Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, November 20, 1994 TAG: 9411180061
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN ENGSTROM SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
DATELINE: SEATTLE LENGTH: Long
They call Morrow creepy, ominous, a jerk, a snob, a spoiled brat star. Then they start with the unprintable words.
On ``Northern Exposure,'' the CBS Monday-night hit series Morrow is leaving, one director described him as ``the first actor I've ever had who was absolutely undirectable.''
But others around the show find him a perfectly acceptable fellow committed to his craft.
``I think he's a nice guy,'' said one crew member, joining a couple of others who said they've had no problems with Morrow they haven't had with other actors. ``It's a pretty taxing business. A lot of times people just have an off day.''
But, as Morrow himself argues, it's too easy to label him just one or the other, the well-meaning Dr. Jekyll or despicable Mr. Hyde.
He's some of both, according to John Cullum, whose 38 years as an actor, some as a Tony-winning Broadway star, encompass the entire life of Morrow, 32.
``All the things you write negative about Rob are going to have a grain of truth in them,'' Cullum said, ``and all of the things that I will say positive about him have a grain of truth.''
Cullum (Holling Vincoeur on ``Northern Exposure'') said Morrow ``is a talented guy, who has a lot of energy and sense of responsibility, a lot of drive, and he works harder than almost anybody, as hard as most stars work.''
Morrow, who has lived in the Seattle area for four and a half years while shooting ``Northern Exposure'' in Redmond and Roslyn, Wash., has chosen to leave the series early, even though he's finally at a place where he could, in his words, ``make the big bucks.''
He said he doesn't like the increasing confinement of playing the same role for 100 episodes or the breakneck pace of weekly TV, and he's afraid of career complacency nursed by financial security.
Instead, he'll pursue films, fast on the heels of his first high-profile feature role in Robert Redford's ``Quiz Show.''
That movie earned Morrow a mixed bag of praise and pans. He's also being critically hammered for a new book of candid photos he took on ``Northern Exposure'' sets and locations, a collection he says is more for fans than lovers of photography, his longtime hobby.
But Morrow said he reads critical reviews and stories about himself less and less.
``I'm adopting more of a casual attitude about it,'' he said, ``because ultimately my work is what's important to me. The game that gets played on the periphery is not that significant in the long run.''
It's significant, however, to his colleagues on ``Northern Exposure.'' Many mark him down for ``works well with others.''
``He's so involved in his own problems - and young people are that way - that he has a tendency not to see other people's problems,'' Cullum said.
Morrow feels he has made progress during his run on ``Northern Exposure.''
``The lessons I have learned here will carry me for the rest of my life, both about my craft and about working with people,'' he said in a recent interview.
``Some of us have different approaches to the work. If you want to be in a comfortable environment, you have to learn to embrace other people's differences.''
Tackling the criticism aimed at him, Morrow echoed Cullum's words, saying ``there's probably a grain of truth'' in the personal shots fired his way.
``I'm certainly fallible,'' he said. ``I'm certainly capable of making mistakes. I'm certainly capable of having a temper and yelling for something that may be trivial.
``But I'm not ... megalomaniacal. I don't see it as MY show. ... I am completely sensitive to other people and their needs. I wouldn't want anyone to be having a bad trip on my account.''
For the most part, he said, his image has been poisoned by venomous critics - for reasons he can't fathom - or cast and crew who don't understand how he works.
``Acting is a very self-involved, at times narcissistic pursuit,'' Morrow said.``I love my craft. It's religion to me. ... I take it seriously, and I'm passionate about it and I stand up for what I believe.''
As practiced by Morrow, it's an approach that exudes what Cullum calls hubris, an arrogance born of pride or passion. Such arrogance is common to talented people and easy to criticize, Cullum added, ``but if you don't have it to a certain extent, then you don't deserve to be at the top.''
For four years, Morrow's Fleischman has been a pesky New York fly caught in a sticky mix in Cicely, Alaska, whose townfolk couldn't shoo him away, much as they wanted to at times.
In the same way, some in the cast and crew couldn't rid themselves of Morrow, much as they might have fantasized. Now it's about to happen.
Last week's episode of ``Northern Exposure'' began Morrow's departure in a story line culminating with Fleischman's farewell, probably in February.
When Maggie O'Connell (Janine Turner) boots Fleischman out of their love nest, he heads up river, literally, and goes native in a remote village, a take on Joseph Conrad's ``Heart of Darkness.'' There he'll stay. In future weeks, he'll have visitors from Cicely and make a couple of treks out.
In his final episode, called ``The Quest,'' Fleischman and O'Connell set out to find the fabled ``Jeweled City of the North.'' Barring a TV miracle, we will see no more of Fleischman, or Morrow, on the show. Some staffers on ``Northern Exposure'' - many, if a recent round of random interviews was representative - will find that a relief.
Morrow isn't the lone target of criticism on the show. His co-star Turner is infamous for quirky demands and over-the-top tantrums.
``I think the producers would have been happy if a script had put [Fleischman and O'Connell] on a plane and had it crash and the show went on without them,'' said one industry representative with connections to both the cast and crew and the production company.
But executive producer/writer Diane Frolov chose a positive line to address Morrow's actions on ``Northern Exposure'' and his departure.
``We all value Rob. We don't want to see him go,'' she said.
In fact, according to Morrow, he wanted to leave after last season but was asked to return for 13 episodes so Fleischman's farewell could be handled creatively.
``There is no war going on [with Morrow],'' Frolov said. ``There's nothing like that. Rob wants to leave the show. He's been unhappy, and this is going to make him happy.
``Just say we are parting on good terms, and let Rob speak to his own behavior.''
Despite the barbs aimed his way, Morrow paints his time on ``Northern Exposure'' in a positive color.
``This experience has been golden to me,'' he said. ``Difficult? Hell, yes, man. Anything worthwhile is difficult. It's an intense environment, but ultimately this is what I feel: It was sweet and it was hard and we went on a journey together.''
Looking forward, he has a possible film project in January, with a couple of other acting jobs likely through the year.
Sitting on a bench along Lake Washington one day recently, as the low autumn sun glared off the waves, he mused and pointed around: ``With the Cascades over there and the Olympics over there ... I really like Seattle, so I'm going to delay moving as long as I can.''
But he also sounded certain he'll end up back in his first love, New York City.
It is there and in Los Angeles, he said, where ``many of the people I love'' are located. And it is in those two cities where he may find the most refuge among friends from what he calls the ``circus sideshow'' of criticism that swirls around his career.
``Ultimately, the people I care about and respect get me. You can't be liked by everybody, unfortunately.''
by CNB