His agent told Schroder that he should be on a plane flying to Hollywood, to meet with the producers of "NYPD Blue." They were looking for an actor to play a young detective as a permanent cast member.
Schroder shouted almost as loud as the thunder. "I wanted this job," he later confided, when we met in Los Angeles. "From the moment I heard there might be an opportunity for a new character on the show, I asked my people to make sure they put my name in the ring."
When Jimmy Smits announced several months ago that he would be leaving "NYPD Blue," there was great excitement about who would be the new detective at the 15th Precinct.
Schroder told his wife Andrea to hold a good thought, hugged his three youngsters goodbye and was off for the airport.
"When I walked into the office on the Fox lot, there were Steven Bochco and David Milch, co-creators and producers of the show, and Dennis Franz." Schroder was surprised and delighted to see three-time Emmy winner Franz at the meeting. "I think it was almost mandatory for them to make sure whoever worked with Dennis had the right chemistry. We were comfortable with each other from the get-go," the young actor said.
"They knew I wanted it from the moment we met. I just couldn't hide my enthusiasm to be part of the team. It's common knowledge that 'NYPD Blue' has the best-written scripts on TV."
Schroder did not have to endure a long period of nail-biting time awaiting his future. Two hours after he left the meeting, he was on the phone to Andrea saying, "Honey, I got it!" And he hopes the series will continue for years, which is why he was happy to sign a five-year contract. And, yes, it does have a nudity clause in it.
Schroder couldn't help but laugh when he was asked by the press how a Westerner from Colorado could play a New York City police detective. "They didn't seem to remember that I'm a native of Staten Island, and we didn't buy our farm in the Rockies until eight years ago."
Amazingly intuitive for his 28 years, Schroder knows the public has watched him grow up on TV but confided, "My childhood career was chosen for me, I didn't choose it."
He was three months old when he did a diaper commercial, which was followed by a bevy of TV commercials. Next, came a host of jobs for the winsome blond boy who was able to cry on cue. Of his many childhood films, his most memorable was starring with Jon Voight in Franco Zeffirelli's remake of "The Champ" (1979). Then came his most lengthy job, starring in the TV series, "Silver Spoons," which ran for five seasons. As a teen-ager he appeared in "Lonesome Dove" on TV, "Crimson Tide" on the big screen and in a score of other "coming of age" roles.
"It wasn't until I was 21 and moved to Colorado that I realized I was going to have to work my butt off to get what I wanted out of my career," Schroder said. "I have worked steadily in films and TV for the past eight years. It's not high-profile, but they are projects I'm proud of."
Schroder credits his wife and their children as the best things that have happened to him. He met Andrea in Canada when he was starring in a Disney movie, and she was working as a waitress. His proposal wasn't exactly romantic, but it was emphatic. "We were in New York, and just had a huge fight. I was pretty desperate, and I begged, 'Honey, don't leave, marry me.' And she did.
"We decided to build a 'getaway cabin' in the Rockies, but the more we planned, the bigger the house grew. Soon we were so involved and both loved it so much, that we decided this is where we'll live, this is where we'll raise our family."
The family consists of two boys and a girl. "Holden is 6, Luke 4, and our little girl, Cambry is 18 months. I read something the other day I really like -- it said ... a kid's mind is like gelatin, so you've got to fill it with good stuff before it sets."
On the Schroders' 425-acre farm they grow corn and alfalfa. It is set on a river, so they enjoy lots of fishing. They have another ranch higher in the Rockies where they raise 400 head of cattle, and have a cabin up there. "There are many lakes and streams," he said. "It's really God's country."
Growing serious, he added, "Becoming a father has made me more tolerant, more patient and more strict. You realize if you don't get your stuff together, you're going to put it on the kids. They'll be affected by your 'stuff.'"
After a pause, he asked, "Do you know what I mean by stuff? You've got to deal with any problems or issues you may have in your life. Anything you're doing that's not worthy, not righteous, you've got to correct. Kids force you to look at yourself in a different way. They are amazing -- they are smarter than we think they are."
Currently, Schroder is settling into a house in Los Angeles, so the family can join him on those occasions when he can't commute to Colorado.
"My hope is that my transition into 'NYPD Blue' will be smooth, and that my character will get out of the starting gate quickly, with no floundering. I want the audience to get involved with this young detective quickly, and we'll see where it goes from there."
© 1998, CNN