Steve Guttenberg has been such an integral part of film viewing since he made his debut in the 1977 thriller Rollercoaster. Recently he completed work on the UK horror film Heckle, written by Airell Anthony Hayles. STARBURST recently grabbed some time with him…
STARBURST: There was a time during the 1980s when you were seemingly everywhere and in recent years you have been involved in other various projects. What was the appeal of doing Heckle in the UK?
Steve Guttenberg: I loved the character of Ray Kelly and the production was a talented group of filmmakers. It was a great shoot.
What was it like working on Rollercoaster? Do you remember where you saw the film and whether you saw it in the original ‘Sensurround’?
Rollercoaster was the first speaking part I had in the movie business. Every day was a thrill. I first saw it at Universal Studios, and it was exciting as heck. The theatre shook from the technology!
You then appeared in The Boys from Brazil in a small but pivotal role as Barry Kohler, the young man who discovered the multi-assassination plot by Mengele. What do you remember from that shoot?
Working with Lord Olivier, Greg Peck, Uta Hagen, and James Mason. It was unbelievable.
You then starred in Can’t Stop the Music, which was the Village People movie, and is considered a camp classic. How was that for you?
I believe it had the correct impact, and still is a laugh to watch.
Your 1980s filmography is quite an enviable one, with the likes of Diner, Police Academy, Cocoon, Short Circuit, and Three Men and a Baby. When you look back, what are your thoughts?
I look at every one of them as my opportunity to work with talented people.
What was your recollection of working with director John Badham and Ally Sheedy on Short Circuit?
John Badham gave us the room to play and create fantasy that became a worldwide hit.
Police Academy has been rumoured to be getting a reboot or another sequel. Any news on that for fans and readers of STARBURST?
It’s one of my favourites. Let’s wait a bit.
Three Men and a Baby was directed by Leonard Nimoy and was one of the biggest hits of that year and the decade. What was Nimoy like to work as a director?
He was a generous teacher, a talented filmmaker.
Heckle will be released in 2019.
