`STIR CRAZY` COSTAR JOE GUZALDO MEANS BUSINESS

Joe Guzaldo is his name, and it`s more important to him than fame. Despite pressure on the young actor to change it now that he has won a co-starring role on CBS` fall series, ”Stir Crazy,” his adamant answer is: ”No dice.”

This Chicago actor, who is partnered with Larry Riley (”A Soldier`s Story”) on the Wednesday-night entry, has had supportive parents who have been his greatest source of strength. That`s his reason for declaring, ”I`d rather miss out on a job because of the ethnic sound of my name than change it.”

Guzaldo might well be a prototype for how to succeed in television, if the CBS series takes off. His background is Chicago theater, and he makes no bones about the fact that he`s totally committed to becoming a good actor. Guzaldo calls it ”being focused–knowing what you want from an early age and directing all your energies toward that goal.

”I don`t consider this a lifestyle,” declared the actor. ”I consider it a business. When I showed up wearing a shirt, tie and jacket, the William Morris Agency people were surprised. My agent told me it`s rare for an actor to wear a business suit. But that`s how I was raised.”

Guzaldo, whose build is similar to Joel Grey`s, was even wearing a tie for an interview at dinnertime.

”Interviews make me nervous,” he confessed. ”Because I`m in a comedy series, people expect to see a zany, goofy, crazy guy–someone full of personality. But I did serious theater in Chicago, including O`Neill`s `Long Day`s Journey Into Night,` and I`m basically serious and just as you see me now–myself.”

”Stir Crazy,” a road-show comedy based on the theatrical film of the same title, spotlights Guzaldo as Skip Harrington and co-star Riley as Harry Fletcher–two pals from New York who are on the run after being wrongly imprisoned for murder. They stage an elaborate escape from a Texas prison and embark upon a series of cross-country adventures to elude their pursuers and to nab the actual criminal.

The show has been thrown into turmoil by the departures of Polly Holliday, who was to play Capt. Betty, the sinister sheriff hot on their trail, and of Cynthia Sikes, who had been slated to depict their attorney, Kathryn. Both actresses will be seen only in the two-hour premiere episode. The role of Kathryn has been dropped; Capt. Betty has yet to be recast.

”The film ended with Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor escaping from prison,” Guzaldo pointed out. ”But our series will take it from there. Because we`ll be on the run, much like David Janssen was in `The Fugitive,`

we`ll be shooting on location around the country; the pilot episode was shot in Vancouver and Seattle. It will be a new experience for me.”

The series, from Larry & Larry Productions (Rosen and Tucker), could well be described as a cross between ABC`s ”The Fugitive” (1963-`67) and NBC`s short-lived ”Hot Pursuit” of last season. As Guzaldo explained, he and his partner ”hope to leave someone with a little happiness in the towns they hit along the way.”

”I`m lucky to be doing what I want in life,” said the actor, who claims he`ll be wearing blinders when production begins next week. ”I`m one of those actors who has to have my life orderly and in place, so I can concentrate on my work. I can`t worry about whether the rent is paid.”

That`s where his parents, John and Dinah, operators of a Chicago beauty shop, come in. They`re the folks who help keep him together.

”I still haven`t moved my furniture out here,” said the cautious Chicagoan, who studied at DePaul University`s famed Goodman School of Drama.

”I still haven`t fully committed to Los Angeles. I want to see what it`s like here first.”

His career has fallen neatly into place. School first, then some work in commercials, some substantial dramatic parts–”A Streetcar Named Desire,”

”Goodtime Chicago,” ”Deadly Dollars,” ”A Christmas Carol” and a costarring role with Chuck Norris in the film, ”Code of Silence.”

One day, when Riley`s agent happened to mention to another agent that no costar had been found yet for ”Stir Crazy,” she remembered seeing Guzaldo in ”Long Day`s Journey” in Chicago, and arranged an audition for him. As they say in show biz, the chemistry between him and Riley was right.

”People laugh when you use the word `magic` in this business,” noted Guzaldo, ”but that`s how it was. When I first walked into the room, we were both feeling each other out. I immediately looked for something I could like about Riley, so I could relate instantly to him. I focused on his smile and his eyes. Then, when I brushed up against him, I knew there was something there. If you`re sensitive, you can feel the chemistry immediately. Then, after reading with me, Riley said, `Man, I really want you to get this. I read with a lot of actors but I feel good with you.` And that was it.”

Guzaldo hopes to pattern his career after Jack Lemmon, whom he considers a gentleman. ”I saw him on a talk show once,” recalled Guzaldo, ”and I liked the way he carried himself. He has also treated his career with respect. That`s how I want to be. I think I`m lucky to have had someone in Hollywood see me act and give me this chance. I guess you`d say I was in the right place at the right time. But I also think something else has to do with it. I believe in the power of positive thinking. I go to bed at night planning what my next step will be. And now it`s here”

Originally Published: July 5, 1985 at 1:00 AM CDT