One on One: Beth Kennedy

Published Aug 11, 2022, 4:00 AM

Teacher’s Pet…Hot for Teacher…Bad Teacher…

BUT… What’s it like to be a teacher at Chilton?
Beth Kennedy aka Mrs. O’Malley knows.

I am all in. That's kiss you. I am all in with Scott Patterson and I heart radio podcast. Everybody, We're gonna talk with Beth Kennedy. Um, who's gonna come in and join us for a one on one interview? And uh. She has some credits to her name. She received l A Drama Critics Natalie Shaffer Award for Emerging Comic Actress. She has appeared in the film New yor Z, E Valentine's State, George Rule, all directed by Gary Marshall. Tons of television appearances We Can't wait to talk to her, plus tons of theater and tons of commercials, and she played Mrs O'Malley for five episode. First appearance she was at the children Teacher. Yes, she was in this Hi everybody, Hi Beth, Hello, Hello, right, come Hi? Yeah, alright, alright, happening. I literally tried to do my hair. How it was in the episode that I just watched for the first time last night, Oh my goodness, it was. It was a great episode. Tell us, first of all, welcome, nice to meet you, Thank you so nice. Thanks for coming on. And tell us what it was like getting cast? Oh my gosh, what was it like to be a co star. It was it was it was you guys know what it's like. You come in, there's an amazing I was looking on. I literally had an IMDb myself and I was like, was I on the Kilmer? I was like, oh my gosh, I was no. But it was so cool. You know Jamie and Mara the casting people. Of course, um, I actually knew them both. I was friends with them, and they were like, b K. Everyone called me b K. You know there's this new show. Um I think I looked in the first time I did, it was like two thousand and one. When was the first episode? Let me see it was a season two episode five? Nick and Norris did Nancy, So yeah, that was so. I was in season two. Season two is two thousand and one. Last appearance season seven, so that's two thousand six. Yeah. Yeah, so I basically played every teacher at children. It was yeah. I played like the debate person, you know, the debate coach and the yearbook later. So it was it was so much fun. Did you guys know you had to talk really fast, So Jamie and Morris had just talk really fast, Buka talk really fast, no problem, and then you know, working on it was. It was cool, just trying to get all those It's like, I think it's harder to be a co star than actually have like a larger part on the show, as you know, because you're just so used to it. You know, everybody you're coming in as a co star and you're just like, oh my god, don't screw this up. Everybody's got this so wired. Totally agree. So how did you get started? How did you get started with your acting career. I went to Loyola Marymount. I graduated in the eighties. I was a business major. My now husband was my theater school roommates girlfriend. So my roommate again was in the theater school. She was dating my husband. I was about to graduate from Loyola, and my husband back then wasn't my husband, but he was in the theater school. He wanted to direct non actors. He was like, I'm just kind of sick of all the actors and all their bags of tricks and this and that. I want to work with somebody, you know. He had this vision of like that they don't know anything, and I'm going to teach them and try to keep them real and all that kind of stuff. I didn't know what I was getting into, and I said, sure, yeah, this sounds fun. So he cast me in a two person play with another guy who was a stage hand at Loyal, who also had never done any acting, and um, So it then came to me graduating and all the business school, you know, all the companies come. You're supposed to go and interview and get your business job, and I was just thinking, I just can't do it. This is not me. So I then went to cal Arts. Um, I got my masters in theater there. It was so much fun, and I think in graduated. You know, I've had a great run. I've always had tons of other jobs. I never put my eggs in one basket. It's kind of how I was brought up. So I've had a great one run with commercials, done a lot of TV stuff, movies here and there. Gary Marshall put me in for his movies. You know. Gilmore Girls was so great. You know you did those checks even today, like a hundred bucks Gilmore Girls and stuff like. Yeah. So, had you've already been watching the show of before your first appearance in season two? Did you? Were you aware of not a huge TV watcher, and still to this day I'm not a huge TV watcher, so I went back and watched it last night, and so many people and obviously how it's had a you know, uh, just a whole redo, and now younger people have got onto the Gilmer Girls train. So I'll just be at some of my you know, one of my jobs is a tech job right now. In these twenty some things. Oh my god, it's the cutest thing. So I went I've watched them over the years, of course, but I want I was like, I just want to watch it last night, so thanks for having it made me and watching and it was it's so good, and I'm just like, yeah, I get it. I see why this is a cult classic. And I was just thinking, I don't know how you guys learned your lines. I have a question for you, but how did you guys do it? Scott Um, I don't there are so many lines, especially the mom and the daughter. Obviously, honestly, I just you know, I'd had a little uh training and a little experience with Shakespeare so that there's nothing really is daunting after that, you know, I mean, if you can memorize like I memorize Hamlet in a couple of weeks, in a couple of weeks, but because it made sense to me, it was and I was as intimidated as anybody else, Don't get me wrong. I was like, good Lord, how the hell am I ever going to do this? Um? But once you start, it becomes easier because of the emotional logic of the writing. If the writing is good, it's it's not like your memorizing words. You're memorizing emotions. You're memorizing scenarios, You're memorizing other people. So it's it just got easier the more I did it. So you know, this was not difficult. It really wasn't difficult. And I don't think it was terribly difficult for Laura either, because I think she has a photographic memory, must because like she didn't miss it brings. Yeah, I mean the Shakespeare right there. I have that training too, and I've done tons of Shakespeare, and I love Shakespeare. And the only way you can really learn Shakespeare, like you're saying, Scott, is you you have to think about. You can't just be like by rote memorizing lines in an order. The iambic pentameter, though, completely help when you're memorizing con coo, don't so that helps a lot, but you have to think of it more like emotions and I'm really in a dialogue and what do I want from this person and all that stuff, and then it becomes like a story. You know, it's not just these random words that you're shoving together in your right. It has nothing to do with that. Yeah, it's it's really just being in the scene and and expressing what you have to express. It's it's there's there's no other choice but to say these things. And that's easy to remember. I mean if you have like an affinity for it and the story strikes you on on a deep level, and and it always did. I mean it was just like devastating for me to read that play. Um So anyway, um so, what do you remember of your time on Gilmore Girls? Give us some of your your top what are your top three memories of working on that show? Okay, the top three memories? Um what did you remember? What did you did? You feed you? I fed you well as a young actor, but I was thirty eight when I did that. I looked back and I literally thought I looked like I was fourteen, But I was almost fourty years old when I did that. And you know, you're a working actor and you're just like they're feeding you. Someone's coming over and asking you what you want for breck and that's amazing and that that was a beautiful and I always, um, I just I also thought that set, that crew everyone was just cool. They were just good. You know, I've been on when you're doing like guest stars and co stars, you go on so many different sets and some of them are like, yeah, you get like maybe a vibe. I'm very much like an Ari's oldest child of nine, so I'm pretty much like no one's gonna talk to me. I'm just going straight up to people anyways. It's just kind of how I'm built. But you didn't have to do that on that set, so and which is why to like coming back five times and people would all, hey, you know, Amy just so cool and everybody like it's so great to have you back, and like is it weird that I'm this teacher now They're like, note makes total sense. So you know, even like trying to talk myself out of a job, and um, but just good people, good food. And I do remember. I think it just helped me so much to uh, like what you were saying, really think about what you're saying, even you just have like a mouthful in that little scene where I'm telling people, Okay, your last midterm and everyone's going to go to college, don't worry, and someone I know has been accepted to Harvard, etcetera. So just spitting out a whole bunch of lines when everyone staring at you, there's the boom, there's a camera, it's like, don't screw this up. Co starring, just like shoot it and move. But I probably did stumble and everybody was probably super cool about it. So I just came out of there with like a great vibe about everybody. Do you remember what subject you taught at Chilton? Did they tell you? Do you know? Well? I know because I was watching that one. Well. When I was the yearbook coordinator or the debate coach, those were obvious what I was doing. But for this I looked to my husband and like, what was I teaching? So I would think last night, I probably I am sure I did all my homework and like came up with a full backstory for myself, right, Scott, I was just like just line, But don't I think I was probably some kind of a literature teacher definitely, because we're talking. You know, that's usually who you would work on, like with your college essays and stuff like that. Yeah, and then I remember another episode actually this is not this episode, but you know Dacian Matthews, um and being a theater actor, right, we know who Dagon Matthews is. Like even way before this, I was like, oh my gosh, because he was a principle, I guess, And there was like some kind of a flashback, but that's for another episode. I'll come back and I'll dress like um, but I bet it was literature definitely something English. So what was your experience like filming with those children girls? And I think you know who I'm talking about. Yeah, I was super impressed, like she just had to have She wasn't in that scene. She was in another episode of probably Yearbook one where I actually got to have a little gut down with her. Now, Paris, you know, slow down, watch what you're doing whatever, but all those girls, um, Rory Alexis is her first thing, right, But again I was just so how old were they? Probably? I mean at that time I had eighteen, right, I think I think Alexis at that time. Season two was nineteen. Yeah, they were also sweet. She was a sweetheart, every one of them. Because you're right, there was a whole bunch of girls sitting in that classroom and they were they were just so on it, so on, it had all of their lines memorized, such professionals. Again, just raising the bar for me seeing like we're just going in, we're shooting this, we're out, and they obviously were moving so fast. And they let me hang around too, because I love watching other people doing their stuff and even hanging around when I'm done, and people were very cool about letting me do that. But I was definitely like the professionalism and just really authentic, genuine people. Nobody I felt like I had a big head about this or that. You know, we're not doing brain surgery here, just gonna trying to people laugh on TV and also feel the fields and all that stuff. So now, so now that Netflix has uh uh done their thing two thousand and sixteen, new generation of fans have emerged. Obviously, do you get recognized by any of them? Now? These this new wave of fans, Well, it's so interesting because it work. I think someone told someone and then they kind of piece it together. But I'm not in costco getting recognized. For sure. If someone walked up to me, you know, I'm just like, were you the Literature Teacher season three? You know I would actually give them a giant hug and be so how perceptive they are once or maybe twice, you know, you, I'm sure you've got a lot of them where you'd get the eight by ten envelopes and Manila's with the pictures in there, and they want you to sign them and send them back, and people will be like, I'm trying to get every head shot signed from this particular episode. So I definitely got a lot of those. I was present. You know, they found me, probably through my agent or whatever. But like the people that I know where I work that have recognized me, then they'll tell this other girl they're on like twenties thirties fish and then there they just completely recognized me and they put it together. But not like, yeah, right off the street, I haven't had that, But oftentimes though here it is you look familiar. I've seen you in something. There has been that, But I've also done many commercials and other things over the years. So I was like, well, I have one of those faces, but a lot of times they don't actually put it together. Hey, this is Bobby Brown and I'm relaunching my podcast The Important Things. What's important to me is everything from how to live my life, how to run my business, what to do if I feel and what to do if I'm overwhelmed. Certainly I will tackle a lot of the issues about getting older. I will tackle with curiosity a lot of the issues about what should we be eating, because everyone tells us something different and I'm just curious how other really busy, interesting women get things done. My first episode is Giada de Laurentis, who is adorable and gave such great information. Talked to Jenna Elfman, Gabby Reese. I mean, come on, the woman knows everything. Talk to Jillian Michael's and that's going to be a great one. I hope that you will come along for the ride because it's been really fun to do this. So listen to the Important Things with Bobby Brown wherever you listen to podcasts. How long has it been since you watched the series? Back before last night you hadn't, well, you had not seen the show at all, and then last night you watched because you're the episode because you were coming I'm pretty sure because you know, I'm human. I probably watched the episode that I was in, right, but I and after watching it last night, uh, and my husband liked it too, and he can be so picky. We both are like, this is actually super good and smart, like Edgar Allen Poe stuff. You know, it's it's not shallow, it's there's heart to it and there's it's smart too. So I actually I would probably go and watch it now, but I know I have not watched all of the Gilmore Girls. Well let me ask you this, have you Scott? Or is that part of this podcast? I never I mean I never watched the episodes though, right because Scott. I was almost like, who's Scott? Because I wasn't even in with you? So this is like one layer back from you. So you've never watched him and I eat. So the guy who's like interviewing me, I'm like, I had better figure out who this guy because I never watched them. But yeah, I do remember the cute guy. Just still are you got a little this going on now with the backwards hat? So you didn't watch him? How did you get away with that? Well? I was working on them all the time. I don't want to come home and watch them, you know, Like I I knew people who were on series and they would invite you over to their apartments of their houses because they were getting all their friends together watching the episode. And I'm like, that is so strange. Why would anyone do that? I would be I'm not a huge fan of watching. No, I'm not either. I mean, I would be horrified to. I would never. I would never. I would have That's like torture. I would never even think of doing something like that, because why would you put yourself through that. You had friends that actually did that, they'd be like, guys, it's my weekly episode, let's all come over and watch. I remember dating a girl before I was involved in in acting who did that. She was on a series, and and she would do that. She would invite all her friends over and then she would, you know, they compliment her, and they'd leave, and I'd be sitting there kind of dumb struck about what that whole process was all about. I mean, I kind of got that she wanted to watch the show, but I mean, I don't know, it's just not I just was never and I don't like watching myself. It's it makes me very uncomfortable. Um, I never have anything good to say. I'm twenty two years removed from this show, though, and I feel a little better about watching it. Doesn't it doesn't it doesn't it skive me out so much. I mean I can stomach it. Um. I think I remember even back then watching and I was like, oh, I look like I'm looking so skinny. It was always something it looked like I'm amazingaated. That's not what I sell. My hair is cues straight, like because I usually my hair is kind of straightened it, but it's usually like full on be cruly, and I always just even my commercial agent was always no straight in your hair, but that's what the moms are. So it was just like I was like, oh man, that's not me. But it was fun to go back, obviously twenty two years later and be like can be like, you know, like you can kind of appreciate your younger self. I think when it's not like a month after you shot it exactly. Um. Yeah, so you've act, you've acted in another TV series since then, So what are you up to now? Uh? Well, one thing I've done, Um, I've been doing theater pretty hardcore for all these years, and um, that's how I met Jamie and Marr. Like always doing theater, always doing l A theater, which is hard to do because there's not a lot of l A theater. But I've been part of a troop let's call it since was my first show with them, and you guys can google it if you want. UM the company so it's called Troubadour Theater Company or Troub's t r O U B I E S dot com. So we have done so many mash ups over the years. We've done Shakespeare mashups. We do iconic holiday film mash ups. I'm gonna give you, like just a couple of ideas of the Shakespeare so as you to like it. Fleetwood Macbeth. Our Hamlet show is Hamlet the artist formally known as Prince of Denmark. UM. Some of our holiday shows, It's a Stevie Wonderful Life. Dana Claus is coming to Motown. We recently did Julius Wheezer, and our new holiday show is um. We haven't announced it yet but we will soon. Doesn't matter. But so some people think, do you think die Hard is a Christmas movie? You know, there's some people that are like on the Friends of It takes place during the holidays, so we're calling it a Christmas movie because we've been doing Christmas shows for twenty years and we're kind of running out of them or not Christmas Holiday. So die Hard to the music of Heart, Die Heart? Are you working like Barracuda? Can you imagine all those you know? Um, is there a writer working with your troop? Name Spencer? By any chance? Is that the first name? You don't have a Spencer working with you? Okay, alright, because it's because Rick, Rick Battia and Matt Walker. Matt Walker founded it years ago. But if you look on our website and Gary Marshall was a huge champion for us, so many of us were in his movies over the years we performed, you know how he had the Falcon Theater into Luca Way. It's now the Gary Marshall Theater. Goodness performing over there for over twenty years, so, you know, always doing like commercials here and there, but theater. Once I went to CalArts saying, you know, learned about theater, it truly was like my love and I've I've been working with these guys for years and I usually like I'm on still, I play very much character parts. Let's or that I'm even a woman, like I'm a warlock, or I'm a man. I'm an old man. I have like a character face, so that you must be having a brow my voice around a lot. Yeah, we're having a good time. Good for you, good for you? So um yeah. All right. So now we've reached the point in the interview where we are entering into a section called rapid fire. I'm going to fire questions that you know I want you to fire answers back at me. You ready, there you go? How many cups of coffee have you had? Do you have a day? I don't drink? Are your team Logan, Team Jeser, Team Dean um the my love is your favorite Kimbiger's character. I did like, Oh, Melissa McCarthy. I mean, what would you order Luke's diner pancake? Would you rather go on a road trip with Taylor or Michelle? Both of them? Because I can't remember that. Finish the lyric, and where you lead, I will follow dot dot where you leave, I will follow everywhere. I will go to you anywhere that you tell me to. Jackson's vegetables are Suki's Baked Goods. There you go. Would you rather listen to Dreller's Harp or the Troupadours cover songs? Sheldon Prepper Stars Hollow Hi, there you go. Beth. Thank you so much for your time. It was it was fun. We will have you back for sure. There's much more. There is much more here, let me tell you there we can go on or just scratching the service here. Thank you so very much, Beth Kennedy. All the best, All the best, Scott Patterson, j Hey, everybody, and don't forget Follow us on Instagram at I Am All In podcast and email us at Gilmore at I heart radio dot com. Oh you gil More fans. If you're looking for the best cup of coffee in the world, go to my website for my company scott EP dot com, s C O T T y P dot com, scott ep dot com Grade one Specialty Coffee