'Fugitive' Actor Tim Daly Is On The Run

Daly And Co-Star Mykelti Williamson Talk About Their New CBS Drama

The Great Escape
The 16 castaways on "Survivor Island" have nothing on Dr. Richard Kimble. Wrongly convicted of murdering his beloved wife, the fictional good doctor runs from city to city in search of the real killer: the ever elusive "one arm man."

It's a race not only against time, but against one Lt. Philip Gerard. The misguided Gerard is in hot pursuit of Kimble, and this police bloodhound means business. Will Kimble find the real killer before Lt. Gerard catches him and takes him back to prison?

That was the question raised when show creator Roy Huggins first brought the story of "The Fugitive" to television in 1962. Audiences tuned in en masse to find out what would happen next in this chase. Of course, Kimble (played by David Janssen) did find the one arm man at the end of the series, but even that didn't arrest the story. The show continued to find an audience in rerun land.

Harrison Ford updated the character when producers Arnold and Anne Kopelson ("Platoon," "A Perfect Murder," "U.S. Marshalls," "Devil's Advocate," "Outbreak," "Seven," "Murder at 1600") brought the story to the big screen in 1993.

This fall on CBS, they bring the story to the small screen again, this time with "Wings" favorite Tim Daly lacing up his running shoes.

Now, Daly and co-star Mykelti Williamson (Lt. Philip Gerard) tell me why "The Fugitive" is making another dash for TV audiences.

The Daly News
For eight hilarious seasons, Daly charmed us as everyman Joe Hackett on the hit NBC series "Wings." Along with his on-screen brother Steven Weber, the Hackett brothers were never short on crazy situations, or on viewers. The show left the air in 1997.

After leaving the "Wings" nest, Daly landed on his feet.

He produced and starred in the critically acclaimed television film "Execution of Justice" which garnered a GLADD Award as outstanding made for television movie. His production of "Urbania" also premiered at this year's Sundance Festival.

Now Daly returns to series television but in a "dramatically" different role. Far from the laughs on "Wings," Daly is bringing Dr. Richard Kimble back into our living rooms and hits the street running.

Original Recipe
"The big picture is that it's one of the most brilliant concepts ever devised for television. It's a cop show. It's a doctor show. It's got this double chase. It's about an essentially ordinary man in an extraordinary situation. On a smaller level, it's an amazing arc," Daly tells me about what first attracted him to the project.

Clearly, the story has worked in the past. The first television series was a hit, and the movie a box-office smash. But are audiences still keen on following Kimble?

Daly thinks so.

"One of the things that's great about the concept is that the audience wants him so badly to connect with people. It's part of what we feel as human beings," he says.

"It taps into childhood sort of fears that we have, of being lost and abused and misunderstood. I think the more the audience wants Richard Kimble to connect, and he's unable to, makes them yearn for it even more."

Daly says that this show is interesting because he thinks it will reach a broad audience.

"You can almost be 60 years old and remember the original show and sit there with your 35-year-old daughter and her 8-year-old kid," he tells me. "Three generations can watch this show. There's a real broad appeal. It's straight forward enough so that everyone gets it, and yet it's adult."

And is he afraid that die-hard "Fugitive" fans will compare him to the David Janssen character?

"Inevitably they will, but it doesn't scare me a bit.

"My interest in what David Janssen did is totally peripheral," Daly says. "I thought he was great and I loved the movie. But what those guys did I don't think should influence my take on it. I want it to be fresh."

And "fresh" is the operative word here.

Producers promise that the classic show will be thoroughly modern, showing off all the technology that exists today. Imagine the '60s Kimble surfing the Internet for information on "the one armed man."

Now, see Daly do it. Automatically changes the picture doesn't it? You thought running from the law was hard 40 years ago? Try doing it when there are security cameras at ATM's, convenience stores and almost everywhere else.

Comedy Is Series Business
When Daly returns to series television for this drama, the laughs will be left behind. But he says he won't miss working on a sitcom.

"I think there is nothing harder than comedy. There is nothing more difficult technically and there is nothing more difficult emotionally. Comedy is hard," he tells me. "In a drama, you have take after take, working yourself up to something. Comic timing is something that you have to have instinct for and then you have to hone it, like a skill. And when you miss a joke, it kills you."

Daly laughs and adds: "It makes you want to go out and commit a crime."

He also says that drama is not only easier, it makes him happier.

"I'm kind of the opposite. If I go into work and I'm dealing with a bunch of heavy stuff, I get it all out, I go home, and I'm a happy guy," he says.

New Sheriff In Town
Actor Mykelti Williamson literally follows in Daly's footsteps as he takes up the role of Lt. Philip Gerard, a well-meaning but misguided police officer who will not stop until he catches Kimble.

And Williamson can barely stop smiling. Clearly excited about his role in the show, he also sports a disarming sense of humor, which is sure to bring fun to the set and energy to the show.

Williamson is an actor with impressive television ("The Hoop Life," Midnight Caller," and "The Bronx Zoo) credits. But he says that his work on the big screen ("Forrest Gump," "Three Kings" and "Primary Colors") has helped him the most in preparing for this latest role.

"I'm a film actor, so I do as much research as possible. Then I make the choice of where to be different," Williamson tells me.

One noticeable difference between the classic "Fugitive" character and Williamson's portrayal is that Williamson is African American.

"And we're going to bring all that to the character," he tells me smiling.

What "all that" means remains to be seen, but one thing is clear, Williamson has done his homework for this part.

Not only did he watch reruns of the 1960s show, he called on the actor who played Lt. Gerard on the silver screen, Tommy Lee Jones. Jones reprised the character for the 1998 movie "U.S. Marshals," opposite Wesley Snipes.

"I was fortunate enough to reach out to Tommy Lee Jones and he reached out to me. He called me on Sunday afternoon and we talked at length," Williamson.

Williamson says that his costar Daly is "very cool."

But then he warns, "(Daly's) a great golfer, don't ever bet him on the golf course. He's a ringer. He's got the ugliest golf bag you ever want to see -- clubs don't match -- but he plays like a dream."

I tell him that I will keep that in mind.

The Big Scoop

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To the Eighth Season: The very funny Cheri Oteri is leaving NBC's sketch comedy show "Saturday Night Live." After seven seasons of bringing us "The Perfect Cheer" and television talk show host Cass Van Rye, Oteri is apparently in some pretty big development deals. I can't wait to see what she'll come up with next.

Daughters of the American Evolution: If the hunky George P. Bush is the GOP Secret weapon, the Democrats can't be more proud of those lovely Gore daughters. These MTV-ready sweeties are determined campaigners that have the smarts of Eleanor Roosevelt, but look more like "Charlie's Angels." Do I see a Gore/Bush/Gore/Gore ticket in the future?

Star Grazing

Hanging Out: America's sweetest sweetheart Meg Ryan caught coming out of the Henry Duarte boutique on Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles all smiles. And why shouldn't she be smiling? The designer's clothes rock.

Jolie Good Time: Angelina Jolie recently got her caffeine fix at Starbucks in the Beverly Center.

Harper's Bizarre: Valerie Harper was spotted trying to work the automated credit card movie ticket machine at the Beverly Connection in Beverly Hills. She and a friend were off to see Eddie Murphy's "The Klump's." In her confusion, Harper ended up leaving one of her tickets in the machine. They let her in anyway. After all, how can you turn away Mary's best friend Rhoda?

Upcoming Columns:

• "Buffy, The Vampire Slayer's" Riley Finn, actor Marc Blucas, talks about his new movie with Freddie Prinze, Jr., TV co-star Sarah Michelle Geller, and what's next for this young actor.

• Then, meet actor Paul Sorvino who co-stars in the new fall show "That's Life." He talks about co-star Ellen Burstyn, co-star , and Oscar-winning daughterMira Sorvino. Also meet Diane Ruggiero who created the series. Hear her amazing story from waitress to Hollywood writer.

• Past On The Set columns.

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