Fans often perceive actors as tethered to certain roles. For Tim Matheson, such roles include Vice President John Hoynes on The West Wing (which earned him two Emmy nominations), Dr. Vernon Mullins on Virgin River, and a rascally student in National Lampoon's Animal House. It's from a catchphrase spoken by that last character ("Eric Stratton, rush chairman. Damn glad to meet you.") that Matheson draws the title of this highly entertaining, no-holds-barred memoir.
In Damn Glad to Meet You, Matheson recounts the highs and frequent lows of his acting career, which began with bit parts when he was 12 years old, after his single mother contacted the talent agent who represented her boss's son. It's not a career filled with glamour and red carpets, but rather with endless auditions, long stretches without work, and substantial roles augmented by smaller parts. It also afforded him the opportunity to work with such luminaries as Lucille Ball, Dick Van Dyke, and Henry Fonda.
Matheson comes across as charming with an edge. He loves to gossip about co-stars and relays stories about friends such as Bruce McGill, with whom he worked on Animal House, but he doesn't identify those he doesn't like. He also admits to being "an arrogant tool." For instance, after his first meeting with Clint Eastwood, Matheson wonders what he could possibly learn from him--turns out, a lot. Matheson also freely admits his shortcomings in relationships, marriages, and friendships.
Matheson's easy, conversational style and self-deprecating humor invites readers to pull up a chair and reminisce. --Oline H. Cogdill, freelance reviewer