Peter Strauss, the thinking woman's prime choice for a mussing attack, has learned some things about loosening up. Take his latest movie role, for example. Long accustomed to playing impeccably neat roles as men-to-the-manner-born, Strauss finally agreed to play a rat.
"I'm delighted with the role," the blue-eyed actor said with a hint of a knowing smile. "It's wonderful for my image to finally be a rat."
Strauss stars in "The Secret of NIMH," an animated action fantasy done in the classical style. Lending his vocal talent with Elizabeth Hartman, Dom DeLuise, Derek Jacobi, John Carradine, Hermione Baddeley, Arthur Malet and Paul Shenar in the story of a widowed mouse who seeks the help of some mysterious, intelligent rats to save her family.
Rat though he is, Strauss plays the heroic rat Justin, captain of the guard and loyal proponent of the rats' plan for independence from Man. The Aurora presentation, the first feature from Don Bluth Productions, will be released in July by MGM/United Artists Entertainment Co.
"The best part about Justin," says Strauss, "is not his heroic fight with the dastardly Jenner, which incidentally is based on Errol Flynn-type swordfights. But that he did not come from a highborn family. He started as a common street rat, the same as the others in the film who underwent scientific experiments and ended up intelligent. His struggle, I think, gave him more mettle."
Strauss certainly is no stranger to playing aristocratic roles. He is known to millions of television viewers for his performance in "Young Joe: The Forgotten Kennedy," "Rich Man, Poor Man," the phenomenal miniseries for which he was nominated for both Golden Globe and Emmy awards and in which he played the role of another lowborn character who makes something of himself, and a film, "The Last Tycoon," in which he played the young writer Wylie White.
Because Strauss was concerned about being stereotyped as the young, wealthy gentleman, Strauss then starred as Rain Murphy, a convicted murderer serving a life sentence at Folsom Prison in "The Jericho Mile," for which he won an Emmy. Next he tried comedy as a cocky died-and-gone-to-Hell tough guy in "Angel on My Shoulder."
But it was back to heroism in the more serious tradition in "Masada," an epic eight-hour TV movie, and in "A Whale for the Killing, which he also co-produced for television.
As Justin, the idealistic young rat in "The Secret of NIMH," Strauss has only his voice to depend on to give his character moral strength when Justin's idealism is tested by the evil forces that want to rule the rats' kingdom.
Strauss was born in New York City on February 20, 1947. His father is a successful wine importer.
He received four years of preparatory schooling at Hackley Schools for boys in Tarrytown, New York, where, at the age of 13, he began directing and acting in plays by Shakespeare, O'Neill and Saroyan. He spent summer doing stock at Pocono Playhouse in Pennsylvania and at the Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine and attended the Northwestern University National High School Institute for theatrical studies.
He entered Northwestern University in 1965, majoring in theatre, and played ten starring roles there, including leads in "A Man for All Seasons," "Liliom," and "Poor Bitos." Winning the university's best actor award, Strauss completed his studies a semester early and went to Hollywood in 1969 for a screen test for a Civil War movie that was never made. His first role came later in "Hail Hero," in which he had a six-line scene astride a horse he couldn't ride.
He also starred in "Soldier Blue" in 1970 and later went to Rome to film "Il Sergente Klems." In between films, he appeared in theatrical productions, including "The Trial of the Cantonsville Nine," the comtroversial play by Daniel Berrigan. Later he appeared in the film.
Strauss's television quest appearances have includedthe movie, "The Man Without a Country," "Medical Center," "Yamashita" and "KKK-Attack on Terror."
He was still in his 20's with nearly 15 years of training and experience behind him when he began his portrayal of Rudy Jordache in "Rich Man, Poor Man" in 1976.
Strauss lives outside of Los Angeles on a 64-acre ranch nestled between Malibu and the San Fernando Valley with a pair of Jack Russell terriers, an assortment of chickens, turkeys, geese, rabbits and goats plus a catalogued collection of cacti from all parts of the world.
"The Secret of NIMH," Strauss's first venture in animation, was produced by Don Bluth, Gary Goldman and John Pomeroy and directed by Bluth. Jerry Goldsmith composed and conducted the songs and score and Paul Williams wrote the lyrics. The screenplay was adapted by Bluth, Pomeroy, Will Finn and Goldman from the Newbery Award-winning book, "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert C. O'Brien. Rich Irvine and James L. Stewart are executive producers.