Robert Reed, generally known as the lovable, healthful dad from “The Brady Bunch,” wasn’t desirous to play second fiddle to a younger John Travolta.
That declare was made by Joel Thurm in his e book titled “Intercourse, Medication & Pilot Season: Confessions of a Casting Director,” the place he dished on his time in Hollywood. In it, he detailed the making of the 1976 drama “The Boy within the Plastic Bubble,” which starred each Reed and Travolta.
“That movie was a labor of affection for everyone besides Robert Reed,” Tower claimed to Fox Information Digital. “For him, it was only a paycheck. He simply could not take care of the truth that our brief schedule fully revolved round John. The factor is, we simply had 17 days to work with John earlier than he had to return to capturing ‘ Welcome Again Kotter.’ That made it inconvenient for everyone else, however all of us understood, and it was completely fantastic. That is simply what we needed to do. However not for Robert Reed.”
“He was actually a p—- on the set,” Tower alleged. “He was there for one purpose. He was there for a paycheck.”
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“The Boy within the Plastic Bubble,” a made-for-TV drama, informed the story of a teen born with immune deficiencies (Travolta) who years to go away his germ-free bubble all because of the lady subsequent door (Glynnis O’ connor).
Within the e book, Tower described Travolta as “a child” who was “having a ball and really pleasant to all members of the solid and crew.” It was at a time when the actor was skyrocketing to fame and “could not go anyplace with out getting mobbed.” As for Reed, Tower alleged he “was the one announcement” on the set “who turned out to be a royal ache within the ass.”
“Understandably, ‘The Brady Bunch’ had pumped up his ego, and Reed was used to being as necessary as anybody on the set,” Thurm wrote. “However in ‘Bubble,’ he was neither the star nor the focal point. The capturing schedule trusted John ending his scenes within the 17 days he was out there. All scheduling needed to be labored round this. Reed could not deal with the demotion. He was sulky, curt and made all of it too clear that this job was only a paycheck to him.”
Tower mentioned Reed’s annoyance got here to a head – “actually” – on the day when his curly hair needed to be straightened and rekinked twice. The laborious process was meant to indicate his character’s adjustments in look over time.
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“It was a number of time for him to be on the chair,” mentioned Tower. “And he was depressing – simply depressing. And what occurred, occurred.”
Within the e book, Tower mentioned he went over to Reed’s dressing room in an try and clean issues over. That is when issues allegedly took a flip.
“Reed wound up storming into his dressing room, which, by the way in which, was equal in all respects to John’s,” Tower wrote. “I adopted him and apologized, attempting to clarify, as soon as once more, our ridiculous schedule.”
Tower alleged he supplied the grumpy star a again rub – one which changed into extra.
“The deed that ought to not have been completed received completed,” Tower alleged. “I did depart him in a greater temper, however Reed, who was professionally closed, by no means appeared me within the eye for the remaining few days of capturing and returned to being a ache within the ass… As promised, we completed with John inside his 17 day restrict.”
Within the e book, Tower additionally alleged that he had a less-than-memorable sexual encounter with one other closeted actor – Rock Hudson.
“You imply my non-encounter,” Tower clarified. “The necessary factor is that nothing occurred. That is the explanation why the story is humorous.”
Tower alleged that within the ’70s, he attended an business get together the place a lot of the attendees have been homosexual and “a number of liquor was poured.” In attendance was his teenage idol. He claimed that the “Big” star caught his eye and made a “comply with me” movement to the bed room upstairs. Tower insisted that he was “so anxious and nervous” that nothing extra occurred – to his embarrassment.
Fortunately, he mentioned, Hudson forgot all about it and appeared unfazed as he was gearing up for his newest mission.
“It might be years later, most likely 10 years later, till I noticed him once more at my workplace,” mentioned Tower. “We have been casting a cop sequence referred to as ‘The Devlin Connection’ and he was there. Fortunately, he had no concept who I used to be, which was simply fantastic with me!”
Hudson handed away in 1985 at age 59 from problems of AIDS. Reed later died in 1992 at age 59. His dying certificates indicated he was contaminated with HIV. Of their lifetimes, each males stored their sexuality a secret, understanding it will have derailed their thriving careers.
Through the years, Tower was concerned with a number of iconic TV exhibits and movies, comparable to “Rocky Horror Image Present,” “The Golden Women,” “Household Ties” and “Miami Vice.” He is additionally met quite a few stars on the rise alongside the way in which. But it surely was Travolta, who met Tower when the actor was simply 17 years previous, that left a long-lasting impression on him.
“I remembered when he walked into my workplace in New York – this was earlier than something,” Tower recalled. “He was only a well mannered, charming and extremely good-looking younger man – he was a star proper from the start. Despite the fact that he was from New Jersey and his title ends in a vowel, he was nothing just like the character he would play, Vinnie Barbarino , in ‘Welcome Again, Kotter.’ John Travolta was simply a kind of folks you met and immediately knew he was particular, that he was going locations.”
“In that assembly, we talked about his aspirations,” Tower shared. “He informed me that he actually wished to learn to fly an airplane. It was only a great assembly with this younger man with goals and ambitions. But it surely was solely when he moved to California that issues actually started to maneuver for him. And I wasn’t stunned. He had that star high quality from the beginning.”
Whereas “The Boy within the Plastic Bubble” did not end result in an Emmy nomination for Travolta, Tower mentioned it led to one thing far more necessary. It confirmed audiences and filmmakers that Travolta may act past sitcoms. After that movie, Tower and Travolta labored collectively in “Grease” and “Second by Second.”
“What I hope readers get from my e book – and it begins on the very starting – no person is aware of something about how the casting course of works,” mentioned Thurm. “Casting administrators do not select the individuals who wind up with the components. We advise, cajole, hammer over the top, twist arms, and do something that we will to persuade the individuals who make the choices. However we actually do not have the final phrase.”
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