Robert Trebor Interview SF Report December 1998 by Petra de Jong Thanks to Ronald, for getting this article and putting it in English. Can it be? The world's first commercial traveler, Salmoneus, known from the television series "Hercules: the Legendary Journeys" and "Xena: Warrior Princess", to visit a business nation like the Netherlands. The visit from Robert Trebor, the man behind the character, to the first Gen Con in Tiel was also an European premiere: it is the first time a Hercules/Xena actor visits Europe. Naturally SF-report took this chance to get the professional secrets from this salesman. The first thing that I see on Trebor is that he looks a lot like Salmoneus, not only outward but also his character. You almost believe that the part was especially made for him. "Yes, maybe that's the reason. It started with the movie "Hercules and the Lost Kingdom", where I played a part, as the slave Waylan. I liked it a lot, to be on the set, the character Hercules, the producers, I liked everything. At that time there wasn't the idea to make a television series, but I said that I was interested in a part. The Hercules movies became a television series later on and I kept hoping that they'd want Waylan back. One day they called. They had written the character Salmoneus for me and they asked if I was interested to play the role. I said yes and then one thing came after the other." Meanwhile the character has grown into one of the most popular figures. The salesman who does the craziest things to get money, is mostly used in 'comic relief' episodes. Isn't there the danger that the character gets one dimensional? "The danger always exists but fortunately there is some freedom and there is a lot feedback between the writers and me. It is a real symbiotic relationship, they see what I'm doing and they write around it. So I can steer the development of the character and make him three dimensional and human. That is for me nicer to play." Trebor has already some Hercules and Xena episodes on his name. What are his favorite ones? "Different ones. The Hercules episode "Unchained Heart" for example, where Hercules, Iolaus, Xena and Salmoneus are getting buried under rocks. That was the first time that Salmoneus got really scared and serious. "Men in Pink" was also funny to play. That was the first time that I played with Autolycus, Bruce Campbell ("Evil Dead") in an episode. In this episode Autolycus and Salmoneus had to change into women to escape from a certain death. It was very funny to do, especially the bed scene where Bruce and I share the bed. After that I've also got good memories of "Yes Virginia, There is a Hercules", where I played a student. In this episode the whole production staff will be fooled. And of course let's not forget "Rock and a Hard Place", the first Hercules episode that I have directed. The episode "The Greater Good" is my favorite Xena episode. Did you know that they cut fifteen minutes from the episode? There was too much good material so they removed some parts to get a 44 minute episode. In this episode there was also a serious Salmoneus. Especially the scene where Salmoneus finds Xena dead, it's one of my favorite scenes. The sentence that I say ("I will miss You Proud Warrioress"), I made up on the spot, it wasn't in the script but it was more on it's place than the original sentence that was in the script." Of course we are curious about the relationships on the set. How are Kevin Sorbo and Lucy Lawless in real life? "Those are two completely different relations. Kevin and I saw each other for the first time on the set for the Hercules movie "Hercules and the Lost Kingdom". We got really good friends, I am older than Kevin but it seems that I am his younger brother, it's that kind of a relation. With Lucy it's something different. She is very sexy so there is something like a flirt-aspect in our relationship. I have worked with Renee O'Connor before on a Hercules movie. She is more my younger sister. She is a great actress with who I can get along very well." At last we want to know what we can expect from Salmoneus in the future. "I just have finished an episode in New Zealand called "Genies and Grecians and Greeks, Oh My!". In this one there are three Salmoneuses. Beside that I'm on a 'hold' at the moment, this means that the writers will use Salmoneus again but the script for the episode is not finished yet. For now it looks that it will be November/December that I return to New Zealand for two Xena/Hercules episodes." Unfortunately, it will take some time before those episodes are on the Dutch television to watch.