David Gets Personal

Most of what I know is very organic. I feel.

I was asked to do an interview for something and I had to pick a field that I was an expert in and do something specific in that field. I declined to do the interview because I’m not an expert in anything. I’m sort of a jack of all trades. In the years I’ve been doing what I do and in my preparation and everything else, I guess I’ve become a kind of garbage can, a web site, if you like, where I’ve collected a lot of stuff. I’m really more a collector of disciplines and interests.

I’m a very selfish person, self-centered … I hope you understand the context in which I’m saying that. I don’t say that regretfully or in a judgmental way; it’s a fact, and it’s something I need to be aware of. I’m not an easy guy to life with … and maybe this wanderlust that I have didn’t help.

My biggest regrets deal with personal behavior, for which I am very remorseful. But, shit, man, I’ve seen it all. I grew up in Berlin right after the war. I’ve traveled the world. I’ve scaled the height of fame and watched the cockroaches creep up the walls. I’ve had a lot of money, and I’ve had none.

Regarding the incident of domestic violence involving his third wife: It’s something … you never really get over. To deal with the stark reality of having hit or hurt a woman or child, to deal with the initial responsibility you have not to do that, and the knowledge you did do it, can be incredibly hard. Then there’s the feelings that follow. Because, ironically, the victims, the long-term victims, are both people. Because you can’t live with yourself and the shame and the guilt. In 2002, David was interviewed on BBC Radio 2 as part of Hitting Home, a BBC-wide campaign to help raise awareness of the issue domestic violence. Here is that very personal and honest interview.

When asked if he was happy with his body: I used to be, but I didn’t take notice of it. It’s only when gravity starts to take over you begin to think about your body.

When asked what, in his opinion, makes a woman sexy?: Anything she doesn’t do to try to change the way she is naturally … and secondly, the way she looks … at me.

Once in a while I’ll get moved to do some exercise. It’s something I long for but the biggest problem is bending down and putting my tennis shoes on. Once I go out I’m okay.

When asked about difficult times during his post-Starsky and Hutch years: Alcohol was a friend during that period. There was definitely a problem with the alcohol, definitely. There’s nothing wrong with anger, but there was a lack of control of it, and it was only made worse by the alcohol. Yes, I went through this, and yes, I came out.

Anger is a good emotion because it’s a form of strength. … If anger is used well, it’s a valuable tool. It’s the difference between putting your car in gear and going forwards with purpose and putting it in reverse and smashing into a brick wall. Well, I’ve hit too many brick walls in my life.

The way I’ve lived my life, it all comes down to living from moment to moment, day to day. … It’s all a question of self-knowledge. I know what I’m about, what I want. You have to in this business because there are so many people around who would … you know what I mean.

We all have to find some way to deal with stress or to confront it and find a way to counteract it and balance ourselves.

There was life after Starsky & Hutch. But as I remember, I’m sitting probably with more money than I’ve ever had in my life. I’m sitting in my beautiful home that I built up in the Hollywood Hills, and I’m saying to myself, ‘Is that all there is? Is that it? ’So I used that opportunity to go back to my home state of South Dakota, and I went back to learn more about my roots actually. I became involved with the American Indian movement. I became involved with the family farm. And then I became involved with the shutdown of the steel industry in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where my brother was a pastor. I did several documentaries and sort of re-invested myself in understanding what was happening in our country at that time, and what was happening within my own family and where I came from. So it was kind of a journey to investigate things that I had sort of passed over when I was a kid.

Life … It’s about good experiences. I’ve lived all over the world. It’s an appreciation of the experience of others, the way they view things. I get new life and new breath from diversity, someone different from myself. I love it. It really keeps me alive. That’s my ideal. You’ve got to be willing to look around to say where are my opportunities? Where are my choices?