Kevin Dunn was the father in “The Beach Boys” mini-series, Col. Hicks in “Godzilla,” Charles Colson in “Nixon,” J. Edgar Hoover in “Chaplin.” He has appeared on “Seinfeld,” “Jag,” “Roseanne,” “L.A. Law” and “Cheers.”
But now that he has landed the part of Bette Midler’s husband on her new CBS sitcom, “Bette,” is he destined to become a household name/trivia question? (Note: The show is up against ABC’s “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.”)
Dunn and his wife, former Chicago freelance writer, Katina Alexander, have moved to a spectacular house in Malibu, just down the beach from Goldie and Kurt. They hang out with Arnold and Bruce. He calls Sigourney, “Siggy” and has his own table at Spago. Just kidding.
In fact, Dunn is so normal, it’s sickening:
Question–Did you audition for the show?
Answer–When I read Bette Midler was doing a show, I wanted an audition for it. I met with her and read a couple of scenes. There was some joke about her boobs. I read it and she said, “You blushed.” I said, “No, I didn’t.” I thought I blew it. I couldn’t get off a good zinger without blushing.
Q–What is your character like?
A–We’re still getting around to that. What I know is, he’s a history professor. He’s an anchor for her with all the madness of the business. He’s a rock. I just hope he’s a funny rock.
Q–How long have you been in Hollywood?
A–Too long to tell you the truth. Since 1987.
Q–Why did you move out there?
A–I was working a lot in Chicago theater, at Northlight, and rehabbing homes around Wrigley Field. We’d take the top two floors of a three-flat and make it into a duplex for the yuppie owner and then they’d rent out the bottom. I’d just gotten married to Katina. I was a very provincial guy. I was happy doing off-Loop shows and some work on a TV show that was filmed in Chicago, “Jack and Mike.”
But Kat wanted to move to New York or L.A. She interviewed at papers and got a job at the Orange County Register. So we packed up our stuff and moved out here. She was writing and editing, I was driving to L.A. and auditioning. I started doing stuff on half-hour comedies, then I got a couple of movie gigs and it went from there.
Q–Your sister is Nora Dunn. Were your parents in show business?
A–Not at all. My dad was a wonderful pianist but with six kids to support, he worked in insurance. My mom was a surgical nurse. Nora and I had separate paths. Nora was living in San Francisco and doing stand-up. I majored in theater and moved to Chicago and started auditioning for plays. I see Nora a lot now. She lives in Woodland Hills. She’s doing great. She just finished a film with Danny DeVito.
Q–What’s Katina doing? Is she still writing?
A–She’s writing grants for my son’s school and trying to find out what she wants to do. We spent six years rehabbing an old shack in Pasadena and she worked on that with me. Now she’s taking care of our son, Jack, who’s 8.
Q–Are all your friends in the biz?
A–Not at all. I’m way out of the loop. I don’t play basketball at Garry Marshall’s house. I like having a variety of friends, artists, lawyers. I hate to be around people obsessed by show biz. I’d rather talk to my friends who work at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. And I have a family. I like to spend time with them. I tend not to go to a lot of Hollywood functions.
Q–Do you still worry that every job is your last one?
A–That thought rears its ugly head from time to time. There have been dry times, but all in all, I’ve managed to stay pretty busy.
Q–With whomdo you compete against for jobs?
A–It varies, but Oliver Platt is always getting the roles I want. Another actor turned down “The Beach Boys” and I got a great juicy role. That’s how it works out here.
Q–How do you feel about auditioning?
A–I don’t mind, although I’m kind of weary of it. It’s part of the job. I’d love to just get offers, but it doesn’t work that way. I know some actors who won’t audition, but I don’t find it insulting. Actually, I’d rather audition than just go and talk to the director. That makes me feel rather silly. What do they want to talk about?
Q–What’s the most Hollywood thing you’ve ever done?
A–Just recently, CBS held a Cavalcade of Starsin Las Vegas for the affiliates. It was so odd. So-and-so from Cedar Rapids would stand up and say, “So, how’s the show going?” Everyone was there from all the shows. It was very old Hollywood. They put us up at the Bellagio. It was really nice but the halls were like something out of “The Shining.” They were five miles long.
Q–If I walked into your house, how would I know you’re an actor and not an insurance salesman?
A–You wouldn’t. I don’t have actor stuff around. No posters or anything.
Q–Are you really this normal?
A–I’m just a character actor out here trying to make a living. I go to Home Depot and maybe some guy says, “I know you.” But it doesn’t stop me from going to Home Depot.
