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Duncan Regehr - 1990 Interview - TV Scene MagazineStory by Janette Hyem, taken from the 6th Edition, 1990 |
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In 1976-1980, Regehr trained for a spot on Canada's Olympic Boxing Team, but he chose to pursue acting instead. Doing all his own stunts, Duncan is also a figure skater and an accomplished fencer. One reason for Regehr's grace is his background in Shakespearian Theatre. He performed at the Stratford, Ontario, Shakespeare Festival in "Hamlet" and "Pericles" amongst others. | |
His previous roles include "V," "Wizards and Warriors," "The Last Days of Pompeii," and more. To get the role as Zorro was a long procedure. He had talked about doing the show two years before and at the time was tied up with Disney Studios. "At the time I was doing a film called 'Earth Star Voyager,' which should have been a series. I tried to get out of it but failed. So two years later when they asked me again, I said, 'Yes.' I just guess it was meant to be. The first episode aired in January 1990. And of course as you know, the second season started production in May. Again to be directed by Ray Austin, the British director," so says Duncan Regehr. | |
In this season his father "changes,"
going from father "A" - Efrem
Zimbalist, Jr. to a new father -
father "B" - Henry Darrow, better
known as Manolito in "High
Chaparral." The likeness between the
"new father" and son is uncanny to
say the least. Besides the visual
features, they even sound the same. But back to Mr. Regehr. "Zorro is a fabulous role to play. I learned to do fencing and riding when I was in Stratford, Ontario. I just kept it up and boy has it come in useful. I like to do as much of my stunt work as I can, because I feel that's how it should be." Rumour has it that Regehr was picked for the role of Zorro because of his eyes. They were portrayed so well in Errol Flynn, "My Wicked, Wicked Ways." His eyes, we presume! To shoot an episode takes 3 days. Two episodes are done in one week. "The days are very long and hard and very physical. I have long speeches to do as I'm either one character or the other. But I'm supported by such good actors and of course Ray Austin as director - they are really wonderful. I love playing Zorro and Don Diego also. They are such opposite characters. Zorro is so flamboyant and Diego is so timid and unsure of himself. And of course he has this kind of "on-off" romance with Victoria who runs the inn. Zorro of course loves everyone including the Alcalde's sergeant. |
"When I play Zorro, I play him the way I want to. I try to play him the way I think in a different format to anyone else who has played him before, tongue in cheek. But I kind of always do that. I did that in "Wizards and Warriors" also. But of course "Errol Flynn" was totally different. I couldn't be him, so I tried to portray him as a legend. I talked to a lot of his friends that are still alive and learned about him that way." | |
For this year's Zorro, which is to be 30 episodes, hopefully, some will be shot in the South of France. It should take around five and a half months in all. Duncan left for Spain early to work out with his new horses and practice his fencing. This stunning looking man, with dark hair and flashing eyes, works in his gym to keep his trim figure and enables him to dash around the terrain of Spain swashbuckling and sorting out good from bad. A Canadian by birth, Regehr plans to commute between L.A. and Canada on his return from Spain. As the song goes - He's a man named "Zorro." - Z. |