Joe Regalbuto is hoping the success of "Murphy Brown" will lead to starring roles in television movies, but he recognizes that being in a hit can have some drawbacks.
"I don't know what's tougher - being unknown or being known," said Regalbuto, who plays reporter Frank Fontana in the successful CBS comedy series. "You have to constantly reinvent yourself.""As an actor, you want to go with your heart," he said. "You want the good parts. But so often, you take the job to feed the kids, or you take it to keep working and keep honing your skills. Very few people can pick their roles.
"I haven't had a lot of starring roles in television movies. I'm waiting for them to start now," he added. "`Murphy Brown' is so well-received critically and people in the industry really love the show. I've always wondered what real value anything has as far as making you more marketable."
He's starting to find out, with the completion of a starring role with Morgan Fairchild in a USA Network movie called "Writer's Block" that will air this fall. Regalbuto plays a detective who tracks down a copycat killer imitating the crimes in mystery novels written by the Fairchild character.
"I can certainly say `Murphy Brown' doesn't hurt, although being in a sitcom can hurt you," Regalbuto said. "But Frank is a three-dimensional character. He's open to a lot of possibilities. Still, you wonder what people in this town remember. If you do a character well, you can sometimes be punished for it. They say you're that character. They don't always see it as an acting role, and everyone is so afraid to make the final choice because so much money is involved.
"There are so few people who can guarantee big numbers in television or at the box office. That's been proven again and again."
Regalbuto wants bigger and better roles, but said he enjoys "Murphy Brown," the people he works with, the exposure, and the big boost he's gotten from the series.
"I'm really fond of Frank," he said. "He's such a misfit in many ways. The thing I like about him is that he has a cynical viewpoint. He's very sharp. He's a great reporter. I love his friendship with Murphy."
On his way back from a trip to the kitchen in his airy house, he gestured toward a painting of his wife, Rosemary, who is the director of Meals on Wheels in Santa Monica. The couple has three children.
Regalbuto, who was born in Brooklyn, grew up in the Bronx and New Milford, N.J. He attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and did two years alternative service at the New York University Medical Center during the Vietnam War. After graduation from the NYU School of the Arts, he began working in the theater.
His first film experience was in "The Goodbye Girl," in which he was one of Richard Dreyfuss' fellow actors in a production of Shakespeare's "Richard III."
He came to California for a role in the television series "The Associates," a comedy about a law firm created by James Brooks. The show, also starring Martin Short, was a gem, but it never attracted an audience.
Regalbuto was Tim Conway's bumbling sidekick in "Ace Crawford, Private Eye," the inventor of an incredible motorcycle in "Street Hawk" and spent one season in "Knots Landing."
"Some years ago, producer Vanessa Green wanted me to do a movie, but I didn't have the TVQ to get the part," he said, referring to the rating used by networks to evaluate an actor's potential.
"Murphy Brown" appears to be changing that.