When Niklaus Lange left his hometown of Minneapolis for Salt Lake City and the University of Utah back in the fall of '92, he wasn't dreaming of becoming an actor, let alone starring in a TV sitcom.
"I wanted to go west, and I also snowboard a little bit," Lange said. "I'd visited Utah, and it's beautiful. And I could get in (to the U.). So I decided it would be a logical step because I couldn't quite make it to California yet."
Still, he wasn't really thinking of becoming an actor. He didn't know what he wanted to major in, let alone what he wanted as a career. And he sort of stumbled into a couple of theater classes.
"One particular class, I remember, got me so excited about acting," he said. "I thought — if there's a chance I can make a living out of this, I've got to do it."
And one particular teacher helped him come to that decision — Frank Gerrish (a working actor who's now teaching a class in film and television criticism at Salt Lake Community College). "He kind of said, 'I like your stuff,' " Lange said. "He gave me the motivation to maybe actually do it, and then I went from there."
And Gerrish has an ongoing friendship with Lange. "He had long, stringy hair," Gerrish said, "and he looked a little dazed the first time he came into class. He was a self-proclaimed party guy. He came in hung over several times. But I could see that he really had an aptitude for it, so I said, 'Do you want to do this or not, because I'll train you if you do.'
"When he said he was going to California, I said, 'Yeah, go.' I don't say that to most of my students. He was not accomplished, but he had a lot of raw talent."
So, after two years at the U., Lange headed for California. Seven years later, after a lot of time spent tending bar and roles in a few independent films, the lead in an HBO series pilot that never got picked up, guest shots on shows ranging from "Dawson's Creek" to "That '70s Show" and a supporting role in the miniseries "Blonde" (as Marilyn Monroe's first husband), Lange is one of the stars of the new WB sitcom "Men, Women & Dogs," which premieres Sunday at 7:30 p.m. on Ch. 30.
Lange plays beach bum Eric, who recently moved in with his girlfriend (Heather Stephens), but whose first love remains his incontinent aging dog, Betsy. The show follows the adventures of four guys (Lange, Bill Bellamy, Danny Pino and Mike Damus) whose relationships with their dogs tend to be better than their relationships with women.
Starring in a network sitcom is something Lange never dreamed of back home in Minnesota. "I always knew there was something in performing that I wanted to do, but I didn't know that I could or that it was feasible," Lange said. "But I caught the bug in college and came out here and started from scratch. I think I did one rehearsal of 'Jesus Christ, Superstar' in high school and then I left; I didn't like it.
"I was one of the guard guys or something. I was onstage for about five minutes, and then I thought, 'I think I'd rather go play Nintendo,' or whatever it was at the time."
But that changed when he got to college. And it wasn't just Gerrish's encouragement that got him into acting; it was also a strange happenstance. "I actually did a weird, glorified extra part at the U. I was selling my Jeep, and someone called to buy my Jeep for a movie, and I ended up getting a part in the movie," Lange said. "I just kind of saw everything and thought, 'I think I can do this.' And I just got the bug, so to speak."
So he took off for Hollywood, took acting classes and started auditioning. "I did my own submissions forever before I even had an agent," Lange said. "I got my first lead in a movie without an agent. So I really worked hard to get myself out there because I didn't really know anybody in the business who could help me.
"I know a lot of people who are much more talented than me who can't get an agent. So I think there's a lot of elements that are involved. I don't know if it's luck. I think it's a lot of timing. There is a lot of luck, but I think the bottom line is, the longer you wait at the door, eventually the door will open, and if you have the chops to stay there, then you're there."
"He's been plugging away and he hasn't quit," Gerrish said. "He's managed through natural ability and charm, but he also works really, really hard."
Even when, in addition to his human co-stars, Lange is playing opposite dogs. One dog in particular — that elderly dog with whom he shares a rather extended, sloppy kiss in Sunday's series premiere.
"It wasn't actually the dog that I had to get past," Lange said. "It was the chicken baby food and the sardine juice that they rubbed all over my lips. I had to get over that a little. And then by the time the dog came around, it was like a welcome thing."
All of which should provide fodder for his college buddies, who he said seem to be more impressed with his career choice than they used to be.
"Especially in the college setting, they were all, like, 'Are you doing skits now?' There was a bit of condescension," Lange said. "But now that I'm getting paid for it, the phone calls are coming in a little bit more than they used to."
And he still gets back to Salt Lake City from time to time — he visited Utah just a couple of months ago.
"I have friends from college, so I just go back and visit every so often," he said. "I like the town a lot. It's a great place."
E-MAIL: pierce@desnews.com