ill d st n A Est. 2003.
growing!
Donald Sutherland THE 6’4” ACTOR ON HOLLYWOOD, ITALIAN JOBS, AND LOVE
KNEEDING ROOM AIRLINE SEATING: WHY WE HATE IT AND WHAT WE’RE DOING ABOUT IT
REACH FOR THE SKY 12
DAILY STRETCHES THAT WILL DO YOUR BODY GOOD.
PLUS:
7’4” ROGER MORRISSEY | FASHION TRENDS TEEN TALK | THE WORLD’S TALLEST CHAIR ONLINE: www.tallmagazineonline.com | www.tallthingsconsidered.com
Editor's Letter
The View Up Here
W
hy TALL? Why a magazine for tall people? The simple answer: because there is none. After scouring web sites, libraries, and local bookstores, I have found no publication that is written specifically for those of us who fit into that “tall” classification (and let’s not start on the “extra tall” road, shall we?) — men or women.
WE ARE MANY. We are not a small community (no pun intended … okay, yes it was). According to the most recent U.S. Census numbers, there are currently over 25 million men who are 6’2” and taller and women who are 5’9” and taller. That's a sizable (and very visible) slice of the American populace, and one that’s been ignored for too long. The tides, howver, are changing. A person’s height says a lot about the society he belongs to. Anthropologists and archeologists can tell you that as a society’s health (and health care) and nutrition increase in quality, so does their height. In 1876, the average American male’s height was 5’5.” Today it’s 5’9-1/2." And half of that 2” increase came after the year 1960.
In 1876, the average American male’s height was 5’5.” Today it’s 5’91/2." And half of that 2” increase came after the year 1960.
WE ARE GROWING. We’re a growing community (pun intended), and only now are the major manufacturing and service-provider sectors beginning to acknowledge that maybe, just maybe they should think about updating their definitions of what, or more precisely, whom is considered “tall.” Notice that I mentioned it is the major corporations who are running behind. While researching TALL I discovered countless tall-friendly boutique and mom-and-pop stores who either make available wares and services — from clothing to bed frames to exercise plans — or decided to make these products themselves. The Web is full of information and resources for tall people. Almost too much. Typing “tall clothes” into Google had me swimming through hundreds of web pages. It would take hours to sift through all those links. Well, hours later, we’re still sifting through those links, and more. We want you to consider TALL an information distiller, helping to process all the different resources for you, centralizing all this information in one publication. But that’s not the only reason we want you to pick up TALL. WE ARE HERE. Within TALL’s pages you will find directories of shops and services that cater to your unique lifestyle. We will feature hip and trendy fashions that are not two years old. You will find interviews with tall notable members of our society who stand out for their accomplishments, and not their height. Alongside will be engrossing stories about people and organizations looking to make a positive difference in the way tall people are treated. Exercise tips and health advice have been written specifically with a tall person’s physiology in mind. We also realize how hard it is to grow up taller than your friends and classmates, and the often-rapid changes that are happening in your body. Which is why we created a special section for tall teens. And in case the heads on our shoulders get too big, we end the magazine with the World’s Tallest, in which we feature man-made and natural objects that make even the tallest of us look … well, short. Sincerely,
FOLLOW US ONLINE
editor@tallmagazineonline.com
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What’s Inside
Table of Contents
Issue 1 The Usual
6
12
16
22
2 The View Up Here
Editor’s Letter
4 Books and Such
Tall Tales to Tell
6 Health and Fitness
Stretching Basics
8 Health and Fitness
Watch Your Back
10 Growing Up
Tall Teen Talk
Late Night Tall Tales Conan O’Brien
26 The World at Large
The World’s Tallest Chair
Features 12 Doanld Sutherland
The 6’4” actor has a job to do.
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16 We Want Our Air Space
And we want it now!
22 A Giant of the Silver Screen
7’4” actor Roger Morrissey
25 Double Trouble
6’5” Burge Twins
Many of the articles and features in this issue first appeared in earlier versions of TALL Magazine. All copyrights and trademarks still apply.
Issue 1
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Books and Such
Tall Tales to Tell
Standing Tall “How’s the weather up there, Shorty.” “Hey, spider legs, you sure are a tall drink of water.” Or the whispers while standing in line…”Mommy, she’s really tall.” Sound familiar? I’ve been tall my entire life and never really liked it! I towered over all of my friends, even the boys. So boyfriends were out of the picture. And finding clothes, there’s another story all together. I have flashbacks of trying on one-piece bathing suits and wrestling with the spandex—pulling it up and down and back up again (I think you get the picture). By the way, who made the dressing room doors so short? I’d go shopping with my friend and she’d ask me to find her something in a size 2… right, I didn’t even know clothes came in size 2. I knew as soon as I asked the salesperson for a size that would barely cover my arm, she would burst out in outrageous laughter. I am always being told, “You are so tall.”Yeah, thanks, I hadn’t noticed. I struggled with why God made me so tall. It definitely wasn’t so that I could play basketball. My athletic ability was anything but athletic. And modeling was out of the question because I liked to eat.
Click on book cover to buy book now.
Then it all became very clear to me when mothers starting asking me to talk to their “vertically gifted” daughters who were experiencing some of the same frustrations I had gone through. I was becoming a “poster child” for tall girls. So much so that I was compelled to write a book—Standing Tall. I wanted to use my experiences to reach out to young women who didn’t like their height. Standing Tall is an inspirational book about celebrating long limbs and conveying the message that being tall is a gift. The book includes “tall tales” and advice from women and teens ranging from teachers, college students, twins, celebrities such as Brooke Shields, Ruth Riley, and Gayle King, an IRS Analyst, Oprah magazine’s advertising director, Tall Club International members, nurses, moms, ministry and many more. In addition to the "Tall Tales," the book includes cartoons, clothing resources (Tall Order), my personal story, "Tall is All," and other inspirational works, "Ode to My Vertical Giftedness." My hope is that all tall teens and women who read Standing Tall will begin to truly appreciate their gift of height…standing tall really is a beautiful thing.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sarah DeVries-Allen Sarah DeVries-Allen served as vehicle line director for General Motors, working on their Saturn line. In 2002, she was nominated and selected by the Salt Lake Olympic committee as a 2002 Olympic Torchbearer and proudly carried the torch in a relay in Texas. Sarah is approached on a regular basis to talk to young tall women regarding “being tall” and is currently authoring a book—Standing Tall with the hope of sending a positive message out to youth, as well as their parents. Sarah has been speaking across the country on the platform of self-esteem for young (and young at heart) women. She has been married to Roger Allen and resides in Rochester Hills, Michigan. She enjoys kayaking, traveling, hiking, home decorating, teaching, writing, and being with family and friends. 4
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5
Health & Fitness
Standing Tall
Stretching Your Limits ______________________________
by Mike Larkspur, personal trainer
I
n my ten years of being a personal trainer, I have had so many tall people come to me complaining about back pain that now I notice the warning signs before they say a word; the pained look on their faces gives them away. Amazingly, I have found in almost every instance there is one simple “cure” that in almost every case makes their back pain go away literally overnight. What is this mighty elixir, this secret of the ancients, that can set you free? Stretching. Make that proper stretching. Yes, a lot of people do stretches before exercising, but they either go through the motions, don’t spend enough time on them, or do the wrong ones altogether. In this column, I’m going to try and change that. Following are twelve basic stretches that, if done right and for the right amount of time, will ease your back pain and may even make the pain go away completely.
NOTE: Before doing any stretches, you should warm your body up in the same way you warm-up your car before driving off. Put on some sweats and vacuum or wash the dishes or anything that will warm your body up. You don’t want to break a sweat, but feel yourself heating up. Check with your doctor or medical advisor before attempting any physical exercise. Neither Mike Larkspur nor TALL magazine guarantee any results.
These stretches are listed in the order I recommend they should be done, with the first set concentrating on your neck, shoulder, and torso, and the second set concentrating on your lower back and legs. As you start doing these more, take note of which stretches help you the most, and then, if you’re at work and your back starts bothering you, take a couple minutes and do some variations of these stretches. They’ll work!
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UPPER BODY
1
Neck Rotation: Stand straight, with head held parallel to the floor. Let head drop so chin is resting on chest. Slowly roll your head to the right, with chin to chest, until your right ear is parallel to your right shoulder. Drop your chin and roll — slowly — to the left. Repeat five times.
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Arm Stretch: Making sure your legs are hip-length apart and knees slightly bent (as they should be throughout all these standing exercises), crossweave your fingers together, palms facing out, and raise over your head. For 30 seconds, try and push them up as far as you can. Keeping your fingers crossed, face your palms toward your feet, and push down for another 30 seconds.
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Behind-Back Bent-Arm Stretch: Raise one arm in a 90-degree angle over your head, so your palm is facing out and above your head. Grab your elbow with your other hand, gently pulling down on that arm until you feel your right shoulder dip. With your right hand behind your back, try and grab your left shoulder blade, while with your left, gently push your right arm back slightly until you feel the stretch. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat with other arm.
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Behind-Back Straight-Arm Stretch: With hands behind your back and by your butt, cross your fingers together so your palms face outward. Lift your arms as high as you can for 30 seconds.
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Towel-Grab Stretch: Grab a wrapped-up hand towel by both ends so that your outstretched arms are shoulder-length apart. With arms still outstretched, lift them over and behind you as far they will go. Do not bend elbows during lift. Your range should increase as you progress. Do this five times (slowly).
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Overhang Stretch: For tall people, this usually works best if you are using a wall or better yet, a pillar of some sort. With bent knees, bend over in a 90-degree angle, push your abdomen out (so you curve your spine) and elevate your hands against the wall, but above your shoulders. Slowly raise your hands (nothing else) until you feel the stretch. Hold for 30 secs.
Issue 1
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Health & Fitness
Standing Tall
Stretching … con'd
TORSO and LEGS
1
Quadriceps Stretch: Lying on the floor, lift one leg by the knee until your front muscle touches (or as close to it as possible) your stomach. With other leg as straight as possible, grab below the knee and pull down slightly. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat for other leg.
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Squats: It’s okay if you hold on to a wall or pillar when first doing this. Standing straight, lower yourself into a squatting position (spreading your feet out as needed), trying to touch the floor with your butt. Hold for 30 seconds. Try standing up using only your leg muscles.
3
Groin Stretch: Sitting down, draw your legs together so that your soles touch each other. Holding your feet with your hands, gently push your knees down toward the ground with your forearms. Hold for 30 seconds.
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4
Split Stretch: Again, you might need to hold onto something when you first start doing this. While sitting, spread your outstretched legs out as far as you can from each other. Hold for 30 seconds.
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Runner’s Stretch: Still sitting, bend one leg until your foot touches the inside thigh of your other leg, which should be stretched out in front of you, toes pointing up. Bend down (using only your back and waist, no neck!), try and grab as far down your leg as possible. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat with other leg. Note: For those who are rusty, grab a towel and wrap it around your feet, and use the ends as handles to pull yourself along.
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Half-Split Stretch: This one is a little hard to do, but it’s one of the best. With one leg stretched out behind, lower yourself on one knee as far down as you can holding yourself up with your palms. Don’t bounce, holding for 30 seconds. Repeat with other leg. Now relax, because you’re done!
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Health & Fitness
Watch Your Back
WHO IS THAT BACK MAN? We will be including more advice from Dr. Stein, but we thought we should introduce the man first and give you some background on who he is and why he knows what he’s talking about. One fact you should know: Dr. Stein stands 7’2”. If anyone should relate to physical problems from being tall, the good doctor would be the one. Dr. Torsten Stein was once a professional basketball player from Germany. He arrived in the United States to play college basketball at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, New Jersey. It was while playing at this college that he started experiencing pretty serious back problems.
Dr. Stein, I am 6’6” and find that my lower back is really starting to bother me at work (I sit in front of a computer). My company is very small, so they don’t have the money to buy a custom chair, but the pain is really starting to get to me. Do you have any advice or ideas on how to alleviate the pain, or any suggestions to making my chair better for my back? — Patrick V., Ohio Dear Patrick, Since you mention “bother,” you indicate that you might have a problem in your spine. I would guess it doesn’t hurt you all the time, only after you’ve been sitting for a long time. So my first suggestion is to get your spine checked and, if you need it, adjusted by a competent chiropractor. Now, let’s talk about the proper chair. You are correct when you mention a custom chair – that would be very beneficial for you, but pricey too. Good ones can cost a lot. Being 7’2” and 285 lbs myself, I know how important a good chair is. In fact, I am currently researching this subject and will let you know when I find what I believe is the perfect chair for tall/heavy people. For now, here’s how you can avoid future problems: Take a rest every 30 minutes or so and walk around for a minute or two. Take a trip to the water cooler and have a glass of water or do some stretching — the main thing is to make it a habit to do it all the time, even when you are under a tight deadline.
Beyond the debilitating back pain, he began realizing that the rest of his body was not working as good as it used to. For a guy in the prime of his life, this was not a good thing.
Sitting straight will help you maintain your posture, and proper posture will put less stress on your spine. You want your feet to touch the ground and your thighs parallel to the floor (if your knees are higher than your buttocks, your chair is too low).
He went the usual medical way but didn’t get much relief. When he attended a rookie camp of the New Jersey Nets a few years later, he was treated by their team chiropractor and for the first time experienced some help with his pain. Relieved, the experience became a cathartic one, and Torsten realized his destiny (as epic as that sounds): to help people reach their health goals through chiropractic procedures. Realizing his professional basketball dream was ending, he enrolled in medical school and graduated as a Doctor of Chiropractic.
I would also recommend either taking the arm rests off your chair or lowering them enough so that you can’t use them. A lot of us get lazy in our seating habits and rest our upper body on these arm rests, which makes us slouch.
Mr. Stein is currently living his dream in Phoenix, Arizona, working in one of the largest chiropractic clinics in the world and helping patients from all over the United States and Europe. His clientele not only include many former and current athletes, but any member of the general populace looking for some relief.
Dr. Stein is a licensed chiropractor who also happens to be 7’2”. You can reach him at seventwodoc@yahoo.com. All responses from Dr. Stein should be considered suggestions only. Please consult a chiropractor, licensed doctor, or physician before attempting any of these suggestions.
NOTE: Since you mention computer work, the monitor should be at eyelevel and you shouldn’t have to lean forward to read from the screen. If possible, buy some boosters for your desk too, and raise it as high as comfortably possible. You can find monitor and furniture raises at www. tallpaulstallmall.com. Next issue: Help! My son is growing up too fast!
Find out more information at www. worldstallestchiropractor.com, or e-mail him at seventwodoc@yahoo.com.
Issue 1
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Growing Up
Tall Teen Talk DEAR TALL TEEN TALK
DEAR TALL TEEN TALK,
I hate shopping. I am very tall — a size 16 — and either pants are too short or look like they came from my mother’s closet (ugh!). I want to wear clothes like my shorter (normal) friends but can’t find them. Shopping trips are always nightmares with big arguments between my mother and me. Help me! — Empty Closet
I am 15, 6’2”, and am uncoordinated. I hate basketball and am not much good at other sports. People judge me because of my size; they tease me, are intimidated by me, or think I am mean. — Johnny Tall
Empty Closet: Shopping can be very frustrating, trust me! But first — you are normal, just exceptionally (and probably beautifully) tall. You’d be surprised to find out that some of your friends envy you because you are tall. While you cannot wear junior clothes, you can imitate the fashions you see in magazines. One trick is to be creative in accessories where one size does fit all. Find clothes that fit that you can adjust to look like the clothes your friends wear. Most teens find that shopping trips are best done in short bursts of time. Two hours of shopping is just too upsetting, especially when you try on ten pairs of pants and can’t find even one that reaches your ankles. It may take several trips to various stores over several weekends to find what you need, so give yourself time and be patient. Specialty catalogues might be another answer (TALL’s fashion section lists resources for tall men and women). Finally, never go shopping with a friend who can fit into anything they try on (and end up buying everything too). They will go home with a bag of clothes and you will go home more miserable than you started.
Johnny: As unbelievable as this might sound, I can pretty much guarantee that almost every adult reading this magazine has gone through the same thing you’re going through. It’s not fun. At all. But I can promise you that it will get better. Until then, I want you to try three things that will change your life. One: stand tall. Always. Never stoop or slouch. Two: smile and be nice. Always. And three, go to your school’s weightroom and start a basic weightlifting program — bench press, squats, curls, triceps. Do these three things, Johnny, and I guarantee that when you finally stop growing up, no one will tease you (you’ll be buff), be intimated by you (you’re such a nice guy), and you will earn respect (because you respect yourself). Trust me. Have a question? E-mail us editor@tallmagazineonline.com and we will do our best to reply either in print, online at www. tallmagazineonline.com, or on our podcast, Tall Things Considered.
Late Night Tall Tales
THE TALLEST TALK-SHOW HOST TALKS TALL
There was doubt at first, but Conan O’brien has carved out a very nice niche for himself among the late-night television viewers. Though he has earned it through his unique comic style and memorable guests, Conan thinks it might be something else (actual show transcripts): Guest: Why do you think they [NBC] picked you? O’Brien: Height. I think I’ve got the height. I’m 6’4”. Height has a lot to do with it, I really believe that. All our great presidents have been tall men. Lincoln ... There aren’t any after that! Well, screw that idea then. He certainly wasn’t hired to play on NBC’s basketball team. Conan O’Brien: Please welcome Michael T. Weiss. How’re you doing, 10
Michael? You’re a tall guy. How tall are you? Michael Weiss: I’m six-three. COB: Six-three? MTW: Yes. COB: Really. ‘Cause I’m about six-four. Did they try and make you — I had no coordination as a child, but because I was tall, everybody said, “You must play basketball.” MTW: Right. COB: And I’d get out there, and I’d go, “Ooohh.” And they would say, you know, “Please sit over there and never play basketball again.” And I would just weep in the corner alone, sadly. MTW: Actually, you are tall, because I saw you on the streets of New York last summer when I was here. COB: I’m like Big Bird when I walk around. On TV I come across as a small, insignificant person. But in real life I’m.... MTW: You’re just big. COB: Exactly.
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"The tallest podcast in the world." On iTunes and Stitcher and www.tallthingsconsidered.com The official podcast of Tall magazine.Featuring interviews (coming soon), health and fitness advice, current affairs, sports, and much more.
Issue 1
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“I only ever did what I wanted to do ... I certainly did not want to get to be 67 and not have work.�
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DONALD SUTHERLAND has a job to do BY AMY LONGSDORF
The late Sixties and early Seventies witnessed the dawn of what would be known as Hollywood’s New Renaissance. This new era of filmmaking was ushered in by the grittier, dirtier, more realto-life movies of directors like Brian DePalma, Scorsese, Spielberg, Coppola, and even George Lucas. Among the wave of character actors like Dennis Hopper, Robert DeNiro, Gene Hackman, and Jack Nicholson, that define this era was 6’4” Donald Sutherland.
He was one of Kelly’s Heroes and a member of The Dirty Dozen. He was the voice of sanity in Ordinary People and an utter madman in Backdraft. He has worked under such notable directors as Ingmar Bergman, Bernardo Bertolucci, and Federico Fellini. However, there is an ironic secret to these achievements: Getting in front of the camera still scares David Sutherland to death. “I feel nervous every single time,” admits the veteran actor of more than 100 movies. “I don’t only feel nervous, I am nervous. It’s a reality. I’m actually nervous right now. Interviews are hard work.” Clad in a tan sweater, a blue shirt and coral-colored slacks, Sutherland seems anything but apprehensive. When he strides into his suite at Manhattan’s Regency Hotel, he radiates vigor. At 6’4”, he’s one of the only actors who, in person, seems larger than life. In The Italian Job, the actor took a small role and imbued it with his authoritarian energy. “Donald had such great presence,” notes producer Donald DeLine. “He doesn’t have much screen time in The Italian Job, but he made his character palpable even when he’s not onscreen.” The film, directed by F. Gary Gray, is a modern-day remake of the British 1969 Michael Caine gold-heist flick. Donald Sutherland stars as John Bridger, who teams up with Charlie Croker (Mark Wahlberg) and together form a plan to lift a lot of gold bullion from a Venice palazzo. The cast also includes Ed Norton, Jason Stratham, Seth Green, Mos Def, Charlize Theron as Stella Bridger, Sutherland’s safe-cracking daughter. Oh, and several Mini Coopers too. The film notoriously made headlines even before production began. An off-camera fracas resulted between Norton and Paramount Pictures, who’s backing the film, when Norton initially passed on taking part in The Italian Job, the studio insisted he co-star to fulfill an old commitment.
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Donald Sutherland as the title character in the film Klute. Norton agreed, filling the role of bad guy turned really bad guy Steve Firezelli, but let his displeasure be known. On this disturbance Sutherland has no comment, but he’s happy to sing the praises of his other co-stars, including Theron. “I had just finished doing Cold Mountain, playing Nicole Kidman’s father; and the delight of playing her father was still echoing around inside me when I was asked to play Charlize’s father in The Italian Job,“ notes Sutherland, a native of New Brunswick, Canada. “When you play someone’s father, your imagination as an actor runs free. You think about changing their diapers, watching them go to University on the first day. It was a lovely experience.” Ironically, Sutherland and Theron didn’t share a single face-to-face scene in the movie. But these small details didn’t stop the duo from bonding: “The day I did the telephone sequence with Donald, I picked up the phone and, to my surprise, he was on the line,” recalls Charlize Theron. “He had cleared his entire day to be on the phone for me, which I thought was so unbelievably generous because I’m sure that he had much better things to do.” Wahlberg, who did share scenes with Sutherland, admits to being a big fan of the older actor: “Donald is one of the warmest, most generous guys I’ve ever met. He showed up to meet me with two bottles of the best French wine and I thought, ‘Okay, this guy’s a sweetheart.’ “To be able to work with a man like that and have him respect you and be so giving as an actor, it gave me hope for the future. Sometimes you meet actors you admire and they turn out to be pricks. It just kind of happens that way. But that wasn’t the case with Donald Sutherland.”
THINK YOU KNOW DONALD SUTHERLAND? Yeah? Well, did you know that: 1. Donald Sutherland was so convinced that the movie Animal House was going to bomb that he took an upfront payment of $40,000 instead of a percent of the gross. If he had taken the gross percentage, he would be worth an additional $30-$40 million. 2. His half brother is the poet John Sutherland. 3. He was raised in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, where early on he took an interest in entertainment, serving as a local radio DJ when he was all of fourteen. 4. He became very seriously ill during on-location filming of 1970’s Kelly’s Heroes in Yugoslavia. 5. For 1996’s A Time To Kill, Sutherland wanted his character, Lucien Wilbanks, to be played much more like the drunkard depicted in the book. Director Joel Schumacher disagreed, thinking Donald’s character would be too comical for the serious movie. Find out more about Donald Sutherland at www.imdb.com
Sutherland is a man of many personas. For fans of ‘70s cinema, he’s an icon of irreverence, thanks to his turns in edgy films like M*A*S*H, Klute, and Don’t Look Now. For those who know him chiefly as a character actor, he’s gained a reputation as one of Hollywood’s scariest villains. If you disagree, take some time to revisit his his blackhearted performances in Eye of the Needle, Lock-Up, and Outbreak? For those movie fans who grew up on the Brat Pack generation of movie stars, he’s best known as the father of Kiefer Sutherland, who is now enjoying a renaissance of his own thanks in part to the TV series 24. Amazingly, Sutherland says his son only requested his advice once. Years ago, the young actor asked if he could do a practice audition for his Dad. “I thought, ‘Oh God, please, let him be good,’” recalls the elder Sutherland, a fivetime father. “And he was. He was brilliant! I was so relieved, and he said, ‘Well, 14
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that’s the way they want me to do it. Can I show you how I want to do it?’ and I said, ‘Please,’ and then, he did it again, totally different and much better. My hair stood up. I don’t even remember whether he got the part, but I knew he’d be okay. He was wonderful.” Sutherland doesn’t know why he’s been able to keep working in feature films while fellow ‘70s icons like Elliot Gould and George Segal have all but disappeared from the big screen. “I’m cheap, I guess,” he says, laughing. “I can’t tell you. My participation in this life is very subjective, and yours would be the objective view that would say, ‘Okay, it’s because of this and this and this.’ I have no idea.” For his part, Sutherland says his criterion for choosing work is a simple one: “I only ever did what I wanted to do, and if what I ended up wanting to do kept me in work, that was terrific. I certainly did not want to get to be 67 and not have work.” It’s very telling that when Sutherland is asked to reminiscence about his favorite films, he doesn’t fall back on the standardissue making-of memories. Instead, Sutherland would rather talk about his co-stars and his life-long friendship with them, his family and the great meals he’s eaten along the way. He recalls going to a fancy restaurant with his M*A*S*H co-star Elliot Gould when both of them were at the peak of their popularity. Gould ordered the most expensive bottle of wine and then dribbled it down his chin to get a laugh from Sutherland. Another memory happened during the making of Ordinary People. During Sutherland’s close-ups, director Robert Redford would play Mary Tyler Moore’s role off-camera. Inspiring. Sutherland’s memories of Don’t Look Now center on his friendship with reclusive co-star Julie Christie and his happy tenure in Venice. “Venice is where my wife and I conceived our first child,” say Sutherland of third wife Francine Racette, a FrenchCanadian actress he married in 1972. “His name is Roeg after [director] Nick Roeg. And the food was also tremendous. The best food, though, is in Florence. God, we had the best meal there that I’ve ever had in my life. It was absolutely perfect.”
first, and when Bob Altman was brought on the project, he wanted to get rid of me, but the studio would not let him. It was just Bob Altman being Bob Altman. He just didn’t like me and still doesn’t.”
“I love it more so now than I ever did,” he notes about the movie industry. “It’s changed but it’s more profound because then it was my whole life. But now it’s just something that I’m devoted to that informs my life.” So, how did they manage to work together? “Carefully,” says Sutherland. “It was okay, really. It wasn’t like I was marrying him.” Through hits and misses, nightmare-parts, and dream-cometrue roles, Sutherland’s passion for his profession has never waned. “I love it more so now than I ever did,” he notes. “It’s changed but it’s more profound because then it was my whole life. But now it’s just something that I’m devoted to that informs my life.” Regrets? Sutherland’s had a few. During the early Seventies he turned down starring roles in both Deliverance and Straw Dogs because he felt both films were both too violent. “I remember I got a call from [Deliverance author] James Dickey and he said, ‘It’s not about violence,’ and I said, ‘Oh yes it is,’ and then Jon Voight did it instead. The same thing happened with Straw Dogs, which Dustin Hoffman did. I do regret not having done those pictures.” Sutherland smiles. “But you know what? If I had done them, the course of my life would’ve taken a different path, and I wouldn’t, maybe, have ended up in 1971 in Saskatchewan on the set of Alien Thunder. “I would not have turned around and seen Francine Racette and then, I would not have had her in my life for the last 31 years. So, I would rather have my wife than two more films on my resume.”
But Donald Sutherland hasn’t always clicked with his collaborators. He famously clashed with Robert Altman during the making of M*A*S*H and, according to some reports, tried to have the filmmaker fired. “[Producer] Ingo Preminger hired me Issue 1
Donald Sutherland and M*A*S*H co-star Elliott Gould 15
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WE WANT OUR
[Air] Space AND WE WANT IT NOW!
… PLEASE? Diana Fairechild’s Fair Air Coalition is fighting for our air space. Want in?
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D
iana Fairechild has been around the world. She began flying at the end of 1966, during PanAm’s glory days, as an international chief purser, circling the globe every month. Literally. She worked PanAm’s Around the World route. It was, in her words, “really fun.” But all was not well in the friendly skies. After only about a year after starting her job, she almost died from thrombophlebitis and pulmonary embolism. (For those of us not in the medical profession, this is when a blood clot that forms in the legs, usually in the calves, rises up through the bloodstream and enters the heart and the lungs. Research has found that this kind of situation commonly arises from having ones legs be inert for a long period of time, causing blood to settle and not circulate properly.) After this incident, she realized pretty quickly that if she wanted to keep her purser job, she would have to start focusing on her health. Diana started gathering and investigating information about the health conditions on the airlines she flew on.
That was in 1978, and after 14 years of gathering this information, she self-published and released Jet Smart in 1992. It was a head-turning book, and its release brought Diana into the national spotlight, appearing on TV talk shows and being written about in newspaper articles. In 1999, she followed up with Jet Smarter, again selfpublished, and the formation of the Fair Air Coalition (FAC). Under the FAC she hopes to get more of this kind of work done in concert with others who are doing the same research she is. Her goal, she says, “is to organize the FAC in such a way that it is self-sustaining.” And though she ultimately would want the FAC to be a strong lobbying force, right now she wants it more to serve to disseminate information to the public. By the time this article prints she will have put the final touches on what will be her next publishing venture on air safety, Strategies for the Wise Passenger, which is volume one of a planned ten-volume set titled The Jet Safe & Easy Series. From the influx of letters from readers and supporters that resulted from her past titles, she deduced that the new information she was gathering would be too big for one book. She decided to disseminate her findings over the course of a a ten-book series that should be in stores soon. Great, you say, but what does this have to do with tall people and flying? Well, there’s a chapter in the first book in the series titled “Too Tall,” a chapter she spent over seven years accumulating data for. It’s a topic that she cares very deeply about and was very excited when Tall Magazine sat down with her across phone lines. In the ensuing conversation, we talked about why tall people and airlines don’t mix, what the Fair Air Coalition is all about, and what it’s doing to help us. TALL MAGAZINE: You have a questionnaire on your web site, www.flyana.com, asking tall people to give you feedback and stories about flying. What sort of input have you received from people? Is there a general list of grievances? Diana Fairechild: I’ve seen everything. The tall people who have written are creative, and careful, and I found that as a 18
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The best thing a tall person could do if they want a special favor from a flight attendant is to acknowledge how busy they are and to understand and say, “I know you’re really very busy and my heart goes out to you. I’m in a situation here where my leg bone is longer than the space I have to put it in. I don’t know if anything can be done but I just wanted you to be aware of my situation.” Be kind and be friendly toward them. group they are gentle giants, not loud and argumentative at all. They’re just trying to work it. TM: Is that not the right approach at times? Should we as a group be more demanding? DF: I can’t really say. I think maybe it’s the nature of being a giant, that you play yourself down that way. But I don’t think it would hurt to organize. TM: From the research you’ve been doing for the “Too Tall” chapter, what has been the general tone of the responses? DF: I’ve had lots of responses dealing with several different airlines, and I think it’s a regional thing and it’s an employee thing. I’ve wanted to do the tall chapter; I’ve been working on it for over five years and it’s ready. And I feel like it’s not just about tall people, although it does present the plight of tall passengers, so it’s almost like being a spokesperson for tall people, but it also speaks up for other people who don’t fit the mold — and there are a lot of people who don’t fit the mold. I think it will strike a universal chord, and I really believe it’s an important chapter. TM: So as a community of tall people, do we have any legal grounds to demand better treatment? If I’m 6’9” and literally can’t fit in an airline seat, but there’s this 5’4” person sitting in an exit row or the bulkhead, do we have any legal recourse in this situation? DF: Wow, I don’t want to get into a minefield here. I am not an attorney … but I am an expert witness. I’ll just put it this way: I would like to work on a case on behalf of tall passengers. I think the first step is to organize and perhaps 20
this article can help make that happen. TM: Are the airlines aware of these complaints from tall people and others who experience discomfort while flying? DF: Absolutely. TM: Are they hoping it will go away? DF: They don’t care. They only care about themselves. TM: But do you think the economic climate is affecting them, with United on the verge of bankruptcy (as of TALL going to print) and the other problems? Aren’t they scrambling for ways to attract customers? DF: They’re caring less. Well, who are we talking about, the CEO or the ticket checker and the flight attendant? The flight attendants are caught between a rock and a hard place. They are overworked, they have more tasks than they can possibly complete on a flight, so already they’re picking and choosing what to take care of. They can’t get everything done on that flight. The best thing a tall person could do if they want a special favor from a flight attendant is to acknowledge how busy they are and to understand and say, “I know you’re really very busy and my heart goes out to you. I’m in a situation here where my leg bone is longer than the space I have to put it in. I don’t know if anything can be done but I just wanted you to be aware of my situation.” Be kind and be friendly toward them. TM: Could this situation be helped by writing my congressman? Is the FAA responsible for this too or is this more of an individual airline’s policy? DF: I would write to each airline’s CEO, the Aviation Subcommittee — both in the House and in the Senate — and the director of the FAA. And send me a copy of that letter. TM: Should this be more of a petition or people sending individual letters? DF: At this point, before everybody gets organized, individual letters work best. But at some point, you need to get organized. TM: And is this something that the Fair Air Coalition would cover? DF: Yes, I would like to do it through the FAC. As I mentioned I’ve been writing this chapter for over seven years, and I’m really interested in this problem, not only for tall people but also for what it represents. POSTMORTEM: Unfortunately, Diana Fairchild passed away in 2011 (this inteview first appeared in TALL magazine in 2003). Her Web site, www.flyana.com, is no longer operating, but you can still buy her books on Amazon.com. www.tallmagazineonline.com
www.tallthingsconsidered.com
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7’4” Roger Morrissey in full demon regalia for an episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer titled “Gingerbread.” “It took six and a half hours to apply the costume,” he says. “It included a full front chest and stomach prosthetic piece, a hump on my back, full facial prosthetics, fake teeth, a wig, red contacts, finger extensions and hair laid over my upper body and arms.” 22
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A Giant of the Silver Screen R
oger’s resume is as long as he is tall; his movie list includes Like Mike, Men in Black II, Tale of the Mummy, Austin Powers in Goldmember, and Ballad of the Nightingale. On TV, he has had recurring roles in Xena, Warrior Princess, and has also appeared in Malcolm in the Middle, the X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Trek Voyager and [gasp!] Days of our Lives. If you’re a big fan of commercials, you might recognize him in spots for Pennzoil, Nike, and Carlsberg beer. For the younger generation, he has also appeared in music videos for artists ranging from Pink to Green Day to Screaming Trees to Van Gogh’s Daughter. And yes, he’s done Shakespeare on stage too, appearing in a version of Hamlet. Pretty impressive list, and Roger’s not even close to hitting his full stride yet. Taking a break between projects, Roger sat down with TALL magazine and gave us some insight into what kind of roles exist for a 7’4” actor, how Hollywood has treated him, and why he isn’t playing professional basketball. TALL Magazine: How tall were you when you graduated 8th grade? Roger Morrissey: I was approximately 6'10" when I finished 8th grade, and around 7’4” when I graduated high school. TM: Did you grow up hating being tall, hitting your head on ceilings and all that? RM: Not at first, but eventually the height attracted too much unwanted attention and I became a bit withdrawn. I was bothered more by peoples’ reactions than by hitting my head.
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Roger Morrissey’s name may not be familiar to you, but you have seen him before. Well, you may not have necessarily seen him, but he was there. You just didn’t notice him underneath whatever costume he was wearing at the time. Costumes have been an integral part of Morrissey’s burgeoning film career. Being 7’4”, there are certain movie roles that come easier for someone of that height than for someone who is 5’3”. This means Roger gets to play, in his words, “A lot of aliens, bad guys, and monsters.” Oh, and basketball players too.
Now I tend to not be bothered by a lot of things and certainly won't let my height get me down. It isn't something I can change so I learned to live with it and adjust to the "normal" world the best I can. TM: You played basketball in high school and in college. How come you didn’t go pro? RM: I can give you four reasons: two knees and two ankles. I hurt my knee in college and developed a bad attitude towards the game. Eventually I gave up playing so that I could continue to walk. TM: Were you pressured to play ball? RM: Yes, I grew up in a very small town where basketball was the main entertainment venue in the winter. So at my height, I was almost required to play. TM: How did you get into acting? RM: Actually, I fell into it. I was working in the film industry — doing lighting — and went into a production office to drop off my resume for a film starting up in Miami. I met the producer/director and he decided I would make a great bad guy for the film. I thought he was kidding, but the studio called me a few weeks later asking if I would be willing to act in their film. I agreed on taking the role if they would let me do lighting work for the film when not required in front of the camera. TM: Was it tough to find roles? RM: It started out very though, and it hasn't gotten much easier. There are few actors in my category but fewer parts available as well. 23
“There are few actors in my category, but fewer parts available as well.”
TM: How have family and friends reacted to your decision to pursue an acting career? RM: A lot of people have been surprised with my decision, but most have been very supportive of it. I’ve never had anyone try to talk me out of it. Coming from a very small town in northern New Hampshire, most of my friends and family were very surprised the first time they saw my face on the screen. Because they couldn’t actually see my face in most of my work, it took awhile for them to accept that I was an actor. Luckily, with some of my latest projects [Like Mike], the situation is changing and you can see my face. TM: What are some of your favorite moments on a movie or TV set? RM: My favorite moments all took place on the set of Xena in New Zealand. The entire cast and crew was amazing and made it so much fun to go to work everyday. The suit I wore for that show was quite heavy and very uncomfortable if you were in it for too long. If it hadn't been for the people there I probably would have hated the job. TM: What would be some ideal roles for you to play? RM: I would love to get the opportunity to do something where my height wasn't a major part of my role, perhaps something where my character was in a wheelchair and the height was taken completely out of the picture. This way, 24
people would get a chance to judge for themselves if I can act or not. TM: Out of all the roles you’ve played, what was your favorite character? RM: My favorite character was Marvin Joad, from the film Like Mike. I actually got a chance to do some good scenes, and I didn't have to be in prosthetics or a monster suit. TM: Your favorite retort to the “God/wow/gee you’re tall!” question? RM: Usually I tend to ignore most of the height comments. If someone is straight forward and asks politely for my height, I will tell them. But if it’s something stupid like "How's the weather up there?" Then it’s very likely they won't even get a response. Not worth it. TM: Where do you shop for shoes? RM: I shop mostly online. www.Friedmansshoes.com is a good place. Also www.bigfootwear.com. TM: How do you stay in shape? RM: Weights, cardio (bike, cross trainer), hiking. TM: Words of advice that inspire you: RM: Remember the past, dream of the future, live for today! Find out more about Roger Morrissey on his person Web site, www.seven4.com www.tallmagazineonline.com
Double Dribble
They’re 6’5” twins. They’re the tallest female twins in the world. They both played professional basketball. They had a Disney movie made about them. But what are Heather and Heidi Burge really like? TALL Magazine: How close were you and your sister growing up? How does that compare to today? Heather (H1): We were and are very close all our lives. We grew up in the same classes at school, played soccer, volleyball and b-ball on the same teams, and participated in the same church group. We went to college together and played our first year of professional women’s basketball together in France. Now that we don't live in the same state, we really miss each other more than if we were still together. Heidi (H2): When we lived together it was a love/hate relationship, lots of sibling fights over little things. But now that we have space, we long to be together. Fights never separated us. We always loved each other greatly, just as today. We're each other's best friends. TM: Was it tough growing up for the both of you? Did the other children treat you like oddballs? Were there points where you were just sick of it all and wanted to stay at home for the rest of your life? H1: Heidi and I were teased relentlessly, but we had each other as a standard and our parents encouraged us that "tall is beautiful," and we should be proud of our height. So, we saw it as an advantage rather than a curse. H2: It was tough, but mostly because clothes and shoes didn't fit easily, especially pants, fashionable jeans, and trendy outfits. I didn't mind the stature of being tall; I always towered over some of my friends. I don't let that bother me. TM: Who was the introvert and who was the extrovert? H1: I am more extroverted. I love being around people (like friends and family), but not huge groups of people (unlike Heidi, who loves public speaking). H2: I'm extroverted, I love people. I am the party girl; I love people and lots of them. I love to entertain and go out to parties. Issue 1
Heather’s answer is a current assessment. She is better now (I think). I dated before Heather. I was more outgoing also in the sense of the friends I chose to hang out with. We had different friends growing up, especially in high school. Heather wasn't like this at all. In fact, she was introverted until she and I separated these past three-to-four years. Now, she loves parties and events and people. Before, she always chose more closed in settings to converse or hang out. She's more like my mother, a very good one-on-one person to talk with. TM: Is there a competitive streak between the both of you? H1: We are the epitome of competitiveness on and off the court! H2: We were very competitive. We always worked very hard to outdo the other on the court. I didn't see it like that off the court, but grades and stylish clothing and being "cool" were also areas of competition. Naturally; we were always compared against each other.
“We were very competitive. We always worked very hard to outdo the other on the court.”
TM: Where you both interested in basketball or was it thrust upon you: “Hey, you’re tall, you should be playing basketball”? H1: We only played soccer, volleyball, and beach sports while growing up. Our first year of high school our coach asked us to play because we were already 6'2". I loved the idea of playing but Heidi resisted. H2: I was not interested in basketball because it’s a “contact sport.” And back in 1985, in my view, only tomboys or girls that looked like boys played basketball. I began the sport because my father made me play for at least one year, to give it a try. I saw that even girly girls could and did play. I liked to wear bows in my hair and look girly, and that wasn't really the hip thing to wear on basketball courts. On the volleyball court, where I loved to be, however, you could wear that. That was my first sport love, volleyball. I still play beach ball today. 25
The World at Large
The World’s Tallest …
Bring Out the Comfy Chair! The world's tallest chair was commissioned and built by chair manufacturer Promosedia, as part of their annual Promosedia International Chair Exhibition, and has been admitted into the Guinness Book of World Records. The sculpture (for lack of a better term), is on display in Manzano, Friuli, in northern Italy. The chair is a reproduction of their popular Marocca style.
DETAILS HEIGHT: 66'6" ft. (equivalent to a seven-story building) CUBIC METERS OF WOOD USED: 40 WOOD: Laminated wood in class I-II red pine. Scale: 23:1 DIMENSIONS AT GROUND LEVEL: Roughly 32' x 31.5' MAXIMUM HEIGHT: 65'7" FRONT LEG DIMENSIONS: 2'3" x 3' x 35'9" BACK LEG DIMENSIONS: 2'3" x 3' x 65'7" TOTAL FINISHED WEIGHT: 50,500 lbs. MANUFACTURING TIME: 300 hours ASSEMBLY TIME: 120 hours TRANSPORTATION: 2 semitrailers
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