The Man Behind 'The Most Interesting Man' Is Interesting, Too
As part of a series called My Big Break, All Things Considered is collecting stories of triumph, big and small. These are the moments when everything seems to click, and people leap forward into their careers.
When he first moved to Los Angeles, he worked as a garbage truck driver.
He's acted in Westerns alongside John Wayne — even though he couldn't ride a horse.
His big break was acting in Dos Equis beer commercials.
He is Jonathan Goldsmith ... the actor who plays "The Most Interesting Man in the World."
As it turns out, Goldsmith is pretty interesting himself.
The garbage truck driver-turned-Hollywood actor got his start with small parts in western movies.
"It wasn't easy," Goldsmith says. "Jewish boys that grow up in New York are not that adept at riding horses."
He lied his way into a part on the TV show, Gunsmoke. After director Marc Daniels hired him for a role on the show, he asked Goldsmith if he could ride a horse.
"I say, 'Like the wind, sir, without breaking stride.' Well, I had never been on a horse in my life," Goldsmith says.
When he glanced at the script, he realized he was in trouble. In Goldsmith's scene, he was supposed to vault on horseback and gallop into the night.
"As soon as I got on — the horses know," he says. "Off he went. Everyone's screaming at me, 'Turn him, turn him around.' Well, I think I'm breaking the poor horse's neck ... Every time we went round and round this wonderful, old director Marc Daniels, he looked at me, followed me, [and he] says, 'Like the wind, huh?' "
He stuck with westerns for a while, from a small part in The Shootist with John Wayne to Hang 'Em High with Clint Eastwood. In later film and television appearances, Goldsmith says he was typecast as the villain.
"All I ever wanted to do was comedy, but that was not available to me," he says. "Until the Dos Equis commercials."
It was at a time when Goldsmith was trying to resurrect his film career. He had left the industry and was working in the business world when he received a call from his then-agent, now wife, Barbara.
She suggested he try out for a commercial, playing a "Hemingway-ish character." It would be improvised and he'd have to end with the sentence, "And that's how I arm wrestled Fidel Castro."
He arrived at the audition and, to his surprise, was surrounded by hundreds of young, Latino actors.
"The line is out into the street. And I said, 'Oh boy,' " Goldsmith says. "If they're looking at these Latino guys, I better put on an accent."
The voice of the late Argentine-born actor, Fernando Lamas, instantly popped into his head. The two were sailing buddies and good friends, and Goldsmith had perfected an impression of him.
"So I thought about him and how funny he was and how charming and a great raconteur, so I put on my best Fernando imitation," Goldsmith says. "And they started laughing."
Barbara received a call from Joe Blake, the casting director. He told Barbara that they loved Goldsmith's performance, but they felt like they had to go younger.
"And in her infinite wisdom, she took a long pause and she said, 'Joe, how can the most interesting man in the world be young?' He said, 'I'll get back to you.' "
Soon after, the casting director called back. He got the part. It was Goldsmith's big break.
"At a time where many of my friends who have had far more credits than I have, were in the twilight of their career, it just started for me," he says.
"It only took 50 years. An overnight success."
We want to hear about your big break. Send us an email at mybigbreak@npr.org.
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Transcript
ARUN RATH, HOST:
When he first moved to Los Angeles, he worked as a garbage truck driver. He's been in films alongside John Wayne and his big break - these Dos Equis beer commercials.
(SOUNDBITE OF AD)
WILL LYMAN: He is The Most Interesting Man in the World.
RATH: Turns out Jonathan Goldsmith, the man behind The Most Interesting Man, is pretty interesting himself. The garbage truck driver-turned actor got his start in Westerns.
JONATHAN GOLDSMITH: And it wasn't easy. Jewish boys that grew up in New York are not that adept at riding horses.
RATH: His philosophy - fake it 'til you make it - like the time director Marc Daniels offered him a role on the TV show "Gunsmoke."
GOLDSMITH: He said the role's yours, son. Are you at liberty? And I thought of course I was at liberty. I had been driving a garbage truck for six months. I said yes, sir, I am. And I start heading to the door and he says by the way, son, do you ride? I says like the wind, sir, without breaking stride. Well, I had never been on a horse in my life.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "GUNSMOKE")
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: "Gunsmoke," starring...
GOLDSMITH: Looking at the script, it says Kyle vaults on the horse and gallops into the night. So not only could I not ride, I certainly couldn't vault. And as soon as they - I got on - the horses know - off he went. Everyone's screaming at me - turn him, turn him around. Well, I think I'm breaking the poor horse's neck. And I'm holding him - every time we went round and round, this wonderful old director Marc Daniels - he looked at me - he followed me - he says like the wind, huh? (Laughter) So...
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
GOLDSMITH: ...The Westerns didn't last that much longer on television. And then I went on to play a heavy after heavy after heavy - played nothing but bad guys. All I ever wanted to do was comedy, but that was not available to me until the Dos Equis commercials. I got a call from my then-agent and my now wife, and she said they're looking for an actor. They don't know exactly what they're looking for, but it's kind of an interesting Hemingway-ish character. And you have to do an improvisation, and you have to end up with the sentence and that's how I arm-wrestled with Fidel Castro - no problem.
So I go down to 200 South La Brea and there are literally hundreds of people. The line is out into the street. I said oh boy. And I look around and I see all of these fellows. I think every one of them was Latino. If they're looking at these Latino guys, I better put on an accent. And I had become dear friends - in fact, I buried Fernando - Fernando Lamas - when he passed away off my boat.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE GIRL WHO HAD EVERYTHING")
FERNANDO LAMAS: (As Victor Y. Raimondi) How many men have told you that you're the most beautiful girl they have ever seen?
GOLDSMITH: That was my man. He was so much fun. Oh my God, what stories.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE GIRL WHO HAD EVERYTHING")
LAMAS: (As Victor Y. Raimondi) Because every time you look up, I'll be there.
GOLDSMITH: So I thought about him and how funny he was and how charming and a great raconteur. So I put on my best Fernando imitation and they started laughing. And just a tingling of hope - but I knew better. These things were almost, if and maybes, but yes, we love him, but, but, but. We get a call in a day or so from this great casting director, Joe Blake, who I will forever be indebted to, and he says Barbara, they love him. But, you know, they feel that they really have to go younger. And in her infinite wisdom, she took a long pause and she said Joe, how can the most interesting man in the world be young? He said I'll get back to you - got back and said you got it, so certainly that was my big break.
(SOUNDBITE OF AD)
LYMAN: His fortune cookies simply read congratulations.
GOLDSMITH: Yeah, wow, at a time where many of my friends who had far more credits than I have were in the twilight of their career, it just started for me. It only took 50 years.
(SOUNDBITE OF AD)
GOLDSMITH: (As The Most Interesting Man in the World) Stay thirsty, my friends.
An overnight success.
(SOUNDBITE OF AD)
RATH: Jonathan Goldsmith. You don't have to be the most interesting man in the world to have a big break. Send us your story - mybigbreak@npr.org. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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