WELL, I CAME TO HOLLYWOOD-LITERALLY- THE DAY AFTER MY HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION, AT 18. I WORKED AT THE COMEDY STORE AS A STAND-UP COMIC FOR THREE PERFORMANCES. I HATED THAT, AND I DID NOT HAVE THE STOMACH FOR DOING STAND-UP. I GOT ON THE OLD "GONG SHOW", AND I GOT GONGED ON THAT, BUT I DID GET $132.00 FOR THE APPEARANCE, WHICH WAS A HUGE AMOUNT AT THE TIME. THEN, AFTER TWO YEARS IN L.A., I WENT TO A BIG CATTLE CALL FOR THE FILM "GREASE", WHICH I SOMEHOW GOT. THIS STARTED THE BALL ROLLING.

Your first movie was playing Froggy in the sci-fi horror flick 'Laserblast' in 1978. That movie has such an interesting cast that included Cheryl "Rainbeaux" Smith, Roddy McDowall, and Keenan Wynn. What are your predominant memories of making that movie?

THAT WAS ACTUALLY MY SECOND FILM, ALTHOUGH IT WAS RELEASED BEFORE "GREASE", "GREASE" WAS MY FIRST. I THINK I WORKED 3 DAYS IN "LASERBLAST". I HAD A HUGE CRUSH ON A SCRIPT GIRL ON THAT ONE CALLED BETTY GOLDBERG, SHE WAS SO CUTE. SADLY, THE STAR OF "LASERBLAST" DIED OF A.I.D.S. SEVERAL YEARS AGO. HIS NAME WAS KIM MILFORD. I NEVER MET KEENAN WYNN OR RODDY, UNFORTUNATELY. "LASERBLAST" IS THE ONLY FILM WHERE MY CHARACTER DIED. "FROGGY" GETS BLOWN UP IN A CAR EXPLOSION. TOO BAD1

You're also sort of the Godfather of all Geeks playing Eugene in 'Grease' and 'Grease 2', Wesley in 'Midnight Madness', as well as Sheldon in 'Zapped'. Were those movies as bright and frothy and fun to make as they are to watch?

"GREASE" WAS LIKE A TWO MONTH LONG PARTY. ALL THE CAST AND CREW WERE SO GREAT. JOHN TRAVOLTA WAS SUCH A GREAT GUY AND RANDALL KLEISER, OUR DIRECTOR, WAS WONDERFUL. "GREASE TWO" WAS FUN, TO A MUCH LESSER DEGREE. "GREASE" WAS MAGIC, LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE. WE ALL FELT THIS. "GREASE 2" JUST DIDN'T HAVE IT. ALTHOUGH, BELEIVE IT OR NOT, I MEET ALOT OF PEOPLE WHO LIKE THAT MOVIE, TOO. I THOUGHT "MIDNIGHT MADNESS" WAS A GOOD FILM, PRETTY FUNNY. IT IS THE ONLY FILM I EVER DID WITH TWO CO-DIRECTORS. DAVID WECHTER AND MICHAEL NANKIN. IT WAS MICHAEL J. FOX'S FIRST FILM AND PEE WEE HERMAN'S TOO. BOTH EXTREMELY NICE GUYS, BY THE WAY.

So how much of a geek act is your nerd?

I AM PRETTY MUCH MYSELF ON CAMERA, ALTHOUGH I AM NOT AS DUMB AS I ACT. I DEFINATELY ACT STUPIDER ON CAMERA. IN "I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAND", I PRETTY MUCH PLAY MYSELF, BECAUSE I AM THE WORLD'S BIGGEST BEATLE FAN. I TAKE MY VOICE UP AN OCTAVE TOO, USUALLY, MAKING IT A BIT HIGHER THAN IT IS IN REAL LIFE.

You are a big Beatle Fan...was that a result of your appearance in Robert Zemeckis' 'I Want to Hold Your Hand'? A reason that helped get you the role as Richard/Ringo? Or a weird coincidence?

FOR THAT FILM I HAD THE MOST AUDITIONS - 9! NINE AUDITIONS UNTIL I GOT THE ROLE. BOB ZEMECKIS IS, BY FAR, THE FINEST DIRECTOR I HAVE EVER WORKED WITH. AS I SAID, I WAS PLAYING MYSELF, TO A LARGE DEGREE, IN THAT FILM.

What was your experience like working with Steven Spielberg in '1941' back in 1979?

WELL, STEVEN WAS ALWAYS AROUND THE SET OF "I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAND", SO I MET HIM ON THAT. HE WAS A GREAT GUY. MY BEST MEMORY ON "1941" WAS HAVING LUNCH IN THE STUDIO COMMISARY WITH STEVEN, JOHN BELUSHI AND DAN AYKROYD. I WAS A 22-YEAR-OLD KID, SCARED OUT OF MY WITS, BUT I WAS ENTHRALLED AND ENJOYED IT. STEVEN WAS A MARVELOUS DIRECTOR, BUT COMEDY IS NOT HIS THING. WHEREAS, BOB ZEMECKIS IS AN EXCELLENT COMEDY DIRECTOR. I GOT SICK ON THE FERRIS WHEEL ONE DAY IN "1941" AND I GOT TO THROW UP IN STEVEN SPIELBERG'S TOILET. IT WAS A HONOR!

Let's talk 'Critters 2: The Main Course' (1988). Is it tough to work with sort of an inanimate "doll/effect" like that? What are some of the strange concessions the actors in those sorts of movies need to make?

I DID DRAG IN "CRITTERS 2", I REMEMBER THAT. IT WAS ONE OF 2 MOVIES I DO DRAG IN. MY SCENE DID NOT INVOLVE THE "CRITTERS". I REGRET MISSING OUT ON "CRITTERS 3" THOUGH, I WAS ONLY IN NUMBER 2. "CRITTERS 3" WAS THE SCREEN DEBUT OF LEONARDO DICAPRIO.

Did the 'Critters' folks have sort of a 'Gremlins' wannabe attitude about the project?

POSSIBLY, I AM NOT SURE ABOUT THIS.

Tell me about your work in making one of my favorites -- the grossly underrated horror series 'Monsters' back in 1988.

I WORKED WITH RICHARD MOLL, A VERY WONDERFUL GUY. I HAD TO HAVE A FRIGGING FACE MASK PLASTERED ON ME FOR A PLASTER CAST I REMEMBER, I HATED THAT. I HAD ON FOR "POLAR EXPRESS" TOO. THEY ARE SO MISERABLE.

I also love that you have probably made about as many horror parodies as anyone I know with 'A Polish Vampire in Burbank' (1985), 'Beverly Hills Vamp' (1988), 'The Silence of the Hams' (1994). What was your personal favorite of the three and what was the best part of filming it?

LOOK, ANY FILM FOR FRED OLIN RAY IS FUN. I LOVE FRED. HE IS A SUPERB COMEDY DIRECTOR, ALTHOUGH HE DOESN'T DO MUCH OF THAT GENRE ANYMORE. SO, I LOVED "BEVERLY HILLS VAMP" AND "MOB BOSS", BECAUSE FRED WAS THERE I HE IS A GREAT DIRECTOR. "POLISH VAMPIRE", IS THE ONLY NON-UNION FILM I EVER DID, AND I GOT IN PLENTY OF TROUBLE WITH S.A.G. FOR DOING IT! I REGRET THAT. IT WAS DONE AS A FAVOR.

You know and have worked with so many great folks. Do you ever get star struck and if so can you give me a good example?

I AM THE MOST STAR STRUCK GUY IN THE WORLD. I WORSHIP TOM HANKS AND JOHN TRAVOLTA, BUT I FOUND THEM TO BE THE TWO NICEST ACTORS (AND PEOPLE) I HAVE EVER MET. I WAS IN MAJOR AWE OF JOHN BELUSHI, TOO. I LOVED THAT GUY. I WAS IN TOTAL AWE OF TOM HANKS DURING THE FIRST SIX-HOUR READ-THROUGH ON "POLAR EXPRESS". I SAT AND STARED AT HIM FOR SIX FRIGGING HOURS. THEN HE DID AN IMPRESSION OF ME, WHICH LOOSENED THINGS UP A BIT. I HAD TO GO OVER AND FORCE MYSELF TO TALK TO HIM. I KNEW I COULD NOT SPEND THREE MONTHS STARING AT A GUY LIKE AN IDIOT.

I also want to hear a good story about making 'Teenage Exoricst' with Fred Olen Ray and Brinke Stevens.

I JUST DID A REAL CHEAP LITTLE AUTOGRAPH SHOW WITH FRED AND BRINKE. FRED LET ME AD LIB AND STUFF AND BRINKE WAS A GREAT ACTRESS TO WORK WITH IN COMEDY SCENES. "FOR THAT FILM, BECAUSE I CANNOT REMEMBER LINES WELL, I HAD LITTLE NOTES AND CUE CARDS SCATTERED ALL OVER THE DESKS AND FURNITURE TO REFER TO AS I DID THE SCENES. CLUMSY, BUT IT WORKED.

I've also got to hear about making out with Morgan Fairchild in 'Mob Boss' (1990).

MORGAN WAS A DOLL, A GREAT STRAIGHT WOMAN. MY BEST MORGAN MEMORY IS GETTING TO MAKE OUT WITH HER. SHE IS A GREAT KISSER. WE REHEARSED THAT KISS A FEW TIMES. I LOVED THAT! I HAD A NICE LUNCH IN HER DRESSING ROOM WITH HER ONE DAY. SHE WAS THE NICEST LADY AND SHE TOLD ME HER WHOLE LIFE STORY.

Career question: you have made numerous movies, done a great deal of voice-over work, and also many commercials. Which of the three has been the most financially lucrative for you?

NO QUESTION THERE - VOICE-OVERS!!! ESPECIALLY IF YOU COUNT "POLAR EXPRESS" AS A VOICE-OVER JOB, WHICH IT SORT OF WAS. VOICE-OVERS ARE THE MOST LUCRATIVE BRANCH OF ALL SHOW BIZ. THE MONEY, IF YOU GET HOT, FLOWS IN LIKE MAPLE SYRUP. THIS IS MY MAIN SOURCE OF MONEY, BY FAR. I DID A RICE KRISPIES COMMERCIAL WHERE I PLAYED "POP" FOR ABOUT 5 YEARS. THAT MONEY WAS RIDICULOUS AND OBSCENE!!! I MISS IT!

We're pulling the car into the Eddie Deezen Drive In. What three horror flicks are on the triple bill for tonight and what goodies are they going to be serving up at the concession stand?

I DO NOT, SORRY TO SAY, LIKE HORROR FLICKS THAT MUCH. I AM A MOVIE NUT THOUGH. LET'S GO WITH "YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN", THE FUNNIEST. I LIKE "MARK OF THE VAMPIRE" BECAUSE THAT HOT BABE IS IN IT. HUBBA HUBBA! AND "THE BOWERY BOYS MEET THE MONSTERS". I LIKE THE BOWERY BOYS, BELEIVE IT OR NOT. OH YES, MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE, BY FAR IS "GHOST IN THE INVISIBLE BIKINI". THE GIRL IN THAT IS A MAJOR HOTTIE!!! LOVE THAT FILM!!!

What scares you in real life?

I HAVE FAIRLY BAD STAGE FRIGHT AND I DO NOT LIKE BIG GROUPS OF PEOPLE, I'M DEFINITELY A ONE-ON-ONE TYPE PERSON. BUT OF COURSE, SHOW BUSINESS IS VERY SOCIAL, SO I HAVE NO CHOICE. I DODGE LOTS OF PARTIES THOUGH.

What makes you go psycho in real life?

HMMM. I GUESS POLITICS CAN. I AM A LIBERTARIAN AND I DO NOT LIKE ANYONE WHO TRIES TO INFRINGE UPON OR TAKE AWAY PEOPLE'S FREEDOM. THE CURRENT TERRORIST SITUATION IS ALMOST TOO BIG TO CONFRONT. I HOPE THE WORLD SURVIVES AND WE DO NOT KILL EACH OTHER OFF. THERE ARE SO MANY GREAT PEOPLE IN THE WORLD AND A MINORITY CAN MAKE THE PLANET A MISERABLE PLACE. BUT IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY, HASN'T IT?