Starsky & Hutch :The originals

The original stars of the TV show Starsky & Hutch, Paul Michael Glaser, David Soul and Antonio Fargas ( left), were reunited to promote the new film - find out what they had to say.
Were you surprised that after so long there was interest in making a film?

Paul: We were surprised that the TV show had the longevity it had after only four years of filming – eventually it just became a question of when they were going to make a movie.

David, in TV show's opening credits you’re seen jumping on the top of a car - is it true that you hurt yourself?

David: Of course not! No, seriously, it killed me, man. That was one of the stupidest decisions I ever made. It was the pilot and you tend to pull out all the stops. I made the decision in mid air to do the ‘seat drop’. I thought ‘I’m going to show these guys’ and boy did I ever!

Paul: Do you think it would have been be wiser if you’ve landed on your head?

Antonio: Cars in those days had a lot more steel in them too! They weren’t very forgiving.

What did you think about the portrayals of you in the new movie?
Paul: I liked Ben’s energy. He’s a very good mimic too and he really captured a lot of my mannerisms. He had a real good twinkle in his eye about it too. I told him afterwards that he’d really pegged it.

David: Owen marches to his own drummer and he does it real good. He’s terrific and I like watching him, you’re never sure if he’s going to go to sleep, or how he can talk that slow and still make you want to watch him. You thinking something’s going to happen next and don’t know what it’s going to be. That’s good.

Antonio: It’s hard, cos Snoop would probably be the first to tell you he’s not an actor. I thought if he didn’t try to be anything other than his persona as Snoop, he would be as true to Huggy Bear as he could be. He did that.

Why do you think Huggy is still seen as so cool today?
Antonio:  We don’t know the things you see when we do stuff. I didn’t play the role to be cool – I looked at it as I guy who was trying to survive in a hostile world. Whatever it took for Huggy Bear or Antonio Fargas to survive was part of what I used in my portrayal of him.

Did any of you get in the car again?
David: Paul had lots opportunities to get into the Torino and choose not to take one!

Paul: Well, we did a thing in New York and I got into, but the reason I did it was cos I got him back in the passenger seat. I knew how much he hated it. The car is a character in the piece but I’ve never liked the car. I submitted to its inescapable popularity. The first time I saw that car I said to David: ‘I’m going to wipe that thing out, I’m going to destroy it.’

Why don’t you like it?
Paul: First of all, personal taste, I thought it was ugly. I thought it was ridiculous for undercover police to be driving what I called, the striped tomato, and thirdly, I’ve never been a big champion of Ford.

Did you keep anything after the show ended?
David: Friendship, my friendship with Paul.

Paul:  That’s a really, really valuable answer. Good for you.

Antonio:  I kept…

David: ...on trucking?

Antonio:  Yeah I kept on trucking, but I wish I’d kept some of those clothes - and anything that wasn’t nailed down!