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Perry Mason's William Hopper started his career with stage fright
He nearly lost his acting career due to a little stage fright.
William Hopper, best known for portraying private investigator Paul Drake on Perry Mason, earned medals for bravery during World War II but nearly lost his acting career due to a little stage fright.
Many actors face private struggles both on set and at home. While this is a normal part of being human, it’s often assumed that actors are naturally equipped with the tools to succeed. However, Hopper’s story was different.
According to a 1961 interview with the Montgomery County Sentinel, Hopper said his career had a rough start.
"When I worked at Warner Bros., I was so scared I stuttered all the time," Hopper said. "I finally left Warners."
According to the interview, after his time in the war, Hopper became so discouraged by his stage fright that he went into another type of business: selling cars.
"I know an actor is supposed to have a romantic past, but all I can tell you is that I was plenty happy selling Packards," Hopper said. "I didn't even think much about acting until a friend, director Bill Wellman, asked me to do a part in The High and the Mighty."
His role in The High and the Mighty led to roles in other mediums until he eventually signed on to play his iconic role in Perry Mason. Hopper said that working on Perry Mason, alongside Raymond Burr, was one of the best jobs of his acting career.
"Number one, I'm on a prestige show," Hopper said. "Number two, I work with wonderful people. And number three, I don't beat my brains out working long hours every day like Ray Burr. After all, how tired can you get saying, 'Perry, which way did they go?'"
Perhaps the person who helped him most with his stage fright was Burr, who became a close friend to Hopper as the series progressed. The two shared as strong a friendship off-screen as they did chemistry on-screen.
"We had a great deal in common—we were both fat," Hopper said. "There was a time Ray and I couldn't even fit on a TV together. Then that so-and-so went into the hospital and took off weight, and I had to go on a crash diet to keep up with him. He's a regular Valentino now."
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17 Comments
starred in a movie about them. Then he joined the OSS, forerunner of the CIA.
He was the real deal, not a fake tough guy in a Marvel Comics costume.
He was the son of Hedda Hopper the Hollywood gossip queen.
I've seen The Bad Seed, at least 20 times, and I've seen all 271 episodes of Perry Mason. As God is my witness, I just realized, today, that William Hopper played Col. Penmark, Rhoda's father!!!
columnist?
