You may not know Stephen Tobolowsky by name, but you certainly know his work. He's an actor who has appeared in a host of movies and TV shows including: "Memento," "The Grifters," "Groundhog Day," "The Insider," "Single White Female," "Thelma and Louise," "The Closer", "Deadwood", and "Desperate Housewives." He's so ubiquitous, in fact, he even made an appearance in the home movie of my mom's 13th birthday party. And while he's usually a supporting actor he does take a star turn in a new film called "Stephen Tobolowsky's Birthday Party," a sort of meta documentary where Steve tells true stories of his life to a crowd of birthday-party guests. But his talent is not just limited to acting--he also co-wrote one of the best Texan movies ever, "True Stories." And because he's such a cool guy, not to mention a Texan, I thought he'd be a perfect candidate for my series of Homesick Texan Q&As. Here's what he misses:Where are you from? Do you still have family there? I’m from Dallas. I still can visit my father, mother and my brother's family.
When and why did you leave Texas? I really sort of left in 1975 when I went to graduate school. Afterwards I headed for L.A. The idea was to not be a big fish in a small pond (Dallas and Theatre Three) but to see if I could cut it in the major leagues.
What do you miss the most about Texas? The least? I miss the space, the sky, the food, the music, the women, the excitement (yeah, excitement--don't ask me) and the red bud trees. I don't miss the weather, the heat, the winter, Central Expressway in Dallas.
What's your favorite Tex-Mex restaurant in Texas? What do you order? Guerro's in Austin, Joe T. in Ft. Worth (how typical), and in Dallas, the old Guadalajara. I order enchiladas, mixed combo, rice and beans, lots of jalapenos and margaritas.
What's your favorite barbecue place in Texas? What do you order? Dickies--always and forever. I order beef, okra, beans.
Your chili: beans or no beans? I am not the hugest fan of chili...need beeno.
When you go to Texas and you go to the grocery store, what's the first thing you grab that you can't get where you live? It used to be Easy Burger but it was sold to that Butthole Hugo Chavez—yeah, the little crossed guy who owns Citgo and thinks he has a translatable sense of humor.
What's your favorite place to eat Texan food where you live now? How does it compare to the real deal? Well, the BBQ in L.A. is not really acceptable but I do like some of the Tex Mex--Bronco's is yummy. Why are we always talking about food???
Two out of two prefer beans and Joe T’s in Fort Worth--I’m starting to see a trend. In any case, thank you, Stephen--I reckon we're always talking about food because it's what I miss the most! Watch this space for the next Homesick Texan Q&A...coming soon.
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