Clu Gulager is one of the great character actors in Hollywood history. One of those guys with hundreds of credits under his belt, Clu might be best known for appearances in movies like Don Siegel’s The Killers, John Landis’ Into the Night and Bogdanovich’s The Last Picture Show. I grew up on Clu in Return of the Living Dead. He also starred in the Feast films, directed by his son John.
Clu’s also a regular at the New Beverly Cinema here in Los Angeles. And when I say regular I mean he shows up to every screening. There’s even a plaque commemorating his seat in the theater. Seeing Clu at the New Bev is a real rite of passage for movie geeks who move to LA.
Knowing Clu from that, seeing this interview with him is sort of moving. In this interview Clu talks about some deeply personal stuff, including serious childhood disabilities that he says made him want to be an actor. It’s telling, honest and sort of sad.
There’s also some found footage from Clu’s youth here – be warned that this footage could be considered NOT SAFE FOR WORK. I think you’ll be surprised by some of the stuff that was getting put on film back in the 30s, but don’t be surprised at work. You’ve been warned!