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ET 2001 "And Never Let Her Go" Television debut
ET: In the late 70's Paul Michael Glaser was on top of the world as Dave Starsky, the streetwise half of Starsky & Hutch. But in the years that followed his TV success, the actor faced an overwhelming tragedy, the death of his wife and 7 year old daughter.
PAUL: Elizabeth and I both learnt a lot on our journey together.
ET: In 1981 Paul Michael Glaser and his wife Elizabeth were awaiting the birth of their first child, a daughter they would name Ariel, but complications developed around her birth and Elizabeth received a massive transfusion. 4 years later Ariel became seriously ill, tests revealed that Elizabeth had received HIV tainted blood and was infected with the AIDS virus. Elizabeth unknowingly passed the infection to her daughter and the Glaser's second child Jake. Paul was not infected. Elizabeth sensed that time was against her.
PAUL: She saw it, she was scared by it, she was shaken by it and she said "I can't just accept this as is, I need to do something about it"
ET: The couple searched for and found new treatments, which prolonged their daughter's life. But not long after she turned 7, Ariel succumbed to her illness.
ELIZABETH: (Clip of Elizabeth speaking on Capital Hill in 1990) Both Paul and I had to face the reality that our daughter Ariel was going to die. It was at that moment I made a choice, not to sit back and wait for this to happen to my son.
ET: Paul and Elizabeth turned their grief into activism. They created the Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation and took their fight to Capital Hill. ELIZABETH: (Elizabeth continues speaking on Capital Hill) With your support behind us we have a lighting chance, the hope is there. We must reach out and grab it and make it happen now. Thank you.
ET: The Glaser's put their fame to work in Hollywood as well. Celebrity events raised money and awareness in a time when younger Aids patients received very little attention.
Elton John: These people have so much courage, and does everybody who has aids and is trying to face life or death with dignity.
ET: All the while, Elizabeth was quietly losing her personal battle with the disease. In December 1994, she died at the age of 47.
PAUL: She did what she thought she could do, and she even pursued things that she thought she couldn't do, and that's what she is about. That awfully painful and difficult journey, .... was a gift.
ET: Paul continues their fight to this day as Chairman of the board for the Glaser Foundation. Its latest accomplishment includes establishing an information sharing network among universities, and lobbying pharmaceutical companies for better Aids treatment for children. Despite the success, he fights through painful memories.
PAUL: That was a part of my life I'm not going to ignore or make believe that part of my life didn't exist, or for that matter, ignore what it has taught me.
ET: This activism is a far cry from the action role that made Paul and TV partner David Soul stars in Starsky & Hutch.
(Scenes shown from S&H) These two undercover cops were on the beat from 1975 through 1979. (More scenes from the show) Starsky's intensity matched Glaser's, but it's early scripts didn't meet his standards.
PAUL: The first season I was an unhappy camper and so I sued to get out of the show.
ET: The hero, who won so many TV battles, quickly saw he was losing this one.
PAUL: (laughing) Then when I finally realized I was losing the lawsuit and I had to go back to work, and ABC took the deal off the table and we had to re-negotiate everything, I got my come-uppance. You know I had to understand that there were certain parameters, just certain things that you could or could not do.
ET: When Paul returned to work, he found his next great passion directing. Since then, Paul has called action for stars including Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 'Running Man' and Shaquille O'Neal as the genie in 'Kazaam'. Even more directing assignments are on the books and Paul has returned to acting. He's a detective in the up-coming CBS TV film 'And never let her go'.
PAUL: It was really a delight to be on a set as a actor, and not a director after 17 years, and kind of just be there and read my book and someone would say "Mr. Glaser" and I would get up and do my thing and then I'd go and sit and I'd read some more. (He laughs) Everyone else was running around going "What about this?" "What about that?" and I was going, "Well that's too bad!". (Laugh)
ET: Rounding out his life today is his wife Tracy and their 3-year-old daughter Zoë. Paul's son Jake, although he is HIV positive is now a happy, healthy teen, and Paul himself is a man of joy and compassion, who will not forget what Elizabeth Glaser stood for.
PAUL: My hats off to Elizabeth and to keep her legacy and what she fought for and what she struggled for and what her life was culminated in - to honor that."
transcripts by Pam
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