Where Hollywood Hides: Television | Movies | Music | Show Business | Writing | Producing | Directing | Acting

Melissa Sue Anderson became an internationally-recognized television star at the age of eleven and remains a fan favorite for her long-running portrayal of “Mary Ingalls” on Little House on the Prairie.

In this revealing and very personal conversation, Melissa shares details of her life as a child actor who broke into the business because—in spite of her confessed shyness—“it sounded like fun”.

Melissa’s innate sense of humor is evident as she shares with Bob and Suzanne the anxieties of auditioning for network executives, producers, and directors...all the while competing with other talented kids like Jodie Foster. But Melissa apparently had “that special something” that sold well on the tube, because by the time she was cast in her first television role on The Brady Bunch, she had dozens of on-air commercials to her credit.

Throughout the podcast Melissa delivers the impressions of a 10-year old working on Hollywood’s sound stages where she was surprised to find that “things were so fake.” She describes her many co-stars with amusing candor, and shares memories of those who generously gave her their inside “acting tips”.

Fans of Little House will be intrigued to hear Melissa describe her first meeting with Michael Landon and what it was like competing for the role of “Mary Ingalls”...and ultimately working on the show where she really learned the ropes of working in an ensemble of actors on a hit series.

She also shares her secret to “playing blind”...a technique that served her well as she was cast as a sightless person more than she would have liked. Melissa then shares her fond memories of working with her “favorite producer” Aaron Spelling and both the joy and disappointment of working on Dark Mansions, Bob’s 2-hour series pilot that fell victim to studio and network politics.

An author (her book The Way I See It is available at Amazon.com), Emmy winner, and member of the Western Performers Hall of Fame--whose favorite acting gig was on The Equalizer--Melissa Sue Anderson’s story is inspiring and instructive.

Listening to Melissa delivers great insights into working with agents, producers, directors...and the unpredictable yet very real value of “luck”.

This entertaining, joke-filled interview with comedian and impersonator Rich Little has Bob and Suzanne breaking up in laughter throughout the conversation.

Rich shares details of his childhood and early years as the ultimate “class clown” and talks about driving his teachers crazy by imitating them in front of fellow students just before the teacher walked in and repeated what young Rich had just said.

You’ll hear Rich slip seamlessly into a series of characters with his uncanny impersonations of various celebrities including Cary Grant, Dean Martin, Johnny Carson, Bing Crosby, and Jimmy Stewart and of politicians like Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon and Donald Trump...all while telling the improbable story of his own unique career.

Known as “the Man of a Thousand Voices,” Rich Little’s television career is the stuff of legend. He reveals his debt to singer Mel Tormé for getting him his first gig on The Judy Garland Show and how that lead to his appearances on hundreds of TV shows as guest star, host, and series regular over the past thirty years.

Throughout the laughs, Rich talks about appearing weekly at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas and shares great “behind the scenes” backstage stories and details of his classic memoir Little by Little: People I’ve Known and Been.

Celebrating their milestone 10th episode, Suzanne bathes in the afterglow of

Ben Affleck’s Argo win as Best Motion Picture at the 2013 Academy Awards,

but chastises the show’s producers not having someone on hand to catch

Jennifer Lawrence when she took a tumble on her way to accept her Oscar.

Suzanne mentions the birthday of an iconic I Love Lucy star,

and Bob recalls being on the Paramount Studios lot with Lucy where

Desi Arnaz reinvented the way sitcoms are shot.

under contract to Aaron Spelling and Suzanne shares details of Spelling’s

background that eventually led him to become the most powerful TV producer in history.

it was the beginning of an incredible year that had him hob-nobbing with

major showbiz icons like Rod Steiger, Candace Bergin, Robert Stack, Suzanne Somers,

Angie Dickenson, Joanna Cassidy, Stephanie Powers, and the man who

would later become “Hannibal Lecter”, Anthony Hopkins.

sleaze-meister while astutely drawing the parallel between Hollywood Wives

and today’s Kardashians, proving her theory that little has changed when it comes to

attracting an audience because “it’s all entertainment.”

Gregory Harrison’s commitment to his acting craft runs strong and deep.

In this insightful interview, Greg tells a story that takes us from his life as a dinner theatre bar bouncer-actor to acting classes at the Stella Adler Academy, to early roles that took him to the pinnacle of TV, film, and stage stardom.

You’ll hear how Greg went from working as an “extra” on The Harrad Experiment—where he and Suzanne first met—and how dedication to learning his craft eventually led to guest starring roles on TV shows like Barnaby Jones, Wonder Woman, and M*A*S*H. Greg’s lifelong love of surfing was used to great advantage when he played “Chandler” in the iconic North Shore...a role that established him as both an actor and as a true “water man.”

But it was his starring role in Universal’s Logan’s Run alongside actress Heather Menzies that truly propelled Greg into the pantheon of leading men. Greg’s enthusiasm for acting is obvious as he recalls his role in Centennial and the experience of co-starring in the landmark series Trapper John, M.D. It’s a wide-ranging conversation as Greg and Bob share “notes” about Greg’s role of “Michael Sharpe” on the last season of Falcon Crest, which leads to Greg’s thoughts about the state of film and television acting today.

With hundreds of television, movie, and legitimate theatre performances to his credit (The Gathering, The Women’s Room, Dark Skies, Au Pair, CSI, Rizzoli & Isles, Fair Haven), Greg Harrison’s career is the reflection of a man who is far more than just an actor or a “Hollywood celebrity.” He’s also an award-winning theatrical producer (more than 60 plays) and as the driving force behind his Catalina Productions.

A devoted family man—he’s married to Chips star Randi Oakes—Greg Harrison has achieved unparalleled success on every level. In this interview, you’ll learn that it’s all come as the product of intelligence, discipline, creative instincts, and hard work. Greg share’s his insights about the craft, career, and business of acting, revealing a man of many dimensions continuing to carry his talent and celebrity with exceptional grace.

William R. Moses is one of the most prolific TV and film actors of his generation. His hundreds of credits on shows ranging from Castle, CSI: Miami, and Mad Men to NCIS, The Mentalist, and Mind Games—have established him as one of Hollywood’s true leading men.

You’ll hear Bill describe his unique family origins—his mother was actress Marion McCargo, his stepfather was the hugely popular U.S. Congressman Alphonso Bell, Jr.—and how he was “discovered” at a Hollywood party by an agent who soon had him in front of the cameras in a Sprite commercial.

Bill shares stories about ducking out of college classes to attend auditions and sneaking into acting classes where he began to get some idea of what this “acting thing” is really all about. By the time he was a senior, he was cast opposite Demi Moore in Choices, a roll that eventually brought him to the attention of a casting director who thought he was perfect for the role of “Cole Gioberti” in a television pilot that eventually became the mega-hit CBS-TV series Falcon Crest.

As he describes his experience working alongside such talents as Robert Foxworth, Susan Sullivan, and Jane Wyman, you’ll hear some candid “insider” stories about life on the Falcon Crest set, as well as the reasons Bill left the show in the middle of its 9-year run. The conversation then turns to how he transitioned into a major leading role in the classic romantic comedy Mystic Pizza with Julia Roberts, and then going on to co-star with Raymond Burr in more than a dozen Perry Mason movies. When you hear his fond recollections of working with Burr, you’ll find out how he was “born in the wrong year”

For anyone interested in what it takes to become a working actor, and how to sustain a successful Hollywood career, this is an interview that is truly a lesson in “getting past the hard parts and loving the craft.”