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Bill Irwin's Experience Is Fuel For Aspirations

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By KATHY L. GREENBERG

Tribune correspondent

Published: January 8, 2009

Updated:

Bill Irwin is a portrait of success in the entertainment industry. For the past 30 years, he has wended his way across stages, past television cameras and onto movie screens, proving versatility and talent are the keys to longevity in the fickle business. His experience is the stuff that gives theater students and struggling actors hope, and he's happy to fuel their aspirations.

"As I get older, I find it's a passion or compulsion to think what can be passed on to students," Irwin said recently in a telephone interview.

This month, Irwin will share his insight at the University of South Florida's Talk of the Arts, an annual lecture and performance series for USF's College of Visual & Performing Arts. The event is free and open to the public.

Irwin's career began in the circus after graduating in 1974 from the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. (He also earned a theater degree from Oberlin College.) He joined the Pickle Family Circus in San Francisco, but left the show to pursue stage work.

Some may remember him first and foremost as The Flying Man on the hit television show "Northern Exposure." In two episodes he expressed his love for the character Marilyn without saying a word.

Irwin showed off his gift for physical comedy as Mr. Noodle on "Sesame Street," the taller, goofy guy in Bobby McFerrin's music video for "Don't Worry, Be Happy" and Ham Gravy in Robert Altman's film "Popeye." He can be serious too; In 2005 he won a Tony Award for his performance as George in Edward Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"

His ability to emote both verbally and nonverbally sets him apart from the usual triple-threat fare.

"I love doing each, as soon as I get settled into it," Irwin said. "You have to wait for timing when you're using words. In silent comedy, a huge laugh means that you continue on telling the story. You don't have to wait for the next guy to do the next thing to get the next laugh. I did a show called 'Fool Moon' (with David Shiner from 1992 to 1999) with no spoken words. Often laughter would be a continuous roll. It was a great joy to be doing that work."

"Fool Moon," by the way, won a special Tony Award for Live Theatrical Presentation in 1999.

Irwin has survived career highs and lows and likens his unpredictable line of work to any freelance endeavor. He believes the world is "all going freelance" and that acting teaches people how to adapt - not just to act. It's a lesson audience members can expect to learn during his talk at USF.

"Training to be an actor is mighty good for you, whether or not you become an actor. People seem to be working more flexibly these days. The way to stay alive is to go with it," Irwin said.

LIGHTS, ACTION

WHAT: Talk of the Arts with Bill Irwin

WHEN: 7 p.m. Tuesday

WHERE: Theatre I, College of Visual and Performing Arts, USF, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa

HOW MUCH: Free; call 974-2323 or visit www.arts.usf.edu.

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