Goodman Profile PDF

DIAMONDIN THE D.R.

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GOODMAN’SCLASS ACT

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CLASSICCAR-DINAL

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What’s Ahead

GAMEDAY MAGAZINE 2016 ISSUE 4 $5

for WAINOThe veteran ace takes stock of where he’s headed as he turns 35

SALUTING THE CLASS OF 2016 PAGE 34

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Goodman counts roles in more than 150 film, television and stage projects, but he was famously in his element as Walter Sobchak in “The Big Lebowski,” the inspiration for his bobblehead.

A GOOD MAN COMES HOMESt. Louisan and Hollywood star John Goodman brings his humor

(and his pitching arm) to Busch for a night in his honor

By GABRIEL KILEY“Is this outfit OK? I left my tux at home.”Clearly wearing his sense of humor, John

Goodman arrives at Busch Stadium clad in jeans and a red polo, ready to play ball. The Hollywood star is a long way from the

red carpet, but the program that’s about to unfold here better suits his Midwestern roots: the 1970 graduate of Affton High School in suburban St. Louis is back in town for John Goodman Night at the ballpark.

He is the perfect fit to play the lead in

this production – featuring a meet-and-greet with fans, a bobblehead giveaway (think “The Big Lebowski”), a ceremonial first pitch and more – but confesses the script initially seemed too daunting. Despite his lifetime love for the Cardinals, Goodman

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nearly turned down the part.“I wanted to say no,” Goodman admits

to Cardinals Magazine, describing the prospect of throwing a first pitch with a crowd watching as “overwhelming” and “just too much.”

“But I also wanted to do it, so I had to shut up the shy person inside of me and just do it.”

Wait. John Goodman, veteran of more than 150 film, television and stage projects ... shy? Did he say that with a straight face?

Over the next four hours, Goodman’s magnetic persona – a defining characteristic of his acting career – is on full-color display as he fires one-liners without breaking a sweat and willingly poses for countless photos, many of which populate Facebook and Twitter accounts within seconds. Like ! Like ! Like ! Retweet.

Most picture him in the customized Cardinals jersey he slips on shortly after arriving, sporting the No. 62 he requested.

“The 6 is for Stan Musial and the 2 is for Red Schoendienst,” Goodman explains. “They are just so interconnected with my personal history (as a fan).”

His first time meeting Musial, the actor recalls, was at the old Bevo Mill restaurant in south St. Louis.

“We wound up doing harmonica duets by the end of the night,” Goodman says. “I didn’t want to bother him at dinner, but I think he wanted to be bothered. He came back over and we had just the best time.”

DOPPELGANGERS, DUDES AND MONSTERS

Goodman’s first official stop in his theme-night itinerary is a meet-and-greet with fans who purchased a special VIP ticket. As a line forms outside the suite and starts to swell, Goodman fills the next 20 minutes with restless energy. He paces about, stretching and shadow punching, and wonders if he might assist the grounds crew with removing the tarp. He mugs it up for our camera while inspecting his bobblehead – a take-home souvenir for all theme-night ticketholders – modeled after his Walter Sobchak character from “Lebowski,” a cult classic.

Finally, it’s show time. Overcoming his avowed shyness, Goodman smiles as each

Goodman had fun with fans who got a photo opp as part of their VIP meet-and-greet, but he played it cool when face to face with his doppelganger.

A GOOD MAN COMES HOME


fan steps forward. His facial contortions through the inevitable parade of photos span from grins and silly looks to faux serious and exaggerated laughter. He puts arms around shoulders. He hugs. He shakes hands. He even introduces himself to one fan by saying, “Hi. I’m John Goodman. Tell everyone in the room your name.”

Then the first look-alike arrives. It’s not someone dressed like one of Goodman’s famous characters – those come later. It’s a doppelganger. His name is Mike Drake, from nearby Alton, Ill. Goodman eyes Drake standing in line but never remarks about the uncanny resemblance when the two greet one another.

“I told (John) thank you for the two steak dinners at the Tenderloin Room at the Chase Park Plaza – the maître d’ thought I was him,” Drake says. “(My wife and I) were having dinner there and the maître d’ told us, ‘John you look great.’ I told him, ‘I’m not him.’”

A few minutes later, another fan – this one dressed like “Walter” – greets Goodman. Right on cue, the actor deftly recycles a ubiquitous “Lebowski” line: “(Donny,) you’re out of your element.” The room erupts in laughter.

Goodman also charms the group with a tender side. A young girl dressed in a red Cardinals jersey timidly approaches the bigger-than-life celeb; she’s carrying a “Sulley” stuffed animal, a character voiced by Goodman in the animated classic “Monsters, Inc.” Goodman kneels down and explains that he’s the voice of Sulley. Then he takes the toy and playfully tells his new friend: “Gimme” and “Don’t move.” The girl beams. He picks her up for a photograph, then tells her father, “She’s a doll.”

For a man who admits to being uncomfortable in crowds, Goodman works the room like a comedian owning his audience. He tells a fan carrying a bowling pin (a nod to “Lebowksi”): “Is that from ‘Antiques Roadshow’? You could have killed me with that thing.” He later drops a water bottle and jokes, “It’s a good thing I’m throwing out the first pitch, not catching it.”

The crowd mostly consists of locals, some with connections to Affton High and Missouri State, his alma maters. Many are friends and acquaintances. But the diehard fan award goes to Jennifer Holloway and her husband, Iain Sandison, who traveled more than 1,800 miles from Sherman Oaks, Calif., to meet Goodman.

“Dan Conner is one of the loves of my life,” she says in reference to his character from the TV sitcom “Rosanne,” which aired from 1988-97.

Thirty minutes and 154 guests later, the VIP event ends. Goodman is tired, but the program continues with media interviews. It’s been a busy stretch for the actor, who’s leaving the next day for New York City to begin rehearsals for the Broadway comedy “The Front Page.” Goodman is seemingly everywhere these days, and next year, he’ll appear in highly anticipated films “Patriots Day” and “Kong: Skull Island.” What’s his secret of sustained success in a storied acting career

The guy who makes his living with cameras rolling had the Cardinals Insider TV crew on board (top) for his welcome-back lap at Busch. After a limbo-like entry through the wagon gate (center), the 1970 grad of Affton High School connected with the city he calls “really comfortable.”



that dates to the early ’80s?“Looking for the sweet spot, looking for

the right (project), looking for the groove,” the 64-year-old says. “There’s a zone, like a ballplayer can find through hard work. And when things are clicking right, it’s impossible to beat. It’s fun.”

Still, coming back to St. Louis is a treat for Goodman, who lives in New Orleans with his wife, Annabeth Hartzog. While in town, he was spotted at various eateries, even making the requisite Ted Drewes stop. “I only get to St. Louis once a year,” he says. “I’ve got to get back here more often. I’m really comfortable here.”

Through the demands of his busy schedule, Goodman is steadfastly loyal to his Cardinals, frequently watching games through the MLB At Bat app. His fandom stretches back to when the team played at the ballpark at Grand and Dodier.

“The first time I went to Sportsman’s Park as a child and watched the team come on the field, it was incredible – they were gods walking over the bridge of Asgard or something,” Goodman reminisces. “The old ballpark smelled like hot dogs and cigars and peanuts. That great smell. It brings back a lot of memories.”

PITCHING THE PILLThough he’s yet to deliver the first pitch,

Goodman already is nursing a bit of a sore right arm – he says he spent the past three days “throwing the pill” in preparation. He jokes about needing to see a Cardinals trainer for treatment.

He’s now at field level, standing in the area behind the right-field wagon gate – the ballpark’s equivalent of a green room for dignitaries who’ll circle the field in pregame ceremonies. Goodman tosses a baseball with Cardinals promotions and events coordinator Kyle Cassity, a veteran of similar games of catch with St. Louisans Nelly and Jon Hamm before their ceremonial first pitches in past visits. And here comes Hall of Fame manager Whitey Herzog, who exchanges pleasantries with Goodman as he passes in a golf cart.

Next Goodman climbs into the back of a white Ford F-150 truck. He’s fitted with a microphone for a Cardinals Insider TV segment and goes through instructions with producer/host Lindsey Weber and cameraman Matt Stravalli. When youth groups perform “God Bless America” and “The Star-Spangled Banner,” Goodman stands at attention in the bed of the truck.

Finally, the pickup enters the field and slowly motors along the warning track. “Soul Man” (in homage to Goodman’s role in the film “Blues Brothers 2000”) plays over the stadium speakers. And Goodman is reveling in the moment. He waves and acknowledges fans, many of whom are standing and clapping. As the single-truck

The card-carrying member of Cardinal Nation met a genuine ace, drawing Adam Wainwright as his catcher for the first-pitch ceremony.

For the big moment that initially seemed “overwhelming” when it was first pitched to him, Goodman opted for a curtsy over a slide-step to set up his delivery.



parade rounds the third-base line toward the Pittsburgh Pirates dugout – several Bucs are focused on the actor, too – a Redbirds fan yells the “Lebowski” line that Goodman himself used earlier:

“Donny, you’re out of your element!”

Without missing a beat, a smiling Goodman shouts back, “I’m out of my element!”

He says he isn’t bothered by the inevitable “Lebowski” references whenever he’s in public.

“It could be worse; it could be ‘Yabba

dabba doo!’ (a reference to his role as Fred in “The Flintstones”),” Goodman remarks. “I don’t mind ‘The Big Lebowski.’ I enjoyed that film. It’s probably my favorite because I had so much fun doing it.”

The procession rolls to a stop behind home plate, where Goodman leaps off the truck and spots friends sitting in the green seats. He rushes over and they exchange high fives through the protective netting. Then comes the big moment. Stadium announcer John Ulett calls Goodman to center stage, where he fist-bumps Fredbird and shakes hands with ace hurler Adam Wainwright, who agreed to catch the first pitch.

He shows how to make an entrance, striking a full-on curtsy as he takes the mound, then flips an arcing delivery gloved by Wainwright near his feet. Following the requisite photos and a final handshake with Waino – “an honor to meet you,” he tells the pitcher – Goodman tips his cap to the crowd and exits the field through the Cardinals’ dugout.

“I didn’t know Waino would be there,” he says. “I felt good about the pitch.”

The rest of the evening includes more mingling with friends and family – siblings Les and Elisabeth are here, along with Annabeth – and more photos and interviews. He “vows” to the Cardinals Insider crew that he’s “gonna fight Mike Shannon tonight, out at the mound during the seventh inning … he’s going down!” Later he joins Shannon and John Rooney in the KMOX Radio booth and deadpans to the network audience: “Godzilla just came in from center field and is attacking … everyone run.”

You might be able to hear Shannon’s gravely laughter even now.

About the only thing that doesn’t go well is the outcome of the game – St. Louis falls, 7-5 – but Goodman, like any devoted Cardinals fan, stays through the last out. Why leave before the final curtain on this night?

No way, says Goodman, savoring what turned out to be one of his favorite roles. “It’s a dream come true.”

Gabriel Kiley is a staff writer for Cardinals Magazine. Staff intern Kelsey Grapperhaus also contributed to this report.

Goodman’s return to St. Louis reunited him with brother Les and sister Elisabeth (above), and rekindled a reverence among fans, including a pair that came dressed in character (top) for his “Lebowski” movie role that many – the actor included – rank as their favorite.


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