William Sanderson - Yes, Im That Guy: The Rough-and-Tumble Life of a Character Actor

2019 William Sanderson

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without permission of the copyright holder.

Author, William Sanderson, with Ray Richmond

Printed by

ISBN: 9781098301989

Book and cover design by Laura Treichel

To my wife, Sharon, who told me not to dedicate this book to her.

FOREWORD

By Jim Munchel

When I was asked by William Sanderson to write a foreword for his memoir, I was initially stunned, then flattered. Here, after all, is a man who has worked with many of the most famous and talented people in Hollywood. Bill has created so many memorable roles over the course of almost a half-century, while I have been honored to serve as his admiring friend, fan and comrade.

In every role that Bill was chosen for, he accepted the challenge, digging into the character and demonstrating uncommon tenacity and intensity. Hes someone who has survived decades in the acting trenches and lived to tell the tale.

Uncle Bill, as my six-year-old son James calls him, has experienced the good, the bad, and on occasion the ugliness of show business. His massive body of work speaks to his ability to persevere in a hugely competitive field.

From his humble beginnings down South to his nights of bartending and his salad days while striving to make a name for himself in an industry notorious for being unforgiving, Bill is an inspiration eager to go the distance without questioning the outcome.

The first time I met Bill, I was co-managing a bookstore in Harrisburg, PA. He was accompanied by his wife Sharon, wearing his hat down a bit on his head and pressing a notebook close to his chest. They asked for the AUTOBIOGRAPHY section, to which I escorted them and left them to browse.

I didnt initially recognize Bill. But when he spoke, his voice prodded my memory. I figured that I had to be mistaken. You just dont see guys like him wandering around Harrisburg. But when they approached the counter, I decided to take a chance and ask if he was THE William Sanderson.

By now, a small group of bookstore associates had gathered around Mr. and Mrs. Bill, and he confirmed my suspicion, explaining that the two of them moved here to be closer to family. It is, after all, Sharons hometown.

I began to see Bill in the store more and more over the course of the next few weeks, each time carrying his notebook, sitting in the caf and sipping a cup of coffee. On occasion, I would join him, and we would chat about the store and its stock and about his acting life.

What struck me during our discussions was that Bill was always more interested in talking about me and my family than he was himself and his career. Thats rare for someone so famed and successful. He was driven by a genuine humility.

I finally got up the nerve to ask him what was in the notebook.

Its a coloring book, he quipped with a laugh, before admitting he was scribbling stories and recollections about his life for a possible memoir. Of course, I encouraged him, as he regaled me with amazing tales of his decades in show business.

This man and the life he has lived completely captivated me. But I imagined that his note-taking might not be the ideal method for documenting his thoughts. So, I decided to buy for Bill a small recording device, so that as the situations and moments in his life came back to him, he could express them and store them instantly without all of the muss and fuss.

Now that the dust has mostly settled and the smoke has cleared, the life of Bill Sanderson can finally be shared not only with his loyal fans but with anyone who might be inspired to follow his lead and get into the acting profession. I think he would agree that if he could do it, anyone can. Thats the modest kind of guy he is.

When we sit together and talk, Bill and I have the kind of bond that inspires him to refer to me as my psychiatrist. I assume this is because we can discuss things going on in our lives and seek solutions or just some solace that resides deep in both of our souls. The funny thing is, I consider him my psychiatrist as well.

But thats the thing with Bill. When you really get to know him, he peers into your heart and allows you to peer into his. We early on moved past the small talk to discuss the bigger issues in a way that proved rather profound and cathartic. Its the kind of connection that happens only when two guys let down their guard to allow the real stuff to be exchanged.

They say that what doesnt kill us makes us stronger, and Bill is the strongest guy I know. He is still standing sometimes in the ruins of situations he had no control over, other times in debris of his own creation. I know that he has a wild past and did plenty of things he isnt proud of, which makes for provocative reading in the book youre about to dig into.

All I can tell you is that today, Bill Sanderson is the best of men. He has become one of my closest friends, and I tell him all of the time that I am a better man for knowing him.

Prepare to meet one of the most fascinating fellows youll ever encounter. But hang on tight. The ride promises to get a little bumpy.

Chapter 1

MAKING MY CASE IN THE COURT OF POSTERITY

Its an overcast, sixty-four-degree morning in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the place where Ive called home for the past few months in 2015. Im taking my daily walk to get the newspaper.

Thats how old I am. I still like to walk rather than drive everyplace, and I still enjoy reading a paper the old-fashioned way on actual paper instead of a screen. Call me crazy.

My destination is the Citgo gas station and convenience store a couple of blocks away. Thats where I pick up a copy of the New York Post . I clutch it in my hand as I walk around scanning the shelves in the Citgo, the Hershey bars and the Tasty Kakes and the Utz Honey Barbecue Chips that I never buy.

The cover of the Post reads, IT AINT OVER TIL ITS OVER, the famous quote from the great Yankees catcher, Yogi Berra, who died the day before. Usually the cover is about a murder rather than passing by natural causes. This is why tabloids are fun to read; its a nice escape. It makes your own life seem pretty good by comparison.

Anyway, as Im examining the rows of junk food, I notice that another customer at the counter is staring at me. And staring. And staring some more.

While its unsettling, this isnt necessarily a strange thing for me. I get recognized a lot from my years working in Hollywood. Im trying to imagine how the conversation will go after I get to the register.

Once I arrive, hes still staring. Not saying anything. So, I plop my Post on the counter and break the ice.

Hi.

He smiles broadly at me.

How ya doin? I ask.

I know you, he says loudly and with certainty, wagging his finger.

Im thinking the man knows my face from my eight seasons on the CBS comedy series Newhart between 1982 and 1990, where I played Larry, the vocal third of the backwoods brothers Larry, Darryl and Darryl.

Maybe he recognizes me from the classic 1982 science fiction film Blade Runner, in which I portrayed the toymaker J.F. Sebastian.

Or perhaps he has seen me on the HBO western Deadwood between 2004 and 2006 that found me playing E.B. Farnum, or on HBOs vampire series True Blood as the hated Sheriff Bud Dearborne between 2008 and 2010 with a brief return engagement in 2012.