| People Who Are Cool - The Kelli Maroney Interview |
[Feb. 15th, 2008|07:37 am] |
For almost a decade I’ve been mentally working on a book called People Who Are Cool, which would feature interviews with people that may or may not be famous, but are definitely interesting for any of a number of reasons. This project simmered on the back burner for years, mainly due to my chronic laziness.
Recently I was talking with a friend who has another friend with a blog that has gotten internet famous for various reasons. I realized that the only thing keeping me from doing the same thing was effort, and as I paged thru my brain trying to come up with an idea for an internet-famous blog, I remembered People Who Are Cool. Perfect!
When I finally got off my butt and started picking interview subjects, I immediately thought of Kelli Maroney. As a teenager in the 80’s, I watched more than my fair share of horror flicks and teen comedies, two genres that flourished during that decade. Night of the Comet, Chopping Mall, Not of This Earth, Big Bad Mama II, Slayground, Transylvania Twist and Fast Times at Ridgemont High all featured Kelli in roles of varying size. Add her stints on the soaps Ryan’s Hope and One Life to Live and she seemed to be everywhere.
I remembered reading an interview with her in Jewel Shepard’s Invasion of the B-Girls, in which she came off as sweet and funny – basically her screen persona in almost all of her early film and TV work (although her Ryan’s Hope character was a bit of a bad girl). So I figured, “Why not?” and contacted her thru her MySpace page. After explaining that I wasn’t some crazoid, she generously agreed to be my first interview. We emailed back and forth, and this is what we came up with. Just FYI, I tried to cover ground NOT covered in Jewel's book, or the many interviews with Kelli out there.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Kelli Maroney!
When did you really understand that you were, if not famous, in the public eye. When did you realize people recognized you from your work?
The first time I got recognized was about a week after I started on the soap, Ryan's Hope. A lady behind me in line was scolding me under her breath and calling me "Kim" at the bodega across the street from my house. I played a “Lolita” type character and a bad girl. My co-star called me “The Bad Seed 2”. : ) A couple of months after I got the part I was on the cover of People magazine being called a " Torrid Teen."
What did you buy with your first big paycheck?
I'll let you know when I get it. : ) Seriously, I must have had the crappiest representation EVER because I really never got a big payday on anything I did. Mostly when I get paid, I pay my bills like everyone else.
What's the strangest thing you still get residual checks for?
The only strange thing about my residual checks is all the residuals that I DON'T get for the low-budget films and stuff. When Chopping Mall was on cable all the time last year, no one got paid.
Did you ever do any commercials?
For some reason I have never gotten a commercial. I’ve gotten close but never actually booked one. All these years, too. Hmm…
I was at my gym the other day and I think I saw you. If that truly was you, you haven't changed a bit! Surely the police will find the bloodless bodies of virgins in your basement. What's your secret?
That was me. How cool that we go to the same gym! My 'secret' isn't a secret except to the IMDB who has my age wrong. When I first started I lied up and now I'm paying my 'karmic dues', which I guess is fair, right?
Perhaps, but I know someone at IMDB. No lie. I’ll see what I can do!
When I first moved here I couldn't imagine what I would do with myself when I was between gigs. And now, even when I'm not actively working on something, I find my days magically filled with activity. What do you do during the down time?
I go to the gym as you know. I also love Kundilini and Hatha yoga, plus it's a great workout. I always wonder, too, how I ever manage to make time to go to work here in LA. I always feel like I'm working at my career---there's something to do or study everyday. If one is an actor, writer, artist--life is always informing one's work. Wow, how pompous is that statement? : )
Actually, I find that statement quite heartening coming from someone who continues to work as hard as she does in this town. It can really become punching a clock if you’re not careful.
What acting gigs have you turned down? Anything notorious? Or that you regret?
I was once asked to do one of the last episodes of Fantasy Island before it went off the air. It was a nice episode about an elderly couple who wanted to go back in time to when they were young. It was going to require a ton of hours in the make-up chair and I was working on something else at the time and I didn't do it. But that's about it.
I know many of the films you've been in have been shot very quickly - some of them probably in a shorter amount of time than some TV episodes. Is it strange that something that was such a blip in the timeline work-wise has become pop culture bedrock?
I would be more surprised than I am about these films if a psychic hadn't told me while I was filming Night of the Comet how popular it would be, but I am still completely amazed and pleased about it. In general I never think about what's going to happen with a project because I'm busy doing it. On Fast Times at Ridgemont High I had a feeling the minute I walked on the set that I was in something special, but at the time I attributed the feeling to it being my first job at Universal Studio--it's a very impressive place.
What do you think about reality TV? I know you're cool with signing autographs based on your independent, cult film career - would you be up for being part of a reality show that traded on that part of your career? I'm thinking of things like Surreal Life or My Fair Brady.
I hate reality TV. I think it would be a huge mistake for me to do one of those shows. I don't want to be famous for having HAD a career and put myself in those ridiculous situations to get noticed. I'm an actor and sometimes I'm more visible than others, but I take acting jobs. I don't chase after celebrity. Sorry to sugar-coat it like that. : )
No worries here. I used to do a lot of work in reality TV, and I really hate it, too. Well, most of it. I do appreciate America’s Next Top Model and Project Runway.
I know that many folks are crazy for Night of the Comet, but my favorite is Chopping Mall. So I want to ask you about your co-stars in that. Barbara Crampton basically had the same career at the time - soap operas and Roger Corman (or Cormanesque) films. Did you ever look at each other and say "Well, killer robots beats having to memorize ten pages of dialogue every day"?
No, we were under the impression that we were making careers in film for ourselves at the time. When we all signed on for Chopping Mall we had no idea that would be the name of it. It was pitched to the actors as ROBOT, with the prestigious Robert Short creating the robots. We had no idea it was a camp-fest at the time. We were young and stupid like that.
Anybody reading this blog knows that I'm a gay homosexual, which means I had a total bone for Russell Todd and John Terlesky in that film. I don't suppose you can thrill me with a tale of an onset romance between the two?
Sorry, no romances with Johnny T. or Russell Todd that I know of. I was pretty busy though, so I probably missed a lot of good dirt. I doubt it, though. We worked all night and we were really tired and just motivating through because we had to be out by the time the mall reopened every morning.
Mary Woronov, Paul Bartel and Dick Miller were all (briefly) in that film - cult actors from the old school. Although you didn't have any scenes with them, did you get to know them at all during production?
No, I barely saw them the one day that they filmed. I was getting to the set and they were wrapping up. I loved working with Mary on Night of the Comet, though. She's a very talented and giving actor and anyone who gets to work with her is lucky in my opinion.
She’s one of my favorite actresses of all time. I’m kind of obsessed with watching her, and the whole “Nice girl from college ends up at The Factory” backstory is fascinating. And her comic timing impeccable.
You worked so closely with Catherine Mary Stewart in that film, but as we both know after production ends you tend not to see the people you worked with very often. Did you and CMS hang out during filming? And how about after?
Cathy and I stayed friends for awhile and we have bumped into each other or emailed on very rare occasions. I live in LA and she lives in NYC. But she's still one of my favorite people that I have worked with to this day.
How was writer/director Thom Eberhardt to work with?
Thom was the best. He was a little bit like our dad, in that he directs in a fatherly way, meaning he's protective and can worry too much. And like everyone's real dad, sometimes he makes remarks that aren't the most flattering, but he doesn't mean it that way. LOL
I remember when the remake of Not of This Earth came out, and Fangoria had an on-set article that made a big deal about how "nobody knew" you were going to be in the film. I remember being confused at that - why in the world would they not want people to know you were going to be in the film?
I have no idea---I went in and did one scene, one day's work at the last minute. Someone thought it would be funny to put Traci and I in nurse's uniforms? Whatever, right? But it wasn't a big deal.
Speaking of that film, that was Traci Lords's first legit role. I haven't read one bad word about her in regards to her behavior on set on any film, so I'm imagining she was cool to work with. Any fun stories about Traci?
Traci was a very professional, smart, and gracious person. I've never heard a bad thing about her, either.
After all these years you're still in touch with Jim Wynorski, and you've done several projects for him. Tell us about your relationship with him.
Jim and I are pals, I think because we have a similar sense of humor. I work fast enough that I never made him mad, which is in my favor from what I hear from other people. One of those fortunate things it's best not to question too much, I guess. He's just all about getting the work done, and so am I.
Speaking of Jim, let's talk about Big Bad Mama II. Did this film answer all those unanswered questions from Big Bad Mama?
I don't know. I never saw Big Bad Mama. Should I be admitting that? Sheesh...
In that film you not only worked with Police Woman, Angie Dickenson, but one of the girls from the original Broadway cast of Annie, Danielle Brisebois. So literally stars of stage and screen. Who had the best stories onset?
I was, again, on that film for one day's work, so I got no stories from either of them. Angie Dickenson was, as Jim said, "A great broad," and I took mental notes the whole time I was with her, because she is someone who has had a long career and I wanted to learn from her. I think I did.
In an effort to make this interview more about my Hollywood connections, I'll bring up you appearing on Chicago Hope when a friend of mine from high school was one of the regular cast members (Stacy Edwards, playing "Dr. Catera"). Please tell me you got to have a brain tumor!
I played Mark Harmon's MOM in black and white flashbacks of when he was a little boy! So unfortunately I didn't get to meet Stacy Edwards.
You have a new film in preproduction, Nightmare Carnival, that not only are you starring in, but producing as well. I want to hear all about this film, but I'm particularly interested in your thoughts on costar David Naughton. Which of these statements is the most true:
Kelli Maroney is a Makin' It-era David Naughton fan.
Kelli Maroney is an American Werewolf In London-era David Naughton fan.
Kelli Maroney is a Pepper.
Um…Kelli Maroney is a Pepper?
He was attached when I came on board. The writer, Dave Shelton, had the whole thing pretty much drawn up the way he wanted it and it works for me, too.
So you're producing this film. What's your day-to-day like as a producer? And how did you end up behind the camera after all these years in front?
Right now I am scrambling to restore financing to the project. Welcome to the glamour of Hollywood producing, right?!
My first producing experience was when a super talented friend of mine wrote a short film that she wanted to act in and she told me that I could co-produce if I wanted and if I was able to come to the table with anything, too! So, that's how I began learning. One thing leads to another and all of a sudden you're doing something that you didn't think you had planned on doing. It's pretty common in the Industry for actresses to form their own production companies and also to branch out and become a “hyphenate,” they call it here. It only makes sense not to put all your eggs in one basket and to be as versatile as possible.
I hear you. I started out as an actor myself, and I’m really glad I don’t have to rely on just that to make a living.
Your director, Paul Lynch, also happened to direct two episodes of So Weird I wrote. Small world! How did he come to be involved?
I met Paul at a screening of a film that one of our mutual friends had directed and told him about it. He read it and said he wanted to direct, so I got a letter of intent from him.
I read you're a night owl, just like me. We're twins of the night! What would we find you doing at 3 AM instead of sleeping?
Uh, trying to get to sleep! The Internet can be a seductive and sinister thing. Also TMC is my bedtime downfall. How can you justify going to bed when all of those fantastic old movies are playing???? I'd never get to see them otherwise, and just as I'm thinking about getting to sleep early, there one will be, coming on at like 2 AM or something.
What are you watching on TV these days?
Law and Order. TMC. HBO. Bill Maher. Letterman. Cable.
God, my partner and I are OBSESSED with Law and Order! You can watch it like 16 times a day on TNT and A&E! What are your favorite years of that show? I’m all about the Dianne Wiest and Angie Harmon years. And S. Epatha Merkeson is a longtime fave. Sam Waterson, Jerry Orbach – I could go on and on! I like SVU as well, but not so much Criminal Intent.
I am all about L & O----really doesn't matter which one or what years. I know that many people don't like CI as much as SVU but I love both.
What's your favorite thing to eat that's bad for you?
Sugar. Jelly beans and Jolly Ranchers. Sweettarts. Pizza. Anything with melted cheese all over it.
You've worked with Van Johnson three times? Tell me more!
Van Johnson--well, first he came on Ryan's Hope as himself. He also guest starred in an episode of Murder She Wrote with me but we didn't have a story line together. Oh, he was also in the movie part of Purple Rose of Cairo and I was cast as the blonde starlet and was supposed to be in that with him, too, but I was shooting Night of the Comet at the time and the producers refused to let me go to NY to do it because they were afraid they would be screwed if I didn't come back in enough time, or whatever. As a producer msyelf now, I can tell you they probably did the right thing. Wayne Crawford said to me, "If they want to keep you longer and I need you back, who's going to win, me or ROLLINS-JAFFE?" I get it. I sure was disappointed though and I still wish I could have done the role. These things are bound to happen.
On Murder She Wrote were you the murderer?
Nope, I wasn't the murderer but you were supposed to THINK I was. : )
You were on Beat the Geeks? As a contestant? Or a geek? I have to say, the movie geek, the guy who runs the NuArt, drives me crazy!
As a contestant. I Beat The Geek. What about Mark drives you crazy? In a good way, or a bad way? : )
I sort of plead the fifth. I guess what drives me crazy about him is what makes him the expert he is. I go to films at the NuArt all the time and…well, let’s just say I appreciate his knowledge, but perhaps not the delivery system.
Anything you have coming up you’d like to tell us about?
I just did a fun part on the HBO series, True Blood, the new Alan Ball series, right before the strike. It hasn’t aired yet and I don’t know what will happen with it now. We’ll have to see after the strike, I suppose. I am also in talks to do a film called Dark Star Hollow.
Thanks so much for being my “People Who Are Cool” guinea pig!
My pleasure.
Make sure to check out:
Kelli's website and
Kelli's MySpace page |
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