Catching Up With ...

The Story of Oscar and Felix of "The Odd Couple"

Actor Jack Klugman was online Wednesday, Feb. 1, at 1 p.m. ET to discuss his new book, "Tony and Me: A Story of Friendship," which details his long professional and personal relationship with Tony Randall, the other half of the memorable "Odd Couple."

Read an Excerpt

"Catching Up with ..." is a new discussion series that will appear periodically and feature exclusive interviews with people and personalities who have been away from the public spotlight but who we remember and find interesting to talk to.

A transcript follows.

____________________

Fairfax, Va.: Thank you for all those years of fun and enjoyment! Being the forerunner of the Medical Examiner on TV -- can we get the CSI producers to send some royalties your way?

Jack Klugman: No. They're pretty good shows but, you know, when I did forensic medicine, nobody knew what it was. They called me the undertaker because they didn't know what forensic medicine or medical examiner was. Fred Silverman, the head of ABC, he offered me a lot of comedy series but I told him I'd already been the best comedy series around, "The Odd Couple," and so when he saw that I did Quincy he called my agent and said, Jack turns me down? All my good series and he ends up playing an undertaker." And this was the HEAD of ABC series.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Hello Mr. Klugman, I'm such a fan. I have only known you for the Odd Couple, but a friend of mine let me borrow the movie "12 Angry Men" and it was great, was that your first role, and have you seen the remake? Thanks!

Jack Klugman: I saw the remake, yes, on television. I know know why ... if something not broke, don't fix it. Twelve Angry Men was the perfect movie. The cast was just the best cast you could possibly get together. The director was Sidney Lumet, the best director around. So why they made the remake I don't know.

I don't like to do film but I enjoyed that one. It was the best picture I ever made.

On TV, if I have the power as I did in Quincy, to get what I want, then fine. But in movies, they can cut you out. It's very impersonal. I co-starred with Lee Remick in two pictures -- Days of Wine and Roses and The Detective -- and I never met the lady. I never had a scene with her. I had a scene with Jack Lemmon, Frank Sinatra, but never with her so I never met her.

_______________________

Jack Klugman: I love the theater. I love the rehearsals. That's where you build a performance. That's your foundation. If you're gonna build a house, you start with the foundation. That makes the house strong. That's the way I build a character, from the foundation out.

_______________________

Dallas, Tex.: What was it like being Charles Bronson's roommate when you were younger?

What do you think were common traits that contributed to the success of Charles, Tony, you and others in such a competitive field as acting?

Jack Klugman: We learned out craft. Acting is a craft and you must learn it. I see a lot of talent today in the kids but they don't know how to work. They don't know the craft of acting and you can only get that on the stage in theater. You cannot learn how to act in movies or in television.

Time is very important to art and if you don't have the time to select, art goes out the window. The only tool we have as artists is selectivity. If you're a painter, you select the color, the lines, how severe they should be. As an actor you develop how angry you should be. You select how angry you should be. You listen to the other actor and then you react. In film, sometimes the other actor isn't even there. You have to play the scene. What I do is I call on my experience on the stage. I play the scene and I hope that I reach a certain level of integrity because that's what I learned on the stage.

_______________________

Alexandria, Va.: Mr. Klugman, I really enjoyed your book; it was clear that Mr. Randall was a joy to work with. But were there ever times when you resented being part of such a famous couple? If so, how did you deal with it?

Jack Klugman: The world thought us as a couple, as an acting team but we weren't. We were two individual actors thrown together and it was a joy to work with such a good actor. If the world thought of us as a team, we didn't care, as long as we enjoyed working together and we did.

The times that we didn't work together, he did plays and I plays alone.

_______________________

Baltimore, Md.: Mr. Klugman: Thank you for all the wonderful work over the years. I recently saw again, and very much enjoyed, the Twilight Zone pool hall episode you did with Jonathan Winters. Those were the glory years of TV to me. But I am actually writing to inquire about your health -- how are you these days?

Jack Klugman: I'm 83 and a half years old and I feel fine. I feel like a teenager but I'm unable to do a lot of the things that I used to do but I enjoy life to the fullest.

_______________________

Sharon, Pa.: Thank you for entertaining a family in a small steel-mill town over the years. I knew you from The Odd Couple. My folks, 12 Angry Men. To my younger siblings you were Quincy.

I read you made your film debut at 34. I'm a few years beyond that age, trying to make a break into the film industry myself. I'd like to know what kept you going? What inspired you to keep at it?

Thanks Mr. Klugman

Jack Klugman: Acting became my best friend. When I auditioned to get into college, the teacher said you belong here, Mr. Klugman, and to hear that word belong -- I never belonged anywhere before -- and suddenly I belonged in acting and it was so comfortable and I loved it. So there was no sacrifice in acting for me, even when I was starving in New York. (I went three days without eating. Charlie Bronson and I sold blood for $5 so that we could eat.)

I was happy because I was acting. Most of the time for nothing. But I was learning and to learn that you can learn opens up the world for you.

_______________________

Philadelphia, Pa.: I used to go to your store and get your flavored popcorn. What happened? I guess nothing lasts forever.

Jack Klugman: (I went partners in a popcorn business in Philly, my hometown.) I went out of business.

_______________________

Silver Spring, Md.: Mr. Klugman,

I love your work and appreciate your sitting down for this chat. I'm a big fan of Quincy, M.E. and have bought the DVDs to bring me back to 10 p.m., Friday night, 1978. Apparently you were ahead of your time. Any thoughts on the huge success of CSI. It was just you and Sam solving those cases in the 70s. Now it takes a whole staff of hipsters to crack the case.

Jack Klugman: The difference between the CSI's and my show ... Sam and I were always interested in helping the living. If we did an autopsy and we would find the murderer that would stop him from murdering other people. If there was an epidemic we would do the autopsy to find out what caused the epidemic and it would stop and save a lot of lives. These shows are more interested in the gory detail. They cut open the belly and show the blood coming out. There's no value. We wanted to save the living. That's the difference.

_______________________

Annandale, Va.: Any good stories from Tony's radio days? I thought he was great in "I Love A Mystery".

Jack Klugman: I didn't know Tony then. I really knew him from The Odd Couple which was 1971 on ABC.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: Mr. Klugman,

Just a comment -- I enjoyed reading the excerpt from your book, and you were right about syndication. I grew up in the NYC area in the '70s and had the pleasure of watching the Odd Couple on channel 11 every week night from 7:00-8:00 p.m.. My friends and I loved the show and after a while had many of the lines memorized.

After Mr. Randall's death, there was an Odd Couple marathon on TVLand, which was great to see. The shows were still funny, and in fact I think they were better than most of what the networks have on today.

Thanks so much for fighting for those 3 cameras. I look forward to reading your book.

Jack Klugman: As I said, I love the theater because I love the live audience and when we went three cameras we have a live audience in the study so we had someone to play to and react to. That laughter.

_______________________

Maryland: Did Walter Matthau ever get upset that you were the better known Oscar Madison?

Jack Klugman: Walter Matthau never got upset. He made all the big money and he was wonderful as Oscar Madison on the stage. You couldn't beat him. I know because I replaced him on Broadway. He was just delightful.

_______________________

Rochester, N.Y.: Mr. Klugman: Did the four members of the Odd Couple ever get together (you, Tony Randall, Walter Mathau, and Jack Lemmon)?

Jack Klugman: We all knew each other. There was reunion but I worked with Jack on Days of Wine and Roses. He was a very generous actor, and Walter Matthau I played poker with back in the 50s. In fact, I wrote a Kraft (live TV) and Walter starred in it. So I go back a long time with Walter.

_______________________

Colesville, Md.: The Odd Couple with Howard Cosell was one of the best. How was he to work with?

Jack Klugman: Howard Cosell became one of my dear friends. He was loyal and we were at the Kentucky Derby and I had a horse entered in the Kentucky Derby 1980 and he came in third and Howard was routing for my horse all the way. He was a good friend.

_______________________

Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.