AO: Has your love for the film industry always stood
strong? When did you first take interest in this line of
work?
JM: I’ve wanted to be an actor since I was in high school.
I tried out for a play that I didn’t get casted for, but just the
experience of trying out for the part excited me enough to
know that this was what I wanted to do. I wasn’t really
wanting to be a TV or film actor, or a theater actor predom-
inately. I just knew that this was something I wanted to do,
no matter if I was up on stage or in front of a camera, or
wherever it may be. I feel lucky that at 16 years old, I had
that little flash of, “Yeah! I really want to give this a shot!”
and I really haven’t looked back since. It was a childhood
dream that came true.
AO: Do you have any particular works that stand out?
JM: Over the course of my career – I’ve been at this almost
50 years – it runs the gamut. Luckily in theater, I’ve been
privileged enough to win a Tony Award for my perform-
ance in Glengarry Glen Ross in 1984. In film, I was fortu-
nate to be part of the Godfather trilogy, to work with great
directors like David Mamet, Woody Allen, Barry Levinson,
and Francis Coppola, and then in television to have been
able to play everything from Dean Martin in The Rat Pack,
to a series like Joan of Arcadia , to what I’m doing now. It’s
been a wide and varied career and I’ve been so lucky to
experience all different medias.
AO: Growing up, what was your favorite television pro-
gram and/or movie?
JM: Wow. Well, as a kid, I’m going back to the 50s now.
Father Knows Best was definitely one of my favorite TV
shows. I also remember watching I Love Lucy and The
Honeymooners with my family, so that dates me back to
the old black and white TV days. As for movies, The Ad-
ventures of Robin Hood was always my favorite – the orig-
inal, with Errol Flynn. That’s actually why my star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame is right next to Errol Flynn’s – that
was me tipping my hat to my childhood idol. But, like
everybody, I have a ton of favorites – I’m just glad to actu-
ally be in the business.
AO: Who is your inspiration today?
JM: No one! Just kidding, that’s funny. I mean, at my age
(70 years old) it’s more about what inspires me. What in-
spires me is that hopefully we’re handing the world off
properly to the next generation, whoever it may be. So, in
terms of people, my inspiration comes from the advances
that we’ve made in the world thus far. The people I respect
are the game-changers – the doctors, the scientists, the
military, the people in uniform – the people who strive to
do things that help others, and make life better. That’s
what inspires me.
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