Oscar nominee Eric Roberts (Runaway Train) and TV star Reginald VelJohnson (Family Matters) captured viewers’ hearts with their sentimental performances on Season 33 of Dancing With the Stars — but not their votes. The two favorites were voted off the reality dance competition series on last night’s show. TV Insider spoke to the two and their dance partners on the post-show press line.
“I’m just really proud of Eric for what he accomplished in this process, which is not an easy one,” Britt Stewart, Roberts’ partner, told TV Insider.
Roberts says he’s going to walk away with many memories that he’s shared with Stewart during their journey together and also the kindness he felt from the DWTS company. “There’s a crew of over 200 people here, and they make you feel like family,” he says. “You fall in love with the show, your partner, everyone here is so kind and so aware.”
What’s next for Stewart now that she’s out of the competition? “More opening numbers, bumper dances,” she muses. “I hope I’ll get some more opportunities to choreograph and I’ll be on the Dancing With the Stars Tour.”
Might Roberts reunite with Stewart on the tour? “All they have to do is invite me,” he says. “Anywhere Britt goes, I’ll follow.”
Disney/Eric McCandless
DWTS isn’t the first show that’s given Roberts the boot. He briefly played way back in 1977 the role of Ted Bancroft on Another World for a few months until he got his walking papers. “I try not to [remember that] because that might have been the worst acting in my career,” he recalls. “I sucked! I’m my biggest fan – don’t get me wrong.”
Roberts says the stint was so long ago, he doesn’t recall much about the experience – but he remembers what led to his departure. “The producer [Paul Rauch] called me into his office after I’d been there for a while, and he asked, ‘Are you a writer?’” Roberts recalls. “I said, ‘No.’ He asked, ‘Why are you re-writing your dialogue?’ I said that I don’t re-write my cues for other actors. I was 19. He said, ‘If you do that again, I’ll fire you.’ A few months later, I changed a few words. He fired me!”
“I liked him,” Roberts hastens to add. “He fired me, but I liked him.”
Like Roberts, VelJohnson is walking away with nothing but gratitude. “My experience has been nothing but great,” the Die Hard actor says. “I’m happy that I was with Emma [Slater] for a month. I wish it’d been longer, but I’m very happy.”
“This has been amazing,” Slater says. “I’ve said to Reggie many times that this feels like one of the best seasons that I’ve ever had because there’s been no pressure for me. It’s been all fun. All joy.”
VelJohnson says that he’s also up for making an appearance on the DWTS tour should he be invited. “Oh, sure,” he says. Adds Slater: “We come to Los Angeles. You can come on stage.”
“I’d love to,” VelJohnson says. “Anything with Emma is fine.”
Slater is hoping that VelJohnson’s screentime on DWTS leads to future work. “I’m really hoping that the phone rings off the hook for this man,” Slater enthuses, “seeing how popular he is with not only his generation and the generation that grew up watching him, but the generation of today who are new to Reggie VelJohnson, and now absolutely love him!”
Slater has a backup plan in case Hollywood is slow to rediscover her celebrity partner. “If not, I will become a director myself and I will cast him as the lead,” she says.
“That sounds great!” says VelJohnson.
Now that the two sentimental stars have left the competition, viewers can expect the competition to heat up even more – especially with three-time mirror ball champion Mark Ballas set to return to the ballroom next week as a judge.
“I love and respect all the judges but when Derek [Hough joined the judging panel] or when Julianne [Hough] did [briefly] and now, Mark – they’ve all been in our shoes,” Jenna Johnson Chmerkovskiy says. “It’s really awesome to hear their feedback. They know what to say. I’m really looking forward to hearing what Mark has to say.”
Dancing With the Stars, Tuesdays, 8/7c, ABC