Hello Friends,
I first met Daisy Eagan when I was five. She was eleven, and sharing the stage with Mandy Patinkin in The Secret Garden on Broadway. Actually, it could be said that she stole the show from Mandy, as she is the youngest female to ever win the prestigious Tony Award. Anyway, I was unbelievably starstruck. Fast forward a number of years later…Daisy and I meet again. This time, she’s doing me the honor of participating in the Actors & Actresses Q&A for The Write Teacher(s), and I had the pleasure of seeing her show, F**k Off. I Love You, at the Birdland Jazz Club. She’s smart. Funny. Real. Sassy. And I am so very grateful that she was gracious enough to participate in this series.
TWT: You are the youngest female to ever with the Tony Award. What went through your mind when you heard your name called at the ceremony?
DE: I don’t remember exactly what went through my mind in that moment. But it was probably something like, “WAAAAAAAAHHHHH BLAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHH!!!! OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD! Thank God I have some names written down!”
TWT: What three things would you warn young actors to be careful of?
DE: Well, aside from avoiding the business all together…I would say three things to be careful of are:
1) Other people’s opinions of you. Obviously you want to listen to your teachers and coaches and, to a certain extent, your agent (if you’re lucky enough to have one), but it’s important to work hard on a strong sense of self and good self-esteem, so that when you start getting everyone’s opinion on how you should be, you don’t take it to heart. It’s hard to have a strong sense of self when you’re young, since you’re constantly changing and evolving, but make sure you like who you are, whoever that is!
2) Avoid making acting your entire life. It’s important to have hobbies and interests outside of acting. That way you’re an interesting, well-rounded person. No one likes someone who only talks about ONE thing all the time!
3) HAVE FUN! The minute you stop having fun, stop what you are doing and pursue something else.
4) (Bonus advice) Your goal should always be to do the best work you can, NOT to win awards. The percentage of actors who win awards is miniscule, so having that as a goal is unrealistic, not to mention that it is also likely to drive you completely berserk (that is, more berserk than being an actor will already make you….). It can certainly be a dream, and there’s no harm in fantasizing about what your speech would be, but you should not be an actor for the purpose of fame or awards.
TWT: What advice would you give to theater students in high school and in college?
DE: I know it’s enticing to consider moving to New York or Los Angeles right after you graduate, but think about staying put for a little while and doing some local theater and/or TV. It’s a good idea to build your resume a bit and have some professional experience before you move to move to a city FILLED with competition. NYC and Los Angeles are TOUGH towns. Please don’t take that lightly. You may be the best singer in your class or voted “most likely to be cast on SMASH”, but remember there are hundreds of other new graduates with the same credentials moving to NYC and L.A. every month. You can do great work where you are.
TWT: Of all the roles you’ve played, do you have a favorite?
DE: I don’t think I have a favorite role, but a few of my favorite theatre experiences are: Sally in LaChiusa’s, The Wild Party, because I was given license to do whatever I wanted with the part and I did a lot of physical comedy. Jaime in On the Mountain, I was 25 playing 16 and wearing a fat suit. I loved it. Hannah in Be Aggressive, I was 21 playing 11. Weird thing about those shows-they were all in Southern California. Don’t let anyone tell you there’s no good theater in California.
TWT: If you had to choose another profession other than acting and singing, what do you think would choose?
DE: I would be a therapist. I started grad school to get my license, but then I decided to go back to acting.
TWT: Here at The Write Teacher(s), many of us work with “at-risk” youth. These students are recovering drug addicts, struggling drug addicts, teenage parents, and almost all of them come from broken homes. The struggles, demons, and anger that our students face is often a hindrance to their progress in school and life in general. Do you have any words of wisdom to offer these students?
DE: I’m going to go ahead a guess that almost every actor in the world faced some major hardship in his or her past. For some reason, trauma lays a good foundation for art. My mom died when I was 13 and I suffer from clinical depression, and I think these things only serve to strengthen my abilities. I find I can pull from my life experiences in my art. Also, write, write, write. Write your experiences! Share them with others. Don’t be ashamed of your past. Share it with pride. You’ll be amazed how many people will relate to your experiences and find comfort in them!
TWT: In today’s economy, arts programs in schools are being cut. What reasons would you give a politician for preserving the arts?
DE: I truly think the world would go insane (not figuratively) if we didn’t have arts. I think people NEED the arts in order to maintain sanity. Also, there are plenty of studies that show that children who have some form of arts education do better all around in their academics.
TWT: Just for fun, what’s your favorite movie and play?
DE: My top three favorite films are The Princess Bride, Paper Moon, and The Silence of The Lambs. I think my favorite play is The Heiress.
TWT: What role would you most love to play?
DE: Catherine in The Heiress.
TWT: Who is/was your greatest teacher?
DE: My father.
Thank you, Daisy!
Live, Love, Learn,