There have been stories about a lot of friction between Katt and Culp (at least in the first season). Throughout his long career, Culp was a popular and respected actor (eg, he starred in three of The Outer Limits' best episodes). Why would anyone dislike him?
shareI met both katt and culp at a convention, and katt kinda had that tude that he really didn't wanna be there, but culp was really friendly and active and really eager to meet his fans.. I think at this point, culp appear to look like he wasn't gonna be here too much longer, but was in really good spirits...
sharePerhaps that's it. No matter the role he played, Culp always gave the impression that, underneath, there was this happy guy. I have no idea how Katt felt about life, but he might have been on the humorless side, and resented Culp's sanguinity.
shareI worked for Mike O'Hara at O'Hara-Horowitz Productions in the late 90s and met Bill Katt when he came to read for a role in a MOW we were making called "Broken Silence: A Moment of Truth Movie" Katt read opposite Ariana Richards (she got the female lead role, Katt didn't get the role he read for). Anyway, Katt seemed friendly enough but he was awkward and decidedly odd. Ariana Richards was a bit weird too.
shareI know I'm over a year late in asking this question, CromeRose, but in what way was Ariana Richards weird?
sharesaint 21; where and when was this conv. Whose conv.
shareI heard sometime ago that Katt actually hated wearing the costume. He preferred the abilities without the super-suit. Or wearing super-clothing underneath his civies. That was, I heard, most of his contention.
I also heard, at the same time, that Culp was very reluctant 2 do the show, at 1st. But after signing on had no hesitations, only that he expected having considerable input behind the camera! To the consternation of the directors/producers/writers/crew.
However, Katt was a Hollywood baby. They grow-up weird!
I just rewatched the episode about the stolen smallpox virus. It's played mostly for laughs, with Ralph and Bill developing severe hypochondria after (presumed) exposure. Not only is Culp the better actor, but he gets the better lines.
Culp was not altogether happy about playing a gung-ho boob, but he carries it off brilliantly. He was an excellent writer, and penned two of the series' best episodes.
Culp had written before TGAH, so I'm sure Cannell knew ahead of time what would happen. Cannell wasn't stupid. If one of your stars can write good scripts, go with it!
I w/dn't say Culp was the better actor. And he'd go over the top, quite a few times. I actually liked Katt better! He was typed dead-on 4 that role! Never over-playing it. Or mailing-it-in. But I think Katt was mostly falling bk on his own personality. And being around showbiz/theatre all his life. Culp had been acting longer than Katt had been alive! So of course he had that incredible advantage.
shareThe problem lies in determining whether the actor is going over-the-top, or the character is.
Example... Robert Newton's performance in the Disney Treasure Island has often been criticized as over-the-top. But if you read the novel, you'll see that Newton absolutely nailed the character.
Bill Maxwell (likely named after Maxwell Smart) has to contrast strongly with Ralph Hinkley. He does.
Well in this case, I'm saying Culp w/d deliberately go over-the-top because Culp, the actor, was a genuine liberal who w/d hate a person like Maxwell. Culp was underlining how rightist Conservatives can go. I'm not attacking Conservatives, by the way!
shareBill Maxwell is not, by current standards, a "conservative". He honestly believes in what this country stands for, including a deep respect for the law, rather than letting his personal feelings reign. This is made fairly clear in the smallpox episode.
I'm a liberal, and wish more conservatives were like Bill Maxwell.
Seriously, just type out the word "would". How lazy can a person be??? How much time are you saving by typing 2 less characters? Not enough to warrant the nonsensical impression.
shareI think it was their different approaches to acting, myself. William Katt was a stage actor and came from that 'world'. Robert had mostly done Television (and movies) and that is a different way of approaching things. They might not have seen eye to eye about how to do things--acting wise. That could have led to friction (and we know there was, by both actors own admissions, at least for some of the start).
Would anyone care for fruit or dessert?--Wadsworth