Actor Atkins Enlivens an Audience at the Library

Veteran actor Tom Atkins shared his life in stage and screen Tuesday night at the Peters Township Public Library. Atkins discussed performing "The Chief" at the Pittsburgh Public Theater, his role as Art Rooney and regaled the audience with tales from film, theater and television.

The affable actor delighted fans with anecdotes of his humble beginnings, growing up in Pittsburgh's North Side.  He said,"The first years of my life I lived on Resaca, it's one of the Mexican War Streets."

Atkins detailed his journey from Carrick High School, the U.S. Navy, Duquesne University, to his year at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Atkins showed a PowerPoint photographic slideshow, of his early years.

The actor described his first foray trodding the boards. He explained, “I was seeing this girl in college, at Duquesne, and she was a theater major. I said to her, ‘I never see you. You’re always at the theater,’ and she replied, ‘Come to the theater and you’ll see me every night.’ So I went. I got in a production. I played a cop, the first of many. And I loved it.” He was bitten by the acting bug.

“Next thing you know I was playing Othello,” the actor admitted, “Though, Shakespeare isn’t really my thing.”

After a few years playing on Broadway and doing theater up and down the East Coast, he headed out west and moved to California. He went on to star in a variety of movies in Hollywood, including “The Fog,” “Haloween III” and “Lethal Weapon.”  

Finally, after growing tired of life in Los Angeles, he moved back to Pittsburgh.

“I loved the weather. I loved the work out there," Atkins said. "But it isn’t the friendliest town. I like it here. You can’t really run into old friends walking down the street in LA. Not like in here or in New York.”

He got involved with local theater in Pittsburgh.

“Ted [Pappas] called one day and said, ‘I want to send you something. Rob Zellers adapted this book about Art Rooney. We want you to come down a read for it. He had you in mind when he wrote it,’” Atkins said.

Pappas, the artistic director for the Pittsburgh Public Theater, sent him a copy of the script for “The Chief.” The performer admitted, “I didn’t really care for it when I read it, but it was a one-man show and I just had to do it. I wanted to rise to the challenge. Opening night I was just stunned by the audience reaction and I thought, ‘Well. What do I know?’ I was amazed by the people who came back time and time again. Seeing it three, four, five times. It’s a guy telling stories. There no adlibbing. There were no dancing girls. It’s just a guy on stage telling stories.” The audience was delighted by his modest admonishment.

“The Chief” broke theatrical box office records at the Public. It ran season after season for eight years.

The actor elucidated that he prepped for the role by spending time with the Rooney family and watching a VHS of a 50th Anniversary speech Rooney once gave.

“I watched about 15 minutes of that tape every night," he said. "I would get into my costume, grab my prop cigar and newspaper and watch that before going on. It helped me get his mannerisms down. It helped me be Art Rooney.”

The actor also used a metaphysical trick before going on stage. He would call upon his deceased friends and relatives to join him. “Come on, Pop. Come on, grandma,” he would say summoning his kin. Then, he would evoke Art Rooney, “Come on, Art. We’ll all go [out on stage].”

Though the run is over, Atkins believes he will return to the Rooney role. He revealed, “We were at the final performance party. We went over to the Cabaret Theater for cake and Guinness, and someone said to me, ‘Give it a year. Two tops. You’ll be back at the Public playing Art Rooney all over again.’”

With that, he ended his discussion. Though, he spent a great deal of time signing copies of the DVD version of “The Chief” for eager fans, as a fundraising opportunity for the library, telling additional anecdotes.

Patch sat down with Atkins prior to his library appearance. Read more .