|
|
Date and Issue: January 9, 1977.
IF EVER a television series was designed to be pure escapism, ABC-TV's Wonder Woman is that. The remaining episodes will be shown weekly this month, star-ring Lynda Carter in the title role and Lyle Waggoner as Maj. Steve Trevor. Until now, it had been broadcast at irregular intervals.
It is roughly adapted from the comic strip of the 1940's, and is set in that period. It is just one of the factors which distinguishes it from The Six Million Dollar Man or Bionic Woman series on the same network.
"Our setting is the Second World War and we are always in conflict with the nazis," Waggoner said. "Although the idea was in-spired by the comics, we play the programs very straight. It's all serious action, but that's where the fun comes in. One show had a huge gorilla trained by the nazis to capture a defector. Another had a visitor from outer-space planets concerned about the violence on earth."
WAGGONER, born in Kansas City and reared in St. Louis, went tò all this spoofery from seven years on The Carol Burnett Show, which was his first really big break in show business. He had been under contract at 20th Century-Fox in a talent-development program, auditioned as Carol's announcer, and got the part. But after seven years, he wanted out.
"I had to leave,-because -I was tired of doing the same thing for seven years," he said. "It was a very limited part, and I felt I had nowhere to go. So I did a lot of theater appearances around the country, some commercials, and I found the stage both satisfying and gratifying for a performer.
"I was looking for another series, and I was offered Wonder Woman. I found out later that Stanley Ralph Ross had written the part of Steve Trevor with me in mind. It's practically the first time that a writer had a specific actor in mind for a role, and the actor got it!"
Waggoner smiled comfortably, satisfactorily. He is NOT just an-other pretty face, as he appeared to be on the Carol Burnett series. He is also ruggedly masculine. After this interview, he planned to lay some of the 13,000 bricks he. intends to form into a patio at his home in Encino. He also builds furniture, and does carpentry. He takes' great pleasure in discussing his current role.
"He is a super soldier in the air force who often gets in over his head, and that's why Wonder Woman disguises herself as Diana Prince, to protect him," Waggoner said. "He doesn't know who she is, of course. There is a dermite love interest between them, and nothing will ever happen."
Waggoner is totally enthusiastic when he speaks of his costar. "I was very familiar with the Wonder Woman comic strip, and Lynda looks just like her. She is very naive and innocent, and she changes from Diana to Wonder Woman by twirling into it, spinning in a circle."
HE GRINNED, as if to say—"We're grown-up kids having a party every day." He does not, of course, intend to spend the rest of his life in a comic strip.
"No, no, no!" he protested. "I want a series of my own. I want to do movies—action adventure or maybe a western. Of course, sometimes I'm in disguise on this show and I get to play different roles. In one, I'm in military dress clothes. In another, a western, there are bushwhackers and I get to ride a horse."
He plainly enjoys his work. And as for his not-fashionable short haircut of the 1940's, he's got that in perspective too.
"The rest of the world is out of step with me," he said with a grin.
His work is not his total life. He has installed a ceiling in his guest house and said with pride: "I'm a talented do-it-yourselfer. , First 'I hire someone to do the work that has to be done. Then I watch very carefully, ask questions, and can do it myself."
Waggoner is also a car fancier. He is the owner of an Italia—only 100 of them were built, in Italy. It cost $13,000 when it was new. He has restored it, and will now put it on the custom-car circuit, to be on display- and. driven rarely, ,but with tender loving care.
He can afford it now. At the beginning of his career, he and his, wife Sharon invested very cent possible in apartment buildings in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, Calif.
"We never spent an extra cent. We were very careful. Now we can afford to have some fun, and we are!"
His "we" include sons Jason, eight, and Beau, five. They're hav-ing the most fun of all, with a dad' who plays opposite Wonder Woman. And no wonder!
|
|||||
|
