About this episode

James Karen discusses his extensive career in film and television, sharing anecdotes about his experiences with various Hollywood legends.

Veteran character actor James Karen appeared in over 80 movies, more than 100 television shows and a staggering 5,000 TV commercials. In a career spanning nearly 7 decades (!), he’s worked with Frederic March, Lauren Bacall, Gene Hackman, Steven Spielberg, Jane Fonda, Robert Redford and Will Smith, to name a few. Gilbert and Frank phoned James to cover a wide range of topics, including his film debut in the immortal “Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster,” his years-long friendship with the legendary Buster Keaton and his experience sharing a townhouse with Marlon Brando, Wally Cox and Maureen Stapleton. Also, James “sells” Craig T. Nelson a haunted house, a Boy Scout uniform leads to an acting career and a controversial “Jeffersons” episode nearly torpedoes a TV pitchman gig. PLUS: James parties with Clark Gable! Gilbert gets a one-cent residual check! Moe Howard recites from “The Tempest”! And James teaches a teenaged Michael Douglas to drive! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Hosts: Gilbert Gottfried, Frank

Guest: James Karen

Topics covered

• acting career
• Hollywood history
• celebrity anecdotes
• film and television
• character actors

Keywords

• James Karen
• acting
• Hollywood
• film debut
• celebrity stories
• Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster
• The Jeffersons
• Marlon Brando
• Clark Gable

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster, The Tempest, The Jeffersons

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