Baton Rouge native and actor Louis Herthum, 61, has played many characters over the years. He’s currently a series regular on HBO’s “Westworld,” a series based on a 1973 film of the same name. He plays Peter Abernathy, father of actress Evan Rachel Wood’s character, Dolores Abernathy.
Herthum briefly attended the University in the ‘70s, where he said he excelled in writing and little else. At the time, he said his goal was to become a stuntman because he was inspired by Loren James’ work in “Bullitt,” an action film he saw at 12 years old with his father.
“That film has the most extraordinary stunt chase scene ever filmed,” Herthum said. “I wanted to be a stunt driver. I wanted to drive cars. I told my dad walking out of the theater I said ‘That’s what I’m gonna do when I grow up.’”
Herthum said he still does most of his own stunts and fight scenes. However, he said he has not been interested in becoming a stuntman since his early days in Baton Rouge. His interest shifted to traditional acting when, at the urging of his agent at the time, he auditioned for a local production of “The Rainmaker” and got the lead role.
“That’s when I realized ‘Hey, you know what? I think that’s what I’m supposed to be doing,’” Herthum said. “I did a few more plays, and then I headed to LA.”
He said his current role in “Westworld” is challenging, and that is what makes it interesting for him. He said one of the more notable challenges, alongside playing multiple roles, is the physicality of his performance in the show.
“The preparation was having the ability to, when the time was right, let people see the robot, and then the other times you have to be completely human and you have to slip into it just like that,” Herthum said.
Herthum cited his performance in the upcoming movie “I Still See You” as another of his more fun and challenging roles. In the film, he plays a man suffering with the consequences of an apocalyptic world he helped create. However, he said “Westworld” was still the pinnacle of pushing his acting boundaries.
“I play a guy who has severe PTSD because he was one of the creators of the apocalypse,” Herthum said. “That’s kind of a rough thing to carry around.”
Herthum expanded his career in 2004 by starting Ransack Films, a production company based in Baton Rouge. He said the city is film-friendly, and that if he had started the company in Los Angeles, Louisiana would still be his first choice for shooting.
“It’s close to my heart,” Herthum said. “This is my hometown; it always will be.”
Herthum spent much of his early life in Baton Rouge, which he said had more of a small-town feel in his youth.
“When I left Baton Rouge, you couldn’t go anywhere without seeing somebody you knew,” Herthum said. “Any restaurant, store — you just saw people on the street. Pull up to a stop sign, there’s your friend in the car next to you.”
Herthum said he recently visited the house he grew up in, where things were much simpler than they are now. Some of his old memories have left a physical impression on Baton Rouge.
“There are pine trees now that are about 60-feet-tall that my dad and I planted,” Herthum said. “They were little saplings, and now they’re massive trees.”
Herthum said he still loves Baton Rouge and is a big fan of the University’s football team. He wishes the best of luck to the team and its current superstar.
“I’ve got friends out in LA that are all big Tiger fans and we get together and watch games,” Herthum said. “I’m a huge Tiger fan, and we support LSU a great deal in LA.”