By: debbie lynn elias
I have had the privilege of growing up in the entertainment world, and specifically, television broadcasting. My father began his television career at WFIL-TV (now WPVI) in Philadelphia. He worked there for 59 years up until his death in 2010 and loved every second of it. My birth was announced to my father and the world on air, on both radio and tv. The WFIL/WPVI studios were a second home to me. And celebrities like Dick Clark, Frankie Avalon, The Monkees, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, multiple Presidents of the United States and even the Pope, were just normal people working for a living, eating lunch, paying bills and putting their pants on one leg at a time.
When one grows up as a child of a parent in television broadcasting or production, radio or film, it affords you a very unique perspective on life, celebrity and the entertainment industry; particularly when one then follows in their parent’s footsteps into the “business.” Be it whether working in production myself, or as a film critic, I have had the opportunity to speak with many of my contemporaries who, like me, are second or third generations “entertainment brats” who themselves are now in the business. Kindred spirits us all under this light, the one question that I always ask is, “What is the greatest thing you learned from your parent, not only about surviving in this business, but about life?”
As part of my ongoing series “What Have You Learned From…”, I spoke with Sigourney Weaver, daughter of the legendary and iconic Pat Weaver, asking her this thoughtful question. One of the most poignant and touching responses and with a touch of mist in her eyes, here’s what she had to say:
Sigourney, your dad is one of the greatest icons in the media. What’s the greatest thing you learned from him about surviving in the various media?
That’s a good question. Thank you for asking about him. I think that what I learned from my father, which I still think about, is that he loved what he did. I now understand how hard it was, what he did, what he was up against politically and in other ways. He always had a great time and he fought for his people and he was always a gentleman. He didn’t turn into someone else in order to fight for what he believed was good for the audience. He always stayed who he was which was a very low-key, affable, funny, charming, brilliant man. And when I see people screaming and carrying on, as you sometimes do in this business but thankfully not very much, I always think of my father and I go, “Thank you, Dad. Because I never saw you become something less than who you could be.” And there are a lot of wonderful people in this business and I think that’s why I continue to find it engaging. It really brings out the best in people. That’s not what the public reads about, but that’s the truth. Thank you for that, so much.
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