May 1, 2018

Tony Mockus, Sr. has been Catholic his entire life, and an actor
for almost as long. He has worked with countless great performers
including Henry Fonda, Elizabeth Montgomery, Robert De Niro and
Kevin Costner. In this interview he discusses his seven decades on
the stage and screen, the life-changing experience of being wounded
in Korea, the role of the Holy Spirit in artistic performance, and
his love of St. Anthony.

Tony Mockus, Sr. on IMDB https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0595166/
(note that some of Tony’s roles have been mistakenly logged on his
son’s page https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0595165/)

Timestamps:

Tony Mockus, Sr. interview

4:54 How Tony prepared to play St. Paul in the Truth & Life
Dramatized Audio Bible

7:24 Spiritual wake-up call: wounded by a mine in Korea

13:30 The Holy Spirit at work in an actor’s performance

23:14 Life with St. Anthony

26:39 Tony’s early years in Cicero, Illinois; digression into
the decline of the variety show and the nature of Northern Virginia
culture

31:25 A Jesuit priest at Tony’s high school forces him to try
acting, with great success

36:44 Tony and Thomas both played the lead role in The Man
Who Came to Dinner as high school seniors, several decades
apart, but Tony’s production also included a teenaged Bob
Newhart

39:00 Tony’s first professional acting jobs as a teen

43:22 The spiritual influence of Tony’s mother and
grandmother

46:12 Traveling in the show Mr. Roberts, with castmates
like Henry Fonda; Tony’s formation from his Jesuit education and
mother and grandmother allowed him to discern what to embrace and
what to avoid in the traveling show business lifestyle

48:50 A brief move to New York, then back to Chicago where he
starts to work as a leading man and gets married

53:19 Evangelical work for radio with the Pacific Garden Mission
in Chicago

56:52 Keeping one’s moral integrity in choosing roles

59:17 Tony starts working in film and television

62:17 The fun of playing the bad guy

63:07 The Untouchables (1987): Working for
director Brian De Palma; funny story about Robert De Niro

1:11:29 Two great actresses Tony worked with; generosity and
professionalism on set

1:15:15 A funny David Mamet story; politics in theatre

1:20:12 Retirement

1:21:32 Acting with his son, Tony Mockus, Jr.; advice to young
Catholics who want to be actors

1:25:08 This week’s excerpts: J. R. R. Tolkien, Jacques
Maritain