While some flash and fade, Tim Busfield seems eternal

Hollywood has plenty of people who flash and fade, sizzle and fizzle.

And then it has East Lansing’s Tim Busfield, who seems eternal. “I’ve done killer-cat movies and ‘Field of Dreams,’” he said. “Good shows and bad shows.”

He’s directed, produced and, mostly, acted. His new TV role – “For Life,” Tuesdays on ABC – is part of a far-ranging career.

Busfield – known as a fun-loving kid in his East Lansing days – has had his goofy roles; he played the nerdiest of the “Revenge of the Nerds” guys. But he’s also worked for dead-serious people, including Aaron Sorkin, Steven Bochco, Robert Redford, Ken Olin and Phil Alden Robinson.

Yes, he starred in a killer-cats movie. And a killer-trucks movie. And a killer-pacemaker movie. But he also did “Thirtysomething” – winning an Emmy and three more nominations – and “West Wing.”

And now comes his jet-set season. After doing six “Almost Family” episodes, Busfield is working on “For Life” in New York … and will do the pilot of a “Thirtysomething” sequel in Vancouver. “I’ll be spending a lot of time on planes,” he said.

That sequel is a surprise. Producers “were approached many, many times about bringing the show back,” said Karey Burke, the president of ABC Entertainment. “They always declined.”

Then came the new notion: The original started 32 years ago; now the kids of two couples (Ken Olin and Mel Harris, Busfield and Patricia Wettig) are thirtysomethings themselves. The sequel views “the huge sea change in just that generation,” Burke said.

So Busfield, 62, will have a supporting role there, as he does in “For Life.” On Feb. 18 (the show’s second episode) he was introduced as Henry Roswell, a politician who lost his law license and his reputation. “Much of the series is dealing with desperation,” he said. “(He’s) decided that service will probably be his only way to kind of redeem himself.”

That’s a contrast to the show’s central character, Aaron Wallace, an inmate who got his law license and tries to free himself and others. Wallace has a quiet nobility; Roswell doesn’t.

“We wanted to create a damaged character,” said “For Life” creator Hank Steinberg. “He’s an alcoholic. He’s kind of ruined his life.”

Those are emotions Busfield has known close-up. His late mother faced frequent troubles with alcohol, he said; “she was hospitalized 20 times.” A couple of years ago, he quit drinking. “All the bad moments in my life were when I was drinking.”

Some people react to family trouble by withdrawing; young Busfield was the opposite. On his own a lot, he ended up seeing the same James Bond movie in the Campus Theatre 12-and-a-half times; the half was when he was ejected for saying the lines out loud.

At East Lansing High, he was the fun redhead who captained teams and starred in baseball. (He would later play a baseball star in “Little Big League” and an ex-athlete in “Champs” … but he also was the guy who opposed baseball in “Field of Dreams.”)

He skipped high school theater, until director Kate Veihl talked him into a silent drunk scene in “Guys and Dolls.” That was one of the launching points for the school’s reputation for top musicals.

Busfield lived with a friend’s family for his senior year, then went to East Tennessee State, where his father was on the faculty. There, he played baseball and got serious about theater.

He did regional work and off-Broadway, then was Matthew Broderick’s standby (never getting onstage) for Broadway’s “Brighton Beach Memoirs.”

At first, his movie and TV roles mirrored his own comic personality. Then came “Trapper John” and “Thirtysomething,” where he was one of four actors who became top TV directors.

The directing has gone well: Last year, Busfield’s “Guest Artist” – brilliantly written and played by Jeff Daniels – opened the local Capital City Film Festival; it went on to win best-feature awards in at least eight festivals.

Directing has led to a side career: TV series hire Busfield as the producer in charge of directors. He’s done that for “Ed,” “Lipstick Jungle,” “Mind Games,” “Secrets and Lies” and a Steinberg show:

“After producing 50 episodes of ‘Without a Trace’ and directing (10) of those and acting in a bunch as a lawyer, I could hear (Steinberg’s) voice” in “Almost Life,” he said.

The “Almost Life” job seems to fit Busfield personally and geographically: It’s filmed in New York, where he lives with his wife, Melissa Gilbert.

(It’s the third marriage for each. They lived in Howell for five years, but moved in 2018 to New York. She’s been busy with off-Broadway theater and her son, Michael Boxleitner – who was busy in local theater while at Lansing Community College – has been studying and doing theater.)

Busfield can focus on big-city life … except that last month, the “Thirtysomething” deal was set. For now, he’ll be bi-coastal, bi-national and kind of busy.

To watch

• “For Life,” 10 p.m. Tuesdays, ABC; Busfield’s character arrived Feb. 18, the second episode.

• The “Thirtysomething” sequel – officially “thirtysomething(else)” – is aimed at this fall.