Episode 110 | Age doesn't stop dynamo Danielle Kennedy! (Part 2)

"One of the big messages for our listeners is the whole idea of being resilient, the idea of bouncing back after failure. I’m like a cat who’s had nine lives." - Danielle Kennedy

Age is just a number, especially for 80-year-old actress Danielle Kennedy! On my latest podcast, we dove into her inspiring journey of embracing acting later in life. From starring in Narcos with Pedro Pascal to her upcoming role in Man on the Inside with Ted Danson, Danielle proves it’s never too late to follow your passions. Her resilience and joy in storytelling shine through as we chat about navigating auditions, memorizing lines, and tackling meaningful roles like her Netflix project on elder abuse. Danielle’s advice on handling rejection—tearing up the script and moving forward—is a powerful reminder to focus on the craft and not the outcome.

She also shared behind-the-scenes stories, like her experiences on Ghostbusters: Afterlife and meeting Jamie Foxx on Day Shift, where his kindness left a lasting impression. Danielle’s dedication to her art and her zest for life show that creativity truly knows no age.  Tune in for an uplifting conversation about resilience, passion, and embracing the possibilities at any stage of life! #ActingJourney #Uncopyable #AgingUncopyably

About Danielle:
Danielle Kennedy is an accomplished actor and international speaker, celebrated as a Hall of Fame inductee by the National Speakers Association. A mother of five who later blended families "Brady Bunch style," Danielle launched her career in real estate out of necessity, quickly rising to become a top realtor. Her success paved the way for a thriving career in public speaking, inspiring audiences worldwide.

With her children grown, Danielle followed her lifelong passion for acting, earning over 50 TV and movie credits. At 79, she continues to break boundaries, proving it’s never too late to pursue your dreams.

Learn More: IMDb
Contact Danielle LinkedIn

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0447981/

Kay Miller interviews women in sales with proven track records, as they share their experiences, success strategies and tools you can use to crush your sales goals. Kay has a history of sales success, earning the nickname “Muffler Mama” when she sold more automotive mufflers than anyone in the world. Kay and her guests deliver actionable insights and real-world tools that will help you overcome obstacles, adopt a winning mindset, and maximize your sales results.

Kay is the author of the book, Uncopyable Sales Secrets – How to Create an Unfair Advantage and Outsell the Competition. Go to Amazon.com and search “Uncopyable Sales Secrets” to order the book, or click the link below.

Contact:
kay@uncopyablesales.com
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Transcript

Speaker 1 00:00:00  Welcome to UN Copyable Women in Business. I'm your host, Kay Miller, also known as Muffler Mama. Stay tuned as I, along with my guests, give you marketing, sales, and personal branding strategies that will give you an unstoppable advantage. I'm back with Danielle Kennedy and Danielle for the list of credentials that she has. Is so long that I'm not going to list all of them because we just did an episode. and she's had a long and successful career in real estate, in training and speaking. Really excellent. at speaking, she's in the Hall of Fame of speakers. but you know what? Later in life. And we'll see what that means later in life. Danielle decided to really dig in and pursue her passion for theater and acting, which he'd always loved. And so Danielle is going to be 80 in 3 weeks. And as I mentioned to Danielle, I interviewed a lot of younger women who are 35 and 40 and say, oh, I'm feeling so old. And Danielle, I want you to talk about aging.
Speaker 1 00:01:11  And maybe that story we talked about with Rock steady and how you were perceived, the role that you have coming up in man on the inside with Ted Danson and your 60 movie credits. You just got another one today. There's a lot to cover, but we're going to talk about that 30 minutes, the acting, the resilience, like you said, when you get rejected, but also thriving at age 80. So Daniel, take it away. Oh, I am so lucky to be almost 80. Yes, that's what it's a number, right? It's just a number. In your case, it is. If you don't use it as an excuse, some people do. I don't want anybody to not hire me because I'm 80. I mean, because I have the energy and I can do whatever. Some 50 or 60 year old can do so there. But anyway, I am so happy to be able to do what I absolutely love. To be an actor, to get a script. Because I love stories.
Speaker 1 00:02:14  I love stories and to delve into someone else's life, I and I'll play anybody. I'll play a good guy, a bad guy, a sweet person, a rotten person, because I love studying humanity. I think the human being is just such a miraculous species. And to have the chance to engage myself or take on the persona of a special person that has been written about by a highly qualified writer. Good writing is, of course, the key to good acting. You can't. You could be a great actor, but if the script or the writing is not good, it's pretty rough. You know? Nothing you can do about. I suppose you can get the right actor for the good writing. So to be able to do this, Kay is such a joy for me, such a joy. I got to play Ambassador Noonan on Narcos first season opposite Pedro Pascal and Boyd Holbrook, and to go to Bogota, Colombia. I'll do that for six months, which was all about the capture of Pablo Escobar.
Speaker 1 00:03:30  And to to play that ambassador and where those Saint John Knight suits. I know you looked fabulous. I had worn similar type suits when I was a speaker in the 70s or 80s, and so that could take all that experience that I brought from that career and bring it into the posture. And the look of Ambassador Newman was just a thrill. and also to be on a set and work over a long period of time on a show that that's really key because that's like theater. When you get to when you get cast in a live theater presentation, and then maybe it runs for several months and you and that cast become family. That's another aspect of being an actor is the ensemble work. And the connection that you make with other actors is so joyful. And the stories that I have with Bruce Willis and Jane Curtin, when I met Jane Curtin, one of my heroes from Saturday Night Live, just Sally Struthers in this, and Ted Danson in this new series that drops tomorrow. Man on the Inside on Netflix.
Speaker 1 00:04:41  I gotta watch that. I can't, I can't wait. I got drops tomorrow. Eight episodes. I'm in episodes two, four, five and eight. I want everybody to watch it. It's it's a wonderful story based on a true story based on all of The Mole Agent, which was a Chilean documentary about a man who hired a private detective to go into a nursing home in Chile because his mother had said that someone had stolen her bracelet, her her necklace, and so he wanted to investigate it not only for that, but for elder abuse. And Maite Sheer, who is just an incredible executive producer and writer. He wrote Parks and Rec and Brooklyn Nine and A Good Place. He bought the rights along with his partner Morgan, and they created a man on the inside based on the premise of that documentary. So to have these kind of writers and these incredible actors, can you imagine being on a show with Ted Danson and Sally Struthers? And then I just did a film that's coming out Mother's Day in 2025, a big, bold, beautiful journey.
Speaker 1 00:05:52  spent the whole day shooting with Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie, two of the most gorgeous. I was starstruck. I'm a little starstruck by you, told Steve. I'm nervous to talk to Daniel. I don't want to hear that you are also starred starstruck. Gosh, they go action! Well, and I'm looking at Colin Farrell, who is gorgeous, and Margot Robbie is pretty action mouse, a little puppy, and Colin Burrows. And let me get you some water. No, seriously, I'm just so blessed. So blessed. And I have a couple of things I want to mention. And one is that you also have played some real badass characters. I watched the opening scene. Okay, help me out with the name with Jamie Foxx's day shift. Day shift. Thank you. So describe just the first couple minutes of that film that that's a great. And anybody that wants to can watch it on Netflix, I hope you will. I am a Supposedly a grandma, but I turned into a vampire and he breaks into my house.
Speaker 1 00:06:58  That's all I'm going to say. But you got to watch it. Yeah. And by the way, I'm going to put a link to all the movies that you've been in. Yes. And do the IMDb link. Okay, I will. It's the international movie Database that everybody looks at. Yes, I will, I will list those. And you've got to check these out because Daniel is just killer. So one movie that we loved, Steve and I was rock bottom, and I just watched a clip that fascinated me. I just mentioned it and that is that you were saying you were the old person on the set? Oh yeah. One thing that was cool is you had sparkly boots on and very age inappropriate clothing. Oh yes, very aged. And it's funny because we all have fear or all scared, this movie that I just booked today that I'll be shooting, which is called Special Ops for a Billy Butler film with Moe Collins from mad TV, and Miley Flanagan, who is so funny.
Speaker 1 00:07:57  Jim O'Hare from Parks and Rec, Alex Gooby, they're all in this movie and she's pretty loose. This character I'm going to play Mitzi is pretty loose again and real loose, maybe looser than rock bottom. This little good Catholic girl goes, oh God, no, wait a minute, do I really oh my my grandkids, oh, my grandkids are adults now. And when I tell them about it they say, oh go for grandma. So I think okay. But there's that hesitancy. But once I got on set and I had to do some of this stuff I had to do in rock bottom, where I attack Mickey, the guitar player and all that, and I'm like falling out all over. I was fine once I got there, but like, thinking about it and I just have to just go in to that world of who that character was. Agatha. Yes. And then that cracks me up, because when we're young, we or we're afraid of. What if our parents, what our parents going to think? And then we get old and we're like, what are our grandkids? And what are my children going to say? Oh, and how children are doing now, right? But when we were talking about Rock bottom and that clip that I saw of you that I just loved is that you said the cast didn't treat you like the old lady? No.
Speaker 1 00:09:10  And really, every cast I'm in, the writers, the director, most of the cast are much higher now. The Ted Danson ones, Sally and Ted and all of us. We're all over 70, obviously, but there was a whole bunch of young people in that show to Matlock. I'll be on Matlock in February with Kathy Bates, episode ten. Yeah, I love and I love. There's another example. She's probably as old as you, but she's older and she's I think she's in her mid 70s. She said that on an interview, by the way, I love when people admit their age to death at 76. And it's no longer. Oh, don't lie about your age. No, actually, when when Kelly was little, our daughter, she said, mom, if you're going to lie about your age, lie older. Because if you say you're 40, people are going to say, wow, you look like crap for 40. But if you lie and say, I'm 70, people are going to say, wow, you look pretty darn sad.
Speaker 1 00:10:11  Exactly. I might start saying, I'm 90. There you go. Just for giggles. But Jane Fonda is approaching 90. Maybe she even is 90. And I did a yoga video with her. You can rent that on Prime Video. How long ago did you do that? We did that about ten years ago. Okay. Yeah. I loved Grace and Frankie. I adored. I've seen those two twice. Oh, all those people. I love Martin Sheen and my friend Tim Bagley had a great part on there. And. Lily. Oh, God. I saw Lily on Broadway when she did In Search of intelligent life, one of the greatest one women one woman chose she could ever see. There are some people that I work with, and like all my heroes, I have to slap myself when I get on set, okay? They're just human. They're just human. And I bet they treat you like they're. Oh, they're just great. We talk about grandkids and all, but with the rock bottom cast and with many other films that I've been in, everybody's young.
Speaker 1 00:11:13  And what I find is they're very respectful, not respectful, like, oh, I got to walk on eggs. Oh, tell me what this was like when you did this and what was Hollywood like then and those kinds of things and well, what do you do, Danielle? Like when you audition and then you don't get the part and they'll ask me. And when I tell them, I cry. And then I immediately take the script that was sent to me to audition with what we call sides. I tear them up and I throw them in the trash. It's like a delete button for me, and I forget. By the next day, I totally forget. And I pick up my phone. And the next day I got an audition for something else. And I concentrate on that. And I tell these young people. Every audition is not really an audition. It's a mini play or it's a mini performance. So put everything into it that you would if you were just cast on Broadway or just cast in regional theater, or you just cast on that TV show.
Speaker 1 00:12:17  Don't look at it as an audition. Look at it as, here's my chance to showcase what I can do with this role in this episode of this particular series, or if I'm because I do a lot of theater, too. I've got 50 or 60 theater credits. So in the last 20 years as well, just pretend that you got an audience of three today. Whether it's on zoom, which we do now. Self-tape that's sent in to the casting office or the producers. That's your audience for the day. Put that kind of love and energy into it and don't think about the outcome. No, never say, I hope I get this interesting because that that right there fails in any type of endeavor in business and in life. So that is interesting. You're going to just give it your all. And I have seen you. You are not afraid to be physical even on stage when you're speaking or back when you were speaking. I don't know if you still are very physical acting things out. It's humorous, it's memorable.
Speaker 1 00:13:23  And again, you always tie it into meaning. So it's not just gratuitous pratfalls. Yeah, you have gotten over that fear, which I didn't. I had great fear for all of this. I remember as a as an early speaker having so much fear. And it was in Portland, Oregon, and it was a real estate job that I could not speak. No, really. So what did you do? I left. People can't believe that. I can't believe it. Knowing what I was about. You terrified. And once that happened, you know how you say the worst thing that could ever happen happened? And I think it was. It wasn't national speaker type stuff. It was early classes in real estate that I was teaching for. I it might have been National Association of Realtors or GRI or something like that, but my mind went blank telling you I think I was like 30. I was under a I will say I was under a lot of stress and going through a divorce at the time and single mom lot of stress on the table.
Speaker 1 00:14:39  But yeah, I don't, and I've had conversations with Kathy Bates. I've had conversations with Demi Moore. I've had conversations with Jane Curtin, all these people, and they all have fear. Jane Fonda, she'll tell you, everybody. Hard to believe when you watch you and these others on screen. I just watched an interview with Salma Hayek and she said, oh yeah, I have imposter syndrome. Oh yeah, oh yeah, that's very common, by the way. I think we all have a bit of that. I think we'd like. I haven't seen obviously any footage on a man on the inside that's dropping tomorrow on Netflix. Yeah. So right now it's November 20th. I'm sorry what I so I'm nervous because I, I haven't seen it since I shot it. It's not like they call you in and say, okay, we're going to run this. Is this work for you? Oh, no, you don't see it till 20 million other people see it. And so I'll be like.
Speaker 1 00:15:40  And I don't like, I just want Mike with me. I don't want anybody in the family or any friends with me when it first drops. Once I that's how I was with Narcos. I'll never forget. I loved Pedro Pascal. He was one of the most wonderful actors in the world to work with. And I kept saying to him, oh, I'm so nervous. I'm so nervous. And he had actually seen the final stuff because he's big star. He's a big shot. He would say to me, don't worry, Danielle, I think you're going to be happy. And I just literally I was shaking, hanging on his words until I actually actually dropped Narcos. And I saw myself in that first episode and I go, and I didn't go, oh, she was great. I didn't do that. I just went, okay, I did it. I guess I can take it with this little dude tomorrow. I would not have predicted that. You would still say that you're fearfully nervous.
Speaker 1 00:16:31  Although I do remember hearing about Robin Williams when he was alive. Before he went on stage, he would literally throw up because he was so nervous. And that's a good thing. It means it's important to you. You want to do a good job by the people that hire you, by the audience, and of course, by yourself. Right. But but when you're listening and you see somebody who appears to be as confident as Danielle and despite your fear, you just plow through it, you do it, and it turns out great. And I love that story about you walking off stage because, as you said, that's what I was. Not the mind just bull. And I was a young woman. I wasn't having a senior moment. You can't blame that. But yeah, that is something that you overcame. And talking about what's the worst thing that can happen? That's something I asked myself. I'm not gonna die. I'm not gonna die. If you walk off stage, you're not going to die.
Speaker 1 00:17:30  That's right. And you can't achieve what you have achieved without just doing it. That's right. Nike stole that phrase or they did. Yes. And I loved it, I loved it. I had to just do a shirt for years because that's really the only solution. And then the more you do it, then it flattens that fear. And that's why I like to that's why I like to work on a show, like when you just are a guest star for one day. Okay, one episode on Matlock. So that shot in a day and nobody knows each other, and you just have that one day when you meet everybody. And of course, everybody's great and it works out. But when you're on a show regularly on episode after episode, like the the people on friends or on Seinfeld or Ozark, any of these shows, they become a family because they go to work every week over a period of, say, nine months to create. And it's just like being in a play with your ensemble.
Speaker 1 00:18:27  You become family, and then you're so much more relaxed, and then the audience or the viewership really gets the best of you because you're in what you consider a safe, comfortable place. Your directors, loving your cast mates, are loving, so everybody's relaxed. Whereas when you just go in for a quick one day, it's, oh, I've never met these people before. They're all used to each other. They're working with each other every week. I can't be the guy that loves a line, you know what I mean? Yeah, but there's more pressure on a guest star than a series regular. Interesting, interesting. As we close out, we talked a little bit about memorizing lines, which I'm fascinated by. And then I'd like to have you, just as we end, talk about some of your favorite roles. You've talked about some of them, I just. So let's talk about memorizing lines. How do you do that? I've got a great book that I think really capitalizes. Matter of fact.
Speaker 1 00:19:29  Hang on a minute. I'm going to get it real quick. This. I highly recommend memorization for actors. It's really good and it's got everything in there that I do. You read it, you'll read the whole script several times, then you'll hone in on your sections where you come in the play or in the series, and you hone in. And I not only use repetition, but I write the lines out. I tape them on my iPhone. I'll tape everybody else's lines and leave a blank where I come in so I can, when I get to the point that I know my lines pretty well. I can rehearse with myself. I also have a app called rehearsal, which is you can get it for your iPad, and it'll take the script and you'll hear everybody else. The I will give you your castmates lines, and then you'll go back and forth so you can do that before you even are around real people. But just I do need longer periods of time now. In other words, I'm still sharp.
Speaker 1 00:20:43  But I think I could memorize a script faster in my 30s than, say, I think from about 50 on. And my friends, all my 50 and 60 year old actor buddy. So I'm very close to. They say it takes them longer than it did when they were in their 20s, too. He just. Okay? Yeah. Stands to reason I get a chuckle out of this. I that you use AI to help you. Like that's one application I've never thought of. We use it all the time in our business, but it's been helping you memorize scripts. Yeah, it's called the rehearsal app. Because in we. What shall I say? He had a strike over a lot of AI issues saying so. I'm not an AI fan on a lot of stuff that words really being violated where you get a voice talking back to you for. I talked in the other episode about your work ethic, and I'm sure I love watching bloopers of Seinfeld and those shows. Everybody there makes mistakes. Yeah, but yeah, like you said, when you're not a regular on the cast, you don't want to be the one.
Speaker 1 00:21:48  No, you don't want to be the guy that comes in and holds the thing up, because these productions cost millions and millions of dollars. When you see, when you watch a man on the Inside Tomorrow or Matlock or any of these shows, a big, bold, beautiful journey in May, you're going to see me in 2 or 3 other characters. Surrounding us are hundreds of people lighting people, sound people, grips Costa. It's just, oh my God, it's overwhelming. So you really got to get into the zone. You really do. And you've got to know all that out. That sounds like it's also a big skill to tune all that out. Yeah you do. Yeah. You really it is a big skill. Some of my favorite roles I was roller granny in Ghostbusters Afterlife that came out in 2020. I loved it. Loved it with Carrie Coon and the kids. I loved, playing Bruce Willis mom in True West, which is on Showtime. as I said, Jane Curtin in United We Fall, Pedro Pascal and Boyd Holbrook.
Speaker 1 00:22:49  Oh, God. Narcos. Loved it. Loved the cast of The Rookie when I was on there. Loved all the people on Criminal Minds. Grey's anatomy. Loved their cast. You believe listening. Those of you of you listening, can you believe all the things that that Daniel's been on? Oh, I keep going. And then I hope you mentioned that little short called Amy, which Amy. Yes. With Rebecca Kennedy, where I'm really scary and mean. And then, of course, Jamie Foxx's oh, wow. Day shift. That was just a blast. And of course, Kathy Bates and Ted Danson and Sally Struthers and all this stuff that we just did. I'm very excited to to do a movie, which I'm starting next week with Mo Collins from mad TV. My dear friend Miley Flanagan, who has been in so many great shows. The voice in Naruto. Also she is Alex Scooby. All the Justin Tanner plays that I did in Los Angeles. there's just. Oh, God, I can't, I'm trying to.
Speaker 1 00:23:47  I hope I didn't forget anybody, but there there's just so many. I know you've had so many roles, and while you're looking at your iPhone just to see, I also got a kick out of the fact that I saw this picture of you with Jamie Fox. And again, you said, I'm a little intimidated by Jamie Fox. And he says to you, would you like to take a picture? And you're like, I never would have asked. But he asked. And it's so fun to hear about actors and celebrities who are kind. Oh yeah, he's so kind and so lovely. The whole cast of How to Get out of some of, How to Get Away With Murder and all those great shows, American Horror Story, the Ryan Murphy stuff. Oh, my set with Jessica Lange. Wow, that's a biggie. That was American horror movie The Covenant when she's before she goes into the convent and I played a Boston waitress. I had to have a Boston accent for that. two broke girls.
Speaker 1 00:24:41  Oh, my God, just the middle. Just so many fun shows. the great John Larroquette. McBride. I played a judge. He's a great friend from when we lived in Idaho. And he. He had me on his show when he was doing McBride. And, it just wonderful memories. Absolutely. It sounds like a dream come true. And I heard you use the word lucky. And we all know that things don't come to you just by luck. Yes. No. Luck helps. Luck helps you in situations. But, Danielle, you've been a standout your whole life. You really have. And you have a spirit and will maybe give your grandfather Daniel part of the credit. Yeah. And interesting to hear that you were an only child. I guess you still are an only child. And, maybe that made you more imaginative and more creative because you were in your own little world. I was, I still am. I'm still in it. I'm still in my crazy little world.
Speaker 1 00:25:53  You're crazy. Little world sounds like a lot of fun. And I have so enjoyed talking with you. And thank you so much, Daniel, for spending this time. And to you listening. Be sure to check out the list of movies and TV shows and shorts and who knows what else that Daniel has been on. You will be really happy that you did so. Thanks, Daniel. Thank you. My pleasure. All the way, K. Thanks for listening to this episode.
Speaker 2 00:26:25  The next time. And always remember to be unstoppable. You.

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