The Friday night before then-31-year-old Tim Matheson starred in his first comedy, “National Lampoon’s Animal House” (1978), as Eric “Otter” Stratton, he went to a fraternity party. Some girls invited him and his co-stars, including Peter Rieger (Donald “Boon” Schoenstein), to another fraternity. Little did they know, they would unknowingly crash the top Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) house and get into a drunken brawl with the football team. 

“The whole lawn is filled with SAE guys, drunker than hell, screaming at Jamie and Bruce and Peter’s gotten over there. Karen Allen is screaming ‘leave them alone’ and that just gets the SAE guys more excited,” Matheson recounted. “Eventually I got shoved out into the yard and I get to Bruce, saying ‘whatever we do, don’t run because they’ll go crazy if we do.’ Within three seconds, we were knocked to the ground and we look at each other and yell ‘run!’”

“National Lampoon’s Animal House” redefined comedy in Hollywood, influencing numerous pictures years after such as “American Pie,” and “The Hangover.” The film blended subversive, lowbrow humor with sharp satire, as it follows the chaotic rivalry between fictitious Faber College’s elitist fraternity Omega House and the lovable misfits of Delta House, whose unruly antics ultimately triumph. Despite its low budget of $3 million, it became one of the highest-grossing comedies and R-rated films of all time at a little over $550 million.

“I realized I’d witnessed during shooting and post-production that out of this collective of writers and directors came a whole new direction of comedy in America so I wanted to recount this in my book about how special it was to be around that,” he said. 

Matheson’s debut memoir — “Damn Glad to Meet You” — which is a callback to an iconic line of his in the film, was published Nov. 12. To promote the release of his book, he launched a special film screening and book signing tour in partnership with various cinemas. This past Monday, he was surrounded by fans at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he answered their burning questions after the screening. 

The book spans his seven-decade run in Hollywood, recounting his mistakes and the lessons he learned in his experiences as an actor and director. 

“It was very investigative and explorative. You think all the things you don’t remember are usually the things you don’t want to remember. It was very healthy to acknowledge and own up to my mistakes and my shortcomings but also my successes and where I got lucky,” he said. “It also gave me insight into certain things like how I would avoid confrontation and when I had unsupportive people around me, I would become more protective of myself so I didn’t have negativity.” 

Matheson expressed that it was challenging to shovel through his memories and traumatic experiences, yet rewarding at the same time. He narrowed in on what fueled his passion and love for movies.

“I think it was to get away from my life,” he said, slowly, thinking through each word. “I used to hide at the movies on the weekends when my parents were splitting up, it was a safe place. I think, in all, I was looking for a family, a stable family and as crazy as it sounds, the movie set became my home and [film cast and employees] became my friends, my family.”

He recalled working with beloved actor John Belushi, saying Belushi was the “most open, clear-headed actor.” After each take or rehearsal, during which Matheson was unsure of his performance during “National Lampoon’s Animal House,” Belushi would nod approvingly without a beat. The walls of a studio became a place where Matheson could step into knowing who’s who and build a new life for each character. 

“I could go to any set in the world and I know what exactly this person does and that person. It was a place of comfort and it was also a place where I could stop being me,” he said. “I could let out emotions and things in an acceptable way that I was holding back, repressing I think, in my life.”

As much as the film crew became Matheson’s family and support, they also became his mentors. The skills and lessons he learned from some of Hollywood’s legendary actors, including Dick Van Dyke and Lucille Ball, reached beyond his role as an actor and into his directing, writing and life. 

“I was at a point where I was very introspective with my acting and about getting it perfect and by working with them, I discovered that it’s a team. Don’t overthink it, don’t overwork it. There’s no perfect thing,” he said. “There’s a couple [of] things in the book [like this], film school stuff is great but there’s no perfect, you gotta find your own route. There’s nothing like the reality of being in the trenches of a set.”

As both an actor and director, Matheson had to “look through the words” and find the throughline to move a story forward while still captivating the audience. He always had to “cut to the bone,” and cut scenes that may have been offbeat. He communicated this well in his memoir. He said, “It’s like cut, cut, cut and writing is rewriting.” 

He expressed that the memoir isn’t just for Matheson’s fans and aspiring filmmakers but for everyone going through life. The biggest challenge he faced in Hollywood wasn’t an external one but an internal one: believing in himself.  

“It’s a rough-and-tumble business. If you get knocked down, like if you fail an audition or didn’t perform well as an actor, get off your butt and do it again,” he said. “It’s like sports, some days you hit a home run, others you strike out but you cannot get carried away. Just continue playing, and there’s another game tomorrow.”

He remembers when he practiced for “National Lampoon’s Animal House” for hours on end, hoping to get a role, but the producers initially saw him as too “soft.” Ball would firmly order Matheson to speak up, helping him develop a thick skin for the industry. He said it’s about endurance, believing in yourself and building community. 

“As an actor, I’d like to be remembered for making people feel something, laugh or cry or divert their attention or entertain. I think as a person but also as a director and actor, the primary thing is honesty, just be supportive and loving and bring people together,” he said. “It’s family, and together, we can do something better than you could ever do on your own.”

“Damn Glad to Meet You” is available for purchase online and in bookstores.