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Places
The Journey of My Days, My Lives
Thaao Penghlis
For my dearest friend Jo De Winter
and my parents Peter and Eva
whose love really made a difference
and brought magic into my life
A special gratitude to Jack Betts who stood by my side and took so many of the wonderful photos that I have incorporated in this book which always allowed me to remember how fortunate I’ve been. Roy Steinberg for helping me create Journeys at the Cape May Stage that seeded the idea for this book. To my dearest friend Jo De Winter for that incredible mind and all those wonderful arguments on history when the facts were not always clear. To Milton Katselas for inspiring me as a teacher and friend, who helped me as a fellow Greek understand the meaning of “mentor.” A special thank you to Brian Nahas, for without him I would never have had the opportunity to meet my passionate and talented publisher Judy Proffer. That relationship introduced me to my editor Karen Young, who through her sincere work and valuable insights helped me believe in my voice. Thank you to Lauren Gibson, Terri Hanauer and Denise George for helping me put this book together. And finally my dear brother George Pengly and his wife Helen who contributed more than they will ever realize. My first book, a new experience that has placed more light on this continued path.
CONTENTS
PART I.
ALONG THE PATH
PART II.
DODGING BULLETS
PART III.
PLACES
FOREWORD
I’ve known Thaao Penghlis for over twenty years, sharing a master acting class every Saturday morning. Our teacher Milton Katselas taught the class at the Beverly Hills Playhouse and over the years I was fortunate to be in the audience when Thaao would work on the stage. I was witness to his talent, his inventiveness, the depth of his choices, and his unique style. He is a very serious actor who fills his characters with great detail. When he is onstage, it is his performance that you watch. There’s always intelligence, clarity, drama, and originality to his work. In addition, a very handsome man!
Because of our friendship, I have been fortunate enough to be invited to his home several times for dinner. He’s an extraordinary cook and takes great pleasure in inviting his friends to his home for an evening of great food, wine, and interesting conversation. The table is set so beautifully that you almost hate to sit down to mess it up! There’s an elegance to it, a color scheme, attractive plates, lovely stemware, flowers, and always a comfortable chair. The food that he cooks takes his time, thoughtfulness and knowledge, and he spends hours preparing a very well-planned dinner, salad, dessert and, of course, wine. His guests are always interesting people and one is lucky to be among the chosen for a lovely, memorable, and delicious dinner. I am always grateful to be among the invited. Thaao’s home is a delight for the eyes, filled with extraordinary art and antiques. There’s always a feeling of warmth, comfort, and love in his house. He makes you feel all that at once.
It’s during these meals that Thaao regales us with fascinating stories of his travels and adventures around the world. It is these stories that make up this book, full of insight from his personal life, his family heritage, and lessons learned by walking through history.
In this century Thaao Penghlis is a true renaissance man. A wonderful actor, a delicious cook, and now a fascinating author. His book is intriguing, informative, and an absolute page-turner. His life has been very interesting, his internationally renowned mentors have been influential in the wise choices he’s made. Each page takes you on a journey and reveals illuminating experiences from his life and his travels, and makes this book a wonderfully unique experience.
—Doris Roberts
INTRODUCTION
“In every great religion in the world there is a place where God never sleeps, where the Divine and mundane connect and out of this comes revelation.”
—Richard Marshall
From an early age I harbored an insatiable desire to explore mysterious places as gateways to profound spiritual awakening. Turkey. Egypt. Greece. Israel. Syria. Lebanon. Jordan. I never imagined that landing in America would set the stage for a lifetime of exploration. I did believe that the knowledge I would gain in traveling to these off-the-beaten-path places would lead to a better understanding of self and inch me closer to assuming the role I coveted most: “Captain of My Own Destiny.”
So in my early twenties I was left to ponder what province could afford me the opportunity for dreams to become reality.
While exploring the merits of various vocations, including archeology and diplomacy, it was the acting profession that eventually came calling. Yes, it came to me. At least the notion of a career in acting. I had to work like crazy to earn the right to respectfully be part of the business. And once I broke through and established myself, the acting path and its rewards afforded me the opportunity to visit life-altering places.
So, travel I did.
I reveled in extraordinary journeys laced with mind-bending and soul-stirring adventures and experiences—crossing Egypt’s Sinai Desert and climbing Mt. Moses; crashing in a balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings in Luxor; being mistaken for a terrorist by Mossad agents in Israel. I was (wrongly) accused of being an Israeli spy by the Hezbollah. I researched sixty thousand documents in Greece by archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann so I could better understand the footsteps he took in uncovering the remains of Troy. These experiences all added startling new dimension to my already rich perception of life’s great big mysteries.
There are many stories to tell about my journeys—and in this book I have curated some of what I consider to be the best and most interesting to share with you.
Travel has always been and always will be my great big love. Sure, I’ve had my heart broken and I’ve likely broken hearts. What has shaped me more than anything else—romantically, intellectually and spiritually—are my adventures to distant lands. I hope you too will find the romance in the places I visited. I hope your heart and soul are stirred as mine have been again and again. The first rule of acting is to be real. I believe that applies to writing too. Travel is my greatest truth.
The roots of this book took form in 2010 when I created a theatre piece of my pilgrimages called Journeys. It was then I discovered that audiences were also curious and fascinated by what awaits beyond their shores. By sharing my revelations as a Homeric storyteller, I learned that I purposely stirred people with my explorations and inspired them to look beyond what may be considered the mundane.
I approach travel as a scholar, not as a tourist. I toss out a “must do” list in favor of studying and delving into the bones of a culture. Exploring and wearing the dust of these lands leaves an everlasting imprint on the psyche. This kind of travel changes the way you think, act, and feel. It holistically generates a fresh way of looking at the world by rejuvenating the way we live in our own space.
It was Henry Ward Beecher who once said, “We should not judge people by their peak of excellence; but by the distance they have traveled from the point where they started.”
Not all paths taken are safe. Very few meaningful things are without risks. Acting is a risk. Relationships are risks. And so is travel to sometimes perilous lands.
Glimpsing into a new culture firsthand offers a clearer understanding of the ways people live and have lived throughout history. We gain a greater understanding of how our
personal existence fits in with the global community. And if we do it right, if we completely immerse when we travel, we can unfurl compassion and keep criticism at bay and ultimately honor and accept the differences and similarities among us.
It was the rituals of daily life in Australia that grounded me—sitting at the dining table without the television on; kissing my father’s hand on his Name Day; watching my grandmother crochet my sister’s dowry; my mother disciplining me for speaking to an elder without respect; or her handing me a protein drink with a raw egg every morning so that I would grow taller—and finally, my brother George, who was always there at the end of a race, cheering me on.
I left my family to go to America. No one in my Greek community had ever left their family. I was the first and I put my family through a great deal of pain and confusion when I moved, especially my Mum. One relative spouted, “Actors, cab drivers, they’re all the same.” This opinion prompted me to push through toward my career and look for signs along the way that I had made the right decision—always remaining connected to my family.
My Mum was royalty in my eyes. She would sit with her friends, always with her head held high. My father was tough and judgmental, but I would later learn that his heart was in the right place—he was a product of his background and just didn’t know how to show it.
My parents were among tens of thousands who emigrated from Greece to Australia in the first half of the 20th century. I cherish their memory and all those who came before them who took the chance to go to Australia when there was so little to grasp in those lean years. They carved roads on the hard Australian soil, and challenged what lay ahead by persevering and believing. They cleared the path for all of us.
My Greek roots and passion led me on these journeys, navigating my own personal path through the darkness and the light. Oftentimes challenging, the path I took led me to where I am today.
Acclaimed spiritual teacher and author Marianne Williamson once said, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. And when we let our light shine we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear our presence automatically liberates others.”
Through it all, my life so far has been a great ride—with many more adventures to come. If this diary encourages you to rethink travel, mission accomplished. And to those who crossed my path, thank you for making a difference in the way I see, feel, and am.
The beginning of unraveling the mysteries of self. First photograph taken in America, 1969. (Photo: Edgar De Evia)
Sydney in the late ’60s. (Author’s Collection)
I.
ALONG THE PATH
Sydney
IT WAS THE LATE ’60s. I WAS SEATED AT MY DESK IN THE Commonwealth Center where I was an Immigration Official interviewing candidates for permanent status in Australia when a curious man with an even more curious name sat down before me.
Marinus B. Dykshoorn. He told me he was a psychic who solved crimes with Scotland Yard. His soothsaying career spanned decades and his cases spanned Europe. And apparently he was a bit of a legend in psychic circles. Born in 1920 in a small Dutch town, he first gained notoriety by insisting an infertile neighbor had a “baby in her tummy.” Nine months later the young boy’s prediction was vindicated. In Belgium he unearthed the remains of seven soldiers buried during World War I. And his clairvoyance would draw him to a bounty of silver coins buried during World War II. His memoir was titled My Passport Says Clairvoyant. Because it did.
Dykshoorn came to the Commonwealth Center to discuss his status, and by the end of our meeting the discussion turned toward me. With unwavering conviction he told me I would not be working at my job much longer and that I would be moving to America to become an actor. I stared at him in utter disbelief. My dream was to work in the Diplomatic Corps. It seemed to me a noble career and frankly it met with my parents’ approval.
Wary of his “vision” but curious as hell, I agreed to meet with Dykshoorn privately three days later. What transpired in that exchange would alter my life forever. He held a wire whisk in his hands, spinning it until he was able to pick up vibrations around me, deciphering them as he went along. This was a completely new experience because I never had a session with a psychic before.
Dykshoorn told me that on the 29th of August that year I would fly on a free trip to America and begin studies as an actor. He also said my biggest success would be portraying Machiavellian characters. Stunned, I thanked him and headed home absolutely elated by his predictions.
My family responded to my news with a numb silence. When they eventually shared their thoughts, they were shocked that I would even contemplate such a frivolous scenario. Influenced by their response, I dropped the idea as quickly as I had first accepted it and kept working with the Immigration Department.
My next post was meeting immigrants aboard ships entering Sydney Harbor filled with single Greek women on assisted passage. At 5 a.m. I would catch the launch with a couple of fellow officers and speed out to the heads, climb on board the ship and complete documents for these young women entering the labor force.
One morning everyone from my office missed the launch and I had to interview five hundred women on my own within a period of two hours. I saved the day since this could have proven embarrassing for the government if word had leaked to the press. The head official called me into his office and congratulated me on a job well done, and elevated me to a position that normally took ten years of seniority. He told me I was the first Greek who was ever trusted there.
“What was wrong with the others?” I asked.
“They took bribes,” was his matter-of-fact reply.
At that point Dykshoorn’s predictions were a distant memory and I contentedly continued with my work. I was a young Greek living in Australia and I would make the most of my life. One evening I was invited to a party where Amelia Hernandez of the famed Ballet Folklórico of Mexico was the featured guest.
She was gracious and passionate and said I reminded her of her favorite son. Amelia was greatly interested in my classical Greek heritage and shared with me how Greek history influenced her choreography. As she was leaving the party Amelia surprised me with an invitation to join her on a trip to Mexico.
“Come and see how my country lives and play with us. It won’t cost you anything as we are on a chartered flight and you will be our guest.”
My curiosity was naturally piqued and I asked when the flight was leaving.
“On the 29th of August,” she replied.
Dykshoorn’s date.
She gave me her number in case I was interested. I rushed home to share the news. Once again, talk of America was met with gloom and doom. My parents summoned relatives for a family discussion on the prospect of my heading far away to become an actor.
“You have a good profession here and no good Greek boy would leave his family before getting married” was the consensus. My mother was worried. I quietly agreed. Or so they thought.
I alone knew I was about to fly away from Australia with untested wings, regardless of my family’s objections.
I called Amelia and accepted her proposal. And then took a leave of absence from the department for a year. After things were irrevocably in motion I shared my decision with the family, which left them flabbergasted. My mother couldn’t stop crying and my father was brutal in his opposition.
The sole voice of support was that of my Uncle Bill, who above the protest shouted “Let him go, and if it all comes true for him, we will all be happy, and if not at least he gave it a try.”
It was his faith that allowed me to leave Australia with a degree of hope. But as I boarded the plane on the 29th of August, fear crept in and traveled through my body as I looked out to my anxious parents and siblings. I wondered if the rest of Dykshoorn’s predictions could come true.
For the first time in my life I was
alone.
l visited Mexico City for a couple of weeks. I was on a budget and the accommodations were fine, but no one warned me about the water. I knew a little Spanish since I had studied it for six months back in Oz. The cuisine was new to me, and I willingly sampled the culinary riches of the region. Machaca, a tender meat dish, was my favorite and I loved the crust. Like the Greeks make. The aroma was distinctly Mexican. It’s the smell of corn.
Amelia and her troupe were incredibly generous with their time. I was given a tour of the city and visited the Teotihuacán and Chichén Itzá pyramids. Even though I had dreamed of first seeing the Pyramids at Giza, Egypt, these structures were simply amazing. And being amidst such greatness deepened my hunger to visit Giza. Little did I know that in my future I would eventually visit Egypt on ten separate occasions.
This journey to North America would become the stepping-stone for all my discoveries both physically and metaphysically in my life. I loved the people in Mexico who crossed my path and will always remember them as my first introduction to a foreign culture. It was the gateway to the United States, where I was headed next.
Sitting on top of the highest pyramid in the Yucatán. (Author’s Collection)
New York
I landed in New York City in September of 1967 with $180 in my pocket. I stayed with a friend from Australia, but was asked to leave after a couple of weeks. Apparently my rich buddy from back home was a bit of a snob and only dealt with what he considered to be the “great minds” of New York. So much for country. So much for friendship. Years later, after my success, he apologized for his abhorrent behavior. By then it was too late. I had made it on my own, and frankly I found him to be a bore. And I told him just that. Turning me out on the street was a cruel act. I knew no one else there, and it was easy to lose your way in New York, figuratively and literally. It was an awakening, and I never depended on any friend since.
Places: The Journey of My Days, My Lives Page 1