
I first had the pleasure of meeting Clark in New York, doing a guest shot on The Blacklist, where he
was a series regular. I had enjoyed his performances over the years in films, such as SinCity and TwinPeaks, and on the set of Blacklist, between takes, we had a chance to get to know one another, and we became immediate pals.
“You prefer film or theater, Stacy?” I said I like both, to which he replied, “Me, too!”
He went on to say how much he loved acting, but that the rheumatoid arthritis he had lived with since he was four years old, made him partial to films and television. But I never heard him complain.
When the coronavirus hit, and we all forced indoors, I asked him if would like to join me in a zoomed presentation of Eugene O’Neill’s Hughie, playing the night clerk. “I’d love to, I love O’Neill!” I was reminded that he had worked on Broadway with Denzel Washington in The Iceman Cometh.
Clark’s brilliant performance as the night clerk serves to remind us all of his extraordinary talent. Effortlessly believable, his laser-like understanding of the text imbued his character with both humor and compassion.
“I’m also working on a zoomed production entitled Bluefish, with actors I’ve known all over the world!” Clark said. “It’s also going to be a movie, and I’d like you to be a part of it, if you’re interested, and if you are, you’ll be working with two of my favorite people, Eugene Blackrock and Ewen Brenner.” I replied that it would be my pleasure.
Bluefish will be released soon, and I am confident it will be a milestone in the world of zoom, and a fitting legacy in the life of a man whose love for his art, his love for people, and his positive outlook on life, will continue to inspire us. Even though he’s gone, his spirit lives in our hearts.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his dear wife, Elissa, and with his entire family.
Thank you, Clark, we love you, and we’ll always be grateful that we knew you. Now, may you dance with the Angels.
Stacy Keach