Q&A with Claudia Wells about her work on TV Show Herbie: The Love Bug

Actress Claudia Wells, best known for her role as Jennifer Parker in the hit film Back to the Future, also portrayed Julie MacLane in the TV series Herbie: The Love Bug. Recently, Wells attended the opening of the Hollywood Museum's exhibit ICONIC RIDES: A Drive Through Time. I caught up with Wells to discuss her memories of the short-lived but beloved TV show.

Herbie: The Love Bug aired on CBS on March 17, 1982. The one-hour show premiered as a mid-season replacement but was canceled after only five episodes.

The show's plot follows Jim Douglas (played by Dean Jones) and Herbie after they retire from race car driving and open a driving school. During a bank robbery, Herbie and Jim heroically thwart the robbers and save a female hostage, Susan MacLane (played by Patricia Harty). Soon after, Jim and Susan fall in love and marry. Susan, a divorcee, has three children: Julie MacLane (Claudia Wells), Robbie MacLane (Douglas Emerson), and Matthew MacLane (Nicky Katt).

How are you feeling about seeing Herbie?
I get to honor Herbie, my sweetheart Herbie. I was thinking about all kinds of different experiences I had when I started as Julie on the TV series, and I didn't know how to drive yet. In the show, Dean Jones character was teaching, teaching me how to drive. I'm in Harvey and how they did it. Is there's a guy in the back seat who has the gas pedal and the brakes, and he's ducked under. So, I'm in the car and Dean is teaching me how to drive.

In the scene I thought because the guy in the back is in charge of the gas and the brakes that I didn't matter what I touched. So, I'm acting so I put my foot on the gas and there's a cleve light right in front of me and crew members because the camera was on the side and Dean was like no, and I literally almost crashed Herbie.

How was it working with Dean Jones?
He changed my entire eternity. He used to talk to me every day. He'd say, Claudia, come here and sit on the grass. He talked to me about God… Every Sunday, he and his wife, Laurie Jones, had my mom and I meet them at church on the way when Pastor Jack Hayford was preaching. Then we go to brunch at that restaurant Cock and the Bull on Sunset Blvd. One time at lunch he was explaining to me that they would get to heaven is to invite Jesus into your heart and I'm thinking, well, I want to head to my bet and guarantee my spot in heaven and he said God puts your name in the Book of Life, and so I did the sinners prayer with him and invited Jesus into my heart at lunch when I was 15 and that's why I'm Christian. So, this [show] was an eternity changing experience for me.

What was your favorite episode you filmed?

The one that Bill Bixby directed, who I adore of course from Eddie’s Father, I was doing a kitchen scene with Susan Harty, who played my mom, and I started crying in the scene. Just tears fell off my face and then they called cut and I said to Bill, ‘It didn't call for crying in the scene. I don't know why I was crying.’ He said, “because you were actually being the character, so I'd say something like that was very momentous for me in terms of an actor’s experience.

Where would your character Julie be today?
She and Herbie would be driving along Malibu to their fabulous house, husband and bounty of children.

Herbie: The Love Bug TV series has yet to be released on streaming platforms or DVD, despite its nostalgic charm and connection to such an iconic franchise. For those who are curious, all five episodes are accessible on YouTube.

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuHBbR2pFc0BgjdpcHL0KOyFCmwdohzA

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