Newsday (Suffolk Edition) from Melville, New York • 95

iiiif ji av 1 -t JK1 1 'v? iK S'va MBy i w' IK Si iSlfP iVitir V'- I By Dan Martinsen THERE ARE still pleasures available in New York that Hollywood has not been able to duplicate little Neck clams for instance And when a platefiil were placed in front of Scott Baio during a recent luncheoninterview in Manhattan he ate them the same way he used to as a teenager in Sheepshead Bay dropping them down his throat without the aid of a fork "I cant eat them the sophisticated he said in a voice that still pays some tribute to his Brooklyn roots "When I lived here Clam Bar in Sheepshead Bay was my favorite Now however "the is Just a place to visit for Baio The 23-year-old actor still enjoys seeing family and friends catching the Ch 11 "Odd reruns that are rarely available in California and feeling that surge of energy that the city provides But Baio left the dtybehind eight years ago when he joined Days" as Chachi Areola a move that became permanent when his parents Mario and Rose followed their son west one year later Like many who followed "Happy during its 11-year run Baio literally grew up with the sitcom He was introduced in the third season as (Hemy Winkler) money-hungry young cousin who was always working on a "get scheme Chachi became part of the "Happy family and married Joanie (Erin Moran) in the serW emotional final episode He also shared the spotlight with Moran for one season in the spin-off series "Joanie Loves "It was really sad to say Baio said "We were all so close on that show that it Was really like letting your family But in letting one family go Baio hopes to find another in the Fembrokes the family he is hired to work for asalive-in housekeeperbaby-sitter in his new fall series on CBS "Charles in premiering at 8 jn Oct 3 Dressed in a sports jacket that accentuated his broad shoulders and trim physique and with his hair neatly trimmed Baio bore little resemblance to the leather-jacketed wise guy he played on "Happy He scorned more like his new character a clean-cut ambitious 19-yearold college student who must balance his personal life while working for a contemporary family with contemporary children and contemporary problems "The thing I liked about the show was that it was not like sitcoms with all the big set-up Jokes and evexybody looking for the big Baio said "The writing for the show is unique real-life situations and real-life problems And the reason is because the writer is a 29-year-old guy a playwright from New York Mieheel Jacobs A lot of shows have writers that are much older and hard write for a 20-year-old or 10-year-old character if in your 60s or 60s How would they know what kids that age think Jacobs a native of New Jersey became Broadway playwright at 22 when his first play appeared A farce about middle-aged adultery it starred Doris Roberts and Jack Weston and while it enjoyed only a modest run it was enough to bring him to the attention of the producers of "Charles in That new series features the Fembrokes a family whose two-career parents (Julie Cobb end James Widdoes) hire Charles to help with KmnahnM rVirnma and mind their three children a pubescent daughter (April Lerman) a son who aspires to conquer the universe with his anmmiier (Jonathan Ward) and a younger son (Midiml Pearlman) who lives for sports and being a wise guy Willie Aames costars as friend ahd confidant Buddy Lembeck It is evident from the pilot episode that Charles has his hands ftilL "Charles is not in charge at Baio said laughing trying to work his way through college and he has to deal with the questions problems of these kids too not their parent and he doesn't have the answers to their questions and problems But they look to him because they feel more comfortable talking to him about some things than they do with their parents He has to take on Just as Charles has accepted added responsibility so too has Baio During his years on "Happy he usually played off the more established characters of the series and by his own admis- Baio left ready for Charies In Charge above at his Days' wedding with from left Henry Winkler Tom Bosley and Erin Moran away which he uses when he wants to be alone Outside his family Baio eqfoys spending time with his friends and with actress Heather Locklear of "TJ whom he has been dating recently He shuns the parties saying And while he says he lives comfortably with the money he makes (estimated by some sources as $30000 per episode on "Happy Baio Heims he doesn't spend much because his career takes most of his time That career began at the age of 9 "I used to watch a lot of TV" he said "I saw a kid on a commercial and I said "That looks easy I could do So I told my mother and she at first laughed it off But when I told her I was serious she brought me to a couple of people agents Then I went on a couple of interviews and did a few commercials" His most important introduction was to Alan Parker who auditioned and cast him in the starring role in his 1976 movie "Bugsy The gangster comedy spoof featured a machine-gun-toting all-child cast clad in pinstripe suits and derby hats Batons performance made such a strong im- pression on producer Garry Marshall creator of "Happy that he signed Baio without an audition for a spin-off of that show which was never picked up by the network Later he put him in "Happy and still later "Joanie Loves He has watched Baio grow both physically and emotionally on his programs "There was a time when Scott really didn't want to be an Marshall said "He was a young kid whoM rather play basketball or play shortstop in a softball game than work on hu acting He was shy and unsure of himself and would get angry because he had to do his home-work At times he was a real brat "But he stuck with it and began to watch the other actors He started to take their advice Then he started working with Henry Winkler which really helped him He finally understood that this was his job Now he is confident in his ability and is a good light comedian I think ready to handle his own show Even if the show doesn't make it and I hope it does with all my heart I think mature enough to bounce back and go at it For "Charles in to succeed it will have to do well in the ratings against "The Fall on ABC and "Highway to NBCs new show starring Michael Landon Baio has temporarily shelved his singing career and other projects so he can devote au his Mine to the series He also plans to direct an episode of "Charles in eventually if the series is a success "The most important thing I learned from mm Happy is that the happier the set is the more fun you have the better the show is" Baio said what rm toying to do in this show a tremendous responsibility because my show I am Charles So everything is my The actor has also learned to deal with the increased interest in his personal life During his years on "Happy he received an average of 6000 letters a week from female admirers and was mobbed by autograph seekers when the cast went on a worldwide softball tour He said he gets embarrassed when asked about his relationship with Lockp lear but shrugs it off as part of his business "If I can avoid the questions I try he said personal It is business because Fm a public figure and alL But really what it is is what I do is what I II TT HT ilill A new fall series in rests entirely on the sidekick sion wasn't really serious about acting as a career "In the beginning I didn't know if this acting was for Baio said "I had fun and all but it wasn't my main goal in life But time went on and it started growing on me more and more until it got to the point where now my life and I wouldn't trade it for His parents play an important role in that career which expanded to singing when Baio recorded two elHnme in the late "70s His mother and his father a farmer used car salesman and owner of a chain of pet stores in New York became his principal managers The family lives in Studio City in a home that has a pigeon coop in the backyard a reminder of their days in Brooklyn Baio lives with his parents but also owns a condominium about two miles 2 a.