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An Interview With Terry Farrell
| Terry Farrell co-starred as Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax on Deep Space Nine from 1993 to 1998.
ave or Cancel below. Change PermissioAfter leaving Deep Space Nine, she co-starred with Ted Danson on Becker from 1998?2002.
In 2002, after marrying Brian Baker ("The Sprint Guy" - spokesman for Sprint telephones in over 30 commercials) she retired from acting to raise a family.
Now, some seven years later, she returns to the acting stage along with her husband, Brian Baker.
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Terry Farrell and her husband Brian Baker appear in Love Letters at the Hershey Area Playhouse hersheyareaplayhouse.com/:
February 12 - 15, 2009
February 19 - 22, 2009
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Terry graciously consented to an interview with The Thunder Child. |
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1) Return to Acting
A. What prompted you and Brian to return to acting in Love Letters?
Brian and I talked about the possibility of doing a play together - when our son got big enough for us to feel comfortable leaving him with a babysitter. So, when he read about Hershey Area Playhouse's production of Love Letters. Brian contacted the director, Stuart Landon and requested that we take a meeting with him.
Are you looking forward to facing a live audience?
We had a live audience with Becker - about 200 people every show. However, we weren't nearly as close to the audience as Brian and I will be. It's a thrust stage (seating on three sides), which creates a very intimate setting. At the Playhouse we can nearly sit in the laps of people that are in the front row! That won't be happening of course, but that's how close we are to everyone.
B. According to the January 5 blog by Brian: "At this point we still need to block the second half of the show. As I mentioned before, Love Letters is a unique play for many reasons.
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For one thing, the actors hold their scripts - it requires no memorization."
Please explain this more fully. To a layperson, it would seem you'd know the letters and only pretend to read them as you emote?
This show was originally staged with the actors seated at desks and reading the letters. The author?s intention was to create a play that would be both entertaining and easy to produce. (He basically says that in the "Author's notes" in the front of the script.)
nsReadWriteExecuteUserGroupOtherIf this were a scene in a movie where I was supposed to be reading a letter I would probably memorize it - just as I?d done for all my other lines. But for this show we really do read the letters. Reading the letters is much different than pretending to be reading a letter. So we will be carrying our "book of letters" on stage, and reading them as the author intended.
However, as you noted from Brian's post, we are doing the show in a slightly new way. Our director, Stuart, has a vision that is different than the traditional staging. In our production he has us moving. Now that the show is fully blocked, I can see what Stuart had seen. That this show could still be true to the author's wishes, but also be made more contemporary and visually interesting.
| C. Do you intend to do more stage work, and/or return to TV or films?
I'm not sure where this will take us. I'm always hopeful that I will get to go back to work sometime. I?d love to do another TV movie for Lifetime. I really love that network and the people there are wonderful to work with. But, of course, I would want it to happen over the summer so that I could take my boys with me. ;-) Life is full of all kinds of possibilities.
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D. If so, any current projects in mind?
File VersionsWarning| In addition to acting, I'm also a part -time artist. I work primarily with textiles, but recently I began designing jewelry. I just designed a necklace that I?m very excited about, and, with the help of a local jewelry maker, we are weeks away from seeing the first one produced. My hope is that the necklace can be used in some way as a fund-raising tool for Hershey Area Playhouse. Right now it?s too early to know what is the best way to make that happen. And, if all goes well, perhaps I will make my future designs available to the public. I?ll keep you posted. |
If all goes well, perhaps I will make my future [jewelry] designs available to the public. |
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2) Stay-at-Home Mom
Please share any anecdotes you'd like about being a stay-at-home mom. Do you let Max watch any of your acting performances and if so, what's his reaction?
I think my son would be very impressed if I were on Avatar, or Ben10, or anything that would be geared for kids. |
| I would do any of those shows if I could just to make him thrilled. But for now he thinks I can sew, cook, and fix just about anything. Which makes me feel, once again, like the super hero Dax was.
3) You've attended a few Star Trek conventions.
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But for now he thinks I can sew, cook, and fix just about anything. Which makes me feel, once again, like the super hero Dax was. |
I would love to see any and all of my Star Trek friends. It's been so long and it was an extraordinary experience. I so wish I could've been more relaxed about it all. I sure wish it were possible for us to do just one more show together.?
| You said at one of these conventions: "It's hard to go from [playing] a hero to a neurotic, bad cook. [Becker]."
Yes, it was very difficult to go from single-camera show to a three-camera show with an audience - a different style altogether. And I have to say it took me out of my comfort zone! But I'm so grateful for that! I learned so much, and I really felt like I stretched every year. I was so looking forward to Season 5 of Becker. It's too bad it didn't happen.
I am, however, forever grateful for the four years I did have. I really learned how to fail in front of others, and I guess that was the hardest lesson of all. It's too bad I didn't learn it in my first job! I will always be grateful for Ted Danson, Dave Hackle and Les Moonves for giving me the opportunity. It was an amazing experience, and it became a favorite way for me to work. |
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Which took more acting skills - the hero or the neurotic, or is it all just the acting craft?
It's acting skills, one was drama, and one was half hour comedy.?
Many Star Trek actors have written (or perhaps "have written for them" would be a more appropriate phrase). Have you any writing ambitions - perhaps in that direction, or in others?
I don't have any writing aspirations. I don't think I'd ever be able to end the story. Of course, that's assuming I knew how to start it!
THANKS.
Thank you. Hope you all have a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year!
Onward & Upward and Most Sincerely!
Terry Farrell x
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