It's nine oh gene one with Jenny Garth and Tory Spelling.
Amy.
Guess what today? What we have a very special guest.
In the house.
I know, I can't wait.
We're doing nine oh two one on one with Tracy Mittendorf. You guys, you know she played Laura Kingman in season four. She was good, the bad, the good, the bad, so confusing.
I'm really excited to talk to her.
Her character wigs me out, but her performance is incredible.
I know. Okay, so let's do this. Let's talk to her. Hi, you guys, this is this is like a reunion because I haven't seen you in thirty years. Is that right? Yeah, my god, it's so good to see you. A you look exactly the same. No, it's crazy, it's mild, very sweet. Really excited to talk to you because we've been in the thick of all things Laura Kingman on the Pod in season four and we loved you and we hated you and all the things in between, and so you're
just such a good actress. Let's just say that right out of the gate. Oh no, you're sweet. Thank you. I you know, I hesitated about doing this simply because it's been thirty years and going back and looking at my work from thirty years ago, it's just horrifying. I mean, I don't know how you're doing it right on the show. But we grow and we and we don't always like to look back and see we do grow. You and
I think we're the same age. Yeah, yeah, And I at this point have developed that developed that like I don't give an f you know, like I'm just so when I watched show back, I'm so tickled and like stoked that that's me. And I appreciate it in such a different way now than I ever could before because I do share that like hate to watch myself think. Yeah. Also, and honestly, I'm doing this because I just have so much respect for you and for Tori. You were both
like badass women moms. You know, I'm working moms. I just think that's incredible. And you were just so sweet to me on the show and you didn't need to be. It was my first show I did. I was right out of college. I did the soap for one year and then you did a lot of the soap just a year one year, But how many episodes is that? Is? That?
All?
I was full on in that. I mean, they because I replaced a character, so they had me working. Was that days of our lives?
Was that days of our lives?
Yeah? Okay, yeah, And so it was they moved me out from New York. I was all of a sudden, three cameras, you know what am I doing? And so, I mean that was really good training ground though it was, it was, and I was glad to get off it. I mean, one year's enough. And then I was on this show that was I think it was the height of its popularity too.
It was.
Yeah, and you.
Came in right after the summer, right when we went to college.
Yeah yeah, yeah, but yeah, you guys were just so sweet to me, and I really appreciated that. I never forgot it, so fondest I thank you. First of all, I had the fondest memories of working eat with you too, and just I remember just then just watching your work and just being inspired by it and learning from just Honestly, I wouldn't say that if I didn't mean it. I
think you're a really good actress. Thank you. Thank Okay, enough with that, But anyways, Amy, I was telling you I saw Tracy on my TV two nights ago and what was that? It was you. I've just started to watch for the first time the Dead People's show with the dead guy. He makes the dead people look good? What's it called with the funerals? Yeah? That too? Thank you? Yeah, I was. That was one of my favorite gigs I have. I have a track record of opening really successful series.
I'm not on them all the time. I'm just on the first episode and I remember that. Yeah. I sat it next to Alan Ball, who was the creator of that show, who also did American Beauty. He's this incredible writer director, And I went to like an orphan's Easter dinner at a friend's house in la and he's from Georgia and I'm from Georgia and we sat next to each other and he was on the Sybil Shepherd's show at the time, and then he started writing sixteen a hundred me in for that and I so wanted the part.
And it took a week to hear back and then you know, it was It was a It was a dream job. The writing was so good and it's a great show. I wish I had done more of the funny me too.
Can you remember how you got the part? On nine O two one? Zero.
So I was trying to think about that because I didn't know what I was going to talk about because it's been so long. Oh don't you worry. I've got a questions, You've got stuff. So something I do vividly remember, and I'm pretty sure it was nine o two one oh's audition was a room full of people and Aaron Spelling was there, and just a ton of producers and directors. And that's when back then, that's when you used to used to go in for everybody. You didn't go on tape.
You you went into a room with a bunch of people staring at you, staring at you. So I think that it was for a NATO. It might have been Meloe's place, but I think it was nine or two. And I tell actors that all the time, young actors.
When I was I did a series for MTV, Scream, and I was the oldest one on the show everyone else for you know, the twenty something kids, And I would tell them that that's the one I would bring up is that as actors, we used to go in and we used to read with casting directors with their assistants. We used to meet the director. We used to meet the producers, the showrunners, and audition for them, and we
don't do that anymore. We go on tape or it's maybe a casting director, and then we never hear anything. Just here.
Oh you don't hear if you don't happened.
Like it never happened, just out there.
And so your feeling right.
Your job is just the audition basically until you get the job.
See why they had a room full of people there, including Aaron, because this part is so important. If the person didn't do it right, it would literally have ruined what is such a major arc in this season. It was so crucial that they get it right, and I think they did. I mean, i'll tell you stories as we talk, but you nailed it.
I have to tell you.
I didn't know it was going to be because because I was only booked for those first three episodes, and I felt, Okay, I've experienced college, I know what that environment's like. I can do this. What was terrifying was when they brought me back and handed me.
The script most unhinged gal around.
Not only that, I so I do a lot of a theater and I'm I love Tennessee Williams and being given this monologue from one of the most beautiful plays ever written for the American theater was terrifying. And I had like four or five days to do it. And so when I look when I look at those scenes, which I just did for the first time in thirty years, and I all I saw was this young, scared actress trying to do justice to this beautiful play. And I think I tried a little too. I love you. No
you didn't. First of all, I should have pulled back. No, you should never ever pull back. That's my theory, right, because that's a little bit.
It was a little big, But you weren't doing You were Tracy doing Tennessee Williams. You were Tracy being Laura, Laura doing Tennessee Williams. And that was the same thing we talked about with Jenny, because Jenny was Kelly and then Kelly doing it.
It's like, that's but.
Yeah, I mean, I'm gonna ask you this, Uh, Jenny, do you feel like, oh, I'm going to make the choice that my character is a bad actress. It's very hard to make that choice. You'd make the choice that you're did you ask yourself that before you did the scene? Oh?
Hell yeah?
I was did you prepare as a bad actress or a good actress? No, because then they were just saying Tracy's a bad actress. You may announce everybody. I just want you all to know that I've made a choice, a choice that she's going to be bad you that I'm going to use that now you should. I think I'll use it too, really, dots all the actually thought I actually thought you were quite lovely when I was watching it, and I watched your audition with him. Although
he was creepy, I mean, it was painful. I can I can feel your pain because you just reminded me I did it too. Did that have audition for her? If they tried to do that episode today, First of all, he would be rested for having a young actress come and you know, even letting her into his house to a he was. But I thought you were quite lovely, and I thought honestly that if I was to cast it, I didn't necessarily think that Shannon would have been the actress.
But she was the type that makes sense. She's you know, sexy and kind of grounded, and that's kind of that's Maggie the cat to me.
Totally, these were all y'all's best episodes, because Shannon is amazing in these episodes too, because you know, I'm I know, Tory's so disappointed to not be here, so you got stuck with me. But I watched it as a fan, so we weren't like judging your work.
In Tennessee Williams kat on a honton roof, We're like, oh my god, Laura has lost it.
When you're up on this scaffolding anybody, everybody, you guys, I don't know if you watched it. I'm sure they did. They're listening now, but you got to watch it. It's so good. It's so good, and then it's so confusing too. And you must have felt this way when you read the script. It in the beginning for the first three episode, you were accusing Steve Sanders, and then you came back and you then you're hooking up with them and he's your biggest supporter. Yeah, and why he trust me, I'm
not that's such a lot. Yeah, that was That's not on me. That's not I'm sure not on him either, because I yeah, it just didn't it wasn't very consistent. Yeah, they made it there. Yeah, they made a leap.
They really needed you, They needed you for all this. It was like a big arc in the season and that's often too wanted to become an actress and then going off.
To London, right, Oh, is that what happened? You didn't watch after your episode?
What I can say.
And that's why I was so excited to talk to you today because I was probably nineteen at the time when I was watching this, because we're all about the same age, so we were in college watching this, like you said at the height, And what I found so interesting is I saw you obviously go on to do other things, and every time I would see you on screen, I would get like ooh, because it was so ingrained
in me that character. And I think it was the first time we sort of saw someone We saw it a little bit with Christina Elise, but somebody that was like a bit unhinged, and it was sort of like my first experience with that. And that's why I thought, I mean, now, maybe look back with different eyes. But then I was just like sucked in, like this is what happens if a girl kind of goes off the edge or gets too obsessed with something.
And I just it took me a while. I'm scary. Yes, like, I'm so happy to see you today because you really are nothing like Laura you look. But it was like, that's stuck with.
Me, and that means I also most of the things, I've died a lot in a lot of different things too, so that's traumatic. It really kind of does leave an imprint. I'm not just the viewer, but I'll see the actor. Yeah, yeah, you know, I had totally I'd forgotten a lot of that last scene, so it was interesting to watch it again. I mean, I don't know how you're doing it. Are you Are you not watching the next episode? Are you trying to refresh yourself as you go along? Is that what's happening.
Yeah, we're just watching an episode by episodes, so we're at the end of season.
For any of them. That must ain't telling me about it. She was taking a while when she took this show on that there were ten seasons.
Well, and there's like thirty episodes or thirty two or something.
They don't do that anymore. I mean, it's running podcasts ever in the world. Yeah. It's wonderful though, but I can imagine you do forget a lot of them because I forgot all of them.
Yes, well that's what's so funny too, because.
I watched it, you know, I was the fan. We were all in soo already watching it, and then I've kind of dabbled it watching it again. But your character is unforgettable. And I wonder how long did people recognize you from nine oh two one oh after you did it?
I mean that must have been crazy.
I just got it last like three weeks ago. Someone in the airport, Well what happened? I said, are you serious?
He said, what you say?
What they say? You said, you're from nine to two? And oh, I said, are you kidding me? I said, when did you watch that? Because he was younger than us, and he said, oh, no that I think he's there rewatching it. He and his girlfriend are rewatching all of it. And he recognized me from that. I couldn't believe it. I mean I did, but I got it a lot right after the show aired, and I got it a lot from I don't know if you had this, but from like basketball players who were in the locker room,
or you know, like weird like crazy. You know, I thought you were going to say prisoners. No, I had that. That was more than So that was a lot.
I got a lot of Yeah, Days of Our Lives would be a major one too.
Oh my god, that's hilarious basketball players.
Okay, So did you play her the same in each arc?
Because the first version of Laura, you know, it's almost like she just got worse by the second. So did you have to come in and play her a bit more over the top for the second.
Set of episodes? She almost sort of redeemed herself in the first set, and I was like, oh, I'm cool with her.
Yeah this round, I was like, yeah, we don't know what Steve did. Like we kind of talked about this when your first set of episodes aired because it was so fascinating. They showed your perspective and his, and we assume the truth was somewhere sort of in the middle.
Mm hmm.
But that then she comes back and she's very you know, really frightened.
Yeah. Uh, I had to be honest with you. I struggled with it was a hard It was hard. Those first three episodes were hard because you're having to kind of I had to believe that it was true and my version was true, but I also struggled as a woman that so many women in the nineties in college, probably ninety percent of them don't report being raped, you know at that time, and that the show is choosing
to focus on the male being the victim. I really struggled with that a bit, just as a woman, So as an actress, I went in with you know, I didn't fully say yes, I'm confused and vulnerable. And then so when that progressed, I chose that her being lost and alone in college, that just made it worse. And so when she shows up again and later in the season, she has been alone a lot. She doesn't have a lot of friends, and I think I think Iron's character was somebody that she could convince.
Interesting she came back for your fourth episode, let's say, Lara part two, that were you up to something when you came back, like straight.
Out of the gate? No not, I think I mean because he finds me in the episode he comes into my room in the beginning of the second time I came back. So I think I think there was legitimately trying to do this play to somehow find some footing, to find some places.
Yeah, but so weird. You're right that she would even allow, you know, allow him to get close to her again if that had.
Been and vice versa. But I think they had some guilt.
Like I might be going way to like the psychology of these characters, but like Laura has some guilt over what she maybe she misinterpreted what was happening or had her perspective and then it became this hold to do.
And he has guilt because he does it.
Admit he shouldn't have done what he did, even though it wasn't necessarily quote rape or criminal, it was he knew he had celested, and there was the whole thing. So he's got guilt, which is why I think it was a perfect storm. You two connected because of this past, and then it just spirals and he almost causes the spiral, not exactly, but he doesn't, you know, bring you down and say wait a minute, or did you call Brenda
and do this about the rehearsal. It's like he's so in with you, probably from the guilt, that it exasperates this messiness.
Right, Yeah, it got really messy. I think I think obviously the characters unhinged otherwise to go there so quickly over not getting the part, or you know, I think already confused and lost and struggling in college and alone, and then Okay, this is going to solve everything. I'm going to do this play. I'm going to get this part and work my ass off on it, and I'm gonna, you know, nail it and should have gotten it. And
then and legitimately feeling like, wait, what happened? How did she all of a sudden get the part when she bombed the audition? And right, so that's legitimate confusion. And then he was, you know, guilty of seducing his leading ladies. And then to find out that she went to his house. So it all those pieces to defend her, that character, all those you and she wasn't the only one saying it so right, you know, so you know, yes, she made it worse and then totally went off the deep end. Right,
who directed? Do you remember? Who was that James? That house that directed? Do you have any section one of them? Maybe that maybe that last one? I don't remember. I don't know. I just was wondering because, especially with the last couple episodes, you had so much like work to You had to really prepare stuff and bring it in and sometimes on an episodic show like this, it gets a little like you know, the director doesn't really step up and help or support the way they could with
an actress, especially when they have stuff this heavy. I was just wondering if if you remember any like people that supported you or helped you, or like, you know, made it up. I don't. I don't for those episodes.
I do remember a director and I can't remember his name on the earlier episodes being very kind and thoughtful and trying to help me through a moment this one, this one, I think I was just, you know, I was so focused on trying to as an actor, trying to nail that arc and try to make sense of it.
And you must know this so well. When you're on a series, you almost have to be director proof because can you take from the good and hopefully you get really good ones, but there's bad ones out there that tell you to do things that just aren't write for your character, especially if in an episodic. They're coming in for each show. You're on the show every episode, so you want your character you understand, and sometimes it's a
good thing and you do know your character. I've definitely worked on series where the ego is really big and they just won't do anything the director says, well, they just focus on the guest star because that that regular will not do anything, and that's got to be frustrating for a director.
Well, and this character is so complicated.
This isn't like Sorority Girl one, you know number two, Like if this didn't go, if you didn't do it right and have that support you needed, it could have derailed multiple episodes. That's why I think there was so much pressure on this character because you became the forefront of this episode.
And again, it could have been clowny if you didn't do it right, or like too soapy or I.
Mean, we got you to play this role because you're right, Amy been could have been disaster. You're you're you're very sweet. I know because I've seen your work after the show, Like I know your work and you're always consistently like just good, you know, and and like I don't want to say dependable, but you know that you're going to give the characters do what's the saying, it's it's to oats, No, what's the we were having this argument? Sorry you are, you're doing the character right.
But what's blowing my mind? And I hope this makes sense because looking at you right now. First of all, you do look the same, so beautiful.
You did something with your face, like your eyes and the like playing that character because I thought you were going to look like that today and you don't look anything like that.
So you were doing that and it was like.
Crazy in the eyes and that's your eyes, you guys, Like that's what's going on?
Because I thought you.
Had fake how have you? It was not just in the things that you were saying. It was in the body language.
It was in the face and the movement and even like the creepy masks on the door of the room.
And like the laundry.
Every single part of that character I think was so good in these episodes, and that's why, like it was burned into me.
I was like, I will never forget that character.
Yeah, well, I think I was trying to remember at the time, I was really into Cassavettis, and I think I was trying to channel gentlemen from a woman under the influencer. I think, wow, I think there's probably the young actress in me was trying to figure out how do you tap into something where you go so you know, that's to get to that point, it's got to be
you know, is hard. I've had you know, and I've had people in my life who have gone there, and so it's it's you know a lot of people are like such a selfish act you know to do something like that, but that's how lost you are when you yeah, going to that extreme, You're so lost. So it was, you know, I think I was probably trying to channel anything I could find as such a young actress. I'm going to look back on that, and we were, I mean, we're so young and we're trying to do these really hard.
Well, yeah, you had to make that nutty nutty gal likable too, or we all would have been like, get rid of this cuckoo chick. We had to feel compassion, which I did the entire both.
Laura Part one and Laura Part two.
Like even though what you sort of did, although I still we debated this back and forth a lot because it's never clear what really happened in Laura Part one, but you you were still likable, and we had this almost like oh no, like oh, bless her heart kind of like, oh no.
That's hard. That's a hard thing because we're you're watching these characters on this show and you fall in love with these characters, and so any character that comes on that that disparages them or it, you're not going to be liked. And so that's a it's a hard balance to play what they've written for you and play that character but also not be completely hated by anybody watching the show because then nobody cares and so what so.
Well, and you your character is so important to bring Steve to the forefront because look, Steve can be sort of a secondary character.
But in both Laura Part one and Laura Part two.
And it really brought Jenny to the forefront because she comes to defend Steve and that was so important for our core characters. And then in this one, it really caused the friction between Steve and Brenda for the most we've ever seen.
I mean we were almost like a laughing right, Wow, they're going.
And say, I'm your brother's friend, not yours.
My god, he's kind of a you know, a D word in this.
But you still we had to not hate you. We never hated you.
We were just like, oh god, this is going the wrong.
Right, Yeah, you did job, thank you. I ended up It's funny. I ended up doing I think probably five or six years later, I ended up doing Alma in Tennessee Williams Summer and Smoke ask you about this? Yeah, where did you do that? At the Fountain Theater and we had almost a year run and the Ovation Awards are the Theater Awards in LA and I was up against Linda Lavin and Ruby d and now wow look at you.
Oh my gosh.
And then after that, two years after that, I played a character called Maggie in After the Fall and Arthur Miller play No, it's all like predetermined, Yeah, right, is right? So foreshadowing love it. Yeah, You've just Yeah, like you said, you've had such a well rounded career, and your resume is so full of all kinds of different genres. You've done sci fi, horror, and yeah, you've done it all.
You've done live theater. I have one of the most iconic horror deaths in the film, which Toy, We're here, Tory, We're here.
She would be so excited right now because she loves horror films. I'm not really away which one.
I'm not either, which is so funny because I've done the series, I've done you know, my very first so my very first film after and I know two one to oh was Wes Craven's New Nightmare, which did Nightmare and Elm Street and then he you know, there were other directors who did the other ones, and then he came back and did the one I did and it was my first movie. Wow. I have this credible death scene where Freddy Krueger is dragging me up the wall
and he disappears and then he appears. He disappears and dragging me up the wall and I'm screaming and I'm reaching my hand out to the little boy and then he just cuts me. Oh my god. And it was all done in a in a studio that completely turns so you could go up the walls, so that I could go up the wall. It's crazy town. It's crazy town. Yeah.
That was my first movie. So fun though. That's what a lot of people know, a lot of you know, there's certain if you've been on that, then you end up going on to some other things like Angel and then you know. Obviously the last one was MTV's Scream This series.
Yeah, that was a good show. Actually, that was a really good show.
Yeah, it was a fund what you're living in New Orleans? I live, I live in New Orleans, and that's kind of why I live here. The first season was shot in Baton, Huge, and the second season they were going to film in New Orleans and we were gonna, you know, my husband and I were like, well, let's buy an investment property, because that's what you do when you're on a series. Right, So Mark, now, right, So we were looking in California and we were living in Central California
at the time, and I couldn't find anything. And then we looked in New Orleans and we just found this. The house I'm in now, this really great, you know, one hundred year old house, and it was amazing. It's just ugly, just painted, you know, yell and purple. And so while I was filming the series, you know, again, I was the mom of the main character. My character had all this history, and so I was I was integral in it. But I didn't have to work that much.
That's kind of role. It was great. So I was getting paid, worked maybe one or two days a week, and then the rest of the time I spent renovating the house.
Is that the house I saw on your Instagram?
The white is it white? Like, yeah, it's beautiful. Yeah, And so we're now I'm actually doing Uh, we have a commercial property that's from the eighteen forties. Then we're that we're renovating. Oh that's so fun. Yeah, it's an old pharmacy and an old brick carriage house and we're turning it in a restaurant, bar and a deli. Amazing. Look at you. You're just our Laura king You do what you gotta do, don't you really sprouted her wings?
I will say I am so grateful for you doing this because of all the ten seasons, there's only a handful of guest stars that really are just unforgettable, and you are one of them, and like Laura Kingman will never be forgotten. It's just such a Yeah, it must have just been so juicy to like play that character.
She's so so complicated.
Yeah, it was. It was in fact. I mean as you get older, I mean you probably feel this way, Jenny, But as you get older, you go, oh, I think I understand that a little bit better now, and you look back on some of these parts and go, oh. The hard thing being an actor is that it's out there for everyone to see, and so your growth is out there for everyone to see. Oh yeah, yeah, which can you know, it can be tough. You just have to, you know, accept that's part of the gig and try
to grow with each job. So yeah, well I can't wait to see what's next for you. And I mean you're going to keep yourself busy with these renovations, which is so fun. Yeah, yeah, I have these renovations. I also have a project that I worked on which you maybe would want to contribute to. It's called Shutter to Think. And I saw that also on your Instagram and I saw someone's feet and I was very confused, are they your feet or are they any lynnux Beat? I created
so girls education. If you can educate women around the world, girls around the world, we can pretty much change the world. Because girls get educated, they work, the money comes home. They don't leave their villages, they stay. And the majority of girls are not educated. The boys are educated. And so I was involved with a friend who started Girl Rising and I started this project called Shudder to Think and it's any but any celebrity who has taken a photo,
they can donate the photo. Amazing, let's do that. I was I was just at I was just at the gorge to see Brandon Carlisle and John H. Fan was so lucky to meet Johnnie Mitchell and talk to her, and then I ran into any Lenox and I was I was able to thank any Lennox for her Oh good. I definitely wanted it easy because it's you just send a boot up and I used to have genius.
First of all, that's a genius because that's an easy ask of people. And also I love that title, shudder to think if you like, break it down, get it shutter, help the girls think. And I've had some good responses.
Meryl Street donated, and Helen Chemmy and Moby and just the list is amazing and good for you, growing, good for you have so much admiration. Yeah, thank you, thank you. Well, it's just so great to see your face again and talk to you and learn all about this and I don't know, you're just great. You're great, that's all.
Yeah, you are phenomenal on this show.
Because even now, just this little time we've had, is like you don't even look like her in that same way.
You're personalities difference, So it's just like that must have been so out of left field to play her, and you just nailed it. Like I said, I will never forget Laurie.
Yeah, I don't think I've played anybody that unhinged since that was That was it. That's right, I feel I feel somehow good about that. Yeah, well, we were happy to be a part of it, of your unhinged performance of a lifetime. Thank you, thank you, and you have any other questions, just let me know. In ne Orleans. I love it. That sounds like good life. Well be well, love to your family and thank you too. Okay, Bay so awesome.
Oh my god, she's she's so cool because she really, like I said, like for you all to be that young and play character like.
That, I know she she had to have a serious like death so hard because she was so like over the top, but couldn't be over the top, like we had to believe that she.
Would climb that scaffolding and was gonna in the you know, the whole thing.
Like I said, he could have gone clowney so easily.
Oh my gosh, that was fun. I was talking to our old coast stars. That's that's those are always fun episodes. Yeah, our one on ones. I loved it.
Okay, So the finale, she's going to Washington, so we're getting ready for.
That next week. Y'all who loves Christmas? I do.
Hey everybody, it's me Jenny Garth, my BFF Tory spelling, and I are so excited to bring our new holiday home decor pieces to QVC in honor of QVC's Christmas in July. We want to bring our holiday spirit into your home this summer by sharing our festive and stylish pieces for the holidays, So be sure to tune in to QBC this Saturday, July fifteenth at eight am Eastern Standard Time and Sunday, July sixteenth at one am Eastern
Standard Time. In the meantime, explore more on our Instagram at the BFF Collection or go to the BFF collection dot com. Merry Christmas in July