What would you consider your “break” in terms of acting work?
In 1990, December, I auditioned for [the musical] City of Angels. And I remember 6 months before that I’d said if I can’t get a job I’m going to leave and move to Seattle. You know, I just decided that I’d given it 10 years and that was enough.
Why Seattle?
Well, I loved [New York] City – I had never ever decided to leave before and it was very hard on me. But I realized I wasn’t really concentrating too hard, and my soul was suffering from that – my acting soul. And I’d worked out in Seattle before for a [regional] show and really liked it. But then, this is a true story: I got a fortune cookie and it said, “When winter arrives – good fortune will rain upon you.” And on December 21st – Winter Solstice – I got the call that I was going to be an understudy on Broadway. I remember going out and buying a dress.
You deserved it.
No, literally I had no clothes. I needed it.
Days of Yore is my new favorite website - successful creative types describing their initial stumbles, screwups and failures. Very comforting on those dark days - or even the less than dark ones.
-Mallory
