"You mean that it was all a kid’s dream? I didn’t like it."

November 5, 2015 1:25 PM

Norman Lloyd (Dr. Auschlander on St. Elsewhere and the professor who discovered the common root of life in the Star Trek universe) is still alive. In fact, he turns 101 on Sunday. And he's still working, so the AV Club sat down with Lloyd for its Random Roles feature, covering a career that's spanned from Orson Welles and Charlie Chaplin to Don Adams to Judd Apatow.
posted by Etrigan (25 comments total)

He also currently holds the distinction of being the oldest living Star Trek performer, after Olaf Pooley passed away in July.
posted by cacophony at 1:28 PM on November 5, 2015

the common root of life in the Star Trek universe

It's Midi-chlorians, right?
posted by Fizz at 1:35 PM on November 5, 2015 [1 favorite]

the common root of life in the Star Trek universe

It's Midi-chlorians, right?

Nanomachines, son.
posted by selfnoise at 1:39 PM on November 5, 2015 [3 favorites]

Wow, he's had a hell of a career. It's hard to wrap your head around the idea that someone who's in this year's Trainwreck was also in Hitchcock's Saboteur.
posted by octothorpe at 1:52 PM on November 5, 2015 [8 favorites]

Looking at his IMDB page, I am intrigued by his first acting credit, a TV movie (!!) from (just barely) before World War II. IMDB has The Streets of New York airing the day before Germany invaded Poland.

It seems that the concept of the TV movie didn't really arise until the 1950s, but I guess there was really no other way to classify what seems to have been essentially a live-to-air performance of a play.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 1:57 PM on November 5, 2015 [1 favorite]

Even more shockingly, he's an actor in the oldest surviving piece of television, from 1939. Hard to believe!

Thanks for the post -- what a charming guy. I'm tempted to think his stories of playing tennis with Chaplin are just an old guy spinning yarns, but he really was in Limelight, so...
posted by crazy with stars at 1:57 PM on November 5, 2015 [7 favorites]

Thank you so much for posting this.
posted by Sheydem-tants at 1:58 PM on November 5, 2015 [1 favorite]

Oh good heavens - I saw that TNG episode so many years ago and had no idea that he was Dr. Auschlander ! St. Elsewhere was an amazing show and launched the screen careers of such actors as Howie Mandel, Denzel Washington and David Morse ( the guy who played Ellie's dad in Contact)
posted by AGameOfMoans at 1:58 PM on November 5, 2015 [1 favorite]

Dr. Auschlander on St. Elsewhere and the professor who discovered the common root of life in the Star Trek universe

Since he was on St. Elsewhere, that means that the common root of life in the Star Trek universe was... Tommy Westphall.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 2:10 PM on November 5, 2015 [17 favorites]

There simply aren't enough good words to be foisted on Norman Lloyd (his late wife, Peggy, was equally wonderful). I'm betting his next 101 years will be even more interesting.
posted by grounded at 2:12 PM on November 5, 2015 [2 favorites]

"Oh, that's lovely"
posted by srboisvert at 2:26 PM on November 5, 2015 [2 favorites]

I'm betting his next 101 years will be even more interesting.

Not to be an asshole, because he seems like a really nice guy, but I will take that bet.
posted by The Bellman at 2:27 PM on November 5, 2015 [2 favorites]

If we lived in a more enlightened time, Mr. Loyd would rightly be considered a national treasure.
posted by AGameOfMoans at 2:40 PM on November 5, 2015 [2 favorites]

What a delightful interview!
posted by mazola at 2:43 PM on November 5, 2015 [2 favorites]

As the interviewer, allow me to offer my thanks for this post. I've truly never felt such gratification from conducting an interview for the AV Club as I did this one, and I'm so glad - and appreciative - that it's making the rounds.
posted by WillHarrisInVA at 3:16 PM on November 5, 2015 [34 favorites]

Since he was on St. Elsewhere, that means that the common root of life in the Star Trek universe was... Tommy Westphall

I wonder if we could flip the theory -- instead of Tommy Westphall, it's all an elaborate holodeck program by Dr Galen.
posted by nathan_teske at 3:47 PM on November 5, 2015 [4 favorites]

Percy Hammond
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 4:14 PM on November 5, 2015 [2 favorites]

Will, I've been meaning to do an FPP on Random Roles generally for a while now -- it's one of the most fun recurring features y'all do over there, and this one even moreso.
posted by Etrigan at 4:22 PM on November 5, 2015 [2 favorites]

Amazing stuff - that someone alive during World War I is still alive, has experiences he's shared with millions of people subsequently, and is still bouncing around and happy to talk.

How-ever... I will take the teeniest exception to 'the oldest surviving piece of television' being from 1939. I'll raise you with one from 1938. Sure, it's nowhere near as cool as one with Norman Lloyd in it, which is (almost) certainly the oldest with a surviving participant, but...
posted by Devonian at 7:01 PM on November 5, 2015

Will, I've been meaning to do an FPP on Random Roles generally for a while now -- it's one of the most fun recurring features y'all do over there, and this one even moreso.

You're right, and please do! There are some real classics, and Will is great.
posted by Edgewise at 7:30 PM on November 5, 2015 [1 favorite]

Thanks for the post, this was great - especially this part:

AVC: Limelight is particularly notable because it featured Chaplin and Buster Keaton sharing the screen together.

NL: Oh, God, that was beautiful. I remember when that was shot.

AVC: You were there?

NL: Yeah. I wasn’t in the scene, but I watched them shooting it.
posted by Petersondub at 11:32 PM on November 5, 2015 [2 favorites]

Just in regard to Devonian's comment above, I didn't actually make the claim that The Streets of New York is the oldest surviving piece of television. I described it in the piece as "the oldest television footage in the possession of the Paley Center," which certainly used to be true, though perhaps it's not anymore.
posted by WillHarrisInVA at 9:04 AM on November 6, 2015

I am pretty far from a movie buff or knowledgeable about theater and acting, and this was an absolutely delightful, tremendous read. I can only imagine how much more compelling it is for people for whom this history is their craft's history. Really, really terrific stuff, can't say enough about it. Nicely done, Will.
posted by Errant at 11:29 AM on November 6, 2015 [1 favorite]

Lloyd's career in front of and behind the camera makes it a bit tricky to connect all the dots. I remember thinking "wow" the first time I started making just some of the connections. This piece makes it easier and includes many more things I wasn't aware of. Thanks, Will. I only wish there was more!
posted by pmurray63 at 8:15 AM on November 7, 2015

Good gravy, the guy is like Zelig.
posted by Chrysostom at 3:29 PM on November 10, 2015