For those who have Time Warner Cable in New York, Pat Kiernan is the familiar face behind the desk for NY1’s no-frills morning newscasts.
But Kiernan is also a film star in his own right, representing Hollywood’s version of what an anchor should be. He’s played the role in everything from The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt on Netflix to superhero movies like The Avengers and Amazing Spider Man 2.
“I’ve been doing this for almost 20 years, so when people think of how news would be reported in New York City, I guess I’m in the top tier now,” Kiernan tells The New York Post. “It’s flattering!”
The Post says he’s appeared in 20 films and TV shows since he got his first break in Spin City in 2001.
For his role in The Interpreter in 2005, Kiernan says director Sydney Pollack “got on a plane and flew to New York just to direct me in a 23-second scene.”
“They summoned me to a hotel near the UN an hour before our call time, and said ‘Mr. Pollack would like to meet with you,’” he says.
The famous late director was waiting with a notepad with Kiernan’s lines scribbled on it.
“You’re the newscaster, so tell me if this works for you,” Kiernan recalls him saying.
“Nobody told me that when Mr. Pollack asks ‘Do you like my script, you’re just supposed to say ‘Yes!’ ”
So Kiernan replied: “Well, no, that’s not exactly how I would say it. Can I have your pen?”
The director walked out of the room, happy with the changes. Then one of the producers nervously approached Kiernan and said that he’d gone where most people feared to go. Normally when Pollack would ask what someone thought of the script, the producer said, “We always say some version of’ ‘That’s great!’”
Click here to read the entire New York Post story.