Rick Schroder Talks About A&E’s “Andromeda Strain”

by Quendrith Johnson
Fancast.com

Ricky Schroder stars in A&E’s Memorial Day remake of The Andromeda Strain, the science fiction classic about a satellite that crashes in a small town and unleashes a deadly plague that kills everyone but two people. As “Andromeda’s” military scientist Major Keene, MD, Schroder is the guy who gets to say: “There’s never been anything like Andromeda anywhere on earth.” And Schroder has had a pretty unique run since playing Jon Voight’s son in the 1979 film The Champ. The lead in the sitcom Silver Spoons, he went on to more serious roles on NYPD and 24. A supporter of the troops, Schroder recently visited Ford Hood in Texas with his son Luke. They demoed a full-scale Apache helicopter flight simulator among other things. Schroder took a break from the North Carolina set of his latest project for a quick chat that spanned deadly diseases and his talent as a landscaper.

What are you shooting now?
“Blood Done Sign My Name.” It is a very catchy title isn’t it? It is a story about a 1970’s Methodist preacher in North Carolina who tries to racially integrate his church, and the struggles that happen around that situation.

Okay, so what is this “alien something” that comes to shake up the Milky Way?

The Andromeda Strain is a virus that decides it wants to kill the planet. Myself and some other scientists get sequestered to come up with a cure before it is too late.

[tour the Andromeda Strain set]

Why can’t your character Major Bill Keene and Ben Bratt just get along?
We’ve worked together in the past, and my (character’s) position on that is: (Dr. Jeremy Stone) stole something that didn’t belong to him. So I have a grudge against him. We both think we are right, and we are both kind of Alpha Male personalities. We kind of butt heads.

This epidemic leaves a pretty high body count — was it weird working with all those corpses?
Being in that (Hazmat style) suit was really uncomfortable. We were shooting in the summer. Those suits were made of rubber; they didn’t breathe, and that was the hardest part. Some of the stuff was a little gory. But the special effects are incredible. Tony and Ridley Scott, they put on a first class production. The director, Mikael Salomon was James Cameron’s cinematographer for many years before he became a director. So he has a great eye, and a real science fiction background.

When you heard about Ridley Scott’s involvement, did it sell you on the remake?
Yeah. Tony and Ridley Scott, the brothers, are great talents. So when you get a chance to work with either of the Scott brothers, you jump.

[Listen to Ridley Scott talk about why he wanted to remake The Andromeda Strain]

Were they that hands-on with you?
No. (Ridley) was behind the scenes, working with the producers and director. He really didn’t work with the actors. You know when their name is on something, they are going to make it the best it can be.

What goes on in that Wildfire Lab five stories below the earth?
We’re locked in there together. It gets pretty intense, pretty hairy, because there are different opinions about what we should do to combat this. How we should go about solving it. Ben and I, as you referred to, butt heads.

Did you guys do anything for fun?
Ben and I played probably about 100 games of chess. I played with Kiefer a lot (on 24). With Ben a lot. I don’t have a chess rank. I just like the game. I like to open in front of my Queen, take my pawn, and move it out two spaces.

You’ve done a lot to support the troops; does your familiarity with the real military help you prepare for roles like this?
I’ve played guys in the military before. I’m actually a soldier, and a civilian as well, as Bill Keene. There was not a lot of intense prep.

Do you think the real troops will have fun watching this?
Oh yeah. I think everyone will have a good time watching it. It’s got good effects. I think science fiction fans out there are going to totally dig it.

It’s got all the big threats, right?
Alien virus, nuclear weapons, pandemonium? And it’s got a girl. A love story. With Christa Miller.

Let’s end up with your real life, what do you like to do besides acting?
I am a really good landscaper. I love to landscape.

Did you do your place in Topanga Canyon?
Yeah. I built all the rock walls. I did everything. I mean, I don’t manually do all the labor, but I designed it all.

Wow. All that, and you get to save the world too.