 Lou
Wagner is a very special individual. He has that unique ability
to take very little and turn it into a fortune. Take for example
his size. Small but big and very surprising in all he does..
He is only 5' 2", he was told his chances for success in
the TV world were definitely slight. He proved them all wrong
and used his shortage to his advantage.
When
he arrived in Los Angeles from his native San Jose, Lou try
all he could to get people to take an interest in him, he
had to find an agent but he was always turned down because
he was too short or looked too young.
One person even suggested that he get a children's agent,
Lou thought it was better than nothing, so he went ahead.
He was only 25 at the time, but he could easily pass for a
teenager. He went into Mary Grady's office (a leading children's
agent), talked his way into an interview, and was signed that
day!". They loved him.
Such determination meant Lou was not
afraid start at the bottom in search of what he wanted or
afraid to go to the top. After getting an agent, Lou immediately
went to the best theatre group in town and asked for a job.
He went to Paul Levit, he was running the prestigious Players
Ring, Lou was desperate to prove himself so told him he would
work seven days a week, twelve hours a day for nothing, just
for the opportunity to be around the very best! He got the
job.
Lou became a jack of all trades, mailing
programs, running lights, painting scenery, selling tickets,
and all the while learning. From this initial exposure to
the theatre, Lou landed a small part playing leper. He was
thrilled, he went from a schlepper to a leper, but he was
very happy with what he had.
His hard work and tenacity throughout
this period began to pay off when Lou began to land a variety
of "smart alecky little kid roles" including parts
on several successful series such as "Dragnet",
"Lost in Space", and "Mayberry R.F.D.".
He also landed a choice role in the hit movie "Airport",
in which Lou, actually 29 at the time, played a boy 15. After
all, with the countless work rules governing real teenagers
mose producers would rather work with an older, more mature
actor if they could get away with it. Lou simply showed them
how his short size could help them work around these types
of rules.
It was a great way to break into the
business and in the end it worked, for once in the door with
a few credits and some experience under his belt, Lou began
to land other, more substantial parts, such as starring roles
on successful series' such as "Macmillan and Wife",
"Columbo, and "Happy Days", and ultimately
his big breakthrough as "Lucius", the young idealistic
ape in the widely hailed "Planet of the Apes" film,
is the part that Lou is still proudest of.
During the second stage of his career,
Lou devoted every dime he had towards studying. This constant
studying plus the continuous work and experience he was receiving,
meant that Lou was ready when his next opportunity came along.
Riding high in the mid 1970's after completing two more sequels
to the "Planet of the Apes" films (one of which
featured Lou as a co-star), and having found some financial
security through landing a choice commercial role as "the
Professor" in the original McDonald Land commercials
opposite "Ronald McDonald" (a role he played for
over 15 years), Lou landed a small role on a new series called
"CHiPs". It was originally just a small possibly
recurring part. They were looking to add other characters
to the show and so they were very eager to see what he could
do.
The "CHiPs" Producers were very impressed with his
work, and the public's response to Lou's lovable creation
"Harlan Arliss", the whiz kid mechanic with the
chip on his shoulder because he was too short to become a
cop, the producers of "CHiPs" expanded Lou's part,
making him a regular on the show for five years, and eventually
building whole stories and subplots around his character.
Lou states "It was a wonderful time for me as an actor,
because they were always coming to me for suggestions and
ideas regarding my character, and allowing me the freedom
to experiment with the role."
Now, having successfully completed five
years on a top 10 show, and several box office successes such
as "Airport" and the "Planet of the Apes"
films, one is tempted to ask "What's next for Lou Wagner?"
"Well," smiles Lou, "I may have stopped growing
physically some time ago, but I hope I never stop growing
as an actor!" There are a million roles left I'd like
to play, and for a character actor like myself, I hope a hundred
years left to do them!"
It's a dream he seems destined
to fulfill, for if there is one thing Lou Wagner has never
been short on, it's determination and success!
More
about Lou Wagner at imdb |
