| Sometimes the boy next door goes Hollywood. By Tamara Scully for The Roxbury Register After all, wasn't Brad Pitt someone's next door neighbor or high school sweetheart? So it really shouldn't be too surprising that Roxbury Township can claim its own Hollywood hero, in the form of 1990 Roxbury High School graduate Bobby Waldron. Yes, this young man, a Roxbury Township native whose parents, and even a grandparent, are Roxbury graduates, has gone Hollywood. Prophetically, "Hollywood" was a nickname given to him by one of his high school athletic coaches. And it was, appropriately, his agility in sports that instigated his quest for fame in Hollywood. Waldron earned many titles during his career in high school wrestling. He obtained District Champion three times, Morris County Champion twice, and even a Regional Championship. The state finals slipped through his fingers-barely. This talented young athlete even made the varsity football squad his freshman year. What else could anyone ask? Apparently, a lot. Waldron was voted "best personality" and "most popular" in the class of 1990. Winning the title of "Prom King" was icing on the cake. So should anyone be surprised that Waldron has achieved some degree of national fame, both in the realm of athletics, and that of acting? "We always knew he would amount to something," stated his mother Carol Waldron, laughingly. And, well, he did. After making All America in college wrestling, Waldron was invited to the Olympic trials, but was unable to compete due to injury. He decided he could try to capitalize on his other assets, and sought out a modeling agent. "Since I was athletic and in good shape I decided to try modeling. My agent sent me out on auditions for commercials," stated Waldron. And he succeeded in obtaining parts in both Nike and Adidas athletic footwear commercials, utilizing his athletic abilities and "All American" good looks. At a very muscular 6'1", with a dark and sultry appeal, Waldron seemed to have found his niche. But in his typical fashion, he decided that he could combine athletics, modeling, and entertainment a step further, and began branching out. He obtained a position as a personal trainer at the prominent New York City gym, Crunch. This position opened the door to television, as Waldron began auditioning for "fitness guru" spots on a variety of shows. And again he succeeded. "I had two one-hour spots on QVC, one called 'Outdoor Sports,' and the other called 'In Your Gym'," stated Waldron. On both programs, he sold and demonstrated a variety of sports equipment. These QVC spots led to his appearances on network television, again in the role of fitness expert, for numerous shows. He appeared in this capacity on "The Rosie O'Donnell Show;" "Good Morning America;" "Good Day New York;" "Regis and Kathie Lee;" "Ricky Lake;" and "Montel Williams." Many local Roxbury Township residents probably woke up watching Waldron, never realizing that he was, at one time, the boy next door. But Waldron missed competing athletically. So he took up kickboxing, Thai style, and traveled and competed in this genre on an amateur level. Soon he expanded into martial arts. And that was when his next career move occurred. "I realized that stunts were perfect for me because it combines both my interest in athletics and entertainment," explained Waldron. And his career as a stuntman began. After working to gain entry into the Screen Actors Guild, by taking on the role of "extras" in film shoots, he was able to obtain parts in some feature films. He appeared in "Die Hard With a Vengeance" as a stuntman and a snake charmer. "Six Degrees of Separation" had him cast as a rollerblader. Aside from these mainstream successes, Waldron had also found a niche in the "alternative" world of cult movies, both action and horror. These roles have included playing a cop on "Vampire Assassins," which is a spin on the film "Blade;" and a wide variety of stunt work, including jumping off a bridge and being thrown out of a window, in the movie "Almost Related." Other movie credits include "No Rules," which starred Pamela Anderson, as well as a part as a police officer in director Rob Zombie's upcoming horror film "The Devil's Rejects." But Waldon's big success is yet to come. He has been cast in the upcoming sequels to "Pirates of the Caribbean." It was actually his work as a personal fitness trainer, which he still does, which led to his upcoming roles. Waldron was Orlando Bloom's personal fitness trainer. Bloom has starred in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, as well as the original "Pirates of the Caribbean," and will continue on in the "Pirates" sequels. And so will Waldron. "The best news of all is that I will appear in "Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and 3," said Waldron. "I'm not sure what my part will be, but I just know that I'm working on it and that's enough for me." He also revealed that he has an upcoming role in a "highly rated prime time reality show." And how does his family feel about Waldron's Hollywood career? "I don't think it was a surprise," admits mother Carol. "He absolutely loves being a personal trainer. He teaches nutrition, and feeling good about oneself." And she doesn't find it shocking that he was able to branch out into stunt work, obtaining roles in major movies. "He was always a daredevil. He had no fear...ever," she stated. The Waldron family, with the exception of Bobby, still resides in Roxbury Township. And they are proud of Bobby's success. But his mother points out that they have many reasons, besides his Hollywood career, to be proud. "He's a good friend. He is a very family-oriented guy," she stated. And what is next for Bobby? "I continue to audition for many major television and film roles and hopefully will gain success in this crazy occupation," stated Waldron. His mom had some ideas about that as well. "Anything he ever tried he was successful at. He has a lot more he wants to do," she added. ©Recorder Newspapers 2004 |
unity War experiences, return home make ex-soldiers continue as breed apart By Tamara Scully, Special to the Daily Record VERNON -- The year was 1967, and his draft number was up. John Harrigan, originally from Brooklyn, reported to Fort Jackson, S.C., for basic training. He shipped out from there to Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., where he served several months stateside before being sent to Vietnam. Harrigan, 57, and a resident of the township since 1988, is the president of Chapter 327 of the Vietnam Veterans of America. The VVA is a national not-for-profit organization, chartered by Congress, and dedicated to serving the needs of all Vietnam-era military personnel. Chapter 327 serves the northwestern New Jersey area and meets once per month in the Veterans of Foreign Wars hall in Roxbury. The VVA, according to Harrigan, filled a need for soldiers returning from Vietnam. Many times shunned by their communities, they also were considered outsiders in many of the traditional groups serving veterans. "You went to these other organizations ... and they really didn't want you," Harrigan said of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. "That's how the VVA got started." Separate lives Harrigan said that unlike the tightly woven units sent to fight in the World Wars, the Vietnam draftees were oftentimes loosely connected and deployed individually, rather than in groups who had trained together. "Everybody went over separate," Harrigan said of his experience in the Army. Deployed individually, without a unit, he arrived in Vietnam. "When you got there, they put you in base camp, called you to formation and told you where to go." Harrigan was sent to the 86th Combat Engineers, and "once we went in the field, we never came back to the base camp," he said. Instead, they traveled around South Vietnam, building airstrips on minefields, building roads and doing guard duty. "We would have mine detectors, and every morning you had to go out with the mine detector before you could lay the airstrip," he recalled. "There was no place really that was safe. You had to be aware of your surroundings." However, Harrigan said, the work was so laborious and the men got so hot and sweaty that they laid down their protective gear and worked only in pants, leaving helmets, jackets and even their guns, by the wayside. Many times, he said, they were told to abandon a project, halfway through, and start again elsewhere. Harrigan served during the Tet Offensive, which began Jan. 30, 1968, when North Vietnamese troops launched military attacks in most of the cities of South Vietnam. The U.S. government had been claiming that victory was imminent. The Tet Offensive proved otherwise, and American citizens began to lose whatever faith they had in the war. Protests against the war escalated. "We all watched out for each other. We didn't want to be there, but we did what we had to do. And we didn't ask any questions," Harrigan said of the attitude the soldiers in his unit had of the war. "I was there because they made me go. That was our duty. That was how we grew up." Harrigan's enlistment was up in September 1968. After returning to the West Coast, the military did not supply a plane to bring those military personnel from the eastern United States home for several days. On their own, they survived meagerly until a jet was chartered for the cross-country flight, Harrigan said. That wait was an indication of what the homecoming was to be like for Harrigan and other soldiers returning from Vietnam. Feeling forgotten by the government, and ignored or despised by those back home, was par for the course, according to Harrigan. "When we came home, I went to the store ... and never said another word about (Vietnam)," Harrigan said, indicating how uneventful the return stateside was for him. "Coming home, to us we didn't have a homecoming. There was a sign in my house 'Welcome Back.'" Unlike those from previous wars who had developed lifelong friendships in the military, Harrigan said that most Vietnam veterans lost touch upon their return home. The war, he said, and its effects left them isolated. Three of Harrigan's four children have served in the military. One of his daughters served in the Persian Gulf, and his son recently returned from Iraq. His son enlisted in the Army for three years, but like many today, found his enlistment extended. "The kids can't even get out if they want to get out. They do their time, and they (the military) just extend them," Harrigan said. During Vietnam, said Harrigan, when your tour of duty was up, you went home. Harrigan said that he is very proud of his children, and while their military service does have some parallels to his, there are also differences. "I knew that they would experience something that you can't explain to people unless they've been there," Harrigan said of his children's military experience during wartime. "It changes you. It makes you grow up. It's a life-changing experience. It's something that you can't explain." As for his son's recent homecoming, the differences from his own experience are vast, Harrigan said. "When my son came back from Iraq, he called me and said the whole American Legion and the VFW came out to greet them at 3 a.m.," Harrigan said. Harrigan said he feels that Vietnam veterans are still treated like second- class citizens, both within the community in general and within government organizations. "Now Iraq veterans, then older people, then we (Vietnam veterans) are back at the bottom again," Harrigan said of the priority list for getting appointments at veterans administration hospitals. The care received, he said, is high quality -- if and when one can get an appointment. Aftereffects of tours in Vietnam continue. "It takes a long time for a Vietnam veteran to join something," the VVA Chapter 327 president said. "The guys that do show up get very involved." Harrigan said that he feels that the support and understanding that Vietnam veterans can give one another is needed. Only other veterans can begin to understand each other's feelings, and even today, he said, he has blacked out some of his experiences. "I didn't have it as bad as a lot of guys," Harrigan said of his war experiences. "I've heard a lot of guys say that," he said, expressing his belief that many Vietnam veterans suffer with repressed memories. Harrigan advises all veterans, including those newly returned from Iraq, to get involved and to seek help. "Some things don't surface for years … and then it all comes out," Harrigan said. "Talk to another veteran. One that has been there, done that, and knows." |
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