Actor visits Russia

Press, 30 August 1989, Page 19

Actor visits Russia

NZPA-KRD New York Howard Hesseman, who played the zinged-out D.J. in “WKRP in Cincinnati,” has spoken of his experiences while filming in the Soviet Union.

Hesseman, now starring in “Head of the Class,” said he found Russian television interesting.

"World War II is replayed every day,” Hesseman said. “The Soviet Union is very big on their conflict with the Nazis and there’s just a different one every day and it’s full of heroic, socialist, realistic, emotional moments — which is not to say that it’s just statuary come to life — but it’s not the most fluid sort of cinema. At the same time, I don’t speak Russian, so maybe I missed a little.” A jazz buff, he also visited a Moscow jazz club.

“What was fascinating was here we were in this jazz club full of people who, God knows, had to go through more than we did to get to the club, and they don’t applaud at the end of the numbers,” he said.

“I thought this was cool beyond my wildest experience. But at the end of the set, the place exploded with applause and I’ll wager that half the crowd was on their feet.”

Hesseman was able to talk briefly with the musicians, who knew that he was an American actor shooting a show in Moscow.

“But they don’t have much idea about the American sitcom lineup," Hesseman joked.

Hesseman took in a fashion show while he was there.

“It’s fascinating to see how the Western concept of high fashion is starting to poison them already,” he said.