Billy Campbell, Reluctant Moses

By Bart Mills --
"Billy Campbell may be built like an action hero, but in conversation he comes across as a shy, somewhat insecure hunk. "'I didn't have a clue how to play Moses,' says Campbell, who portrays the biblical figure in NBC's ambitious miniseries 'In the Beginning.' 'I decied to focus on his contentious relationship with God. "'The Bible has contradictory ideas about God, but in many places he's presented almost as a human being - like some angry, put-upon boss. So I saw Moses as almost an employee stuck in one of God's cubicles.'"

"'I hope I didn't let anyone down.'" "Such modesty comes naturally to Campbell, 41, who first gained notice as the title character in the 1991 film 'The Rocketeer.' For instance, he is aware that many people will compare his performance to Charlton Heston's in 'The Ten Commandments,' but Campbell makes light of the situation."

"'Moses is Charlton Heston for a lot of people. I don't know if I have Heston's ability.' "Behind Campbell's pathological modesty lurks a very dry sense of humor. Sometimes he speaks softly and carries a big shtick, but most of the time his sincerity is painfully apparent."

"Now he is firmly settled in 'Once and Again,' which he says is 'not only better than most TV, it's better than most movies.' He promises that this season his character will be 'fleshed out' a little more. "'Rick isn't a perfect father, and he's got other flaws, too. He's too understanding. I've been that way. I've been effectively spineless with most of the women I've ever been with, until the last decade.' "He hooked up with his 'Rocketeer' co-star Jennifer Connelly in 1991, went to the brink of marriage, then backed off. "He says, 'I haven't always been able to stand up for myself. It took me a long time to realize that I'm right to be who I am, and that's the way I'm going to be. Now I'm better able to stand up, and I'm happier for it.'"__"New York Vue" TV supplement to the New York Daily News (November 12, 2000)