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Several weeks ago, while surfing through videos on YouTube, I stumbled upon an interview that featured a fellow acting student (Donna Pescow) from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City back in 1974-75. At that time, Donna was in her second year, I was in my first. But I had the opportunity to see her exam plays that each of us would perform at the end of the year. And it was through these plays that the teaching staff reviewed and graded us. Donna was (and still is) a very talented and successful actress.  

Here is a brief bio of Donna:

Donna Pescow (born March 24, 1954) is an American film and television actress and director. She graduated from New York's prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA). A year later, she was cast as Annette in the iconic film Saturday Night Fever (1977), which launched her career. For her performance, she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress by the New York Film Critics Circle. She also portrayed Angie Falco Benson in the 1980s sitcom Angie, Donna Garland in the sitcom Out of This World, and Eileen Stevens in the Disney Channel sitcom, Even Stevens.

Here are a few photos from Saturday Night Fever (I was still living in NYC when they were filming this)...



Here is a scene from the movie where she dances with Tony (John Travolta). Please watch as much or as little as you wish. I just wanted to give you a glimpse into her dance scene with Travolta.

(The Bee Gees wrote and performed six songs for the movie's soundtrack)...


Shortly after, Donna starred in the popular Garry Marshall sitcom, Angie (1979) as Angie Falco Benson. Ironically, the sitcom was set in Philadelphia, where I was born and currently live...


Here is a clip from the show's opening theme song by Maureen McGovern. Some of you might remember this...
 

She also appeared on soap operas One Life to Live, General Hospital, and All My Children, where she portrayed Dr. Lynn Carson, the first lesbian character on a daytime serial until 1983... 


⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I feel very blessed to have not only crossed paths with Donna Pescow, but many other actresses/actors I either went to school with, worked with, met, and continue to admire. I also feel very blessed for my 30-some years in the theater. I learned so much about myself through the roles I played. 

Throughout my life, people have asked me what my process is for acting. And the only thing I can say is that I memorize my lines, show up, step aside, and allow the character to move through me. That's how I do it. 



In Case You're Interested Links -

31 comments:

  1. Ron, I love this post because I remember back in the 70s when they were making Saturday Night Fever and shooting scenes in Brooklyn. I think the name of the night club was called 2001 Odyssey Disco. But it's no longer there. It was demolished.

    I think it's so awesome that you went to school with Donna Pescow. Not only do I remember her part in SNF, but also in the show, Angie. She was also highlight in many nighttime drama series like The Sopranos. And I also remember her on The Love Boat! Didn't Doris Roberts play her mother on Angie? I loved Doris Roberts. She was my favorite character on Everybody Loves Raymond.

    You post makes me (and my hubby) go back and watch Saturday Night Fever. And I think this weekend we will!

    Fun post, Ron! I hope you share more stories about other people you knew in the BIZ.

    Have a great weekend! xo

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  2. Ron, I remember watching Saturday Night Fever MANY years after it came out. I think I got the VHS tape at Blockbuster (that will tell you just how long ago) and really enjoying it. I was so impressed with Travolta's dance moves. Man, he can DANCE. And I also enjoyed the Annette character. I'm so an awe that you went to school with her in New York. She can really dance too! She certainly kept up with Travolta.

    I'm a big documentary fan. Did you ever see the one on the Bee Gees? I watched it during lockdown in 2020. Very good documentary. I've always enjoyed their music. They had a really good sound.

    Later tonight, I'm going to check out the link you shared on notable alumni from your school. I'm very curious to see who went there.

    GREAT post, Ron! You have a very diverse life path.

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  3. Good evening, Elaine!

    OMG, I KNEW (being a NEW YORKER) you'd know about this move. And yes, you're absolutely right, the name of the club was 2001 Odyssey Disco, which was in Brooklyn! And yes, sad, it's been demolished.

    And I'm also impressed that you know so much about her and the shows she's been in. She said in one of her interviews that the highlight of her career was getting cast in The Sopranos because she was a huge fan of that show. Unfortunately, she only did one episode because the following year, the show ended.

    "Didn't Doris Roberts play her mother on Angie? I loved Doris Roberts. She was my favorite character on Everybody Loves Raymond."

    I LOVE Doris Roberts!!! She was such a great character actress. She and Nancy Walker were two of my favorite character actresses.

    I watched Saturday Night Fever right after I saw the interview with Donna. How wonderful to see it again. I had flashbacks to that time living in New York City!

    Thanks so much for stopping by and for sharing, my friend! Have a fabulous rest of your week!

    X

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  4. Hello there Daniel!

    "I think I got the VHS tape at Blockbuster (that will tell you just how long ago) and really enjoying it."

    That is so funny because I suddenly remembered going to Blockbuster and renting VHS tapes! In fact, I still have some of those that I kept for years. Unfortunately, I no longer have a VHS player. God, how I miss the Blockbuster days of renting movies on the weekend!

    " Man, he can DANCE. And I also enjoyed the Annette character. I'm so an awe that you went to school with her in New York. She can really dance too! She certainly kept up with Travolta."

    Yes, he (and she) sure can dance, can't they? Do you remember Travolta's big dance solo in the movie? He ROCKED it!

    And it's ironic you mentioned the Bee Gees doc because I re-watched it about 2-3 weeks ago after one of my blogging friends posted about the Bee Gees. I had forgotten how good it was and how much it really moved me. I do miss the days (70s-80s) when the Bee Gees were all over the music scene. To this day, whenever I hear one of their songs, I'm transported back in time.

    Yes, when you have some time, check out the AADA alumni list because it's quite impressive. So many actors/actresses attended that school.

    Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend. Have a fantastic rest of your week!

    X

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  5. Do you know what's funny, Ron? As soon as I saw her photo at the top of your post, she immediately seemed familiar to me. It's like I've seen her in many other movies and shows before. I'm going to check out the link you shared on her careerbiography because I'm curious now. So cool that you went to school with her!

    Even though I'm not from the era, I LOVE disco music. My mother use to play disco records at home and we would all dance together in our living room LOL!

    Never saw the show Angie, but I will check online to see if I can stream the episodes.

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  6. I know, Abby, she as a VERY familiar face, doesn't she? Sometime last year I was watching an old episode of The Love Boat and she was on it as one of the maids who cleaned the cabins.

    Check out her career/bio because it very interesting to see the diversity in what she's done. LOTS of television series that were very popular. I'm so proud that we went to the same school and so happy for her success!

    If you watch the interview link I shared, you'll also see just how sweet, natural, and down-to-earth she is.

    Isn't disco FAAAAAAAAAABULOUS? I love it, even though there is a large group of people who think it SUCKS. In fact, I still listen to disco when I'm exercising or walking around the city. It keeps me moving!

    Thanks a bunch for stopping by tonight, my friend. Have great rest of your week and weekend!

    X

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  7. Ron, how long did you live in New York? I found this post fascinating. I have to confess, I've always had a desire to live there and try my hand at acting. I did a lot of theater in high school and college. I also did a lot of community theater. Did you work a lot in New York because I know it's competitive?

    LOVED watching the clip of Donna dancing with John Travolta!!! They can MOVE! I still have a crush on him. And he seems like such a nice person too. I enjoyed him and Olivia Newton-John in Grease. I was deeply sad when I heard she had passed away.

    I also loved hearing about your process of acting. I do hope you're share more about your time in the theater. I'd really like to hear about it.

    I never saw Angie, but I would like to see if they stream it online. Robert Hayes is such a cutie!

    I'm going to forward this post to a friend of mine who is a movie/acting buff. She will really enjoy it! xo

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  8. Greetings, Barbara!

    " I have to confess, I've always had a desire to live there and try my hand at acting. I did a lot of theater in high school and college. I also did a lot of community theater."

    That's AWESOME! And I loved hearing that!

    I lived in NYC for almost five years. And I lived there during such a great time in the city, when there was all this incredible creative energy. Yes, I worked in New York a bit, but I primarily did a lot of auditioning there and then traveled around the US and Europe in various shows. Although New York IS competitive, there is more work there. And to be honest, theater actors really help and support each other in that city. I never found the competition defeating in anyway. I found more invigorating and inspiring. I love it!

    Yes, Travolta has always come across as being just a really nice guy. Donna Pescow said in one of the interviews that she loved working with him because he did not have any of the "I'm a star" bullshit. He was always very considerate with everyone in the cast and crew.

    Isn't Rober Hayes a cutie? I loved him in Airplane. He was a HOOT!

    If you look in my archives under "acting" you'll find previous posts I shared about my time in the theater.

    Thanks so much for stopping by, Barbara! Have great evening and rest of your week!

    X

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  9. Ron, I forgot that Maureen McGovern sang the theme song to Angie. She has such a great voice, doesn't she? Didn't she sing "The Morning After" which was in the movie, 'The Poseidon Adventure' ? I loved that film! Such a great cast.

    And YES about Nancy Walker. Loved her too! She was hilarious as Rhoda's mother in The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

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  10. Yes, her voice is fabulous. So clear and distinct! And you are spot on about her singing the song from The Poseidon Adventure!!! I loved that movie too! Stella Stevens, Shelly Winters, Gene Hackman, Roddy Mc Dowell....the cast was stellar!

    Nancy Walker as Rhoda's mother was the BEST! I enjoyed all the episodes she was in. Did you know that she was from Philadelphia?

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  11. "Each time an actor acts he does not hide; he exposes himself."

    That is such an eye-opener, Ron! And I am also intrigue by your process of acting. I've heard many actors say that they try and BECOME the character by identifying with their characters' emotions and motivations, and using their own life experiences to inform their portrayal. But you just allow the character to move through YOU? Very interesting.

    I miss the disco era, don't you? I'm glad my partying days were in the 1970s-80s. I remember seeing Saturday Night Fever when it came out and being so excited. The music, the clothes, the cars, New York, and the whole vibe. Such a cool time in history.

    I bet you loved being in NYC then, hu? How neat that you went to school with Donna. I remember her character (Annette) in the movie and feeling sorry for her because she wanted (Tony) so bad. Remember the scene on the bridge?

    Before leaving my comment, I quickly checked the alumni list and was like...WOW! I'm going to also check out the interview with Donna when I have more time because I'd really like to hear about her experience in the film.

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  12. Goooood morning, Robert!

    "I've heard many actors say that they try and BECOME the character by identifying with their characters' emotions and motivations, and using their own life experiences to inform their portrayal."


    Yes, that's right. It's called "Method" acting and many actors find it excellent.There are also many other techniques like: Stanislavski technique, Stella Adler technique, Meisner technique, and many others. Some I've tried, others I have not. For me, personally, I find that the more I don't THINK about acting, the easier it is. I truthfull believe that if I just get out of the way and ALLOW, the character moves thru me ORGANICALLY.

    Yes, OMG, I do miss that era and am so happy I was in NYC at that time. It wasn't perfect, however it was such a creative time to live there. Yes, I loved living there. I knew I wanted to live there when I went there on school trip when I was 14-years old.

    That scene on the bridge was so intense, wasn't it? She was so good in that scene!!!

    I think you'll really enjoy the interview. I watched it twice.

    Thanks so much for stopping by, Robert! Have a great day and rest of your week!

    X

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  13. Ron, before I left a comment, I watched the interview video with Donna last night. She seems like such a grounded, balanced, and really nice lady! Really enjoyed hearing how she got the part in the movie and her interactions with John Travolta. To me, he always seemed like such a nice guy. Throughout his life he's been through so much tragedy, yet he remains unbittered.

    I don't remember ever seeing the TV show Angie, but I think it's just the coolest thing that it was set in Philadelphia. Did you ever keep intouch with Donna after school?

    And Saturday Night Fever? Who could not LOVE that film! It's a classic for so many things. Love me some Bee Gees! xox

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  14. Hey there, Candice!

    Great! And I am so glad you enjoyed the interview. I only just recently discovered it on YouTube. And what's really ironic is that it just showed up in my feed. I agree with what you said about her - grounded, balance, and just a really nice lady! She lives on the Westcoast and has a husband (who she's been married to since 1987) and one child.

    And yes, about Travolta. The guy has been through a lot of tragedy, which started very young in his life. And yet, he remains so unbittered. Did you ever seen his daughter? She looks just like him!

    No, I never did keep in touch with Donna. It's not like we were best friends while in school, I simply admired her so very much and proud that our lives crossed paths. I'm so happy for all her success!

    You're right, SNF is a classic! I have the Bee Gees on my Spotify stream and listen to them often!

    Thanks a bunch for stopping by, my friend. Have a superb Thursday!

    X

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  15. Ron, I love your stories about your acting days. How exciting it must have been to see your fellow students get such big roles. At the same time, did it feel disheartening to you? You’ve not talked about how many auditions you went on or callbacks received? I just know your acting took you to places like Florida and Japan. I hope you don’t mind my asking.

    I most remember Donna as Angie. I watched that show every week. She was such a cute young actress and she had great chemistry with Robert Hayes. I forgot that Doris Roberts was on that show, too. Such a funny lady! Thanks for the great clips and your backstory. I hope you’re enjoying the cold weather. XO

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  16. I enjoyed this post very much! Even though I don't really remember Donna Pescow from other shows (I'm sure I saw her in a few things though) I absolutely loved Saturday Night Fever and have watched it many times! The soundtrack is terrific and I had to check to make sure it was still in my cd collection... it is! LOL I was telling Bijoux on a post of hers that I thought 'Night Fever' was on of my fav Bee Gees songs, but on the SNF soundtrack I do like that one, but actually really love 'Night on Disco Mountain' more. It wasn't my fav scene (when they all pretend to jump off the bridge and scare Annette) in the movie though. But the music was definitely cool. I remember one of the pieces I'd practice twirling my baton (high school band days) to would be that one. It's also probably my favorite classical piece, too... Night on Bald Mountain.
    I watched most of the interview. She seems like a very humble and lovely person.
    Even though you enjoyed a career in theater, is there a role in a movie or television series that you'd have liked to do either years ago, or now?

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  17. Helloooooo there, Mary!

    Thank you, my friend. Glad you enjoyed!

    " I absolutely loved Saturday Night Fever and have watched it many times! The soundtrack is terrific and I had to check to make sure it was still in my cd collection... it is! LOL"

    OMG, isn't the soundtrack FABULOUS? And not only the Bee Gees, but there are so many great contributions from other musicians that make up the whole soundtrack. I'm impressed that you still have the CD!

    And YES to 'Night on Disco Mountain'! LOVED that one. It's so dramatic!

    " It's also probably my favorite classical piece, too... Night on Bald Mountain."


    LOVE that piece! It's a masterpiece!

    Doesn't Donna have such a nice and easy energy about her? For as robust as her career as been, she has such a "groundedness" about her.

    As far as a drama TV series I would have liked to have done, it would be the HBO series "Six Feet Under" (David). And a comedy series would be "Will and Grace." (Jack)

    A comedy movie I would have LOVED to been in would be, "French Kiss" (Kevin Klein role)

    A drama would be, "Philomena" (Steven Coogan role)

    Thanks so much for stopping by, Mary! Hope you're having a faaaaaaabulous week!

    X

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  18. Six Feet Under, terrific!
    French Kiss, wonderful!
    Philomena, intense!
    All great choices!

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  19. OMG, and Will and Grace... loved that one!!! Still do watch reruns, and saw French Kiss not too long ago too.

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  20. A most interesting remembrance of Donna Pescow, Ron -- and to think y'all were in school together, wow! Doesn't all that polyester from Saturday Night Fever bring you right to that era? I had a newspaper colleague who never failed to remind me -- when I said I was flying home for a vacation -- not to wear polyester because if the plane went down in flames, it would stick to your skin and burn you worse. I was advised to choose natural materials like cotton or linen. Weird memory, I know, but there you have it.

    I'm not sure I could be an actress. Getting inside a character and memorizing lines would be doable, but that business about exposing yourself in front of the camera or a live audience would definitely be outside of my comfort zone.

    Donna looks great (and not just for her age!). Thank you for this wonderful post. Have a lovely rest of your week! XX

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  21. Me too! I love to watch reruns of Will and Grace. However, I didn't care for the reboot. I think I watched 1-2 episodes and thought, "Naaaaaaaaaa!"

    I own the DVD of French Kiss and will watch it several times a year. HILARIOUS film. The two of them were so good together. My favorite part was when they first met on the plane. LOL!

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  22. Hellooooooooooo there, Debbie!

    Seeing that interview on YouTube gave me the inspiration to share this story because I just loved listening to Donna talk about her experience with SNF and seeing her perform at the school we both attened. Such a lovely lady she is! And I agree, she looks AWESOME!

    "Doesn't all that polyester from Saturday Night Fever bring you right to that era? I had a newspaper colleague who never failed to remind me -- when I said I was flying home for a vacation -- not to wear polyester because if the plane went down in flames, it would stick to your skin and burn you worse. I was advised to choose natural materials like cotton or linen. Weird memory, I know, but there you have it."

    OMG, I TOTALLY recall hearing that somewhere back in the 70s!!! Now you got me thinking where the hell I heard that. But yes, I wore all that polyester back then. It may have looked nice, but it was a horrible material (hot and sticky). Especially if you were a sweater like me. LOL!

    "Getting inside a character and memorizing lines would be doable, but that business about exposing yourself in front of the camera or a live audience would definitely be outside of my comfort zone."

    Oddly enough, it felt outside of my comfort zone too. In fact, it scared me every time I had to walk onstage. But at the same time, it felt invigorating! I think most actors (if they're honest) will tell you that they too have a fear. Especially doing theater because its LIVE. No retakes.

    Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing, my friend! Enjoy the rest of your day and week!

    X

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  23. Ron, do you know what I really like about your blog besides the quality your posts? I love the time you take to respond to comments. You're the original way blogging used to be - communication and discussion. Social media has changed so much over the years. It's now all about hitting a like button and moving on to the next. How long have you had this blog?

    Saturday Night Fever is such a fave of my from the 70s. Even though born in the 80s, I'm more of a 60s-70s person.

    What a great story about going to school with Donna Pescow and her involvement with the film. Later tonight I'm going to watch the interview video link you shared. I also want to check out the alumni list. Can't wait to see who attended there!

    Please post more about your time as an actor. Inquiring minds want to know lol!

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  24. Hiya, Sammy!

    Aw, thank you for your kind and encouraging words. I agree with you, social media has changed drastically over the years. For me, blogging will ALWAYS be my favorite form of social media because like what you said, it's more about communication and discussion. Blogging takes more time for sure, but it's also more about guality than guantity. I don't post as much as I used to, but I still enjoy it. And besides that, I've met some wonderful people through blogging that I've been friends with for YEARS and YEARS.

    I've had this blog 2007. That's 18 years. I also had a blog before this one that I still have, but no longer post on at Wordpress. The blog is all about alternative and natural health modalities that I started in 2006. And even before that, I had a blog in 2005 on myspace. Do you remember that?

    I love the 70s and 80s too. Looking back it was such a great time in many ways. It wasn't perfect, but there was something BOHEMIAN about it. I also had a fascination with the 30s and 40s.

    I think you'll enjoy the interview video with Donna. It's really neat to hear how she got the part and things that happened during the filming.

    Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend! And yes, I may be posting in the future about my time as an actor. Have a great weekend!

    X

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  25. Ron, the part of Annette (Donna Pescow) was my favorite character in the movie. The was a toughness AND a softness to her, which I loved. How great was it that you went to school with her! It was that movie that made me fall in love with Travolta. He was so good. And boy, could he MOVE!

    How many years did you attend that school?

    Tonight, I am going to watch the interview with Donna, I'm extremely curious to hear her talk about the film. It's so hard for me to fathom that the film was made 48 years ago!!! I miss the 70s. xoxo

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  26. Morning, Clair!

    I love what you said because it's so true about her character...."There was a toughness AND a softness to her, which I loved."

    I felt sorry for her in way because she wanted so much to be loved and accepted by not only Tony, but the whole gang.

    I agree, Travolta blew me away with his dance moves. I really enjoyed his big solo on the disco floor. Sometimes I will go back and just re-watch that scene.

    The school was a two-year program. Once accepted for your first year, you have to go through the process again before you could move on to the second year by, being reviewed by the administration through your exam plays. I was NOT asked back for a second year, so I only went there for one year. I was told that I was a very limited actor and that the school could not offer me anything more. But that's okay because I had much rejection earlier on in my career, which taught me not to take it personal. The following year, I went on and studied at different schools and had a very satisfying and diverse career in the theater.

    I know, can you BELIEVE it.....48 years ago?????

    Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend. Have a faaaaaaaabulous weekend!

    X

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  27. Ron, I watched the interview and thought she was so delightful. Incredibly humble. Loved the part about being recognized on the street after the film came out. As one of your readers mentioned in her comment, Donna looks GREAT!

    I think it's so awesome that the two of you crossed paths. Did you ever come in contact with her in the years gone by? Do you ever miss the biz?

    One of my favorite parts of Saturday Night Fever was the soundtrack. I had the CD at one time.

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  28. Hiya, Matt!

    I know, isn't that funny? And I loved how she imitated the guy with the New York accent who asked, "Are you her?" Ha! I agree, she look great! And I love her energy.

    No, we never crossed paths again. She lives in LA with her husband, and has one child. And I believe she is still working.

    I don't miss the biz. I sometimes miss the memories of my career and the different roles I played and the fantastic actors/actresses worked with. I was strictly a stage actor. I never had the desire to do TV or film. They are totally different genres.

    Isn't the sountrack to SNF so GOOD?

    Thanks so much for stopping by, Matt. Hope you had a great weekend!

    X

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  29. No, Ron, I didn't know that! She was a Philly girl, hu?

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  30. I love her! And I remember Angie! I loved that show, too! She’s such a great actress, and I love that you’ve worked with her in the past.

    I also love how you learn more about yourself through your work— that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?

    Well, now I’m off to do a deep internet dive into Angie... ❤️

    Great post as always, my friend! 😘

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  31. Hey there, Kari!

    What I really admire about Donna is the diverstiy of the roles she's portrayed. She's done it all - comedy, drama, TV, film, and theater.

    Yes, my time as an actor taught me SO MUCH about myself. It also taught me to walk through my fears.

    Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend. Hope you're having a faaaaaaaaaabulous Monday!

    X

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