Hillcrest Alum Motivates Audiences On and Off Screen
After almost four decades living near the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, Glenn Morshower is back where it all began.
The veteran character actor and his wife, Carolyn, recently moved from Los Angeles back to Preston Hollow, where they became high school sweethearts in the mid-1970s. He attended Hillcrest High School and she was a student at Highland Park, and they were married as teenagers 36 years ago.
Morshower remains as busy as ever with guest spots on television shows and supporting roles in movies, and he doesn’t plan to slow down.
But the move was prompted more by his off-screen roles. Morshower has increased his schedule as a motivational speaker, and he teaches acting classes in Dallas four days a week when he’s not in production.
“We love being home, Morshower said. “We’ve been away for so long that we’re appreciating a brand new Dallas now.”
His first exposure to acting came at age 11 during a Dallas Theater Center matinee of “A Christmas Carol.” Morshower told his mother during the intermission that he wished he was on stage. Within weeks, he began taking classes and was cast in commercials.
His breakthrough came when he was cast in a lead role in the 1976 coming-of-age comedy The Drive-In, which prompted his move to Los Angeles the following year.
Most viewers know Morshower from one of his many roles as a military man or authority figure, with his most famous being a Secret Service agent on “24” and a presidential adviser on “The West Wing.” In addition to numerous TV appearances, he’s also been in three Transformers films and has worked for directors ranging from George Clooney to Clint Eastwood to Ridley Scott.
“I don’t mind being typecast. We put our kids through college on typecasting,” Morshower said. “I got tired of people thinking that’s all I do. Now I’m being more selective and branching out a lot.”
That’s part of what attracted him to a recurring role as a drug lord on the Netflix series “Bloodline,” which just finished shooting its first season in the Florida Keys.
“I wanted something to rattle the cages of the viewers who are so accustomed to seeing me play the chief of police or the admiral bossing the troops around,” Morshower said. “It was so non-traditional for me.”
For the past 28 years, Morshower has traveled around the country presenting The Extra Mile, an inspirational seminar aimed at groups ranging from aspiring actors to corporate executives. It’s designed to offer a new perspective on life.
“I don’t need to make movies and television anymore,” Morshower said. “I have a full-time career as a speaker, which I love. I just adore people and always love to be of service. My job in this world is to remind people of the beauty of life and the beauty of their lives. You can think big and live large.”
While his priorities might have shifted, Morshower remains passionate about acting and trying new roles. He is an executive producer on Flutter, an independent film that was released on demand in April.
“I’ve had a great parade of successes,” he said. “Work has been better than ever.”
