Maxwell Caulfield on life in NYC before AIDS

In an interview posted this week on Queerty, writer Jeremy Kinser says to English actor Maxwell Caulfield: ‘You’re widely considered to be one of the most handsome men to ever appear on screen.’

Well said Jeremy! And definitely the sentiments of many gay men who first laid eyes on Maxwell in the 1982 film Grease 2 in which he starred in opposite Michelle Pfeiffer.

In the interview, Maxwell talks about his breakthrough film, about his days on the Dynasty spinoff The Colbys, about his long marriage to actress Juliette Mills and about the production of The Odd Couple he is appearing in at The Laguna Playhouse all month.

He plays neatness freak Felix Unger, a role first played by Art Carney on stage, by Jack Lemmon on film and Tony Randall on television.

On Felix Caulfield says: ‘There’s no question that Felix has major issues. He’s passive aggressive and a major drama queen. I’m not saying he’s gay, and I’m not playing him as gay because he’s not written as gay. He certainly knows how to milk a situation and make it all about him. I can’t imagine why they thought of me for this role. I thought Am I really right for Felix? Then I began to realize his behavior is what’s so funny about him. His self-absorption and all of his various ailments and hypochondria and obsession with cleanliness.’

Another part of the interview that stood out for me was Maxwell talking about his early days as a young actor living in New York City.

‘My cast members took me to gay discos after the show and after hours and it was pretty eye-opening. There was no better time in the world than the late ’70s and early ’80s. Before the damned plague hit it was absolutely party central. On our days off we went to Fire Island and there were tea dances and it was a scene. No one forced themselves on you. Everyone was just in love with life. Some would disappear into the Pines or whatever it was called. Others just carried on dancing and drinking. [Laughs] It was a memorable time. I’m glad I got to come to New York before the Disneyfication of the city and before the pall was cast over it by that dreadful disease. I lost friends like everybody. It’s like anywhere nowadays when you look at it and think it’s changed, but thank God I knew it then. I was lucky enough to experience that.’