Raul Julia Discusses Acting, Service

Mixing mysticism with acting tips, actor Raul Julia spoke yesterday at a Currier House reception.

Julia, who came to the United States from Puerto Rico in 1964, has starred in Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985), The Addams Family (1991) and New York Shakespeare Festival productions.

The actor, who works with The Hunger Project and other causes, stressed the dual importance of performance and public service in his life.

"I'll still be working on my acting on my death bed, practicing my last words," he told the audience at a luncheon before the reception. Julia mimicked an earnest invalid: "How do I look, do I look too pale?"

"The art of acting never ends," he said. "Alsothe art of being a human being never ends. I'llstill be working on that on my deathbed too."

Political and social reforms happen when enoughpeople mobilize for change, said Julia.

"The Berlin Wall came down because peopledemanded that it come down until there was noforce on the planet that could stop it," heexplained. "No force in the world can standagainst a critical mass of people."

And the arts play a critical role in makingpeople aware of issues, he said.

"The universe grows, molecules grow, cellsgrow--everything is growing," Julia said,gesturing expansively. "But we humans seem to getstuck. The arts are about breaking through thosebarriers...They bring consciousness to life."

Julia's fascination with the arts and theaterbegan at his Jesuit high school in Puerto Rico, hesaid, when his English class studied Shakespeare.

"I would get up in class and read Shakespeareout loud," Julia recalled. "I took to the sound ofthe language and the rhythm, the iambicpentameter. I liked it and the teacher liked it."

Soon he was playing command performances forthe other students. "The whole class would say'Get up Raul,' and with an even thicker accentthan I have now, I would say 'Out, out, briefcandle," said Julia, smiling.

Hit Like a Storm

When Julia first arrived in the U.S., herecalled, he was ready to meet and adoring public.

"I came to New York first of all in asnowstorm--it was fantastic!" he said. "Now I wason my own, to be an actor, and I was sure thewhole city was waiting for me: 'Hello, Raul!'"

Julia shared an apartment with another aspiringactor and scraped together enough money for dramaclasses and food.

"There were hard times," he said. "We used toeat once a day--we would buy four chicken bags fora quarter, some grapes for dessert and lots ofbread."

His difficult experiences made him a betteractor, said Julia. Arts critics, he suggested,lack that empathetic understanding.

In response to a question from the audience,Julia condemned New York theater critics. "A goodnumber of critics--I don't get that they have lovefor the theater," he said. "I don't get that theyhave compassion."

"A critic is a gimmick created by a newspaper,"he added to audience laughter. "A lot of thesecritics, I don't know where they're at, but Ithink they're at a very low level of existence."

While Julia often tries to make politicalstatements through his art, he said that he didThe Addams Family, his last film, "for alaugh."

"It was just pure fun," he said. "I wanted todo it, so I did it--and got good money for it,too."

Julia's visit was sponsored by the HarvardFoundation for Intercultural and Race Relations

"The art of acting never ends," he said. "Alsothe art of being a human being never ends. I'llstill be working on that on my deathbed too."

Political and social reforms happen when enoughpeople mobilize for change, said Julia.

"The Berlin Wall came down because peopledemanded that it come down until there was noforce on the planet that could stop it," heexplained. "No force in the world can standagainst a critical mass of people."

And the arts play a critical role in makingpeople aware of issues, he said.

"The universe grows, molecules grow, cellsgrow--everything is growing," Julia said,gesturing expansively. "But we humans seem to getstuck. The arts are about breaking through thosebarriers...They bring consciousness to life."

Julia's fascination with the arts and theaterbegan at his Jesuit high school in Puerto Rico, hesaid, when his English class studied Shakespeare.

"I would get up in class and read Shakespeareout loud," Julia recalled. "I took to the sound ofthe language and the rhythm, the iambicpentameter. I liked it and the teacher liked it."

Soon he was playing command performances forthe other students. "The whole class would say'Get up Raul,' and with an even thicker accentthan I have now, I would say 'Out, out, briefcandle," said Julia, smiling.

Hit Like a Storm

When Julia first arrived in the U.S., herecalled, he was ready to meet and adoring public.

"I came to New York first of all in asnowstorm--it was fantastic!" he said. "Now I wason my own, to be an actor, and I was sure thewhole city was waiting for me: 'Hello, Raul!'"

Julia shared an apartment with another aspiringactor and scraped together enough money for dramaclasses and food.

"There were hard times," he said. "We used toeat once a day--we would buy four chicken bags fora quarter, some grapes for dessert and lots ofbread."

His difficult experiences made him a betteractor, said Julia. Arts critics, he suggested,lack that empathetic understanding.

In response to a question from the audience,Julia condemned New York theater critics. "A goodnumber of critics--I don't get that they have lovefor the theater," he said. "I don't get that theyhave compassion."

"A critic is a gimmick created by a newspaper,"he added to audience laughter. "A lot of thesecritics, I don't know where they're at, but Ithink they're at a very low level of existence."

While Julia often tries to make politicalstatements through his art, he said that he didThe Addams Family, his last film, "for alaugh."

"It was just pure fun," he said. "I wanted todo it, so I did it--and got good money for it,too."

Julia's visit was sponsored by the HarvardFoundation for Intercultural and Race Relations