It was a gloomy Wednesday morning in early February when I had the pleasure of speaking with Wesley Eure (pronounced “your,”), a man who blossomed from his Hattiesburg upbringing into a multifaceted talent as an actor, singer, and much more. Despite the dreary weather putting a damper on my spirits, Wesley Eure’s vibrant and energetic voice on the phone instantly lifted my mood. I was at my desk in downtown Hattiesburg, while he was enjoying the warmth of his second home in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
After exchanging pleasantries, we delved into the conversation. Knowing Wesley Eure was a prominent figure in entertainment, I anticipated a brief interview. He even mentioned early on that he was spending time with his former “Land of the Lost” co-star, Kathy Coleman. Determined to make the most of our time, I prepared to ask as many questions as possible within a tight 15-minute window.
However, the conversation flowed effortlessly, stretching to nearly an hour, and Wesley Eure was incredibly charming and welcoming. It felt like catching up with an old friend. As our discussion unfolded, I realized why we connected so easily. Beyond his roles in “Days of Our Lives,” “Land of the Lost,” and “Dragon Tales,” Wesley Eure and I share some surprising common ground.
We are both transplants to Hattiesburg, and we both have unique ties to William Carey University. These shared connections formed an immediate bond, and Wesley Eure openly shared his early challenges, career triumphs, and overall contentment with his life.
Now 68 years old, Wesley Eure’s history with Hattiesburg spans 66 years. At the age of two, following his parents’ divorce, he moved from his birthplace of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to Hattiesburg. His family settled at 419 Tuscan Avenue, right across from what was then William Carey College.
His mother, Mary Jane, and his grandparents, Otis and Vera, were the pillars of his young life. His father, a professor at Louisiana State University, was absent after the divorce, leaving Wesley Eure with only fleeting encounters throughout his childhood.
Wesley Eure possesses a remarkable memory of his early years, vividly recalling a particular event that shaped his perception of his father.
“My father took me to see the LSU mascot,” he recounted. “It was a tiger in a cage, a dreadful-looking cage. When we approached, we discovered the mascot was dead! Dead in its cage. I was horrified, and soon after, my parents separated.”
This sharp memory allows Wesley Eure to vividly recall other significant moments, including the day his father left.
“I remember my father leaving, and my mother and sister were upstairs crying. I recall him looking at me, and I was just over two years old, and he instructed me to take care of my mother,” he shared.
Wesley Eure took his father’s words to heart, holding deep love and devotion for his mother. She passed away six years ago, but not before realizing her lifelong ambition of attending law school, a dream made possible by her son’s support. He also cared for her in her later years.
“I looked after her, just as my father had told me to,” he said.
During their time in Hattiesburg, Wesley Eure’s mother worked as a secretary downtown. Young Wesley would often take the bus alone to visit her. He fondly remembers learning to ride a bike and roller skate on the streets of Hattiesburg.
He also has vivid memories of the pomegranate trees at William Carey University.
“These trees grew enormous pomegranates, and I would steal them and run around Hattiesburg with my dog,” he chuckled.
Wesley Eure was baptized at the old Main Street Baptist Church in downtown Hattiesburg at the age of six. The memory of this event is etched in his mind due to a rather embarrassing incident.
Wearing the white baptismal robes with little underneath, as he stepped into the baptistry, an air bubble inflated the robe, lifting it up. He then slipped on algae at the bottom of the pool.
“Everyone watched me slide, basically naked, and I was mortified,” he laughed.
While living in Hattiesburg, Wesley Eure attended George Hurst Elementary School. At just five years old, he had already charted his career path. He announced to his family at a gathering that he was going to be an actor and a star.
“Of course, they looked at me like I was crazy,” he admitted. “Coming from a family of educators, it was a shock for them to consider a career outside of academia.”
As a child, he idolized stars like Eddie Hodges, who was also born in Hattiesburg and became a successful child actor and singer. Hodges starred in the 1959 film “A Hole in the Head” with Frank Sinatra and played the lead in the 1960 film “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” He also had a recording contract and, at 12, became Mississippi’s first Grammy Award winner.
“I was just a little kid in Hattiesburg, and Eddie was a big star coming to visit,” Wesley Eure recalled. “I went to the dentist that day, and because I was well-behaved, I got to choose a prize from a bag of toys… I picked a ring. When Eddie came to town by train, I ended up giving my precious ring to him.”
Wesley Eure has maintained contact with Hodges, who eventually left show business as an adult.
“I contacted Eddie on Facebook two years ago and told him the ring story,” said Eure. “We are friends and stay in touch.”
Wesley Eure’s time in Hattiesburg concluded at age nine when his mother earned a psychology degree and accepted a teaching position at Texas Woman’s University in Denton. The family later relocated to Carbondale, Illinois, and then Las Vegas, where his mother worked as a drug abuse counselor and managed a methadone clinic.
He continued to pursue his acting aspirations and, while in college and working part-time at a hotel art gallery, he got his first big break. It was at the gallery that he met the renowned actor and singer Robert Goulet, who took Wesley Eure under his wing. Eure later befriended Goulet’s then-wife, actress Carol Lawrence, forging a lifelong friendship with the couple.
Goulet and Lawrence were planning an East Coast summer tour and hired Wesley Eure as their driver for much of 1968 and 1969. When the tour wrapped up, Wesley Eure, captivated by New York City, decided to stay in the Big Apple to further his entertainment career.
His first job after working for Goulet and Lawrence was at the American Shakespeare Festival.
“I didn’t know much about Shakespeare,” he confessed, “but I landed the job.”
The festival faced a challenge. Despite leaving Mississippi years prior, Wesley Eure still had a pronounced southern accent. Festival staff enlisted a linguist – described by Eure as a “big and scary woman from England” – to tackle the accent.
The linguist was successful, largely eliminating Wesley Eure’s southern drawl.
“I still slip into it when I’m around other southerners,” he noted.
(I remarked that after our interview, he might find himself speaking with a southern twang for days – to which he agreed.)
Interestingly, the linguist felt remorseful about erasing his “wonderful accent.”
“I remember her saying to me, ‘Wesley, darling, the most regrettable experience I’ve had this entire season has been to make you lose that wonderful accent,'” he recalled.
In 1973, Wesley Eure moved to Los Angeles and responded to a casting call in Variety magazine.
“They were looking for the next Barry Williams… you know, ‘Brady Bunch’ types,” he said.
Following a successful audition, Wesley Eure was cast in the pilot episode of “The Organic Vegetables,” a TV series starring Kaye Ballard, produced by the creators of the iconic 1960s sitcom “The Monkees.” Unfortunately, the show never aired, becoming a casualty of the 1973 Hollywood writers’ strike.
Undeterred, Wesley Eure channeled his energy into further auditions. In 1974, he auditioned for the immensely popular NBC soap opera “Days of Our Lives,” which had been on air for nearly a decade.
The aspiring actor already had an affinity for soap operas, especially “Days,” which was his grandmother’s favorite show.
“During our time together, my grandmother and I would watch ‘Days,’ which she adored,” Wesley Eure shared. “She would always iron while watching, and to this day, I can’t think of ‘Days’ without the scent of a hot iron.”
Wesley Eure joined the “Days” cast as Michael Horton that year, becoming the tenth actor to portray the character. He remained on “Days” until 1981, transforming Mike Horton from a teenage heartthrob into a strong and heroic adult lead.
(After Wesley Eure’s departure from “Days,” the role was recast three more times and continued until 2010. Eure holds the distinction of being the longest-serving, and perhaps the most recognizable, of the 13 actors who played Mike Horton.)
While on “Days,” Wesley Eure was also cast as Will Marshall in “Land of the Lost,” a new NBC children’s adventure TV show that premiered in late 1974. He juggled both roles until “Land” was canceled after three seasons in 1976.
“In the mornings, we filmed ‘Days,’ and my co-stars were envious that I got to leave early to film ‘Land of the Lost’ in the afternoons,” he said.
The “Land” role was a stark contrast to his dramatic soap opera mornings. In “Land of the Lost,” the Marshall family was trapped in a parallel universe, constantly battling dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures.
“In the mornings on ‘Days,’ I was weeping because my girlfriend was leaving me… and then, in the afternoons on ‘Land of the Lost,’ I’d be screaming, ‘run, Holly, run, there’s a dinosaur!'” he recounted.
(As mentioned earlier, Holly – Wesley Eure’s “Land” co-star, Kathy Coleman – was visiting him on the day of our interview. She revealed in a 2019 Fox News story that NBC executives deemed the large budget for “Land” unjustified. “The executives thought it was just a kid show,” she stated at the time. Ironically, the show has since gained a significant cult following.)
By the time “Land of the Lost” was canceled, Wesley Eure had become a major star. He became a frequent guest on the popular Hollywood game show “Password Plus,” befriending host Allen Ludden and his wife, the beloved TV icon Betty White.
He remains friends with Betty White, who celebrated her 98th birthday on January 17th.
“She’s still going strong,” he said.
It was on “Password” that Wesley Eure met and befriended another legendary figure.
“I taught Lucille Ball how to play ‘Password,’” he said. “My career has granted me incredible access to so many famous personalities and politicians.”
In addition to Ludden, White, and Ball, Wesley Eure name-dropped a host of other luminaries, including Michael Jackson (“I went to Disneyland with him,”), Bill Cosby (“I opened for him once,”), Valerie Bertinelli (“We starred in a movie together”) and Cher (“She owned the property next to my horse ranch in Los Angeles.”).
At his horse ranch, Wesley Eure hosted lavish parties, astonished by the number of celebrities who attended.
“I’d throw big parties three times a year, a barbecue and a potluck, and a couple hundred people would show up,” he said. “One time, I was outside and heard someone singing by my pool. I wondered, ‘Who on earth is singing at my pool?’ I went to investigate, and it was two of The Pointer Sisters.”
Beyond socializing, Wesley Eure was achieving remarkable success across his diverse career. In 1978, he landed what he considers one of his favorite roles, playing a murderer in “The Toolbox Murders,” a 1978 film that has become a cult classic. He also appeared in another horror film, “Jennifer,” that same year, and co-starred with Bertinelli in “C.H.O.M.P.S.,” a comedy, in 1979.
Wesley Eure also cultivated a thriving music career. His singing talent was recognized by several producers, and he recorded and performed the theme song for “Land of the Lost.”
“I never really considered myself a singer, but every time I did something, I had to sing,” he said. “Fortunately, I managed to pull it off.”
Motown Records signed a boy band featuring Wesley Eure as a singer and guitarist. Some of his music was produced by renowned singer Bobby Sherman and record executive Mike Curb, though a full album was never released.
However, significant singing opportunities were abundant for Wesley Eure. He mentioned singing on stage with Diana Ross and performing with The Osmonds. On “Land of the Lost,” he frequently sang, particularly in the third season.
“They would write little ditties, tiny songs, and I would go in and record them,” he explained.
While music didn’t become his primary path to stardom, Wesley Eure’s entertainment career continued to flourish.
After his time on “Days of Our Lives” concluded, he shifted his focus to game shows like “Password” and “Match Game.” In 1987, he became the host of the Nickelodeon children’s game show “Finders Keepers,” a role he held through 1988. He co-produced, wrote, and acted in “Totally Hidden Video,” a Fox Television hidden-camera show, from 1989 to 1992. And in 1999, he co-created “Dragon Tales” for PBS Kids.
“Dragon Tales,” a fantasy adventure TV series designed for preschoolers, centered on the adventures of Emmy and Max and their dragon companions Ord, Cassie, Zak, Wheezie, and Quetzal. The show aired until 2005 and garnered multiple Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Children’s Animated Program.
Today, Wesley Eure remains active, writing books, participating in lectures and conventions, and fundraising for various charities. He has published several humorous and educational books, including the children’s novel “The Red Wings of Christmas,” which was optioned by Disney for a full-length animated feature.
He regularly visits schools nationwide, presenting his interactive program, “Anyone Can Write a Book,” often to audiences of up to 750 students. During the program, Wesley Eure and his participants collaboratively write and illustrate a book within an hour.
“School districts hire me to teach the program,” said Eure. “I show kids how easy and fun writing a book can be. It’s fantastic, with lots of excitement and enthusiasm.”
He is a popular figure at comic conventions across the country, enjoying reunions with former co-stars while signing autographs and meeting fans.
“It’s exhilarating to have fans remember you and want to meet you,” he said. “At these conventions, I connect with fans of all ages.”
A convention appearance in Mississippi is still on his wish list.
“I think that would be wonderful, and I cherish any opportunity to return home,” he said.
Wesley Eure mentioned several projects in early stages of development, including a reality TV show and a sitcom.
“I can’t reveal too much, but I can say the sitcom is outrageously funny,” he teased.
Wesley Eure is also deeply committed to fundraising for various causes, including HIV/AIDS and breast cancer research. He also supports battered women’s shelters and has previously hosted telethons for March of Dimes. For many years, he has been instrumental in organizing a major HIV/AIDS fundraiser in Palm Springs, California.
“I’ve been fortunate, and I believe it’s crucial to give back,” he emphasized. “My grandmother instilled in me the importance of southern hospitality and giving back, telling me there was nothing more important.”
Wesley Eure, who splits his time between Palm Springs and Mexico, reflects on his formative years in Hattiesburg as profoundly impactful.
“Not only was I taught southern hospitality, but I was also taught the Golden Rule, which is my guiding principle,” he said. “Southern hospitality is incredible. It taught me to be kind, courteous, and to love people.”
He still considers Hattiesburg his hometown, even though it has been nearly a decade since his last visit.
“I loved Hattiesburg, and I loved the pine trees. I believe ‘you must go home,’ and return to where you grew up. There’s something about going home and resetting the clock,” he said. “Every time I get to visit Mississippi, I feel at home.”
Wesley Eure emphasizes that the lessons learned in Hattiesburg remain with him, wherever he goes.
“I live my life with gratitude. I am amazed that a little boy from Hattiesburg has had these incredible opportunities,” he said. “I feel fortunate to still be doing what I love and enjoying every bit of it.”
