Hi, guys! Here's an interview I recently conducted with Kathryn Leigh Scott! It'll be running with another Dark Shadows article I'm in the process of writing. Enjoy!
Rod
KATHRYN LEIGH SCOTT
Accepting the Challenge
By
Rod Labbe
I first "met" Kathryn Leigh Scott in April 1967, when I joined the millions of American kids who slavishly watched ABC Television's Dark Shadows, each and every weekday afternoon. Kathryn, at the time, was essaying her signature role as waitress Maggie Evans, a tough cookie with the proverbial ticker of solid gold. I couldn't have come aboard during a more exciting story-line--Maggie had just been kidnapped by one Barnabas Collins, Collinsport, Maine's resident vampire, and she was experiencing Trouble with a capital T.
Little did I know, while watching this sprawling gothic fable unfold, that one day I'd be sitting across from the real Kathryn Leigh Scott and conducting an interview. Life has a very funny way of bringing you full circle, at the most unexpected moments. Thanks to Dark Shadows (and a healthy dose of Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, and Stephen King), I eventually carved my niche as both a creative writer and a freelance journalist in the wonderful world of horrific entertainment. Thus, I found myself face to face with the much put-upon Maggie Evans, not quite believing my luck.
Well, many changes have occurred since 1967. It's a different world, today. For one thing, I'm no longer 14¢â‚¬¦and, for another, Kathryn Leigh Scott has not only proved her mettle as an accomplished actress, she's also a powerfully-connected publishing executive with her own company: Pomegranate Press, Ltd. Yet, Kathryn's demeanor remains blissfully down-to-earth.
I found, as we spoke, that she seemed not at all different from the young woman I'd seen on my flickering television screen. Her laugh was quick, the answers to my meandering questions revealing and comprehensive. Our conversation never lagged. I can't tell you how many interviews I've conducted where the subject is aloof, addle-brained, uncooperative, or downright nasty. Ms. Scott, AKA Maggie Evans; Josette DuPres; Rachel Drummond; Lady Kitty Hampshire; writer; actress, and businessperson, proved a delightful exception to that rule.
KATHRYN LEIGH SCOTT
1. Good day, Kathryn! It's a distinct pleasure to finally meet you in person, after all these years! Thanks for taking the time for this chat. Hopefully, you'll find it a rewarding--and fun--experience!
KLS: Oh, I'm sure I will. Let's talk.
2. Excellent! I've followed your career since the Dark Shadows days--and it's a genuine success story, really something extraordinary. I mean, to go from actress to writer to publisher, and to excel at every endeavor¢â‚¬¦that's truly amazing. Is this the career path you envisioned for yourself as a little girl?
KLS: My family gave me such a wonderful sense of security and confidence that I felt free to pursue my big dreams, which always centered around "acting" and "writing." I worked on the school newspaper and got an assignment to interview poet Carl Sandburg, when he visited our town. The article earned me a state high school journalism award when I was 15, so I dreamed of being a writer. But I also did school plays and won a state acting award that same year. Those accomplishments encouraged me to apply for college scholarships. I chose a direction where I found the best access: acting.
3. Not exactly an easy path to follow! It's rife with disappointment, and so many people fail¢â‚¬¦rejection is a difficult hurdle to overcome.
KLS: Of course, there were many disappointments along the way, but I always knew my life would include those twin careers, writing and acting, where one deals with rejection on a daily basis. I've never understood how anyone can avoid taking rejection personally when the work itself is so personal, but somehow, you have to be objective and just move on--accepting the next challenge, going for the next project. Always move on!
4. You mentioned family¢â‚¬¦what was your childhood like? Do you look back on it fondly?
KLS: Very much so! I grew up on a farm in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, with my two brothers. It was truly an idyllic childhood. We worked alongside our parents on the farm--my father allowed me to drive the tractor when I was 12--and they also hired every kid in the community who wanted to earn extra money. We had hills for sledding in winter, and woods for tree forts in summer. We built a stage out of cabbage crates and put on plays, and every summer, we'd have a big corn roast for friends and neighbors. I couldn't have invented a better childhood!
5. Is that what made you realize: "hey, it's fun to be an actress?" Those backyard plays?
KLS: They ignited the spark. When I was about seven, I wrote a play for my second-grade class about George Washington. I cast myself as "Martha" and a little boy I had a crush on as "George." "Martha" had the bigger and better role! Once I had a taste of being on stage in the little theatre of our elementary school, I knew I wanted to be an actress.
6. You attended the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York--and that lead to Dark Shadows, right?
KLS: In a roundabout way. At 16, I was accepted as a "Cherub" in Northwestern University's summer program, which was a fabulous experience! I met teenagers from all over the US and spent a glorious summer with students who loved theatre as much as I did. After high school graduation, I took one year of college before receiving a scholarship to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Toward the end of my senior year at AADA, Worthington Miner cast me in The Contrast, which is reputed to be the first legitimate American play. He was directing it for the opening season of the new Eugene O'Neill Festival in Waterford, Connecticut. Worthington's son, Peter--a producer with ABC and Dan Curtis Productions--attended a rehearsal and recommended me to Dan. I ended up being cast in Dark Shadows, and Peter had the unenviable task of telling his father I'd have to be replaced!
7. And then, you emerged as "Maggie Evans," snappy girl-next-door waitress. The genesis of Maggie saw her begin as an All-American girl, who slowly developed into a kind of damsel in perpetual distress.
KLS: Maggie started out as a "real person"--a typical young ingenue character on a soap opera of the time. Maggie was motherless, raised by her father--an artist and drunkard--in a seaside shanty at the wrong end of town. She was poor, honest, with a hard exterior and a longing to be accepted. By the time Maggie replaced Victoria as a governess at the Collinwood mansion, she was living a fantasy life in a show that had
itself become a multi-leveled fantasy.
8. How would you portray her today?
KLS: As contemporarily as possible. She'd be a tough girl with a good heart¢â‚¬¦and probably a few tattoos!
9. The 1795 flashback sequence stands out as perhaps Dark Shadows' finest hour, and your Josette, especially, has remained a lasting, classic characterization. Why do you think the 1795 storyline worked so well, as compared to the other forays into time travel?
KLS: The heart and soul of Dark Shadows was fantasy and romance, horror its spice. With varying results, we always tried to attain that magical combination. I think everything just came together for the 1795 sequence--it epitomized what our show was all about in a really beautiful way.
10. When a particular story-line began, say the 1897 flashback, were you given a general overview of how the plot would resolve itself? What were your thoughts once you realized elements from classics like Jane Eyre and Frankenstein were being incorporated? Was this a good or bad thing, in your opinion?
KLS: Truthfully, we never had the foggiest idea where a story was going! The writers certainly didn't share an overview with us--primarily because they were developing the plot on a day to day basis! Eventually, we would recognize the elements of a classic story and delight in our retelling of it.
11. Dark Shadows has achieved something that no other soap in TV history has: a fanatical, seemingly everlasting cult status. What do you think is the secret of its appeal? After all, we're not watching repeats of The Edge of Night 30 years after cancellation!
KLS: Dark Shadows is unique. We had a marvelous company of actors and, in Dan Curtis, a creator of genius and bravery who was unafraid to blaze a new trail in daytime television. Like Gene Roddenberry, of Star Trek, who went into the future to tell universal morality tales, Dan Curtis went back and forth in time to tell morality tales that combined sci-fi, horror, and fantasy.
12. Would you watch the episodes when they aired? Could you be objective about your performances? How about now?
KLS: I only watched the on-air episodes if I was waiting for our afternoon rehearsal to begin, and I've never caught a complete episode in reruns since then. Occasionally, I watch a scene played at a Dark Shadows Festival. I think well-trained actors learn to be objective about their performances¢â‚¬¦although, I must admit, I've done my share of cringing at some of those Dark Shadows clips! Generally, I'm able to keep perspective and move on!
13. There were oftentimes long stretches between your appearances--the segue from Rachel Drummond to Lady Kitty Hampshire comes to mind--what did you do during those breaks?
KLS: I worked in off-off-Broadway productions, did summer stock and commercials. I also wrote, traveled, and pretty much lived a healthy, normal life among my friends.
14. House of Dark Shadows was a great interpretation of the show, with you essentially cast as a combination of Victoria Winters and Maggie Evans. It holds up remarkably well. Your reflections?
KLS: I've only seen House of Dark Shadows twice: at the New York premiere in 1970, and on the Champs Elysee, about 6 months later, for a screening of the French version. I loved filming the movie and thought--at the time--it was quite a good script.
15. What's your reaction to all those mini-skirt scenes?
KLS: Oh, Rod, I love mini-skirts! I'm not sure I've ever stopped wearing them!
16. ABC was deluged with fan mail when Dark Shadows hit--thousands of letters poured in daily. Is it true you answered each one personally?
KLS: For a brief time, a young high school student in Michigan named Laurette Spang--who later became an actress and married actor John McCook--answered my fan mail, but for the most part, yes, I did it all myself.
17. Wow. What a gargantuan undertaking that must have been!
KLS: In all honesty, I don't think fans realize just how guilty actors feel about unanswered mail and how time-consuming and expensive it is to respond. I certainly made--and still do make--the effort, but there are times when one feels overwhelmed by the sheer volume.
18. In 1970, you left DS, and I don't think the show ever truly recovered, not completely. Were you after greener pastures, acting wise?
KLS: My contract expired, and that's why I left. But I continued to stay on another six months so I could do the first of the MGM feature films for Dan. After that was done, I moved to France and married my fiancee, a Time magazine photographer who'd been posted to the Paris bureau. I didn't give much thought to my future career and had no desire to do another soap. Once settled, though, I began to pick up work in French films and later--in London--I did stage, television, and film.
19. Do you receive any type of residual from Dark Shadows? What about products that bear/bore your likeness, like gum cards?
KLS: I do get residuals. We've published a book by Craig Hamrick called The Dark Shadows Collectibles, a Complete Guide to all Dark Shadows Memorabilia. And yes, I am on a fair number of gum cards, and Lord knows how many spin-off items from my guest-starring role on Star Trek: the Next Generation!
20. There's been consistent talk about Dark Shadows becoming a Broadway-bound musical¢â‚¬¦what about its potential as a soap opera in the 21st century? Do you think it could be revived and done well?
KLS: I do think Dark Shadows could be revived as a television series. I would suggest that to succeed, it should incorporate at least cameo appearances by the original actors and focus more on romance and fantasy, rather than horror.
21. Were you asked to participate in the ill-fated 91 revival? There'd been press stating that Dan Curtis wanted to incorporate the original cast, but nothing ever came of it.
KLS: None of the original cast members were invited to take part in the 1991 series, and I've never seen any of the episodes. The new series was repeatedly preempted by the Gulf War and, unfortunately, never had a chance to build an audience.
22. You've been whole-heartedly supportive of the DS fan movement--how difficult is it to remain enthusiastic about a project you completed almost 30 years ago?
KLS: Although more than 30 years have passed, Dark Shadows keeps evolving in all our lives, and what is most interesting to me is what is happening to us now. I've published a number of books about the series and attended many of the Dark Shadows festivals. I am completely enthusiastic about my fellow cast members and the effect the show has had on its extensive audience. I've also published books on Charlie's Angels; The Night Stalker; Rockford Files; The Fugitive; and Maverick, although I've seen few episodes of any of these classic TV shows.
23. Let's look at your acting career away from Shadows. You did "Visitor From the Grave," part of the Hammer House of Horror syndicated series. This was very familiar territory! What was it like working for Hammer Studios, renowned for their Dracula films, starring Christopher Lee?
KLS: I never really made the connection until I'd completed shooting and happened to meet Christopher Lee at a drinks party. I had done another show for director Peter Sasdy--The Saint, with Ian Ogilvy--and even though Peter has quite a background in horror films, I don't think he knew about Dark Shadows. Nor did anyone else at Hammer. We shot entirely on location, and I loved working in the ancient ancestral home that served as our "studio."
24. The Last Days of Patton was an effective follow-up to George C. Scott's big-screen Patton. I thought your performance was especially touching and authentic. How did you get involved in this project?
KLS: That's an interesting story. I filmed The Last Days of Patton while working on Murrow, which starred Dan Travanti. We had two wonderful directors: Delbert Mann, a pioneer in early live American television, and Jack Gold, a superb British television director. I'd already been cast as Janet (Murrow's wife) in Murrow and then auditioned for Del, who'd asked me to play Jean Gordon, Patton's young lover¢â‚¬¦and the niece of his wife! I wanted so much to work with both directors, and Del Mann made it all possible.
25. How in the world did you juggle two major assignments at once? The pace must've been insane!
KLS: There was only one day in the beginning when I was required to be in two different locations at once, and Del had hired a stand in to take over the role if I couldn't make it. Luckily, there was a weather problem with Murrow, and I was able to shoot the indoor scene on Patton--thereby having the extraordinary opportunity of doing both roles! I was thrilled. The Last Days of Patton and Murrow were World War II dramas, and I so enjoyed doing the research on my real-life characters.
26. What impression did you have of George C. Scott? Legend has it he could be a curmudgeon!
KLS: George C. Scott was tough; he really tested my mettle. His favorite game was to tell a story right up to the moment Del called "Action!" and then finish his story after "Cut!" Not an easy situation, but I happen to like difficult, complex people. Dan Travanti, I should also mention, was a dream to work with, a superb actor!
27. You supported Lana Turner in Witches Brew, an updating of Bell, Book, and Candle. Any anecdotes?
KLS: None that I care to recall! I did have fun working with Teri Garr, Richard Benjamin, and certainly, Lana. She was very high maintenance and so thoroughly a product of the 40's studio system. Lana knew precisely what was right for her; what take, what camera angle, and so forth. I found her to be warm and delightful, just a fascinating individual.
28. Speaking of anecdotes, your Scrapbook Memories of Dark Shadows inaugurated Pomegranate Press and also played a very large part in the show's cult status. What was the feeling like, going back through the years to those old Dark Shadows days? And how well did the book sell?
KLS: My Scrapbook Memories of Dark Shadows emerged from tributes I was asked to write about Joel Crothers and Grayson Hall, who'd died within months of one another. Once I began writing, I couldn't stop--and soon realized that I had a book! I do have a good memory, but in this case, the prose just flowed from my pencil to the yellow legal tablet, and I rarely had occasion to pause or even cross out. Scrapbook Memories sold very well and essentially launched Pomegranate Press. I enjoyed publishing so much that I took on books by other authors, producing four new titles the following year.
29. Your life as an executive must be a demandingly hectic one! Are you always on the go? What made you decide to expand your publishing horizons beyond My Scrapbook Memories?
KLS: We've now published more than forty titles, most of them non-fiction entertainment subjects. I'm interested in both the business and creative side of it, and I do love dealing with authors. Life is hectic but also wonderfully exciting and challenging. As an actress, I enter a project after pre-production and finish before post-production. As an editor/publisher, I am thoroughly involved from beginning to end, completely hands-on, from developing the manuscript, to design, production, marketing, and even shipping.
30. One of Pomegranate's books--The Bunny Years--has been optioned by Disney/Touchstone. I saw the two-hour A & E documentary, and it was a grand tribute, perfectly capturing that 60's nostalgic feel.
KLS: I was so very pleased with The Bunny Years special Anne Pick directed for A & E. It also aired in Canada and on BBC 1 in Great Britain this past year. The Bunny Years traces an exciting 25-year period that just happened to coincide with the Playboy Clubs' urban nightlife heyday. It's an era captured through the eyes of several women I worked with as a Bunny in the New York Club, including Susan Sullivan, Lauren Hutton, Deborah Harry, and Gloria Steinem.
31. Any new Pomegranate gems in the works?
KLS: Oh, many. For example, I do know that we will be producing a completely updated edition of Scrapbook Memories for the 35th anniversary of Dark Shadows.
32. Are you still open for acting opportunities, or do you now consider yourself primarily a businessperson?
KLS: I am a writer, actress, and publisher. I filmed a TV episode for a British director last year and just did a commercial for Mercedes Benz. I'm auditioning all the time! Let's face it, I've always been an actress and always will be.
33. Would you say you're "fulfilled" as an individual, Kathryn? Have you reached a point in your life where everything clicks?
KLS: Yes, I'd say these last few years have proved to be a very fulfilling, rewarding time. All my aspirations and experiences in acting and writing have come together, now that I'm publishing and producing projects that I have initiated.
34. If you can, fill us in on a "typical" day in the life of Kathryn Leigh Scott!
KLS: Frankly, Rod, I'm not so sure there is a "typical" day in my life! My husband and I are early risers. He makes breakfast, while I quickly check e-mail and tend to overnight faxes. My favorite time of day is the time we spend together in early morning, reading the newspapers. Every day is different: sometimes, I have auditions and outside meetings, but often I work in my office, writing, editing, meeting with my designer or an author. I rarely have lunch. Usually, I find a few quiet moments to have coffee in my garden and read over the morning's work, if I've been editing or writing. At 5, my husband and I take a long walk in the hills and then make dinner together, or we go out with friends for the evening. We also travel a great deal. We have a place in London and visit New York for both business and fun.
35. Sounds like you're living a satisfying, rewarding life! I was wondering¢â‚¬¦do you have a personal philosophy?
KLS: My own philosophy springs from a realization that I regret only those things I didn't do. I'm game to try anything! Life should not be lived as a dress rehearsal.
36. More people should live by those words. I also think, as a populace, we have a tendency to dwell on the negative.
KLS: I agree. We've really made great strides as a country. There's still much to accomplish in the areas of health and education, but we ought to take a breath and give ourselves a collective pat on the back. One national characteristic I deplore--and it's becoming ever more prevalent--is the sense of "entitlement." We are not "owed" anything from this world. The "gift of life" is just that¢â‚¬¦a gift.
37. Everyone has what I like to call "momentous" experiences--high points that make Life's valleys seem like canyons. Give us one of Kathryn Leigh Scott's!
KLS: When I think of momentous times, my thoughts go to Coya Knutson, a childhood hero, who became a great friend during the later years of her life. I published her biography, Coya Come Home, in 1990, and I cannot think of anything that has given me more satisfaction. Coya was a farm woman who became Minnesota's first--and, to date, only--congresswoman, from 1952 to 1958. She was drummed out of office when her husband wrote his infamous "Coya, come home" letter, demanding that she stop gallivanting in Washington, DC and return to their farm and cook him dinner. It's quite a story! After the book was published, I prevailed upon the Governor of Minnesota to host a reception for Coya and invited all her political enemies, as well as those who'd supported her through that terrible time. Coya had been out of the public eye for more than three decades! I was so thrilled to bring my childhood hero "home, again."
38. Well, Kathryn, I wish we could go on forever, but time constraints dictate otherwise. Again, thanks for being so open! I've definitely learned something today.
KLS: It's been a pleasure. Hope I've given you enough material!
