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TRANSCRIPT Quantum Con 1992:
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From: sallylb@netcom.com (Sally Smith) Subject: The transcript Date: Tue, 21 Apr 92 19:35:20 PDT This transcript is copyright 1992 by Sally Smith and Shari Ramseur and may be redistributed freely NOT FOR PROFIT as long as this notice and all credits remain intact and permission is asked of Sally Smith (sally@netcom.com). Any use of this transcript for monetary gain will result in legal action and mess up your karma something fierce. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DONALD P. BELLISARIO, SCOTT BAKULA, DEAN STOCKWELL Universal Hilton Hotel, Universal City, CA March 1, 1992 Transcribed by Sally Smith and Shari Ramseur
The final scene from the "Did You See The Sunrise?" episode of "Magnum, P.I." is shown, then the credits for "Magnum", "Tales of the Gold Monkey," "Airwolf," "Tequila and Bonetti" and "Quantum Leap" (with appropriate cheers and applause for all), then the phone conversation between Sam and his father from the pilot episode. VOICE: Ladies and gentlemen, please join us in a warm welcome for the creator of "Quantum Leap", Donald Bellisario! % % * % % (prolonged standing ovation) DON BELLISARIO: Thank you. Not just for the welcome, thank you for the last four years. AUDIENCE: Thank you! % * DB: You're the people who kept us on the air. They were gonna cancel us at the end of the first year, and you've kept us there for four years, and now it looks like we're going on for the fifth -- * * % % % And I'm not supposed to forget there's a little drawing going on here. I'm gonna draw for a vacation prize, which I have here in my pocket. So if you wanna bring that up, I'll draw the name and we'll find out who in this room -- I assume they're in this room? OK? Should I take this one? This one? Christy Keith, Sacramento. (she screams) Christy? Come on up. % Hi, Christy! (Accepts prize and hug from Don, audience says, "Awwww", she leaves stage) OK. The, uh -- I put that first episode on -- I don't know how many of you ever saw the first episode -- % But I wanted to do that scene because that scene is very important to me. I, uh, I just felt it typified what the show was going to be about, what the show _has_ been about, and it _couldn't_ have been performed any better by anyone, and I want to bring the actors out now. % % I don't want to stand out here a long time, but let's bring out Scott and Dean (they enter, another standing ovation). % * % * % * % Remember an episode called "Jimmy"? % (Points out a frantically waving Brad Silverman, who played the mirror image of Jimmy in that episode and "Shock Theater". % * as Scott hugs him. Scott leaves the stage for a minute) He will return, he won't run away. Whatever side -- say hi...That's not your seat. This is the lady that won the trip -- No, (inaudible due to Dean) -- Can you all hear us? OK. SCOTT BAKULA: Hello everybody! * * % DEAN STOCKWELL: You having a good time? * % DB: OK. Fire away. Question. * Right here in the front. I'm going to let you operate and rest a little bit, so it's right here. No, no, you can do it, it's right here. Lady in red. I can't hear you. (about his microphone) I gotta give it up? (Gives mike to Joyce Hatcher, hereinafter and forevermore known as The Microphone Lady.) Hi. Um, this is for Scott, um, it's not one of my very favorite episodes, but when you were, um, the pregnant girl, I wanted to tell you, you did the best job! # % * (Scott nods, then gets up walks like he's pregnant. #) I knew exactly how you felt! I know you get this question everywhere you go, but what was your very favorite character? As -- in a comedic sense. SB: In a comedic sense? (Pause, thinking) Oh, boy! # # % (looks surprised) See, that's how bad it is, I didn't even do it on purpose. # (shakes his head) I think the first words my son is gonna speak are "Oh, boy." We're teaching him, we're working on that. You know, I -- there was an episode, that we did very early on, actually two episodes in the first year. Uh, the "Volare" episode, which is -- that Don wrote, % is wonderfully comedic, I love that whole show. And there was also a show, um, "Play It Again, Seymour" % which was a spoof of "Casablanca" and all those other ones. Those are two of my favorite comedic episodes. Thanks. DB: Who's got the microphone? She's going to _somebody_. I don't know where she's going. # DS: All right, waay in the back, all right. OK, um, Dean. How do you deal with -- Dean _and_ Scott -- how do you guys deal with talking to the air when you're doing the holograms and stuff, 'cause I know you guys have to talk to the air when you do that? DS: Yeah, I have to talk to the air _sometimes_, when we do we call a blue screen, to make the hologram walk through things and stuff, and when I'm doing the blue screen I'm the only one there. The scene we already shot I see on a screen. So that's the only time I do it. But Scott does it a lot, because whenever I'm there, and somebody else looks, I'm not there, so maybe we should get his reaction to that. He's probably glad that I'm not there. # SB: It's hard. You get used to it, um; sometimes we are better at it than other times. If we had more time to do it really, really well, but I think all things considered, with what we try to do in eight days of television, making new shows every week, it comes out pretty well, I think. And Dean's really excellent at it, so that helps a lot. % (Young actress who played girl in church in "Last Dance". She has a birthday card for Dean.) This question's for Dean. DS: Thank you. # (exactly as she said it in the show) Dean, are you an angel? # % DS: Come on up, stand up (% "aww" as she gives a giant birthday card to Dean and he hugs her) Veteran actress. Boy, this is some weekend-- SB: Can I answer that question? # DS: -- for me, I'm telling ya. What? This question. (looking at card) "Handle with care". Isn't that beautiful? SB: You didn't answer the question. DS: What was the question? # Oh, am I an angel? Uh, -- No, (grins) I'm a star, though. % * As of yesterday, I got a star on Hollywood Boulevard. % I want to share something with you, something also that was given to me yesterday, an unbelievable thing. The, uh, the fans that raised the money for my star through recycling, were of course all there on the boulevard, and the top money-earners came in from all over the country, the top ten, and they had a luncheon, and at the luncheon they were very sweet to me (laughs). I can't believe this. They gave me a star. But they gave me a real star, a real one in the heavens, is named Dean Stockwell. They certified it and they gave it to me. I think it was the most beautiful idea and I'm so grateful to them. Should I open this now? Yes? OK. (Opens card signed by many fans.) DB: Where's my Microphone Lady? JOYCE: Here! DB: All right, give me somebody while he's opening it. OK, this is a two-part question. Uh, first of all, Scott, are you and Dean going to be signing autographs afterwards? SB: No, let me say something about that. Uh, I would love to sign autographs for everybody all the time. When we get into a situation like this -- and this is just me -- if I can't sign autographs for everybody and I have to stop at a certain time, then I don't -- I'd rather not sign for anybody. % And I don't mean that to sound in a bad way, but I'd rather do it for everybody. So -- % * -- I mean, I'm thrilled that there's so many people here today, I mean, that's wonderful, it's just, the time being what it is, we can't do that. So I _apologize_ for that, but again, if you send stuff to Universal, we will sign it and get it back to you. So again, sorry. OK. And the second part is, first of all, I want to tell you guys I absolutely love the show. It's fantastic. % Can I come up there and take a picture of you? AUDIENCE: No! DB: I think what happens -- SB: In the corner there, you can take 'em. DB: Come down to the corner and take 'em, but if everybody starts doing this, we'll never get done -- Let's get somebody else. (Referring to Joyce) Here she goes! # She's great! (Lady from Australia) Hi. Um, At home, we're just, um -- hello! DB: Hi! At home we're just on the second season over there, and from the episodes I've seen over here, your quest and your mission seems to have got a lot, and your involvement in it seems to have got an awful lot stronger. Do you feel, um, the parts that you've portrayed, your mission has got in some way deeper and more involved as the series goes on? SB: Well, I do. I think Don's really a better person to field that, because he has a better sense of the scope of the whole thing, but I think as everyone has had input into the show, since we began, including Dean and myself, and Don and other writers, and people like yourselves, from all over that mention things and talk about things, I think the show changes focus and moves, uh, it has a lovely quality of being able to different every week so we can experiment with things. We've experimented this year with some shows that were (slightly sarcastic) "controversial". % And I think that that was a step for us in many ways, and I think those shows came off wonderfully well. So I think the show continues to evolve, and it certainly continues to amaze me, what these wonderful writers can think up. # (BRAD SILVERMAN) Thank you Scott, the crew, the cast, and every "Quantum Leap" I've seen. Scott, Dean, and even the director, has been an inspiration, a wonderful moment to Quantum Leap. You have a lot of inspired fans, and maybe you don't realize that each one of you out there are the most wonderful people I have seen, % and what's more, of all the wonderful, loving people in the cast, you, Scott, are the most wonderful, loving, caring, inspiration to fans, # you are so wonderful -- (stops talking as Scott comes over and hugs him.) DB: You got one? Go ahead. JOYCE: I'm racing up here but I want one question. I been running all day. Dean, I know how hard it is to rap. How hard was it for _you_ to rap? # % DS: It wasn't easy. (Scott laughs) It wasn't easy, and I'm gonna tell you why, and you're all going to have a good yock on this one. I happen to be blessed with a -- a certain kind of -- of memory configuration (Scott is leaning forward more and more, listening in feigned rapt attention, pretending disbelief while Don appears to be trying to disavow the whole thing) # that works very well for me in the business I'm in. I can remember dialogue like _that_. Big long speeches, whole plays, very quickly. So can Scott. But when I was doing that song, I was of course listening to the music in my ear and everything -- I couldn't remember the alphabet! # % Did like eight takes because I kept forgetting the alphabet. I'm sure there's a lot of women that would agree with this: Scott, you're so adorable. % * This will be the only time in my lifetime I'll get to talk to you, I have seen you in a lot of interviews -- DS: What am I, chopped liver over here? AUDIENCE: # No! % SB: More like liver pate. # Um, Scott, if you can answer this for Dean, and Dean for Scott -- # how are you more on a personal level? 'Cause I've seen you interviewed, both of you, and you're always talking about the show, and business, but what are you like personally? Are you a lot like your characters? Can you answer for each other? # (Scott and Dean look at each other) DS: I'll tell you what, Scott is a bright, deep guy, but he's not that complicated. # (laughs) SB: I think Dean speaks for himself. # % Scott -- Scott and Dean, I want to tell you first of all how much we all enjoy "Quantum Leap"-- DS: Where are you? Right here. Back here. DS: Way in the back here. I want my wife to stand up for just a second. We are here against our doctor's advice. We are having a baby any minute. % DS: I'm glad there's a doctor here! SB: (shrugs) I'm not a real doctor! # She's not in labor, but Scott, I think after seeing you she is going into labor. % This is -- this is our first baby, our first one, and in fact we're having it any day, and we're both terrified, and I just wanted to ask both of you, would you please rub my wife's tummy for good luck? # % * (Scott and Don motion them forward) DS: That doesn't mean everybody in the audience can get lucky! % * SB: (getting up) You've gotta be nine months pregnant to get this done now, none of this, "I conceived yesterday." # (Scott and Dean both rub woman's stomach, pose for pictures and hug her %). Has Dan Quayle ever done this? DB: Next question is the lady over here, in the white. OK? This is for Scott. I understand you're directing another episode of "Quantum Leap" -- SB: I did already. OK. Did you find directing harder or easier than you thought it was going to be? SB: The directing was wonderful except for having to work with Dean. # % DB: Next. Scott -- Uh, Dean, um, how come, how come you're not supposed to tell Sam about Donna and Sam says you do and nothing goes wrong? AUDIENCE: Ooooo.... DS: Don is gonna tell me the answer and then I'm gonna tell you. DB: (mock ignorance) What was the question? # DS: Yeah, why -- DB: Why is he not supposed to tell Sam -- DS: About Donna -- DB: About his wife? DS: Yeah. DB: (smiles) Because then it would ruin the series. # Um -- No, if he told him, then he would -- he would be plagued by that knowledge and then going through the leap after leap, as he went from one leap to another he wouldn't be really a free agent to operate as he needed to operate in order to do what has to be done. So he can't tell him, and that means he can sometimes get involved with other ladies and still be -- uh -- (questioning look from Scott) -- moral. # (Disbelieving look from Scott.) Sort of. SB: Yeah. DB: Sort of. Anyway. Most television series would never do that. We're the only one that had the opportunity to get him married and then get him out of it and keep him married, and # -- I don't want to go into this any further. Next. I have three things to say. One, my mother is the hugest star (sic) of Scott, and she wants you to take your coat off, (women begin to whistle, Scott frowns) so she's -- Not anything else, just your coat. (Whistles, catcalls, etc. as Scott complies, briefly standing up and taking his long coat off and posing; he puts it on again immediately and sits back down) DB: We -- We just finished an episode where Scott's stripped to his skivvy shorts. (# * from women) Next. Another thing. Dean, you have a great deal of concern about the environment. Do you add lines inside the episodes? DS: Yeah, I do. Yeah, I certainly do. % DB: Next? Back here. DB: Yes. This is for Scott. Uh, first of all, no, first off I think you are like, very, very sexy. * And um -- SOMEONE IN AUDIENCE: So are you, Dean! * (Dean nods) (cont'd) -- I'm a big fan of "Quantum Leap", I've never missed an episode unless I had to, and since I'm studying to be a director, um, the episode I liked best had to have been when you were the rock singer in the heavy metal band. Did you sing, and was it a lot of fun singing with those guys? SB: Yeah, I do all the singing on the show % and we had a good time. It was great music, Chris Ruppenthal wrote some wild lyrics -- Where's Chris, over here somewhere -- there he is! % Stand up, Chris! He wrote that episode and he wrote those great lyrics, and he's got his geetar. % (Referring to a guitar from "Glitter Rock" Chris bought at the auction. Chris stands up and waves the guitar.) And I loved getting into the studio and singing, and we had a really great time on that one. Glad you liked it. AUDIENCE: SING! (Scott shakes his head) This is for Scott. You have such a wonderful voice. When are you gonna release an album? * % SB: I don't know. Actually if I get some time -- some time whenever, I may, I may do that. I've released a couple of show albums from shows that I've done, but uh, I haven't done anything individually. Universal's talked about doing something for over a year, so maybe in the next year. We certainly have enough material now for an album from the show, so maybe. % Dean, on a little more serious note, I know about CFC's and recycling of Halon and general recycling. What else can we do to help with the environmental problem? % DS: You can bring it up as often as you can, if you feel it's appropriate, and disseminate information to your fellow citizens. Because it's shocking, but there are a lot of people that don't know what you're talking about. There are a lot of people that didn't see the last TIME magazine with the ozone on the cover. Um, it's an alteration of consciousness, that's going on, that has to go on, on wider and wider until it's on a vast global scale, and that's taking the corporate consciousness along too, which is difficult, that entrenched consciousness and it's difficult, but people like you and anybody else that is conscious of it, have to help people to realize that what what we're talking about when we talk about environmental dangers, is REAL! % It's real, it's going on. Thanks. How long do we have to wait before we see "Quantum Leap: The Movie"? % DB: (smiles as Scott hands him the mike) Funny you should say that...uh, I honestly can't tell you, I don't know, except I will tell you I am having a meeting in the next few weeks to discuss just that. * * % % And it will be something very special, where we'll go into the future as well as the past. % To give Dean something to do. # Thanks. Hi, Scott. Hi, Dean. Scott, this is for you. I found out that you were gonna have a convention, when I saw you on Arsenio Monday night, and I begged, and I begged, and I begged, until my husband told me Thursday night, said he was going to bring me here from Erie, PA, and all I want to do is when you go on to ask the next question, is shake your hand. % DB: Next question. (Scott shakes her hand, hugs her % *) Two -- Two things, actually. How nervous are you up here being in front of all these people who actually love you, I mean, you know they do. Is it nervewracking for you? And is there a taboo with the show, is there anything that you won't do, with all the conspiracy things that are going on now, will Sam leap into Marilyn Monroe # or JFK or someone like that? DS: I _wish_ he would leap into Marilyn Monroe! # * DB: (snidely) And all Dean could do is _look_! # It's -- It's really very difficult to leap Sam or Scott, the character Sam into someone that is a known character, because, y'know, the one rule in creating the show was that we are going to alter history. Everybody who's ever done a time travel show says you can't change history, you can't change history, that's part of the format of it, and decided we could change history. So you have to leap him into characters that all of you don't know, because then you don't know what the real history is. If we leaped into Jack Kennedy in November of 1963, there's no way we can ever alter or change that. However, if we leap into an individual that you don't know, we can change the history anyway we want. That's why we don't leap him into known characters, except maybe in a kiss with history, we might do it that way. (Pause) Or in the movie. # SB: I just wanted -- one more thing -- I just wanted to complete that. It feels really great to be here in front of all of you, it's really wonderful -- _he's_ nervous (points to Don).# % He's never, y'know -- he came to me backstage and said, "I don't know, they -- (sigh) they want my autograph, they want this, they want that-- # (Don smiles) that's great, it's really wonderful for a lot of the people on our staff and people that you know, the writers and Joe Napolitano, and Tommy Thompson who's over here %, and they don't get to get out and meet you, and I think it's wonderful that you're getting to see them too, because they are really terrific people, and it's great to work with them, and it's really great being here in front of you all. It's wonderful. % Of course, we all want to say we love you, Scott, and Dean, and we love you, Dean and Scott and we love you both -- Don -- DS: We love you too. Don, for creating this. Congratulations to both of you for your awards and um, your star -- happy birthday! % And I was wondering, if we -- I can't -- they say to just leave presents at the desk, but you can't leave a hug at the desk, I was wondering if you'd take a birthday hug. And Scott and Don, if you want one too. # DS: It would be too many hugs. DB: It's your hug. DS: Just your hug. Come on. Just one of you. SB: While she's coming up -- DS: I'm not going to -- oh, somebody's got a camera -- SB: I'm not sure that everybody knows this, but, uh, Donald P. Bellisario's been nominated by the Writer's Guild for an episode of "Quantum Leap." * % For "The Leap Home." DB: Thank you. SB: It's about time! It's about time. DB: Thank you. Yes? Hi, Dean. Happy birthday. DS: Thank you. Congratulations on the star. Scott, I worked with you guys a number of times on the episode in background, I even went to work at Universal just in hopes that I'd get a more permanent role, or more prominent role on "Quantum Leap". Every time I worked with you guys -- and Dean, when we worked on "Limit Up" -- we may not want to mention that. # (asks for an autograph, is told no, tells them to keep up the good work) DB: Thank you. (about Joyce, who is running from the back of the room to the front) She's off...across the 10 (Scott begins humming the "William Tell Overture") # ... the 20, the 30, the 40, the 50...and she scores! % Scott and Dean, I was just wondering if you ever ad-lib your lines, and if so, what the most memorable incident was. (Scott laughs) DB: (to Dean) If YOU ever ad-lib. # Mr. Ad-Lib, if he ever ad-libs... SB: I think it's safer to ask does Dean ever say any of the lines that are in the script. # Those would be memorable. # Go ahead, Mr. Funny. # Mr. Never Can Finish A Scene With A Straight Face. # Mr. Never Says What He's Supposed to Say To Me. # Mr. Has To Have The Last Little Funny Thing On Camera. # % Go ahead! DS: It's _so_ easy. It's so easy. I made, uh, one ad-lib about Styrofoam once that I think was my favorite. I said it was -- what was it? SB: You expect _us_ to remember that? DS: I said the stuff comes straight from Hell! Yeah, we improvise from time to time. (explains that her penpal will kill her if she doesn't give Dean this present, so he takes it) This is for Scott. The episode I liked the most was the rape one. The scene where you had her on the side and you were testifying for her, that moved me so much, thank you for doing that episode. % Q (male): This is for Scott (who isn't paying attention) Scott? (questioner whistles) # DB: Right there. I was wondering if you were ever going to do a centerfold for "Playgirl" magazine. # * * % (Scott shakes his finger at the questioner) SB: I will if Dean will. * % For those of you who were at the luncheon yesterday -- Mr. Hunk In A Dress, is there any costume you'd really like to kill Jean-Pierre for? SB: I'd like to what? Kill Jean-Pierre for. # DB: A costume. SB: I think probably the pants in the "Glitter Rock" episode, that weighed about thirty pounds. % And ran, so I was, y'know, we had holes in them the entire time. But, uh -- they _looked_ fabulous. # % * DB: (smiling) Hi, Troian. (TROIAN BELLISARIO) Um, Dean... (he looks around) JOYCE: Right here! DB: (points) Troian. How old are you today? # % DS: I'm ten years older than Jack Benny. # % Jack Benny always said, his whole life, Troian, Jack Benny, even when he was an old, old man, they asked him, "How old are you?", he said, "I'm 39". So I'm ten years older than him. And if you believe that, I've got some nice land between here and... # % DB: She's getting tired. Who's got it? Don, I need clarification. Did I hear "We've been renewed"? DB: (agonized) Uhhh.... # (bows his head) AUDIENCE: SAY IT!!! DB: Well, look, I wish I _could_ say it. I wish I _could_ say we've been renewed. All I can tell you is that NBC wants the show again and it looks like we're gonna get a renewal and I'll know something in the next week or two weeks. % It's all positive. If I say any more, I'll get sued. This is for Don. I was just wondering, when you were getting the script ready for "Leap Back", the first episode this season, did you have any discussion as to bringing Donna Alessi back, or bringing the brother Tom back...would have you considered bringing Tom back instead of bringing back Donna Alessi as Sam's wife? (# as does Don when everyone realizes what that wording implies) DB: (straight-faced) We did that episode, it was _very_ controversial. # % Did we think about it? Yes. Donna Alessi, we wanted originally to bring her back in the part, she was not available, the girl that played that part was not available. No, I'm talking about Sam's brother Tom, of having Sam see his brother that he thought was dead. DB: He saved his brother, right? And he knows his brother's alive now. But seeing his brother alive. He knows, 'cause Al told him, but he hasn't seen him. SB: (to Don) I got it. DB: (to Scott) You got it? You answer it, 'cause I haven't got a _clue_, and I wrote it. # SB: No, I don't think that episode was really...that would have been a whole 'nother way to go in that episode. I think that really the force of that episode was finding out that there was indeed a woman back at home that I had not known about. I think if we had gotten into bringing the brother to New Mexico, why was he there -- I was only there for like a night, 12 hours, I think that would have been more than that episode could have -- well, maybe next time it'll be a two hour and then we'll get all that stuff in. % Congratulations to Dean for his birthday and his star, I was there yesterday. % Congratulations to Mr. Bellisario for the show, it's terrific. My question is, how did you guys go about getting the parts, did you audition for it, did they ask for you... SB: The old-fashioned way. Was it like a big cattle call or what? SB: It wasn't quite a cattle call -- Don doesn't do those much any more, but I never met Don before -- (to others) I don't know, had you guys met? DB: No, Dean and I had never met. And, uh, Scott came in and read for the part, and uh, I immediately felt that, _boy_, this is, this was _Sam_ and I didn't want to let my enthusiasm get away, because we hadn't made a deal yet, so... SB: (makes a face) So he _didn't_. # DB: So I kept quiet until he went out the door, and I went (stands up), "YEAH! THAT'S HIM!" # % And then, Dean, I guess your agent called and said you heard about the part. And there were a number of fine actors that wanted that part (ducks his head, sighs theatrically), and we took Dean. # % And we're very happy we did. % JOYCE: Please, don't hit me. I'm trying as best I can. If you hit me, I ain't coming to ya! # I just have 3 real quick things to say. Dean, congratulations on your star. Thank you for "Quantum Leap", Mr. Bellisario, this has been great. Scott, congratulations on the Golden Globe. % SB: Thank you very much. AUDIENCE: The Emmy is next. DB: The Emmy's next, right. % (Scott shakes his head and makes a face) He really deserves it, if anybody in television deserves it. % Hi. I'm from Montreal, Canada, I speak French, so my English is a little bit weird. SB: That's OK, because Dean speaks French. So ask him the question in French. (# as do Dean and Don) You want me to speak French? No, I won't do it to you. Just wanted to say that I'm very proud to be here tonight. My friends thinks I'm _crazy_ 'cause I flew all the way from Montreal and use up my savings, but I wouldn't miss it for the world and I'm really really proud and I really love the show. % SB: Thank you. We have great fans in Canada, we have an incredible following in Canada, they're great. Hi, my name is Donna. I have a question for all three of you. In some of your episodes, Sam looks up to the sky and is talking to someone. (Scott immediately hands the mike to Don) # Who are you talking to? DB: (playing dumb) He looks up and talks to someone? # Well, he could be talking to Time, Fate, God... SB: Dean says now the star's up there, I'm talking to him. # % (Dean nods and shrugs) DB: He's talking to whoever you really want him to talk to. Hi, this is for Scott. A few years ago, I saw you at the Minetta Lane Theater in New York in "3 Guys Naked From the Waist Down" (Scott gives a thumbs-up % ) I wondered what show that, maybe you had some clothing off, maybe your top or whatever, what was your favorite episode when you were sort of undressed? # * SB: The chimps. % DB: Wait'll we leap him in as a baby. Dean, if you had your opportunity, what would you put Sam into as a situation? # Just to needle Sam. DS: (laughs) Well, that's funny. Even as you were composing that question, I was already reflecting on that very possibility! # Because Donald just said something about writing an episode where he's a _baby_! And I think he'd be great for it because that's--he could probably win the Emmy with this one, because that's what he really is, a big baby! # % (Scott and Don shake their heads) DB: Scott will get his revenge, because the episode that I'm writing now to end the season, he leaps into Dean. % * % DS: He'd better not botch it up! (little kid) Hello? SB and DB: Hello. How do you go into the door? # The hologram door. DS: I go through the door--when we're making the movie, I'm standing there, the cameramen are there, Scott's there, everyone's there, and the director says, "Freeze" and everybody has to freeze, no matter what you're doing, you stop, like that. And I just go like this and I run off. # Then everybody says "unfreeze" and then everybody starts to move again. And then later on they just take that little piece of film out, when they all freeze, and I'm gone like that. Then they put the little light in for the door. We've got some really nice people that do that for us, with paintbrushes. LITTLE KID: (disbelieving) That's _weird_! # % DS: You guys are _great_, you're just great. I love you. Thanks. % I'd like to say congratulations on your star, Dean... DS: Thank you. And, Scott, I like you very much, and both of you are adorable, so don't feel like chopped liver. # % I was just wondering, if the series did end -- which we don't want it to, but if it did -- how would you both, all three of you like to see the last episode? (audience says, "Wooooo...." as Scott covers his face with his hands; Dean and Don look at each other #) DB: There will _be_ no last episode. (* % Scott nearly falls backwards out of his chair laughing, Dean claps Don on the shoulder) I wanted to thank you guys very much for making the show, especially for my special ed classes, because we've rerun a couple of them when you were the young man, Jimmy, (Don smiles and points at Brad) and we had some wonderful discussions on that, and the one with the young man who was talking about his virginity and he ran away, it was beautiful. The episodes help my kids so much...(etc.) % SB: Thank you. DB: (about Joyce) She's working her way to the middle... Dean, we all know that you're interested in recycling and the environment. The question I have here may be better addressed to the convention organizers. I couldn't walk around a whole lot, I just got my foot out of a cast, but I looked long and hard for someplace to put my aluminum cans to recycle... % % DS: I think Creation should be aware of that also, the convention organizers should listen to the people that are here % it just takes a little planning ahead to organize ahead of time to have some separate containers, % so I think Creation should do that, and not have styrofoam around, y'know. % SB: Wait a second! Cameron Birnie, come back here for a second. (Cam stops on his way out the door) Come back here. Cameron Birnie... % DS: Cameron Birnie, our art director... % SB: Our art director on the show, Cameron Birnie, he sets up everything you see that looks so great % from every year that we've done, Cameron Birnie, every week! % DS: Thanks, Cameron. DB: Next. Hi. My name is Jeri, and my husband worked one day on the set with everyone. He brought me a signed autograph. He's met Scott, he's met Al, and I have not met anyone. Can I get you to sign my shirt? AUDIENCE: (groans, says, "NO!") DB: I think what happens is, it becomes unfair, really. Because everybody wants that. % It really does. If you send your shirt in, if you give us the shirt off your back # we'll have it signed, and we'll send it back. Can I shake your hand? AUDIENCE: (getting really pissed at this woman at this point) No! DS: See, it doesn't work that way. I think we're all just, y'know -- we gotta love everybody equally. If you were two days away from having a baby # we'll wanna touch you and give the baby our best, y'know, but..." This question is for Scott, Dean, and Don. If you actually had the ability to do what you do on your show, would you? Would you leap? (audience, impressed, says, "Woooo!") DS: That's a great question. DB: It is. If you actually had the ability to do what we could do on the show, I'll let them speak first. (Starts to hand the mike to Scott, who looks dubious) # Since you play the character who leaps! Are you asking Dean if he had the ability to be a hologram? # Yeah, he'd use it a lot. Ladies' rooms... # # % I'll answer. I'll tell ya, I'll answer for the writer part, and then I'll let Scott answer. I'm ambivalent about it. I would love to do it. I would love to do it because I have parents who are dead, I'd love to see them again. Scott, when he leaped back in "The Leap Home", found that he couldn't change (starts to get choked up) his own family, until of course, he got to Vietnam and saved his brother's life. So it's real ambivalent feelings about it on my part. I'd like to try it. I don't know how Scott would feel. SB: Uh... I, I think there's a big part of me that attracts me to a show like this. I love the fantasy idea of the show. I would love to walk out of here into a little room and be in New York without having to fly across the country. # Those kinds of things, if we could really do this, would be wonderful things to do. (shrugs) If we get into a big -- y'know, we could get into a big discussion forever about fate and about...uh... DEBORAH PRATT (from audience): I can answer that question! SB: (relieved) Someone's going to answer it? Please! Deborah! Deborah, _please_ come and answer this! # % DS: Deborah Pratt, our co-executive producer, and one of our fine writers. FinEST. % DP: (in front of stage) I think that, in our own way, we _do_ change history. From the letters that we've gotten from people, just like this woman was saying over here, to teach and to share and a lot of people have gotten in touch with things from the programs we've been able to put on. So (indicates Don) through Don's creation of this show, and Scott and Dean's performance of it, I think we've had the opportunity to change history with people. And I'm -- proud to say that I hope we keep doing it.% % (She smiles, Scott tells her thanks, Don looks impressed) This question is for both Scott and Dean. How do you feel being in front of a camera? SB: I like it. I've actually gotten to like it more and more. I feel very lucky to spend most of my hours in front of a camera with (points at Dean) _that_ guy # and I learn so much from him. I really, my roots are from the theater, and it was very hard when I first came out here to stand still and I'm constantly learning new things. Because we have a, everybody turns over in terms of cast every eight days, I've been able to work with a lot of wonderful actors in the last three and a half years that I... I think we just -- if you look at the number of actors we've had on our show, in three and a half years, we've had some just _incredibly_ wonderful, gifted actors % and they've given so much to us, and to the show and to you... I learn from them all the time, so I'm enjoying it more and more all the time. % The camera, Dean, it's the thing in the front with the... # He doesn't know what it is. DS: Look who's telling! I feel very comfortable, because I've been around them so long, so many years, so it's a very comfortable situation for me. More so than theater, say, but I'm comfortable with that, too. This is for Mr. Bellisario and the Admiral. How do you feel about having been both a test pilot, a civil rights activist, an admiral in the Navy. That's kind of a full life for a single person! # DS: Well, I've been married five times! # % Talk about full! Yeah, but I'm not tired, so it's OK. # I like a fast pace. What effect does that have? Does it make any problems? DS: Sometimes they're problems when they come up, but they get resolved quickly and I have to figure out how to employ a new development or a new wrinkle in the character in this cast. I have to figure out how to work it into what I've been doing all along. But everything that's happened so far has always worked wonderfully. DB: And the writers have to sit down and we have a bible and, y'know, Dean has about five pages in there of his life history. And everybody has to always check and say where was he in 1968, and who was he married to when and... # keep things straight. DS: Because I can't remember. (teenage boy) This question is for Scott. I talked to Miss Taggert (the madam in "Southern Comforts") earlier this afternoon and asked her if she really did feel you up and she said yes. # I was wondering if you enjoyed it. * * # % SB: (after careful consideration) I can't remember a time in my life when I was ever felt up that I _didn't_ enjoy it. * % * % This is for Dean. Would you accept a bolo tie that (description indistinct)? DS: Sounds beautiful to me. Of course I would. OK, I wasn't able to bring it today (Dean, Don, and Scott crack up, as does the audience), and would you wear it? DS: I think I would. Yeah. OK, I'll send it to you. # % This is for Mr. Bellisario. On several of your programs you've written with Vietnam themes, and I was just wondering if you were a vet yourself and I'd like to thank you for the positive image you've portrayed of the vets. % DB: I'm not a Vietnam vet. I was in the Marine Corps for four years, and that was right before the Vietnam conflict, so I was right in between. But many of my friends were, and because of that I've adopted that theme. Scott and Dean, you two seem like you really get along picking on each other, and my question is, Dean, do you -- have you ever had the opportunity to razz Scott when he's dressed as a woman? # # % (Scott hangs his head and shakes it; Don laughs) DS: It's incessant, when he's a woman, incessant! But not only me, the whole crew. It's like we have a cake, for this run of the show, just eat our fill, take advantage of Scott in a dress and -- (inaudible) -- I coined the phrase "Hunk In A Dress." Isn't that right, Hunk In A Dress? % And he hates it, of course, so that makes it double enjoyable. # Um, I have a question for Mr. Bellisario, and I'd like to know what the actors think about it, too. You've dealt with a lot of social issues, rape, the mentally challenged, things like that. Is there any social issue that you think would be too difficult to tackle, I'm thinking of like, child abuse? DB: No, I don't think there's, uh, there's any social issue that's too difficult to tackle. _Networks_ may not _agree_ with that (smiles) But I think we could -- especially something like child abuse should be tackled. I think the... % that's a good suggestion. I would really like to see you do something with that particularly, I have been through child abuse and I know thousands and thousands of people are out there who feel so alone and so stigmatized by that, and I think it would be a really important thing for you to do, if you could.% DB: I hope that we will. I know there are a lot of folks who've come here from all over the world, probably, I suppose, for the con, and I've only come from San Clemente so it hasn't been too far of a drive, but it's awfully nice to be able to come this far and see you gentlemen. Let me thank you, Dean and Don, Scott, very, very much. Wednesday night's been really nice, very special for my family of eight, over the last several years. We get back in and we make sure that we're there and we watch. It's a lot of fun. Oh, the question, sorry. Scott, someone told me you had some background in dance. I have a little background in martial arts and I enjoy watching you occasionally, it's real fun to see what you do with your kicks. Do you have any training, and if so, what level of training do you have, and what degree of belt are you? SB: I have a wonderful instructor named Pat (thinks) Johnson. (to Don) Am I right? Yes. # Pat Johnson. Who has come in since -- I think the first time we ever used him was in a script called "Another Mother." (to Deborah Pratt) Is that right, Deborah? Deborah's script, "Another Mother," and, uh, he has just worked with me-- he is most famous for all the "Karate Kid" movies, most recently all the "Ninja Turtle" stuff. He's a wonderful man, and no, I have not studied formally, it's something I'd like to do someday. I attribute my kicks to playing soccer from the age of about five, so -- and I also have had dance training. % Yeah, thanks. (MICHAEL BELLISARIO) Scott, are you going to do a Blooper and Practical Jokes on Dean? # % % SB: This is it! # I was gonna steal his star yesterday from him, that would have been pretty shocking. You never know, Michael, you never know what'll happen, and neither does he. I owe him 10 pies still in the face, so... Hello, Scott. Scott, hi. SB: Hello. How are you? SB: Good. I think I'm going to please many women in the audience, but I have a way to get you to sing, because I have two desires today. Number one is to sing "Happy Birthday" to Dean, and number two is to hear you sing, and because it is appropriate, I think you should do it. % * * JOYCE: (Humming) SB: We'll all sing this; ready? JOYCE: (Humming) SB: ("excuse me?" look to Joyce) You're picking _that_ key? # JOYCE: I'm a tenor, OK? SB: See, if we had like a little crown and some roses he could walk down the runway. # (Everyone sings "Happy Birthday" to Dean. % * Dean bows.) This question is for Scott, and Dean, too, I guess. You have the unique opportunity other people don't have to be in just about a ton of people's other shoes. Which character or show have you learned the most from? SB: You know -- (Nearly falls out of his chair, then gets up and acts like he's drunk. #) No, this looks easy, but you gotta practice this stuff at home! # You know -- this is really terrible. I'm really a big fan of the show, OK? So I really learn something almost every week, about people or a situation in life, or something, an issue, so I am continually being educated, and my horizons and my envelope is being pushed out all the time. Because now that I've been a woman, I've been black, I've been all these different things, um -- I haven't _really_ been it, but I'm forced to think like that way, and I think if we all spent a little more time thinking like the other guy thinks, it would be a whole better place out there. % Gentlemen, thank you for being here, we all enjoy it. Uh, I think you'll join me in giving a quick round of applause to Joyce Hatcher, our Microphone Lady. % * SB: Yeah! DS: Thank you, Joyce. To my question. Dean, we know that all of us here are as -- hopefully as concerned as you about the environment. However, I think that fandom for the show has more to give than simply the environmental concerns, and I'd like to know from Scott -- Scott, what would you like us to help you with in terms of your social agenda? SB: (surprised) My _social_ agenda? # Dean's is the environment, yours is -- SB: Yeah, well, I'm very much following in Dean's footsteps, which is one of the wonderful things about being associated with him for as long as I have. He has propelled me much more, to become much more environmentally aware, which I thank him for, and I've been trying to pass that on. I am, um, unfortunately, because of a great association with a number of people, I am tremendously involved in the whole AIDS issue, % so anything anybody can do for those folks is a good thing. % But, uh, the only other thing that I'm, is a big, a really kind of big thing for me, is I think we all need to get re-involved politically with the people that we're electing these days, and make them do a better job at it. % This one's for Scott. How old are you? # SB: 37. % (Dean pretends not to believe him) # Yeah. Yeah, look, _I'm_ telling the truth about my age! DS: He's a big baby! SB: "You're _not_ 37," he says! You mean me in real life, or Sam? Me in real life. 37. Sam is 39, I think -- he was born in '52? (audience starts to disagree) He was born in '52. AUDIENCE: '53! '53! (Scott shakes his head, holding up two fingers #) DB: (as if explaining it to a child) He got a little confused. He was _conceived_ in '52. # (Scott wipes his brow in relief) _Born_ in '53. This is for Mr. Bellisario, and also for Scott and Dean. I am a big fan of the show, I think it's wonderful, I love it, this question is not taking anything away from this show, but having seen a retrospective of all of your other shows, Don, I'd like to ask about "Tequila and Bonetti". I understand you've made a few changes according to the last show, and I'd like to know when is it coming back on and what's gonna happen. DB: It comes back on, it's back on the air on Friday nights, this show has not changed, it's the same show, just refined a little bit. And you know, _this_ show started out on Friday night, and almost _died_ on Friday night. If we hadn't got it moved to Wednesday, it would've. And I think that show may need to move to Wednesday night too, so -- ( AUDIENCE: "Wooo!") SB: Not at 10! DB: (as if it's obvious) 9:00 Wednesday night. % Replace "Jake and the Fatman". Hi, this is for Scott. I'm over here. After the screening for "8 1/2 Months" I gave you a cup set and I was wondering if you ever got a chance to use it, and also for Dean, why do you smoke? (half of the audience applauds, half says "Oooo") SB: Is there a psychologist in the house? The cups, yes, I keep them in my trailer, thank you very much. Now, Dean. DS: I enjoy cigars. % I don't inhale them, I don't inhale them into my lungs. I enjoy them. Hello. DS: Did you ever hear of George Burns? % Hi. First I have to say that Scott, I, as much as everybody else here, I adore you! Immensely. And in fact my husband's a little jealous. I tape your show every week, I got my husband hooked on it because he works the second shift and he's not home when your show is on, so I tape it and watch it on the weekends. My question is, I saw "Necessary Roughness" about four times -- % * -- four times the first weekend it came out, and my question is, are you currently working on anything, any other movies? SB: I don't have anything planned so far. I'm trying to get through this last three episodes of the year, and then I may not do anything -- and I'm hoping, I say this word because I'm hoping it's true -- on this hiatus. % Right here. Hi. I'd like to know when Dean Stockwell is going to wear a dress. # * DS: What? A _hologram_ in a _dress_? Get outta here! Ha! # SB: (To Tommy Thompson, leaving auditorium with his family) Tommy, you leavin'? TOMMY THOMPSON: No, we're going to the bathroom. # SB: OK! Say goodbye to Tommy Thompson, on his way to the bathroom. % One of our great writers. Wait a minute, hold that thought. TT: We're a very close family. # % SB: The family that -- well, no. # Forget that. (Mostly inaudible due to distance) It's nice to be here -- great about the star in heaven -- but what I wanted to ask is now you use the door -- Al sometimes uses the door -- sometimes at the beginning of the episode he just appears, I don't get that -- DB: You refine it as it went along, but the way it works is, if he's leaving the Imaging Chamber he uses the door, but he has the ability to pop in and out of wherever he's at in that period of time with Scott, he can pop down the street someplace else to see what's going on. In those cases he just disappears and reappears, but if he's leaving the Imaging Chamber, then he uses the door. Yes, for Scott and Dean, I'd like to know which episode or episodes have been the most difficult emotionally for you to perform? (Long silence) DS: Well, I personally don't find emotional difficulty as a performer. Um, I don't get involved in it in that way, it's not part of my craft in acting. It's the real life we all know that effects me emotionally, the acting doesn't; although I use my emotions, but the minute the acting is done, I'm not emotionally any different than before I did the scene, or the show. I may be wiser at the end of the show more than another, but emotionally, no. (To Scott) What about you? SB: Well, I think, again, we're creating situations, or we're recreating them, and we, as much as I can get involved -- and this is, y'know, we can get into a whole other story about how you act -- whenever you get into a situation where you get a glimpse into somebody else's soul a little bit, into their soul, and, oftentimes you get it through another actor that you're working with in the scene, oftentimes it comes from, something comes out of me that I wasn't really prepared for, and oftentimes it comes out of him (Dean) although he'll say that answer, but stuff sneaks out. And you never know when that's gonna happen. You don't know. You can have the most emotional script, with the most intense storyline, but, uh, if it's not fulfilled in all the areas, which makes this process so amazing. If by some chance it was to be miscast, or we had, or if it was directed incorrectly or whatever, you can take a wonderful moment and kill it. So you never know, it's like, y'know, you just find a gem sometimes, you're not even expecting. And those are quite often the most lovely things. Over here. First to Dean, I'd just like to ask you, what was it like to star with Gregory Peck in "Gentleman's Agreement" when you were seven years old % -- and next, to Scott, I'd like to ask, what musical background do you have, like -- you've done Broadway and all that stuff. SB: I've had a lot of music in my life, uh, I played the piano very young, I sang in a lot of different organizations growing up, I had rock bands, church choir, all kinds of different things that I was involved with, before I went to New York, so I've had a lot of music, happening in my background. DS: Gregory Peck is a man of great stature. He was, of course, very young at the time. But physically he's a commanding figure, and I was very little, and the image and impression I had of him was like a statue of someone of huge importance of some sort or another. I realize now it was his stardom, his magnetism as a star. I didn't realize it then. Um, other than that I had a rocky time in that movie, to tell you the truth, I really did. Because -- and I'll tell you why, the man that directed it, a very famous film director, Elia Kazan, directed many classic movies, he had a way of working with the actors that evolved from the famous Actor's Studio in New York, Lee Strasburg and everything, which was the absolute opposite of the way I worked. 'Cause I had a way of working, even when I was six or seven, and so he was constantly trying to deal with me on this Actor's Studio level and saying, "Feel this and think that your dog was dead, or something, or your Mommy got hurt," or something, and I would have to sit and listen to him, and the minute he would stop -- and I'd try and give him the impression, "OK, OK," -- and go to something else, I would just go and do it the way I would do it. I'd put my finger in the corner of my eyes to make a tear come, and come in and play the scene. I didn't need to _do_ all that stuff. So that was a very tough movie. He's the only Method director I ever worked with. OK, this question is for Scott. How many women have you kissed on the show? # SB: Wow. I've done 75 hours on television at the end of this year, and I imagine I've kissed somewhere between 75 and 100 women. # % DB: We're going to only be able to take three more questions. Three more. This is number three. I'd like to say this for everybody, this is a great family show, I wish it were on a bit earlier so that kids could benefit more. I'd also like to say you have extremely good taste in picking leading men, with Tom Selleck and Scott Bakula over here -- # DB: (grins) Thank you. % (About Joyce) She's on her way to the back. She knows she only has to run twice. # Once back and once this way. Dean, on the show I really like your jackets. DS: Well, thank you. I want to know, what do you do with them after the show? DB: He takes them home and puts them in his closet. # % DS: No I don't, no I don't. That's not true. There is a whole section of wardrobe here, and Jean-Pierre Dorleac, our wonderful designer, who does all my stuff, and he's got this big, voluminous cachet of clothes there that we keep using, and mixing and matching different pieces for upcoming shows. So most of it stays there. JOYCE: I don't want them to kill me! _You_ choose! DB: (laughs) OK. Gentleman right there. I'm under the understanding that there's going to be some syndication, like from the network, is that true? And -- DB: That's right. It's going to be on USA cable. % Lots of other shows that went into syndication, unfortunately have been cancelled. I hope that's not something that's going on here, and I hope that doesn't happen, and what do you -- has that -- have you seen that happen -- I mean, is that part of what's going to happen, or... DB: That's not gonna to happen. "Cheers" is in syndication. # % That's true. DB: No. The show is going on cable, and I hope that's going to even get more enthusiasm for the show, % and, we've got some -- we've got some plans in the wings for some episodes that are going to be very interesting which we're working on. Deborah Pratt came up with the idea of doing an episode that's animated. % And now -- wait, I need you for one thing. They need to take a photograph of all of you out there, for -- yeah, it's for Associated Press, and if you'll just let us take this photograph and then we'll thank you. VOICE: Also, for those of you that were wondering, everything gets recycled in this hotel. OK? (Don, Scott and Dean, who are standing with their backs to the audience, have their picture taken. Someone yells, "Great tush, Dean!" # They turn around so the audience can take their pictures) DB: OK, we want to thank you, and it's a wonderful show, and we'll see you next year, huh? % % # DS: Thank you so much! VOICE: Let's hear it for Don, Dean and Scott, Deborah and the whole cast and crew of "Quantum Leap", ladies and gentlemen! (drowned out by cheers and applause) SB: Thanks very much! |
