May 1, 2018
Tony Mockus, Sr. has been Catholic his entire life, and an actor
for almost as long. He has worked with countless great performers
including Henry Fonda, Elizabeth Montgomery, Robert De Niro and
Kevin Costner. In this interview he discusses his seven decades on
the stage and screen, the life-changing experience of being wounded
in Korea, the role of the Holy Spirit in artistic performance, and
his love of St. Anthony.
Tony Mockus, Sr. on IMDB https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0595166/
(note that some of Tony’s roles have been mistakenly logged on his
son’s page https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0595165/)
Timestamps:
Tony Mockus, Sr. interview
4:54 How Tony prepared to play St. Paul in the Truth &
Life Dramatized Audio Bible
7:24 Spiritual wake-up call: wounded by a mine in Korea
13:30 The Holy Spirit at work in an actor’s performance
23:14 Life with St. Anthony
26:39 Tony’s early years in Cicero, Illinois; digression into
the decline of the variety show and the nature of Northern Virginia
culture
31:25 A Jesuit priest at Tony’s high school forces him to try
acting, with great success
36:44 Tony and Thomas both played the lead role in The Man
Who Came to Dinner as high school seniors, several decades
apart, but Tony’s production also included a teenaged Bob
Newhart
39:00 Tony’s first professional acting jobs as a teen
43:22 The spiritual influence of Tony’s mother and
grandmother
46:12 Traveling in the show Mr. Robertswith castmates
like Henry Fonda; Tony’s formation from his Jesuit education and
mother and grandmother allowed him to discern what to embrace and
what to avoid in the traveling show business lifestyle
48:50 A brief move to New York, then back to Chicago where he
starts to work as a leading man and gets married
53:19 Evangelical work for radio with the Pacific Garden Mission
in Chicago
56:52 Keeping one’s moral integrity in choosing roles
59:17 Tony starts working in film and television
62:17 The fun of playing the bad guy
63:07 The Untouchables (1987): Working for
director Brian De Palma; funny story about Robert De Niro
1:11:29 Two great actresses Tony worked with; generosity and
professionalism on set
1:15:15 A funny David Mamet story; politics in theatre
1:20:12 Retirement
1:21:32 Acting with his son, Tony Mockus, Jr.; advice to young
Catholics who want to be actors
1:25:08 This week’s excerpts: J. R. R. Tolkien, Jacques
Maritain