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Robert Conrad didn't want to be a teen idol forever
"Besides, I thrive on...work."
At 30 years old, Robert Conrad had achieved what many actors can only dream of achieving in their careers. Conrad was the star of his own series, The Wild Wild West.
An actor and singer, Conrad’s earlier work was more popular with a teenage audience. “I’m 30 years old,” said Conrad during an interview with the Philadelphia Daily News. “I can remember making a personal appearance in Dallas in front of 26,000 screaming teenagers. I went back to Dallas a year ago, and hardly anyone recognized me.”
The dulling sheen of fame didn’t bother Conrad. The actor had new priorities as he grew older. “At 30, it is security you want,” said the actor. “I’m after the loot. Besides, I thrive on...work. It keeps me out of trouble, it cuts down on my telephone bill.”
Even more fortuitous was the fact that The Wild Wild West was well regarded by both fans and critics. Conrad was proud of the movement the show had made, especially considering the show’s rocky beginnings.
“Things are in great shape now,” Conrad said of the series. “It’s not a traditional Western and not a contemporary spy story. That was the hang-up. We got off the track when one producer tried to give it the tongue-in-cheek flavor of The Rogues.”
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