Rod Serling Was Scared To Death By One Aspect Of The Twilight Zone

Rod Serling's composure as the narrator and host of "The Twilight Zone" appears effortless on the surface, but the legendary sci-fi show's creator actually hated appearing on camera.  

Although a habitual presence speaking to the audience face to face in so many great episodes of "The Twilight Zone," Serling only lent his voice until the final episode of Season 1 — where he stepped in front of the camera to recite the installment's closing lines for the first time. During the time the iconic horror anthology series aired its five seasons from 1959 to 1964, Serling already had a reputation as a brilliant TV writer; however, he was terrified of assuming the on-screen role that later established him as a famous TV host. 

In Marc Scott Zicree's 1982 book "The Twilight Zone Companion," director Lamont Johnson explained how Serling's fear showed itself while filming the show. "Rod was a very nervous man before the camera," Johnson said. "When he had to do his lead-ins he would go through absolute hell. He would sweat and sputter and go pale. He was terribly ill at ease in front of the camera."

Fortunately, Rod Serling's camera-shy nature didn't get in the way of his serene performances in "The Twilight Zone," and that's partially thanks to the tactics his crew members used to help him relax. In "The Twilight Zone Companion," Lamont Johnson recalled joking around with Serling and rolling the camera without telling him. "The crew was with me on that; they'd shut up and be quiet, otherwise we'd never get a take under those circumstances," he explained. 

"The Twilight Zone" assistant director Edward Denault described directing Serling for the first time and trying to alter his tendency to speak out of the corner of his mouth or through his teeth. In the end, Denault's efforts to get more measured line deliveries out of Serling failed, and the filmmaker believed he was making his star even more uneasy. However, Denault eventually discovered that the best way to encourage Serling was actually quite simple. "I said, 'Rod, you've got to do it the way you feel comfortable.' So all I did then was try to put him in a comfortable setting and maybe have him walk from one thing to another if the timing looked right or felt right," Denault recounted. "And he went ahead and he talked the way he talked and did it, and he always did it the same way, and it became a trademark, really."