Tyrone Power Jr., who played Harley in "Shag - The Movie," will take up the S.C. state dance again, among the cast of 12 in the fifth annual "Shagging with the Stars" event Friday.
The contest, part of the 28th National Shag Dance Championships and scholarship fundraiser, winds up the second of two days of preliminaries for finals in March, all at 2001 Nightclub between Myrtle Beach and Briarcliffe Acres.
Power, whose credits include the role of Pillsbury in "Cocoon" and "Cocoon: The Return" in the mid- and late 1980s, and appearances on "Cheers" and the soap opera "The Bold and the Beautiful," has followed the acting ambition ingrained through three generations on his paternal side, starting with his great-grandfather in Ireland and including his father - famous movie, stage and radio actor Tyrone Power.
Calling from his hometown of Los Angeles, two days before his 52nd birthday on Saturday, Power thought about his career that included living 10 years of his childhood in Mexico, and later in New York, Arizona and back to California. He also brought up the special feeling about graduating from Pomona College - whose alumni include fellow actor Richard Chamberlain - and shared his outlook on the final four NFL teams that faced elimination Sunday in the Super Bowl playoffs.
Question | How long has it been since you visited Myrtle Beach?
Answer | I have such wonderful memories of Myrtle Beach. I went back to Myrtle Beach 10 years ago, when my sister was in from Italy, and I visited from New York for a day. I didn't get to do my Myrtle Beach things. This time, I'll be there for three to four days.
Q. | Have you done South Carolina's state dance since filming "Shag - The Movie" on the Grand Strand and in Florence for its release in 1989?
A.| I have had no connection with the dance in all that time. Why would I out here? No one shags here. ... I remember several occasions in the last 15 years where I've talked with people who say they're from South Carolina and they ask about the movie.
Q. | What homework was undertaken in training with Myrtle Beach dance instructors for "Shagging with the Stars"?
A. | Shag has entered my consciousness. Jason Cagle and Holly Cagle came out here last week and trained me. I picked it right up. I fell completely back in love with it. I'm head over heels in love with it. ... Although I'm not a dancer, my wife is. I'm Irish; my hips don't move. ... It's more than the dance itself. It's the attitude, the style, the passion for it, the love for it in the culture. It's kind of down low and cool. Everybody dances with everybody. It's not about trying too hard; it's about enjoying everybody's company and the music.
Q. | How have your views and your relating to "Shag - The Movie" changed through the years?
A. | The movie has never ceased to surprise me, with how many people approach me remembering it. I forget about it completely, then out of the blue, someone comes up to me, my wife or my cousin, and they say their favorite movie is "Shag." They're madly in love with you, and they ask, "Can you sign a picture for me?" It has a cult following around the world. ... It keeps coming back to me. ... There's lots of depressing movies out now. People like films that are uplifting and fun.
Q. | What are your latest movie projects?
A. | We just finished shooting a movie called "The Extra" in November. It should be out in the spring. It's a wonderful little script. ... I'm also working on a project about Hollywood in 1939. It's a movie about the greatest year in the movie industry. It's a combination of "LA Confidential" and "Sunset Boulevard." It was the end of the Great Depression and the beginning of World War II. It was an amazing year in this town.
Q. | Might Green Bay and Pittsburgh be the last teams standing to play in the Super Bowl on Feb. 6? How about the Chicago Bears and New York Jets?
A. | I love all the teams left. They're the old-school teams, the working-class teams.
E-Mail
Print
The Sun News Terms & Conditions and Commenting Policies can be reviewed here.