Wilford Brimley: Let me tell you something

Wilford Brimley as crusty but compassionate
Gus Witherspoon in the '80s dram "Our House".
Source:
https://www.emmys.com/bios/wilford-brimley
(May be subject to copyright)

You ever just want to tell someone off but don't have the courage to do it? Do you always think of just the right thing to say in an argument 20 minutes after the argument? Do you wish you were one of those people who knew just what to say at the right time with no fear?

Wilford Brimley did just that in a role he played in the 1980s.

When I heard he passed away at age 83, it reminded me of just that.

Our House
It was a show that lasted two seasons, and featured a cast that would go on to become known for other roles, but “Our House” was also a show I looked forward to for a simple reason – it always seemed to have a satisfying ending.

The show centered on a family, where Jessie Witherspoon, played by Deidre Hall, is a recently-widowed mother who takes her three kids to California and moves in with her husband’s father Gus Witherspoon.

Gus was played by Wilford Brimley, who left a lasting impression as the grandfather and, at times, curmudgeon.

Every episode seemed to have one of the characters encounter some sort of trouble, whether it was Jessie at work or one of the kids at school. They would come home and tell Gus all about it. Invariably before the end of the episode, Gus would come to the rescue, somehow resolving the situation.

It usually involved him telling someone off or putting them in their place, and usually the phrase “Let me tell you something” was involved.

Although it sounds pretty formulaic, my Mom and I both watched it every Sunday night, and loved the fact the ending was always gratifying. We both at various times said Gus was saying or doing the things we wanted to, but never did.

Let me tell you something
One of the first columns I ever had was on my friend Anders J. Svensson’s website “Screaming Midget”. It was called “Let me tell you something”, and was a tribute to Wilford Brimley because I just loved the way he spoke his mind and said what needed to be said. If memory serves, he started some of his rants with “Let me tell you something”.

Anders told me I looked like Wilford Brimley and believed I would look just like Brimley when I got to that age. So much so, he used a cartoon drawing of Wilford Brimley as the mugshot to accompany my byline on “Let me tell you something”.

So when I heard Wilford Brimley passed away, I felt like a piece of me died.

The movies
Wilford Brimley was prolific throughout the decade, appearing in classics such as “The China Syndrome” in 1979; “The Thing” in 1982; “Tender Mercies” in 1983; “The Natural” in 1984; and "Cocoon” in 1985; as well as movies such as “Amber Waves” and “Brubaker” in 1980; “High Road to China” in 1983; “The Hotel New Hampshire” and “Country” in 1984; “Murder in Space”, “Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins”, and “Ewoks: The Batte for Endor” in 1985.

He kept working right through 2017, appearing in movies such as “The Firm” in 1993 and “My Fellow Americans” in 1996, as well as TV shows such as “Homicide: Life on the Street”, “Walker, Texas Ranger”, and “Seinfeld”.

Parting thoughts
Wilford Brimley had a storied career in the 1970s and 1980s with movies such as “The China Syndrome”; “The Thing”; “Tender Mercies”; “The Natural”; and "Cocoon". He was also a pitch man for Quaker Oats and Liberty Medical, appearing in scores of commercials for them.

But for me, he will always be Gus Witherspoon, a character he played in 46 episodes. He was tough, gruff, and plain spoken but also charming, loyal, strong-minded, and a bit crusading.

I always knew I was in for something memorable when I heard him utter the words, “Let me tell you something.”