FORT WORTH, Texas — Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage will make his "Dallas" debut Jan. 28 in the season premiere for the television show.
Gossage will play the character he plays best — himself.
"I went to the Actor's Studio and studied," Gossage said of his two-line part. "Not the one in New York City but the one on Jacksboro Highway. I took a six-week course in the subtleties of the eyebrow."
Gossage has not seen his scene yet but understands that his eyebrow stole the scene. He appears with actress Jordana Brewster on camera and feels like he had an impact on his younger, prettier co-star.
"I'm standing with Jordana and we've got a little interaction, and she's pretty hot," Gossage said. "She did the 'Fast and the Furious' movies, and you've got to be careful when you're doing the eyebrow because you don't want to come across as some lecherous 54-year-old man and some hot 32-year-old chick. Coincidently I'm 54, and she's 32. It's tough to pull off. I was exhausted."
Gossage got hooked up with the show when he went to a premiere last year in Dallas. He talked with the show's producer at the event, and the producer called back last summer and asked if Gossage would be interested in doing an episode with a storyline that involved racing. The cast of the show participated in the pre-race ceremonies in last fall's Sprint Cup race at the track.
Former NASCAR driver Ricky Rudd is also in the episode, and Gossage thinks he'll also appear in a couple of more episodes later in the season.
While he didn't get a Screen Actor's Guild Card for his work, he did get some of the Hollywood trappings.
"I did have my own star trailer with my name on it," Gossage said. ". . . It was a piece of yellow duct tape with my name on it in Sharpie."
Gossage is used to being in front of the camera filming different events for the track. He said he wasn't nervous at all doing his scene. As for Brewster?
"She seemed to be a little bit (nervous)," Gossage said. "She didn't talk to me much."
