Exceptional People Magazine - Louis Herthum

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Greetings to My Readers, Our July/August issue has arrived. We recently added our West Coast Bureau headed by Sharon Raiford Bush, an extraordi-

nary, awarding-winning journalist. We want to thank all of our West Coast supporters who share our vision and believe in

our mission to change the world.

In the future we will honor celebrities who are not only excellent at their craft but also committed to making a difference in

the world. On one cover of this issue, I am pleased to introduce Actor/Humanitarian Ernie Hudson whose extraordinary

acting abilities have drawn support from diverse audiences. He not only shares details about his tough life experiences but

he’s passionate about helping others such as Women of Destiny, an organization providing services to battered women and

children. We are honored to feature exceptional Actor/Producer/Humanitarian Louis Herthum whose heroic acts of kind-

ness helped rescue over 50 people during the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina. We also highlight successful entrepre-

neurs such as CEO and Networking Authority, George C. Fraser who shares priceless insights to building business and pro-

fessional relationships. We have included other exciting features, as well.

We are excited about the future of Exceptional People Magazine and we look forward to continuing to enrich the lives of

people worldwide, both personally and professionally. Please send your comments to us at: 2961-A Hunter Mill Rd., Oak-

ton, VA 22124 or visit our website at www.exceptionalmag.com. We look forward to hearing from you. As always, thank

you for being a subscriber and for allowing us to inspire you. Without you, our vision would not be possible.

Sincerely,

A Profile in CourageA Profile in Courage

LouisLouis

HerthumHerthum

Herthum co-starred in CBS'

Murder, She Wrote.

people Extraordinary Profiles

July-August 2010 | Exceptional People Magazine | 13

Because of its heart-throbbing reputation of

being the historic apex of fussy film studios

and melodramatic movie stars, the word

“Hollywood” is used regularly as a meto-

nymy, or figure of speech, of American cin-

ema. It is here in Tinseltown where promises

are unrealized, feelings are oftentimes dis-

carded and big dreams can, in fact, be made

out of clay.

A magnet for idealists, young hopefuls have

migrated in droves to this starstruck locale on

a daily basis for decades with little more than

a money-clip of hope in one pocket and a

prayer in the other.

Actor/director/producer/activist/adjunct pro-

fessor Louis Herthum was different.

When he decided to bid farewell to his tran-

quil birthplace of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in

1982, the then-26-year-old handsome man --

with piercing blue eyes, a thick mane of per-

fectly coiffed hair and photo-ready physique -

- had already sampled some of the toothsome

spoils of show business.

“My first desire was to be a stunt man,” said

Herthum as he recalled sitting in a movie

theater in 1968 with his father, watching Bul-

litt, starring action hero Steve McQueen. It

was that famous car-chase scene that hooked

the then-12-year-old. So Herthum did what-

ever he could to break into the industry.

Throughout his teen years and well into his

20's, he modeled and appeared in television

commercials.

It was 1981, the year that marked Her-

thum's moment of absolute reckoning. That

is when his agent arranged for him an audi-

tion for The Rainmaker, a Baton Rouge

Little Theatre stage production.

“This scared the hell out of me,” remem-

bered Herthum. “I thought, literally, that if

I can’t muster the courage to go read for

this play, how will I ever muster the cour-

age to jump off a six story building when I

get to Hollywood?” The aspiring daredevil

got the job, received ovations for his work

and critical acclaim for his subsequent per-

formances in such musicals as Oklahoma

and Grease.

Herthum quickly landed a small role in The

Toy, a major motion picture starring the

legendary comedic duo of Richard Pryor

and Jackie Gleason. By 1984, Herthum

was cast in Louisiana, a war drama starring

Margot Kidder. There was no denying that

this Southern gentleman with a firm grip

and boylike charm was bitten by the Holly-

wood bug and stung by a swirling swarm

of optimism.

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Exceptional People Magazine.

By

Sharon Raiford Bush