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Recently in Salon People

Nothing Personal
When toilet seats attack
When you get caught between the seat and New York City, you know it's painful, so you sue. Plus: All aboard Affleck!
By Amy Reiter
[12/01/99]

People Feature
What dreams may bomb
For years, Richard Simmons has made people earn their dreams the hard way. Now he can't give them away.
By Matt Himes
[12/01/99]

Nothing Personal
Love, Washington style
D.C. insiders in love! Mush and spin from the other Olson twins; Portman keeps her pants on; and Michael Jackson won't stop till he gets enough ... babies.
By Amy Reiter
[11/30/99]

Brilliant Careers
David Cronenberg
For more than three decades, his films have been taking you to the weirdest of worlds. Lucky for you, you can always walk out -- unless you're too terrified to move.
By Steve Burgess
[11/30/99]

Nothing Personal
My runny-nosed valentine
Matt Damon to keep day job; kids ask the darndest things of presidential candidates; and is that a rock on Jennifer Aniston's finger, or is she just getting ready to punch someone out?
Amy Reiter
[11/29/99]

Complete archives for People

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I was amazed to discover your involvement with a lot of shows I'd watched over the years including "Saturday Night Live," but the strangest connection was that you're the guy who came up with "Hee Haw." What's a nice Jewish guy from New York doing with a show like that?

It was my concept. I tried to sell the networks on "The Muppet Show." They said a puppet wouldn't work at night and I was furious. So I got really angry, I woke up at 3 o'clock one morning and I said, "OK, I'll give them what they want." I broke down the top 10 -- it was "Green Acres," "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "Laugh In." So I said "I'll do a country 'Laugh In.'" There was more brains than luck in that.

Where Did I Go Right? You're No One In Hollywood Unless Someone Wants You Dead By Bernie Brillstein with David Rensin Little Brown & Company Nonfiction 400 pages Buy this book at B&N.com

Overlooking the railroad. And I was Mr. Brillenstein -- that's how they pronounced my name -- it was Brillenstein.

You also mention some problems in having Ray Charles on that show.

Some of the people who were on the show walked out of the studio. In those days that was Nashville and the South and maybe it still is, but Ray Charles -- give me a break.

One of the things that struck me in the book was your preoccupation with your weight and appearance over the years.

Are you thin or heavy?

I guess I'm thin.

I was in good shape probably for about five years, from about 30 to 35. My whole family basically had Russian peasant bodies. I was always heavy, my father was always heavy.

I think you look like a pretty distinguished guy.

I'm distinguished now because I'm successful (laughs). You know, it was always a game, a challenge to get ahead -- with women and life and in show business. I just wanted to prove, like Camryn Manheim, that this is for all the fat people.

Hollywood's obsessed with age and looks.

People who are on the business end of this, who are not the stars, no one gives a damn how they look. Who are they trying to look like? Most of them are not very attractive. Most of them want to be the stars they represent or they produce and they are not. So I don't care. I wear sweatsuits and sweaters, and I know that I am not supposed to do what they do.

But you've had your moments. You were having phenomenal success and you let it catch up with you while representing John Belushi.

I did. It was the Blue Brothers moment. I thought I had invented show business. There I was in my Blues Brothers hat, my Blues Brothers scarf, glasses, my Blue Brothers jacket, and my pin -- god forbid, no one should know it -- and I was 48 years old. I looked in the mirror one day and actually said, "Schmuck." My ex-wife said, "Stop it already, will you please." That brought it to a screeching halt and that was the end of it.

There's a topic that runs through the book in which you acknowledge how older people really helped your career, and you admit you're now one of the older people. Do you see that sort of mentoring happening in Hollywood now?

Not particularly. There are some people who ask my advice. But I think mostly everyone thinks they can do it better on their own. This just happened so I've never told anyone this story. Saturday morning I was in a deli called Nate and Al's here. I was having breakfast with some friends of mine and Lew Wasserman walks in. And he comes over to the table and says, 'Thank you for being so nice to me in your book.' It was great!

You weren't kind to everybody in the book.

No, but I was kind to most people.

Michael Ovitz is not on anybody's most loved list. You were warned about your dealings with him and eventually you came to some conclusions your self.

Yeah, it took me 10 years cause I'm such a quick study.

What is the real story?

Next page | "At least Ovitz has the guts to be Ovitz"