Reb Brown Recounts "Captain America" Beginnings

By Thomas Leturgey

“Just call me Steve,” said actor Reb Brown during a Friday afternoon question and answer session as part of the first Steel City Con in post-COVID-19 pandemic Pittsburgh. He was talking about the reverence and importance he felt when he was tapped for the role of Captain America in two 1979 TV movies. As a pre-Chris Evans Steve Rogers, Reb Brown was the “Red, White and Blue” hero of Marvel comics fame. Brown knew the importance of the role and the character. He wore a Captain America shirt during his day one Visit to the Monroeville Convention Center.

Brown, now 73, had difficulty navigating his microphone during the Q & A session, which had some of the approximately 100 fans in attendance for his talk cupping their ears. The former USC fullback remains in incredible physical condition and legitimately carries himself like a real-life Captain America. Asked if he has a relationship with the more modern-day incarnation of one of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby’s most beloved creations, he says “I’ve never met him.” And when asked about never being asked to be a part of the multi-billion-dollar Marvel Cinematic Universe, Brown says, not without merit, “I’m not CGI. Those guys are smaller than me.” He compared himself to The Incredible Hulk star Lou Ferrigno and the comparison is apt. At 6’3,” Brown is taller than Iron Man’s Robert Downey Jr. (reportedly 5’9”) and the most famous Captain America Chris Evans (reportedly 6’). In fact, Brown is an inch taller than the official Marvel Character.

Asked about some of his other famous roles, Brown was very proud of his work in Death of a Soldier, that earned him an Australian Film Institute Awards Nomination for Best Actor in 1986. In addition, he spoke highly of his work in Uncommon Valor, a Vietnam War film that also starred Gene Hackman and Patrick Swayze. “A war veterans’ wife once told me that she understood her husband more because of that movie,” he said. “It doesn’t get any better than that.”

He had fond memories of working in Turkey for cult fan favorite Yor, the Hunter from the Future as well as RoboWar, a blatant rip-off of the Arnold Schwarzenegger action classic Predator.

Brown told stories of working on the classic sitcom Three’s Company and how he worked with Donny Most on a stunt during Happy Days. “I was to lift ‘Ralph Malph’ and when we practiced the move, he put his foot on my thigh to boost himself up,” said Brown. “When the time came to film it, I just lifted him off the ground. Donny asked, ‘how did you do that’?”

He talked of surfing with Gary Busey in 1978’s Big Wednesday and 1979’s Hardcore with George C. Scott, but he was most impressed with Christopher Lee in the first Captain America TV movie. “He spoke 8 languages; he was a gentleman.”

And he got emotional when asked about his long-time wife and 1988’s Space Mutiny co-star, Cisse Cameron. “I met her when she was a regular on the Ted Knight Show,” he said. “And on our second date, I told her ‘I’m going to marry you. It’s been 41 years.” His voice cracked as he recounted that time, and thanked everyone for coming.

Brown continues his visit at Steel City Con this weekend.