Thanks to one of our dear and loyal readers, we found ourselves in touch with one of the 1980s' busiest young actresses, who left her mark on several films with cult followings, was featured in some high-profile TV miniseries and who is still working today (and looking sensational as ever!) So we offer our gratitude to one Barry Langford. And now proceed to today's guest, the lovely Miss Catherine Mary Stewart!
She next had featured roles in two of televisions most delicious miniseries, Hollywood Wives (1985) and Sins (1986), before joining in the shenanigans of yet another cult favorite, the whacked-out Weekend at Bernie's (1989.) Marriage and family took precedence for a while after that, though she has continued to work all along.
Kelly Preston, Doug McKeon, Chris Nash and Stewart in 1985's Mischief. |
You intended to merely dance in the 1980 musical spectacular The Apple, but were instead handed the leading role! Just how heady an experience was that for you? Was it overwhelming at times or were you energetically along for the ride? After the movie's release, did you ever again see or hear from costar George Gilmour?
"I just happened to show up for the dance audition for The Apple with a couple of friends who I met on their way there. I decided to tag
along. I was completely unprepared but wanted to experience that kind
of professional audition as a dancer. The director thought I looked
right for the lead role, so he auditioned me right there and then. It
was a crazy experience, like nothing I’d ever experienced before, but it
all happened so fast that I didn’t really have time to think about it.
I just went along for the ride and I loved every minute of it! I did see George once or twice after filming but I haven’t seen or spoken to him in decades. He is a wonderful, talented man."
In the wake of The Apple, now
situated in California, you had the occasion to appear in a teensploitation/party
type of flick called The Beach Girls (1982) in which your chief
contribution seemed to be kissing a fellow actor for a lengthy take and
then gathering around a bonfire. Was that a fun and frolicsome time on
set or was it a hot mess?
Stewart is seen at far left. |
"I think long running soap operas with the same cast definitely becomes like a very close family. It is tough work so it’s great to have a good support system! DOOL was probably the hardest job I had in acting. We shot a 60 minute show in a day. If you have a big storyline you might need to know 50 pages of dialogue for one episode. Memorizing that kind of thing is hard!! I am in awe of soap opera actors!"
Before too long, big screen opportunities
came calling again, including The Last Starfighter and Night
of the Comet (both 1984.) These are but two of several fondly remembered
sci-fi oriented films of yours which have amassed a cult following. Do
you attend conventions and, if so, do the fans surprise you with their
enthusiasm and knowledge of the movies in question?
"I have attended conventions and the fans are astounding in their
knowledge and enthusiasm. I often joke that they know my characters and
movies way better than I do. I am so grateful to have been a part of
these charming, character driven movies that have touched so many people
in an often profound way. I love talking to the fans and hearing their
thoughts. I never expected that these movies would have the impact
that they have to so many people. It’s incredibly gratifying."
[Editor's Note: Night of the Comet had the distinction of featuring two young female leads against not only a horde of zombies, but a sinister group of scientists, making it a unique action film of its time - and after!]
As pretty as you are, was this really the best date you could find to the Starfighter premiere?
In the mid-1980s, you entered the world
of the then-popular TV miniseries. First came Hollywood Wives, a
star-studded, highly-glitzy affair in which you were the wide-eyed young
girl tossed into a world of money, power and fame (and, if I recall correctly,
drugs!) First of all, what were these photo shoots like, in which you were
elbow to elbow with a variety of famous and sometimes infamous actors and
actresses? Any competition for the center spot, etc...? And what did you think
when you first saw Andrew Stevens in his alter-ego role of the deranged,
bearded twin?
Predating the Geico caveman, Andrew Stevens as his own evil twin... |
Stewart, alongside Mariette Hartley, in her second project with Rod Steiger, the 1989 TV-movie Passion and Paradise. |
Not long after, you were selected to
play the teenaged version of Joan Collins' character in her miniseries
Sins (1986.) Did working on her sister Jackie's Hollywood Wives
play into this in any way? Were you selected by Joan (who was also producing)
personally? As young Helene, you had to endure a lot of the torment of
the character that later became vengeful once Joan took over. How harrowing
was that?
Stewart's Sin-ful selection led to an article in TV Guide wherein she shared recipes and dished about getting to meet La Collins! |
You seem to have worked with some really
well-regarded actors in your early years, from Robert Preston to Robert
Mitchum, Karl Malden to Shirley Knight to Rod Steiger, Also up and comers
like James Spader, Holly Hunter, Jon Cryer. Are there any particular things
that you learned from any of these people (or from others not mentioned)
or that you particularly enjoyed about them?
Robert Preston in The Last Starfighter (1984.) |
"Working with these actors you see why they are as highly regarded as
they are! Robert Preston was a lovely, kind, giving actor. Lance Guest
always speaks of him with such love and respect. I only met him on the
set once because I had no scenes with him, but he literally seemed to
glow. He kissed my hand!! Some of these actors would challenge me,
some intimidated me but they were all amazing, professional actors that
knew what they were doing. I tried to learn as much as I could just
being around them. I still carry many lessons to this day!"
Little known is the fact that you, joined
with Julia Campbell and Ally Walker, filmed a TV pilot for The Witches
of Eastwick (in the role originated by Michelle Pfeiffer.) The vast
majority of your acting career, however, has been split between features,
TV-movies and miniseries with only the very occasional American primetime
TV series appearance (for example, no guest roles on one of the big soaps,
on the almost obligatory Murder, She Wrote, a girlfriend of Jerry's
on Seinfeld, a killer or victim on one of the endless CSI
programs.) Is this by design or just the way things worked out?
"I have never had a specific plan for my career. I feel like that could be limiting. I never want to limit myself as an actor. I never want to be 'branded,' which seems to be a 'thing' these days. Of course there are many roles that I didn’t get that I would have loved to have but I could never complain about the path my life and career has taken. I am so grateful that I’ve been able to pursue something I truly love. I feel like there is so much possibility out there and I want to take advantage of it all."
In 1993 you worked with both Charles
Bronson and Christopher Reeve in The Sea Wolf. Do you have any reflections
about that experience with these two actors that almost no one would ordinarily
associate with one another (or on Reeve, who was paralyzed only two years
later)?
"The Sea Wolf was another wonderful experience. I did a lot of
research into the time period and the character was something I hadn’t
done before. It was fantastic being able to submerse myself into this
very complicated character with a couple of incredible actors!
Christopher Reeve was lovely, intense and talented. Charles was kind,
sweet and not nearly as intimidating as you might think he is. We
became great friends. Working with incredible actors forces you to
really step up to the plate. Sadly, both he and Christopher Reeve have
passed. Again, I feel so fortunate and grateful to have known and
worked with these people."
Apart from a period in the early 2000s
when you were focused on caring for your son and daughter, you have never
stopped working! You've acted alongside one-time pretty boys who've continued
to hone their craft (such as Grant Show, Rob Lowe, Billy Zane and Alec
Baldwin) and I believe even two of The Golden Girls, Rue McClanahan
and Betty White! Most recently, you joined Eric Roberts (with whom who
worked on a TV-movie eight years prior) for the film When We Dance the
Music Dies. What can you tell us about this and what sort of things do
you look towards in the future?
Miss Stewart in the forthcoming When We Dance the Music Dies, in which she plays the wife of William Ragsdale, once the young lead of Fright Night back in 1985! |
You survived the '80s, a time when RIGOROUS
punishment was done to hair and you almost always utilized your own luscious
locks for all the many and varied characters you played and yet you still
have amazing hair that always looks wonderful... Secrets please for our
many female readers?!
"Fortunately hair keeps growing! I’ve had every color, every style,
every length under the sun, but part of the reason I’m OK with it is
that I know hair will always grow out. …and it’s really fun!! I loved
the ‘bigness’ of the 80’s. Big hair, big shoulders, bold colors, big
makeup, crazy jewelry. It was a great time and I enjoyed every minute
of it!"
You have often been described in the
Canadian press as a "good girl." I always think of the words
"appealing" and "fresh" when your name comes up. Did
you ever play a down and dirty bitch role and, if not, do you want to?
"Absolutely! The darker characters are the MOST fun. Certainly, earlier
in my career, I was cast as the girl next door but it wasn't long
before I broke out of that mold with Night of the Comet. Especially
as I get older there are more opportunities to play characters with lots
of dimension. I’ve played alcoholics, bitches, you name it."
We know you like Modern Family and once
played the mother of Nolan Gould in a telefilm [Ghoul, 2012.] It would be awesome to
see you pop up there in a zany guest role!
"I would LOVE that!! I’m primarily in New York so that cuts me out of a
lot of the series that shoot in LA. I plan to be more bi-coastal now
that my children are grown."
Lastly, can you offer an explanation
for this photo? Was it your own wedding?!
"The wedding gown photo was from a photo shoot I did for a magazine. I
got to work with the incredible photographer Harry Langdon on this
shoot. I worked with him several times over the years. Love him!"
We're so thankful that Miss Stewart was willing to take the time to answer these questions. My own first exposure to her was when she played the first Kayla Brady on Days. I was fifteen at the time and developed a bit of a fixation on her! I remember being so excited when she was later featured amid all the stars of Hollywood Wives. She worked on so many things that we never got to touch on, but I didn't want to take advantage of her graciousness in supporting my li'l ol' site. And she is indeed such a gracious, amiable and - as you surely could tell - kind and appreciative person. We look forward to much more from her, including her efforts behind the camera.
6 comments:
I loved this post! I've been a fan of hers since I first saw The Last Starfighter. It was great catching up with the news and learning more about her character. Thanks!
700! the only thing more mind blowing than hitting that number is your get for this interview. The Apple for God's sakes! It's staggering how many of my favorites she was in and I didn't even realize it. I think Night of the comet is my favorite, because I really like it, Hollywood Wives (who came up with that ladder?) comes in second. Her name was Coco in it I think? She looks a lot like Robin Wright Penn. So gorgeous and she seems so nice. You asked great questions. Thank you 700 times over for all the fun and incredibly detailed information you have given us over the years. I think I have read every posting or close to it. Long live The Underworld!
Thanks, BloggerJoe! Glad you liked this, and her! :-)
Gingerguy, it might be due to recently reading Jason Priestly's autobiography (yes... such an animal exists! - LOL), in which he recounted a photo-shoot smackdown between the gals of "90210" over a red dress, but I'd have sworn that the "Wives" would have been competitive and jostling around (climbing the ladder to the top!), but apparently not so... these must have been some secure, compatible actresses. Good for them! I do think she played "Angel" in the miniseries? Thanks for all your support of P.U. :-)
Congratulations, Poseidon, on your 700th post! Bravo!
Wonderful article on the beautiful and prolific Miss Stewart--her stories of working with all those legendary actors are fascinating...her heyday being in that "sweet spot" where Classic Movie Hollywood met New TV-Multimedia Hollywood...I remember all her films as this is my era!
And Stewart is as beautiful as ever, and you've captured her exuberant personality in your great article!
-Chris
LOl it was Angel on Hollywood Wives, I think a hairdresser called Coco named her that. I realized it in the middle of the night.
Chris/Angelman, thank you so much! I agree completely about the sweet spot you mention. That blend of Old Hollywood and the newbies is part of what made those epic miniseries and prestige TV projects so wonderful... I still long for a cable channel of only TV-movies and miniseries, though I probably would never leave the house! Glad you liked this and that you enjoyed the interview with Miss Stewart. I should add that, though I certainly didn't ask anything too untoward or salacious - no Barbara Walters or even Connie Chung am I! LOL - there was NOTHING I asked her that she didn't answer even though I had let her know that she could pick and choose which questions to acknowledge. A real gem.
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