People: Rob Tapert
HERCULEAN SUCCESS
This past fall, the two most successful syndicated shows on TV were Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. Both these Renaissance Pictures programs have the same co-executive producers--Rob G. Tapert, '78, and longtime Spartan friend and associate Sam Raimi (see Winter 1991, p. 13), whose collaborations fill a lengthy filmography including The Evil Dead, Darkman, and Hard Target.
In October, Tapert broke thousands of hearts worldwide when he announced his engagement with Xena star Lucy Lawless (she just played Rizzo in Broadway's Grease). 'It'll be this Spring in the L.A. area,' says Tapert, 'but I can't tell you where. She has some rabid followers.' Rob attributes Lawless' leap to stardom to timing. 'The time was right for a strong woman figure to come through and appeal to action film fans,' he says.
Rob gives tremendous credit to MSU for his current success. 'I was in Honors College, and in my last couple of years we made a couple of films,' he recalls. 'I took several courses in film appreciation from Bill Vincent. That was really helpful.'
He thanks 'a fluke in MSU's computer' for having him room with Raimi, 'whose brother got us into making movies.' Rob and Sam formed MSU's Society for Creative Filmmaking and made two Super 8 films. The first, Happy Valley Kid, was shot on a $900 budget and 'did incredibly well.' Their second, It's Murder, a comedy, flopped. After graduation, they made their breakthrough movie, Evil Dead, a movie that now enjoys cult status, complete with two sequels.
He misses his many buddies from Case Hall, 'who are now drifting away and becoming memories, because I don't see much of them any more.' Rob currently spends 7 months a year in New Zealand, where Xena is produced. 'It's drop-dead gorgeous over here,' he says. 'As I speak, we're on a hilltop near Auckland overlooking the ocean.' He's also developing pilots for next fall, including The Love Police, starring Shawn Cassidy. 'We have high hopes,' he says. 'It's a new version of Love, American Style.'