How does a girl from a small town in the Midwest who falls in love with acting grow up to become a successful working L.A. actor with 40 film and TV roles, and almost countless commercial credits?
Join me and my guest Melanie Paxson on this episode of Hometown to Hollywood, and find out!
Melanie is best known for her role as the Fairy Godmother on Disney Descendants and Descendants 2, as well as Dolly, Walt Disney’s secretary on Saving Mr. Banks. Her guest star appearances include roles on series including The Drew Carey Show, Rules of Engagement, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Joey, Medium and Last Man Standing. She is also the former Red Robin Burger Mama!
Melanie has a BA in theatre from the University of Missouri, then trained at Second City in Chicago, and performed with the renowned theatre troupe Steppenwolf Theatre before coming to Los Angeles at 26.
We cover some great topics in this conversation, including the benefits of training at a university vs. just going straight to professional work at 18 (or younger), what it’s like to land in LA as a young adult, what keeps her going as a successful working actor, and much more. She even gives a little shout-out to SAG-AFTRA for being a great union with terrific healthcare—which it is!!
Some of my favorite quotes from our conversation:
Follow Melanie HERE:
Twitter: @MellyPaxson
Instagram: @MellyPaxson
Facebook: @MellyPaxson
Melanie’s story illustrates one of the many paths into a career in Hollywood: you start where you are, study with the best resources available, including university training, then eventually make your way to Los Angeles.
Everyone’s journey is different, but there are common threads that run through the stories of all successful actors: perseverance, faith, hard work, and a great attitude. Staying grounded and maintaining perspective.
I offer consulting services for parents of young actors, or for young adult actors. A single hour with me can answer your questions, including questions you didn’t know you had, and provide an action plan to get you moving toward that dream. WHILE keeping a sense of perspective!
If you’d like some help figuring out your next move, schedule a Skype consultation with me HERE. I look forward to talking with you!
EP 132: Kenny Ortega
EP 131: Jillian Clare, Actor, Director, Producer
EP 130: Jody Margolin Hahn, Director
EP 129: Mike Manning, Actor & Producer
EP 128: Sherry Kayne, Talent Manager
EP 127: Patrick Fabian, Actor
EP 126: Steven Vincent, VP Music & Soundtracks at Disney Branded TV
EP 125: Dave Thomas Brown & Amelia Bay, Broadway Actor & Hair Artist
EP 124: Matthew Del Negro: Actor, Author, Podcast Creator
EP 123: Jerome Butler, Dialect Coach
EP 122: Sydney James Harcourt, Actor
EP 121: Howard Meltzer, Casting Director
EP 120: Sheila Russo, Talent Manager
EP 119: Aufiero/ Horn Casting
EP 118: Kira Kosarin, Actress & Singer
EP 117: Studio Teacher Cheryl Diamond
EP 116: Jordan Fisher, Multi-Talented Artist
EP 115: Audrey Whitby & Victoria Moroles, Actresses and Founders of Acting with Actors
EP 114: Jessica Marie Garcia, Actress
EP 113: Anthony Meindl on Artists and Social Justice
Join Podbean Ads Marketplace and connect with engaged listeners.
Advertise Today
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Cinema: A to B
I Finally Watched...
Star Wars Escape Pod
Pop Culture Happy Hour
Pod Meets World