Please, tell us about your life. 
Where were you born? 
In a middle class family. I have an older brother. 
I have lived my whole childhood in Los Angeles, till I had to join in the army.
I have been in college in a town cloth to L. A. and have specialized in art. 
In this time I loved theatre and have spent much time to look at the 
dramtic art and all the time I liked it more. 
Finally I said to myself:"Why to look at drama?" 
"I will be an actor" "I will make great efforts to become one. 
When I was a child I wanted to act and my 
first role was in the 'Pied Piper of Hamelin'. 

What do you think about the next roles you have been acted?

Shogun

It was the most heavy role which I played till that time. 
I loved the transition of the rude and uncivilized European to a civilized Japanese. 
It was an excellent film - I loved in Japan the shooting outside and 
I loved the shooting script, it was very spectacular. 
 

Dr. Kildare 

It was one of the best opportunities to have in life. 
The best way for a young actor to start. 
There is nothing worse for a young actor not having such an opportunity - 
an immensely experience to get use to discipline. 

Centennial / Colorado story

This cowboy was one of my favorite roles. May be it was the most favorite. 
He could do everything, he was capable without losing his sensibility. 
He accepted the wise side of things without being self important, in a way.

Tschaikovsky

He fascinated me. I didn´t know how tormented his life was till I began 
to read about it and found what a complicated life he had. 
I was very interessted in the role and to work with 
Ken Russell was a wonderful experience.

Lord Byron

It was very amusing, probably because Robert Boll exactly 
knew what he expected of this role. 
He wanted to have an art forerunner of Mick Jagger, the first popstar, 
and that was the side of Byron I created. It was so amusing to enter an room 
full of women, very attractive women and to notice how powerless they became!

Duke of Winsor

I don´t think I have created him particularly well. 
I was afraid to create someone who was so well known. 
People exactly knew  what he looked like, they knew his voice. 
how he walked and they knew his life story. I was intimidated. 
I think Faye Dunaway was fantastic as the Duchess of Winsor.
Again I felt neither relaxed nor comfortable.

Hamlet

This role it would like to play very gladly another time, before it is too late. 
Preferably in a small Off Broadway Theatre.
Yet I feel rather capable to put up a good performance.
It is peculiarly, often one has the right age but not 
the highly necessary depth. 

He was a character, a passionated man, tormented by a problem.
I think, he has really loved Meggie and God too. 
But in church he also loved the fascination of power. 
These three loves together made a conflict and have broken him.

Are you a Catholic?
No, but it is a religion which has impressed me very much. 
We had a young Jesuit Priest as a technical adviser, who had no ambition. 
The Jesuits pledge they will not persuit of a future in the church.
He was a person, whom you could feel his spiritual being.
I was surprised. I thought a priest had to be againt these series. I didn't see why.
He wasn't here to give the script his blessings. 
His job for the production was to create it as authentic as possible. 
He didn't say he gave his support, but he didn't say 
he was against it either. Actually he didn't say anything he won't say.

What is your religion?
It is a mix. I made a choice from different religions and chose the best of it.

Are you a religious person?
I think religion is in fact a way of life style. 
If someone really acts from the doctrine of a church, then he belongs to this church. 
I act from my own religious conviction, till a certain point.

Do you believe in a divorce?
Yes. of course!

And abortion?
I don't believe in an abortion, but I don't believe one can 
forbid a woman to have one or to haven't one, it is a personal problem; 
it shouldn't be executed if it isn't absolutely necessary.

Why is the character of Father Ralph so attractive?
It is a perfect love story accordingly full of frustration.
The more obstacles and conflicts the beloved have,  the better the story is. 
The story was absolutely forbidden and it was completely unreachable. 
It is difficult to get such a great love story!

Do you think the story of Meggie and Father Ralph might be happen in real life?
Oh yes, sure it could be happen! My only doubt was when Ralph became a 
Cardinal andhe preserved his relation with Meggie. 
I think it is very human both had their love story on the Island. 
But I think, it is very difficult the church does allow
the love affair is going on, after he became a Cardinal.
If I was a Catholic, I think it was very difficult to accept this.

How was your relationship to Rachel during the shooting of the series?
It was great! On a certain point it gave rumors it wasn't: 
we had to repeat scenes and I should be unhappy with her acting. 
But there is no sense in it, I think she was wonderful. 
She is a very attractive and talented woman -
who sometimes pops up and we had a nice relationship.

She married Bryon Brown, right.....?  He was her husband in the series .....
Yes, it was love at the first sight. They fell in love immediately.

Your role in The Thorn Birds was very discordant. 
Do you have many opinions pro or contra about it?
We had many talks, why we created a priest with such character traits. 
Though for more than 2/3 it was a genuine moralized story. 
It is possible, a priest doesn't preserve his faith till the end. 
We are human beings, no Gods! 
And the cardinal has learned much.
Especially, the purport of all, 
when he broke his vows and made him a better priest.
Most difficult problem is at the end when he is coming back to her. 
That's why I believe it is a rather moralized story, 
also when I mean "moralized" between quotation marks.

Did you ever visit the Vatican?
Yes. For my religious feelings it was great! 
It was more the sensation of a spectacle than a religion. 
For example the cathedrals of Chartres and Notre Dame give me a feeling
of authentic spirituality. It is a very personal interpretation.
But about the art, the Vatican is really unbelievable!

What do you think about Catholic Priests?
I had the impression Catholicism is prescribed by strict commandments.
I had this conviction till I met this Jesuit Priest, whom I talked about before. 
He took me to a Priests-seminar, where I took part in the lessons of praying, 
together with the participants and their supervisors,
and I lived between these persons with their stable faith. 
There was a lot of authenticity between them.

What do you think aout the Pope?
I think, he really believes what he is preaching and he has a great integrity and charisma.

Did you have once a friend in church - a Priest, Bishop or Cardinal?
Never, till I met this Jesuit Priest, who gave us his advice about The Thorn Birds.
I do regret now, I never tried to know  the  seminar- people better. They were very 
important: poorness, obedience and chastity and they really believed in it.
Imagine: every afternoon you have visited the prisoners in this parish, you had to be
the only one who remembered these persons in this pitiable situation.

Did you feel a religious destiny in your life?
No.

Do you think, it is difficult to keep the chasity vow? 
Do you think Priest will really consider it?
I think the majority do consider it. 
But when it was in my hands it would prefer it on the basis of voluntary. 
I think, for most people it is very important to have the
 feelings of love and to have a family. That's why I would prefer the choice.
But I do understand why this regulation exists. 
In this way the sexual energy can be channeled and  result in spiritual energy.

Do you have interest in oriental religions?
Oh, yes very! There are facets in Zen and Buddhistic lifestyle I like.
I don't know them in their depth, but I was attracted by their ceremonials and ambiance.
For instance I'm attracted by the idea of transzental meditation. 
Most attracted by the missing central control. 
To say I don't believe a paternity existence of God.
I don't believe in a God who is sitting above and says: 
"You are right, you are wrong". 
I  think, He is everywhere and is much bigger as we think He is.

Do you meditate?
Yes, but recently not as much as I liked to do.

Are you afraid of death?
For that I have actually no fear!

Do you think there is a life after death?
I suspect in some way life is going on.