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‘Seinfeld’ actor adds layers to lawyer role JOHN O’HURLEY IN ‘CHICAGOSSRq
By John Benson
Similar to his J. Peterman character on “Seinfeld,” actor John O’Hurley has lived quite the adventurous and unexpected life.
Long before he became known for straight-faced wacky phrases such as “That was the yam-yam” on the popular ’90s comedy, O’Hurley was a daytime television actor (“The Young and The Restless,” “All My Children,” “Loving,” “Santa Barbara” and “The Edge of Night”) who also made more than 50 guest starring roles on “Murder She Wrote,” “Frasier,” “The X-Files” and “Melrose Place.”
O’Hurley was also an accomplished stage actor, even performing early in his career in Cleveland in a two-man show alongside actor-director Josh Logan (“South Pacific,” “Picnic” and “Paint Your Wagon”). Over the years, he starred on the national tours of “Pirates of Penzance,” “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” “Brigadoon” and “Spamalot,” but it’s the role of the fast-talking Billy Flynn that keeps him coming back to the Tony Award-winning production “Chicago,” which returns to Playhouse Square for shows Tuesday through Sunday at the Palace Theatre.
The Vindicator talked to O’Hurley, who also gained fame in the last decade as first-season “Dancing with the Stars” champion and host of “Family Feud.”
Q. First of all, what is it about the role of Billy Flynn that continues to intrigue you?
A. I’ve been doing the show since 2005. I’ve done over 1,000 performances of it and for my take I think he’s one of the great leading men in musical theater history. He’s one of the most complex and fascinating characters put on the stage every night. I enjoy it tremendously, and I’m always finding new things about him.
Q. It’s a credit to the writing of “Chicago” that in today’s litigious society we see a Billy Flynn nearly every night on the evening news.
A. You got it. There’s a layer that I try to put on to Billy. Anytime I’ve seen him played, he comes off so monochromatic. He comes off as a slick, one-note character. What I’ve discovered is that he’s a paternal character as well. I think that’s what drives him. You never hear of Billy being married or having children, so to me, I fill in the blank with these clients. These women are his children, his daughters. And they’re under his protection until the end, and when he’s finished, it’s bye-bye.
Q. As far as your career, it’s included so many twists and turns from unexpected roles. Whereas most supporting television roles are forgotten with time, the character of J. Peterman not only lasts but seemingly opened more doors for you than you could have ever expected. Did you ever envision J. Peterman becoming a springboard in your career?
A. No, actually I turned it down the first time they talked to me about it. My show “A Whole New Ballgame” had just been canceled on ABC the day before when Larry David’s office called and offered me this guest-star role. I didn’t want to guest star on someone else’s show. My manager called me the next morning and said, “Just go over and have some fun with it.” I went over there and they hadn’t even finished the script yet. So it was a surprise to me by the end of the script, Elaine was working for J. Peterman Company and everyone on the set said, “Welcome to the cast.” And I went, “You’re kidding.”
Q. What is it about J. Peterman that was so enthralling?
A. In the beginning the character was much more grounded. He was a little bit a legend in his own mind. He was a little touched, especially when he came back from Burma. He was never the same and got funnier and funnier and more and more absurd. And it gave the writers the chance to write with that tone of absurdity. Everybody has had a boss like that at one time if they ever dabbled through corporate America. I think that was the fun of it.
Q. Even the way you delivered J. Peterman’s lines stood out as being a different voice than the other kooky characters on “Seinfeld.”
A. The first day I got there, they said we just want him to sound the way the catalog is written. So this stuff is literally falling off his lips. It reminded me a bit of a ’40s radio drama combined with a bit of a bad Charles Kuralt. That was the beginnings of the delivery and of course it got a little more musical and I had more fun with it. I’m trained operatically, so I can sing it or I can speak it but the voice is still a musical instrument to me. I can play around with it any way I want to. I just thought he was the type of character that required that kind of musicality.
Q. Finally, Elaine famously hated the Academy Award-winning “The English Patient” while J. Peterman was engrossed by the film. Where do you come out?
A. [Laughs] I actually liked it. It’s just an incredible story.