Judge the Actor

I believe he was promoting his work in Beverly Hills Cop 3 at the time.  I interviewed actor Judge Reinhold when I worked on WNBC's Weekend Today in New York local morning news program.  Reinhold had a look of open-eyed earnestness with a touch of cluelessness that made him perfect for his fast food clerk character in 1982's Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

The look served him well when he played the partner to Eddie Murphy's Beverly Hills Cop in 1984 and its two sequels.

During our 1994 interview, Judge and I chatted about auditions.

He told me about one audition he had.  You've got to give Judge Reinhold credit for going into the room and doing his best even though he knew he had a snowball's chance in Palm Springs of being cast in the role.

Judge told me that it was a long casting session.  A number of fellow unknown were ahead of him that afternoon in L.A. and he was the last one.  The second to last actor goes into the room and closes the door for his audition.  Judge said that the actor was in the room for quite some time longer than the other actors.  Judge added that he could hear shrieks of laughter coming from the people inside the room.

The  second the last actor was Robin Williams.  He and Judge Reinhold were auditioning to play the space visitor Mork on Mork and Mindy.

The rest is TV history.