Raymond Burr said that his size helped his acting career

"I find then that most people tend to agree with what I say."

In roles like Perry Mason and Robert T. Ironside, Raymond Burr certainly captivated audiences of crime dramas everywhere. Much of that has to do with his acting ability, but Burr had the physical look of a morally upright authority figure that would perk anyone's interest.

Apparently, Burr was well aware of this and spoke to the Leicester Chronicle about how he felt his size assisted in his portrayal of characters like Perry Mason. Burr, who was over six feet tall, was able to utilize his size to his advantage when playing characters that commanded attention.

Burr stated, "I find my size helps." However, when playing Robert Ironside, the role required a great deal of sitting in a wheelchair, which Burr acknowledged. He said, "I'm not a good sitter. At my size, you are at your best vertical or horizontal. So when I sit, I straighten my back and pull myself high in a chair. I find then that most people tend to agree with what I say."

However, appearances obviously aren't everything, and Burr later described himself as having "confidence but very little ego." While Burr's size made it easy for those around him to notice him, he still lent himself to a series of ethics and priorities that did most of the work in garnering respect from his fellow actors and audiences everywhere. 

Burr said, "I'm a punctual person because I hate to keep others waiting or complicate their lives. About the only thing which gets me really mad is when people don't turn up at the promised time." Still, Burr made sure that he had a healthy balance of work and fun. He added, "I won't be a slave to the clock — that way you are so keen on keeping to the daily ritual that you miss sunsets and dawns and the beautiful things around."

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6 Comments

JERRY6 11 months ago
Interesting , like the fact he was on time , I hate it when I have a meeting and people show up late . He played the role so well nobody can ever replace him he is and was Perry Mason . I still enjoy watching the show . The cast had good chemistry
justjeff 11 months ago
Burr made sure that he had a healthy balance of work and fun. He added, "I won't be a slave to the clock — that way you are so keen on keeping to the daily ritual that you miss sunsets and dawns and the beautiful things around." ...but another article told of a specially-built apartment for Burr on the Perry Mason set so he could stay late and work at going over scripts.

Take some of his quotes what a grain of salt, because Burr often misdirected people away from his private life and elaborated on, or flatly made up other 'facts' to suit his needs... but still, he was a great actor - and so far *no one* could be Perry Mason like he was...
Pacificsun justjeff 11 months ago
True, he guarded his private life and fairly so. But he never denied being an efficient "working actor." Particularly because of the nature of his role (as also explained in interviews). His scripts were filled with pages of monologues and obscure details. Circumstances and characters names continually revolving. And those instances of particular scenes weren't shot in sequence making the storyline any easier to managed. But in terms of setups and actor availability. He took advantage of being totally accessible during a season, so that he could taken extended time off during hiatus. For the purpose of protecting himself (and close friends), I don't think he should be faulted for confusing those who would do him injustice if not misdirected. He owed no one anything except for his outstanding performance, which he consistently delivered much to our delight.
justjeff Pacificsun 11 months ago
Good points... and totally agreed upon by me!
Pacificsun 11 months ago
I really liked this article! Such a succinct characterization of a strong, confident and capable personality fully justified. I didn't know this, but glad he set aside time for enjoying life, as well as work. Thank you, MeTV Writers!!








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