Master of his Domain

Melissa Schorr

Tuesday, June 29, 1999 | 9:53 a.m.

A year after "Seinfeld" mania has subsided, John O'Hurley -- who played the effusive J. Peterman character on the long-running sitcom -- already has bigger fish to fry.

Whales, to be precise.

O'Hurley is developing a film called "Whale Hunt in the Desert," which will be filmed in Las Vegas sometime next year and tell the stories of casino hosts and the million-dollar gamblers (the so-called "whales") to whom they cater.

"It's something very few of us participate in," O'Hurley explains, "but it's the reason they built all those private rooms. The film will help to build some of the allure of Vegas."

The film, he says, has not yet been cast, but will be written by acclaimed playwright/screenwriter David Mamet, directed by Michael Corrente (the upcoming "Outside Providence") and produced by Lawrence Bender ("Pulp Fiction" and "Good Will Hunting"). O'Hurley, who will have a role in the film, said he is consulting with Steve Cyr, senior consulting marketing executive of the Las Vegas Hilton.

What does the Connecticut-born Los Angeles resident know of Las Vegas?

"I spend a lot of time out there," declares the actor, who first came to town in 1986 performing a one-man show as Mark Twain for Sun Oil Corp. "If I had a free weekend, I'd rather spend it in Vegas than Los Angeles. My games of choice (are) blackjack and craps."

Even when O'Hurley isn't physically in town, he's still here in spirit -- he provided the audio narration to the $42 million currency collection on display at the Treasures of Mandalay Bay Museum.

"(Co-owner) Warren Trepp and I are friends, and he asked me to do it," O'Hurley explains. "He says jump, and I say how high?

"It's a staggering piece of memorabilia," he says of the exhibit. "I was fascinated by the $100,000 bill; I've never had more than a hundred-dollar bill in my wallet."

That seems hard to believe, with all the work O'Hurley has been getting lately.

A soap opera veteran who played Dr. Jim Grainger on "Young & The Restless," a pair of evil twins on "Loving" and also appeared on "Santa Barbara," O'Hurley has conquered practically all forms of entertainment.

He has filmed a few movies that should be out soon, including "Wild Grizzly" with Daniel Baldwin. He has been hired to do what he calls "spoking" -- acting as a spokesman -- for about 15 companies, including Xerox and Cadillac. He is also on an international concert tour accompanied by a 60-piece orchestra.

Since his run on "Seinfeld" ended in 1998, O'Hurley has been wary of jumping back into TV sitcom work. "It's hard to follow 'Seinfeld,' you feel like a sitting duck," he admits.

He hasn't avoided the medium entirely, of course. He he is still looking at developing a sitcom, including one called "Second Nature." He recently appeared in "Three Secrets," a TV movie with Jaclyn Smith, and has provided narration for six cartoon TV shows, including "Mouseworks" and "Hercules." In August he returns to television, hosting a "America's Funniest Home Videos"-style show on the Fox Family Channel about "strange, funny animals around the world."

When asked which medium he prefers -- soaps, TV, film, cartoon, live theater, or sitcoms -- he diplomatically replies: "I enjoy all aspects of it. Whichever one I'm not doing at the time is the one I miss."

O'Hurley's voice may be one of the more distinctive in the business. When asked how he'd describe it, he says matter-of-factly: "I have a very nice round quality to the voice, with a good sense of depth that allows me to tell good stories." Plus, he adds, "comedically, (my voice) is pompous and lunatic."

For a chance to use that pompous quality to their advantage, companies have been eager to cast O'Hurley, playing off his "Peterman" persona -- despite the so-called "Seinfeld curse," in which products touted on the show have taken a turn for the worse financially.

Despite becoming the most known retail clothing brand as a result of its portrayal on "Seinfeld," the firm of J. Peterman was the latest casualty, declaring bankruptcy early this year and closing its retail outlet at the Fashion Outlet of Las Vegas at Stateline in April.

"It wasn't enough I killed 'Seinfeld,' but I bankrupted Peterman, too," jokes O'Hurley, who met his real-life counterpart and befriended him. "He got caught expanding into retail at a time when the emphasis was going into web pages."

Finally, O'Hurley has even branched into the Internet, representing a new online magazine called LOAD, which features video streaming.

"It's basically AOL (America Online) with real-time video," he explains. "I think this is where entertainment is moving, and those people who develop these deeply-rooted sites early on will be the winners in the long run."