Some dreams really do come true. It may take 40+ years, but SO WHAT?!? Greg Mullavey, Greg Mullavey was worth the wait. A die-hard Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman fan, who missed nary a one of the 325 episodes, which in 1977, pre VCRs, and COVID, when I actually had a life and did stuff, required some effort and diehard devotion, spent today in fangirl heaven. Best part, Greg exceeded all of my very high expectations. Having heard how lovely he is, witnessing his grace first hand, his exemplary social conscience, his authenticity, warmth, thoughtfulness, intelligence, off-the-charts talent, and generosity of spirit moved me… more like blew me away.

We talked about Fernwood, of course. His audition with Louise Lasser, to being cast by creator Norman Lear and director, Joan Darling… Mary Kay Place, Dabney Coleman, Graham Jarvis, Dody Goodman, the genuine laughs and fun of it all. We circled back to growing up in Buffalo NY with his major league ballplaying father, Greg Mulleavy, a White and Red Sox, to coaching the Brooklyn and then LA Dodgers, playing baseball himself, only discovering theatre in the Army, where everything turned on a dime. Greg tells the tale with passion and flare. Starting out in theatre in NY, working his way to Hollywood, parts on Bonanza, and loads of other shows before landing as Tom Hartman, the career and life changer. Studying, always studying (still today), in-class with Nicholson, Hopper, and Harry Dean Stanton, meeting Meredith MacRae, their idyllic love story which played out off-screen and on. His father-in-law, Gordon MacRae, hot tubing with Jennifer Jones, working with Natalie Wood, Richard Burton, Mia Farrow, how approaches the work, and teaches it to others. Throughout Greg’s great storytelling he pulled out dialect after dialect, all delivered flawlessly, without effect. Such mastery of craft. I can’t wait to witness his return to the stage, post-pandemic. Out here auditioning, I sure hope he lands something worthy of his talents with lotsa meat. I wanna watch and savor. Greg’s acting is high art. So is his humanity.

Food for the COVID crazy soul, Greg shared his health regimens––supplements, nutrients, and meditation, to his thoughts on masking and vaxxing. He’s the whole package, brains, heart, soul, and talent out the wazoo.

For this fangirl, I’m floating over the rainbow tonight. Tom Hartman lives! More importantly, so does Greg Mullavey.

Greg Mullavey Live on Game Changers with Vicki Abelson

Wed, 8/18/21, 5 pm PT, 8 pm ET

Streamed Live on my Facebook

Replay here:

https://bit.ly/3AVl3K4

All BROADcasts, as podcasts, also available on

iTunes apple.co/2dj8ld3

Stitcher bit.ly/2h3R1fla

tunein bit.ly/2gGeItj

Also on iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, Voox, OwlTail, Backtracks, PlayerFM, Himalaya, Podchaser, and Listen Notes

Thanks to Rick Smolke of Quik Impressions, the best printers, printing, the best people people-ing. quikimpressions.com

Nicole Venables,of Ruby Begonia Hair Studio Beauty and Products, for tresses like the stars she coifs, and regular people, like me. I love my hair, and I love Nicole. http://www.rubybegoniahairstudio.com/

Blue Microphones and Kevin Walt