Katey disowns Peg

Press, 22 December 1989, Page 11

Katey disowns Peg

Katey Sagal, who plays the housework-hating couch potato, Peg Bundy, in the comedy, “Married with Children" (tonight at 10 on Two), says she is nothing like her character.

' “It’s the hair, the heavy make-up and those polyester Frederick’s of Hollywood clothes. Peg’s a housewife. I’m not.”

Sagal, who is 33, grew up on the West Side of Los Angeles in a show business family. Her father, Boris Sagal, was a Hollywood director who died in 1981 in a helicopter accident while filming the mini-series “World War III.” Her mother is an assistant director, her twin sisters act and her brother writes screenplays on the side. Although Katey is probably the most famous Sagal, she never intended going into acting — her paSsion was singing. “Singing is something I

have to do. When I was growing up I didn’t really do much else — I didn’t even speak to anyone. Singing was my form of communication.”

Sagal has been on the road singing with Bob Dylan and Bette Midler and performed as a Harlette with Ett James. Later she landed the role as the tough, chainsmoking Jo Tucker on the show, “Mary,” with Mary Tyler Moore.

“C.B.S. found me and asked me to audition for a show. I said O.K. but I thought it was a real joke. Four days later I was on this show with Mary Tyler Moore.”

With help from an old friend, Danny De Vito, she then auditioned for the role of Peg Bundy, the woman who puts Pledge behind her ears so her husband thinks she has done the housework.

Sagal is not too serious

about her acting and says her contribution to the show is that she turns up.

“Married with Children” is a big success in the United States and is TVNZ’s most watched 10 p.m. programme.

Sagal compares the programme to "All in the Family,” with the political issues aside. “It’s similar to ‘All in the Family’ although they dealt with so many political topics . and we steer way clear of any social comment. People compare it to ‘Roseanne,’ but I don’t get the comparison. I can’t believe anyone could watch that. I think Al and Peg are much more adorable.”

Starting tonight, Television New Zealand will screen "Married with Children” from the first episode. The fourth series is not yet available here, but viewers can expect to see it early next year.