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Here is an interview Lee just did for the Birmingham News:
The Six Million Man star Lee Majors has revealed he almost cancelled his trip to Birmingham Comic Con at the NEC - in the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks
His fourth wife of 20 years, Faith, was “nervous” about the flight, but Lee decided they could not pull out.
“I’ve got so many fans in England and have never done this kind of Comic Con in Europe before, period.
“If we’d not come, then the terrorists win. So here we are,” he said from his NEC hotel.
“In the US, I’ve not seen anything like were seeing now in Paris with bombers and jihadists.
“But, after Paris, I don’t think it’s going to stop.”
Here Majors talks about his career, his relationship with Farrah Fawcett and who he admires most…
Q: At the start of your career, you worked on The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. Did you meet Hitch?
Yes, but only briefly as he was producing these programmes. He’d got tired of directing and this was a way of making a few bucks in older age.
Q: Do you feel part of The Six Million Dollar Man’s enduring scientific legacy?
Yes, in terms of how it’s made the people who watched it think about science.
It’s great to see how bionics have come along.
I saw a boy on TV recently with a foot that would move. Watching him bouncing around you wouldn’t think he had an artificial leg. The ankle would move so the leg wasn’t stiff.
I might need a bit of of work myself now that my knees are going a bit!
Lee Majors as Steve Austin
Q: Steve Austin was an astronaut who was rebuilt after crash landing. What did you think when the Challenger space shuttle blew up in 1986?
That was very sad.
When it’s the first one going up, everyone watches, but after a while it becomes old hat and people get complacent.
I don’t know if space exploration will go on… I don’t think there’s human life out there.
Mars? Not in our lifetimes.
A lot of the argument is about climate change, but until the Chinese cut back nothing will be clear.
When I went there to work I thought I was going to die because I could hardly breathe.
Q: Was The Fall Guy a more personal series for you?
I think so. I was keen to get away from the Six Million Dollar Man at the time, though that is the series that has stuck.
It was a lot of fun and I was also a producer helping to cast it.
Farrah Fawcett and Lee Majors
Q: Your most famous marriage was to Farrah Fawcett (1973-82) but that was effectively over by the time you did The Fall Guy?
Yes, it’s a 24-hour job and I was doing films and TV series and she was doing films.
There was one year when we saw each other for four or five days.
Q: Her famous swimsuit poster was shot in 1976, though…
Yes… at our house. I was able to pick that one out!
In the last years of her life I was on the phone to her quite a lot, trying to encourage her and we did talk about doing a play together to keep her spirits up.
Farrah Fawcett
Q: What is it about show-business that takes the lives of so many people, so young?
Some live their lives pretty rough and tough. I try to help the younger kids, but whether or not they take your advice, you can always give it.
Q: You lost your parents when you were a baby?
My father was killed in a steel mill when my mother was pregnant and she was run over by a car when I was 16 months old.
My older sister and I were adopted in Kentucky but separated and I didn’t see her much.
There’s an old saying: ‘A boy who never sees the eyes of his father has strange powers’. I have always thought of that.
Q:You had heart surgery about 12 years ago. Did the “better, stronger, faster” mantra help?
Yes… the doctors kidded me about that.
In a lot of heart operations they give you the chest zipper, but in my case they only broke one rib and went into one side to put a vein on the other side.
My operation was done by a pediatrician used to working on babies so he knew what he was doing.
I’m into preventive medicine and I think everyone should have regular check-ups be it for prostate, heart whatever.
But most people don’t see their doctor.
Lee Majors in The Six Million Dollar Man
Q: When The Terminator came out in 1984, did you feel like you were part of Arnie’s character given that The Six Million Dollar Man was based on a book called Cyborg?
Yes I did.
I ran into Arnie. He kindly said to me: ‘You were the original cyborg’ so it was nice that he gave me that credit.
It’s just amazing what they can do today on film but I still like the old school – good script, wonderful story, maybe a little action.
I am not overly fond of the franchise movies.
Q: Do you hanker for a late-career role like Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino?
Yes, I am still working and I do love that movie.
I know Clint – he’s a great director and has been a friend for many years.
I like the way he keeps thing simple and shoots his films in just a few days.
Q: Are you still in touch with Bionic Woman star Lindsay Wagner (now 66). She’s been married four times just like you!
Yes I am… I saw her about a month ago at one of these conventions. She’s fine.
Lee Majors in The Fall Guy
Q: Has anyone young working behind you come through the ranks to become a big star?
Yes… we gave a role to Sandra Bullock in one of the Six Million Dollar Man movies… she hasn’t returned the favour yet, but she was really sweet.
Q: Who were your own favourite stars?
Most of them are gone now, but Steve McQueen – who I saw a lot of the year before he died (1980, aged 50), Paul Newman and Robert Mitchum.
Q: Who do you like today?
Ryan Reynolds.
Q: Would you like to start out again?
I would hate it.
Back then there were three networks, so to be able to do three or four series was pretty good.
Now it’s a really tough racket.
But I’ve been working now for more than 50 years and I’m still having fun.
Q: What advice would you give to your 20-year-old self?
If you can’t take rejection, you’re in the wrong business.
Auditions won’t come to you… keep plugging away and, if you are good, it will happen.
But, if it doesn’t after ten years, give it up.
And for ladies (trying to start out)… after 30 it’s all downhill.
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Birmingham, UK: