"It's the first time that this has happened to me," says Kirk of his starring role. "I was offered the part without having to interview for it, which was great!" Kirk's excitement may be at a fever pitch now, but his interest in the project began as soon as he read the script."I was looking for something to do on the Growing Pains hiatus, preferably a film," the hazel-eyed actor recalls. "I was reading scripts and deciding which ones I liked, and at the last minute Like Father, Like Son came around."
"I was offered the part without having to interview for it."
It's easy to see why Kirk was attracted to the project. The story is not only funny, but it also provides him with a tough acting challenge. "In the movie, I'm a basic teenage kind named 'Chris hammond.'" he explains. "Chris does well in school but not well enough to please his dad, played by Dudlley Moore. In the middle of the movie, we wind up taking a Navajo potion and we switch brains. Through half the movie, I'm playing Chris Hammond, the son, and the other half, I'm playing Chris' father 'Jack'."
Needless to say, this situation results in a lot of funny moments, and some touching times, too. Chris must lean what it's like to be a mature, professional adult, and Jack relives the trials and tribulations of being a teenager. In the end father and son becomes closer, each having realized what it's like to be in the other's shoes.
Like Father, Like Son promises to show a side of Kirk that we don't get to see with his Growing Pains' "Mike Seaver"' and Kirk agrees that the two characters are quite differnt. "Chirs is not quite as arrogant and cocky as Mike'" he says. "He's not as much a wise guy." But how much alike are Kirk and his Growing Pains character? "We look pretty much alike," the star says jokingly. "Actually, Mike likes to have fun, peole like him, and he gets along with his freinds-just like me."
The browin-haried actor has nothing but praise for his talented Like Father, Like Son costars. Chirs' best freind, "Trigger," is played by Sean Astin of Goonies fame. Even though Sean comes from a famous family, and his brother is Facts of life's Mackenzie Astin, Kirk is impressed by how well he handles success. "A lot of kids havie trouble keeping things in prespective," says Kirk. "Sean is able to keep it under control and not get a swelled head. He's just a regular guy and a lot of fun." The two stars became good freinds while making the movie and even hung out together when the camerers weren't rolling. "We went to San Diego Zoo together," explains Kirk. "We saw snakes!"
Kirk is also glad that he had the opportunity to work with film star Dudley Moore. "He taught me to have fun," says Kirk of his famouse movie dad. "I've really learned how to laugh hard. There's always something different about Dudley's performace. He never does the same thing twice, and it works. It always works. I'd like to be like that so that every scene works."
with filming over, Kirks is looking forward to the movie's September relsease, and to getting back to Growing Pains, for which he recently traveled to Hawaii to film a special episode. He's interested in working in more film projects, but he doesn't plan on leaving TV for a while. Each medium offers its own particular challenge. "Oon a situation comedy, you have to wait for laughs after a funny line or a joke," the actor explains. "in films you just plow ahead and go right through it."
Check out next month's issue of TB for more info on Like Father, Like Son.
Article from TIGER BEAT, September, 1987, Volume 24, Number 1 (ISSN-0040-73-80)
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