Harry Hamlin might not have pursued an acting career if he hadn’t taken a road trip to “one of the most magical places on Earth” before starting college in the early 1970s.
the The actor is 71 years old He told People magazine that he initially intended to study architecture at UC Berkeley, but his plans changed after ingesting a psychedelic drug given to him by a Hells Angel during a trip to a redwood forest outside San Francisco.
“I started seeing things differently and my curiosity was kind of turbocharged,” the “crazy” alum recalls.
Harry Hamlin’s college plans change after he accepts a drug from Hell’s Angel.
(Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images)
Two days before enrollment for architecture classes at the university opened, Hamlin was invited on a road trip to La Honda, California.
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the Former “LA Law” star Remember, he and his friends spent the night in a hidden compound with tree houses.
The group gathers around a campfire when they are approached by Hell’s Angel, who asks to borrow a wrench. The man used his wrench to open a tube in one of the treehouses and pulled out a “pile of blue pills”, which turned out to be anesthetic.
The biker gives Hamlin and each of his friends a blue pill to thank them for their help. Then, the California native missed the first day of registration.
He explained, “By the time I got there, one of the guys said the classes were full but if I switched it over to the drama department, I might be able to meet my requirements.”
The actor, who appeared in the picture in 1979, said he took a “blue pill” during a road trip to “one of the most magical places on earth” before starting college in the early 1970s.
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“I ended up doing Acting 101,” Hamlin added. “I never went back to architecture school.”
Hamlin later transferred to Yale University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Drama and Psychology in 1974.
He later launched a successful acting career that now spans nearly five decades. Over the course of his career, Hamlin has won a Primetime Emmy Award and been nominated for three Golden Global Award.
“I think the key to longevity is pursuing the next impossible task as an actor because you can never be an expert at this,” Hamlin told People. “There is always another challenge.”
The “Clash of the Titans” star has explained that he enjoys taking risks with his acting ventures. While pursuing his MFA in Acting at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, he appeared naked on stage while starring in a production of “Equus.”
“They didn’t ask us to rehearse our undressing, so the first time we undressed was actually our first night on stage together,” he recalled. “It was a trial by fire.”
“To have this experience as your first professional experience, nothing will intimidate you then,” Hamlin added.
The now Emmy winner’s acting career spans five decades.
(Fraser Harrison/Getty Images for Race To Erase MS)
In 1976, the actor starred in a television production of William Shakespeare’s play The Taming of the Shrew. He has also done theatrical productions of the films ‘Henry V’, ‘Hamlet’ and ‘Macbeth’.
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He revealed in his interview with People, that he takes acting lessons every Saturday, which is where he studies “King Lear.”
“It has been my lifelong quest to try to untangle the Shakespearean roles that I have taken and want to continue to do,” Hamlin said.
“The thing about Shakespeare is that it’s a big mystery and every play is a big mystery and you have to figure out the key to get in — and unlock the mystery.”
He added, “I’m just getting into Lear so to disassemble this, and get to the point where I know what to do with it, it’s probably going to take six months.”
“And then you have to memorize the play and then spend another six months trying to figure out how to do it right.”
Hamlin will next appear in AMC’s new series “Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches,” which premieres January 8th. He also stars alongside Sally Field, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno, Jimmy O. Yang, Lily Tomlin, and Tom Brady In the upcoming movie “80 for Brady”. The comedy is scheduled to hit theaters on February 3.
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