All Their Sons Compete in a ‘Hawkes’ Episode

Actor-director Robert Conrad doesn’t deny that he receives a good deal of criticism for hiring his sons and other family members for his A. Shane Company television productions. He just doesn’t let it stop him. And when he had no more of his own sons left to cast as a group of young military men featured in tonight’s episode of his new series, “Jesse Hawkes,” Conrad was more than happy to use sons of friends.

But those “sons of friends” appearing in the episode (airing at 8 on CBS) aren’t the sons of just any friends--they are sons of John Wayne, Ryan O’Neal, Steve McQueen, Jack Cassidy and Martin Sheen. Starring in the episode--in which Conrad’s character is called in to investigate the death of a member of an elite military group--are Chad McQueen, 28; Griffin O’Neal, 24; Ethan Wayne, 27; Ramon Sheen, 25, and Ryan Cassidy, 23.

“The situation (being sons of very famous actors) is the same for all of them, so they got kind of competitive (while working on the episode). And it made it that much better,” said Joan Conrad, executive producer of the series and the daughter of its star.

According to Christian Conrad, the eldest Conrad son and “Jesse Hawkes” co-star, the sense of competition among the guest stars even rubbed off on him.

“You can’t do a show with sons of great actors and not be at your best,” the 24-year-old Conrad said. “Everyone will be comparing us. And if I’m not really there in those scenes, I won’t get hired.”

Despite the inference that these young actors got jobs because of their famous dads, the guest stars agreed that when you are a son of a noted actor, the pressure to be a good actor is increased.

“Being a son makes it a little harder,” said Griffin O’Neal. “You’ve got to perform. . . . People set a higher standard for the second generation.”

Ryan Cassidy, son of Jack Cassidy and Shirley Jones, said that having a famous last name “can work for you in the sense that you get to meet people, your family will help you get started, you’ll get chances that you might not have,” but it can be disadvantageous in that “people might expect more out of you.”

While the “Jesse Hawkes” guest stars may worry about the pressure of having to live up to comparisons to their fathers, series regulars Christian and Shane Conrad (who play Jesse Hawkes’ sons, Cody and Matt) have to live up to the daily expectations set by their father, who is also their boss, co-star and director.

“My dad asks more (of us) because we’re his sons and he knows what we’re capable of,” said Shane, 17. Nevertheless, the younger Conrad son said acting with his father is “easier, because I know how to relate to him.”

Conrad’s elder son, however, said he does his best work away from his family.

“He demands perfection out of his kids--instantly,” Christian said. “If something’s screwed up, he’s right in your face. . . . He says, ‘People are going to be thinking it’s nepotism. We have to be perfect or people will take potshots at us.’ In that sense he’s like a Hitler or a Mussolini. He makes unreal demands. But I think he’s preparing us for the future.”