Carlson, Steve 1943-

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Carlson, Steve 1943-

PERSONAL:

Born May 24, 1943, in Columbus, MI; son of Charlotte (Johnston) Moeller; married Gail Rae (some sources say Ramsey), 1979 (divorced, 1985); children: Quinn. Education: Attended University of Wyoming, 1961-64; graduate of the International Institute for Metaphysics, Los Angeles, CA, 1969. Hobbies and other interests: Playing in tennis tournaments, piloting gliders, skiing, and motorcycling.

CAREER:

Actor, numerous TV shows, films and commercials, 1969—, including series regular on television soap operas and series The Young and the Restless, 1972-76; General Hospital, 1977-81; New Day in Eden, 1983-84; and The Bold and the Beautiful, 1993-96. Television series and specials guest appearances include Mr. Novack, 1966; The Bob Hope Chrysler Theater, 1968-68; The Virginian, 1967-69; The John Forsyth Show, 1967; Run for Your Life, 1968; Mod Squad, 1969; Dragnet, 1970; Dr. Kildare, 1970; Wild Wild West, 1971; Ironsides, 1971; Gunsmoke, 1971; Hawaii 5-0, 1976; Love Boat, 1977; This Is the Life, 1980; Night Gallery, 1986; Crazy Like a Fox, 1992; Mickey Spillaine's Mike Hammer, 1992; Divorce Court, 1993; You Bet Your Life, 1993; Dick Clark's Rock & Roll Era, 1994; FBI Untold Stories, 1995; Real TV, 1995; Baywatch, 1996; and Seinfeld, 1999. Feature film appearances include The Young Warriors, 1967; Deadlier than the Male, 1968; Nobody's Perfect, 1968; Rascal, 1969; The Brothers O'Toole, 1977; KGOD, 1985; Legal Aliens, 1990; Shadow Force, 1991; My Name Is Bruce, 2006. Also cofounder and original partner in Special Artists Agency, Los Angeles, CA; cofounder and partner in D.B.T. Communications (database and training), Los Angeles CA; conducts seminars on acting based on writings; taught at the Mel Blanc School of Commercials, Los Angeles, CA. Military service: Air National Guard, staff sergeant, 1964-70.

MEMBER:

Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), Writers Guild of America West, Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Laurel award, Motion Picture Distributors, 1976.

WRITINGS:

Hitting Your Mark: What Every Actor Really Needs to Know on a Hollywood Set, Michael Wiese Productions (Studio City, CA), 1998, 2nd edition published as Hitting Your Mark: Making a Life—and a Living—as a Film Actor, 2006.

The Commercial Actor's Guide: All You Need to Start, Build, and Maintain a Career, Heinemann (Portsmouth, NH), 2005.

Almost Graceland (novel), Thomas Dunne Books (New York, NY), 2007.

Final Exposure (novel), St. Martin's Minotaur (New York, NY), 2008.

Screenwriter for the films The House on Roscomare Road, 1978, and Elm's Eden, 1980; writer for television shows, including staff writer for the television series One Life to Live, 1981-82, and screenplay for television film Emergency, 1987.

SIDELIGHTS:

Steve Carlson is an actor who, during his three-decade-plus career, has appeared in ten feature films and numerous television series, including stints on the soap operas The Young and the Restless, General Hospital, and The Bold and the Beautiful. He has also done numerous voiceovers and announcing for commercials and other projects. In addition to his acting work, Carlson has written screenplays, books about acting, and novels.

Carlson's first book, Hitting Your Mark: What Every Actor Really Needs to Know on a Hollywood Set, was first published in 1998 and was updated and expanded in 2006 as Hitting Your Mark: Making a Life—and a Living—as a Film Actor. The author provides the basic knowledge needed to work in film and on television, including topics such camera awareness, how to act for the camera, love scenes, using cue cards, and the basics of light and sound. The author writes about developing a professional approach to competing in the film world, from establishing the right attitude to finances and anticipating career problems. In a review of the second edition, a contributor to Bookwatch called Hitting Your Mark a "hard-hitting, factual, complete reference and how-to book for the aspiring media actor." The reviewer added: "Hitting Your Mark should be required reading for all would-be film actors."

In his first novel, Almost Graceland, Carlson tells the story of Ray Johnston, an unemployed construction worker who looks like Elvis Presley. Although Ray pays little attention to the people who constantly remind him of his uncanny resemblance to the rock 'n' roll singer, he is intrigued when he finds his mother's journals and discovers that he was adopted. He also finds out that he not only resembles Elvis but that he was also born in the same hospital and on the same day as Elvis. Ray begins to wonder about these coincidences, especially since Elvis was a twin whose brother died at birth. Eventually, Ray and Elvis meet. Although Elvis is suspicious, he can't deny the mirror-like image that Ray's face presents to him. The book follows the pair's relationship as Elvis vacillates between wanting Ray around and trying to get rid of him. At one point, Ray is kidnapped as he is mistaken for Elvis. Ray also watches as Elvis's health deteriorates, eventually leading to Elvis's death on August 16, 1977.

"Facts of Elvis's life are meticulously woven into this novel," noted Library Journal contributor Thomas L. Kilpatrick, who ventured that the novel "will catch the fancy of Elvis fans." Likewise, a contributor to Publishers Weekly wrote that "Elvis-loving readers who can put their disbelief in check will want to add this to the collection." A Kirkus Reviews contributor com- mended the author's portrayal of Presley. The author "presents him gracefully," the reviewer assessed, calling Almost Graceland "a conceptually intriguing portrait of the man Elvis might have been if he weren't all shook up."

Carlson's next novel, Final Exposure, is a thriller featuring David and Rebecca Collier, who have moved to San Francisco to follow their dreams of becoming a writer and a photographer. However, when Rebecca takes photos of some old California mansions, she runs afoul of a paramilitary group who thinks that Rebecca might know too much about them. Soon they are trying to kill Rebecca and David, who have no idea of what group thinks the two of them might know.