lurkers-guide/ftp/America-Online/jeff-conaway.txt

The following is the transcript of the online chat with Babylon 5 star, "Jeff
Conaway," held on October 8th, 1996 on America Online.

B5 Online:	Hi Jeff!

B5 Online:	Tonight we are pleased to welcome Babylon 5 star Jeff Conaway to
our online conference.  Warner Bros. Online presents CYBER-TALK (tm)! Be sure
and stay tuned!  We are giving away some GREAT B5 merchandise including
posters, an autographed Jeff Conaway picture, and more! Details will be given
out during the conference, will YOU be a
lucky winner? :D

B5 Online:	First of all, I would like to welcome Jeff to our online area and
CYBERTALK!  Welcome, Jeff!

Jeff at B5:	Hi Everybody!  Glad to join you on the Internet! Nothing like
being cyberized!   And Surfed!

B5 Online:	Our first question is from I VORLON....

Question:	Mr Conaway,  Glad to have you here tonight!  How did you get
involved in acting?

Jeff at B5:	I wanted to be an astronaut at first, my grandfather was like a
deep sea demolition diver in the first world war, and my uncle works at NASA.
 I was a smart little kid, so they wanted to put me in space and at 7 years
old I had to wear glasses. I was reading a book about spacefaring and after I
had to get glasses, that was that. At age nine I though acting was a thing I
could try and mother said forget about it. So I kept bugging her! So I did an
audition for All the Way Home... with Lillian Gish.. a lot of great actors!
 I got the part on my tenth birthday!  They said "You�re in!" That�s how it
began... show ran for a year and I�m still running!

B5 Online:	Here's a question from MarkB1529...

Question:	Has the notorious on set B5 humour ever targeted you Jeff and how?

Jeff at B5:	No.. no practical jokes on me!  But I hear the gag reels .. I�m
on them all over the place - I guess I do funny things and I don�t realize
it. The other day.. in fact.. there was a stuntman.  We were all in
riot gear and stuff, and I kept losing my PPG.. it ended up on the floor!
This guy next to me kept stealing it and laying it on the floor! I got back
at him though. When he was on his back and I was on my knees I... Well, I
passed gas on his face.

B5 Online:	Uh.. just stay over there, Jeff.

Question:	hey Jeff tell us about taxi, why did it go off the air

Jeff at B5:	Nobody really knows why. It won best show for the year and we
were canceled - it makes no sense. Often TV makes no sense. It's still such a
popular show - one of the Star Trek's of comedy... one of those shows that
was killed too fast.

B5 Online:	Here�s a good question from AnessaE...

Question:	Greetings!  I've seen that you've been a guest at a few scifi cons.
Do you like them, and are you going to speak at any of them in the near
future?

Jeff at B5:	Yeah!  I have a real good time at them!  At first I had no idea
what to expect.  You know.. "here's a microphone - go entertain!" I found
that the questions were very interesting and I had fun answering them - tried
to put a little comedy into it.  It's nice to be out there meeting the fans
and seeing how high their interest is and how much more they know about the
show than I do. I�m going to be in Springfield, MA in November... and then in
England, and Scotland next summer. And then back over in Virginia in March
... around there.

B5 Online:	From CajunDanc, a regular in our Eclipse Cafe at Keyword: Babylon
5...

Question:	Mr. Conaway, how did you come to audition for the role of Zack
Allen?  And why were you interested in Babylon 5?

Jeff at B5:	Ill answer the 2nd part first. Two years ago, Id had the flu and
I was at home channel surfing. I saw this spacey looking show.  I think
Garibaldi was on screen and I stopped and I started watching.. and I thought
"This is cool!" So what happened is I started watching the show every week,
and
just about in October of 94, the casting office called up and asked if I
could come in for the role, I think I had about 3 lines in the first episode
I did. But I thought the show was great! I actually turned down another role
the same day to do those 3 lines.  John Copeland asked if I would like to
come back and do more
episodes and I said "You Bet!" And then I recurred for the season, and then
signed a regular
contract for the third and fourth.

B5 Online:	From GREER701A....

Question:	Have you done any work on Broadway?  Which do you prefer Broadway
or Television?

Jeff at B5:	Yeah! I did four Broadway shows.. "All The Way Home", "Everybody
Out, The Castle is Sinking," "Grease" and "The News." Well, you know they are
two different mediums. Theatre - the audience is there... there's no take
two. There�s a concentration and focus you have to keep. That�s the problem
with it - there�s no take two! In theatre you have to focus your whole day,
existence, around two hours at night. You have to make sure you get enough
sleep, eat right, etc.  So you're kinda a prisoner.  Whereas in television
and film - you're there all day! So you have to relax and gear up for
performance focus. The older I get, the more I enjoy working in television
and film.

B5 Online:	From FTLTSeren....

Question:	What character that you have played is your personal favorite?

Jeff at B5:	That�s a tough question to answer, because you basically fall in
some kind of love with every character you play. I really enjoy playing Zack
and going through the building of a character - he's finally coming into his
own and growing on the show. I really loved my Grease character.. Bobby was
fun. There was a TV movie called "Making of a Male Model" which was really
challenging.  But very fulfilling and satisfying.

B5 Online:	Here�s a good question...

Question:	Jeff also do you ever talk with Tony Danza...

Jeff at B5:	Yeah! I talk to Tony often. We've stayed pretty close over the
years. You  Whose the Boss" Fans - I did one of those... he calls me up and
says "You gotta do me a favoh.. I cant get and good guest stahs."  So I said
Id do anything for him.. so I did the show. We hung around a lot when we did
Taxi.. we lived around the corner from each other.. we hung out.. and it's
carried on through the years. He's a great guy!  I love him! And not in the
biblical sense.

Question:	Is your role in B5 going to be expanded any?

Jeff at B5:	THANK GOD YES!!!! When John Copeland asked me if I wanted to do
more shows... and I said yeah... he told me to be patient. But I didn't think
it was going to take them three years! (Only kidding Joe, if you're
listening!)

B5 Online:	From IluvB5...

Question:	Hello Jeff.  How are you enjoying filming the fourth season?  Is
your character going in the direction you hoped?  Jennifer

Jeff at B5:	Hi I Luv B5!  I love B5 too! Remarked a little bit earlier the
character is expanding and
growing - we're getting to see a little bit more of Zack - I cant tell you
storyline, but I can tell you that the direction for Zack is going the way I
would like it too. We're learning a little more about who he is.

B5 Online:	From Draughir...

Question:	Do you find it difficult to work in an environment where most of
the special effects are computer generated?

Jeff at B5:	They are? Well, you know - it's the action that you're doing. As
an actor you have to supply your imagination. What is a little disconcerting
is when you shoot your PPG and nothing happens. er.. happens. I want to hear
a bang! I was pulling the trigger the other day and adding my own sound
effects. I told all the guys I won't make the sounds when we actually shoot.

B5 Online:	From MMazz9259..

Question:	Hey Jeff, Hope you're having a good one. What's the B5 set
like(atmosphere and such)?

Jeff at B5:	It's friendly and good natured.   People are very supportive of
each other we kind of take care of each other throughout the day - we care of
each other. After all, we're all on the same team. (Even if I�m not on the
new poster)

B5 Online:	From Kiki3733...

Question:	Hate to ask, but how old are you.  You look better than ever!!!

Jeff at B5:	I'm 46.  thanks Kiki!

B5 Online:	From Kgeibel...

Question:	What types of jobs did you have to hold during any tough time?

Jeff at B5:	Thank God I've always been an actor! It's a good thing because I
can't DO anything else My agent kept telling me to turn down work and be a
waiter... I told him "You're Fired!"

B5 Online:	From GRShaw...

Question:	What is your favorite B5 episode?

Jeff at B5:	Well, it would have to be one that I�m in... as opposed to the
poster..... I guess the one where I turn the Nightwatch in was my favorite so
far. It was dramatic and heroic. One of the things I like about Zack is his
sense of humor - and then later he's blowing people away! I used to not like
Narns.. now I do. The Centauri though.. I�m starting to get a little mad at.
Let me shoot a good Centauri any day. Call me Zack "LAPD" Allan.

B5 Online:	The episode in question would be "Point of No Return."

B5 Online:	From AaronlnMe...

Question:	Do you feel your show ranks among one of the best sci-fi shows
ever?

Jeff at B5:	Definitely! I loved the first Star Trek and I first watch it
sometimes at night. I check out the other shows here and there.  But I just
think that Joe's vision and imagination and creativity is quite amazing. I
think he takes the storylines and characters to  a  place of drama and
comedy... a place the other shows don't go. Plus.. he's writing all of the
shows and that's quite a feat. I feel like I've been lucky and blessed to
work with these guys and working with the producers and Joe, the crew and the
cast, I feel there's a lot of brilliance going on.  And I�m just happy to be
a part of it and be part of that vision.

B5 Online:	We'll get a couple more great questions before we have to go!

B5 Online:	From HLI...

Question:	Jeff did you ever think of a taxi reunion

Jeff at B5:	Everyone's thought of it - but I don't think it will ever happen.
Everybody has expressed that they would like to do it.  There seems to be a
problem at the top someplace with one of the creators. I think it would be
fun to go back and see where Bobby is at these days. of course, he would
probably have to get a job. Maybe even on Babylon 5!

Jeff at B5:	BTW.. I'll be on Mr. & Mrs. Smith this coming Friday on CBS!  Be
there
or be square.

B5 Online:	From DSneelix...

Question:	What do YOU want? (Morden asks this)

Jeff at B5:	To be on the poster.

B5 Online:	And our final question comes from Andicouri...

Question:	You've directed before, any interest in directing any eps of B5?

Jeff at B5:	Yeah, Id love to some day!  You never know what could happen!
Stephen Furst is directing episode 408 this year.

B5 Online:	From LaraKJBA...

OnlineHost:	 what is the most difficult thing about this role?  BTW, loved
you in  grease!!!

Jeff at B5:	I think the most difficult thing is.. playing a guy who probably
in the past had made more of himself in his career. Through some knocks and
bad breaks... he ended up alone and kind of confused. And so he signed onto
Babylon 5. It's like starting over again and doing it right this time. And
whatever the beast or demons inside of him - he's gotten rid of those. You
noticed after he turned over Nightwatch... you didn�t see him for a few weeks
- he was pretty shaken by his lack of judgment.  When he came out of his
cocoon, he was a stronger individual. He starts to find himself this season.
With some of the things I put personally in it, it helps add to the drama and
the conflict inside Zack. in fact we touch on it a little bit in an upcoming
episode. He's a hero waiting to happen in a way. He's an anti-hero waiting to
grow up and be a full -fledged hero. But he's not getting any younger - and
neither am I! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your questions and your love
of the show with me. Keep watching! And if you want to write... just write to
the B5 address.  And I'll write back! If you could send a SASE.. it would be
very helpful! If you want pictures, send a manila SASE and Ill send a
picture, a note and stuff. Because after all, you are the reason I�m here.

B5 Online:	And with that we would like to thank Jeff for coming tonight! To
write to Jeff, send your letters to: Jeff Conaway C/O Babylon 5, 4000 Warner
Blvd, Burbank, CA 91505.  Thanks for coming to CYBER-TALK (TM) We'll see you
in the Eclipse Cafe - Keyword: Babylon 5!

OnlineHost:	Copyright 1996 America Online, Inc.