Issue date: October 15, 2000

In this article:
Tim Daly's city picks
Co-star Mykelti Williamson

Get up and ... go!

Tim Daly travels so much as star of the new Fugitive, he sometimes feels like a fugitive himelf. Heree, is rules for making yourself at home on the road

by Jennifer Mendelsohn

hen Tim Daly, 44, played pilot Joe Hackett on NBC's popular sitcom Wings, he used to sign autographs "Happy Landings." But since he's taken over the title role in The Fugitive (Fridays, 8 p.m. ET), CBS' remake of the classic '60s TV series, Daly's message has changed accordingly: He now signs "Gotta run!"

With the show shooting each week on location, Daly has been forced to live much like his peripatetic alter ego, Dr. Richard Kimble -- with one notable exception: "I'm lucky enough to stay in hotels." We asked Daly to share his tips for living on the go. (To those of you actually on the lam, USA WEEKEND recommends you give yourself up.)

Do a little remodeling. "I always travel with a little tool kit because the first thing I do when I get to a hotel room is remodel. It just makes me feel a little bit more like I own the joint. I literally have rearranged all the furniture, unscrewed things, hung pictures in different places. In one hotel I was just in, to watch television from the bed you would have to lie diagonally with your head at the bottom corner of the bed. I had to unbolt that TV immediately and switch it around."

Take advantage of freebies. "I cannot pay four bucks for three ounces of water [from the in-room minibar]. I just can't do it. It's a lot easier to buy one really big bottle, like a liter and a half, then steal it from the gym. They always have a bubbler down there, so when you're at the gym you can load up."

Don't forget your workout. "Try to find [a hotel] that has a good gym. Or call the hotel and have them remove all the M&Ms from the minibar before you get there. I travel with a cockamamie inflatable physio ball -- it's like a big balloon you blow up, and you can do these wacky exercises on it."

Invest in good luggage. "I'm known in my family as the sphincterizer: I can pack a lot in a very small place. I've also taken to buying this indestructible, really expensive Tumi luggage. It's handy because it doubles as a bulletproof vest should you be attacked by terrorists."

Be judicious with the laundry. "It's way cheaper to buy new socks than get them done at the laundry. Throw your old socks out and buy a three pack. It's better than paying six bucks to have someone iron your socks. I usually ask around and find a nice little Fluff 'n' Fold, drop it off and hope for the best. You're going to lose some socks and underwear, but hey! It's a small price to pay."

"Tip it up! You'd be amazed how people respond to you if you grease 'em up a little bit."

Pet peeve: "I don't understand turndown service. They take away your blankets and give you a candy. What is that? Is the candy the reward for the fact that they take away your blankets and hide them someplace? And why do they always put on the worst radio station they can find? Do they think it's going to make you happy if you come back to your lonely room at night after a long, hard day and you have some terrible Muzak playing, a candy and no blankets?"

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TIM DALY'S CITY PICKS

Easiest city to be anonymous in, No. 1: Los Angeles. "There is actually no human contact unless you have a car accident."

Easiest city to be anonymous in, No. 2: New York. "Everyone is into their own world and not paying attention to anyone else, and yet, if you are noticed, it's the hardest city to be anonymous in, because once the word is out, you're dead meat."

Most user-friendly city: New York. "Because it's mostly square. You can tell east from west."

Least user-friendly city: Boston. "Because it's so old. You're on a street and suddenly it's the wrong way the other direction."

Most confusing city: Miami. "The names of the streets are things like 'South Northwest East 157,873rd Street North,' and underneath that it will say 'Edith Schwartz Blvd.' What?"

Freelance writer Jennifer Mendelsohn last interviewed Survivor host Jeff Probst.

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Co-star Mykelti Williamson:

"Carry lots of underwear"

Growing up an Air Force brat was the perfect training for Williamson, 40, to play Richard Kimble's nemesis, Lt. Philip Gerard. His advice to anyone on the hunt? "Keep snacks in your luggage. You're going to be hungry a lot sitting in the car, waiting, looking, sitting, waiting. And don't drink too much water because you may miss something while you're in the bathroom!"

More wisdom from Williamson

"Always carry your toothbrush and toothpaste. You never know if you're going to get stuck somewhere."

"Carry lots of underwear. It's always cool to have lots of drawers."

"Have your own alarm clock. Even in a five-star hotel, you can't count on a wake-up call."

To find a good restaurant, "go where people with potbellies go."

Photo Credit: REX RYSTEDT for USA WEEKEND