Profile : A Mighty Mite

Television of late certainly has helped widen our group of eccentric friends.

It’s hard to imagine “Twin Peaks,” “Evening Shade” and “Northern Exposure” without their offbeat characters.

The newest addition to the fold is Ginny Weedon of “Picket Fences,” a fall entry on CBS’ Friday night lineup. Zelda Rubinstein’s portrayal of the sheriff’s dispatcher is testimony to her mission of abolishing stereotypes and widening the acceptance of non-traditional people. In the quirky world of Rome, Wis., Rubinstein stands out because of her wisecracking, know-it-all personality rather than because she’s a “little person.”

“Ginny is a bit of a yenta, a wise, funny irritant,” Rubinstein said. “She knows everything that goes on in Rome, having no compunction about peering through windows or listening at doors.”

The characters know to go to her for the inside scoop. “I think it’s motivated by taking real pride in being the police dispatcher, in having that office family,” she said. “Really she’s a good person and wouldn’t hurt a fly, but she brooks no nonsense when it comes to business.”

The ensemble family is one Rubinstein is thrilled to be part of. “David Kelley (the show’s creator) has caught the kernel of how I view life and utilizes that in what he has Ginny synthesize,” says Rubinstein.

“The cast operates like a well-oiled piece of machinery. We adore each other. And I’m in love with the show and what it’s doing for the country in the portrayal of the characters as real people, especially the kids, whom we all look out for.”

Michael Pressman, the co-executive producer, sees the character as a catalyst for action and a voice for the viewer: “Ginny is a great observer of behavior, so she notices how people are feeling and what they’re doing and tells it like it is. She’s a busybody and proud of it. Zelda is an important part of the cast--always there, giving, patient, with a great sense of humor.”

In real life, Rubinstein has always been a busybody. She grew up (to 4 feet, 3 inches) near Pittsburgh. Her parents were loving and supportive, but schoolmates weren’t so kind.

She was determined to break the stereotype of little people but wasn’t sure how. She didn’t start out to be an actor. She wanted to be a chef but couldn’t reach the stove. She thought of becoming a doctor but had a little trouble with physics class. “I never understood the theory of the elevator,” Rubinstein says. “What does this have to do with sick people, unless they get awfully ill in an elevator?”

After more than 20 years as a medical technician, wanderlust took her to overseas adventures; then she decided to study to become a professor of theater history. She had some pictures taken after her graduate studies and within a week had three agents. In a flash she was doing commercials, regional theater, voice work for “The Flintstones Comedy Hour” and was appearing in such films as “Under the Rainbow,” “Sixteen Candles,” “Americathon” and the three “Poltergeist” films.

Her sensitivity to those who don’t fit in easily is one of the reasons Rubinstein loves her work. “The more threatened people feel about being different,” she says, “the more likely they are to focus on the difference.” She’d like to see more material (and would even like to produce some herself) “to enhance every person’s reality, especially those who may be disenfranchised. Being a human being isn’t easy, but it can be great, fulfilling and enriching--but not without its pitfalls and pain.”

Rubinstein heads a production company, Invicta, to acquire and produce such projects (“I’d like to play the lead in a tender, romantic comedy with someone like Danny Aiello or Brian Dennehy.”) And she is writing a one-woman show, participates in a number of charities (most notably for AIDS education) and loves friends, opera, jazz, traveling, cooking and entertaining.

“I don’t think my past is as interesting as where I’m going,” Rubinstein says. “We all have something special, and those who have the courage to put it out there are troubadours, in a way. We have to model ourselves positively, then see how we can work together to make it happen.” For Zelda Rubinstein, there’s no such thing as too little or too late.

“Picket Fences” airs Fridays at 10 p.m. on CBS.