Actor Tim Matheson is an open book | The treatment

Actor Tim Matheson is perhaps best known for his turn as Eric “Otter” Stratton in the 1978 comedy National Lampoon’s Animal House, but that is only the tip of the iceberg. His career spanning decades has taken him from working with Lucille Ball and voice Johnny Quest in the 1964 animated series, to play the villain in Fletch and (of course) portraying Vice President John Hoynes in the drama series The West Wing. The latter role earned him two Emmy nominations. Matheson has also been very successful as a television director.

In his new memoir Damn Glad to Meet You: My Seven Decades in the Hollywood Trenches, Matheson shares many excellent stories from his time working with Hollywood legends. He tells The treatment what he learned from working with Lucille Ball, how comedian Richard Pryor saved animal house, and what Chevy Chase told him when they shared the screen Fletch.

Tim Matheson and Elvis Mitchell at KCRW. Photo credit: Rebecca Mooney/KCRW