Late Night with David Letterman

David's First Appearance in 1994


Q: Did you know early on you wanted to be an actor?

A: Well, no. I was actually in graduate school for English Literature. I was getting a degree in that. And then I decided to become an actor.

Q: How did your family react to your acting career?

A: My first national exposure in role was playing a transvestite in Twin Peaks. But I was worried about my mother, because I had gone from possibly being a teacher to an actor which is not very well respected, at least in my family. And now I'm going to be a woman. (audience laughs) Well, a transvestite. So I didn't tell her. I just said, "Watch Twin Peaks." The show aired before in the East, (I was out West), so I called with trepidation. My mother said, "You look thin. Are you eating out there?" (audience laughs) .....cause she saw my legs; she was worried about it.

And my dad, unfortunately at the time, was going through a quadruple by-pass. Now he's fine. But I came to visit him the day after his surgery, the night the show aired. He had a tubes going down his throat, so he couldn't speak. And I saw a little pad next to his bed for the nurse to tell her his wishes or what was going on. On it, he said, "I'm having trouble breathing. My feet are cold. My son plays a transvestite on tv." (audience laughs) ...I think that's when they started dialing down the morphine.