Since gaining stardom with his portrayal of doomed ‘50s rocker Ritchie Valens in 1987’s hit biopic La Bamba, Lou Diamond Phillips has solidified his reputation as an eclectic actor in more than 80 films – including Young Guns, Courage Under Fire and Stand and Deliver. Besides also appearing in television series and stage productions, Phillips dabbles in writing, directing and producing.

Most recently, Phillips stars in Lerner and Loewe’s Camelot, the classic tale of King Arthur, Queen Guenevere, Sir Lancelot and the Knights of the Round Table. Phillips took some time to talk about his role as King Arthur, the manic movie business and what he would be doing if he wasn’t acting.


CityScene: You’ve been in so many films; when and why did you decide to make the transition to Broadway?
Lou Diamond Phillips: I never intended to set out doing just films. I started out in my career doing a lot of theater performances, and then I got into movies and television. I actually realized certain roles were getting away from me, and I got caught up in the business of making films and not the art of acting. My first stage role was in The King and I. Jay Binder, who was the casting director for The King and I, saw me in The Good Person of Szechwan and when casting came up a few years later, he said, ‘How about Lou Diamond?’

CS: How does Broadway differ from the silver screen?
LDP: I’ve always said, “Good acting is good acting,” but there are hugely different techniques. They say Broadway actors are good film actors, but it doesn’t necessarily translate the other way around. There is no take two. The curtain goes up and you’ve got a full show from beginning to end, and you’ve got to deliver. Even if the wardrobe and set pieces aren’t where they should be, you have to keep going. In the theater, it’s a dance between you and your co-stars and the audience. The audience is a very big part of the performance. You can hear their laughs and feel their presence. There’s electricity between you and them, and that’s a feeling you can’t replicate on film.

CS: Famed actors Richard Burton and Robert Goulet have worn King Arthur’s crown. How will you make the role your own?
LDP: I don’t analyze that too much. Every actor is an individual and has different experiences and different points of view, and those are things you try to bring to a role to make it your own. These roles – roles like King Arthur – they’re not meant to be done once and then put away. Theater is supposed to be living and passed on. It’s supposed to be reproduced and reinvented. There are a lot of people who haven’t seen Camelot, so for them, I will be King Arthur.

CS: Your career has spanned more than 20 years. How has the business changed since you first started acting?
LDP: First of all, just the ability to do what I’m doing now, that is, I think, vindicate of where the business has come. Before, when you used to do TV, you didn’t make the leap to movies; that line just wasn’t crossed. There are more opportunities now. You can go back and forth and do film, do theater, do television, but at the same time, there is more competition. I can do a television series, but I might be up against a wrestling match or Dancing with the Stars.

I also think it’s odd that we’re also living in this sort of tabloid environment now, with the Internet and entire TV stations dedicated to celebrity news. And with cell phone recorders, you can’t do anything anymore without someone knowing about it … It’s made it very strange for celebrities.

CS: What defines a successful project for you?
LDP: It’s not always monetary. I did a film last year called El Cortez, an independent film that was shown at the Harlem (International) Film Festival. It was a lovely film and I’m very proud of my performance in that. I haven’t made a million-dollar film, and I don’t think a movie necessarily has to have a million-dollar budget to be good. La Bamba, Courage Under Fire and Young Guns, especially Young Guns, were successful films that stand on their own.

CS: Of all your performance roles, which do you admire or relate to most?
LDP: I’ve been really lucky. I was trained in the theater, so I’ve done the classics and Shakespeare. I’ve been able to perform in a lot of different areas, so I don’t really have a favorite. I love Young Guns as much as I love La Bamba, as much as I love Courage Under Fire and Stand and Deliver. I feel very fortunate to work, and I love this role (of King Arthur). I think it has so much to say and so much that’s relevant in the world today. It’s a lovely opportunity.

CS: I’ve read you quoted as saying, “The only power an actor has is the ability to say, ‘no.’” Have you ever said “no” to anything you regret?
LDP: Oh, yeah, gosh yeah. Hindsight is 20/20, as they say. There was one script I didn’t read, because I was attached to a project earlier on … and my agent said, “Don’t bother with that; let’s pass.” I found out later it was Drugstore Cowboy. I also passed up a meeting for The Matrix. In retrospect, I didn’t just pass on one film. I passed on three.

CS: You went from acting in small theater productions in Fort Worth, Texas to Hollywood red carpets. How have you handled your celebrity status over the years?
LDP: From the beginning, I always said my life was going to change, but it wasn’t going to change me. I stay close to a lot of my old friends from Texas and my family. When you’re not grounded and have some roots, you can see what happens. There are a lot of promising actors today who burn out because they haven’t stayed true to who they are and where they come from.

CS: You’ve had quite an eclectic career. You’ve starred in movies, television series and theater, and you’ve also written, directed and produced. What’s next for you?
LDP: I will be with Camelot until April, so I’m very grateful for this job right now. I just did a pilot for NBC, and I’m hoping they’ll pick that up, but with the writers’ strike, who knows what’s going to happen. I also have a couple of producers taking a look at some things I wrote. It’s also been a while since I directed, so I’d like to get back behind the camera again.

CS: If you weren’t an actor, what would you like to do?
LDP: Since I write and I love writing, I say I’d do that, but I’d certainly be doing something in this business, whether it be theater or film. I just like surrounding myself with creative people, so as long as I could make a living, I’d do something in this business.

Learner & Loewe’s Camelot will be performed from Feb. 5 through Feb. 10 at the Palace Theatre. For more information or tickets, visit www.broadwayacrossamerica.com.

Liza Martin is assistant editor of CityScene.