I was wondering if anyone here had a direct or indirect connection MPI?
I have one, sorta.
Back in the late 70's/early 80's one of my older brothers had a platonic relationship with actress Susan Swift, she played 'Sunshine' from the epi. "Compulsion". She had also gone to the same high school as my brothers and I, Clear Creek High School in League City, Texas.
Stretching it a bit myself, my only connection was that my ex-wife that I was married to from 1977 to 1979 (hey, I was young) had an older sister that was a classmate of Tom Selleck's at Grant Hight School. This was pre-Magnum, so I only knew TS from seeing him in commercials, print ads and The Rockford Files, but anyway, she would go on and an about him, what a great down to earth guy he was and he was going to make it big. Wow, was she ever right!
- I knew the garbage man from "Murder 101" (He was also in another episode I can't remember). He was a "Big" guy, may he RIP.
- The ship on which TM catches up with Tanaka's killer in "Tiger Fan", is actually the Coast Guard Cutter Sassafras. This was my first unit when I joined the CG in 1995. I didn't know the ship had been part of MPI at the time I was stationed there, but when I saw "Tiger Fan" again, I recognized her right away. I did allot of painting!
Living on Oahu for 5 years total, I of course have been to the estate. I even still have a faint scare from slipping on "cement thing"
in the tide pool. There's a great hike up above the estate, with one of the best views on Oahu.
The only "connections" I have are the email kind. I have (briefly) corresponded with Pete Ishkanian (MPI film editor), Bill (MPI dailies man and friend of Pete), and Sami Page (Soldier's Wife in "Fragments")....
Her mother, Gillian Page, was a "recycled extra" who appeared in many episodes. Sami said there was ~ 20 regular extras and they were a tight knit group.
I have no connection at all. I do, however, feel like I have known Rick Wright all my life. That character was like so many people I have known. I guess that is why the show was so loved by the fans. The characters seemed so life-like.
Back in '86 I had a co-worker that finagled her way onto the set during the shooting of "Photoplay". Somewhere I have two photos she took during breaks in the shooting. One is a great portrait of TM smiling at her, as someone else is trying to block her camera. I recall her saying that TM said it was okay to take his photo. I have looked and looked for these pics, to post here, but cannot find them: the search contuinues though!!!
While the show was in production I had no 'in'.... however since then I have met TS a few times while he was on broadway and I have shared a few very brief emails from LM....