John O’Hurley

Q.  What are some of the recent projects that you’ve been working on?

A.  I have a book out and it came out in the beginning of November and I guess it’s number seventeen now on the New York Times.  We’ve done pretty well with it for the little dogs.  In addition to that I am still hosting “Family Feud” and I have a new project for NBC.

Q.  You’ve been touring for the book, is that correct?

A.  I’ve been on a month long book tour and I’m actually finishing it up today.  I am going home hopefully in time for my wife to have our first baby.

Q.  Where did the inspiration for your book come from?

A.  I wanted to write a book that was kind of funny and inspirational and hopefully poignant enough to celebrate the presence that dogs have had in my life since I was four years old.  I wanted to begin with the idea that everything I basically ever needed to know in life, I’ve learned from my dogs.  I think they teach us extraordinary things, I think they teach us how to live in the present moment, I think that’s probably the most important lesson they could teach us.  They have no sense of the past, no sense of the future, they don’t have expectations, they don’t live with regrets.  They basically live life totally in the present moment which I think is the healthiest way for any human being to live and it’s probably the most difficult. 

Q.  Is your experience with your dog part of the reason you wanted to join in hosting the National Dog Show?

A.  I have been hosting the National Dog Show now for five years.  NBC came to me about five years ago and they had this idea that after they watched that wonderful parody movie Best In Show and they thought it would be fun to do a dog show on Thanksgiving Day following the Macy’s parade.  They wanted to have it as an official show and one of the best shows in the country but they wanted to keep it funny, light and palatable for the large viewing audience.  So, they came to me to be one of the hosts.

Q.  What is it about the show that really continues to draw you back as a host year after year?

A.  Well, it’s something I’m committed to because I just enjoy it.  It’s a very singular event in my life and it’s one of the most enjoyable events I do all year long.  Going back stage and seeing two thousand of the best dogs  in the country competing in their breed competitions, and seeing a hundred and sixty-five breeds, it’s quite a day.  The fun thing is, the dog’s really don’t care, they are just being dogs. 

Q.  Seems like it’s just another walk in the park for the animals.

A.  It is, but there is that heightened sense of awareness when they are around all the other dogs, the bright lights and the excitement.  They certainly sense it is an important event, but they sense it’s a more important event.  They certainly are acutely aware but they’re still being dogs.  They like to be pet, they like to roll over and it’s just a fun day for them. 

Q.  The dog show seems to be a good example for owners to make sure their dog is healthy and whatever breed the owner has, to make sure they are getting the right animal for their living environment.

A.  All of that stuff is good, that’s very observant of you, that’s very true.  There is a lot that goes into pet ownership, if you call it that.  It’s a lifetime commitment and it should be taken seriously.  I think the most important thing is that you don’t select a dog because it’s cute.  You select a dog that adds to your lifestyle, you have to determine what your lifestyle is and your time commitment.  All of those things go into your homework before you make the commitment to having a pet. 

Q.  Why should readers take the time to pick up your book?

A.  First of all, the book is funny and it’s autobiographical too.  In addition to exploring some of the life lessons that dogs teach us, I also go back over and talk about some of the stellar moments of my misspent youth.  Some of the times I have taken myself perhaps a little too seriously as I was growing up.  If I had only listened to the life lessons that the dogs were teaching me, it probably would have been a lot easier on me. 

Q.  You’ve done a lot of comedic roles and I was wondering, does comedic timing come naturally to you or is it something you work at constantly?

A.  It’s something I hear in my head, I think of it more as a musical thing.  I hear certain beats in my head and that’s what I associate with comedy.  In terms of comic timing, it’s something I hear internally.  There are some technical aspects to comedy, there are a few ways to set someone up for a joke.  Any comic timing, people have their own sense of comic delivery.  Once you find it, you have to own it, you can’t try and find somebody else’s sense of comedy.  You have to find your own and that’s what I’ve done throughout my career.  It’s a never ending process and you’re constantly exploring it. 

Q.  You’re involved with a lot of different charities, which ones are close to you and why are they so important?

A.  I think the one that I spend the most time with is Golfer’s Against Cancer, it’s because I think it’s the most unusual template for fund raising right now.  It’s a group of people on an all volunteer basis, there is no paid staff, there is no infrastructure at all.  It is just a bunch of people that got together and we raise money.  We will probably have raised up to twelve million dollars by the end of the year.  Every penny of it goes to funding the early stages of cancer research because nobody is doing it at that level of it.  First, what we do is provide the seed money for the most interesting and most promising cancer projects so they get off the ground.  If they get off the ground and show some promise well then it is easy for all the big money to come in after that and keep them going.  It’s the early projects that need the early seed money funding that takes two or three years for the government to get and we get it to them in two or three weeks.

Q.  You’ve done a lot of work with voiceovers, acting, music and more.  Is there anything else in the entertainment field you’d like to try your hand at?

A.  I enjoy working in all areas of entertainment.  I have an album that came out last year that did very well and I think that it got to number thirteen on the Billboard charts.  It is called Peace of Our Minds and it was all of my piano compositions from the last twenty-five years.  I love writing and I will have a sequel to this book out next year, I already made arrangements with the publisher for that.  I just enjoy all areas of entertainment, it taxes a different part of the mind.  Each one I find very rewarding, whether I am hosting a show, acting or singing, I find it very rewarding. 

Q.  What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

A.  I would say golf and fly fishing are probably my two favorite hobbies.  I love playing golf with my wife even more!

Q.  What would you like to say to your fans and supporters?

A.  For all the people that have been fans of mine I hope that I’ve had moments where I made you laugh.  With this book I’ll have a continued opportunity to do that.  I hope that also it is poignant enough maybe to make your eyes well up with a tear or two because I think that dogs are that special in our lives.  It’s really the purpose of the book.