TIM MATHESON Life is a TEAM SPORT

The longtime actor and a star of Virgin River shares what he's learned in his new memoir

- Lindsay Hoffman

It’s hard to believe that Tim Matheson, the actor who brought smooth-talking Otter to life in 1978’s Animal House, nearly didn’t get the part. “They wouldn’t let me audition,” Tim, who at the time was best known for his roles on Bonanza and Three for the Road, tells Closer. “They said, ‘He’s a cowboy or a surfer. He’s no preppy.’” Determined to prove them wrong, Tim learned improv with The Groundlings, which helped him secure a last-minute audition. “We had the director and producers in hysterics,” recalls the actor, 77, who was cast by the end of the day. “It was a low-budget movie, but I knew it could change my career — and it did.” Now, Tim stars as Doc Mullins in Netflix’s Virgin River, which recently returned for its sixth season. He’s also released a memoir, Damn Glad to Meet You: My Seven Decades in the Hollywood Trenches. In it, he reflects on his career and the lessons he’s learned along the way. “I was lucky to work with legends like Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda,” he says. “I wanted to share what they taught me, not just about acting, but about life.”

Why was this the right time for you to write a memoir?

I just realized I was in the right place at the right time to see some very special people and to share the lessons I learned from them. Lucille Ball, Henry Fonda, Jackie Gleason, Debbie Reynolds — a generation of people who came up in vaudeville. These were really special people and I didn’t want their lessons to be lost. I think I owe it to people to pass them on.

How did you decide to become an actor?