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It's an overcast, leisurely late-September evening -- Green Bay is hosting Kansas City, and In the Heat of the Night Fan Club is interviewing Alan Autry as he enjoys an assortment of tasty peanuts. All's right with the world. From childhood to sports to acting to accents to a father and son reunion in the most unconventional of ways, Alan sits down with us to discuss it all and more.

Are you ready for some Bubba? Let's roll...

I want to start off by asking you about the film that you’re presently directing and appearing in entitled “Victory By Submission.” What is the film about, and what compelled you to make it?

Alan Autry: Well it's in the world of mixed martial arts. It's about a family, a very poor family, raised out here in the Central Valley. It's a family drama is what is it. We follow this young man Tommy Hendricks who is a young MMA fighter. He assumes a championship, and the championship becomes the most important thing in his life among all else -- more than his marriage, more than God.

It's kind of a cautionary tale as to when you make something bigger than God in your life, whether it be sports, whether it be business, whether it be your kids, whatever it is it's out of alignment with the way God intended it, and not too good of things are gonna happen, you know? This is about a young man who idolizes his brother who was tragically killed. It's basically a story about redemption, it's a story of what it means to be a true champion in life and making sure your priorities are in order.

How this came about was just that the good Lord laid it upon my heart to start making faith and family films, and that's what I am supposed to be doing with this part of my life.

You just have to be obedient to the Lord.

Will Victory By Submission initially be released in limited theater run or will it go straight to DVD and/or Netflix?

We're really pushing for a theater release. In fact, I am in the process of meeting with distributors.

Given the nature of seeking a distributor, do you have an approximate idea as to when the film will be released?

I'm hoping for late this year, but more than likely it will be early next year.

Who else is starring in the film?

We have Lee Majors (The Six Million Dollar Man; The Fall Guy) in the cast, we have Eric Roberts who is a former Academy Award nominee. We also have Fred Williamson (Original Gangstas), we have Rachel Hendrix who was the lead in "October Baby," myself... I appear in it, and we also have Josh Thomson who is a champion MMA fighter and former UFC champion -- he did a great job in the film as well. So we have a good story and a strong cast and we're hoping between those two we'll be able to have a theater release.

For 8 seasons, you portrayed Sparta cop Bubba Skinner on the NBC/CBS television series In The Heat of The Night. How did your audition for In the Heat of the Night come about?

It was kind of a standard deal. Nan Dutton was casting director, and she had cast me for several things over the years, and In the Heat of the Night was one that she felt I was pretty good for. She really fought for me for the part. I came in and read for her, I read for the producers, I read for Carroll O'Connor and I was blessed enough to get the part.

What was it about Bubba that initially attracted you to the role?

Rent was due (laughter). That was initially it, but when I saw the cast that was put together, the subject matter, small-town in the South... and there was a lot of character that I drew upon from life experience. It was a pretty easy character to put together -- it seemed to fit the character that the writers put together. It was just one of those things where the stars kind of aligned.

During the audition process, did the casting director say, “Hey Alan, when we see you, we see Bubba Skinner,” or was the process a little more extensive than that?

No... there was some pretty heavy competition for it. A couple of friends of mine read for it who had the same kind of look, the same kind of essence, and I think I went back 3 or 4 times for callbacks.

V.L. Bubba Skinner was the official name of your character on In the Heat of the Night. What did the initials V.L. stand for?

(Laughter) I tell people that I just leave that to their imagination. Actually, it was Virgil Lawrence Skinner -- in my mind, that is what it was.

When you secured the role of character Skinner, how did you develop and refine Bubba’s Mississippi accent?

The accent that I auditioned for is not the one I used in the show. In fact, it was in one of the first scenes we were getting ready to shoot and I heard this guy talking -- he was a stand-in for Carroll O'Connor. I heard him talking and he goes [inaudible Southern dialtect] "yeahifyewwerkyerupperchestfodeltoids" -- and I said, "Wait a minute" and I went up to him and I said, "Say that again." He was talking about working in a gym -- his upper chest and deltoids. So I did a little research on the accent and found out that it's a rural, Southern accent out of like South Carolina, Mississippi and it was a distinct, different dialect with a Southern drawl.

I'm from Louisiana, so my natural tendency is to have a drawl. It was a rural rather than an urban-type accent. I changed my Louisiana drawl -- just twisted it a little bit -- to a rural Mississippi accent. I wanted to do something that was authentic and different, and so I went with that. It was a pretty good choice as it turned out.

Let’s go back a bit. You were born in Shreveport, Louisiana as Carlos Alan Autry, and raised in California’s Central Valley as Carlos Brown. There has been and continues to be confusion among some out there when they see the latter attached to your likeness. I understand that you were named after a Louisiana democrat that your father admired. Can you talk about that and how the surname Brown relates?

(Laughter) Carlos Spaht. Carlos Spaht. Well, my dad was just a die-hard democrat and he used to go to republican rallies and get into fights. It's pretty crazy... I never knew my natural father until I was 28.

I was doing a movie called Southern Comfort, and I got his name out of a phone book and he happened to be alive -- I didn't know if he was alive, dead or whatever. My mother took me away from him when I was really young, like about 11 months old. We came out to California to live with my grandfather whose name is Brown -- my mother's maiden name. So they put me in school as Carlos Brown. Back then they didn't make them show a birth certificate. So then I was just Carlos Brown all the way through pro football.

Then I did the movie Southern Comfort and got Carl Autry's number out of the phone book and then went over to his house -- he was out in the front yard working on a car and I went up and introduced myself. I asked him if Carl Autry lived in this house and he said "Yes, I'm Carl Autry" and I said "Do you remember a guy named Carlos Brown?" and he said "What did ya change your name for son?"

So for 10 years I got to know my dad, and knowing that my birth-name and bloodline was Autry I just decided to go back to Autry. If I had never met him I probably wouldn't have changed it back to my birth-name.

In the 12th round of the 1975 NFL picks, you were drafted as a quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. While you have jokingly attributed your acting career to former Packers coach Bart Starr’s decision to cut you from the team, it was actually Robert Altman who encouraged you to pursue acting. Talk a bit about how Altman had influenced your transition from sports to acting at that point in time.

Well actually Robert Altman just flat out gave me a break. When I got cut in 1977 I looked Robert Altman up. I had met him on a set because I had a friend who had a friend on the light crew who got me on the set and I was able to meet Robert. He was a big football fan and a big Chicago Bears fan. So I got into a conversation with him and I really loved what was going on the movie set -- I felt like I was at home, you know... just like I was on the football field.

So he gave me a part in one of his films called "Remember My Name." I was able to get my SAG card. Robert didn't actually encourage it. He said "I'm going to give you a break. If you want to get into acting I've got a film coming up and I've got this part and it's yours. I'm going to get you a SAG card and get you in the business. In 10 years you might want to kiss me or hit me." It was great. I did two other Altman films, and once you are in with his family it is a pretty special thing.

Some people might actually remember one of those Altman films -- Popeye... is that right?

Yeah, Popeye.

When Carroll O’Connor underwent cardiac and gall bladder surgery and was replaced during the final four episodes of season 2, you purportedly voted to shut down production until it was known if Mr. O’Connor would return to the series. Looking back, was it ever your belief at the time that In The Heat of The Night could have continued without bringing someone in to fill Chief Gillespie’s chair?

I don't think it would have had a chance to go. I think Carroll was such a beloved character. You know, he was behind casting me. He could have vetoed my casting, so there was a lot of loyalty there on my part for Carroll.

Carroll was not afraid to take on the establishment. I may have been wrong, but I sensed the belief by the higher-ups at the time that maybe the show could go on with somebody else as the chief. I didn't think that was the greatest idea in the world. I've always been one to not be disruptive, but when I feel the need to speak up about something, if it can add some value, then I do. I do remember it was worth waiting on him.

When it came to Bubba’s image, you were quite particular in how he was portrayed. Can you recall of a time when the producers of In The Heat of The Night wanted Bubba to go in a direction that you were wholeheartedly against?

Yeah. There was a scene where we were in a bar and I was there looking for information, and they wanted to put a beer in front of me. I said "Well, this character Bubba doesn't drink." You know who it was? Our director said to me, "All Southern guys drink." I said, "Well, first of all that isn't really true. This isn't something that is consistent with the character I'm building." So they made kind of a big deal about it -- they wanted to put a beer in front of me. I just said that I would have an iced tea. It got to be a little bit of a confrontation there.

I heard that someone got on the phone and called somebody. He came back and got behind the camera and proceeded to shoot the scene. I was never told to put alcohol in front of me again. Whatever happened on the phone call, I guess they sided with me (laughter).

How was the iced tea?

Oh man it was horrible! It was hot. All the ice had melted, but after that I made sure I had good, cold sweet-tea with ice in it and everything was fine.

Many of the roles that you have portrayed in your career were loosely based on certain people in your personal life. Character Bubba Skinner was a blend of you, your stepfather (Joe Duty), and grandfather. How would you describe Bubba Skinner, and what traits did he inherit from your stepfather and grandfather?

Well I think the biggest thing was to be tough when you have to be and tender when you should be. Respect of others and honest, old-time values.

How do you relate to Bubba Skinner in real life?

I think Bubba was a flawed guy. He had some long-held beliefs, and it was taught to him by his parents. It took him working side by side with Virgil, someone of another race, to realize that all people have it in them to be good and we shouldn't be prejudiced against anyone. I wanted to see Bubba grow as a person. I was just thankful that the writers allowed that to happen. Bubba was an unpretentious guy, he treated people with respect, he loved America... God, family and country.

A couple of years ago, you were offered a fairly lucrative role in the 2013 film "The Escape Plan" -- formerly entitled "The Tomb" -- starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. Why did you decide to turn it down?

Well, I made the decision to make faith and family films. Arnold Schwarzenegger is a great guy -- I respect him a lot. Actors do what they feel they need to do. I'm not passing judgement on that. It's just, in my life it was just not the type of film that I felt was the right thing for me to do.

Which episode of In the Heat of the Night is most memorable to you and why?

I think the first two of the Pilot, because everybody was just sooo... boy, we were there, in every scene and every line. David Hemmings was the director, and they had 35 mm cameras. Everybody was enthusiastic, the authenticity was really there -- when we go down to the bottoms and all of the extras and how they shot it.

Plus, it's when Virgil came back to town. We had great episodes that I enjoyed doing, but that one stands out. Also the one when Bubba first went to L.A. [Season 4 episode: "Just a Country Boy"] -- kind of a fish out of water. Then there was the one when Bubba tried to help his nephew get off of drugs [Season 7 episode: "Every Man's Family"].

Last year it was announced that Tate Taylor and Warren Littlefield will serve as executive producers on their own rendition of the 1967 film ITHOTN. As a star from the original series, what is your overall opinion of a new television series based on the film?

I say it would be great. Anytime someone wants to do something about the South, small-town life, Southern culture then I'm all for it if they do it right -- if they are really honest in their portrayals and respectful of that. What I wouldn't want to see is people coming in and producing things and portraying Southern culture in a disparaging light. That would not go over too well with me. Warren Littlefield seems to be a good guy -- been around a long time. I'll just have to wait and see. If they do it right I'll probably watch it.

It was 20 years ago last summer when production for In the Heat of the Night filmed its final scene. How do you imagine Bubba Skinner in a 21st century Sparta?

He would say, "How do you work this computer?" and then he would say, "Bubba don't Tweet." (laughter).

So, in other words, In the Heat of the Night Fan Club wouldn't be Following Bubba on Twitter and vice versa these days.

No... we'd have to meet down at the diner. (laughter)

Well, it's interesting, because when we asked Anne-Marie Johnson how she envisioned Althea Tibbs these days, she casually stated -- and this is a direct quote -- “Maybe she and Bubba finally get together.”

(laughter)

What do you think about that comment, and moreover, would you revisit Bubba Skinner if solid plans were in place to revive the original series with new and surviving cast members?

Oh... that would be great! It would be a dream come true to get together with the folks. Anne-Marie is a wonderful lady... a wonderful talent, a wonderful person. David Hart as Parker... there are a few of us still around, and I think it would be great to have something. I am at the age now where I look more like Bubba's grandpa than Bubba, so it would be natural to have something where maybe Bubba was the chief or something. It would be a fun thing to consider.

Do you think that there was an undertone within the storyline of certain scenes that would give people an impression of a spark between Althea and Bubba?

No... Anne-Marie and I, we really got along. I think it was all more in jest than anything, but it would make a good storyline.

In the Heat of the Night has enjoyed over 20 years of rerun syndication, viewed almost daily throughout most of North America and abroad. Of all the classics in television history, why do you think In the Heat of the Night has managed to consistently prolong its shelf-life for all these years?

That's an interesting question. I think it's because Carroll O'Connor was committed to making a show that was by and large clean, respectful and extolled the virtues that made America great, and that was God, family and community. He believed in respect.

I haven't seen a show before or since then -- there have been shows where you have a cast that was predominately white and you had a few African American cast members, or you had a cast that was predominately African American with a few white cast members. If you look at In the Heat of the Night, it was truly a biracial cast.

It was a really balanced show. If you had to put it in a racial sense, it was an equal show which really hasn't been done before or since if you look at the landscape. The storyline... it has a decency to it. You could actually watch it with your kids -- you know, there was a murder every week (laughter).

I had a running joke with Howard Rollins, I said "You know what? You're a serial killer." and he said, "What?!" and I said, "Your character Tibbs. Before you got here, your character Tibbs, there hadn't been a murder here in Sparta in like 30 years, and here you came and now there is one every week. You're the suspect." He started laughing, he thought that was the funniest thing.

Outside of that, the show had a heart to it I think. I think people felt good, the characters made them feel good. When you sit down and watch it, you feel good.

You know, when I sit down and watch Andy and Mayberry I feel good. There are certain shows that make you feel good. Little House on the Prairie... when you watch it you feel good, even when you cry you feel good. There's just a decency that Michael Landon insisted upon in that show. There was a decency that Carroll O'Connor insisted on the show.

During the fourth season of In the Heat of the Night, you had hopes of spinning off into your own series with the episode, “Just a Country Boy” -- a storyline that would have seen Bubba’s character move to the LAPD. Likewise, the Season 7 episode “Every Man’s Family” was a significant episode for you, in terms of potentially sealing the deal for a spin-off series. You even had then CBS Entertainment President Jeff Sagansky in your corner. In either or both of these instances, was it your desire to further develop Bubba’s character within a new series that perhaps wasn’t attainable on In the Heat of the Night?

I would have loved to have taken the character on, but it just didn't happen. With the higher-ups, it just didn't happen. That's something that the right people in the right place just have to like you, and obviously there wasn't enough juice there in their mind to take that step. It could have been great. I think it could have worked, but God had his plans and it wasn't in God's will so you gotta accept that.

Did you feel at the time that character Bubba had run his course with In the Heat of the Night, which would explain the attempted pivot to a spin-off series?

No... In the Heat of the Night, if we could have went on, it would have been nice to go on. If I had one thing that I had a disagreement with Carroll on, well not necessarily a disagreement, but just a philosophical difference was that I would have brought in more writers to bring fresh ideas to the stories. You gotta get some fresh writers in.

Is it true that the intended spin-off series via episode "Every Man's Family" was slated to be called "Bubba"?

I didn't hear anything about that. I heard it was going to be Virgil Lawrence (laughter).

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