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words by > Betsy Model
Live From Los Angeles
Within the acting world, there are few actors who have made as much out of a career playing “manly men” than actor Robert Patrick, even when he’s actually playing a machine.
Perhaps most often recognized as T-1000, the nearly unstoppable cyborg sent to kill off Arnold Schwarzenegger et al in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Patrick’s steely gaze and Marine-like presence has also lent the macho factor to television and big-screen productions as diverse as “The Sopranos,” “The X-Files,” Spy Kids, All The Pretty Horses and, most recently, in Firewall opposite Harrison Ford and Walk The Line opposite Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon.
Now fi lming his second season of CBS’ prime-time drama “The Unit,” Patrick offers fans an extra dose of acting this fall; he’s got three movies, Flags of Our Fathers, The Marine and We Are Marshall coming out in theaters this month.
When teased that he must spend 24 hours a day, seven days a week acting in order to put out that much work, the 47-year-old Patrick just laughs and points out that he makes plenty of time for family (Patrick’s married with two young children) and recently made time to ride cross-country—between fi lm sets—on his motorcycle just to unwind.
A resident of Los Angeles, the actor so closely identifi ed with roles as tough guys—cops, assassins, gangsters and military-types—has, in real life, a quick sense of humor, a ready laugh and a strong sense of how important family and friends are in the world of Hollywood. We caught up with Patrick after a long day of shooting “The Unit” and probed the transplanted Angeleno about what makes his adopted city so great.
You were born in the Atlanta area and moved around a lot before making your way to Hollywood; any major culture shock?
“Well, there’s defi nitely a different pace. In Atlanta, things are a bit slower, a bit more relaxed. I love Atlanta, and sometimes when I’m there—I still have family there—I think ‘this would be a great place to raise the kids,’ but then I also have to say that we have a great life in LA and I think we’d miss it if we ever relocated.”
Is there a myth about LA that needs to be debunked?
“I’d have to say that people who fi nd Los Angeles cold and complain about how the locals don’t smile or make eye contact are hanging out in the wrong neighborhoods. I live in the hills where we don’t have sidewalks, per se, but that doesn’t stop neighbors from walking their dogs and waving or coming by to say hello. I think it’s an effort thing within a neighborhood. We have parties, get-togethers, birthday parties for all the kids where everyone gets together.”
What about the myth that says LA doesn’t have culture the way that, say, New York does?
“Well, New York is unique in that they have Broadway, but Los Angeles has its own culture… it’s just spread out more. We’ve got the Hollywood Bowl (www.hollywoodbowl.com) for music under the stars and the Mark Taper Forum (www.taperahmanson.com) for plays. We’ve got the Greek Theatre (www.greektheatrela.com) for live music, the new Walt Disney Concert Hall—designed by Frank Gehry—is home to the LA Philharmonic (www.laphil.com), and then there’s also the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (www.losangelesopera.com) and the Ahmanson Theater (www.taperahmanson. com) for plays and special performances.
“Staples Center (www.staplescenter.com) is great for sports events, and we’ve got great, great museums. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (www.lacma.org) is fabulous. We’ve got a world-famous zoo, and we’re only an hour away from Disneyland (www.disneyland.com).”
Is Disneyland big on your family’s radar?
“Absolutely, and it’s almost always where out-of-town guests want to go at some point during their visit. I wasn’t really into Disneyland when I fi rst moved here, but now that I have kids, we can’t go often enough. There’s one particular roller coaster in the California Adventure part of the park that my daughter and I ride all the time. We go three, four times a year and often just stay for the whole weekend.”
Can you recommend a couple of really good restaurants?
“My wife and I like to meet friends at the Chateau Marmont (www.chateaumarmont. com), which is an LA landmark. And we also really, really like Lucy’s El Adobe (323-462-9421). It’s some of the best Mexican food I’ve found in LA, really relaxed, great margaritas and they’ve got dishes named for some of the regulars who’ve eaten there for years and years. California’s former governor, Jerry Brown, used to eat there all the time, and you should check out the Jerry Brown special. There’s also a great little restaurant in the San Fernando Valley called The Firefl y (818-762-1833)—great food and located close to all the studios.”
What about somewhere for a “power lunch” or to close a business deal over a meal or a drink?
“The Ivy in Beverly Hills (310-274-8303) is popular if you want to see and be seen, but I actually like The Grill on the Alley (310-276-0615). It’s also in Beverly Hills but on Dayton Way, and you enter off a little alley. Great food, and the atmosphere is a little more subdued.”
Since everyone believes that LA is always sunny, do you think there’s actually a peak time to visit?
“A lot of people don’t realize that in June we actually have what locals call ‘June gloom,’ where the mornings are overcast before burning off later in the day. Still, there’s almost no time that isn’t beautiful here, although I have to say that if you don’t like heat, visit in October, when it drops below 90.”