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Jack Palance Shrugs Off Tough-Guy Image, Pens Book of Poetry

We've always thought of actor Jack Palance as a tough guy. He's sneered his way through villainous roles in many movies, from "Shane" to "City Slickers" (for which he won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for a role that parodied his own menacing screen persona). So imagine our surprise when we heard he was the author of a book of love poems. As it turns out, The Forest of Love (Summerhouse Press, $22), which Palance also illustrated, is really "a love story in blank verse," as he calls it, and not a collection of poems. And what surprised us even more is that the septuagenarian Palance is really a pussycat in person, or at least on the phone. As for whether he can justifiably be described as "a fresh voice of male sensuality," as his publisher would have it--well, he sure does love to flirt.

Q. As an actor, you're known for playing tough guys. Do you think that publishing a book of tender love poetry represents something of a departure for you?
A. I don't sit around thinking of it as a big departure. It's all part of the same day, the same life, whether I act or write.

Q. Do you feel any anxiety about moving away from your tough-guy persona, your image as a heavy?
A. What the hell do I care? Image doesn't mean a thing to me. It's somebody else's mantle thrown over me. I'm a sweet guy with a smile on my face. I say good morning to the birds, deer, trees, everything around me. No tough-guy image here.

Q. Is the book doing well?
A. Somebody's buying the book. It's been selling well. I don't know, maybe they're waiting for somebody to lead them out of the forest.

Q. Did you have a particular audience or reader in mind?
A. I hope everyone reads it--I hope men and women read it. I've been surprised to see that it appeals to an older age bracket, [mischievously] 35 and up.
Q. Any future publishing plans?
A. I have two books ready. I have a book of 147 poems, but I want to publish that later--I gotta get rid of the poet image first. I have a book called Elizabeth and the Tall Thin Man that's coming out in five to six months.

Q. Did you do a book tour? Have you been giving readings?
A. I have done some readings at my personal appearances. Just a few minutes long, a few pages. But I found doing appearances kind of strenuous, so now I'm resting and relaxing. I fell on my butt in the snow a few days ago, so now I have to rest.

Q. Any truth to the rumor that you're coming out with a fragrance?
A. Yes, I am doing a cologne. It should go well with The Forest of Love. You could run through and sprinkle it on the trees. I'll be in New York next week to finalize the deal. I've chosen the scent and got everything set up. It's a men's cologne but it would be soft enough for you to wear.

Q. What are you calling it?
A. Palance. But if I'd talked to you before I decided that, maybe I would have named it Wissinger. --Joanna Wissinger [see more fun from swoon.com]