#62 Catherine Mary Stewart Is Out Of This World

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All right, Alex, thank you so much for that amazing introduction. You get the show going each and every week, and this week was no exception. Welcome, everybody to Episode 62 of live from Detroit, the Jeff Dwoskin show. As always, I am your host, Jeff Dwoskin. And we've got an amazing episode for you today. Oh my gosh, we're going out of this world to bring you the most superb episode today. That's right, we're raising the bar once again. Joining us today is the amazing Catherine Mary Stewart. You loved her in The Last Starfighter, Weekend at Bernie's Night of the Comet, Mischief and so much more. And this week, it's especially exciting because the anniversary of the Last Starfighter which came out in 1984. We're talking all about it. You're gonna love it. And that's coming up in just a few minutes.

Oh, and you may have heard me mentioned Night of the Comet when introducing Catherine Mary Stewart. If you need more Night of the Comet in your life after listening to this interview, head over to Episode 25 of live from Detroit, the Jeff Dwoskin show and listen to my interview with Kelly Maroney. Kelly was of course Catherine Mary Stewart's co star in Night of the Comet. So if you need more Night of the Comet in your life, head over to that amazing interview as well.

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And I think that's an excellent lead in to my fabulous conversation with Catherine Mary Stewart.

All right, ladies and gentlemen, for decades, my next guest has been entertaining as in movies such as Miss Jeff The Last Starfighter Weekend at Bernie's, Night of the Comet and so much more. It's my pleasure to introduce you to Catherine Mary Stewart.

Welcome to the show. Good to have you. Yeah, I'm a big fan. I think my primary fandom was dressed in The Last Starfighter and Night of the Comet and we'll get love to get to those. I'd like to know what got you into acting like what's what's your origin story?

Catherine Mary Stewart 7:16

Yeah, my origin story. Well, I've always kind of been a performer, just kind of loud and obnoxious, I think. Not really crazy about school, I come from a family of academia, my two older brothers, super smart in school, all this stuff. And then there was me, I like they hate this. So my mother, God bless her. She just kept trying to find an outlet for me. And it started when I was really young, at like, six or seven. And she put me in ballet and I hated it. I just felt so restricted. I mean, there's not a lot of freedom and sort of flying around, and improvisation are they everything is very stringent. Everything that you do every point you make every position, you stand it, I hated it. So I got into ballet. And then she put me in gymnastics, which I liked, because I was pretty athletic. And I liked jumping around a lot to piano lessons, which I did pretty well at actually. And she when I was in junior high, she encouraged me to, to get into drama, the idea of standing on stage in front of everybody freaked me out, I was like, I'm not gonna stand up there and like recite Shakespeare or whatever the heck you do, and drama class. She really, really encouraged me to do it. And it was almost from day one, that I just loved it. I loved it. I mean, I excelled, you know, in the class, which was encouraging. And then she also kind of tricked me into getting into this dance class, this ad in the university newspapers that they have this new young choreographer who had just come home from France to Edmonton, where I was from when she was starting up this new jazz class. I was like, No, I am not doing that. I did ballet, I hated ballet, you know, I'm not doing the jazz thing. And my mother tricked me into going to it sort of made this deal where if I just try it, see how I like it, that kind of thing. Again, it was sort of like the drama class in junior high. I was just like, this is cool stuff. And she in fact, in that first day, I was sort of hidden in the back because I didn't want anybody to see me because I was this was like not going to go anywhere. As far as I was concerned. The first day she the teacher pulled me up front because I was picking up on the exercises or the readings very quickly and I just fell in love that I was 14 by 16. I was in her dance company called synergy by 18. We are traveling around the world. When I graduated from high school although I had continued theater in high school. My true love at that point was dance. I went to London, England to train I went to a school that was a general performing arts school like it was dance, but it was also theater and singing and dialects and everything it was it was very sort of broad Performing Arts platform. And it was there in London that I happened to go to this audition as a dancer for this rock musical movie that I just by chance heard of. I wasn't prepared when I because you were supposed to be prepared with something to sing and be prepared to read some of the scripts for the producer directors and stuff like that. I just went, I didn't think anything would come of it. But the director pulled me out of a dance. It was like a cattle call dance audition, there must have been 200 dancers there pulled me out and asked me if I could act and sing because it was a rocky school. And I'm like, yeah, I'm gonna say yes. It was completely unexpected. But and I ended up with a lead role.

Jeff Dwoskin 10:55

The movie is talking about is the apple it is he did sing and dance in it. Did you aspire to be a singer? Or was just kind of like, Oh, you can you can sing. So you kind of saying or would you have wanted to go and do more singing,

Catherine Mary Stewart 11:08

I loved seeing when I say that I was kind of a performer. My family was kind of my brothers and I were kind of performers around the house. We used to sing at the top of our lungs all over the place. You know, when I come home from school, I would put on whatever album it was, and just sing it. My mother was usually at the university and my brothers or whatever coming up, they usually came home later than I did. And I would have the whole living room and the record player and I put on a record and turn it up and just sing at the top of my lungs. So I love that. And then just sort of peripherally I was I knew a lot of musicians in Edmonton. So I've always loved the industry. And I have friends who are singers, all sorts of stuff. But I never really fell into that in the way that I did dance and the way that I did acting itself.

Jeff Dwoskin 11:57

So I had never heard of this movie, but I'll continue to see it. I didn't see it. But I Well, I googled it and there were a lot of clips, and it made me really really want to go and see it because I was watching it. You singing I can feel the earth Star quakin when America starts shaking from New York out to LA everybody does it her way. Buddy our speed that one? Yeah. I'll just call out before Yeah. How's that? I was gonna ask but you just went right into it. So that was amazing. That was great. Yeah, see you very lovely voice.

Catherine Mary Stewart 12:40

Well, I have to be honest here. I was gonna see how far I could let this slab In fact, all the other actors aside from like Joss Ackland and vladek Chabot were professional musicians, singers. And I came along as this little 20 year old had singing lessons. And I just didn't have the chops for it. I didn't they tried with me, but I just, I just didn't have the chops that these other people had. So they actually ended up bringing a woman named Mary Hyland from LA to London to record I dumped her voice. But I think what is so great about it is I think it looks very authentic. And I think it sounds authentic. I think it does sound like what it would sound like if I was singing it. And ultimately, you know, I've done stuff since then. I've been in musicals, and I've done movies where I sing, but at that point, and with that particular movie, which required a pretty solid voice, you know, these songs were not just simple songs. I feel sort of I'm grateful that they found some of these. And given that little secret away.

Jeff Dwoskin 13:48

It's it's right here ladies gentlemen, Apple exclusive. That's right. This is the most one of the most disappointing things to find out since finding out that Michael perrey wasn't singing and Eddie and the cruisers

Catherine Mary Stewart 14:01

Well, yeah. Look, it's happened a lot in history. And huge actors that I can you could list many, many actors who ended up being overdubbed or whatever. Having good company.

Jeff Dwoskin 14:17

From there. Your your next big, big gig was deza revive big soap star.

Catherine Mary Stewart 14:22

Yeah, Days of Our Lives was sort of the first regular job I had when I got to LA. I was on it for a couple of years. My claim to fame is the fact that I was the original Caleb Brady, and that character is still around today. And that was back in like early early 80s. You know, it's kind of funny to talk about that. But yeah, this whole Brady family was established when I was on the show. When I left the show, they I don't know how long they waited, but they recast it and it's been it's a very, very successful character.

Jeff Dwoskin 14:56

They should have you back. Again Roseanne they kept switching Becky's Back and forth, right?

Catherine Mary Stewart 15:01

It's true. They did. There was one point where I was like, you know, I'm around I was sort of in LA and I was like, I'm, I'm around if you You want me to come back and they're like, yeah, we have somebody. I'm like, so close,

Jeff Dwoskin 15:14

so close, I'll close. This way. You're like, I'm gonna I'm gonna go to Guiding Light if you don't.

Catherine Mary Stewart 15:21

Actually, I did do Guiding Light. I did a few episodes of guiding light. It was a super fun character. It was shooting in New York, and they cast me as this sort of Southern sort of cook. She was like, she was very suited, slimy, in, unpredictable, and there's something you know, weird going on with her. And it was really, really fun to play. I was playing opposite another character who had disappeared and came back. As this happens all the time in soap operas. The character came back as like she'd lost her memory. And then she was like this scuzzy Southern person too. And I was her like, best friend. And we were like, going around rich people's houses, look at all the expensive stuff and slide them into our persons who thinks that it was really fun. I did like six or 10 episodes of that. That was That was fun.

Jeff Dwoskin 16:13

That's awesome. And then yeah, something I like to ask all my guests. Tell me what it was like to be on nightrider and work with David Hasselhoff.

Catherine Mary Stewart 16:21

Oh, David has a lot. He was the sweetest guy that was even before Days of Our Lives that I did that one. He was so nice. And he was really cute. And I knew him from Knight Rider. You know, of course everybody did. I was very green when I did that. The thing about David David Hasselhoff is I think it was single at the time and he kind of took a liking to me. I think I wasn't single. So just missed. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. But it was really so sweet. I was like, Oh, me he didn't like it never got to the point where it was sort of more like he was just sort of feeling around a little bit just to see where what my status was. So never give you anything more than that. But he was very sweet. And it was really fun sitting in the car and seeing how it all works. And yeah, that was a fun show.

Jeff Dwoskin 17:13

One small twist of a noted man Welcome to the show. Catherine Mary Hasselhoff. I may have maintained my name. Yeah, you know, it is my Catherine Mary Hasselhoff. Stewart, maybe that would have definitely changed my life trajectory. I picture I picture him I said just trying to get everyone to listen to his music. Is that accurate?

Catherine Mary Stewart 17:41

No, he didn't. I think maybe that was I'm sure he was involved in music at that time. But that wasn't something a lot of people knew about way back then. I don't think I don't recall that. You know that. I even knew that he was a musician back then.

Jeff Dwoskin 17:55

Yeah, he's huge. In other countries. He's been in Germany and stuff. Yeah. Big deal. Big deal. Okay, so the big movie, would you see the Last Starfighter was like when you just kind of blew up like you're coming off days I picture looking at your IMDb. I'm like, Alright, you're hot and days of our lives. And then kind of like boom, big movie roll move to the Last Starfighter? Is that about? Right?

Catherine Mary Stewart 18:19

Well, sort of. I mean, Master if it was a very small movie, ultimately. I mean, while it was on Days of Our Lives, I was also auditioning for other things. Last Starfighter was just happen to be one of them. And I happen to get the last night. I mean, at that age in Hollywood, you're just auditioning all the time. So maybe one out of 100 auditions or 50 auditions you actually get. So it was just a regular audition situation. And I did the first one. And then they had a lot of the sort of the hot young actors of the time, auditioning as well. But I got a call back and they paired me with Lance guest. We did this sort of improvisation thing a little bit and with the director and the producers, and they just liked our chemistry, I guess. And they weren't that interested in having like the hottest young actors because we neither one of us had really made a huge name for ourselves. Absolutely. Going from days of our lives to the Last Starfighter was a jump. And it did kind of put me on the map in terms of movies, and being a movie actress. And in those days. Also, if you were doing movies, you didn't really take television roles. You may have heard that before. It was called it was very, very common back then. I mean, you literally could be offered Family Ties or something, which I was and I turned it down, and I sort of regret that. Yeah, it was a big step for me and it kind of like I said, Put me on the map as a film actress led to then a night of the comet and mischief and a bunch of junk in between, and then I left days of our lives. I shot actually we shot some of the Last Starfighter while I was Still on Days of Our Lives, that was an interesting time. I knew I was busy.

Jeff Dwoskin 20:04

It was busy back you were very busy. Alright, so a few couple questions, few questions. So I so this is hot Brat Pack time, mid 80s who were the other actresses at the time that you would show up because I feel like everyone has a story where they show up. They're like, Jimmy Moore is here. You know, I like I like there's one person that you feel like is always getting your role, or something like that.

Catherine Mary Stewart 20:25

You know, it didn't feel like that to me. It wasn't like, oh, but I know Cynthia Gibbs and I are very similar types. No, we, uh, Thompson was in there. Allie Sheedy, Alexander. Paul, we were similar types we went up for. But honestly, I need to preface this by saying this isn't true for all actresses. But I didn't feel competitive with these women. I was like, it just didn't enter my mind. It was like, either going to choose who they want to choose. And if you get why, you know, stir up a bunch of nx if just because you show up with same people. In fact, you kind of started getting to know the people, it was kind of fun to see familiar faces in the casting room. Not all actors and stuff. I'll have to say, which is too bad, because it's kind of takes the bloom off the rose, you know, are so lucky to be in the position that we're in and when there's like rare, and that that is such a sexist thing to say. But because guys can do that, too. You know, they're like, it just don't want to associate with the competition. And it's too bad because we have no control. We really literally have no control over how we're cast.

Jeff Dwoskin 21:34

So Alright, so family ties. Mallory. Wait, no, no,

Catherine Mary Stewart 21:39

no, it was for roll with for Michael J. Fox, his girlfriend. And I'm not I don't remember exactly. who ended up doing it.

Jeff Dwoskin 21:48

Well, Courtney Cox, I think was his girlfriend at one point. Tracy, whose last name? I don't know. But it is who he eventually married his wife. Yeah,

Catherine Mary Stewart 21:56

his wife, another trajectory that would have changed my life. I'll have you know. All right,

Jeff Dwoskin 22:01

ladies and gentlemen, my guest today, Catherine, Mary Fox.

Catherine Mary Stewart 22:06

It was one of those terrific actors and when they good for them and another television show, which by the time I auditioned for this, I was like, I'm absolutely doing television was friends that I was up for. Rachel,

Jeff Dwoskin 22:21

you're up for Rachel, I use that for Rachel, you would have been a good Rachel, you don't

Catherine Mary Stewart 22:27

have to say when I read that scripts, I thought it was fantastic. And the writing on that show was so terrific. I mean, it stands up today. My kids watch it, and they're in their 20s now, but what a great show that was it would have been really fun to do.

Jeff Dwoskin 22:44

Friends we want we go to bed watching friends. Yeah, well, my wife needs to listen to the TV. Sleep. And so we just HBO Max, hop on friends. And it just runs until she sets the timer and we fall asleep and like she'll get mad at me because I like, I'll be lying there trying to sleep. And obviously, I will just start belly laughing because I'll hear it and she'll be half asleep. And then she gets mad at me. Relaxing, waking up. Enjoy it. Yeah, you're the one that has it on me. So you probably had a good shot at it then because she's just coming off like leprecon or something right at the time. Yeah. Hey, I'm Cesar lives. And Megan leprecon.

Catherine Mary Stewart 23:26

She has such terrific comedic timing. I think that might have been her leg up in terms of that, you know, she has such great timing. At any rate, Dan was the right choice. I want to tell you that I feel like is the right choice.

Jeff Dwoskin 23:40

It is I know and I'm just giving you and I know it's but it's funny to think when you hear other people that were out for it, because there's some famous people for all the all those roles. Oh, for sure. Yeah. Yeah. It's sort of fun to look back. Alright. But enough, man, we're not here to talk about Oh, yeah. Denver. Whoa, Jennifer, what about that I could have been married to Brad Pitt For God's sake. Catherine Mary Pitt. So Alright, let's let's go back to the Last Starfighter for a second. Because last night or Friday, I know you say it wasn't a it was to me it was a it's one of those movies that I think everyone remembers. And they're like, I have a very strong fondness for you know, it was like one of those movies they like kind of recaptured a bit of the Spielberg stuff and Star Wars, you know, mid early 80s. And you I like, Lance, but let's talk about Robert Preston for a second. Oh, yeah. centuri right. So the whole idea was take that guy, let's get the guy from Music Man and make that character an alien. And it was like, amazing. Like, he's,

Catherine Mary Stewart 24:45

he was great. Well, I think that role was actually written for him. They thought of him as sort of the outer space Music Man. I mean, he is that character and he was a lovely guy, but I only met him once. And that was I happen to cross paths with him when we were doing reshoots after the main shoot was over. We were doing some pickup shots in the studio and they called me in to, or they were actually some added shots. I think they created some new little scenes to fill some holes. And I got there in the afternoon. He had been shooting something in the morning and we happen to be there. He was leaving as I was arriving, and I think it was Nick castle who introduced us I was just like, gobsmacked, I thought he glowed. He seemed to have this sort of gold aura around him. He when he was introduced to me, he took my hand and kissed he said, it's such a pleasure to meet you. And but, you know, I never actually had any scenes with him. And when they shot I mean, you know, when you look at the editing and stuff, it looks like we're sort of in the same general timezoner period in the movie, but we never were there at the same time. You were on earth.

Jeff Dwoskin 26:01

And he was mostly in space except when he was coming to get right Lance guest character Alex Rogan and recruit and and bring him up. The thing I think that is kind of stays with me with the Last Starfighter is and even and I rewatched it because I want to I wanted to like to revisit some of these movies. It's just it's a great story. It's a great like the whole idea of them sending that video game, to be the Sword in the Stone and to like to find the champions that they can recruit and bring back to help save the Armada. The whole concept of It was great. And you are great. So this is like one of your many Girl Next Door roles. Right?

Catherine Mary Stewart 26:37

Right. That's correct. So I was I was cast often as the girl next door. I have that look. Little do they know, I could have been so many misses.

Jeff Dwoskin 26:50

I've married you off three times on this episode alone. I think there's definitely a fondness I think probably, I think when when you're going up against the bar of Star Wars, it's like it's probably just it's rough. I remembered Greg and I remember you and Lance and like the in Robert Preston's characters they just stuck out. And there was even some lines from the movie that I remembered. You know, it's just so great. Like, I'll figure out when we get to the frontier P P P, what's that the frontier guy remember that line, like, hey, like it pops in my head every now and then there was some great writing that Jonathan Beutel said as a tool, a tool. The other kind of cool thing about this movie though, as it was sort of it was very the first time they used 3d graphics to depict reality was groundbreaking. It's funny when you watch it now think watching things now in the context of now versus then I was like, Oh, it looks like a video game. Yeah, yeah, for sure. That's the kind of thing like they could they could probably go in and do one of those George Lucas glow ops on that movie and just change the facts. Yeah, I

Catherine Mary Stewart 27:51

mean, I just on that point, you know, they're the CGI on that was groundbreaking. And it really was sort of the foundation for what you see today. It's a lot simpler. I know that the technicians on that were creating programs as we were shooting, and they were still debating whether or not we would use practical special effects, which are just all handmade or the CGI, it was so new, they were under the gun in terms of timing. So they had to be very, very fast. I know, they wish that they'd had more time to sort of perfect it a little more work on the detail. And really incredible being involved with that. And finding out way later when I had no idea all the stuff was going on at the time when we were shooting one, zero. It was like the 25th anniversary screening that I found out. Bizarre also back to your point about Star Wars and, you know, kind of competing or fighting against that. I mean, what's so different and I think what's so endearing about the Last Starfighter is the characters are relatable to the audience, young kids can actually picture themselves in that role because they identify with Lance and they identify with me, because we're just regular kids plodding through life just trying to do the best we can and trying to get ahead. And that's what I think sticks with people. I think

Jeff Dwoskin 29:13

I agree with you. 100%. It was it was very relatable, the characters were all based in a trailer park. So there was no wherever you were in your station, it was like you write you feel like oh, this could happen.

Catherine Mary Stewart 29:24

It could happen to me because it doesn't matter really where you're all from, especially at that time in your life is which is so transitional when you're graduating from high school and you're going through this thing in your life where you're like, What is next? What am I doing next? You're going to outer space to fight this like intergalactic war. Good luck with that, right?

Jeff Dwoskin 29:47

So here's something interesting. This was from March of this year, where Gary WIDA and Jonathan bed tool the original writer of the Last Starfighter have pitch to sequel called the last starfighters They had a whole sizzle reel, and they call it a recall, which is a reboot of the see it's a sequel that reboots the franchise and brings it up to date. I didn't hear that before I was doing my research. Yes, we're very good. They didn't have a time frame for this. So it seems early, but it seems like that would be amazing, right to get you and Lance and like kind of like build on this because that would re energize the original. Right? And then kind of create a new series of movies. Because I mean, now you'd have it on Twitch, maybe people on Twitch playing those games, right. And they they be they be recruiting off of twitch? Yeah. Oh, I hope he's not listening and steals my idea.

Catherine Mary Stewart 30:44

That's a great idea. That's for sure. they've they've actually been talking. I mean, it was wide open for a sequel we get on a spacecraft and shoot up in into outer space. It's sort of like, and then what happens, you know, because the war is still on and all that the junk. But so they have been talking about a secret for years and years, it was a matter of the property being owned by Universal. So Jonathan bechtle finally got the ownership back. And so they've been moving forward with it. Yeah, I mean, if it went forward, but thought is, and I think Lance agrees, and from what we've heard from the castle, the original director is that they would like to carry our characters forward. And it would sort of be about the next generation, which would be so cool, because it really was a movie that I hold so close to my heart, you know, I'm still really good friends with Lance, and still good friends with Nick. We've had lots of reunions, and it would be just really fun to revisit it. And sure, it would be a whole other thing altogether, but that's okay. As you know, one thing I don't think would be fun to see is a remake, because, of course, we couldn't be in it because we're old. And then they would take something I just worry that they take this sweet, charming story with this extraordinary situation and would make it just all about crazy outer space junk.

Jeff Dwoskin 32:10

It sounds like when they use the word recall, where they kind of like the Force Awakens where they they kind of just rebooted the series into a new trilogy and all that kind of stuff. I think even if it wasn't a movie because these days with like the Marvel TV shows and stuff like that if it was like a series I'm enjoying those even more than movies lately, like the Mandalorian wandavision all those I mean, this would make an amazing TV show for sure.

Catherine Mary Stewart 32:35

And I wonder if they're considering that actually because that would be so smart for them even financially First of all, but yeah, yeah, we're all now so in this group, we're not going to see movies and getting into the series and and the twitch and all that other stuff. And this serves would serve itself very well in that arena.

Jeff Dwoskin 32:55

Yep. Alright, so I love that movie. You were amazing in it another movie that you're amazing and and kick some ass is night in the comet with I'll say our mutual friend Kelly Maroney. I think

Catherine Mary Stewart 33:06

our best buds. Kelly Maroney. Yeah, for sure. Yeah.

Jeff Dwoskin 33:11

Kelly was on we talked about Night of the comet. And so you guys play sisters and this zom. Calm? That's right. That's a good way of putting it. Yeah. All right. A very funny story cuz she's mad at you because you're stealing the only really eligible bachelor

Catherine Mary Stewart 33:26

left on the planet Earth. And the one the one guy that she had a crush on in high school when he's dad. To make her feel better. I say let's go shopping. Because that's what you did.

Jeff Dwoskin 33:38

And then you run into some really crazy crazy people in that mall. But dad, that was a fun scene. And that was I was rewatching it. I watched it first when I talked to Kelly and I'm like, I'm gonna rewatch it real quick. In the rewatch. After you're done saving yourself in the projection room. We don't want to go. We don't wanna spoil the details. But there's when the walking out. There's a Clark Gable Jean Harlow movie, which I didn't notice the first time called Red Dust, which is a real movie. At first. I was like, I didn't realize it was an actual 1932 movie called Red Dust. And I'm like, it's hilarious because everyone turns to dust when the comet comes by.

Catherine Mary Stewart 34:14

That's correct. That was intentional. That was a tom Everhart ism, who is the director, you know, he wrote this movie. It's such a great story. he's a he's a great interview, by the way, because he has so many stories, but one of his passions is kind of this apocalyptic situation, you know, movies that where there's one or two people left on earth. And so he was trying to come up with this new idea. And he came up with this idea of what would two teenage girls do if the end of the world happened and they survived. And so he started doing these interviews with teenage girls and he was sort of surprised by their reaction as opposed to being like, devastated by all the death and destruction. They're like, you mean, we don't have to be home by 11? You mean, the stores are open, and we could just go shopping randomly. They were sort of excited about it. And he was like, I'm onto something here. So that was sort of the genesis of the idea, which is brilliant. I mean, no, every apocalyptic movie that I can think of any way, what is that one last day on the one with all the comedians in it, and they're like,

Jeff Dwoskin 35:30

Oh, this Seth Rogen movie, The Seth

Catherine Mary Stewart 35:32

Rogen, the Seth Rogen movie, where it's just like, at the end of the earth, no joking around. But this was even I feel like, a little more realistic. It's based on reality that from what he understood, I thought it was just genius to like, create a story around these people that yeah, it's kind of sad, you know, like, Sam doesn't get to date this boys you had a crush on and I'm dating the last guy on earth or wasn't really you. But you know what I mean? That was their concern, not the fact that everybody's just dead.

Jeff Dwoskin 36:08

Anyway, right. So and as luck would have it, you and Kelly your sisters and these luck would have it. You're also automatic gun experts because you know that bad as is. Our father was a greenbrae. Right. Right. Right. So you're good with those.

Catherine Mary Stewart 36:22

He taught us to look after ourselves. Yeah, I mean, the Mac 10 submachine gun was practically designed for housewives. Nice. Well played. Daddy would have got a Susie's got

Jeff Dwoskin 36:38

so funny. So who's a bigger badass you or Kelly.

Catherine Mary Stewart 36:41

I need to say me. That's sort of my jam, though. You know, I was so happy to get this rule because I had been cast as the girl next door so often. And honestly, read is more my character of who I am. And to get to be sort of tough and tomboyish and physical and do all that stuff. For me, it felt very natural. It was sort of like a natural fit. And I enjoyed it thoroughly. I have that background. I have that sort of athletic background. So I was very comfortable in that position. I don't know. I don't know what Kelly would say.

Jeff Dwoskin 37:18

You go against like, Elena, you were both but you were both that so we're gonna call it a tie. It'd be important question is is Night of the Comet a Christmas movie?

Catherine Mary Stewart 37:28

Hey, did you see Santa Claus in that? However, Belgian dresses?

Jeff Dwoskin 37:34

Yeah, when it comes back takes place around Christmas. When you come when he comes back to save you with Kelly in the trunk? I know. We call it a Christmas movie when there's Christmas in it. Sure. It's not a traditional Christmas movie, but not traditional. But it was it was it's a great movie. And if you haven't seen it recently, it's definitely worth catching up on that. So I saw Night of the Comet. That's the big one. And then I watched Mischief. Recently, it's mid 80s, or mid 80s. Girl Next Door again, this movie, it seemed like that director was a fan of George Lucas. They opened with a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Oh, that's right. But it was Georgia. It was an homage to Star Wars, but then played out more like American Graffiti.

Catherine Mary Stewart 38:22

Yeah, it was sort of as the sign of the times. But yeah, this is a clever little thing, I think. Yeah, no, damskie. That was really also very fun. I it early in my career. And I always had really enjoyed working but somebody mentioned this the other day that like all these actors that I worked with back in the 80s. I've maintained these relationships with oftentimes you'll spend like this all this time with these people in this little bubble and the bubble bursts when it's over and you go off and do your own thing. For instance, with Miss Jeff, Doug McKeon. And Chris Nash. And I have lunch every time I go to LA, I live in New York, but I try to get out there as much as I can. And we've stayed close, although I have to say one of the reasons we are close is via Facebook and things like that the social media has really helped sort of maintain connections ever. That's really fun. There they were. They're terrific. And this is kind of cool. Because yes, I played the girl that's already I feel like I, even at the time, I felt like it was very authentically 50s the writer, no black. It was a sort of semi autobiographical. He grew up in that era. And this was something he was very passionate about. I sort of feel like is a sweet story that I think it really worked well.

Jeff Dwoskin 39:41

It's an adorable movie. And Jamie Gerts is great, of course. The late, great Kelli Preston and she was great. And I mean, even though she tried to steal Eugene from you, but you gotta, you gotta.

Catherine Mary Stewart 39:54

It's always a good girl that wins in the end, right? Yeah, the interesting thing about mischief also It was a 20th Century Fox Film and we finish shooting it and 20th Century Fox was sort of reorganizing and somebody else bought it out or something like that. And they Porky's. Remember that movie Porky's? Yes had come out and it was sort of like whatever this little sex romp thing. The original mischief was called heart and soul, it was really sort of a more of a deeper kind of introspective examination of these relationships, sort of highlighting my relationship with the Chris Nash character, and how we go against prohibition and I just disappear with a motorcycle, it was more it was more serious, believe it or not, but they kind of wanted to make it more light and have that sex romp kind of element to it and highlight that a little bit more.

Jeff Dwoskin 40:49

They definitely made that clear with the poster. Right? I know. What do you mean? I'm like, the second is that the poster? I'm like, Oh, this 10 year old me was definitely retaining. I didn't see that when I was with my parents. That's right. It was a fun movie.

Catherine Mary Stewart 41:07

Yes, a sweet movie, ultimately. I mean, that's one little scene, which was kind of funny in the movie, but they make it seem like

Jeff Dwoskin 41:14

so I do have a question for you, do you? I'm asking this through today's eyes in The Last Starfighter. And this one? You kind of mentioned it for half second. How do you feel now? Looking back going? Oh, the girl that just went off with the guy. The guy at his thing, and I just went with them. Yeah. Gave up. You know? Oh, Alex, I'll give up everything. I'll come with you to space.

Catherine Mary Stewart 41:38

Yeah, right, slow. How do I feel about that? Now? What do you mean in terms of being an adult? Well, I

Jeff Dwoskin 41:44

mean, I guess like now would you be like, cuz you watch it now. And you're like, women shouldn't give up everything just for the man.

Catherine Mary Stewart 41:52

I see. Which is I give him my independence. Well, you know, I mean, in my mind, I was the next Last Starfighter. So I worked his butt. Yeah, I mean, I guess it's, you know, you look at it in that way. Yes. I mean, I agree with you probably isn't as PC as it was back then. It was fine. back then.

Jeff Dwoskin 42:13

It was an 80s thing. It was, it was it was every at every age relationship.

Catherine Mary Stewart 42:20

It was in a way, you know, he was helping me he was sort of opening up a real broad new world for me to discover as well. The character that point is like, I don't want to leave the trailer park. I'm scared to and, and I'm, I feel like most kids, whether they're boys or girls, it's a very scary time when you graduate from high school, that concept of Okay, now what you do is you pack up your leave home that you the only place you've known for 18 years, and you you know, create this entire life for yourself. And I think I was a character that was afraid to do that. He encouraged me to I mean, actually, when you think about it, his character was afraid to do it, too. He was like, you're taking me where I got I gotta go home, you know, is totally outside his comfort zone.

Jeff Dwoskin 43:11

You got bamboozled. Nice and Tari. That is true. He did. It's a weird question. Because it's like 80s perspective, you know, today's perspective through 80s eyes type things and

Catherine Mary Stewart 43:20

Right, well, you know, it's okay, having a sweet story like that, where the girl whether it's the girl or the boy is innocent, and on that level. I mean, there's such a range of situations and characters that you can play worries me a little bit how keesee were getting, you know that Oh, you can't be a girl that wants to stay home. Yeah, you can.

Jeff Dwoskin 43:45

You can. I don't mean to be getting that deep.

Catherine Mary Stewart 43:51

It is a different I but it's still a very sweetheart of a heartwarming story.

Jeff Dwoskin 43:55

Right? If I move, I was a Rogen, I would have hoped you would have come on the spaceship also. So it's like, I'm like, it's not like I held Right. Exactly. Exactly. You were in nightflyers, which I have not seen. But I saw a clip and you did get some killer sunglasses in there. But I did have no, that was based on novella by George RR Martin who did Game of Thrones. So there's your tie. There's your first degree connection right there. That's pretty cool. And then that then of course Weekend at Bernie's. Yeah, it was Terry geyser just pretending to be dead the whole time.

Catherine Mary Stewart 44:28

Well, when he was dead, yes. And on camera, a lot of the times it was a dummy, because yeah, yeah, yeah. I there were a lot of times that no, he was. It was really really him. I mean, when they first discover him, for instance, that's really him and then at the party where they're trying to pretend like he's alive or they're not sure what to do with them. That was Terry. I mean, Terry created that expression the face I mean, to play dead and still be interesting. is not an easy task. No, you know, you have to be a really good actor to do that. Nobody could take their eyes off Terry as Bernie as dead Bernie. I mean, as a live Bernie, he was absolutely hilarious. Such a brilliant character. But as dead Bernie, I mean, with any lesser actor, that wouldn't have worked, because you can't just just be dead, you know, you have to have something going on in your face. And he accomplished that 100%

Jeff Dwoskin 45:32

right when you're with Jonathan Silverman on the beach, and he's washing up one of the funniest scenes ever. So I did I did also want to talk about we talked about this a little bit on email back and forth before the show. He did love in dancing in 2009. You got to work with Robert isikoff.

Catherine Mary Stewart 45:49

Yes, who was the choreographer and jesus christ superstar one of my all time favorite movies. This was a movie that I saw when I was about 14 or something like that. I was getting into dance. First of all, I mean, it you know, people look at that nowadays. And they're like, to me, I was blown away by that movie. I love that movie. Still, to this day, the dance, the music, that the story. It's kind of an epic story, which I didn't really know very well, when I first saw that movie. I was like, Oh, that's how it works. You know, I just knew little bits and pieces. We weren't very deeply religious. But when I did love and dancing, and found out that it was Robert directing, I had this I was just like, what did they call it fam?

Jeff Dwoskin 46:41

fangirling.

Catherine Mary Stewart 46:42

I'll do it. Yeah, fangirling I was just like, you choreograph my favorite movie ever? And I have a feeling. Nobody had really said that to me for a while because he was like, I was so excited to work with him.

Jeff Dwoskin 46:58

You know, I got to talk to Ted Neely, who played Jesus Christ and jesus christ superstar and one of the nicest people in the world. Because you love the movie. There is a documentary superstars that he did. That's a fun. I

Catherine Mary Stewart 47:10

mean, I have to watch that one because I superstars, I'm sure I wrote it down listening to your podcast, but I'm gonna find that because that's right. He was talking about all the sort of behind the scenes kind of photographs and things like that, right. Yeah. So that was Yeah, I'll have to totally check that out. For sure. How can

Jeff Dwoskin 47:29

people keep up with you on social media?

Catherine Mary Stewart 47:31

So I'm on Facebook, Catherine Mary Stewart, I'm on Twitter my app, it's @cmsall you can hashtag Catherine Mary Stewart it comes up. I'm on Instagram Catherine Mary Stewart. I'm on IMDB checkout IMDb just to see all the stuff that I've done over time. And also we have there's a thing called cameo comm where you can ask for a video dedicated to you or a loved one as a birthday present or something like that. That's really super fun to do. cameo.com Catherine Mary Stewart My phone number is

Jeff Dwoskin 48:08

so in cameo you can have Catherine Mary Stewart say I made them look at the Seven Pillars of Google be with you at all times. Hey, yeah, yeah. It was it was it? fanservice I was like,

Catherine Mary Stewart 48:19

that was very, very good. Exactly. I'll do whatever you want me to do for a great lie. Wait a minute. Almost. They can No, they're really fun. And you can go on cameo.com and look at some of the other messages I believe you can given other people and it's really fun, especially when somebody has specific requests. Like Tell me all about your experience on the Last Starfighter or something like that

Jeff Dwoskin 48:43

right now. You can just on the listen to this podcast. I did have a I don't want to compete here. I don't want to compete. No, no, no, I didn't one of the questions Night of the Comet back to the night of the Comet. So DMK, right i think that's it. It's clear the director loves to put like little his own little easter eggs in right so DMK did. So here's the thing when I was rewatching and it kind of occurred to me so DMK is your Nemesis in the beginning of the movie, right. You're playing Tempest and you're the you know the master of the game and dm who's DMK slipping into the top 10 with our ga right. And then at the end car shows up, DMK is the license plate right and Kelly gets a second viewing after kind of being aware of that. I'm like, Oh, no, wait, wait. Why didn't Catherine Mary Stewart end up with DMK because that was your nemesis. Right? So they would have seemed like maybe you guys should have connected? Yeah.

Catherine Mary Stewart 49:34

He was a child in my eyes at that point. I was I was going for Robert beltram.

Jeff Dwoskin 49:40

Right right. You had to go with a noun element again.

Catherine Mary Stewart 49:43

Yeah, that was really fun. And also I just love the ending. I sometimes get comments like would you wear that dress it was girl said I was like that Reggie thinks she's Mother Earth now. You know she is now going to take have everything she tells her little sister who's gone. The other direction. Beach girl is so funny to me. And I've got I'm making everything normal again, in my mind and my young 18 year old mind. That was such a fun scene to do. I thought, you know, your reaction to the DM there's something if you look closely, there's this very subtle reaction from Red when she sees that the license plate rings a bell. It's Oh, so very subtle, so much fun. It looks like I ended up with Hector,

Jeff Dwoskin 50:32

Hector and the kids say you saved from the evil scientists. Thank you. Thank you so much for hanging with me. This was a very fun time. I really enjoy talking to

Catherine Mary Stewart 50:41

you there. Yeah, you too. It was really fun. Thank you for having me. All right.

Jeff Dwoskin 50:47

How amazing was that? Catherine Mary Stewart. Ladies and gentlemen, if you haven't watched the movies recently, it's definitely time to revisit the last star of writer Miss Jeff Weekend at Bernie's Night of the comet. Oh, waiting you. Also during the interview, we talked about Ted Neely. Check out my interview with Ted Neely, Episode 48 of live from Detroit, the Jeff Dwoskin show. And also as a reminder, Kelly Maroney interview Episode 25 of live from Detroit. Check those out as well. Excellent companion episodes to your listening enjoyment of this episode. How great is that? I know. Amazing.

All right. Well, can you believe it? We're nearing the end of Episode 62. I know. We wait and we wait each week and then it comes in then it goes. It's just how the world works. But we're here together. But you know what it means? It means we have one more thing left in the show. It's time for a trending hashtag from the family of games that hashtag round up, found conveniently on twitter at hashtag Roundup, download the free hashtag roundup app on the Apple Store or Google Store play along and one day one of your tweets may show up on a future episode of live from detroit: The Jeff Dwoskin show we found a great hashtag for this episode #OnMyJourneyToOuterSpace seemed like a really good one for this episode from frickin misfits led by saga says oh weekly game on hashtag are rammed up Alright, let's get right into it. Let's read some #OnMyJourneyToOuterSpace tweets.

On my journey to outer space I found out there are few buttons you probably shouldn't push. I don't think we're coming back never pushed buttons you shouldn't especially the red Blinky ones on my journey to outer space. I had incredible painful constipation. Isn't that always the case? You go on vacation and he just can't boop I my journey down to space I need a good mixtape and a lot of snacks Don't we all it's the number one rule of any Outer Space journey good mixtape great snacks. I my journey down to space I forgot to pee before I got on the ship. rookie mistake. Always pay before you go on my journey to outer space I was probed by an alien 711 manager. We can neither confirm nor deny that on my journey to outer space I stopped by to say hey to et Well, I mean if you're out there you might as well say hi. And finally I my journey out is base. I saw your anus. Always good then to show on a Uranus joke. All right. Well, those are some fun #OnMyJourneyToOuterSpace tweets.

Thanks to everyone who tweeted as always, they'll be retweeted at Jeff Dwoskin show on Twitter. They'll be in the show notes, retweet them, show him some love. And everybody keep tweeting. And one day one of your tweets may show up on an episode of live from Detroit, the Jeff Dwoskin show. Can you believe it or at the end of the episode. I want to thank my guest once again, Catherine, Mary Stewart for being so awesome. And joining me this week. I want to thank all of you for being so amazing. And joining me week after week, and I'll see you next time.

Announcer 53:57

Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the Jeff Dwoskin show with your host Jeff Dwoskin. Now go repeat everything you've heard and sound like a genius. catch us online at the Jeff Dwoskin show.com or follow us on Twitter at Jeff Dwoskin show and we'll see you next time.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai