TV Guidance Counselor Episode 52: Jim Beaver

In this episode Ken talks to actor, film historian, author, play write Jim Beaver.

Jim is probably best known from his roles on Supernatural, Deadwood and Justified but has appeared in many many roles over the years.

Jim and Ken discuss living for the TV Guide's release every week, growing up in Texas, Gorgon vs. Icky Twerp, discovering classic cinema via television, The Lone Ranger, Superman, physically assaulting people on behalf of loving that Bob, being outvoted by your sisters, second hand movies, Get Smart, George Reeves, a love of old movies leading to making new movies, actors with lives, taking a lifetime to write about someone else's lifetime, type casting, technically advising Hollywoodland, editing a life, Superman, Television as fountain of eternal youth, calling actor's by their character name, fan conventions, being removed from Hollywood, who exactly Indiana Jones is, Roy Rogers, making the transition from fan to object of fandom, demonic colds, theater, Tim Lucas' Mario Bava Book, New York City in 1979, revival houses, when 6 month research trips last over 30 years, writing a play and how that leads to Alfred Hitchcock Presents, the anthology series revival, Vietnam, writing characters that are not your own, cramming a play's worth of story into a TV schedule, the death of the freelance market, stumbling into a career, being able to know how they made something while still enjoying the story, when your passion becomes your job, reading actor's biographies to learn lessons on what not to do, immediate feedback vs. the long game, Thunder Alley, working with Ed Asner and Haley Joel Osment, being damned by success, Broadway, falling into stand up, party records, the stand up comedy boom, the unpleasant nature of stand up comedians, second hand Carson, loving having written but not liking writing, Character actors, Deadwood, Supernatural, making it up as you go along, the art of show running, flipping the script, the lack of appeal of the new, your parents understanding your art, being in the right place at the right time, the value of even stupid stuff, having something to look forward to, Combat, poor viewing choices before joining the Marines and finding the daisies where you find them.