‘Taxi’ star Judd Hirsch says he nearly turned down role: ‘I wanted to concentrate on the stage’

Judd Hirsch played Alex Hirsch from 1978 to 1983. 

Judd Hirsch admitted he nearly turned down the role of Alex Reiger in “Taxi.”

“I didn’t think television was for me,” the 83-year-old told Closer Weekly in the magazine’s latest issue.

The actor explained that the big shift in his career took place one night during his Broadway run in Neil Simon’s “Chapter Two.”

“It was a serious play because Neil had just lost his wife,” he explained. “On opening night, there was a guy in the front row cracking up — I thought he hated me and was trying to ruin me!”

Danny DeVito, Judd Hirsch, Marilu Henner, Tony Danza, Andy Kaufman, Christopher Lloyd in the "Like Father, Like Son" episode that premiered on Nov. 12, 1981. (ABC via Getty)

The mystery man in the audience turned out to be James L. Brooks, the co-creator of “Taxi.” It didn’t take long for Brooks to offer Hirsch the role of Reiger. However, Hirsch wasn’t immediately swayed by the TV gig.

“I had just become a father and wanted to concentrate on the stage,” he explained to the magazine. “I was 40, and thought maybe the series would last two years.”

Hirsch starred in “Taxi” from 1978 until 1983. The seemingly unlikely role catapulted Hirsch to stardom and earned him two Emmys. The star said that changing his mind about the role was one decision he doesn’t regret.

“The laughter was real,” he said. “Nothing had to be dubbed. Our writers were brilliant. Every episode was different and unexpected, and ‘Taxi’ became a classic… We all loved each other and we became a family.”

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Hirsch also revealed that his popularity in “Taxi” led him to earn his Oscar-nominated role as therapist Berger in 1980’s “Ordinary People” alongside Donald Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore.

“Ordinary People” told the story of how the death of the older son of an affluent family deeply impacted the relationships between a bitter mother, a good-natured father and their guilt-ridden younger son.

“I had to be ‘borrowed’ from ‘Taxi,’” he said. “I remember [director] Robert Redford called me and said the life of the [suicidal] kid was dependent on me, and those were the magic words to get me to take the part. I found the humor in that role, too. If I can’t find it, I can’t take the part.”

While Hirsch stayed busy in Hollywood pursuing film and television, he never forgot his love for the theatre.

Judd Hirsch in 2018. (Getty)

“I always wanted to be a stage actor, so whenever we had a hiatus [during filming], I went back to New York to do a play,” he explained. “I knew nothing about Hollywood [when I started]. I’m an East Coast, New York guy.”

And despite his lasting success, Hirsch, who originally earned a degree in physics and had aspirations of becoming a scientist, told Closer Weekly he doesn’t feel proud about his accomplishments.

“I’m very hard on myself,” he said. “I think I should have done a lot more plays and movies and played bigger, more important characters. Yes, I’m at the top of the cake, but if I could rewrite my career, it wouldn’t look like this.”

Hirsch, who first enrolled in an acting class when he was about 24, doesn’t have any plans to slow down. Instead, he’s looking forward to what the future holds for him professionally. He’s currently guest-starring in “Law & Order: SVU” and previously starred in the CBS sitcom “Superior Donuts.”

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“I feel like another gate has opened for me because I now have to fight a little bit,” he said. “If I hear about a part in a movie that I feel I’m right for, chances are there are 16 other guys vying for it. I may be on the B-list now, but I enjoy what I am doing.”

“I did just have back surgery, so that is temporarily slowing me down, but I plan to keep going. I may not be able to play the guy that jumps out of an airplane but there is still so much I can do. I am not done yet if that’s what you mean. I have a long way to go!”

Back in 2017, Hirsch’s “Taxi” co-star Marilu Henner told Fox News the cast was part of what is now recognized as a golden era for American television.

“We did 112 shows and we literally had 112 parties,” she explained at the time. “This cast was so into one another and every Friday we would throw a party. The Paramount lot was like going to the coolest high school ever. At that same time, you had ‘Happy Days,’ ‘Laverne & Shirley,’ ‘Mork & Mindy’ — of course with Robin Williams; ‘Bosom Buddies’ with Tom Hanks; ‘Working Stuffs’ with Jim Belushi and Michael Keaton. You had all of these great sitcoms going on at the same time. But the ‘Taxi’ cast — we were the ones that threw the parties.”

Former "Taxi" star Marilu Henner (Getty/Splash)

Henner seemed hesitant about the idea of “Taxi” ever getting a reboot for today’s viewers.

“Well, they’d have to call it Uber, but sure,” the 66-year-old said about the idea.

The actress added that the biggest issue with remaking the show would be finding the right cast.

“You know, we lost some key members, both Andy Kaufman and Jeff Conaway, which makes me so sad,” she said. “But a whole reboot? I would be very excited to see who they would cast. But you know what? I don’t know. Andy was so original and so was Chris Lloyd. And Danny! Who could be Danny? They would have to bring Danny back for sure because who could be Danny, but Danny? Who could be Louie, but Danny DeVito?”