-called Summerhill West; that I was actually not interested in leaving at the time). Several months later my agent called and said 'Giants' was back and wanted to make an offer. I wasn't really that interested so my dad suggested I ask for the ridiculous and then if they say no - big deal! - and if they say yes - well.....

2. In the opening credits you are listed third. How did you get third billing?

See question one.

I wrote the above answer about three hours ago, ate some dinner, watched some TV, then thought about this 'interview' and a few things became apparent. I want this to be as straight forward as possible, as I always do. AND I rarely get the chance with most interviews to go back and make corrections or; as in this case, an elaboration on what I have said. I love the net.

As to the above. It is a very cute smart ass answer and I like it a lot. There is even some truth in it, but I am compelled to say that of course, I would not have been in the position of auditioning, or discussing this situation at this level with the agency that represented me if I had not been established as a professional in the industry, both in Los Angeles and New York. I actually had negotiated "third card solo, front of the show", in billing/agent lingo, several years earlier on a guest star I did on Combat. So, Fox/ABC/Irwin gave in to my billing, rather than my giving in to theirs, so to speak. In the name of accuracy, I amend the above, thusly.

3. Land Of The Giants had some fantastic directors, who was your favorite to work with?

Really only two, three if you count Irwin who directed 'The Crash'. The two who directed alternating episodes were; Harry Harris and Sobey Martin. As with actors, this is a really impossible question. I was personally closer to Harry and his family, but I sure enjoyed working with Sobey (who was present at the inception of German deconstructionist cinema with Fritz Lang, Lubitsch, Gregg Toland, etc.

4. What was Irwin Allen like, and how did you like working with him?

He was nuts. People who achieve great success are often nuts and he was more than a little obsessed, which made him sometimes difficult to be around if you weren't contributing to his obsession, but again, this is what people in his position are often like and I was certainly used to 'creative personalities' by that time. Both of my folks lived their lives as such, as does my sister, as do I. So I tend to be pretty tolerant of so-called 'difficult artists'. It is not an easy thing to have a vision and be able to transmit it to others. Then once having done so, it is quite a thing to 'protect'. I don't think I agreed with one thing Irwin ever said or did, creatively or otherwise, but I liked him, I respected his vision and I really respected the fact that he had managed to convince someone that it was a good idea to pay me to work for him! Here, he was clearly a genius!

5. How many sets did Land Of The Giants have?

This gets confusing and strange. The 'Little People' sets, meaning the giant sets performed upon by little people, (Okay, regular size actors playing little people); were spread out all over the 20th Century Fox Pico Blvd. lot, primarily based out of stages 17-18-19 "on the hill" overlooking the Pico gate; (later, the front(?) of these stages were incorporated in the "Hello Dolly" sets of 1890's Broadway that covered the lot from gate to gate.) The 'Giants Sets', meaning the normal scale sets, all built on raised platforms for camera POV, were strutted upon by the Giants, (Again regular actors playing giants. This might seem obvious to you, but it took the cast several more years than the show was on the air to figure it out!) were located a safe distance down the hill on stages five and six. So there you have it. Irwin had to pay a lot of rent!

6. Land Of The Giants was a very physical show did the cast do all the stunts like rope climbing etc?

As little as possible. And not just because of your wimpy actor factor, but the insurance on regulars on a series that costs as much as Giants did, is mighty pricey.

7. Which season of Land Of The Giants do you like better first or second?

I have always had an inexplicable. but devastatingly cogent fondness for the third season.

8. What was Kurt Kasznar like? He was more like Kurt Kaznar than anyone I have ever known. And better at it than the best of his pale impersonators.

9. The " Crash" was one of the best episodes to be produced during the two year run of Land Of The Giants and one of the best of all of Irwin's pilots, any memories of filming the crash?

I have many memories of shooting the Crash, however based upon the premise that it was the best of the best would render them all, at best useless and at worst, disillusioning.

10. How big was the full size Spindrift that was housed on the soundstage? Did it have working lights etc?

It was exactly the size that it appeared to be, but only on the starboard side. Port face the woods and was an open plywood and scrub pine frame. Any light you saw, worked. I guess that's the answer; in the days before CGI, what you saw was what they built, (with of course the notable exception of class and matte shots and the like, in this case were created by guys like Art Cruikshank and other geniuses).

11. You had a dog named Chipper that we saw in the series. How many Chippers were there?

Three. 'Chipper' , cute-good in close-up, a real bitch. 'Chip', smaller and wiry than Chipper, he did the running and jumping and I swear even climbed a rope once! (and that didn't make it into the show!). Then, 'Little Chip', who apparently was saved from the jaws of death and knew it because this dog would do anything, I mean anything the others would not. These dogs were all expertly handled by Betty Burke and if you're interested there is a book called 'The Encyclopedia of TV Pets' by Ken Beck and Jim Clark, pub. by Rutledge Hill Press. It's a history of animal stars on TV. 

I get nothing from this book, but these guys were real nice and called me first before they printed anything and I really support silly little things things like ethics, so buy their book.

12 There were many guest stars who passed through the Land Of The Giants, any favorites?

Because of the aforementioned distance between the two sets of actors , the Giants and the Little People, and the fact that we shot at the same time. I rarely met them. Occasionally I would hear about someone I liked and sneak down to meet them or at least watch them work. Also, they would sometime do like-wise and we would meet. Not often enough though. So, the actual answer to this question is a list. It's pretty long, given we' re talking about 52 shows with more than one guest actor in each. I'll have to get back to you with that.

13. What were some of your favorite episodes? Can you share a few memories?

You know, an actors memory is by nature of the radical shift in perception, pretty different than the audiences'. See, what you think of as episodes are all linked together and then re-cut, by me into new episodes that happen to be of my life! So, what are my favorite memories? The episode that shot on my b'day and I thought everyone forgot but they didn't and I got a big cake and everyone sang happy b'day and there is a big famous pic of me smiling with my cake and a giant boot about to squash me in the b.g.! Now which episode is that? I have no idea, but it was great. Now if you tell me what your favorite episode was, I will recall what I remember about it. Weird huh?

14. The Great One Jonathan Harris guest starred in an episode of Land Of The Giants called " Pay The Piper". Any memories of working with Jonathan?

Now, here we go! A perfect example of how weird this business is. I never met him. I mean never, ever. Oh, sure, I think I vaguely recall being jammed into a sweaty room at a bank in Plainview Texas at a parade or some such. I think we were both in the room at once? Bill (Mumy) and Angela (Cartwright) and I went to school at Fox together, we're both in shows by the same prod. Billy and I are playing the same guy, (well, you know what I mean. What, you don't think Bill and I ever noticed? Oh yeah you're the only folks who figured out Irwin worked with formula! Sure!) But I never, ever met Jonathan Harris. 

15. Back in 1995 Kevin Burns produced a TV special for Sci-Fi channel dedicated to Irwin Allen entitled " The Fantasy Worlds Of Irwin Allen". You participated in that special, did you enjoy doing it, and how do you think the whole show turned out?

I liked it fine. That was the first time I had seen most (but not all) of the cast for many years. I thought it was just fine but might have been better had I hosted it. 

The real first time I saw everyone, (other than Kurt, of course) was courtesy of Ray at the Chiller con in 2002.

16. Do you keep in touch with the cast today?

Yes. More and more all the time.

17. What are you doing currently?

In 2003, I did a couple of films. 'The Life' (at least that was the title last time I talked to the producers), directed by Lynne Stopkewich, lots of great actors in this. I played a guy named Ed, living on Vancouver's downtown east side, who is a heroin addict. This character was based a a real local guy named Frank. I watched some tape on Frank, but never met him. Didn't really need to. I did this film for far more than money or billing. In fact, I didn't take any billing and was paid scale. It is scheduled to air on Canadian TV (CTV, I believe), I do not have a date. I highly recommend this film to anyone who has any interest in the fate of those that inhabit our inner cities and those that police them. This is an extremely fresh film in the sense that no one gets bashed. This is not one more film putting forth someone's opinion of who is to blame and what should be done to them. This is a film about an existent problem and the need to solve it, not simply arrest it, jail it, kill it, to make it go away. I suppose people could check in to Haddock Entertainment's web site. Chris Haddock is the creator/producer of 'DaVinci's Inquest' probably the best series on Canadian television today, he is also the executive producer of 'The Life'. His would be the only site I can think of at the moment where you might get some info on this film.

I also did a film called 'Final Cut' or 'The Final Cut' (depending on who you talk to). Written and directed by Omar Naim, starring Robin Williams, Mira Sorvino, et al. I played a nicely creepy fellow called Oliver or 'The Spidery Man'. I can't tell more. See it this spring/summer. This is a really great sci fi film. Terrific script, feels like the best classic sci fi literature. It's really not easy to pick and choose the films you believe in as a freelance actor, nearly impossible, (and not good business sense either, when you consider this is how MY family eats!) but this is one of those lucky deals. Omar wanted me, I had conflicts with 'Universal', (see below), and couldn't do it. Things change. Schedules shift. I got to do it and am thrilled I did. If I see my work at all, it is usually only for my own technical reasons. This one, I will see twice. Maybe own the DVD.

Also, worked for a few months on 'The Chronicles of Riddick' with Vin Deisel and Judi Dench. I don't think you'll see me in this one. We never saw a script, and the trailer I saw on the web last week looked like nothing I remember shooting on, in or around, (of course, all the green screen and CGI around, I have been surprised by my surroundings more than once. I notice other actors in these settings, and I realize what a nice break I got with 'Giants' re: effects/acting experience!).

It all looked like 180mil US in re-writes and editing. But hey, writers and editors gotta eat too!
Anyway, Vin is swell guy. Nice big sets. Plenty of boom boom. Director David Twohy is....well, he's made some neat films. This isn't his interview so I won't list them, but they are good...so we can only hope for the best. I probably won't get to this one. I'll watch DVD though!

I am presently working on tunes for new CD and my partner Karl and I are recording some soundtrack music for some documentary projects...more on this as it happens.

Also, am working on my wife Dawn's CD. Also more to follow.

And we are all putting together a couple of film projects (that's movies in show biz) and a TV series or two. Believe me, when I say you will get all the info as it becomes available. Probably before anyone else.

Oh yeah, and I'm gonna do Chiller again in April.



Stefan, Land Of The Giants has been released on DVD via Columbia House. How to feel about that?

I feel just fine, and will feel even finer when a check arrives! Thank you.