Stephen Collins goes from saintly to silly in 'Spamalot' on Broadway
NEW YORK - For 11 seasons, Stephen Collins played Eric Camden, the father and small-town minister of the hit TV drama "7th Heaven," which apparently left an impression on viewers.
"I find people are very polite to me, which is really sweet," Collins says. "They tend to be on their good behaviour because they sort of do think that I'm kind of a minister."
And now - as the Monty Python catchphrase goes - for something completely different, Collins has joined the cast of the Tony-winning musical "Spamalot" as King Arthur.
"Spamalot," which opened in 2005, is "lovingly ripped off" (as the official website puts it) from the 1975 movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail."
As created by Eric Idle, "Spamalot," like the movie, follows King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table on a quest to find the Grail. Along the way, they face a vicious rabbit, taunting Frenchmen and the dreaded Knights who Say Ni.
"It's silliness created by very, very smart people," says Collins.
As Arthur, Collins is clearly having fun from the first deadpan moment that he trots on stage (minus a horse) to the sound of his servant clapping two coconut shells behind him.
Though best known for his TV work, Collins began his career in theatre with roles in the original Broadway casts of "Moonchildren" and "The Ritz," among others. He also played Macduff in a New York Shakespeare Festival production of "Macbeth" that starred Christopher Walken.
He then turned to film, landing key roles in "All the President's Men" (1976) and "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (1979). More recently, he has appeared in "The First Wives Club," "Because I Said So" and "Blood Diamond."
His TV credits include numerous movies and miniseries, including "A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story" and "A Woman Named Jackie" as John F. Kennedy. He received an Emmy nomination for his performance in "The Two Mrs. Grenvilles," about a sensational society murder.
"When I started, all I wanted to do was theatre and movies," Collins says. "And I started in the world of a real double standard. You didn't do television if you wanted a serious career either on Broadway or in the movies. But then, you know, 'Man plans, God laughs.' And I found that I like the pace of television. I like having to do it quickly and not belabour it."
Collins seems to have played a disproportionate number of philanderers during his career, no doubt due to his almost too-handsome looks. Now 60, he has grown a beard for "Spamalot" that is more grey than his sandy hair.
In conversation, Collins is unassuming, quick to praise his "Spamalot" colleagues and thoughtful about the challenges of performing comedy.
"Arthur is about 75 per cent straight man, but I've always loved that job," Collins says. "To me, if the other guy gets a really big laugh, then I know I've done my job right."
Mike Nichols, who won a Tony for his direction of the musical, asked Collins to audition last fall. After days of preparation, Collins closed the deal after singing just one song.
Collins said he has always wanted to work with Nichols. "In rehearsals, he can say something in one sentence that would take an ordinary mortal 10 minutes to articulate," he says.
It's been 23 years since Collins' last appearance on Broadway. His last off-Broadway show was Stephen Sondheim's "Putting it Together," with Julie Andrews in 1994.
"I think once you're a stage actor, which he is, you never lose it," says Collins' co-star Marin Mazzie, who plays the Lady of the Lake. "It's in your bones. And it's in his bones."
Mazzie, a Broadway veteran with multiple Tony nominations, gave Collins a glowing review for his performance so far. "There's such a lightness and openness about him - a buoyancy that's really wonderful for Arthur," she says.
Collins also can be seen this summer in the Hallmark Channel movie "Every Second Counts." He plays a former rodeo champion struggling with his strong-willed daughter.
"It was something I was very drawn to," Collins says. "It's a wonderful script and a role that is like a flip side of Eric Camden, because he's a loving father but he's much more dysfunctional and not very educated and kind of broken down."
After "Spamalot," Collins hopes to focus on writing his third novel. His previous books, both racy thrillers, are "Eye Contact" and "Double Exposure."
He is also considering a move to New York with his wife, actress Faye Grant. "I always refer to Faye as the talented one in the family," Collins says. (His 18-year-old daughter Kate is starting college in August.)
For now, he's taking things one laugh at a time in "Spamalot," where he will remain through mid-September.
More Entertainment
Search Articles
More CE Network Sites & Partners:
