I am pleased to feature Kelli Maroney since Nick Belial has just announced her addition to his upcoming crime/thriller film entitled To Avenge. Kelli will be portraying the role of Abigail Danvers, and there is no doubt that she will tackle this role with her usual vim, vigor, style, and dignity. Throughout her career, she has appeared in iconic roles in such works as Ryan’s Hope, One Life to Live, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Night of the Comet, and Chopping Mall. Recently, I had the opportunity to catch up with this busy, talented lady, and I am pleased to present a brief overview of her career as well as current and expected endeavors of hers, most principally, the significant role she will be creating soon in this compelling feature!
. 
RH: What inspired you to become an actress? What kind of training have you had for acting?
KM: My inspiration came from watching old movies on TV with my mom when I was little. I loved Bette Davis, and Katherine Hepburn in Bringing Up Baby was perfect as far as I was concerned. People in the movies expressed their emotions and weren’t chastised for it, and everyone and everything was beautiful. Most importantly, the movies made my mother happy. So that’s all I ever wanted to do.
I’ve probably had every type of training there is–I was an apprentice at the Guthrie Theatre in MN., attended the National Shakespeare Co. Conservatory in NY, and have studied at HB Studios. In Los Angeles, I was coached by Roy London (RIP) and many, many others since then. However, my most important training has been on the set. I was cast in a Daytime TV soap opera, RYAN’S HOPE on ABC, two weeks after I first got to Manhattan. That was thrilling and terrifying and I had to learn on my feet in an atmosphere where the pressure was on and there was no “stopping tape” or anything but top professionalism. Sink or swim— it’s always the best way to learn.
Please tell us about how you got cast for your first TV role. What are your memories of that role/show?
As I mentioned earlier, it was two weeks after I arrived in NYC with $500 to my name. I was looking for some kind of a place to live and an apartment rental agent told me that she had heard that ABC was casting a “Midwestern Lolita” and having a hard time finding the right actress. She sent me to her theatrical agent friend who in turn sent me over to the casting office to slide my one photo under the door. I was scared to death while auditioning on camera, but the whole event was so surreal that it was also more like being in a dream than it being actual reality. It was wonderful to call my mom and say, “Mom, I’m on TV!!” I’d just left home! The woman who played my mother, Louise Shaffer, was very kind and taught me all the things I needed to survive on that fast-paced set. She could have eaten me for breakfast, but she saved my butt instead. She’s fantastic and still my friend to this day.
Since you began your career as a soap opera actress, how has that been a help to you in your career? Has it been a hindrance in any way?
Soap training is the absolute best preparation an actor can have. Working quickly with no room for messing up was excellent preparation for independent film sets where they didn’t have the money or time for actors to be unprepared. Soaps weren’t a well-respected medium at that time and they didn’t even count as anything you could put on your actor’s reel. Now with events like James Franco doing General Hospital, I’d have thought the attitude would have changed, but then again, iconic film stars were doing soaps when I was on them! Joan Fontaine came on RYAN’S HOPE to play my character’s agent and Elizabeth Taylor was on ALL MY CHILDREN during the same time frame. Asked why she was doing it, she said that Richard Burton had told her that in one episode of GH she would have a bigger audience than he ever had in all the years he did theatre and that she should absolutely do it. So, I can’t say that I really understand where all the industry snobbery comes from, except that people in our industry come up with some funny ideas on a regular basis.
Please tell us about working on Fast Times At Ridgemont High. How did you get the role? What did you enjoy most about that character and being on set?
I went in to audition for Stacy, the lead role that Jennifer Jason Leigh had already pretty much sewn up before they even auditioned me in NY. Brian Backer, Phoebe Cates, and I had to audition many times, and we went through the entire screenplay one Sunday afternoon. I was very disappointed when I didn’t get the role, but they offered me the Spirit Bunny instead, if I would fly myself out to Los Angeles– because the role was a “local hire.” That means that the production company had designated certain roles to be cast with local actors. I’d have to do the movie as a Los Angeles actor, not a NYC actor. Something told me that this would be important for me to do. I just had a feeling about it. And it turned out to be a very smart move for me, since FAST TIMES is now in the Library of Congress, and my cheerleader outfit is displayed in the Universal Studios museum.
I see that you’ve produced and starred in the short film Sam and Mike. What did you especially enjoy about producing, and is it something you would be open to doing again? Why or why not?
I have a company, Badass Cheerleader Productions. I’d wanted to learn to produce because I could already see that actors were going to have to do their own projects and create their own vehicles. My friend had written SAM AND MIKE for herself and I said I’d see if I could get the hang of producing by helping her get it made. It almost killed us at the time, but it also won a few festival awards, so we felt it was worth the challenge. We learned a lot and it was empowering to realize that we could make our own stuff. I’ve produced theater in Los Angeles, a series of corporate interviews for a large corporation, and a few Improv for Magicians workshops, but so far haven’t felt the urge to try a full-length feature.
You have been cast in the upcoming feature To Avenge. How did you get attached to this project? What drew you to this film, and why did you want to do it?
Well, quite a while ago Nick messaged me on Twitter, introduced himself, and told me about the script. We exchanged messages back and forth a bit online, about the characters of the two mothers and what they were each about–things like that. Then one day, much later on, I heard from Nick again. He said he was moving forward with the film and would I like to play Abigail, and I said yes, absolutely. I read the script and thought the beginning of the story was shocking, but it has to be. I don’t want to give any spoilers!
How would you describe your character in To Avenge?
I’m loving playing Abigail. She has that iciness that power and privilege can sometimes bring. She is every bit as intent on protecting her sons as the other child’s mother is about defending her daughter, but is much more accustomed to having things go precisely as she wishes than the girl’s mother could ever be.
Why do you believe the message of To Avenge is so timely in this day and age? How do you think your character will help convey the message to the audience?
The timing of TO AVENGE is uncanny, as so many women are speaking out about sexual harassment and abuse, and with the rise of the #MeToo movement. I think audiences will feel a strong affinity with our story and the time is right to tell it, when people are speaking up about these things happening, feeling these emotions, and wanting to be heard. Our film is part of the catharsis we are collectively having and will assist in processing these experiences. It’s kind of perfect. My character is the definition of the old school way of protecting the status quo–not naive, but controlling, ruthless and frightening.
Any other upcoming/current works you would like to mention?
I have a film being released in the Fall 2018 called EXORCISM AT 60,000 FEET. Guess what it’s about? Seriously, it’s kind of AIRPLANE meets THE EXORCIST meets SNAKES ON A PLANE. The humor is just plain wrong in many scenes, and the producer said he made the movie that HE wanted to see. Very fun. It’s a great ensemble cast with Bai Ling, Lance Henrikson, Kevin O’Connor, Matthew Moy, Adrienne Barbeau, Bill Mosley, me, etc.
As a woman who has been in the industry for a while, have you experienced gender/age bias? If so, how did you deal with it? How have you seen things changing in the industry in more recent times?
I don’t believe there is anyone in this industry who has NOT experienced gender/age bias. It used to be just accepted and expected that you kept your mouth shut so that people wouldn’t say you were hard to work with, since that would certainly ruin other opportunities for work for you. The attitude was, “That’s the way it is. If you can’t handle it you don’t belong in this business.” So, I mostly pretended not to hear or understand inappropriate behavior, deflected advances with humor, and avoided being alone with these people at any cost. It’s always been this way, not just in show business, but other industries as well. The difference is that people are speaking up where they never did before. Hopefully calling this out with the support of society as unacceptable will create lasting change. I believe that our film, TO AVENGE, will be part of this process!
As a fearless pioneer in the world of TV and film, Kelli has been a tireless proponent of strong women in the industry. She leads by example, and she is never intimidated by taking risks or doing something out of the box. And her inclusion in this exceptional cast and film is a further testament to the way in which she has approached her career. As she prepares to undertake the characterization of the intriguing Abigail, I can only imagine the formidable and impressive elements she will provide to this role and the work as a whole. While we await her depiction of this exhilarating character, I invite everyone to investigate the links listed below for both her and To Avenge and to consider following her and the film where applicable. As the cast continues to materialize and the filming date draws ever closer, nothing but success, positive vibes and a healthy dose of goodwill is sent to the future cast and crew of To Avenge. I am convinced, as is Kelli, that this will be a film that will make industry history as well as imprinting an inalienable truth in a world that is ripe and ready to express rejection of the old ways of concealment and shame to the new ways of empowerment and enlightenment.
FOLLOW KELLI
YouTube
FOLLOW TO AVENGE
Related Articles
2 Comments
-
I remember her from her early work in soaps and movies.
-
That’s really interesting that she was in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. And I wish that the culture regarding soap operas would change too.
