A. THE BASICS
1. What is
your full name? (Please include your middle name)
PAUL FINLEY
ZALOOM
2. When and where were you
born?
1951
3. How tall are
you?
5 11
4. What is your eye
color?
BLUE
5. Where did you attend
high school?
CHOATE SCHOOL AND PUTNEY SCHOOL
6. Did you
attend college?
GODDARD COLLEGE
7. What were some of your
favorite/least favorite subjects in school?
FAVORITE: ENGLISH, ART,
HISTORY. LEAST: MATH
8. Would you describe
yourself as a good student?
NOT PARTICULARLY.
SOMETIMES I WAS, SOMETIMES I WAS NOT.
9. What is your
ancestry?
HALF SYRIAN, HALF WASP (INCLUDING PROT AND A TINY
BIT OF CATHOLIC IRISH, AND SOME SCOTTISH).
10. Tell us about your
family.
BIG, GOOFY, AND GREAT.
11. Do you
have any nicknames? What are they?
ZOOM,
ZOOMER.
12. Do you have any pets?
NOPE. TRAVEL
TOO MUCH.
B. YOUR WORK
1. Why and
how did you get into show business?
JOINED BREAD AND PUPPET
THEATER AT AGE 19 IN 1971 WHILE IN COLLEGE.
2. What was your first
acting job? (Paid/non-paid? Stage/TV/screen?
SEE ABOVE....ACTUALLY
THAT IS PUPPETRY. ACTING? FIRST JOB I GUESS WAS BEAKMAN.
3. What was
something you bought with money from your first
paycheck?
FIRST BIG PAYCHECK? A SPECTACULAR PHOTOGRAPH OF A
CIRCUS HORSE ACT BY CHRISTIAN
STAUB, TAKEN IN 1952,
PURCHASED FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHER HIMSELF.
4. What do you regard as
your "big break?"
GOING TO THE FARM AND WILDERNESS CAMPS IN PLYMOUTH
UNION, VERMONT.
5. Can you imagine yourself in any other occupation?
If so, what would it be?
MEDIATOR. TEACHER. PEACE
ACTIVIST. CHOCOLATE TASTER. PRESIDENT! KING!
6. Discuss some of the
characters you've played: Which roles or works have been the most rewarding for
you as an artist?
MY PUPPET SHOWS! BEAKMAN! BREAD AND PUPPET! THEY
HAVE ALL BEEN EQUALLY REWARDING.
7. Do you have any other
specialized talents you can bring to a part?
SPEAK
ENGLISH.
8. How do you feel about watching your own
work?
SQUEAMISH.
9. What negative
experiences have you had so far in your career?
GETTING A TOE
NAIL RIPPED OFF DURING A SHOW. KICKED IN THE FACE DURING A
SHOW.
CUTTING MYSELF SO BADLY I HAD TO STOP A SHOW. HAVING
MONO ON TOUR FOR A
MONTH. GETTING PNEUMONIA ON THE ROAD AND BEING LEFT
IN FRANCE IN SOME STRANGER'S
HOUSE WHILE THE COMPANY
CONTINUED TOURING. TOURING WITH A BROKEN LEG. TOURING
TWICE WITH A
BROKEN FOOT. IS THAT ENOUGH? OTHERWISE IT HAS BEEN GREAT!
10. Someone
once had a prophecy about Denzel Washington: "You're going to speak to millions
of people. You're going to do great things." Do you think that there is a
"higher purpose" to what you do? If so, what do you think it
is?
MAKE PEOPLE LAUGH, A HOLY
TASK!!!
10. Do you feel any sense of responsibility to say,
or to avoid saying, certain things in your work?
TO SAY: THE
IMPORTANCE OF PEACE, JUSTICE, AND FREEDOM, WHICH SOUNDS PORTENIOUS BUT SO BE IT.
AVOID SAYING THINGS? YES: BIGOTED, XENOPHOBIC OR JINGOISTIC THINGS
ARE
AVOIDED.
11. What are your
thoughts on the controversy surrounding the dramatic depiction of the
following?:
--violence I DON'T LIKE IT AT ALL MYSELF, BUT
I UNDERSTAND THE DEEP SEATED PYSCHOLOGICAL REASONS WHY IT
EXISTS.
--profanity IF USED ARTFULLY, I HAVE NO
PROBLEM WITH IT.
--smoking NO PROBLEM UNLESS BARNEY HAS TAKEN
UP THE FILTHY HABIT.
--nudity NO PROBLEM.
--drug
use DRAMATIC DEPICTION? WHY NOT?
12. What is the worst
aspect of doing a job like yours? THE HUGE AMOUNT OF TECH, LOGISTIC, AND
OFFICE WORK THAT KEEPS ME FROM DOING ARTISTIC WORK.
13. Have you
had to do anything particularly difficult or unpleasant in the performance of
your work?
ATE BUGS ONCE FOR AN ABC PILOT, BUT THEY WERE
DELICIOUS.
14. Have you ever turned down a role? Why? (For
reasons other than simple time conflicts, of course.)
I DON'T THINK
SO.
15. What roles have you tried out for, but didn't
get, that we might recognize?
HOST OF NEWTON'S
APPLE.
16. What, of all the things you have been involved
in, are you most proud of?
MAYBE SINGING A BACH
CORALE WITH WORDS BY BRECHT IN FRONT OF 40 THOUSAND PEOPLE, OR LEADING 800,000
PEOPLE IN THE DISARMAMENT MARCH IN NEW YORK IN EARLY '80'S, BOTH WITH BREAD AND
PUPPET THEATER.
16. Is there anything that you feel was a particular
failure?
YES, SOME SHOWS, SOME
PERFORMANCES.
17. Do you get recognized much when you are out in
public?
NO. MAYBE 20 TIMES IN THE PAST 10 YEARS. What do
you remember about the first time you received recognition from a fan? IT
WAS NICE. How much fan mail do you get? NOT SO MUCH.
What are
your thoughts on the internet space that is dedicated to you? SWELL. Are
you going to have an official website in the foreseeable future? UM, MAYBE
IF I FIND THE TIME.
18. Rank the following in their order of importance
to you: money, fame, artistic achievement.
ART FIRST, PAYING THE
RENT NEXT, AND LAST: FAME IS A PAIN IN THE NECK THAT I DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH
CAUSE I AM NOT FAMOUS, THANK GOODNESS.
19. Name some of your
favorite actors/musicians/artists.
ACTOR: ALISTAIR SIMS,
ENGLISH CHARACTER ACTOR ("A CHRISTMAS CAROL", 1951, ALSO FAVORITE MOVIE) ALSO
BEAT COMEDIAN LORD BUCKLEY, WOODY ALLEN, GEORGE CARLIN.
MUSIC: JEFF
BECK, BECK, NRBQ, BILL MONROE, HOWLING WOLF, THE OSBORNE
BROTHERS, THE
WEAVERS, WILLIAM ORBIT, MUDDY WATERS, AND MY AMAZING
BROTHER
CHRIS!! AND I COULD GO ON AND
ON.
ARTISTS: PHILIP GUSTON, HIERONYMOUS BOSCH, MAX
ERNST, EL GRECO, ED BIG DADDY ROTH, ALL THE GERMAN EXPRESSIONISTS, AND MANY MANY
MORE.
CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS: ROBERT WILLIAMS, PETER
SCHUMANN, MAX SCHUMANN, DALE
WITTIG, SANDOW BIRK,
JEROME CAJA, LAURIE HOGIN, MARK DANCEY, MARK RYDEN,
CAMILLE ROSE
GARCIA, SARA PALOMA BARRIOS, MORGAN CARVER, LISA ADAMS, AND GREGG GIBBS, TO NAME
A FEW OF MANY. Who has most influenced you professionally? LORD BUCKLEY,
BREAD AND PUPPET THEATER, ALEXANDER CALDER. Who would you most like to work
with? LORD BUCKLEY (HE IS NO LONGER WITH US).
20. Do you
have any interesting or amusing behind-the-scenes stories for
us?
WE HAD A LION ON THE BEAKMAN SHOW ONCE. THE LION WAS
BEHIND ME, THE
CAMERA WAS IN FRONT OF ME, AND A BIG OLE STEAK WAS
BEING WAVED OVER THE CAMERA SO
THE LION WOULD LOOK IN
THE CAMERA'S DIRECTION. I WAS BETWEEN THE LION AND THE STEAK. IT WAS
AMUSING.
21. What path do you want your career to
take?
MORE AND BETTER PUPPET SHOWS. What do you want to
be doing in five years? SAME AS ABOVE.
22. When you started
working in 'Beakman's World', you were doing a very different work, have you
ever experienced some kind of rejection from your former artsy-public or
colleagues? I mean, you know, 'He had sold his soul working for the boob tube',
'he is not caring for art anymore', or something like
that;
NOT AT ALL. MY MENTOR, WHO IS NOT A BIG FAN OF
POPULAR CULTURE, HAS TEASED ME A LITTLE ABOUT IT, BUT THAT IS IT. MY FRIENDS
HAVE BEEN REALLY SUPPORTIVE OF THE OTHER WORK I HAVE DONE. MANY WERE HAPPY WHEN
I RETURNED TO THE PUPPET SHOWS; SO AM I.
in the other hand,
since you had worked in a kids-oriented show, had you ever felt the pressure of
having a certain image, or being a role model? NOT REALLY. MY LIFE IS MY
LIFE, AND SO FAR, IT HAS BEEN PRETTY PRIVATE. NO ONE IS PARTICULARLY INTERESTED,
WHICH IS FINE BY ME. WHEN I MAKE APPEARANCES IN PUBLIC, THE MAIN THING IS TO BE
POLITE ANRESPECTFUL AND TO LOOK CHILDREN IN THE EYES WHEN TALKING WITH
THEM.
22. You seems to being travelling a lot, have you
ever felt tired of that kind of life?
YEAH, BUT IT'S MY JOB, SO
I DON'T THINK ABOUT IT TOO MUCH. do you enjoy it enough to forget the
incomodities? SOMETIMES. I LIKE THE LOCAL MUSEUMS AND SWIMMING POOLS. at
least do you have frecuent traveller discounts....? YEAH, FREE
FLIGHTS.
23.Don't you think your work could be interesting
for audiences outside the USA?, or you think is too american to be well received
in other parts of the world?
BEAKMAN: YES, IT IS ON TV
IN CHINA AND MEXICO THESE DAYS AND QUITE SUCCESSFUL. SOLO SHOWS: I HAVE BEEN ON
9 EUROPEAN TOURS WITH THE STUFF, AND IT GOES OVER PRETTY WELL. MOST OF THE TOURS
HAVE BEEN IN NORTHERN EUROPE, WHERE FOLKS SPEAK ENGLISH PRETTY WELL. BUT I HAVE
TO SPEAK SLOWLY, WHICH IS HARD, AS THE SHOWS ARE LIGHTENING
FAST.
24. Do you enjoy working for kids?, have any other
projects besides the 'Beakman Live' show that points to
children?
YES, LOVE IT. OTHER PROJECTS: NOT
YET.
C. COMING ATTRACTIONS
1. Please
talk us about your current/future projects.
WORKING ON VARIOUS PUPPET
SHOWS.
2. Do you have any movie, theather or TV work
gathering dust in the can that looks as if it is never going to see the light of
day?
A FILM SCRIPT ORIGINALLY COMMISSIONED BY THE JIM
HENSON COMPANY.
D. JUST LIFE
1. Describe
yourself.
BIG AND DUMB.
2. Can you describe
yourself in five words?
BIG HAIRY MAMMAL FROM
LONG ISLAND (THAT'S 6)
3. What did you do
yesterday?
RECORED NARRATION FOR AN INDEPENDENT FILM ABOUT
ARTIST SANDOW BIRK FICTIONAL WAR BETWEEN SAN FRANCISCO AND L.A. ENTITLED THE
GREAT WAR OF THE CALIFORNIAS.
4. What do you do for
fun? What are your hobbies, interests and spare time
activities?
ART, GOING TO GALLERIES, READING, SWIMMING,
POLITICS, ART MUSEUMS, PHILOSOPHY, PUPPETRY, HISTORY.
5. Would you
appear on a celebrity version of Survivor?
UM, I DUNNO. DOUBT
IT.
6. Do you play any musical
instruments?
A LITTLE TINY BIT OF DRUMS.
7. Do you
speak any foreign languages?
FRENCH. What foreign
language(s) did you take in school? FRENCH.
8. Name some
of your:
--favorite books/authors: PRIMO LEVI AND HIS
AUCHWITZ TRILOGY. A MOST SENSITIVE AND REMARKABLE WRITER.
--favorite
movies: SEE ABOVE, PLUS WOODY ALLEN'S WORK.
--favorite TV shows
(past and present): SOUPY SALES (PAST) FRONTLINE
(PRESENT).
--favorite/least favorite foods (Can you
cook?): LOBSTER; BROCOLLI RABE. YES, I COOK, BARELY BUT
OFTEN.
--music (types, performers, etc.) What is in your
CD player right now? SEE ABOVE.
9. Are you
superstitious?
SLIGHTLY, I AM ASHAMED TO
ADMIT.
10. Are you a morning person or a night
person?
NIGHT!!!!
11. What is the most
unusual gift you have ever received?
SHARK
EGGS.
12. Which had been the best gift you've ever
received?
MY DAUGHTER. THAT'S CORNY, BUT THE TRUTH. and the
worst one? HAIR FALLING OUT.
13. What are some of your
pet peeves?
PEOPLE CLIPPING THEIR NAILS IN
PUBLIC.
14. How has your life changed in the past five
years?
HAIR FALLING OUT.
15. What are some of your
best personal qualities?
HUMOR.
16. What are some of your less-than-great personal
qualities?
PROCRASTINATION.
17. Name something you
can't resist.
CHOCOLATE.
18. Are you introverted
or extroverted?
BOTH.
19. Do you have any
phobias?
HEIGHTS. What worries you or makes you afraid?
AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY.
20. If you were your own
mother, what advice would you give yourself?
RELAX.
21. Are you easily bored? NO. What do you
find boring? DRIVING. What do you do when you get bored? KEEP DRIVING
AND PAY MORE ATTENTION.
22. When was the last
time you cried? What caused it?
RECENTLY. THE
EVENTS IN ISRAEL/PALESTINE, BELIEVE IT OR NOT.
23. Do you make New
Year's resolutions?
YES. If so, do you
usually keep them? SOME YES, SOME NO.
24. Are most of your
friends in or out of show business?
HALF AND HALF. MOST ARE
ARTISTS OF ONE SORT OR ANOTHER.
25. What qualities do you
feel are important in a friend? In a mate?
A LOVING NATURE.
CURIOSITY. PASSION. HUMOR.
26. What qualities do you
find impossible to put up with in a friend? In a mate?
RACISM,
HOMOPHOBIA, BIGOTRY.
27. Have you ever had any
sort of spiritual or supernatural experience?
NO.
28. When you
get home from work, what is the first thing you do?
I WORK AT
HOME...BUT WHEN I DON'T, I CHECK MY EMAIL! AND MY EBAY
AUCTIONS!
29. Do you have much experience with the L.A. club
scene or the celebrity party circuit?
NO.
30. Julia
Roberts or Nicole Kidman?
SAW HER IN A RESTAURANT
RECENTLY. SHE IS TALL AND PRETTY.
31. What are some things
you'd like to change about yourself?
PROCRASTINATION. FEAR OF
FILING. UPTIGHTNESS.
32. Do people say that
you have a good sense of humor?
YES. Do you?
I SURE HOPE SO.
33. Would you rather be on Letterman or Leno?
Why?
NEITHER.
34. If you could spend
time with any people, past or present, living or dead, who would they be?
LORD BUCKLEY.
35. Do you get involved in practical jokes
much?
NOPE.
36. Have you ever had a
non-show business job?
CARPENTRY, FARM WORK,
LOGGING.Have you ever been fired from a job? NOPE.
37. With
whom would you most like to be trapped on a desert
island?
MY BEST FRIENDS AND MY
DAUGHTER.
38. Do you have any distinguishing marks, tattoos or
body piercings?
NO.
39. What people have most
influenced you personally?
PETER SCHUMANN, SCOTT AND
HELEN NEARING, MANY QUAKERS. Who are some of your favorite people
currently? MY DAUGHTER! I ADORE HER!
40. Do you have any
quirky talents?
NO.
41. Have you ever broken
a bone?
LEG, FOOT.
42. Did you have braces
as a kid?
NO.
43. Are you good at
keeping a secret?
I HAVE GOTTEN BETTER.
44. If you
had the chance to ask five whishes (yes, why only three?, I want to give you two
extras), which them will be?
OH, I
DUNNO.
1. WORLD PEACE
(CORNY)
2. NO MORE
NATIONALISM
3. JUSTICE
4.
HANG OUT WITH MARCEL DUCHAMP.
5.
CHOCOLATE
45. You don't look like the guy who use to despise a
woman's work, so, What do you think about women having each time a more active
role in society, like doing jobs we weren't supposed
to?
I SUPPORT THE PROGRESS WOMEN HAVE MADE IN SOCIETY.
WOMEN STILL MAKE ONLY 76 CENTS FOR THE DOLLAR A MAN EARNS. THE SITUATION IS
IMPROVING, BUT WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO. what do you think of the idea
of a woman in a high responsibility charge, like president? GREAT, SO LONG
AS SHE ISN'T ELIZABETH DOLE OR MAGGIE THATCHER OR SOME OTHER RIGHT WING NUT
JOB.
46. Which will be the best advice you could give to
your daughter?
TAKE CARE OF YER TEETH; FLOSS. HEH HEH. what does
she thinks of her father? SHE THINKS I AM A BIT OF A DORK. WE ARE VERY CLOSE
AND GET ALONG GREAT. SHE GETS BORED BY MY RANTING ABOUT ART AND POLITICS, BUT
SHE HAS SOME INTEREST IN MY OBSESSIONS HERSELF.
47. Would
you like to live in some other country?
FOR A SHORT TIME,
PARIS. OTHERWISE, NO.
E. ODDS AND ENDS
1. Complete
this sentence: My feelings about this interview are
I GOTTA GET
DONE SOON CAUSE I GOTTA GET TO THE AIRPORT!
2. What would you never
want to be asked? (No need to provide the answers, just the questions!)
THIS QUESTION.
3. What have we not asked
you that you would like to be asked?
NUTTIN.
4. Do you want to ask us or tell us
anything?
NOPE.
F. JUST FOR FUN
Would you
rather be able to sweat cheese or vomit marbles?
I'LL GET BACK
TO YOU ON THAT ONE!