In trying times, many of us are reminded of Mr. Rogers’ famous quote: “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” But never did we expect to find such a soul in Steve Guttenberg – it’s not because of him (we love Guttenberg!), but just that it seems so unexpected. And judging by a recent news video, he’s not doing it for praise; he’s doing it because he’s a good man.
As brush fires rage in Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades, homes and lives are being destroyed, with more than 3,000 acres of the region seeing impact. One person doing his part to help is Steve Guttenberg, who took time for a brief interview with KTLA (via People). As he explained to the reporter, “If anybody has a car and they leave the car, leave the keys in the car so that we can move the car…What’s happening is people take their keys with them as if they’re in a parking lot. This is not a parking lot. We really need people to move their cars. If you leave your car behind, leave the key in there so a guy like me can move your car so that these fire trucks can get up there. It’s really, really important.”
At first, the reporter didn’t recognize Steve Guttenberg, asking the Good Samaritan his name. Only when he was buzzed in the ear did the reporter mention that his interviewee was an actor. But Guttenberg continued with the interview to focus on the necessity of getting people in the area the help they need. It’s definitely cool to see Guttenberg, now in his mid-60s, not looking to take credit for his good deeds, instead being approached by the media to see what an “average Joe” was doing.
The brush fires are spreading rapidly in the Los Angeles area, having started just Tuesday morning. While the cause is not yet known, efforts have been well underway to control the fires and help residents evacuate.
While most noted for his work in the ‘80s and ‘90s through movies like Cocoon, Police Academy and Short Circuit, Steve Guttenberg has still kept busy in the 2020s, recently joining series Paper Empire.