Harvey Brownstone Interviews...

Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth Interview with Lesley Nicol, Renowned Actress, Downton Abbey’s “Mrs. Patmore” About Harvey's guest: Today’s guest, Lesley Nicol, is a beloved actress from England, whose show-stopping portrayal of “Mrs. Patmore” on the iconic television series “Downton Abbey”, and the 2 feature films that followed, has contributed enormously to the popularity and success of that wonderful show.   She and her fellow “Downton Abbey” cast members received 3 Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.  But beyond “Downton Abbey”, our guest has done much, much more in her remarkable career.    On stage in London’s West End, she played “Rosie” in the original production of the international smash hit show, “Mama Mia”.  She originated the role of “Kath” in “Our House”, based on the music of Madness.  She played “Little Buttercup” in the revival of “HMS Pinafore”.  And she originated the role of the nosy neighbour, “Auntie Annie”, not only in the play, “East is East”, but also in the multi-award winning 1999 film and in the sequel, “West is West”.   On television, besides “Downton Abbey”, she’s appeared in dozens of series, mini-series and TV movies including “The Practice”, “The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe”, “Staying Alive”, “Casualty”, “Shameless”, “The Bill”, “Heartbeat”, “Hot in Cleveland”, “The Catch”, “Beecham House”, and many more.   And you may also recognize her as “Aunt Tea” from a series of TV commercials for Tetley tea.   Our guest is also very well known for her dedicated service to several important charities.  She is a UK Ambassador for “Animals Asia”, which is devoted to ending the barbaric practice of bear bile farming, and to improving the welfare of animals in China and Vietnam.  She is also an ambassador for Medical Detection Dogs, which trains dogs to detect human disease and to assist people to manage complex medical conditions.   For more interviews and podcasts go to: https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com/ To learn more about Lesley Nicol, go to:http://www.lesleynicol.co.uk/https://twitter.com/lesley_nicol #lesleynicol   #harveybrownstoneinterviews

Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth Interview with Ruth Schmidt, Pastor and Trailblazing LGBTQ+ Clergy About Harvey's guest: Today’s show deals with the issue of religious institutions discriminating against the LGBTQ+ community.    Our guest, Pastor Ruth Schmidt, was a senior director at the Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, until she was fired for refusing to sign the school’s mandatory statement of faith, which prohibits affirmation of same-sex marriage.    When she first entered Fuller as a student in 2016, she did sign the statement of faith.  And she signed it again in 2022, this time as an employee, pursuant to Fuller’s policy of requiring senior staff members to sign the statement annually.  I should point out that there are court rulings throughout the United States, permitting discrimination by religious institutions against gay students and employees, and this was most recently seen in October 2020, when the court affirmed the Fuller Seminary’s right to expel 2 students for being in same-sex marriages.    Getting back to our guest, when she was required in 2023 to re-sign the statement, she realized that it would be wrong for her to do that, given her imminent ordination into the United Church of Christ, which DOES accept marriage for same-sex couples.   And she ALSO came to the realization that it was ethically wrong and hypocritical for the Fuller Theological Seminary, which prides itself in being multi-denominational, to make money from denominations that affirm same-sex marriage, but at the same time, compel its students and employees to sign a homophobic statement of faith, and to dismiss those who refuse to do so.    As a result of our guest being fired, and the groundswell of support she received, not only from students and faculty at Fuller, but from the community at large and the media, the Board of Trustees at the Fuller Theological Seminary created a task force to reconsider its policies relating to human sexuality, and the school has now proposed new sexuality standards for the students, but NOT for staff and faculty.    So there is still much work to be done.   For more interviews and podcasts go to: https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com/ To learn more about Ruth Schmidt, go to:https://www.instagram.com/rutheschmidt/ https://twitter.com/ruthschmidt #RuthSchmidt    #harveybrownstoneinterviews

Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth Interview with Deborah Presley Brando, Elvis Presley’s Daughter, Author, “Memoirs of a Starseed Child: Elvis, Marlon, Christian and Me” About Harvey's guest: Today’s special guest, Deborah Presley Brando, has lived a life that most of us could never possibly imagine, in the shadow of one of the greatest superstars of all time – Elvis Presley.    Although many people still believe that Elvis had only one child, Lisa Marie, who passed away tragically last year at the age of 54, the fact is – and this has been confirmed by an order of the Tennessee Court of Appeal - Elvis had another child, our guest, born on March 4, 1956.   Our guest’s mother, Barbara Jean Lewis, met Elvis in 1954, before he became famous, through his cousin Gene Smith, when she was 14 years old.  She had a romantic relationship with Elvis in the summer of 1955, when she spent several weeks with him on tour in Mississippi.  Elvis and Barbara were very much in love, and when Elvis learned of the pregnancy, he invited Barbara to come to Memphis and live with his parents.  Barbara did visit Elvis in Memphis, but his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, fearing the impact on Elvis’ career and public image of being seen in the company of a pregnant 16-year-old girl, persuaded Barbara to return home to her family in North Carolina.  Barbara married a man by the name of Don Yandel prior to having the baby, and she kept the identity of our guest’s father a secret from her for many years, until 1977, when, at the age of 21, she finally told her daughter the truth.   She also told our guest that Elvis had been a part of her life until she was 4 years old, and that he sent gifts and money throughout her childhood.    In the 80s our guest became good friends with the one person besides her mother, who was able to confirm the details that I’ve just mentioned:  Elvis’ cousin and best friend Gene Smith, who was Elvis’ driver and who was with him constantly, including during the time of Elvis’ relationship with Barbara.   In fact, Gene Smith provided a crucial affidavit in the court case launched by our guest, leading to the judicial finding that our guest is, indeed, the biological daughter of Elvis Presley.     Our guest has written a fascinating and compelling book entitled “Memoirs of a Starseed Child: Elvis, Marlon, Christian and Me”, in which she shares her heart wrenching and sometimes traumatic journey through a difficult childhood, her quest to learn the truth about her paternity and to be acknowledged and validated for who she is, and several complicated relationships including her marriage to Marlon Brando’s late son Christian.   Our guest has also written a children’s book entitled, “Creations of the Goddess Maylaya: An American Fairy Tale”, and she’s had a varied career, not only as a writer, but as a special education assistant working with autistic children, and as an artist and a curator for an art gallery. For more interviews and podcasts go to: https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com/ To learn more about Deborah Presley Brando, go to:https://www.facebook.com/deborah.presley.98/https://www.instagram.com/deborahdelainepresley/https://twitter.com/devidelaine #DeborahPresleyBrando    #harveybrownstoneinterviews

Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth Interview with Bryan Batt, Award-Winning Actor, Co-Star, “Mad Men” About Harvey's guest: Today’s special guest, Bryan Batt, is an award-winning actor, author and businessman who is perhaps best known for his portrayal of the closeted art director Sal Romano on the mega hit TV series, “Mad Men”, for which he won 2 Screen Actors Guild Awards along with his fellow castmates for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.    But he’s done much, much more than that.   On Broadway, he’s appeared in many shows including “Cats”, “Starlight Express”, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”, “Beauty and the Beast”, “Sunset Boulevard”, “Saturday Night Fever”, “Seussical”, “The Scarlet Pimpernel” and “La Cage Aux Folles”.    On the big screen, you’ve seen him in “Jeffrey”, “Funny People”, “Brawler”, “B-Side”, “12 Years a Slave”, “Parkland”, “The Runner”, “LBJ”, “American Reject”, “High Tide”, “Easy Does It”, and many more movies.  He also starred in the highly acclaimed short film, “The Palooka”, for which he earned 2 Best Actor Award nominations from the Massachusetts Independent Film Festival.   And on TV, besides his memorable performance in “Mad Men”, he’s appeared in dozens of shows including “Ghost Whisperer”, “Ugly Betty”, “Law & Order: Criminal Intent”, “NCIS”, “Scream: The TV Series”, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”, “East Siders” and many more.   He’s also written 3 bestselling books: a fascinating memoir entitled “She Ain’t Heavy, She’s My Mother”, “Big, Easy Style: Creating Rooms You Love to Live In”, which is a beautiful book about interior design and home décor, and “Pontchartrain Beach: A Family Affair”, about the famous New Orleans amusement park founded by his grandfather.  And if all of that weren’t enough, our guest and his husband Tom are the owners of an extremely popular home furnishings and gift shop in New Orleans, called “Hazelnut”.    Our guest is passionate in his support of charities and civic organizations in New York City and New Orleans, especially his more than 30-year relationship with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.   He’s a recipient of the Isidore Newman Distinguished Alumnus Award, and on April the 13th, he will be the honoree at the New Orleans Film Society Gala.   For more interviews and podcasts go to: https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com/ To learn more about Bryan Batt, go to:https://www.facebook.com/bryan.batt.1/ https://www.instagram.com/bryan_batt/https://hazelnutneworleans.com/ https://twitter.com/Bryan_Batt  #BryanBatt   #harveybrownstoneinterviews

Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth Interview with Jim Wilson, Award Winning Composer, Pianist & Recording Artist, Author, “Tuned-In: Memoirs of a Piano Man” About Harvey's guest:Today’s special guest, Jim Wilson, is a multi-award winning composer, pianist, concert and recording artist who has just released a fascinating, entertaining and insightful memoir entitled, “Tuned-In: Memoirs of a Piano Man: Behind the Scenes with Music Legends and Finding the Artist Within”.   As a young man, he moved from his home in Texas to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a songwriter, musician and performer.  But his ambitions took a major detour when his sideline job as a piano tuner blossomed into a hugely successful career as a piano technician for some of the greatest music artists of our generation, including Burt Bacharach, Elton John, Phil Collins, Quincy Jones, Bruce Springsteen, Carole King, Paul McCartney, Lionel Richie, David Foster, Dan Fogelberg – and believe me, I’m just scratching the surface.   Our guest got to know many of his legendary clients very well, and through his book, we get an up-close-and-personal glimpse into their lives off-stage.  Following the sudden death of a dear friend, and with the encouragement of music superstar Dan Fogelberg, our guest made the life-altering decision to confront his insecurities and anxieties, emerge from the sidelines and follow his dreams and step into the limelight as a music artist in his own right.  And what a career he’s had.  He played keyboards, served as music director, and was frequently the opening act on tour for Stephen Bishop for 16 years.   He’s recorded 10 piano-featured instrumental albums, 4 of which have hit the Billboard Top 20: “Northern Seascapes”, “Cape of Good Hope”, “Remembrance” and his beautiful tribute album to the late Dan Fogelberg, entitled, “Leader of the Band”.  Some of my other favourite albums are “My First Christmas With You”, “Playing Favourites”, and “My Mother’s Son”.  Our guest has had 2 PBS specials: “Cape of Good Hope and Other Musical Portraits”, and “Jim Wilson: A Place in my Heart”.  And his music has been streamed close to 80 million times by fans around the world.  He was elected to the Board of Governors of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, and he was recently made a “Lifetime Member” of the Recording Academy.   For more interviews and podcasts go to: https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com/ To learn more about Jim Wilson, go to:https://jimwilsonmusic.com/https://www.facebook.com/jimwilsonmusichttps://www.instagram.com/jimwilsonmusic/https://twitter.com/jimwilsonmusichttps://www.youtube.com/user/JimWilsonianhttps://open.spotify.com/artist/7BfVtwOGofJ7r3I8GIBuGf?si=3fc94bcce4344c6chttps://music.apple.com/us/artist/jim-wilson/6668521 #JimWilson    #harveybrownstoneinterviews

Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth Interview with Gordon Thomson, Renowned Actor, Co-Star, “Dynasty” About Harvey's guest: Today’s special guest, Gordon Thomson, is an iconic actor who’s brought us some very memorable performances in a career that spans 6 decades.   He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of the evil, yet dashing “Adam Carrington” on the blockbuster TV series, “Dynasty”, for which he received nominations for a Golden Globe Award and 3 Soap Opera Digest awards.   But his body of work extends FAR beyond “Dynasty”.   On the big screen, he’s appeared in a number of great movies including “Explosion”, “Leopard in the Snow”, “The Intruder”, “Man of Her Dreams”, “Little Miss Sunshine”, “Poseidon”, ““Afterburn / Aftershock” and “The Experience”.    And on television, besides his role on “Dynasty” and a whole slew of guest appearances and made-for-TV movies, we remember him as “Aristotle Benedict White” on “Ryan’s Hope”, “Mason Capwell” on “Santa Barbara”, for which he received a Soap Opera Digest Award nomination, “A.J. Deschanel” on “Sunset Beach”, “Walter” on “Days of our Lives”, “Preston Regis” on “DeVanity”, for which he received 2 Indie Series Award nominations, and “Maximillion Winterthorne” on “Winterthorne”, for which he received another Indie Series Award nomination.    And on the stage, our guest has performed in everything from Shakespeare to Ibsen.  He’s starred in “The Fantastiks”, “Godspell”, “King John”, “Love's Labours Lost”, “The Imaginary Invalid”, “A Month in the Country”, “Loot”, “Eastern Standard” and many more plays.    For more interviews and podcasts go to: https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com/ #GordonThomson    #harveybrownstoneinterviews

Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth Interview with Barry Williams, America’s Big Brother, Co-Star, “The Brady Bunch”, Author, “Growing Up Brady” About Harvey's guest: Today’s special guest, Barry Williams, is one of the most instantly recognizable and beloved actors of our generation, who became known throughout the world as America’s most reliable big brother, “Greg” on the iconic TV show “The Brady Bunch”.   Although the original sitcom ended in 1974 after 5 seasons, “The Brady Bunch” has had phenomenal longevity and success.  There were 7 different TV series, 2 full length feature films, 5 TV specials, a concert tour, 3 record albums, a stage play, a reality series, and countless Brady Bunch merchandising items and collectibles that are still very much in demand, especially the Brady Bunch lunch bucket.   And get this: since its premiere on September 26, 1969, “The Brady Bunch” has NEVER been off the air.  The show has been broadcast in almost every country on earth, and each of the original 117 episodes has aired over 100,000 times, and for many years it’s been the highest rated program EVER on Nick at Night.    But well beyond “The Brady Bunch”, our guest has had a long and impressive career as an actor, singer, musician, dancer and producer.  He’s appeared in dozens of classic TV shows including “Run For Your Life”, “Gomer Pyle”, “Mod Squad”, “Adam-12”, “Mission Impossible”, “Police Woman”, “Three’s Company” and many more.  He had recurring roles as “Hannibal” in “General Hospital” and “Dean Strickland”, also known as “The Dean Machine”, in “Hollywood 7”.  And WHO can ever forget him on Season 32 of “Dancing with the Stars”, and Season 8 of “The Masked Singer” as one of “the Mummies”.   He starred on Broadway in ”Romance, Romance” and  “Pippin”, and he appeared in stage productions of  “Grease”, “The Sound of Music”, “West Side Story” and “City of Angels”.  On top of all that, he’s a gifted singer and guitar player, and he plays in a band called “Barry Williams and the Travel-eers”, featuring his beautiful wife Tina.    His New York Times bestselling book entitled, “Growing Up Brady: I was a Teenage Greg”, is now in its 3rd edition, and was made into a TV movie, which he co-wrote and co-executive produced.   The book highlights the relationships, the behind-the-scenes stories, and especially the people who made “The Brady Bunch” so special to multiple generations around the world.    In 1994 our guest was nominated for a Cable Ace Award for Best Performance in a Comedy Special.  And he’s received 4 TV Land Award nominations, and in 2007, he and his fellow Brady Bunch castmates won the TV Land Pop Culture Award.  In 1989 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award as a former child star from the Young Artist Foundation. For more interviews and podcasts go to: https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com/ To learn more about Barry Williams, go to:https://barrywilliamsofficial.com/https://www.facebook.com/people/therealbarrywilliams/https://www.facebook.com/realbradybroshttps://www.facebook.com/BarryWilliamsandTheTraveliers/ https://www.instagram.com/thebarrywilliams/https://twitter.com/MrBarryWilliams #BarryWilliams    #harveybrownstoneinterviews

Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth Interview with Barbara Bain, Legendary Actress, “Mission Impossible” About Harvey's guest: Today’s special guest, Barbara Bain, is a beloved actress who is perhaps best known for her portrayal of undercover agent “Cinnamon Carter” on the classic TV series, “Mission: Impossible”, for which she became the first actress in television history to receive 3 consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.   She also received a Golden Globe Award nomination and a Photoplay Award nomination for Best Female TV star.  She also created the iconic role of “Dr. Helena Russell” in the classic British science fiction series “Space: 1999” and the made-for-TV movies “Alien Attack”, “Destination Moonbase Alpha”, “Cosmic Princess” and “Journey Through the Black Sun”.    And over the years we’ve seen her in dozens of TV shows including “The Dick Van Dyke Show”, “Perry Mason”, “Get Smart”, “Moonlighting”, “Murder, She Wrote”, “Diagnosis Murder”, “CSI” and many more.  Her movie credits include “Savage”, “Skinheads”, “Panic”, “Bel Air”, “Trapped”, “Political Disasters”, “Nothing Special”, “On the Rocks”,  “American Gun”, for which she received a DVD Exclusive Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and 3 of my favourite  short films: “Reconnected”, for which she received a Best Actress nomination at the Madrid International Film Festival; “Take My Hand”, for which she won 3 prestigious film festival awards; and “Pacific Edge”, for which she won Best Actress Awards at the Golden Door International Film Festival AND the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival.   And I can’t resist mentioning her hilarious performance as “Dr. Olga Schmetner” in the 1981 TV movie, “The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island”.    On the stage, she’s won Los Angeles Critic's Circle and DramaLogue Awards for her performances in "Wings", "Happy Days" and "The Chairs".    And in 2016 she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.   And if ALL OF THAT weren’t enough, out guest founded a children’s literacy program through the Screen Actors Guild called "Book Pals", which initially had hundreds of actors reading to school children in major cities across America.  And now it’s an online program called “Storyline Online”, so kids all over the world can choose a famous actor to read them a story. For more interviews and podcasts go to: https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com/ To learn more about Barbara Bain, go to:https://twitter.com/thebarbarabain #BarbaraBain    #harveybrownstoneinterviews

Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth Interview with Bruce Davison, Iconic, Award-Winning Actor About Harvey's guest: Today’s special guest, Bruce Davison, is an iconic, multi-award winning actor who’s brought us dozens of unforgettable performances in a stellar career that spans almost 6 decades.    He earned an Academy Award nomination and WON a Golden Globe Award and a whole slew of prestigious film festival awards for Best Supporting Actor for his quiet, finely nuanced, painfully tender performance as “David”, the lover and caretaker of a life partner ravaged by AIDS, in the groundbreaking film, “Longtime Companion”.   His other movie credits include “Last Summer”, “Six Degrees of Separation”, “Abnormal Attraction”, “The Crucible”, “Apt Pupil”, “X-Men”, “X-2”, “Runaway Jury”, “Captors”, “Short Cuts”, for which he and his fellow cast members won a Golden Globe Special Award AND a Venice Film Festival Award for their work as an ensemble, and “Displacement”, for which he won a Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival Award for Best Supporting Actor.  And of course, we all remember him from the cult classic horror film “Willard”, in which he bonded notoriously with a herd of rats.    On television, you’ve seen him in hundreds of shows including “Harry and the Hendersons”, “Hunter”, “The Practice”, “Seinfeld”, “Knight Rider”, “Ghost Whisperer”, ”Mozart in the Jungle”,  “Designated Survivor”, “The Fosters”, ”1923”,  ”Bosch Legacy”, and “Glow and Darkness”.   And who can ever forget him as the villainous Senator on “Ozark” and the wise judge on “Lincoln Lawyer”?  And he was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his performance in “Touched By an Angel”.   On the stage, he starred on Broadway in "Tiger at the Gates", “The Elephant Man” and “The Glass Menagerie”, as well as at the Lincoln Center in the cast of "King Lear."  And he portrayed Clarence in "Richard III" at the New York Shakespeare Festival.      He’s also starred onstage in "The Skin of Our Teeth," "The Little Foxes", "A Life in the Theatre," “Love Letters”, “How I Learned to Drive” and “Streamers”, for which he won the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award.  He received a second Los Angeles Drama Critics Award for his performance in the multi-award winning play "The Normal Heart".    Our guest is also an Emmy nominated director for his work on the 2001 TV movie, “Off Season”.   In 2012 our guest received an Honorary Satellite Award, and in 2018 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Action on Film International Film Festival. For more interviews and podcasts go to: https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com/ To learn more about Bruce Davison, go to:https://www.instagram.com/bruce.davison/ https://twitter.com/bruce_davison #BruceDavison    #harveybrownstoneinterviews

Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth Interview with Michael Fishman, Co-Star, “Roseanne” & “The Conners” About Harvey's guests: Today’s guest, Michael Fishman, is a multi-award winning actor, writer, producer and director who first captured our hearts as “D.J. Conner” on the long-running TV sitcom, “Roseanne”, and its spinoff series, “The Conners”, winning a TV Land Award, a Young Artist Award and a Young Star Award nomination.   He’s also appeared in a number of other TV shows including “Seinfeld”, “Walker, Texas Ranger”, and most recently in the TV movie “Abducted by my Teacher:  The Elizabeth Thomas Story”.    He also wrote and produced many episodes of Roseanne Barr’s talk show, “The Roseanne Show”, and he created, wrote, produced and directed numerous episodes of the TV show, “Fish’s Call Sheet”.   He’s also directed multiple projects including 5 episodes of “The Conners”.   In addition, he’s produced feature films including “A Place in the Field”, and “Available: A Modern Day Fairy Tale”, which won the Best Romantic Comedy Award at the Indie Gathering International Film Festival.  He also produced 4 episodes of the 2015 TV miniseries, “Halsnoy”.    His passion as a producer and director is to tell relatable, visceral and uplifting stories that feature complex and varied characters, and that celebrate our diversity and inclusivity as a community.  Our guest is a true renaissance man.  In addition to being an actor, writer, producer and director, he’s also been an athlete, coach, teacher, bounty hunter and rescue diver. For more interviews and podcasts go to: https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com/ To see more about Michael Fishman, go to:https://www.facebook.com/ReelMFishman/ https://www.instagram.com/reelmfishman/ https://twitter.com/reelmfishman #ReelMFishman    #harveybrownstoneinterviews

Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth Interview with Todd Bridges, Co-Star, “Diff’rent Strokes”, Author, “Killing Willis” About Harvey's guests: Today’s guest, Todd Bridges, is an actor, director and producer who rose to international stardom as one of the most popular and beloved child stars of the 70s and 80s.  He first captured our hearts as “Loomis” on the TV show “Fish”, and then as “Willis Jackson” on “Diff’rent Strokes”.   He’s also appeared in dozens of movies including “Thursday the 12th”, “The Sounds of Silence”, “Turning Point”, “Dead Ringer”, “Nightblade”, “Hospital Arrest”, “Hope for the Holidays”, “Cheer Bloody Murder” and many more.  And on television, in addition to his iconic work on “Fish” and “Diff’rent Strokes”, he appeared in the groundbreaking miniseries “Roots”, as well as on “Little House on the Prairie”, “The Waltons”, “The Facts of Life”, “Circle of Pain”, “The Young and the Restless”, “Everybody Hates Chris”, and many more TV shows and movies.   But behind that beautiful smile and charismatic talent as an actor, and enormous likeability, this is a man who has had to overcome a number of exceedingly difficult traumas and obstacles, including child abuse and betrayal of the worst kind, as well as police harassment, racism, wrongful prosecution, and vicious treatment by the tabloid press while he was struggling to overcome a very severe and debilitating substance abuse addiction.    In 2010, he wrote a highly compelling, heart wrenching and unforgettable memoir entitled, “Killing Willis: From Diff’rent Strokes, to the Mean Streets, to the Life I Always Wanted”, in which he chronicles his tumultuous and gut-wrenching journey, from the heights of superstardom to the depths of despair, through his addiction, criminal court prosecutions and long road to rehab, recovery and healing, and to rebuilding the highly successful career and family life he is now enjoying and so richly deserves.    Our guest has given so much back to the community.  In 1992 he founded the Todd Bridges Youth Foundation, and in 2010 he became the official spokesperson for ICDC College’s Alcohol and Drug Counselling Program.  Through his work as an addiction counselor and founder of the Society for Ethical Addiction Treatment, he has helped thousands of people conquer their drug and alcohol addictions and live positive, constructive lives.  And I can tell you, as a retired criminal court judge who knows only too well what this man has been through, it’s truly an honor to have him here with us. For more interviews and podcasts go to: https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com/ To see more about Todd Bridges, go to:https://realtoddbridges.com/https://www.facebook.com/todd.bridges2/https://www.instagram.com/toddbridges/https://twitter.com/ToddBridgeshttps://www.seatsociety.orghttp://toddbridgesyouthfoundation.org #ToddBridges    #harveybrownstoneinterviews

Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth Interview with Kent McCord, Star, “Adam-12” About Harvey's guest: Today’s guest, Kent McCord, is a beloved actor who is forever remembered for his portrayal of “Officer Jim Reed” on the classic TV shows, “Adam-12” and “Dragnet 1967”.   And he’s appeared in dozens of other TV shows including “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet”, “Galactica 1980”, “Unsub”, “SeaQuest 2032”, “Renegade”, “Silk Stockings”, “JAG” and “Farscape”.    He’s also appeared in many feature films and TV movies including “The Young Warriors”, “The Outsider”, “Breakout”, “Airplane 2: The Sequel”, “Nashville Beat”, “Return of the Living Dead 3”, “Tides of War”, and many more.   And get this, he’s the only actor to have appeared in FIVE Elvis Presley movies.  He was a member of the Screen Actors Guild National Board of Directors for 11 years, and in 1999 he received the Ralph Morgan Award in recognition of his devoted service to the membership.  And in the year 2000, he and his “Adam-12” co-star Martin Milner received the LAPD Historical Society's Jack Webb Award for their support of the Los Angeles Police Department. For more interviews and podcasts go to: https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com/ #KentMcCord    #harveybrownstoneinterviews

Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth Interview with John Rubinstein, Iconic Stage, Movie & TV Star About Harvey's guests: Today’s guest, John Rubinstein, is a highly acclaimed, multi-award winning actor, composer and director whose illustrious career and body of work have made him a respected and beloved icon.   He made his Broadway debut starring in “Pippin”, for which he won a Theatre World Award, followed by “Children of a Lesser God”, for which he won a whole slew of awards including a Tony and a Drama Desk Award.  He also starred in “The Caine Mutiny Court Martial”, for which he received a Drama Desk Award nomination, “M. Butterfly”, “Love Letters”, “Ragtime” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”.  Off-Broadway, he starred in “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead” and “Counsellor at Law”, for which he received the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Lead Actor in a Play, as well as nominations for both the Outer Critics' and Drama League Awards.   He’s appeared in over 200 movies, TV shows, made-for-TV movies and miniseries.  Some of his most popular feature films are “Getting Straight”, “The Boys From Brazil”, “Someone to Watch Over Me”, “Another Stakeout”, “21 Grams”, “The Candlelight Murders” and “Being the Ricardos”.  On TV you’ve seen him in dozens of TV shows including “Family”, for which he received an Emmy Award nomination, “Crazy Like a Fox”, “Bureau of Alien Detectors”, “Star Trek Enterprise”, “The Young and the Restless”, “Desperate Housewives”, “Dear White People”, “Claws” and many more.    His TV movies include “The American Clock”, for which he received a Cable Ace Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, “M.A.D.D.: Mothers Against Drunk Drivers”, “The Gift of the Magi”, “Norma Jean and Marilyn”, and “Liberace”.   And some of his noteworthy miniseries are “The French Atlantic Affair”, “Roots: The Next Generations”, “The Two Mrs. Grenvilles”, “When we Rise”, “Feud”, and “Headless: A Sleepy Hollow Story”.   He’s directed many stage productions, including “Les Liaisons Dangeureuses”, “Macbeth”, “Wait Until Dark”, “Brigadoon”, “Guys and Dolls” and many other shows.  Our guest is also a brilliant composer, which comes as no surprise, given that he’s the son of the greatest pianist of all time, in my opinion, Arthur Rubinstein.  And he’s the grandson of the renowned Polish violinist, conductor and composer Emil Młynarski.   He’s written the music scores for a number of movies and TV shows including “Jeremiah Johnson”, “The Candidate”, “Family”, “The Ordeal of Patty Hearst”, “Johnny Belinda”, “China Beach” and “A Walton Wedding”.  And believe me, I’m just scratching the surface of this man’s prodigious body of work. For more interviews and podcasts go to: https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com/ To see more about John Rubinstein and the film, go to: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0748270/https://www.playbill.com/person/john-rubinstein-vault-0000020233 #JohnRubinstein    #harveybrownstoneinterviews

Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth Interview with Michelle Danner, Director, “Miranda’s Victim” About Harvey's guests: Today’s guest, Michelle Danner, is a highly acclaimed, multi-award winning actress, filmmaker and world renowned acting coach.   On the stage, she starred in over 30 plays and musicals including Tennessee Williams’ “The Rose Tattoo”, “House of Yes”, “Bright Ideas”, “Ibsen's Ghosts”, and “One White Crow”.  She’s also directed many award winning stage productions including “The Night of the Black Cat”, “Mental the Musical”, “You’re on the Air”, and “Jane Fonda in the Court of Public Opinion.”     On the big screen, she’s appeared in several movies by other directors, including “Reach” and “Ovation”, as well as in many of her own movies, including “How to Go Out on a Date in Queens”, “Hello Herman”, “The Bandit Hound”, “Bad Impluse”, and “The Runner”.  Her movies have won a staggering 56 awards at some of the most prestigious film festivals in the world.   She’s here to discuss her latest film, entitled “Miranda’s Victim”, which in my opinion, is an absolute masterpiece.   The movie tells the true story of the origins of the “Miranda warning”, which the police must give to every criminal suspect and accused person, that they have the right to remain silent, and that anything they say can be used against them in a court of law.  Until our guest made this movie, most people had no idea about the circumstances behind the landmark 1966 US Supreme Court ruling in the Miranda case – circumstances involving the horrific kidnapping and rape by Mr. Miranda, of Patricia Weir in Phoenix, Arizona in 1963.   This riveting movie, starring Abigail Breslin, Andy Garcia, Donald Sutherland, Luke Wilson, Ryan Phillippe and Kyle MacLachlan, tells the jaw dropping story of the many astonishing twists and turns throughout the groundbreaking court case, from the perspective of Ms. Weir, the victim.  The movie, which is available for streaming on Hulu, has won 15 film festival awards, and has been universally praised not only by film critics, but also by leading members of the legal profession and justice system.   In addition to being a highly acclaimed stage director and filmmaker, our guest is also a renowned acting coach.   She’s given acting workshops around the world and she’s worked with many A-list actors including Donald Sutherland, Henry Cavill, Gerard Butler, Penelope Cruz, Andy Garcia, Salma Hayek and many others.  She teaches classes at the Michelle Danner Studio and the Los Angeles Acting Conservatory.  She’s also the Founding Director of the Creative Center for the Arts, where she has served as Artistic Director for more than 20 years.   For more interviews and podcasts go to: https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com/ To see more about Michelle Danner and the film, go to: https://www.michelledanner.com/https://www.facebook.com/michelledanneractinghttps://www.instagram.com/michelledannerla/https://twitter.com/actingclassla #MichelleDanner   #harveybrownstoneinterviews

Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth Interview with Karen Carpenter Biography Filmmaker, Randy Schmidt About Harvey's guests: Today’s guest, Randy Schmidt, is a brilliant author, screenwriter and producer who’s here to discuss his brand new, multi-award winning documentary feature film about one of the greatest female vocalists in the history of pop music:  Karen Carpenter, who with her brother Richard, formed a duo, “The Carpenters”, and became the #1 American music act of the 70s.    The movie is called “Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection”, and it chronicles not only her spectacular career, but also, what was going on behind closed doors:  her quest for perfection, resulting in low self-esteem, a disappointing love life, and a battle with anorexia, which resulted in her tragic death in 1983 at the young age of 32.   We hear about Karen’s personal struggles in her own voice through never-before-released recordings—and through the voices of legendary stars who knew her and were inspired by her music, including Carol Burnett, Olivia Newton-John, Suzanne Sommers, Kristin Chenoweth, Carnie Wilson and others.     The movie, which is now available on the EVENTIVE.ORG streaming platform, is a captivating, revealing, and unvarnished documentary providing astounding new insight into Karen Carpenter’s tragically short life and enduring musical legacy.    Our guest, who wrote and produced this movie, is a best selling author who’s written 3 books about the Carpenters:  “Little Girl Blue: The Life of Karen Carpenter”, “Yesterday Once More: The Carpenters Reader”, and “Carpenters:  An Illustrated Discography”.   He’s also published 2 books about Judy Garland, entitled “Judy Garland on Judy Garland: Interviews and Encounters”, and “Becoming Judy Garland”.   And in 2018 he released a great book entitled, “Dolly on Dolly:  Interviews and Encounters with Dolly Parton.”   For more interviews and podcasts go to: https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com/ To see more about Randy Schmidt and the film, go to: https://karencarpenterdoc.com/https://www.facebook.com/KarenCarpenterDochttps://www.instagram.com/karencarpenterdoc/https://twitter.com/amspictures #RandySchmidt    #karencarpenterdoc   #harveybrownstoneinterviews

Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth Interview with the Legendary Ann-Margret About Harvey's guests: Today’s special guest, Ann-Margret, is a legendary actress, singer, dancer, and recording artist who’s been dazzling audiences for over 6-decades.   On the big screen, she starred in many iconic films including “Pocketful of Miracles”, “State Fair”, “Bye Bye Birdie”, “Viva Las Vegas”, “Carnal Knowledge”, “Tommy”, “The Cincinnati Kid”, “I Ought to be in Pictures”, “52 Pick-Up”, “Grumpy Old Men”, “GRUMPIER Old Men”, “Queen Bees” and many more.   On television, you’ve seen her in dozens of sitcoms, variety shows, TV specials, movies and miniseries including “Who Will Love My Children”, “The Two Mrs. Grenvilles”, “Life of the Party”, “A Streetcar Named Desire”, “Perfect Murder, Perfect Town”, “Blonde”, and of course, her recurring roles in “Ray Donovan” and “The Kominsky Method”.   She headlined in Las Vegas for decades and has toured all over the world with her exciting live show.  She’s received 2 Academy Award nominations and 2 Grammy Award nominations, and she’s won 5 Golden Globe Awards, an Emmy Award, 2 Photoplay Awards and 3 Golden Apple Awards.  And for her contributions to the film industry, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.   She’s recorded 14 albums, including her latest album released earlier this year, entitled, “Born to be Wild”, featuring guest appearances from Joe Perry, Pete Townsend, Cliff Richard, and our recent guest Pat Boone among many others.   Our guest’s longstanding commitment to the men and women of the American military is well known and admired by all.  In the 60s she toured 3 times with the USO to Vietnam and Southeast Asia, performing for tens of thousands of servicemen.  In 2003, the USO honored her with its Spirit of Hope award, and in 2005, she appeared at the Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, to welcome troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan.   And now, she’s produced a new Ann-Margret perfume, available online at ANNMARGRETPERFUME.COM, with all profits going to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.  Last year, she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Nevada.  And she’s also been awarded the highest honor from her native Sweden.   She’s a Commander of the Royal Order of the Polar Star.  And most recently, she received the Living Legend Award from the Women's Image Network.  And if all of that weren’t enough, let me add that Empire magazine ranked our guest as number 10 on its list of the 100 Sexiest movie stars all time. For more interviews and podcasts go to: https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com/ To see more about Ann-Margret, go to: https://annmargretperfume.com/  #AnnMargret    #harveybrownstoneinterviews

Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth Interview with Marc Saltarelli, Filmmaker, “Studio One Forever” About Harvey's guests: Today’s guest, Marc Saltarelli, is a multi-award-winning filmmaker whose narrative films and documentaries have made him one of the most respected and admired directors and producers in the film industry.    His movies have collectively been screened in over 250 major film festivals around the world.  Some of his most popular films are, “Where We Began”, which won the Planet Out Award for Best Short Film,  “To Comfort You”, which won the Best Picture and Best Drama awards at the Beverly Hills Short Fest, “Pride”, which won awards at the Accolade Competition and the Long Island Gay and Lesbian Film Festival,  “Remember to Breathe”, which earned 5 Best Picture nominations worldwide, and WON an award at the Long Island Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, “I Knew Andy Warhol”, which was the centerpiece of the Warhol exhibit at the Palm Springs Museum of Art, and won the award for Best Documentary at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival, and “Red Ribbons of Love”, which was named Best Documentary last year at the Toronto LGBTQ Film Festival.    He's here to discuss his latest feature film, a fabulous documentary entitled, “Studio One Forever”, which tells the untold story of the most iconic gay disco in America, Studio One in Los Angeles.  Studio One was much more than just a disco - it was a mecca for gay men looking for identity and a sense of community in a world that saw them as outcasts. Its adjoining nightclub, The Backlot, created the very first space where the gay community and members of the Hollywood elite socialized together.   From 1974 to 1993, Studio One and The Backlot became the center of nightlife in West Hollywood, and an important staging ground for the rise of the gay rights movement and the fight against AIDS.  Featuring appearances by Chita Rivera, Thelma Houston, Lance Bass, Bruce Vilanch, Melissa Rivers, Felipé Rose from the Village People and many others, this highly compelling and insightful movie takes the audience on a fascinating journey of the history of the gay community, through the lens of this groundbreaking disco.   The movie just won the award for the Best LGBTQ film at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival.    Our guest’s life-long passion for filmmaking is deeply rooted in the belief that movies should not only entertain - they also have the power to effect positive change in the world. For more interviews and podcasts go to: https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com/ To see more about Marc Saltarelli, go to: https://marcsaltarelli.com/https://www.facebook.com/112323677116857https://www.instagram.com/marcsaltarellihttps://www.twitter.com/@studioonemoviehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmTQep1HVgokzTvozixY6PQ #MarcSaltarelli    #harveybrownstoneinterviews

Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth Interview with Mickey Burns, Talk Show Host, “Profiles”, Author About Harvey's guests: Today’s guest, Mickey Burns, is an iconic television talk show host, producer and author from New York City, whose immensely successful, award-winning interview program, “Profiles”, is currently ranked at number 8 on the Hollywood 411 List of the Top 50 Talk shows in the World.   After a successful broadcasting career with a number of television networks, he created his unique interview program, “Profiles”, in 1999, and has interviewed well over 500 prominent celebrities, including Christopher Plummer, Robert Wagner, Carol Channing, Smokey Robinson, Joan Collins, Dick Cavett, Joan Rivers, Isaac Hayes – and believe me, I’m just scratching the surface.   His TV show, which airs on the NYC Media Network in New York, has won 7 Telly Awards, and those awards are so well deserved, because this man is renowned for his research, insightful questions, compassion and sincerity.  Our guest was honored with the Outstanding Alumni Award from his alma mater, Missouri Valley College, which also bestowed an Honorary Doctorate upon him in 2012.    He’s also written 2 books:  a fascinating memoir entitled, “From the Projects to Profiles”, and a beautiful coffee table book entitled, “Inside Celebrity Profiles: A Visual Journey”, which is filled with photos, quotes and fun facts from the set of his show, featuring some of his most illustrious guests. For more interviews and podcasts go to: https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com/ To see more about Mickey Burns, go to: https://www.facebook.com/mickey.burns.7https://www.instagram.com/mickeyburnstv/https://twitter.com/mickeyburnstv #MickeyBurns    #harveybrownstoneinterviews

Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth Interview with Dave Karger, TCM Host, Entertainment Journalist, Author, “50 Oscar Nights: Iconic Stars and Filmmakers on Their Career-Defining Wins” About Harvey's guests: Today’s guest, Dave Karger, is a highly respected and revered authority in the world of entertainment journalism and film history.  He’s an award-winning host and interviewer on Turner Classic Movies. He’s also made hundreds of appearances on The Today show, where he’s been the Oscars expert for the past 24 years.  He also spent 17 years as a senior writer and Awards Correspondent at Entertainment Weekly, and he’s also co-hosted ABC's “Live from the Red Carpet” on Oscar night, and he is one of very few people who have had the honor of serving as the Academy’s official red-carpet greeter.    In 2015, he received the Publicists Guild Press Award for outstanding entertainment journalism.    And today he’s here to discuss his wonderful new book entitled, “50 Oscar Nights: Iconic Stars and Filmmakers on Their Career-Defining Wins”, in which dozens of Oscar winners - everyone from Rita Moreno, Steven Spielberg, Elton John, Martin Scorcese, Meryl Streep, Clint Eastwood, and many more – actually tell us, in their own words, how they felt about being nominated, how they prepared for the Awards show, how they reacted when they heard their names announced and got up on stage to accept their awards, and how the entire experience impacted their lives and careers.    Our guest’s deep-rooted passion for the art of storytelling and cinema has made him a trailblazer, not only for his innovative work in chronicling the evolution of Hollywood, but because he is actively shaping its narrative and transforming its landscape.  He is renowned for his advocacy for diversity and inclusion in the film industry, and he regularly uses his platform to amplify underrepresented voices and challenge industry norms.   And I’m very proud to say that, in 2014, he was named one of OUT Magazine's "100 Most Influential People" in the LGBTQ community. For more interviews and podcasts go to: https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com/ To see more about Dave Karger, go to: https://www.facebook.com/davekarger4/https://www.instagram.com/davekarger/https://twitter.com/davekarger #DaveKarger    #harveybrownstoneinterviews

Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth Interview with Illeana Douglas, Acclaimed Actress, Producer, Director, Author, “Connecticut in the Movies” About Harvey's guests: Today’s guest, Illeana Douglas, is a highly acclaimed actress, writer, producer, and director, who’s brought us some of the most memorable performances in classic films including “Goodfellas”, “Guilty By Suspicion”, “Cape Fear”, “Alive”, “Search and Destroy”, “To Die For”, “Happy, Texas”, “Message in a Bottle” and many more.  And yes, all of those blood curdling screams in “The Last Temptation of Christ” are hers, and yes, she’s the girl who got her face bitten off by Robert De Niro in “Cape Fear”.    On television you’ve seen her in dozens of movies, miniseries and TV shows including “Weapons of Mass Distraction”, “Bella Mafia”, “Lansky”, “Action”, “Law & Order: SVU”, “The Skinny”, “Goliath” and “Six Feet Under”, for which she received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series.   She also created, wrote and frequently directed the world’s first-ever branded web series, “Easy to Assemble”.  In addition to winning a whole slew of prestigious awards including 6 Webbies, our guest – in my opinion - also achieved the impossible:  she actually made it COOL to shop at IKEA.   Our guest is also a great lover of classic films, which comes as no surprise, given that she’s the granddaughter of the legendary actor Melvyn Douglas.  She can often be seen on the Turner Classic Movies network, interviewing cinematic giants and hosting the Spotlight Series, including “Funny Ladies”, “Second Looks”, and “Trailblazing Women”.   She’s participated in scores of documentaries about film history, and she produced and hosted the highly popular podcast, “The Film Scene”, in which she interviews celebrities about classic movies.   Her first book, entitled, “I Blame Dennis Hopper, And Other Stories from a Life Lived In and Out of the Movies”, was named “one of the best books of 2015” by Entertainment Weekly.   And her latest book is a real gem for film buffs.  It’s called “Connecticut in the Movies:  From Dream Houses to Dark Suburbia”, and it explains how the cinematic perception of Connecticut, originally created in Hollywood movies like “Bringing Up Baby” and “Christmas in Connecticut”, has shifted in recent years.  The book offers some surprising conclusions about just what it means to be a “Connecticut movie.” For more interviews and podcasts go to: https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com/ To see more about Illeana Douglas, go to: https://www.illeanadouglas.com/https://www.facebook.com/Illeanaramahttps://www.instagram.com/illeanaramahttps://twitter.com/illeanarama #IlleanaDouglas    #harveybrownstoneinterviews