Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, October 22, 1994 TAG: 9412220001
SECTION: SPECTATOR PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JAMES ENDRST THE HARTFORD COURANT
DATELINE: NEW YORK LENGTH: Medium
And he's smiling that familiar, self-satisfied smile of his - all crinkles around the eyes.
And why not? After four years on CBS' ``Northern Exposure'' as the ever-irritable Joel Fleischman - the New York physician who found himself indentured to a tiny town in Alaska called Cicely - Morrow is preparing for his happy escape, a farewell episode for the character scheduled for February.
``It's beautiful,'' Morrow says during an interview at the hotel where he's promoting his book of behind-the-scenes snapshots called ``Northern Exposures'' (Hyperion, $9.95, paperback).
``I can't think of another instance in television where they've done it so beautifully,'' he says. ``Usually, if a character is going to go, either he doesn't show up at the beginning of the season, or they kill him off - something abrupt. But because we've had enough time to plan it, they're doing what I call `the greening of Joel.' He kind of goes up river a la Joseph Conrad's `Heart of Darkness' and goes native for a period of five or six episodes.''
What's most satisfying, he says, is a sense of evolution. ``It would have been so disappointing to me to have him get on a plane and go back to New York,'' he says.
Morrow, of course, is in the midst of his own professional evolution. Having received rave reviews for his starring role as Richard Goodwin in the critically acclaimed ``Quiz Show,'' he's making feature films his full-time job.
He admits to some healthy fears about leaving television, even though making movies has always been his dream.
Though Morrow doesn't apologize for his well-publicized squabbles with the producers of ``Northern Exposure'' - sometimes over money, sometimes over creative choices - he steps away, he says, ``with sadness.''
And indeed, his affection for the show and his fellow cast members is evident in the family photo-album motif that holds his book together.
For years, the New York-born actor has spent time in between acting jobs taking photographs - a hobby he picked up from his father.
``I think I picked it up, consciously anyway, because there's so much downtime as an actor,'' he says. ``And the idea of having something that I could do without having to get anyone's permission, approval or finances was just something I wanted to explore aesthetically.''
Morrow says he used to give the photos he took to his colleagues as gifts.
``The thing about `Northern Exposure' was that I'd been here for 41/2 years, and so the book was thicker than anything I'd ever had, and I thought people who watched the show would like it. It's basically just a commercialized version of my own personal moments.''
But there was something else going on.
``I think it was preparing me to learn how to frame a world,'' says Morrow. He also wrote, produced and directed a short film called ``The Silent Alarm,'' which had its premiere last spring at the Seattle Film Festival. (Morrow lives in Seattle, not far from Roslyn, Wash., where ``Northern Exposure'' is filmed.)
If he were to take a photograph of his life right now, a psychological self-portrait, ``it would be a blur,'' he laughs. ``It would be utterly soft focus and look like I had Tourette syndrome.''
But Morrow would be smiling, even through the separation pains.
``The reason I'm leaving is because I feel I have nothing else to offer,'' he explains. ``I'll have done 100 shows when I finish, and the joy of acting for me is playing different characters and creating different characters. I feel that the only reason I'm hanging around is to make a lot of money - not that I don't want to make a lot of money - but if that becomes my priority, I think the creative edge that I need will disappear, and I'll lose what I cherish, which is the work.''
So Dr. Fleischman will leave. But before that happens, Dr. Phillip Capra (Paul Provenza) will move in (on Nov. 28).
Capra will be an older, married (to actress Teri Polo) and more upbeat character than Fleischman - which executive producers David Chase, Andrew Schneider and Diane Frolov say will give the show a shot in the arm.
``We wanted a very optimistic character,'' says Frolov in a telephone interview, ``a character that would bring that kind of energy to the show.''
Had Morrow been happy to stay, however, the producers say they would have been happy to have him. Though Schneider admits, ``There were some stressful times last year because Rob was not happy and wanted to move on.''
``It's scary,'' says Morrow, who is working on his next movie deal. ``It's frightening because it's a comfortable situation. But I've got to take that risk.''
``Northern Exposure'' airs Mondays at 10 p.m. on WDBJ-Channel 7. The show will be pre-empted this week by the Carol Burnett special, ``Men, Movies & Carol.''
by CNB