Host Bill Donohue welcomes former New York Rangers Stanley Cup champ Stephane Matteau, followed by the star of the movie Animal House, Tim Matheson, who talked about his 7 decades in Hollywood.

Stephane Matteau, the former New York Rangers player known for his iconic overtime goal in the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals, shares his memorable experiences and reflections on his career in hockey. He discusses his early influences in sports, including his favorite players and teams growing up in Canada, and even touches on his participation in the Little League World Series. Matteau also recounts the significant moments of his career, including his time playing under Coach Mike Keenan and the emotional impact of his famous goal.

Joining Bill later in the episode is Tim Matheson, the acclaimed actor and director, who discusses his extensive career in Hollywood, including notable roles in classics like "Animal House" and "The West Wing." The conversation delves into Matheson's experiences working with legendary figures, his insights on acting and directing, and his new book, "Damn Glad to Meet You," where he reflects on his seven decades in the entertainment industry.

Show Takeaways:

• Stephane Matteau reminisces about his childhood hockey heroes like Guy Lafleur and Wayne Gretzky, shaping his passion for the game.
• Matteau shared insights from his Little League days, mentioning how he and fellow future NHL players excelled together.
• The iconic goal scored by Matteau in the 1994 Eastern Conference finals remains a cherished moment for Rangers fans.
• Tim Matheson discusses his extensive acting career, highlighting memorable moments working with legends like Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball.
• Matheson reflects on the unique experience of filming Animal House alongside John Belushi and the improvisational spirit that fueled the project.
• The conversation reveals how both guests transitioned from their sports and acting careers into impactful roles off the field and screen.

The views expressed in the following program do not necessarily represent those of the staff, management or owners of wgbb.

Live from the WGB studios in Merritt, New York, this is Sports Talk New York.

Good evening and hello again everybody.

Welcome to Sports Talk New York on WGB in Merrick, Long Island, New York.

Power engineer Brian Graves is with us as always, taking care of business.

We got a nice show for you tonight.

Up first, we will speak to the great former Rangers left wing who scored what is one of the most iconic goals in Rangers history.

Stephan Mateau will join us and in the second half will switch gears.

And welcome in the star of the classic movie Animal House, Tim Matheson joins the show and he has a new book out titled Damn glad to meet you.

My seven Decades in the Hollywood Trenches.

And we will reminisce with Tim.

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Our first guest, he played over 800 regular season games in the NHL.

We're proud to have him with us tonight.

I welcome to Sports Talk New York, Stephane Mateau.

Stefan, good evening.

Good evening.

Thanks for having me.

Lovely to have you aboard.

Great to have you.

Now, when you were a kid, Stephan, who were your favorite players and teams while you were growing up in Canada?

There was two of them.

The Montreal Canadien, obviously, because I'm from just outside of Montreal, watching Guy Lafleur, Jacques Lemaire Larry Robinson.

Those dynasty teams won a lot of standing cup in the 70s, so.

Larry Robinson, so.

And then when I.

In the 80s, when I was about 10, 11 years old, I started watching the Edmonton Oilers for the reason, because Wayne Gretzky was on that team and Mark Messi, my future line mate.

I'm not line mate, but teammate.

83.

So there's the two teams I watched.

And occasionally I would watch the Toronto Maple Leaf on Saturday night.

But mostly it was the Canadian in the orders.

Nice.

Some great names you mentioned there.

Hall of Famers, and of course a great one, Gretzky.

You followed some great teams.

Stefan, now I want to talk a little baseball with you.

You played in the Little League World Series.

You played with the hall of Famer Pierre Turjon, who was the first pick in the NHL Draft in 87.

What positions did you guys play?

There was only two pitchers back then.

I know today's rule, there's a pitch count.

We didn't have such a thing back then.

So there was only two pitchers, myself and Pierre.

And when I was not pitching, I was on third base.

And Pierre, when he was not pitching, he was a center fielder.

But I have to tell you the little story.

The year before we end up going to the Canadian Championship in Vancouver and there was four pitchers and four of us end up playing the National Hockey League.

Myself, Pierre, Eric Gujardi, who played for the Flyers and the Montreal Canadien.

So I don't think you'll ever see that again.

That a 12 year old team, 11 year old team, 4 pitchers end up playing the National Hockey League a few years later.

Who says that baseball is not popular in Canada?

Right, Stefan?

Well, it's popular, but we don't.

I'm a lot.

I'm in Florida now.

There's so many baseball fields.

We could have made a movie about how we grow.

And we had to throw rocks away from the field for us to practice.

There was no such thing as a grass.

And we had dedicated parents but no knowledge of baseball.

Who were your favorite baseball players back then?

Well, we went to the Little League World Series.

We finished fourth in the World that year when we came back, we were, we were welcomed by the Montreal Expos.

So Tim Raines, we met Tim Raines, we met Tim Wallach, we met Warren Mc.

What's his name?

Cromartie.

Yes, that's him.

And Steve Rogers was there.

And the late Gary Carter, the great Gary Carter was there.

Ellis Valentine run the floor.

Even though none of us on the team could speak English, we managed to shake hands and take a few pictures with them.

Great.

Yes, some great players on that Expos club.

They really had a good team back then.

I really hope that baseball comes back to Montreal now.

Coach Mike Keenan.

Stefan, you played for him on four different occasions with the Blackhawks, the Rangers, the Blues and the Panthers.

What was Coach Keenan's coaching philosophy?

What did he stress?

Play hard early in the game, be successful early, but mostly play hard and you're going to have a lot of ice time for the rest of the game.

He was not afraid to sit out the superstars on the team to set example.

But good, warm up good.

If you, if you give an honest effort, you would have a lot of ice time.

And that's what I try to do my best.

And.

And then in St.

Louis, Keenan left the blood left, Keenan left the Rangers.

It was a different team.

They cleaned house a little bit.

Then I ended up going to St.

Louis and then my last year in the NHL, my career wasn't going anywhere.

I wanted to, I needed some help and I called my buddy Mike if he could help me out in Florida.

And then they signed me for a one year contract.

So very grateful that I had a chance to play with one of the toughest, but also one of the most successful coach in the national academy right now.

Did Coach Keenan influence your style at all?

Stefan, when you coached in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, did he influence your style of coaching during those days?

Absolutely.

I was a type of player, big, big, strong, decent size.

I wanted to play an easy game because that's what every hockey player.

We like to score goals, we like to be successful.

But he brought the best of me, sometimes the hard way, sometimes I thought he was crossing the line.

But to me, I played 13 years in the National Hockey League because he was.

He believed in me, he believed in my abilities, but they also.

He pushed me to the limits where I didn't know I had those.

I couldn't go.

So I had a decent career.

But I think Mike Keenan had something to do with it.

Yes, that's true.

And nice you give him credit, Stefan.

Now, the goal that Stephan Mateau, who's with us tonight on Sports Talk New York, he scored against Martin brodor in the second overtime.

That was in game seven of the 94 Eastern Conference finals.

Most people say that that was probably one of the best playoff series in NHL history, the Battle of the Hudson.

People call it the most famous goal, certainly in Rangers history, and definitely one of the most momentous in 120 years of Stanley cup play.

You have said, Stephan, that when you scored that goal, you felt as if you had wings, right?

Absolutely.

It's weird.

Like it's 30 years later as we still talk about it, I still have goosebumps just to explain to you how I felt that night.

You play sports, you dream about moments like this.

You are 10, 12 years old, playing in a frigid, cold street of Montreal or outside of Quebec City, City.

And you pretend you have a garbage can on the side of the road, and you pretend this is the Stanley cup and the next goal, you always pretend you are a Wayne Gretzky or Gila Fleur or Mark Messi, and the next goal wins.

And then we would be carrying the garbage can over our head.

But that's when you.

When you become a professional, of course you want to be successful.

But I was put on a great team.

Keenan and Neil Smith did a fantastic job of gathering.

That's such a good team.

So call it luck, call it faith.

I was put on the ice, and whether it's a lucky goal or not, I don't care 30 years later.

So it was the most important moment in my life.

But I find out later on, not admittedly, but a few years later, that was that moment meant so much for the great fans of New York, for the New York Rangers, it sure did.

And we'll talk about that in a little bit.

But in the second overtime period, Game 7, Rangers won, Devils won.

Take us through.

What happened when you scored that goal?

Well, it was a breakup play and I had a very good jump on Niedermeier to go their all star defenseman.

And because he was such a good skater, even though I beat him in the corner, he kind of caught up to me pretty quick.

And I ended up going around the net, did not have a plan whatsoever.

And I.

Because I was standing almost on top of the net when I saw the puck entering and when I saw the puck cross the red line, I knew the puck was in.

I knew it was a good goal, and I knew that we were going to the standing cup final.

So my first thought was, we are going to the Stanley Cup Final and we don't have a chance to win.

But I didn't think about my personal success or personal fame later on.

I was very grateful to.

So I was able to participate in the scoring.

But also that was my second overtime goal.

Game 3 in New Jersey, I scored another one that I was very pleased with.

But nothing compared to game seven at the Garden right now.

There was a kind of delayed action because nobody saw the puck go in but you.

I guess Adam Graves had said there was a moment of silence before anybody realized what had happened.

Yeah, absolutely.

Every time the puck.

When you're in the situation, I find out later on that every time you put in a situation like this and every time in the second, third, fourth overtime in a crucial game, especially a game seven, it doesn't matter.

It doesn't matter which round.

Every time the puck is near the net, there's always silence.

There's always.

People are nervous, exciting, excited, and they.

And then they lost.

They lost track where the puck was, was.

And.

But to me, I had the perfect angle, like you said, I had the perfect angle and I saw the puck going in very, very slowly, to my surprise.

Right?

And there it was.

Now, what was it like, Stefan, in the handshake line afterwards?

I mean, the Devils must have been devastated.

You've been in that position before.

What is that feeling like?

Well, we all been in that position when you play for a few years before.

We lost to Pittsburgh in the finals in four games.

We were very disappointed.

But to get to that point, you win the first, second and third round, you're very happy.

But we had such a.

How can I describe that?

We had the most respected team in the national.

In the NHL in 94 with the Devils, two best team in the league.

Two older team, very respected team.

When we shook hands, it was all respect.

And they all wish us good luck in the finals.

I know they were disappointed.

We were happy, but we didn't showcase.

We didn't humiliate them before, during or after the handshake.

So that was our team.

We were very grateful, but also we were very calm and focused for the next round.

That's the way to go about it, Stephon.

That's a good way to tell the kids out there how to lose.

And that's very important.

Stephan Matteau with us tonight on Sports Talk New York.

Now, that wasn't the only goal you scored in the second overtime period in that series.

You also did that in game three.

As you said, quick backhand off a scramble in front of Marty Brodeur gave the Rangers a 32 victory over in the Meadowlands.

You scored both those goals on the great Martin Brodeur.

Talk to us a little bit about Marty, Stefan.

Well, he was a rookie.

I was in my third year in the National Hockey League.

I was the third youngest player, the third youngest Ranger that year.

94, Kovalev and Carpenter younger than me.

Marty was a rookie.

He was so talented, big, strong, loose out there.

And I found out later on he became the most successful goaltender in the world that run in the NHL.

And then I have to tell you a little story.

When my son played his first NHL game against the Islanders in New York, my family, we were in the stands watching the game and we waited for him after the game to give him a big hug.

And Marty brother was the first and only player from the Devils at that time.

He came into the stands and he came to shake our hands and he told us, he told the family that he was going to take care of my son.

So to find out who also, he was a great player, but he was also a very, very classy human being and really admire for that reason, as.

I was going to say, Stefan.

Yeah, all class from Martin Brodeur.

Now.

The call of that great goal.

I don't have the snippet of tape from that, but I'll repeat it for you folks out there.

Mateau swoops in to intercept.

Mateau behind the net.

Swings it in front.

He scores.

Mateau.

Mateau.

Mateau.

Stefan.

Mateau.

And the Rangers have one more hill to climb, baby.

But it's Mount Vancouver.

The Rangers, Rangers are headed to the finals.

Now that was the immortal call from the great Howie Rose, who really himself is a New York institution and a broadcasting legend.

You guys are linked forever.

Now, how did your relationship with Howie change after the goal and the cup?

Stefan?

Well, that was a pretty good call by you.

Thank you very much.

To recap how we in the goal, it took me years to be friends with Howie, like, he.

I didn't hear.

We didn't have the Internet back then, if I recall.

We didn't have any cell phone at the time.

So I didn't.

I didn't hear the call for months and months and months later.

Wow.

They.

We went on a lockout.

We won the Cup.

Two weeks later, I went home in Quebec.

We didn't start the season until next January because the lockout.

So I never heard a call, didn't hear.

My friends from New York never called me about, hey, there's a call on the radio that keeps on playing over and over.

So it took me a while.

And then the last maybe 20 years, on May 27th in the morning, I always received a text from Howie, and he always mentioned the goal, the moment, and let's keep it up and just.

We've been friends the last 10 years, maybe we play.

We play golf once in a while in Florida together.

Every time I go see the Mets, I was there for two games in the playoff when the Mets play the Dodgers.

Yeah, I saw you on tv.

Yeah.

So my first thought, my first action is to go to the booth, give him a big hug.

And because Howie is one of the kindest human being on the planet, he.

You cannot talk about the success that he has because he's so humble, and I love to be next to him, bring us some great memories.

But what a career that he has that he's having in hockey and also in baseball.

So I'm glad that I'm sharing that moment with him.

Yeah, that was certainly tremendous, and I'm glad you and Howie have that relationship.

And I'm a Met fan, Stefan, so I know his talent and his definite love for the Mets, and he does a great job, and we look forward to hearing him every spring, that is for sure.

Now, when you joined the Rangers, Stephon, were you apprehensive about meeting your idol, Mark Messier?

That happened very quick.

I remember getting the call the day before in Chicago.

Like I said, we didn't have the Internet.

We didn't have the cell phone, didn't hear any rumors where I might be traded or not.

And then when I get the call, when I went in the office in Chicago, it told me I got traded to the Rangers.

It took took a while to realize, well, I have a chance to win the Stamina Cup.

And then we flew, Brian Noonan and I, we flew to Calgary the next day.

Took us the whole day to get there.

And when we got to the rink, we had to focus on the game because we Were we got to the rink around 5, 5:30.

We shook hands with everyone.

Then we have to focus on our sticks and the new equipment, the new gloves, the new pants that you have to wear, the new helmet and everything.

So you have to focus.

And then the game started.

And then the next day I realized, wow, I'm sitting next to Marc Messier and all the great Rangers that we now they're going to be my teammates because we played them a few weeks before and they destroyed us, I think eight nothing.

And I could not believe how good they were.

So that's why I was a little shocked when I got traded to them.

I said that many, many times.

I didn't think I was going to have a key role.

I thought I was there just in case someone was going to be injured.

And then I would step into any situation.

To my surprise, I was put on the line with Kovalev and Larmor on my very first game.

And that was my line for Trout for the rest of the season.

And you capitalized on it.

Excuse me.

That is for sure.

Now, we spoke a little earlier about how the great goal still affects you, but I don't know if you realize we touched on a little bit earlier the impact you had on others.

I mean, the Rangers are a storied, legendary franchise, one of the original six in the NHL.

They've had some legendary hockey names have passed through the portals of Madison Square Garden, both the old one and the new one.

You really affected people's lives, Stefan.

Well, like I said, it took me a while to realize it.

My first game back as an alumni, I was signing autograph and one of the security people asked me and said, how do you want to go along with sign an autograph?

I said, well, I never said no to an autograph, but I said, how many people there there is.

For how many people do you want me to sign?

And he goes, look around.

And people kind of did half the rank at Madison Square Garden, the former line, to get my autograph.

That was the first time they see me back at the Garden.

And I was overwhelmed.

And There was like 10 minutes left in the game.

And I told the security people, close the line at the end and let's get to work.

So I signed autographs.

I signed maybe two, 300 autographs at the last 10 minutes.

But that's my life the last 30 years.

I get recognized often when I go back to the Garden.

I struggled with a lot of things in my personal life, but every time I come to the Garden, the fan, the Great fan.

They make me believe that I'm bigger than sometimes bigger than life.

Sometimes I don't believe it, but I think I became a very good ambassador for that moment.

Not everyone deals with it the same way.

I get it now.

And the fans, sometimes I see their little shy to meet me.

I'm the one now who goes forward and introduce myself, taking pictures, sending autographs, talking to the kids.

But I don't know how many times I get hugs from strangers.

And it's weird because they hug me and they don't want to let go.

The man could be 80 years old.

So at some point, how can you not respect that?

And like I said, it's my life the last 30 years, and I want to keep it going nice.

I mean, as I said, you affected people's lives.

You deal with it in a great way.

The Ranger fans are really a loyal bunch.

So they got a good chance this year.

So we'll see what happens.

Your son and your daughter played hockey?

My daughter played.

She's been retired for a few years.

She was very good.

She was a defenseman and in Quebec, I wanted to send her.

I left home when I was 15.

A lot of hockey players, if you want to be.

If you want to have a career out of it, you need to at some point make that tough decision to leave home.

So I sent my daughter Allison to Lake Placid because Mike Richter went to Lake Placid and he.

He kind of preached for the school, that Northwood school that he went to.

So she went there for two years.

She was recruited by about 15 different schools in college, and she decided to go to Maine University, which she played for four years, to retire after that.

Was drafted by the Devils in the first round, and Mr.

Lamorello thought it was a great pick.

Steph played a few games for the Devils and then he went on to play for different teams.

He's still playing right now.

He's 31 years old.

He still plays.

He's in the American Hockey League in Cleveland for the Blue Jackets farm team.

So the kid, he's the captain there.

He's a great leader.

He's got two kids, and I'm so proud of both of them.

I'm so proud Also for my son that he keeps on playing because it's not easy to have the same name and to be in the shadow of the New York Ranger legend at some point.

And the reporters kept on asking him early in his career that are you going to how many score how many goals and overtime you're going to score in your life.

I thought it was unfair, but my son kind of dealt with it very, very professionally and I'm very proud of that.

Stephon Matteau with us tonight on Sports Talk New York Now.

It's kind of ironic, Stephon, that he was drafted by the team that you scored your goal against.

It's like they were trying to break a curse or something there with the Devils picking your son.

Well, Mr.

Lamarello is one of the best executive person in the National Archae League history.

Right?

Very classy man.

He met the family after the, during the draft, after the draft.

And I really believed that he was going to take care of them, which he did.

And to be drafted, it's one thing.

To make the team, it's one thing.

But to stay in the National Hockey League for a long period of time, it's a different world.

And Steph Jr.

Played about 75 games, 80 games in the NHL career in 12 year, 13 year career.

But he still plays.

He's still very passionate about the game.

But it's pretty ironic that Mr.

Right here we have Lou out here on Long island now, Stephan with the Islanders, and he's doing a pretty good job there.

They're having a rough start, but looking for them to come around with Patrick Wahr behind the bench there.

Before we go, I want to ask you about your foundation.

Can you tell us more about that?

Well, when I retired 24 years ago, 23 years ago already, you take a few years off, you don't know what to do.

I didn't know what to do at the time.

And I too, I own a restaurant.

I didn't like it.

I try.

I own a travel agency.

I did many, many things to realize I didn't like it, any of that.

So I then I went, I went to a school in Pennsylvania.

A friend of mine, Steve Capu Ferry, he owns a private school, trouble kids who had they having a rough start in life and they bring athletes to support them, to talk to them.

And the first time I visited those kids, I saw an impact that I brought to them.

So I worked for Steve for 10 straight years.

I would drive from Montreal to Pennsylvania once a month and then as someone in New York, I started my own program in New York and then I'm in about 25, 30 schools here in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens.

And we started the Stefan Matthew Foundation.

We raise money, we try to buy some clothes for the kids.

We try to feed families in needs.

We a lot of things that we try to do and there's so many different foundations out there and mine is special to my heart because I know I can.

My wife and I, we do, we have an impact on those families and the kids in need.

You certainly do.

Folks can check out the Stefan Matteau foundation online.

There's a website.

What's the address for the website?

Stefan?

The Stefan Matteu foundation.com I think if I recall it so people can donate.

I've done a few events last year.

A lot of people, the kids I try to, I struggle growing up with my anxiety attack.

I get bullied.

So my program is built on anti bullying.

Try to help the kids who the most shy kids in the program.

I can explain to them how shy I was when I was 12 years old.

And so I turn on.

It's a program, I'm very proud of it.

Wonderful.

Well, Stefan Mateau, it's been a pleasure.

Thank you for taking time out of your Sunday night to spend some with us out here on Long island at Sports Talk New York.

Thanks to your lovely wife sue for helping set this up for us and we wish you all the best.

Thank you for having me.

Thank you very much.

That is Stephane Mateau, ladies and gentlemen.

Up next on Sports Talk New York, we will speak to the great actor Tim Matheson.

Stay with us, folks.

Foreign, you are listening to Sports Talk New York.

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And now back to the show.

All right, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, we are back with Sports Talk New York on wgb.

I'd like to thank you for stopping by and hanging with us on this fine soft evening after a beautiful autumnal Sunday on Long Island.

As usual, the jets lose.

The awards week in Major League Baseball is this week.

Rookie of the Year Monday, Manager of the Year Tuesday, Cy Young on Wednesday and the MVP on Thursday.

Then the winter meetings come up in early December, a hall of fame announcement will take place and who's counting?

But there's 86 days until pitchers and catchers, folks, so we can look forward to that.

Well, our next guest, he's a two time prime time Emmy award nominated actor and director.

He's dedicated his career to show business.

He's best known for his roles in Animal House, the West Wing, Magnum Force, Fletch, and of course Virgin river, among many, many others.

His new book is a tremendous read, folks, and it's titled Damn glad to meet you.

My seven Decades in the Hollywood Trenches.

I welcome to the show tonight, Tim Matheson.

Tim, good evening.

Hey.

Hi, Bill.

How are you doing?

I'm glad to be here.

We're doing great, Tim.

Going great.

Thanks for taking some time for us.

Now, how did you get started acting at such a young age?

You know, I just always wanted to be an actor.

And my, the guy my mom worked for had a son my age who had an agent, got sent out for stuff and he didn't get certain parts.

And then they said, well, why don't we just send Tim out too?

So I lucked, I fell into that, you know, But I'd always wanted to be an actor.

So it was like.

That was, it was great.

Yeah, it sure was.

Now you played Mike Harmon and I watch Beaver every morning, few episodes of Leave it to Beaver.

Still watching it.

I'm a fan.

I've had Jerry Mathers on the program a couple of times.

You got any good stories from the Beaver set, Tim?

Well, I gotta say, I made the cut.

The Beaver invited me.

Jerry Mathers invited me over to his house for my first Hollywood party.

And it was, it was pretty spectacular.

It was a pool party.

And, you know, a lot of young actresses were there.

I mean, you know, what are we, 14, 15?

So it was like I thought I had arrived, you know.

Yeah, well, you did well.

I mean, you were no Larry Mondello, let's put it that way, Tim.

But, you know, you did well.

Now also the voice of Johnny Quest.

How does one get a voiceover role like that?

You know, what happens is I outgrew my kid acting.

You know, my Beaver days, I just, you know, like I shot up maybe, you know, five or six inches.

I didn't look like I was 12 anymore.

So there was sort of a slowdown in getting those parts.

And I just got an audition to go up and over to Hanna Barbera and do cartoon voice work.

And luckily I got the job and, you know, because they wanted somebody who was, you know, sounded like A real kid.

Not like some.

Because it wasn't like the Flintstones or the Jetsons, which were shows that they did at the time.

So.

Yeah, so I just got lucky.

Yeah.

Great legendary show, Johnny Quest.

Now yours, mine and ours.

We saw that in the movies when we were kids.

You played Henry Fonda's oldest son.

Now, any interactions or lessons learned from the legends Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball?

Well, both, you know, I mean, as being a young actor at that point, I got a chance to work with some, you know, the greats from the golden age, you know.

And then Lucy came up through vaudeville and, you know, the 40s and features, and Henry as well, you know, and he was a theater actor.

Henry basically just said.

I asked him, how does he approach acting?

He said, basically, I walk in the room, I hit my mark, I look him in the eye and I tell him the truth.

And it's just that simple.

And he.

That was his strength, was he?

You didn't really see him acting.

Now, Lucy, on the other hand, is a broad, physical comic.

And, you know, that takes tremendous skill and preparation and rehearsal.

And she was a taskmaster when she was on the set because most of the scenes with her were broad comic scenes.

And so she required all of us kids to really be prepared.

And, you know, also, I think she liked me because we had some very sort of normal scenes together.

And I auditioned for her many times, and she just.

I think she thought I was just too sensitive, and so she tried to toughen me up a bit.

You know, she just, you know, entertainment business is a full contact sport.

That was her approach.

Yeah.

Well, you certainly took that to heart.

And Magnum Force, we remember you in Magnum Force working with Clint Eastwood.

How was that?

Yes.

Oh, it was great.

I mean, I was the first cop to get killed, Officer Sweet.

And, you know, Clint, he was like Henry Fonda.

I mean, he was just so simple.

The first day we worked together, I offered to, you know, rehearse with him and run lines.

And he said, no, no, I just.

I think there's something special about the first time that the lines are set on camera, because he did.

He felt the more you rehearsed, the more practiced it got, the more artificial it got.

So he liked that.

Just sort of rough edges about it, you know, And I didn't understand that.

I thought, oh, you need to rehearse a lot.

Until I got into the scene with him and I just felt how real he was and how truthful and honest he was.

And he listened so carefully, and he was just.

He Was one.

I went home that night thinking, this guy is such a great actor.

He's a wonderful actor.

And you don't see him doing anything.

He's just very strong.

And, you know, I learned a lot from him, you know, about acting and directing, you know, so I must say.

And each of those jobs that I had, you know, through my career, I was in a special place at a special time with, like, Lucy and Henry Fonda and Jackie Gleason and Bob Hope.

And here with Clint, you know, these are the greats.

And Clint's now.

He's got a movie coming out now.

He's what, 93?

Yeah, he's just, he's amazing.

Still rolling?

Yeah.

Yeah, Right.

We're speaking with Tim Matheson tonight on the program now, Animal House, as we said the other night when I met you in Huntington, I was in a fraternity, Delta Kappa Kappa, also maroon color, at SUNY Oswego on the shores of Lake Ontario up there where you get 12ft of snow every winter.

We went to see Animal House after Greek social hour, which was.

Oh, my God.

Yeah.

50 cents for all the amber colored adult beverages you can enjoy.

We were rolling beers back and forth down the aisle.

So I basically lived the movie.

Now, you were one of the few in the cast with any acting experience.

Yeah, I, you know, I've been around at that point.

I was, I think I was 29 to 30 when I was doing that part.

So I've been around for, you know, 16 to 18 years.

And I.

But that was my first comedy, so it was really a big leap for me.

And it was, you know, it was a.

It was a big risk.

And I must say, John Belushi was very helpful and very supportive for me and helped me a lot, you know, on that.

Yeah.

Now, I had read where they considered Chevy Chase for the role of Otter originally.

Oh, yeah, true.

They wanted Chevy.

The studio wanted Chevy.

The studio wanted Chevy because, you know, he was a.

A bigger name than me.

But the director, John Landis, wanted basically real actors to be around John Belushi because he didn't, you know, he wanted to keep the comedy grounded.

He didn't want it to be a Saturday Night Live sketch.

Right.

Yeah.

And they certainly did that by bringing you aboard.

Now, any truth to the rumor that there were fights between the cast members and the locals up there?

Oh, yeah.

The SAE guys kicked our ass.

Oh, yeah.

Oh, yeah.

Because we watched it.

We didn't know.

I met a couple of young ladies at one fraternity party we've gone to, which was the place where we were shooting.

So they were friendly with us and they said, yeah, come to our party.

And then these young ladies invited us to say, we'll go to the SAE House.

It's a great place.

The best campus on the best fraternity on campus.

So we went over there and just walked in like we owned the place.

And big surprise, they did not want us there.

Yeah.

They said, you don't belong here.

This is only us.

Get out of here.

And then they.

They were all drunk.

Anyway, so they.

One thing, some words led to another, Someone from our group threw a beer, and then all hell broke out.

Yeah.

College fund.

Sure.

Now, did Belushi improvise the scene going into the admin building when Flounder shoots the horse?

Did he improvise that whole gag?

Oh, the dad.

I mean, yeah, his.

You know, he was such an amazing improviser and just, you know, he was.

He was great.

He was so wonderful to work with and, you know, it was just a treat.

And then he'd only be with us three days a week, you know, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and then Wednesday night he'd head back to New York and then do Saturday Night Live, you know, rehearse Thursday, Friday, and then recorded on Saturday.

Did you have any idea, Tim, that Animal House would be the monster that it became?

No.

I mean, you sort of hope and you think maybe, but you never know until you get in front of an audience, you know?

And I heard, the first time I ever heard it, played it, ran in front of.

They screened it in a sneak preview in front of fraternity Denver on a fraternity gathering weekend.

And so a large part of the audience were fraternity members, and they went crazy.

You couldn't hear the dialogue.

It was so nuts.

And that was.

First time I thought, well, this.

This really could be something.

Who knows?

Well, that's what we did in that theater in Oswego.

We.

We repeated every line before it was said.

We ruined the movie for the other patrons in the theater, you know, but, hell, we had a good time.

That.

That's.

That's all that matters.

Yeah.

The trick is just to enjoy yourself.

That's it.

Yeah, that is it.

Now, you auditioned for the role of Indiana Jones for Raiders, right?

I did.

Like, well, yeah, there was a ton of actors in Hollywood who did, and I just.

I knew I was too young, but I had a good take on it, and I did, you know, I did my best sort of Clint Eastwood interpretation.

I didn't rehearse it too much, and I just, you know, hit my marks, looked him in the eye and told him the truth, you know, And I worked with Karen Allen on that.

And Lucas.

Lucas, you know, George Lucas called me in and said, you know, we're going another way.

You're too young, but I'd love to talk to you.

And I went in and talked to him, and he said, you did the best test.

It was great.

But, you know, we just.

You're just too young.

So it's like.

Yeah, I get it.

Yeah, yeah.

Bed break there.

Now.

Mel Brooks and Ann Bancroft, to be or not to be two more legends you're working with.

Yeah, yeah.

I mean, he's the godfather of comedy, I think.

You know, I mean, he's just.

He's amazing.

And Anne Bancroft was the first lady.

I mean, she was just the most elegant, refined, wonderful actor and just also just the dearest woman.

So.

And, you know, and they were.

They were so happily married.

It was a joy to be around them.

Cuckoo.

Ca choo.

Mrs.

Robinson.

That's all I have to say.

Yeah, I hear you.

We are honored to have Tim Matheson on the show with us tonight.

Now, the recurring role is John Hoynes in the West Wing.

What a great job you did with that.

That's where you got your two Primetime Emmy nominations.

Talk about the West Wing for the fans out there, Tim.

Well, it was, you know, it's about politics at another time.

And it was, you know, getting a chance to work with Aaron Sorkin, one of the finest scriptwriters, screenwriters in history, you know, and he's just.

He continues to set the mark higher and higher every time he works.

And so it was a real treat.

And the best group of actors I think I've ever worked with in a show.

And you just had to have people who were really exceptional to handle that dialogue because he'd like to do it all in one take.

That's why we had those long walk and talks.

You know, those two people walking down the hallways, talking as fast as you could because they're smart and they're in a hurry and they're, you know, and they're trying to save the world, you know, so it was.

It was.

It was a very noble show.

They were wonderful, wonderful actors.

And it was just.

It was like playing.

It was like playing tennis at Wimbledon, you know.

It was just.

It was pretty special.

Yeah, great job on that.

Now, you.

You directed episodes of Third Watch, Twilight Zone, of course, the West Wing, Criminal Minds and Burn Notice.

Yeah, yeah.

You always.

You had a recurring role there.

Now, what.

What do you like about directing versus Being in front of the camera, Tim.

It'S good to be king.

You know, it's.

It's.

Yeah, it's.

It's.

It's a different approach.

I mean, you know, and basically you're there to, you know, support the writer and make sure that their story gets told correctly and to help the actors do that job.

And so, but it's.

But you're involved in, you know, choosing wardrobe and casting and location, so you're involved in everything from the very beginning.

Whereas an actor just comes in and performs, you know, which is not an easy thing.

But there's a lot more to directing, and it was very challenging, and I always like to set the bar higher and just try something new.

Right now.

Everybody loves Virgin River.

When is it coming back?

For the new season, we drop December 19, season six, and then we are going to start shooting season seven in March of 25.

So we're, you know, it's just, you know, at this point in my career, it's just like, wow, to find a character that I love playing that much and in a show that I enjoy doing and.

And that, you know, the landscape is constantly changing around us and, you know, the situation has changed from year to year, so.

And it's great.

Netflix is a wonderful place to work and because, you know, people, they can look at a whole season in a day or a weekend.

It's crazy.

You know, it's so different than things were, like, on network tv.

But it's an exciting transition.

You know, it's great.

Beautiful locations.

Tim, where do you film?

Oh, thanks.

Yeah.

Vancouver Bridge, Columbia.

Nice.

Yeah.

What a beautiful set that.

That is.

What can we expect?

Do you have any nuggets to drop for the fans out here?

Gosh, I mean, you know, I just.

My main thing is just, I try not to say twice.

Yeah.

And just don't take it so seriously and enjoy yourself and create a team to work with because it's like sports, you know, the more likely you are to have people around you that can help you and, you know, shore you up when you need some help and shore them up when they need some help, you know, I mean, that's what we're all there for.

And then you don't feel so bad if you win or lose, you know.

So I think that's it for me.

I like the team.

Do we have to wait to find out what happens with Doc Mullins sight?

Yeah, that's taken care of pretty quickly in season six.

So we'll find that out real soon.

Okay.

Yeah, we got that.

Yeah.

Yes, you got it.

Now tell me, can I ask a question?

Yeah, go ahead, Tim.

Yeah.

Who.

Who won?

How did Kansas City do today?

I don't know, Brian.

Did you watch the Kansas City?

Yeah, they lost, Tim.

Oh, geez.

Okay.

Yeah.

And of course, the jets lost, which is a given.

How about.

How about the Commanders?

How'd that go?

No good.

Oh, no, Brian doesn't know.

He doesn't know.

Yeah.

Okay.

Okay.

Relax on the football scores tonight, Tim.

I'm sorry.

Do you enjoy sports, Tim?

I do.

Yeah.

I do.

You know, it's always good to take your mind off of it and just.

I like watching good teamwork, you know, I mean, I like.

I like.

That's what I've learned about acting and directing, is that, you know, again, like I said, it's team.

And you see how people perform and it's.

You get inspired by people who perform well under pressure.

The Olympics, for God's sake.

I love the women's soccer team.

And, you know, it was just amazing.

And.

But just so many of the competition, because it comes down to one moment, or just the World Series for the Dodgers, right?

You know, and the Yankees.

I mean, my God, who's ever seen an inning like the fifth inning for the.

For the Yankees?

I mean, oh, my God, that was just unparalleled in history, in sports history.

And yet it happens.

It's like, okay, MLB was probably happy with that matchup, too.

The Dodgers and the Yankees.

Yeah, they love that.

And with the Olympics, I found.

I like the women's beach volleyball.

I think that's pretty amazing.

Oh, it's great to watch.

I mean, diving and swimming.

I mean, it's just.

Can somebody just stay so focused and concentrate on what they have to do and not let all that extraneous noise from the outside take them off their game?

That's what it's all about.

And it's just amazing when you see it happen.

It is.

You're right, Tim.

Now we're going to mention the book before we go.

Any other upcoming projects that you'd like to mention to the folks?

No, Just a Virgin river and then.

Damn glad to meet you.

My seven years and my seven decades in the Hollywood trenches is, you know, that's coming out.

It's now it's out.

It's available for your local bookstore.

Pick it up at the bookstore.

And it's.

It's.

It's a good.

It's a good read.

It's a lot of fun and it's some backstage stories and it's what it was like to work with some of the icons and in cinema that today's audience hasn't really, you know, don't know that perhaps that well.

And it's, you know, so it's a look back and it's a look forward and it's just how much fun I've had as I've done this.

Right.

It's Tim's career, which, as he says, spans seven decades.

And there's some great names in there, some great little tidbits that you guys will enjoy.

And as we said, the Christmas holidays are coming up.

A great gift, Tim.

Yeah, thanks, Bill.

It's been an honor and a pleasure.

What is somebody calling me now for Brian?

Oh, it's Andre Dawson.

I can't take this call.

I don't know, you know, Andre.

Hello?

You know Andre Dawson, Tim.

Yes, I know he is.

Yeah, okay.

Yeah, he's ringing me.

I don't know what he wants, but I'll get back.

It's been an honor and a pleasure, Tim.

I appreciate it.

Thanks for taking time out of your Sunday night to give it to us here in New York.

Good to talk to you.

We're looking forward to the next season on Virgin River.

Again, Tim's book, folks, it's called Damn Glad to Meet you, My Seven Decades in the Hollywood Trenches.

Thanks again.

All the best, Tim.

Thanks, Bill.

You take care.

You take care, too.

That is Tim Matheson, ladies and gentlemen.

We will be right back after these messages.

Stick around, folks.

You are listening to Sports Talk New York.

Instagram @WGB sports talk.

You're listening to Sports Talk New York on Long Island's wgb.

And now back to the show.

All right, ladies and gentlemen, we're back with Sports Talk New York here from Merrick, Long Island, New York.

Great conversation with Tim Matheson there and previously a great conversation with Stephane Mateau of the New York Rangers.

And I would just like to mention that I had the honor and the pleasure last weekend to attend the New York State Baseball hall of Fame induction ceremony which is held each November in Troy, New York, which is upstate near Albany.

And great time as usual.

I'd like to thank Rennie LaRue, the executive director of the New York State Baseball hall of Fame for the invitation and for the hospitality that he gives every year.

And some great guys, some great inductees.

This year we had the hitman, Don Mattingly, Howard Johnson, HoJo from the New York Mets.

Buck Showalter, the great manager, was inducted into the hall of Fame.

His daughter, Martha Jo Black, who was our guest last weekend on the program, was inducted.

And just a great experience.

It's definitely worthwhile checking out.

The hall of Fame building itself is in Gloversville, New York, which is about 50 miles from Cooperstown.

Not too bad if you're in Cooperstown.

You could take a ride to Gloversville and check the building out and the hall of Fame.

It's right across the street from a very historic ballpark.

You can look it up and find out exactly what happened on that ball field.

But it's a great building.

It's a great organization.

Again, the New York State Baseball hall of Fame.

Go to the website and you can see who's been inducted in the past who are members of the New York State Baseball hall of fame.

It's NYSbhof, just an acronym for New York State Baseball hall of Fame.

Go to that website, folks.

You'll see the inductees.

You'll see the requirements for membership in the New York State Baseball hall of Fame, which is really just the body of work of the individual and their relationship to working, playing, contributing to the state of New York, all having to do with baseball, which is definitely worthwhile.

So check that out.

As I said, the winter meeting is coming up in the beginning of December.

There will be a Hall of Fame announcement for one of the veterans committees coming up.

And people like Dick Allen, Tommy John, Dave Parker are up for election to the National Baseball hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

Excuse me.

And definitely worth a visit up to the induction weekend in Cooperstown, as we say every year.

We'll talk a little bit more about that as we get closer.

But again, I'd like to thank you guys for stopping by.

Thank my guests again, Stephane Mateau and Tim Matheson, my engineer, Brian Graves, and you guys again.

We'll see you next on December 15th.

I got a couple of weeks off.

Take a break for more great sports Talk on the 15th.

Join us.

Till then, be safe, be well.

Bill Donahue, wishing you a good evening, folks.

The views expressed in the previous program did not necessarily represent those of the staff, management or owners of wgbb.