John O'Hurley Leads Cast Of 'Chicago' In Chicago This Week
CHICAGO (CBS) -- There isn't much John O'Hurley hasn't done in his nearly 40-year career.
He's an actor, musician, dancer, singer, author, entrepreneur, game show host, commercial pitchman, and voice over artist but he may be best known for his role as J Peterman in the Seinfeld series.
"I almost turned that role down. I was upset that my current sitcom had been canceled and I didn't think I was really interested in guest starring. My manager just told me to audition anyway, so I did. I'm glad I took his advice," he laughed.
That role would launch his career into the stratosphere.
"It's a bizarre character because it's based on a real person and a real company," he said. "These characters were over the top, larger than life and that was so much fun."
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O'Hurley even decided to buy into the company after Seinfeld ended its run.
"So since 1999, I have owned the J Peterman company with the real J Peterman. I liked the role so much I bought the company," he laughed.
They've even recently launched the fictional product the Urban Sombrero, famously pitched by Elaine Benes.
"I always told him we weren't embracing the Seinfeld crowd that is 100 million strong through J Peterman," O'Hurley said. "We should be reaching across the aisle and drawing them into our products. He finally agreed and we produced the Peterman version of the Urban Sombrero. We are using Kickstarter to fund this whole experiment. Everywhere I go, people always say are you going to ever produce the Urban Sombrero? The second we announced we were going to do it, everyone reacted."
O'Hurley says his heart has always been on stage, and this week he's leading the cast of "Chicago" as Billy Flynn, his fourth time to play the role in the Windy City.
"I love this character," he said. "He's one of the greatest leading male characters ever, at a time when they aren't really writing leading men anymore. That paternal character that can drive a show. He's elegant, he's shrewd, he's slick. He represents a time gone by."
As he reflects on his career, he remembers one of his first good paying jobs was in Chicago.
"It was the winter of 1981 and I was sitting at the riverfront by the Tribune Building and I just had arrived in New York," he said. "I had booked an industrial video. I always look back at that spot that I stood and remember that time and how far I've come."
What's next for O'Hurley?
"I have an energy company that I work very hard on," he said. "It's probably the next chapter of my life."
Energy Inc., is a company dedicated to facilitating clean, green energy production and provided technology which converts large amounts of waste into energy without hazardous emissions.
"Chicago" runs at the Cadillac Palace Theatre through May 15. The next stop on the tour is Appleton, Wisconsin.
