A conversation with Patrick Warburton

It took just nine episodes of "Seinfeld" for actor Patrick Warburton to become typecast. He played Puddy (the stoic boyfriend of Elaine) so successfully that he is still identified with that character. The son of a surgeon, Warburton, 44, ended up following his mother's footsteps into acting. He is married to his college sweetheart and stars on the CBS comedy "Rules of Engagement" with David Spade on Mondays at 9:30 p.m. EDT.

Talking with the actor:

Q: The connection between the cast on "Rules of Engagement" seems genuine. Do you find that often in your work?

A: Hmmm. Geez, I don't know, it's always good when there's a connection and everyone gets along well. I think that is truly the case in this instance. I wouldn't say it's always the case; it's not. David (Spade) was always a fan. We had only worked together on animated projects. He always made me laugh.

Q: What was your pre-marriage dating life like?

A: I never got to have all that fun. I have been married 17-18 years, and I've known my wife since I was a freshman at Orange Coast College and she was still at Edison High School. It would be fun to swap lives with David for just a month and have some crazy fun. (Laughs) That's my request to my wife. She doesn't seem to be real big on that.

Q: Growing up with three sisters, were you babied?

A: I was, and to my sisters' dismay, too. I was the eldest and the only boy. You have to understand, I weighed 95 pounds freshman year in high school. I started a year early. Anyway, my mother would wake up and make me special breakfasts in the morning. She was trying to put meat on my bones. My sisters would always have to fend for themselves.

Q: You followed in your mother's footsteps, not your father's.

A: It's true. Growing up, I didn't get to go see her do anything professionally because she left the business to have a family. She would do community theater, so what I found to be an inspiration was going to see my mom do shows in town.

Q: How did your dad react when you told him you wanted to be an actor?