Lenny Von Dohlen talks about Harold Smith (2003.8.15) Lenny was phone-interviewed by the Twin Peaks fan magazine, "Wrapped in Plastic", issue 62, which was published in December, 2002. This article is very, very rare and you MUST get it... it extends over seven pages (including some photos) and Lenny talked deeply about Harold Smith, Twin Peaks, and his own actor life. On every page, you could touch Lenny's sincere attitude toward the films he joined, which must come from his pride as an artist. Some parts of the interview... Q: How did you get the role of Harold Smith? A: I changed a line- which is probably sacrosanct. It's in the show. At the end of the scene where Donna comes to see Harold for the first time, he gives her an orchid for Laura's grave. At the end she says, "I'll be back," and he was supposed to say something like "I'll look forward to it." But I said, "I'll be here." It amused me. I audition so horribly. I hate it with all my heart. So ifyou can find one or two ways to amuse yourself, then it is not quite hideous. Q: [The interviewer asks about Harold's physical reaction to the outside.] A: People who have had anxiety attacks when they leave their homes have what feels like a heart attack. So I thought, "Oh yeah, that left hand is going to do something - it is going to feel weird and go numb." And, [Harold would think] "Oh, s--, this is what I've read happens to people like me." So, he kind of gives himself a fit. He makes worse than he would be because he is so afraid of the consequences. He won't let himself be brave. He's a bit of a drama queen, isn't he? [Laughter] Q: [The interviewer asks about the sequence in which Harold grabs trowel and threatens Donna and Madeleine with it.] A:I remember arguing strongly about that. He was not capable of doing harm to others. It was not something he could do; he was nurturer, he was an arbiter of secrets. He had plenty of his own, but he wouldn't do it. It comes back to me now - we compromised. They said he had to do something and so it was, "He'll do it to himself." I could make that work. ...... If you want to read more, you could buy the back-number on this site! BACK