One executive thought Robert Conrad was ''too old'' to play Pappy Boyington in Black Sheep Squadron
Reaching a new decade in age is a blessing, but Hollywood acts as if you're one step closer to never working again. Once you hit 40, the industry stops calling unless they want you to play a parent, aunt, uncle, or grandparent. Even if you don't look your age, just being out of your 20s or 30s is enough to lose a role.
In 1976, Robert Conrad was 41 during his Louisville Times interview on August 28. In the article titled "Robert Conrad and his 'Black Sheep' get ready for a fight," the actor, a former boxer, talked about the training he did for his new series, where he played Pappy Boyington.
"See how I train?" he said after downing two glasses of red wine. Conrad then said Black Sheep Squadron wasn't lighthearted. "It's drama with humor. We are fighting an enemy. We are fighter pilots, and Boyington won the Congressional Medal of Honor — not for jokes. He didn't get the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award."
While those who still watch the series think Conrad was perfect for the part, he almost didn't star in it. "They didn't feel I was right for the role, because there is a lot of humor in it. And one executive thought I was too old...I go into the season very confident we'll do good work. But as far as what the Nielsen people say, who knows?"