Up-and-coming artists had the chance to shake hands with a”major” visitor that has worked with film and literary greats likeTennessee Williams, Henry Fonda and Robert Duvall when televisionand stage star Gerald McRaney toured the Mississippi School of theArts on Friday.

The former “Simon and Simon” and “Major Dad” headliner took awalk around the campus, stopping to answer questions from students,meet dignitaries and city officials, and most importantly toaccomplish his objective: finding out what’s happening at MSA andif it’s something he wants to back.

“The first thing I’m going to do when I leave here is talk to mywife (‘Designing Women’ star Delta Burke),” McRaney said. “Shewould be so jealous of this. And I would have given anything for aplace like this when I was in school. I would have had a 10-yearheadstart on my career.”

McRaney offered insights to the students, but he also broughthope to school officials, city leaders, and other interesteddignitaries during his visit.

MSA Director Suzanne Hirsch, District 39 Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smithand MSA Foundation Chairman Bill Sones told McRaney that the schoolhas had a hard time attracting attention from celebrities, in partbecause the school is still so young. Hyde-Smith told McRaney theMSA loyal would appreciate any help he could give them in thatarea.

“You will have it,” he said, without blinking. “I’m going toknock on some doors.”

McRaney pointed out the fact that communities that take anactive role in boosting the growth of the arts end up seeing aneconomic impact as well.

“For the people of the state, having this is more than just apoint of pride, this is going to have tangible results,” he said.”Brookhaven will see an economic upsurge.”

Part of the problem that MSA faces, the actor said, is thatpeople who are artists see its merit immediately. People who arenot need to see tangible evidence that it is doing somethingpositive.

“You just have to keep confronting people with the statisticsabout art education,” he said. “People need to see evidence of whatart produces, and the fact is that math scores are higher instudents that study music, plus students do better when they findthat thing that motivates them and really gets their fireburning.”

McRaney also acknowledged the niche that MSA makes for kids whodon’t always find their place in regular high schools that don’thave curriculums that focus on the arts. And when he spoke to thestudents, he gave them words of wisdom on launching a career inacting.

“I don’t believe in this snobbishness about the theater,” hetold a student who asked if there were a difference in differentacting venues. “There’s an awful lot of crap on television, butthere’s also a lot of crap in theater, too.”

He also told them about the wonders of being an actor, and whyit’s all worth chasing dreams.

“When I was a kid, Dad and I listened to the original ‘Gunsmoke’on the radio, and as an adult, I acted in the last showdown on thetelevision show with Matt Dillon,” he said. “But to grow up and puton the hat, strap on the six-gun and step out on to Dodge Street?That’s good stuff.”

When one student asked about choosing between acting and medicalschool, McRaney told him the answer has to come from within.

“There are other things you can do to provide for your familybesides sacrificing your dream,” he said. “But my grandfather usedto tell me when you’re facing a difficult decision, look at thechoices, and usually one is honorable and the other one isn’t. Hesaid you can tell because the honorable one is harder.”