The Odd Couple helped Jack Klugman overcome his ''gangster'' image
Jack Klugman was known for many roles as an actor: he was a roommate, a detective, a juror, and a doctor. But despite never playing the part, he also had a face that said "gangster" or at least, that's what he said people used to call him in a 1973 interview.
From 1970 to 1975, Klugman spent his acting career bringing life to his role as Oscar Madison on ABC's, The Odd Couple.
According to the interview with Lancaster New Era, Klugman said he had a face that no one could love.
"They used to refer to me as 'the gangster,' because that's what I looked like and it's what I talked like, a gangster from Philadelphia," Klugman said. "I had a big South Philly accent. I didn't talk good at all."
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During his time studying acting at Carnegie Tech Drama School, Klugman said he didn't fit in with the rest of his classmates because of his "gangster" title, accent and age. Before he was the lovable odd guy from The Odd Couple, Klugman struggled with being the odd man out.
"I was also a little bit old for school, too — 23, mixed in with all the good looking kids who had Shakespeare in their eyes," Klugman said.
Klugman was only accepted in the acting program at Carnegie because the program desperately needed more men for its plays. In fact, according to the article, the dean of the college told him: "Klugman, you're here because we need some male bodies for the plays we put on. But to tell you the truth, you are not equipped to be an actor. What you are equipped to be is a truck driver."
Little did they know that there would be so much in store for Klugman, who was 48 years old when he landed the role of Oscar.
According to the interview, Klugman tried other jobs such as bartending, painting and yes, even truck driving before becoming an actor. He said he had about 18 jobs in the span of six months but acting was the thing he did best.
"So I did a thing from Shakespeare one day and I knew that wasn't me," Klugman said. "The teachers were trying to make everybody sound pseudo-British. They wanted everybody to sound alike. Well, I just didn't fit the mold."
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