Steve Guttenberg Helps Neighbors Amid Wildfire, Reflects on Father’s Legacy

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — On January 7, as wildfires ravaged the Pacific Palisades area, actor Steve Guttenberg interrupted a reporter’s live broadcast to assist in moving abandoned cars, clearing the way for emergency vehicles. The 1980s and ’90s movie star, known for films like “Police Academy” and “Three Men and a Baby,” was seen helping neighbors and protecting homes amid the chaos.

“What’s happening is, people take their keys with them as if they’re in a parking lot. This is not a parking lot,” Guttenberg said. “If you leave your car behind, leave the key in there so a guy like me can move your car so that these fire trucks can get up there.”

Guttenberg, who couldn’t recall how he initially reached safety, remained in the area days later as much of his hometown lay in ruins. He described moving cars stacked along Sunset Boulevard, many of which were locked and without keys. “Yeah, couldn’t get through,” he said. “So, I was moving some of these cars over there. And then, a lotta these cars just didn’t have keys in them. Locked.”

When asked why he chose to stay and help, Guttenberg replied, “You know, it’s not often in life that you feel like you can make a difference. And I really feel like I can make a difference. Like, I’m able-bodied, I’m strong, I have a heart, and I care. And this is what I’m supposed to do today.”

Guttenberg’s instinct to help isn’t new. Seven years ago, he put his career on hold to care for his father, Stanley, who was battling kidney failure. Reflecting on his father’s legacy, Guttenberg shared, “My dad was the greatest. He was the first man who ever held me, first guy I ever looked in his eyes. And I fell in love with my dad.”

He has since written a book about his journey as a caregiver, detailing the profound bond he shared with his father. “My dad and his dad weren’t close,” Guttenberg said. “My grandfather was cold. He wasn’t a kissing, hugging type of dad to my father. So, my dad was the opposite.”

Stanley Guttenberg, a former Airborne Army Ranger and New York City policeman, was a hands-on parent who supported Steve’s early ambitions. At 17, Steve moved to Los Angeles with $300 and his parents’ blessing to pursue acting. “My parents gave me $300 and said, ‘You got two weeks.’ And I got a Kentucky Fried Chicken commercial,” he recalled. “And my parents let me stay another two weeks. And I got a little movie [“The Chicken Chronicles“]. And I got more commercials. Then, I actually stayed a year, before I quit and went back to school.”

Hollywood soon called him back, leading to roles in iconic films like “Diner,” “Cocoon,” and “Short Circuit.” Throughout his career, his father remained a grounding force, often calling him at 6 a.m. “No, I always had to be home at six o’clock. Even if I got home at 5 to 6:00! I had to answer that phone. He was my anchor,” Guttenberg said.

When Stanley was diagnosed with kidney failure, Steve drove 400 miles weekly to care for him, even learning to perform home dialysis. Reflecting on his father’s passing, Guttenberg said, “I probably let him go a year later. It’s hard to believe that he’s gone. I still think that he’s here.”

As the wildfires continued to threaten his neighborhood, Guttenberg felt his father’s presence. “I feel my dad’s around, yeah, I really do. I feel my dad is here with me. And I think he’s also saying, ‘Steven, enough. Get outta there.'”

Despite the danger, Guttenberg’s home remains standing. But he acknowledges it’s time to heed his father’s advice. “You know, the truth is, no matter how big your house is, no matter how much money you have, how expensive your car, at the end of it, you’re walking down the street with a little suitcase of a few things that you saved, and you’re looking for someone to tell you where to go.”