There was a discussion on our RR site just this past week referencing the character "Other brother" Darryl on the classic Newhart television show.
Well, guess what? You can't make this up. The NASCAR Hall of Fame has an employee who may look very familiar to viewers of that show.
The story below appears in the October 26, 2013 Charlotte Observer:
Where you can find the 'other brother Darryl'
By Mark Washburn
The cast of the Bob Newhart show.
Few people recognize John Volstad in his latest role, assisting visitors at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Even those who do arent certain at first.
Photo by Robert Lahser
Theyre not too sure they dont think about it because my hair is combed back now, says Volstad, who played the other brother Darryl in the 1982-90 CBS comedy Newhart.
Volstad, 62, recently moved to Rock Hill with his son and landed a part-time job on the visitor services staff of the Hall of Fame through a longtime acquaintance, the halls historian, Buz McKim.
Volstad says he chose to come to the Charlotte area because he hopes to find work on some of the shows being produced in the region, like Showtimes Homeland. Plus, he likes NASCAR. He once met Darrell Waltrip, and they talked about the name they have in common.
On Newhart, Volstad played one of three brothers who did odd jobs and ran a diner around the Vermont town where the series was set. William Sanderson would introduce the trio, rounded out by Tony Papenfuss, as, Im Larry. This is my brother Darryl, and this is my other brother Darryl.
Neither Darryl would speak. They did reactions what Volstad calls elegant shrugs to whatever was being discussed, until the final episode. They had married garrulous women from Long Island. Fed up with their new spouses, they shouted their only line in eight seasons: Quiet!
Volstad came to the United States at 10 months old from his native Norway, where his mother had been active in the resistance during World War II. He grew up in Brooklyn, Minnesota, Texas, and eventually pursued acting in California.
His first movie was Switchblade Sisters, in which he was beaten up by a girl gang. He had roles in Stripes with Bill Murray and the 1982 Civil War miniseries on CBS, The Blue and the Gray, in which Warren Oates killed him.
After Newhart, he did comedy tours with his TV brothers and landed at a country radio station in Albertville, Ala. Nothing in Alabama was feeding the artist in me, says Volstad.
He hopes Charlotte will cure that. Hall of Fame activities give him small stages, like getting visitors excited about the Pit Crew Challenge and other attractions.
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/10/25/4414555/where-you-can-find-the-other-brother.html#storylink=cpy
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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:10:12PM
