5 Fun Facts Involving Celebrities, Writing, and Nudity(!): A Guest Post by Sandra L. Young
I’m on maternity leave! During this time, a few of my favorite authors offered to step up and write guest posts so that this blog would remain active while I adjust to my new role as a mother. I may also be a bit slower to respond. Thanks for understanding and for being so supportive of me, my family, and my blog. Want to donate a few dollars to keep this blog running or perhaps contribute to my diaper fund? You can do so on Venmo or Paypal.
5 Fun Facts Involving Celebrities, Writing, and Nudity(!): A Guest Post by Sandra L. Young
Authors revolve around their “brands.” Mine is vintage clothing and performing as a singer and actor. Writing, plus these fun aspects, have spiced my life for decades. Here are a few of my brushes with fame / the famous - including onstage nudity.
5 Fun Facts Involving Celebrities, Writing, and Nudity(!): A Guest Post by Sandra L. Young
For years after USA Today was founded, Gannett mined its local newspapers for talent to keep employee costs low. I had an awesome opportunity to spend four months as a loaner living in Washington, DC, among 50 reporters and editors from around the country. As a feature writer, I was thrilled to land a story above the mast on page one. I also enjoyed an in-person celebrity interview. Richard Dysart starred on the hot TV show L.A. Law, and our chat revealed a scoop. He’d recently gotten married in a low-key ceremony. The news didn’t create much buzz, but I broke the story!
Back at the Danville, Illinois Commercial-News, I interviewed more celebs. Donny Osmond was sweet and swoony on the phone. Chef Martin Yan (Yan Can Cook) was as zany as his brand. And Donald O’Connor presented as a perfect gentleman when we sat down to visit.
The most recent brush with fame occurred in my current Indiana home county. In late 2019, my co-star in Spinning into Butter was John Records Landecker, a well-known Chicago DJ. John’s daughter is actress Amy Landecker, whose credits include Transparent, Sneaky Pete, Dan in Real Life, and voiceover for The Croods. (She’s also married to Bradley Whitford.) So her proud pop tells me Amy wants to fly in to see our dramatic show, but he’s not sure she’ll be able to swing it. Thank goodness I didn’t know till after that she had indeed arrived. Amy was ultra-personable and very complimentary. Whew! And her dad’s a hoot.
While I’ve performed in 75 community theater productions, I only attempted TV “extra” work once. On Chicago-based Early Edition I stood-in – literally - for a female star in one episode. As her “foot double.” The camera focused on my feet as I sat on an empty bus. They filmed down the aisle, where a bomb was supposed to roll. Unfortunately, the actress wore size 8 shoes, and I tipped in above a 9. Yep, I squeezed into the uncomfortable pumps for hours!
Finally, the nudity teaser. One of my most memorable theatrical experiences was playing Mrs. Kendall, female lead in The Elephant Man. In the adaptation of a true story, the British actress forms a bond with John Merrick. Eventually, he expresses regret that he’s never “seen” a woman. She clears the room and drops her top. When they cast me, the directors asked if I’d be okay with the scene. I agreed, and wore a long-line bra, which covers the front and has a low band at the waist. With a draped shawl, we pulled off the bare back effect. (Others who auditioned vowed they’d go au naturel…)
Thanks for indulging my quick dip into the past. With the fun of reminiscing, I may have to tilt “off brand” more often!
5 Fun Facts Involving Celebrities, Writing, and Nudity(!): A Guest Post by Sandra L. Young
