'Knight Rider's' Bruening is model student
By Bruce R. Miller bmiller@siouxcityjournal.com | Posted: Friday, October 17, 2008
Nebraska native Justin Bruening stars in "Knight Rider."
LOS ANGELES -- Justin Bruening had an awakening midway through his college career.
"Certain people are destined to do certain things," the "Knight Rider" star explains. "I went through 10 different majors and I couldn't find anything I liked. I had picked information management systems and accounting and realized you have to spend the majority of your days in an office."
Instead of continuing at Chadron State College, Bruening decided to take a year off "and stop wasting time."
The Nebraska native got on a plane, headed for California and landed a job modeling.
Biographies like to say he was discovered at a McDonald's but, Bruening admits, "that's kind of overexaggerated. Someone did spot me once in a McDonald's but it was on the way to work and I was asked if I wanted to model. I said no."
Instead, an agent signed Bruening at a later date and helped him become the face of Abercrombie and Fitch.
"It wasn't as easy as you think," he says. "But I realized I wasn't doing anything else that was creative with my life, so I probably should look into it. That's why I chose to work at a video store one time in my life. I got close to movies and got to watch everything I enjoyed."
Modeling led to acting -- and a regular spot on "All My Children." There, he met his wife, actress Alexa Havins, and became a hit among soap fans.
When he felt he had done as much as he could in daytime, Bruening suggested they move to California and try auditioning.
"I was the second person to read for 'Knight Rider,'" the 29-year-old says proudly. Producers cast him in a two-hour TV movie (viewed as a pilot for the revival) and strapped him inside a car.
The movie got mixed reviews (even though it brought David Hasselhoff back as Michael Knight) and complaints about product placement. It was shot during the writers strike, however, and might have benefited from another revision.
"I'm a fan of the original series and there were things I wanted to see in the pilot," Bruening says. "But we can't fit everything from a four-year show into two hours. Now, if we run five years, we can."
In the intervening months, Bruening bulked up (one look tells you he's ready for those no-shirt scenes), studied stage fighting and learned how to do stunt driving.
"I'm trying to do reverse 180s and slide a car into the camera without hitting anyone -- which is really nerve-racking," he says with a laugh. "It's not that I'm not comfortable behind the wheel, but if there's a group of 30 people standing there and I have to slide the car, I don't want to hit them." His stunt driver "can take a car and make it go in a circle all day long. It's amazing."
The goal: To be able to do those stunts without help. Currently, he does 98 percent of the fights. "I've come out of them bruised and banged up, but nothing that wouldn't have happened anyway."
When he goes home at night, Bruening often finds himself playing video games. Grand Theft Auto 4 is a favorite. "After not being able to crash cars all day, I go home and take it out on the game."
Since landing "Knight Rider," Bruening hasn't had one speed ticket. "I haven't had any since college," he corrects. "And that was a speed trap."
Now piloting a custom-made Mustang in his private life, Bruening says he's a safe driver. His fault? "I listen to my music entirely too loud when my wife is in the car. It's not her type." The music: "Hard rock. Metallica. AC/DC. I grew up in the Midwest. It was like a national anthem there."
Raised in St. Helena, Neb., Bruening did a lot of outdoorsy things. He drove a 1976 Chrysler Cordoba "with Corinthian leather and a really crappy sunroof" and watched "Knight Rider." Religiously.
When he met David Hasselhoff on the set of the pilot, Bruening was visibly nervous. "It was his legacy," Bruening says of "Knight Rider." "It was odd for me to have a conversation with him and act with him. When he said, 'I'm Michael Knight' I completely crumbled."
"Certain people are destined to do certain things," the "Knight Rider" star explains. "I went through 10 different majors and I couldn't find anything I liked. I had picked information management systems and accounting and realized you have to spend the majority of your days in an office."
Instead of continuing at Chadron State College, Bruening decided to take a year off "and stop wasting time."
The Nebraska native got on a plane, headed for California and landed a job modeling.
Biographies like to say he was discovered at a McDonald's but, Bruening admits, "that's kind of overexaggerated. Someone did spot me once in a McDonald's but it was on the way to work and I was asked if I wanted to model. I said no."
Instead, an agent signed Bruening at a later date and helped him become the face of Abercrombie and Fitch.
"It wasn't as easy as you think," he says. "But I realized I wasn't doing anything else that was creative with my life, so I probably should look into it. That's why I chose to work at a video store one time in my life. I got close to movies and got to watch everything I enjoyed."
Modeling led to acting -- and a regular spot on "All My Children." There, he met his wife, actress Alexa Havins, and became a hit among soap fans.
When he felt he had done as much as he could in daytime, Bruening suggested they move to California and try auditioning.
"I was the second person to read for 'Knight Rider,'" the 29-year-old says proudly. Producers cast him in a two-hour TV movie (viewed as a pilot for the revival) and strapped him inside a car.
The movie got mixed reviews (even though it brought David Hasselhoff back as Michael Knight) and complaints about product placement. It was shot during the writers strike, however, and might have benefited from another revision.
"I'm a fan of the original series and there were things I wanted to see in the pilot," Bruening says. "But we can't fit everything from a four-year show into two hours. Now, if we run five years, we can."
In the intervening months, Bruening bulked up (one look tells you he's ready for those no-shirt scenes), studied stage fighting and learned how to do stunt driving.
"I'm trying to do reverse 180s and slide a car into the camera without hitting anyone -- which is really nerve-racking," he says with a laugh. "It's not that I'm not comfortable behind the wheel, but if there's a group of 30 people standing there and I have to slide the car, I don't want to hit them." His stunt driver "can take a car and make it go in a circle all day long. It's amazing."
The goal: To be able to do those stunts without help. Currently, he does 98 percent of the fights. "I've come out of them bruised and banged up, but nothing that wouldn't have happened anyway."
When he goes home at night, Bruening often finds himself playing video games. Grand Theft Auto 4 is a favorite. "After not being able to crash cars all day, I go home and take it out on the game."
Since landing "Knight Rider," Bruening hasn't had one speed ticket. "I haven't had any since college," he corrects. "And that was a speed trap."
Now piloting a custom-made Mustang in his private life, Bruening says he's a safe driver. His fault? "I listen to my music entirely too loud when my wife is in the car. It's not her type." The music: "Hard rock. Metallica. AC/DC. I grew up in the Midwest. It was like a national anthem there."
Raised in St. Helena, Neb., Bruening did a lot of outdoorsy things. He drove a 1976 Chrysler Cordoba "with Corinthian leather and a really crappy sunroof" and watched "Knight Rider." Religiously.
When he met David Hasselhoff on the set of the pilot, Bruening was visibly nervous. "It was his legacy," Bruening says of "Knight Rider." "It was odd for me to have a conversation with him and act with him. When he said, 'I'm Michael Knight' I completely crumbled."
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