Actor Tim Matheson may be best known for his turn as Eric “Otter” Stratton in the 1978 comedy National Lampoon’s Animal House, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. His career, which spans decades, has taken him from working with Lucille Ball and voicing Johnny Quest in the 1964 animated series, to playing the villain in Fletch and (of course) portraying Vice President John Hoynes in the drama series The West Wing. The latter role earned him two Emmy nominations. Matheson has also enjoyed considerable success as a TV director.
In his new memoir Damn Glad to Meet You: My Seven Decades in the Hollywood Trenches, Matheson shares many excellent stories from his time spent working with Hollywood legends. He tells The Treatment what he learned from working with Lucille Ball, how comedian Richard Pryor saved Animal House, and what Chevy Chase told him when they shared the screen in Fletch.
Tim Matheson and Elvis Mitchell at KCRW. Photo credit: Rebecca Mooney/KCRW