By Jessica Myers & Donielle Sliwa, Fine Arts Editor and Staff Reporter

The Black Box was teeming the night Matthew Fox '85, the star of the Fox drama Party of Five, returned to Deerfield. The primarily female audience seemed to be at a loss for the appropriate welcome for such a handsome, well-known television actor, hesitating before breaking into applause upon his arrival.

Mr. Fox left his Wyoming farm after four years of public high school and entered Deerfield as a postgraduate in the fall of 1984. "I hadn't really thought about going on to college or anything like that and my father suggested I take a PG year at a boarding school back east," commented Mr. Fox. Although never a participant in the drama department during his year, Mr. Fox was a member of the varsity football, basketball, and track and field teams. He placed third in the long jump at the New England Tournament, and in the yearbook was voted Most Likely To Appear on Hee-Haw. Mr. Fox dispelled rumors surrounding negative sentiments about his Deerfield experience saying, "I think for the first few months, my Deerfield experience was pretty tough:' Mr. Fox continued, "It was a huge transition for me, but I think I'd be a very different person if I hadn't left Wyoming and tried to broaden my horizons."

The discussion inevitably shifted from Mr. Fox's Deerfield life to his well-acclaimed acting career. While majoring in Economics at Columbia, Mr. Fox began modeling, and eventually started taking acting classes. He was cast in the series Freshman Dorm, and in the movie My Boyfriend's Back. As Charlie Salinger on Party of Five, Mr. Fox plays the oldest brother, who, while struggling with Hodgkin's disease, watches over his four younger siblings, all of whom are orphans. Mr. Fox auditioned for the pilot, and never predicted that Party of Five would reach the level of popularity that it has achieved. He commented, "I never expected it to go on this long." Mr. Fox has been on the show for six years, and is looking forward to directing, as well as continuing to act next season. Mr. Fox commented, "I have problems with our show," attributing most of them to the fact that there are too many story lines going on at once. He hopes to spend more time on each problem, believing that will allow "enough time for the audience to get wrapped up in the show." As much as he enjoys Party of Five, Mr. Fox claims that he will not do another television series, explaining this best by saying, "I think that TV is the single-worst invention." He would like to pursue a movie career, but only on low-budget, worthwhile films, and he is open to the possibility of directing a movie.

Although Mr. Fox is a star, he dresses conservatively and strongly dislikes many aspects of the acting industry. He does not involve himself in the social world of Hollywood; instead, he lives in a quiet neighborhood with his wife of eight years, Margherita Ronchi, an Italian woman whom he met in New York while still a student. The couple wed in 1991and have one daughter. When not acting Mr. Fox says that he cuts his hair and shaves his trademark stubble, which allows him to not be recognized by throngs of heart-throbbing teenage fans. Mr. Fox chose the look for himself during the first season of shooting so that when Party of Five concludes, he will be able to separate himself from the character and be known as Matthew Fox not as Charlie Salinger. And while Mr. Fox dislikes many parts of the acting industry, he professes to love his work, to be able to reach thousands of people through his acting.

Many students were taken by just how down-to-earth Mr. Fox really was. "I was impressed by how he is so humble:' commented Melissa Abad '01. Other students agreed, and Courtney Lesko '01 and Lexie Hunt '00 complemented Mr. Fox on how normal he was. Students were impressed as well, including Megan Adams '00, who asked Fox to the prom for Anne Cassidy '00.

Although Mr. Fox spent only a year at Deerfield, his time here had a great impact on his life. "I thought he offered interesting points on how prep school life directed him into a greater field of opportunities in college and beyond," commented Mattea Kramer '02. Mr. Fox said he looks forward to returning, and knows that he will be welcomed with open arms.