What's Wagner like backstage?

Jim Dykes

Here's an interesting post I came across in November 2008 BEFORE GNGS was published.
Online, November 4, 2008, Jim Dykes—someone I never met and do not know—wrote:


Robert Wagner made me lose my breakfast on LIVE With Regis and Kelly this morning. He is obviously trying to sell books so he attempted to come off as just “one of the boys.” I met Mr. Wagner when I was working backstage for producer Alexander Cohen in the Green Room at Radio City Music Hall for Night of 100 Stars II in 1985. Originally from Michigan, one suspects he portrays his climb to stardom as much of a “Little Me” version of things. He said he moved to LA (Bel Air!) as a teenager and got a job as a caddy at a golf course frequented by film stars. Apparently, Clark Gable, Cary Grant, Randolph Scott and other stars were attracted to this pretty boy and helped him cut thru red tape and get a movie contract. One wonders what details Mr. Wagner is leaving out. Major film stars don’t usually offer to assist every cute 18 year old boy who carries their golf clubs.


Regis Philbin was slobbering over Wagner and his Hollywood memories while Kelly Ripa (Wagner played her father in a few episodes of her ill-fated TV show Hope & Faith) recalled: “the way all those famous men treated you when you were young…perhaps that’s why you treated us all so nice,” to which Wagner said “Isn’t she great?” What else could he say? My personal memory of Wagner is that he’s a jerk…he is one of those actors who treats backstage personnel like dirt under his feet. Wagner thinks he’s a much bigger star than he really is, and is only nice to someone who can do something for HIM.


When I worked backstage on Night of 100 Stars, I totally recall Wagner as being a cold fish, arrogant, rude, hard to speak with or get a response from and I remember him fixing me with a cold, steely glare instead of responding when I said “hello” or tried to ask him a question. So Kelly Ripa must have a completely different memory of this man that I do. Karma, I suspect, will not be kind to someone like Wagner.