This is an interview with William done in February 2000 for La Gazette, a French fan magazine. The feature was alternately published here on this website in What's New . WILLIAM SHOCKLEY: An Interview With the Actor Who Portrayed "Hank Lawson" For the Readers of La Gazette Question: Hank Lawson was a favorite Dr. Quinn character for many people, despite the fact that he was often written to be the resident "bad guy." Why do you think that Hank held such a strong appeal for the fans of the show? WILLIAM: I think Hank Lawson has appealed to many "Dr. Quinn" fans because he wasn't really a "bad guy" at all. Hank was simply honest. He was direct. He spoke the truth when others wouldn't. He was a man of the times. A man's man, as well as a ladies' man. He never broke any laws. He never hurt anyone intentionally. He functioned within the confines of the late 1800's. I think many of today's modern viewers forget while watching "Dr. Quinn" that the laws and social values of that time period were quite different than they are today, and Hank was honestly operating within those laws and value systems. Hank believed in an "eye for an eye." He believed in right over wrong, and he wasn't afraid to stand up for what he believed in. Question: How much input did you personally have into the development of your character? WILLIAM: As far as my input into the development of my character, I would have to first give great credit to Beth Sullivan for creating the world of "Dr. Quinn," and ALL of the characters that lived in that world. Once an actor receives the job to do a project, it is then up to that actor to "flesh out" the character, to bring different dimensions and layers to that character, which I feel I was able to do with Hank Lawson. I strove to go beyond the written word on the page of the script, to subtlely reveal the complexities of this man who lived in an era of time in which none of us were actually alive, and to bring him to life, with truth, honesty, and integrity, all qualities that I know for certain that Hank Lawson possessed. Question: Rumor has it that there may be yet another Dr. Quinn Movie of the Week. If that happens would you be willing to play the role of Hank again? WILLIAM: If there is a second "Dr. Quinn" movie, and my character is included in the script, I would love to bring Hank Lawson back to the screen. In the first "Dr. Quinn" movie, my character was included, and the role was quite big; however, the offer that CBS made to me was far from adequate. That's why Hank Lawson was not in that film. If the terms of the second movie offer are fair and just, I will be "back in the saddle again." Question: What do you think of the William Shockley website? WILLIAM: I think my "official" website is INCREDIBLE. I give full credit to Rhonda Payne and Alice McDonald (GypsyMagic, Inc.) for creating the website, managing the site, and basically providing me with the opportunity to be involved in the internet world. Without these two women, there would be no website, and I will always be grateful to them both for their countless hours of hard work, dedication, and love that they have so unselfishly given to me. Question: Will you share with the French fans what you've been working on lately and what we can look forward to from William Shockley in the year 2000? WILLIAM: In December of 1999, I finished filming a feature film called "MADISON," co-starring with Bruce Dern, Jim Caviezel ("THIN RED LINE"), Jake Lloyd ("STAR WARS: EPISODE ONE"), Mary McCormack ("PRIVATE PARTS," "MURDER ONE"), and Brent Briscoe ("SLINGBLADE," "THE GREEN MILE," "MAN ON THE MOON"). "MADISON" is a wonderful, true story set in the 1970's with an all star cast, and I look forward to its release in 2000. I've also been doing a lot of writing. I co-wrote a television pilot with Josef Anderson, a former executive producer of "Dr. Quinn," and Mark Harwell called "LAKE TRAVIS." It is an hour drama set in Austin, Texas. We have Brent Briscoe attached to star with me, and that project will go out in January 2000 to various studios and production companies. Prior to that, Mark and I wrote a feature film script called "SUNSET ON LAKE TRAVIS," which the television pilot is based on. I also wrote a short film with Jordan Wendkos entitled "THE WAR WITHIN." I starred in the film and Jordan directed it. The film has been accepted to the 2000 Palm Beach Film Festival. In addition, I wrote a children's book called "DEAR SWEET FRANZBLAH," about a little boy and his four animal friends that live in a far away mystical land called Blossom Hill Plum. That manuscript is currently in New York at several publishing houses, where I am attempting to obtain a publishing deal. I'm also finishing up another book called "THE GREENS: A PSYCHEDELIC SUBCULTURE ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT," about a little boy and a couple of ordinary plant seeds that save the world. I am doing the illustrations for this book as well. QUESTION: I understand that you spent some time living in Paris and in Milan following your graduation from college. In what ways do you think that experience of living abroad influenced or changed you? WILLIAM: Living in Paris and Milan totally influenced me. I was in my early 20s, and I absolutely loved France and Italy. Everything about both countries is so different than America. The rich culture and heritage of France and Italy, the architecture, the fashion, the food, and the sense of family tradition that I felt all helped my impressions about my future as an artist and a person. QUESTION: Can you share with us some of your favorite places in Paris? In which area of the Cite did you live? WILLIAM: I lived in Neuilly, outside of Paris. I had a wonderful little flat in a quiet neighborhood. I would take walks, go to the markets, buy bread and cheese and wine, and basically enjoy all that the city had to offer. It has been many years, but my favorite places in Paris were all in the city itself. The restaurants, the nightclubs, the shops, and museums. The same was true in Milan. I lived on the second floor of a small pensione by the Duomo Cathedral, and I would simply walk through the city every day and absorb the incredible sights of the city. QUESTION: What did you like best and least about living in a place that is so different from Texas? WILLIAM: I enjoyed the fact that Paris and Milan were both so different from Texas. As an artist, I thrive on new experiences, and both cities certainly offered fresh, exciting, unique lifestyles. QUESTION: How would you describe the type of music that your band plays? What type of music do you enjoy most? Were you influenced in any way by some of the music that was popular in France during the time that you were here? If you are familiar with musicians who are popular in France, do you enjoy the music of any artist in particular? WILLIAM: The type of music that I've played has been some sort of rock and roll. I was influenced by the Beatles, John Lennon, Cat Stevens, and Bob Dylan. I was always attracted to the poet/musician. Words and the stories told in songs were almost most important to me, supported, of course, by good music. French musicians that I've been listening to lately are Liane Foly and Les Nubians. QUESTION: How would you characterize Hank's feelings toward Michaela on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, and hers toward him? WILLIAM: I think that Hank Lawson and Michaela Quinn actually respected each other. They were both strong, convicted characters, very different from each other, yet both operated from a sense of what they felt to be true and correct. They were often at opposite ends of the spectrum in philosophy, but at the end of the day, Hank would have stood up for Michaela and protected her honor. QUESTION: There has been a story told by crew members that during the episode "First Circle" you were very uncomfortable with Hank being the one to pour whitewash over Robert E and asked Beth Sullivan if another character could do it instead. Is that story accurate? WILLIAM: The story is true that I asked Beth Sullivan not to have Hank pour white paint on Robert E in the episode called First Circle. I felt that Hank would not do something like this to Robert E. Although Robert E is black, Hank felt that he had the right to buy a house and live in town. Hank might not have liked having a black man live next door to his saloon, but Hank was honest and law abiding, and Robert E was operating within the confines of the law. If anything, Hank might of tried to buy the house from underneath Robert E, but he wouldn't disrespect the man because of the color of his skin.