From the Tiger Beat Archives, August 1969
Bridget Hanley probably knows Bobby Sherman better than any other girl in his life. She worked with him for a whole year and off the set they’re good friends. Here is her exclusive story:
DO YOU REMEMBER THE VERY FIRST TIME YOU MET BOBBY?
The very first time I met Bobby was when I saw him running down the lot at Screen Gems. In the studio there are soundstages on either side of a kind of narrow alley like road. He was walking down the alley, only not really walking, he was kind of dancing. I said, “Who’s that?” And the person I was with said, “Bobby Sherman.”
Well, it was the first time I’d seen him since he was on TV on “Shindig” and I thought he looked incredibly better than I had ever seen him. I really liked the way he had his hair. So, it was the day before I was to test for the part of “Candy” on “Here Come the Brides” and I hadn’t met Bobby yet, so the person I was with introduced me to him and he said, “Hi, babe, how are you?” He put his arm around me and said, “Good luck on the test, I’ll see you later this afternoon,” which was when we rehearsed it.
So that was my first meeting with him. I’ll never forget how he shuffled, kind of half-shuffling-half dancing, down the street. It was like he was enjoying life, which he always does. And then, of course, the second time I met him was when we met with the directors and he put us through the scene and then we put it on film.
YOU DID REMEMBER BOBBY FROM SEEING HIM ON “SHINDIG?”
Yes, I did. I had just gotten to Hollywood. I had graduated from college, been in San Francisco for about a year and I just arrived in Hollywood. I didn’t watch the show too often, because I was trying to get my own career going, which meant early to bed, early to rise. But I must be honest–I adored Bobby, and I adore Bobby now. I don’t remember him that much from “Shindig” because I only got to see the show a few times. But now I think Bobby’s whole being has just kind of come together. He’s a complete person now, it’s fantastic.
CAN YOU REMEMBER YOUR VERY FIRST IMPRESSION OF BOBBY, AFTER MEETING HIM FOR THE FIRST TIME?
I thought he’s got to be for real, and at the same time I wasn’t sure. I think when you’ve been in Hollywood for a while you tend to not open up for everyone. But I found that after meeting Bobby two or three times I don’t think there is anything I wouldn’t tell him. Yet I think there’s a respect between Bobby and me that we don’t delve into each other’s personal lives.
We do talk and sometimes at great depth, but personally we let each other go our own ways. But Bobby, David and Robert are really so lovely to me. They protect me, wherever we are. But they really are nice and that’s a good feeling.
I WAS WORKING WITH BOBBY AS ACTOR TO ACTRESS?
It’s hard to say. The character of Jeremy Boldt is a very complex character–he’s not Bobby Sherman in real life and yet he is. I mean his emotions, inside of Jeremy is the same that I think is inside of Bobby. And when we first started doing scenes together, I couldn’t believe it because to look into his eyes and do as scene is incredible–Bobby is totally there. I couldn’t believe how good he was at first and he just makes you want to look at him and it draws you into the scene completely.
I’ve been an actress for a very long time now–ever since I was about 13 years old and professionally for about six years–and it’s very rare that you come in contact with anyone that’s that complete of an actor. Not only that, in his own life, he can do anything and I know it sounds like it all can’t be true, but it is. Everybody that meets him feels the same.
I just hope that they are going to start trying to find flaws, but I think that if they do, they’re going to have a hard time. I think everyone has certain flaws, I’m sure Bobby has certain insecurities, like we all do, but he’s willing to talk about them. It’s no big hidden thing. When we do scenes together, I must say, it’s the most pleasant part of my day. It’s really great and we really enjoy working together.
HAS BOBBY EVER DONE ANYTHING FOR YOU THAT YOU THOUGHT REALLY STOOD OUT AS A NICE GESTURE OR MAYBE JUST THE OPPOSITE?
Not really. Sometimes Bobby has a way of kidding that when I’m at work, and when you’re at work you’re vulnerable, and I don’t know how to take it. The thing about Bobby and me–is that I can say it right then–“Now look, did you mean that to be…” And he’ll say, “oh come on, or he’ll say, yes, I really meant it.”
Sometimes we start kidding around with each other and we both take it seriously. That’s the thing about the whole cast that’s great–if anybody’s bugged about anything, we say it right then and take care of it immediately.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU TALK ABOUT WITH BOBBY?
Oh, we talk about psychology because he’s very interested in that and we talk about him and we talk about me. Sometimes we talk about other people’s problems. We talk about career versus life. We both feel you have to be very careful to retain some kind of private life, because if you don’t have that, what do you have when all these beautiful people who are writing and like us turn to somebody else? Bobby is very busy now, he’s just going all the time with business, but he somehow finds time to have some kind of personal life going too, and this is good.
DO YOU HAVE ANY PET NAMES FOR HIM, OR DOES HE HAVE ANY PET NAMES FOR YOU?
He calls me “Babe” which he calls everybody he likes. And Bridget, which is nice, I’ve always like that. Being called “honey and darling”–that’s very big in this town and I really got to the point where I don’t like to be called that. So, Bobby calls me Bridget and I call him Bobby or J-J-J Jeremy.
Editor’s note: Part 2 of Bridget’s interview about Bobby will post next Monday. Bridget passed away December 15, 2021, at age 80, from complications of Alzheimer’s.
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