Whether it was on the football field, the stage or the television screen, Eugene Clark was born with the ability to perform.
This multi-faceted individual has made his mark in the Toronto area in different ways since arriving here from UCLA. In the 1970's, it was as an offensive lineman with the Argonauts, a position he held off and on during three injury-plagued seasons. In the '80's, it was as detective Colby Burns on the CTV hit series "Night Heat", a role for which he won a Gemini Award for best supporting actor in a dramatic series. And now in the '90's, Clark is trying to reinvent himself again, this time as a gospel singer promoting his first release, "How Great Thou Art".
"I was (singing and acting) before, but for years I didn't tell anybody because I felt it would have held me back (in football)," said Clark, who grew up doing plays and playing sports in a migratory youth that included stints in New York, Florida and even Japan, since his stepfather was in the U.S. Air Force.
A captain and Hula Bowl representative while at UCLA, Clark was drafted by the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers in 1975 and came to the Argos a year later, where he promptly hurt his knee in an exhibition game against Ottawa. Unable to play for most of the season, Clark contributed nonetheless by singing the national anthem at three home games, all of them Argo victories. Clark was to the Double Blue what Kate Smith and "God Bless America" were to the Philadelphia Flyers at that time, and it signalled a glimpse into a career in show business away from the field.
When it came to football, though, Clark (who went by nicknames such as "Big Daddy", "Papa G" and "Professor") had some specific memories.
"I remember when you got to Hamilton and they threw bottles at you, it was 120 degrees on the turf and everybody hated you; it was great, I loved it," said Clark. "The highlight of my career was when I whipped (Montreal lineman) Glen Weir. He'll tell ya I'm the only guy who whipped him that year (1977)."
The above anecdotes were told with a dry sense of humour, which is not surprising since stand-up comedy was also one of Clark's pursuits in the early '80's after his football days had ended. After appearing in various plays in western Canada ("I was a roving thespian"), Clark got the "Night Heat" role as well as appearances in over 150 TV productions, 11 feature films and four made-for-TV movies. Among the best known was a regular role on the series "TEKWARS" with William Shatner, and as a suicidal Vietnam war vet in the Emmy-award winning drama "Unnatural Causes".
As for singing, Clark's recent 10-song cassette was the culmination of a longstanding family tradition in gospel music, as well as an affirmation of his relationship with God. To get a sampling of Clark's vocal talents, you can get a copy by writing to him at 615 Mt. Pleasant Rd. #114, Toronto, Ont. M4S 3C5.
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