Tom Atkins - Pittsburgh, PA Resident Portrays NFL Steeler's Founder in The Chief

Tom Atkins, resident of suburb of Peters Township in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, PA. is a well known face in many notable movies and television roles for many years. Tom appeared in John Carpenter films of "The Fog" (1980), "Escape from New York", and "Halloween III, Season of the Witch", as well as character roles in movies like "Leathal Weapon". Tom also is well known by lovers of the hit television series, "Rockford Files", playing Lt. Alex Deihl in the 1970's.

The last seven years, since 2003, Tom Atkins has played the lead role of Pittsburgh Steelers founder, Art Rooney, who founded and owned the NFL team from 1933 until his death in 1988, in the play "The Chief", written by Gene Collier and Rob Zellers for the Pittsburgh Public Theater.

The play has been retired in 2010, but was made into a new movie, "The Chief", and Tom again portrayed the legendary Steeler founder with uncanny resemblance. The Steelers franchise, still owned by the Rooney family, publically has endorsed the film.

The play and film encompass Art Rooney Sr.'s life from his Pittsburgh childhood life, son of an Pittsburgh tavern owner, from when he would swim in the Allegheny River, along the shores of what eventually became "Three Rivers Stadium" where his team would become Superbowl Champions. The story tells of how Mr. Rooney only worked a "real job" for one day of his life, in a steel mill and though he discovered an appreciation for the hard workers of Pittsburgh steel mills, he knew that it was not a job for him. He became very lucky betting on horse racing and won $380,000 during 1937, which helped him hold onto the Steeler franchise during the early bad years.

Though Tom Atkins has played in almost too many roles to list, he has always called Pittsburgh home and continues to live and act in the area. Tom performed in "The Pillowman" for Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theater in 2006 and as Scrooge in the 2008 production of "A Musical Christmas Carol" with the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, as well as many more productions at the Pittsburgh Public Theater, such as "Cobb", "Macbeth", and "You Can't Take It With You".

Here are some interesting answers from Tom Atkins from an April 2009 article from the "Pittsburgh TribLive":

Star who would play me in the movie version of my life, and why:

Josh Brolin, because my son Taylor said I looked like him when I was younger.

Childhood hero and why:

Gen. Douglas MacArthur, because he saved South Korea and would have saved all of Korea if he hadn't been removed.

In five years, I'd like to:

Buy my dear wife a horse farm.

My favorite thing about Pittsburgh is:

My family and friends and memories of those who have passed away. I've lived in many places, but Pittsburgh is the best.

If the TV is on at 2 a.m., I'm watching:

The inside of my eyelids, or an old black-and-white classic on TCM

After a long day, I like to relax with a (pick one):

A. Martini

B. Cold beer

C. Cabernet

D. Herbal tea

E. Hot chocolate

F. Red Bull

B. Cold beer. Sam Adams Lager or a Yuengling, or a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

My favorite sandwich, plus fixings:

Jumbo and Swiss cheese and lettuce and salami and Miracle Whip on whole-wheat toast

Celebrity crush:

Theresa Wright and Claudette Colbert

The first play I saw (when and where):

I think I may have been in a play ("The Time of Your Life" with Duquesne University Red Masquers) before I saw my first play ("The Death of a Salesman" with Richard Dysart at A.C.T. Pittsburgh Playhouse)

My required snack in a movie theater is:

Popcorn, though I hardly ever go to the movies anymore. People talk too much in movie theaters.

When I was 10, I wanted to be:

A RAF pilot after I saw David Niven in "Stairway to Heaven"

My favorite comfort food:

Steak and salad

Vegetable I won't eat:

Lima beans. They'll probably find the cure for cancer in lima beans.

The first band I saw in concert (when and where):

James Taylor, 1970 in Jacob's Pillow, Mass.

The person I'm most often mistaken for:

Caesar Romero

Pick one:

A. Perry Mason

B. Denny Crane

C. Arnie Becker

D. Ally McBeal

B. I loved watching "Boston Legal" with William Shatner and Jim Spader. Now they're gone. So is "Pushing Daisies" and "Eli Stone." I love "Chuck" and "Reaper," so I'm sure they're doomed.

In high school, I was:

Not the class clown. I had no interest in acting. I loved dancing the "moonlight" dance at Sully's with a sweet little girl from South Side. Whatever happened to her?

The movie that always makes me cry:

"Fried Green Tomatoes"

The last book I read:

"Kit's Wilderness" by David Almonds

My favorite Pittsburgh pizza:

Mineo's in Squirrel Hill. My wife and son and I love getting a large "Special" and taking it up to Grandma's in Greenfield.

Movie I could watch every time it appears on cable:

"Casablanca"

Pick one:

A. Emeril Lagasse -

B. Paula Deen

C. Rachael Ray

D. Bobby Flay

A. Emeril -- I love spicy Cajun food, and his recipe for Shrimp Jambalaya is wonderful.

My childhood nickname was:

"T"

My favorite "bad" movie is:

"Night of the Creeps"

My first job:

Changing oil and greasing cars with "Pops" at Beckman Motors in Mt. Oliver.

My worst job:

"The Ninth Configuration" (a 1980 movie)

My favorite cable channel:

TCM

Life would be better without:

Reality TV -- I hate it. I refuse to watch it. It keeps real actors out of work.

If I could tour with any one band, it would be:

Jimmy Beaumont ant The Skyliners

Source: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/ae/theater/s_622906.html

Source: http://www.thechiefmovie.com/?page_id=24

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Atkins_(actor)