‘ANIMAL HOUSE’ DIRT –
OF ALL THE ACTORS “Animal House” star Tim Matheson has worked with in his nearly 60year career, he points to Chevy Chase as being “difficult.” The pair worked together on 1985’s “Fletch.”
“Chevy could be difficult but Chevy was a very troubled person,” Matheson (photo), 70, told Confidential. “He was getting sober during ‘Fletch,’ but ... I’ve seen him when he’s not been on his best (behavior).”
In the business since he was a kid, Matheson’s worked with a who’s who of Hollywood stars. He says that Lucille Ball and Jackie Gleason were his favorites because, “They were tough, but what both of them demanded was to be prepared for a performance.”
Matheson is best known for his portrayal of the suave Otter in the 1978 comedy classic “Animal House.” The actor says he knew right away that the film was going to be something special.
“I thought this was the funniest script I had ever seen,” he told Confidential. “I fought desperately hard to get in and almost didn’t make it.”
He also says that troubled co-star John Belushi, who would die of a drug overdose in 1982, was on his best behavior during filming.
“(Director) John Landis was very (much a) taskmaster,” Matheson said, “And I heard that he allegedly told Belushi, ‘No drugs! Don’t you dare to do anything on this set!’ I know on ‘1941,’ he had gotten to a place where he wasn’t on the best behavior.”
Matheson says it wasn’t a big surprise when he heard the news of Belushi’s passing.
“He was the life of the party,” the actor says. “He was the funniest, warmest, sweetest guy in the room and everybody wanted to get high with him. Everybody wanted to party with him and one of the ways everyone thought was cool was, ‘Here, have some cocaine!’ That’s how people were back then.”
Matheson, who most recently appeared in “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” admits he dabbled in cocaine but quit.
“Cigarettes, cocaine, they had their way with me for a little bit and then they dumped me,” he says. “They left me.”
Matheson will be appearing at a special 40th anniversary celebration screening of “Animal House” at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center on Feb. 16.