Bookpleasures.com welcomes as our guest Hank Garrett who was raised in Harlem in amulti-cultural neighborhood. In the 1950s, poverty was a way of life.Survival was the goal and violence was the means. By age 12, Hank wascarrying a .25 caliber handgun. 

A serendipitous meetingwith Sammy Davis Jr. changed the trajectory of Hank’s life, andHank stepped into the worlds of comedy, acting, martial arts, andwrestling. Lying about his age, at 17, Hank balanced a career as apro wrestler with doing comedy acts at various clubs, all while stillattending high school. By age 19 he had landed a role in a successfultelevision series.

Hank  began powerlifting, bodybuilding and karate as a means of self-protection in arough neighborhood, starting at age 13.  In 1958 he was thewinner of the Junior Olympic Power lifting competition. This led toan extended stint in professional wrestling under the name of TheMinnesota Farm Boy. 

Hank is an actor andproducer, known for Death Wish, The Amityville Horror and Three Daysof the Condor.   

He  has worked withPeter Falk, Patrick Stewart, Kathleen Turner, Christopher Lloyd, Al Pacino, Sophia Loren, James Coburn and James Earl Jones.Television appearances include Columbo, Nothing Sacred, KnotsLanding, Full House, and Max Headroom. Film credits include DeathWish, Johnny Dangerously, Three Days of the Condor, Serpico, and TheProducers.

Hank has recentlypublished his memoirs in From Harlem Hoodlum to HollywoodHeavyweight.

Good day Hank andthanks for participating in our interview.

What do you consider tobe your greatest success (or successes) so far in your careers?

Hank:  Winning theNew York Film Critics Award for my role as the killer mailman inThree Days of the Condor.  And recently being presented an awardfor being in the Best Fight Scene in Film Ever for the movie ThreeDays of the Condor.

Norm: What has beenyour greatest challenge (professionally) that you’ve overcome ingetting to where you’re at today? 

Hank:  Overcoming theanger and bitterness that I developed while living on the streets ofHarlem as a kid.

Norm: What kind of akid were you?

Hank:  I was afighter.  I was always trying to overcome my need for love andsecurity.  

Norm: Did you ever dosomething that you are ashamed of?

Hank:  Yes. Getting into a fight with a kid who had been my close friend. He made fun of the way I was dressed.  I seemed to be wearingthe same clothes all of the time.   But I couldn’t let himknow that was all I had.  When I hit him, he was shocked and thelook on his face broke my heart.

Norm: When did you knowyou wanted to become an actor? What was your training and do youspecialize in any particular acting technique? When did you firstperform and how did you get the part?? 

Hank:  I was workingin the Catskills in upstate New York and I was asked if I wanted todo Summerstock.  They cast me as Lenny in Of Mice and Men. I was hooked and knew acting had to be my career.  I studiedwith Paul Mazursky in New York.  For tough scenes I’d recallthe deep anger I felt as a kid.  At one point, Paul pushed me tothe point of bringing it out full force.  I got up and wenttowards him.  He yelled, “Hey, Hank, that’s enough!”

Norm: What's the mostdifficult thing for you about being an actor?

Hank:  Sometimes, itthe coming down from playing different characters…in other words,coming back to the real me.

Norm: What did you findmost useful in learning to act? What was least useful or mostdestructive??  

Hank:  Being mentoredby Sid Caesar in dialectic gibberish which I learned to perfection. This led me to being invited by the BBC in London to appear on “TW3”That Was the Week that Was) starring David Frost.  I appearedweekly for 18 months.

I learn something fromevery scene I play, even if at the time it seems not useful or anegative experience.  

Norm:  What wouldyou consider your dream role? 

Hank:   Perhapsplaying the lead in a comedy -- and realizing I’m not a kidanymore, I’d like to play a retired comedian who has never lost hissense of humor. Perhaps even taking this into atelevision series.  Now that would be fun!  

Norm:  Whatmotivated you to write From Harlem Hoodlum to Hollywood Heavyweight? What were your goals and intentions in, and how well do you feel youachieved them? 

Hank:  I’d neverreally considered writing a book, but my manager started writing downstories I’d tell her.  And that got me excited!  Then myfocus became inspiring troubled youth.   I thought that perhaps I could keep them from making the same mistakes as I did as akid.  Since then, I’ve formed an organization called“Hankster’s Kids” to help at-risk youth.    

Norm: Please tell us alittle about your book?

Hank:  From HarlemHoodlum to Hollywood Heavyweight is my autobiography.  It’ smy life in print, with all the tears, pains and joys.  

Norm: If someone canonly buy one book this month, why should it be yours? 

Hank:  As one of myfans said, “Buy it because it’s not like any other book.” It’s proof  that no matter how dark the beginnings, you canstill come shining through.  No matter what the odds, you canstill win.  And isn’t  that the American dream?

Norm: Where can ourreaders  find out more about you and your book?

Hank:  My WEBSITE:  

or Google “Hank Garrett.”  

Norm: What is next forHank Garrett?

Hank:  There’s beeninterest in my book being made into a movie.  And a  moviethat would inspire others.  And that would be a dream come through.

Norm: Thanks once againand good luck with your future endeavors.