By Charlene Giannetti
Cloris Leachman was in New York recently promoting her new autobiography, Cloris, and during an appearance on the Howard Stern Show, she dished, telling an incredulous Stern that Paul Newman once propositioned her, even though he was married to Joanne Woodward.
“I’ve never had a sex scene with Paul Newman and he asked me once,” Leachman told the shock-jock.
“What?” Stern asked. “To do it? He wanted you?”
“Well he’d been drinking beer you know,” Leachman said by way of explanation.
Stern followed up with: “And you’re friends with Joanne Woodward aren’t you? A little bit.”
In the video version of Stern’s radio show, you can see Leachman frown and give the thumbs down. She mouthed the word “boring.”
When Stern pointed out that Woodward is a good actress, Leachman sighed and shook her head.
That evening during her appearance at the Paley Center for Media, Robert Osborne, host of Turner Classic Movies, described Leachman as “unpredictable.” And how! Leachman, now 82, appears to be pulling no punches in either her book (where she admitted to a sex romp with co-star Gene Hackman) or her interviews (although she told the Paley audience she didn’t want to discuss the Stern interview).
What is predictable (and possibly little appreciated) is that Leachman is a fine actress who, over her more than six-decade career has amassed an incredible resume. While Osborn touched on her movie accomplishments (she won an Academy Award for her supporting actress performance in The Last Picture Show), the Paley Center interview focused on her TV career.
And what a career it has been! She is perhaps best known for her comedic turn as Mary Richard’s annoying friend, Phyllis, on The Mary Tyler More Show. (A spin-off, Phyllis, did not fare as well, lasting only two seasons). But her dramatic roles, including The Migrants, where she played the mother to two young actors, Sissy Spacek and Ron Howard, even now can bring an audience to tears.
Yet, despite all the TV clips, the true entertainment was bracing for Leachman’s next unfiltered comment. Before the audience had a chance to ask questions, she volunteered that she loved Mary Tyler More had fun working with Mel Brooks (she played Frau Bluher in Young Frankenstein), and “That’s all you need to know.” When someone asked about her relationship with her ex-husband, she volunteered that she respected him, he respected her. End of story.
Osborne has had some experience dealing with an “unpredictable” Leachman. He told about her guest appearance on Turner Classic Movies, when a star is asked to select four favorite films to share with the audience. One of the films Leachman selected was Bridge on the River Kwai. When Osborne asked her why, she said, “Well, I’ve never seen it. This seemed to be as good a time as any.” Osborne, who had obviously planned to discuss the move with his guest before showing it, was speechless.
Leachman said she has lived by her decision “never to do the same thing twice.” Last season she appeared as a contestant on ABC TV’s Dancing with the Stars. Did she have fun, Osborne asked. Saying she laughed a lot throughout the competition, she added, “I always wet my pants on Dancing with the Stars.”
Phyllis couldn’t have said it better.
