This content is a transcript of a book launch event or Q&A session featuring actress Kelly Bishop, discussing her memoir. The conversation highlights her extensive career, from ballet training and Broadway success in "A Chorus Line" to iconic television roles like Emily Gilmore in "Gilmore Girls" and her role in "Dirty Dancing," emphasizing her dedication, work ethic, and reflections on her life and career.
Mind Map
Click to expand
Click to explore the full interactive mind map • Zoom, pan, and navigate
thank you so much you
came I was so afraid nobody be here I'm
thrilled this is just a wonderful
evening I've been treated so well and
I've had such fun writing the book and
when I found out I was going to do this
it's just beyond a dream there's only
one thing for me that would make it more
special and if that was if there was
[Applause]
cry not even not even 10 seconds in and
already hi Kelly hi baby I love you I
love you
too hold on I have some kleenex in my [Music]
[Music]
bra um I'm so thrilled to be here I feel
so um happy and proud and uh this book
is just incredible you are just
incredible any excuse to see you but to
be here together is just um something I
would never miss oh amazing and you Miss
Lauren is working on a television show
in Toronto and got herself on a plane to
fly in here and spend this evening with her
um with pleasure um Toronto's fun but
it's not New York [Applause]
[Applause]
y'all um so I have been along for this
uh experience to some degree but I would
like to start with asking you why a book
and why now and how did that come about
well a lot of people through the years
have said you should write a book and I
always saying why and then you should
write a book and I got to a point where
I started thinking I think I'm talking
too much and what they're trying to say
is just shut up and write a book you
know I really but then our our dear Amy
Sherman Paladino got on me about it
too who who is in France by the way or
she she may have gotten well the three
of us have lunch together and it's just
for us but you'd all love to be there
you really would you really so anyway
that got me thinking some more and then
uh a group called Park fine which is a
literary Media company contacted my
agent and set up a meeting and I came in
and they pitched the whole thing to me
explaining how it goes because I don't
understand this at all and that they
could find me a publisher and a
co-writer if I wanted one and how it
would work out and I felt like it was
just a really good time to do it and so
I took a shot at it and this is what
happened you know good we're glad you
did I um I know you have mentioned that
you worked with a co-writer but one of
the things I love about the book is it a
th% sounds like you it is it is like you
speaking to me and I knew some of the
stories but um not all of them and your
career has been and continues to be just
so inspiring and um I I want to ask you
about the forward that Amy Paladino
wrote for the book um in which she says
they they were having trouble casting
Emily Gilmore and and the other
producers and other uh people involved
casting people kept asking her what is
what are we missing like what is it and
she kept saying I'll know her when I see
her and she did I it it was truly
amazing I didn't know that I really
wanted this role when I read the script
it was very unusual especially For That
season which was the season coming up
right after The Sopranos so naturally
Hollywood being so original about things
all the scripts that kept coming in were
sitcoms for one thing which is fine and
they were all about H Italian families
and so I'm reading and I'm reading and
then Robert Adams and my darling agent
um said I'm sending you a script that I
think that you might be interested in
and I it was Gilmore Girls and I started
reading it and it was so funny and so
smart and I'm about 10 pages in I'm
going this is so much funnier than these
sitcoms then I turned it to the side and
you know sitcom script is like this big
and a hour like hour script is this big
and I went wait a minute is this this
can't be a half hour what is this and so
I became totally intrigued love the
character loved the writing and uh went
in for the audition and worked really
hard on that audition I didn't mess
around I I knew that probably that whole
scene I could have put the pages down
but I discovered a secret many years ago
as for you other actors out there um
that if I would go in and even if I knew
it if I put the pages down that would
give the indication that this is my
final performance and I didn't want them
to think that so i' hold the pages uh so
that they know this is just this is part
of the process this this is not the
finished product and then I'd be really
really good and
apparently but Kelly when you say you
prepared and you worked really hard on
it what does that mean for you what do
you do I I really work hard on lines um
I learn by rot and of course with Amy's
work we've discussed this many times
there's so many words uh and that I just
and I believe I think it comes from
stage uh which is my beginning of
obviously that a playright works so hard
on on their play and they're they go
back and they rewrite and they change a
coma and they underline something or
they have you know it's all there it's a
little blueprint and our actor's job is
to build the house so I've always been
very serious about looking at the words
and listening to the words and really
learning the words and if I miss a word
I if you saw my scripts you'd laugh I
mean there's a circle there's an
underline there's an arrow there's a
there's a star there's uh you all of
these things to say no take a breath
there and uh so that's how I work and I
I did I did it all through we were just
talking about it through Gilmore Girls
um actually I have to tell you the story
Alexis Bedell who was you know wonderful
yeah she really was and but she was
pretty new at acting
and uh you know she she thank God for
her I mean she she put her I remember
saying to Lauren one day I said I just
love the way you you put your arm around
Rory all the time and and because it
it's just such a good feeling and she
said well part of it is so I can get her
to her Mark I feel bad I feel bad about
that because I've told that story and
I'm sure it is doesn't give alexes the
credit she deserves but it was it was
the the you know it the learning curve
on that show is was just not normal it's
the language it's and the way we shot uh
those long scenes with a steady cam
operator and there's so many things that
can go wrong and not some of them have
nothing to do with the acting it's a
bird flies the guy trips or whatever um
and so you're it's to give that show its
its feeling of of ease and breeziness
you're also kind of like holding your
breath like please God let us get this
properly to the end of the take so it
was we're holding on to each other I
would say well there's that but the
other thing about and I was a stage
performer for so many years uh that I
had to learn camera and camera work and
I had to learn that that Mark on the
floor really meant something because
otherwise I was going to be out of focus
and so naturally Alexis when she came in
this was all new and the whole
environment is new and so the it's a
constant learning curve and so no I'm
not putting her down at all and I
thought her work was wonderful and she
was so perfectly cast you you were uh
Amy worked hard on that but it really
came out so um but what do you remember
about getting the part well I kept
waiting and waiting and usually if
you're you know that you're doing really
well and then the pilot season's there
and they really are interested then they
will have you come out to California and
read for the suits and you're doing the
same thing same audition there might be
two other people there that they're a
little undecided about and so that's who
you're competing with and uh I didn't
get a call and I didn't get a call and I
would call Robert and he'd say well you
know uh they haven't said anything no
they're still interested and this went
on and on and then uh pretty soon it was
they're really concentrating on casting
the lead roles well duh they yeah I can
understand that uh and then finally I
was almost ready to give up on it and as
much as I didn't want to cuz I just
loved that show uh he called and said
you don't have to go to California and I
job that's great I didn't know that yeah
yeah yeah I always um think uh have
taken a lot of your example that I think
comes from uh your work ethic as a
dancer and I always um like to tell a
story of uh Kelly and I
late at night we've been shooting all
day we're in you know those dinner table
Friday night dinner scenes um you're
sitting in front of like an old squab
for like four hours and like it's like
this person and you got to move over
that person you got to go to this person
and so the the height of like bad Kelly
would be she'd come over at 2 in the
morning and she'd be
like do you want to split a small bag of Cheetos
and I'd be like oh Kelly bad and we'd go
and like share a little with her Perfect
manicure and um but that's Kelly she's
always 100% prepared I've never seen
really anything like it um except when I
first started um and I did hold your
applause a couple lines on All My
Children with Susan
Luchi oh you held it okay um and she was
5: in the morning full makeup full fully
dressed knew all her lines and I thought
wow I better step it up but Kelly is
like that you're always prepared never
tired never complains um and and I think
that discipline is probably what I don't
know you learned as a dancer but I I
know dance is a really important part of
your career and your life can you tell
us kind of where that started well I was
really seriously ballet trained it was
not one of those Jazz tap and ballet
schools it was a ballet school but what
made you go there to begin with huh what
made you go what made you what brought
mother wow my mother loved the ballet
she loved dance she loved music she was
a wonderful pianist and she she she
loved the symphony she she loved it all
and she really sort of discovered ballet
late when she was in college and uh she
could have been a good dancer she had
beautiful LS and great feet uh but uh
she you know was a little like she's
well she was probably 20 when she
discovered it and it seems to me from
the time I was a little girl as soon as
I was kind of walking she' go Point your
toe no just point your toe uh so she was
like testing me to see if I had the the
the work ethic right as a two-year-old
but uh she really I she wanted it from
me I think she then began to realize I
was tall and slim and strong and had a
musical sense and I wanted it but I
think sometimes times that a lot of it
had to do with the fact that she was
born in 1917 and there weren't a lot of
options for women and I think that she
wanted to give me some sort of a career
that she could enjoy as well but that
would make me not feel like I had to get
married when I was 18 so uh and then
then on top of that when my my father
just I think to be mean to her more than
anything she wanted him to pay for my
ballet lessons and uh he said no
so my mother this little quiet very
resourceful woman who was a very good
pianist trotted herself over to the
ballet school and offered herself as a
accompanist The Pianist to play for
classes in return for my tuition and
amazing but you were also obviously
naturally gifted in addition to working
hard it was a good fit I had the talent
I had the fun I really enjoyed and when
you asked that other question I didn't
quite answer is with ballet anyone who's
taken ballet or probably any kind of
dance but ballet is just so strict and
disciplined and that ballet school was
serious that you don't talk you don't
have attitude I got kicked out of class
once really because from Mr Romanov not
not Mrs Romanov but Mr Romanov by the
way that they were named the romanovs like
like
classic and uh he it was actually a
rehearsal and he said get out get out I
said what what and he said I don't like your
your
face I was pouting I was I was leaning
against the bar and I was going like
that and he caught side of it and he
kicked me out I was so humiliated I
thought I would die but but you have to
have that kind of discipline to be a
dancer and you don't talk you don't have
any it's a nonverbal art form and you
with that school you couldn't even lean
on the bars you had to stand up by the
bars with your tummy pulled in uh and
posture improving for 10 years yeah I
might just like sitting up yeah so 10
years of that it just becomes ingrained
and it really has benefited me so much
as an actor and oh probably as a human
being don't you think I do yeah I do I
do um but it's a big stretch from well I
know you grew up in Colorado and then
the romanoffs their real name moved to
California and is that that's what
brought you to California indeed it did
uh my parents had just gotten divorced
uh and my mother wasn't very happy
anyway she's a very pretty little lady
uh she was a good little wife and all of
that sort of thing and they they had
couple friends and you know parties
occasionally that sort of thing and
suddenly when they were divorced my
mother was not invited anywhere and she
didn't do anything but she was really
cute and kind of sexy and I'm going
uhhuh those wives went mm- she's not
come over here anymore so my poor little
mother who was working so hard to raise
two teenage children uh said to me one
day because my mother talked to me about
everything really everything uh and she
said I got to get out of Denver I can't
be here anymore and that was just a
statement and right around that time uh
ballet theater this is American Ballet
Theater school they decided to close
that branch and the romanoffs moved to
Northern California and so my mothers
thought that was really good direction
to go in so she packed us all up in the
57 Volvo with the dog and off we went to
Northern California to follow the
romanovs yeah do you know I'm just
hearing as you tell this for the I mean
I read it in the book but as you say it
that you had a mother who talked to you about
about
everything and you did not end up
mother I sort of did and I my mother was
not a mother who talked to me about
everything and where do where do you
think where where do we come
from I don't know I was so lucky partly
because I just couldn't sleep at night I
was just wanted to be up with the adults
I think is what it was and she would
iron every night here my father was out
playing around and doing whatever but he
didn't like uh laundromat because they
didn't iron as beautifully as my mother
so there's my mother at midnight ironing
his shirts while he's God knows where
and but and I'd sit on a stool she she
would finally relent and let me sit on a
stool and we just talk we talk about
everything and I think she told me a lot
of things I was way too young to hear
I'm sure she did but I absorbed them and
uh I seemed to understand them and that
was that one line I have it in the book
but it really resonated with me and I
was really young that uh and she's just
ironing along it wasn't it wasn't a
comment a a complaint or anything else
but she said well once you have children
you're never free again and and I and
that I heard that [Laughter]
[Laughter]
because freedom is what it's all about I
mean it always was with me if it was
climbing a tree or going for a walk in
the woods with my dog it was being free
having to go to school was a terrible
hardship from kindergarten to my senior
year I hated school and so I had to be
yeah so all that train
and that Love of Dance brought you to New
New
York and talk about how you became part
of A Chorus Line boy okay do you all
does everybody know what A Chorus Line is
yeah I spent one day on um the YouTube
and I it I it started because I was
looking for Kelly on when we were doing
the show and and it was like one grainy
um there is some coverage of you in the
show which led to Kelly appearing on
like Phil Donahue or something people
smoking in the audience and I looked up
and it was like three weeks later and I
was like I can't be on YouTube but it's
really fascinating and it was such a
before I even knew you that story of
struggling actors resonated even though
I'm in the suburbs in you know Virginia
and the the sort of it was the first
musical I had ever only had the cast
album but known that felt like real
people talking it felt like um personal
and I know it was but can you talk a
little about how you became Sheila well
I you know I had all those years of
dancing I was in the chorus I was a
really good dancer unfortunately I
worked a lot because I was good uh but I
wanted to move out I wanted to move on I
really really wanted to be an actor and
I it's pretty difficult if you're not a
singer and I'm not a singer uh so so I
was trying to fiddle with that and uh
this group of dancers I'd worked with
one was Tony Stevens he was a marvelous
dancer and a delightful guy and uh a
good friend also of his that I'd worked
with her name was michon peacock and
they uh had decided I think they were
getting tired of the fact that the
producers uh were making all the money
and getting all the credit and we were
doing all the work and uh they were
hoping to maybe put together a company
of some sort where they would bring in
and they were talking about dancers uh
bring in Broadway's strongest best
dancers and create a situation where we
could experiment we could direct
something or write something or work on
lights or whatever it is and so they
wanted to get together one evening and
uh just talk about this and then Michael
Bennett got word uh and well that that's
the end of that I mean it was like um he
would take over anything he came near
and people would follow him he was a
real manipulator and he was incredibly
talented as we know but uh he came along
to this tape session what we refer to as
a tape session very late one night um at
uh at a dance studio it was a weekend I
think even and we uh we danced a little
bit but we went into a room we all sat
in a big circle and uh Michael Bennett
had a tape recorder and said it was a
real toore the old kind and uh said
we're going to go around and everybody
give their names and uh their real names
that they're different and where they
were born and when uh and we started
doing that and I did put this in the
book but um and I'm sure Priscilla Lopez
who's here tonight don't we love Priscilla
Priscilla [Applause]
[Applause]
yes tell them who prisilla played in a
course line tell them who Priscilla
played in a course oh she was Morales uh
you know uh yeah you know she was Deana
Morales she sang nothing which was one
of the only real super solos in the show
I mean we all left uh and then she was
the beginning voice in What I Did for
Love at the at the end of the show uh
but we sat around in this tape session
and so Michael goes through this SPI
about you you know where you were born
and when and and then he said oh the and
I think he said girls because in those
days they were always saying girls and
it irritated me uh and oh the girls
don't have to give their ages and of
course me here I am he's at 12:00 I'm at
six o'clock and I said wait a minute
wait a minute you just made a whole
speech there about being honest and
being open and that we're all going to
tell each other everything and then you
say that the girls don't have to give
their ages why not and he said okay the
girls give their ages too and I call it
couple of glares I must say but Kelly
when this was going on and you're
invited to do this session was this a
normal thing was there a sense this
could be a show where people just
sitting around taping themselves like we do
do
today right don't they I no I mean it
was really an experimental idea and what
would happen uh and uh so we started
telling our stories and some of them
were so compelling uh and some of them
were frivolous and I remember candy
Brown who was the only African-American
in the group
and uh as we used to have to use the
term uh and maybe it's still used but
the token black you know they do that
did that in shows all the time there a
whole white show and there' be one black
person and okay fine so candi's sitting
there with all of these people and all
of their stories of their traumas and
their fears and we get to Candy after a
while and she said I mean we've been
around the circle a few times and we get
to candy and she said you guys are
telling such good story she said I had a
great life I had wonderful parents I had
support I had and and she said all of
you I I had no idea that was happening
to all of you so I think it made her
feel better uh she ended up not doing
the show because she was also a fossy
dancer and fossy had uh um what was
it what was it Chicago Chicago Chicago
yes um so uh which did come back uh
beautifully so many years later but we
kind of killed them um well we did
Chorus Line was the biggest thing in the
that when you say when you say it was
the biggest thing in the world what did
it feel like because people are forever
asking actors at different times when
did you know what did something feel
like and I always struggle to a in a way
remember but it's very hard to
experience something when you're in the
moment but well for us it was thrilling
for me it was really thrilling because I
was getting to play in a sense myself I
Incorporated some other women that I'd
worked with to make us a little bit of a
composite but just getting the
opportunity to to do that and then I
mean we were a big head uh down at the
Shakespeare Festival and then we moved
to Broadway and it was so exciting and
it was so clear that the audiences were
just going mad for us that I remember
thinking well I've got a job for as long
as I want I mean I'm going to and I
could have worked for many many years in
it but typically of me I was always the
first person to leave a show I don't
know why I get into a show and it was
like oh good this is good this is a hit
I'm GNA be here I could do this I could
I could do all sorts of things I go oh
wow and put in my notice I go off i' go
but uh it was so exciting it was
thrilling and if any of you ever have
the opportunity to see the Tony Awards
of 76 we got to do our an abbreviated
version of our opening number as the
opening of the show and then we did I
think it was not a little bit of an
abbreviated ver version of the finale
for the closing of the show and then
there were we got to do things in
between but it was just uh the best
thing in the world and it sort of
revived Broadway Broadway was in a lot
of trouble then lot of empty theaters
and people started getting revved up
again and New York City was in bad shape
they were talking about bankruptcy and
there was just this terrible Paul in the
city and I I give us an awful lot of
credit for it but it really it really
help things along it was it was
wonderful it was just a dream how long
did you stay in the show I was there
from from the workshop session that went
into a rehearsal session which was
endless it was 15 weeks for that that
never happens you never get that never
and to a point where I didn't even want
to come in sometimes it was so boring
because he had to work on you know the
he Michael Bennett worked
chronologically so he would get with the
first the the first scene the first
number whatever it was he would work
that until he was satisfied and then
he'd go to two and that's the way he
always worked and so we had gotten to a
point where we were way down we were
very close to the end of the show but he
wasn't satisfied yet and he was rightly
not satisfied so we kept going but
anyway we we I had those 15 weeks and
then we played downtown at the
Shakespeare Festival and then we came
Uptown and I actually ended up leaving
the show I believe it was a year and a
half after we got started which was
quite a long time for me how do you um
keep go how do you keep it going for that
that
long I I think that we all just loved it
and we had wonderful stuff to do
especially those of us who were more
featured uh and it's always thrilling
when you you have an audience that's so
excited to be there and the other thing
you know know it because you've worked
stage to every audience is different and
you doing the same performances you
think you are and you try to do it
because you've you've worked on it
you've perfected it as best you can
until you get an audience but the
audience starts to feed you and then you
start to go back and it becomes this
little game almost like playing
volleyball or something and the audience
is hugely important to a Stage
production and you can feel it if they
don't like it it it's just like dragging
chains around to get through the play or
whatever it is and if they like it
you're floating so uh and you're always
working on it you try not to work too
much on it because then you start to
tweak it just because you're bored uh
and so uh it's the audience I think that
really keeps you going for sure thank you
audience um how did Dirty Dancing come around
and talk and talk about so you're Chorus
Line and you're the toast of the town
congratulations is there anything in
that night where I love that there's a
picture of you and Ed Herman
foreshadowing and he he was in what was
he in that year wasn't it Mrs Warren's
profession Mrs Warren's profession I
think know audience member somebody's
going to Google it and tell me um I
didn't know him I didn't really think I
don't think I knew of him and we other
than congratulations nice to meet you hi
and that was it and then who knew what
20 years later did you had you seen him
in in between that time no no just I was
do you remember the first time you met
on stage or you met Ed I met Ed because
they were taking the photograph of all
of you Gilmore Girls fans will certainly
remember this that big photograph that
hung over the fireplace in the Gilmore House
House
and that the two of us of of the two of
us that was Ed and me and a little girl
that they thought would grow into
you and so I met him in at a photo
studio in New York and they they did
those shots and that's how I met him and
it was very pleasant and that was fine I
didn't didn't get to know him till we
got to work was that the first day I met
you no I Met You in Toronto I met you
the first day of of the pilot yeah so
we've done that a couple months before I
think uh well I got cast literally like
the day before the they had waited this
whole time because I you guys know this
story I think but I was on another show
and so I was the last person to be cast
and then we basically flew I feel like a
day or two later I met Alexis in the
lobby of the hotel and we went to do a
table read and it was just one of those
things that just sort of worked but um
talk about Dirty Dancing oh dirty so
wait so there you are A Chorus Line
you probably had your choice of other
Broadway shows other opportunities like
tell us what what was that then to be
the in the in the hit of Broadway what
what else came your way well what I was
really focusing on and had been in a way
using Chorus Line uh for this purpose is
I wanted to be an actor I wanted to I
knew I wasn't a singer so the the idea
of being a a lead performer or a
featured performer in a musical was a
little remote the the roles are out
there but you really have to sing if
you're going to do it and I'm not I mean
I can I can do a good character role and
stuff but I know I hear my voice and I
hear other people's voices and it's fine
uh and I really wanted to act and so
what I made a conscious effort to not do
musicals but to just keep saying I'm an
actor I'm an actor now and that was a
little hard in New York but I went out
to California not really right after I
left the show uh and uh lined got myself
lined up with an agent with help uh who
was out there and his his people took me
around to the casting agents just to
introduce me and the weird thing it was
amazing but uh one of the things I I
would maybe read for the casting agent
some little thing and one of them was
Hawaii 5 and I read for and I got the
job what were you playing a bikini CL
uh that was the kind of things that
people would sort of see me at but this
is much more dignified I
wonderful Kelly that wasn't your first
Madam or I mean that wasn't your last
Madam was it was it wasn't it what I do
weren't you a Madam in in m
masel and this is May
well and and I well I guess kind of you
know had thought about it that
way so there you are on Hawaii 5 and
then what happened then I came back and
uh not too long after that amazingly I
landed um an unmarried woman with you
know and uh Jill clayberg so I was
starting to get things what I discovered
was in New York I was still seen as a
musical person but in La I was I was an
actor they didn't they didn't really pay
much attention I don't I don't think
they even knew what Tony were I really
don't I think they just knew the Academy
Award in the EMS and that was it and so
you know things didn't go smoothly from
then on I had a lot of
downtime uh and then I just kind of kept
plugging away and I thought let me just
do as much acting as I can and where I
can and so I did a lot of regional
theater uh not great theaters
necessarily uh they'll be glad to hear
that yeah right right not great money
and sometimes the housing was awful uh
but there would always be something
about it I wanted I wanted to do the
role I I heard about this director uh I
love the idea of that show and so I just
kept thinking let me keep doing it and
let me find out what I'm really good at
and I was in the meantime able as most
New York actors were was to go out to
California and do a guest spot on a
sitcom there were a lot of sitcoms out
there so it would just I'd bounce around
like that and somehow always managed to
work and make enough money to survive
and it just kept going along and then
Dirty Dancing well um Along Comes This
little movie and uh I was cast for the
role of I think her name is viven she's
that woman that's uh she's a married
woman and she's taking classes from
Johnny and uh she's obviously hoping to
nail him and the whole thing uh so uh so
I got that and I think that probably I
was cast because I think there might
have been a dance scene or something in
it when he was teaching me and because
I'd been a dancer uh and so I got I got
the roll I did costume fittings I had
all these really glamorous sexy clothes
gorgeous so I then get on the plane I
get this call that I they want me to
down there for a two-e rehearsal they
were in Virginia and I thought for what
I don't I maybe I really am doing a
dance scene or something so I get off
the plane looking awful my I didn't my
hair fuzzy I mean just awful and the PA
picks me up at the airport and drives me
up to the mountain and we're going
checking into the that Lodge up there
and then they she gets a call to bring
me down to set well they were working on
the Gazebo that's that where they worked
a lot right near the lake wouldn't be
your last gazebo
huh would it's not your last gazebo
either no it wasn't no they're they're
close to my heart there's even one in my
town there is one uh and they brought me
down and they're all staring at me and
uh you know I in introduced to different
people and I knew Jerry or buck because
of promises promises and uh I don't know
why they're staring at me and and
Jennifer stand next to Kelly and and I
can't figure this out until uh they came
up to me and then they said um today we
released the woman who was playing the
Mother character and we were wondering
if you would like to take that over and
I couldn't I couldn't even remember her
I mean I knew she was there but she was
boring and it was a
really and I'm saying well yeah I don't
know and then they said the magic thing
which is what I'd always been wanting if
I was going to do do a film was you'll
be starting today and you will work to
the end of the film instead of coming in
as a guest or coming in for a week and
then going away for two weeks and coming
back and that was so intriguing of
course as I was walk I said okay and I
was walking up the the hill to to go to
wardrobe to so they could figure out
something to give me to wear and the
producers running alongside and said
money uh so I became baby's mom and it
was great great because you [Applause]
[Applause]
know I remember one day uh at work and I
think we were I don't know a couple of
years in and there was there was always
a conversation around awards and stuff
like that but we never kind of hit that
um in the way other shows did and and
but and Kelly said you know I have a
feeling this is a show that people will
realize later that it was under not
because of wordss but just in general
we're on a small Network at a very
competitive time slot but I remember her
saying this is something that is is
going to stand the test of time and
people will people will will appreciate this
[Laughter]
yeah and I remember thinking oh I
completely forgot that I have no idea
I and I remember thinking well also
because at that time I was just going
you know it's sort of you're not then
thinking about how you're going to
reflect on your career in the future I
was just like what am I doing today or
tomorrow and you know how can I kind of
keep this going and I remember thinking
what a what incredible insight to have a
thought like that and to even be
thinking about the future but did Dirty
Dancing feel that way no we never know
no it didn't
we we we first of all thought the title
was stupid we did Dirty fun is Dirty
Dancing and I we were having fun and and
the the crew was great the cast was
great we and we just thought you know
the dancing was fun uh the storyline was
okay but no we didn't
think we we didn't think it was going to
be anything we had no idea you were
wrong yeah um
I wanted just a small thing uh in your
book which I didn't realize you and Ed
in the first two seasons were only 15
out of 22 in my mind you're in every
episode Kelly oh I love it of everything
you talk about being working hard Lauren
they Ian their hours were incredible and
they it seemed seems like they worked
every single work day and really I mean
you were working till 10 11: at night
almost most nights later later later um
but I will say there's there is an
adrenaline that comes with as you well
know that language those scenes those
characters that carries you and it she
is a writer who likes every word as
written which um not all writers are
like that but when it is as musical as
her writing is it's like learning a song
you or you hear it in your own ear when
a note is off and and so like being in a
great show or singing a great song it
really does carry you I am doing not you
know some hours right now and I'm like
woo this is uh the recovery is not quite
uh the same but but it's really fun it's
just really fun to be part of such a
such an incredible group but I was just
struck that you were not in every
episode in the first two seasons no I I
wasn't I think they started bringing us
up to more but the fact is I was not
going to move to California and I wanted
to have time with my husband and I
remember talking to Harry Abrams who was
the head of the agency at the time he
came to visit in the trailer uh and I
said I don't want every episode and he
said you don't because the whole idea is
say say you get 10 episodes and then
you're hoping the next season you'll get
15 and then you get and then you'll
eventually do all of the episodes and
that's that's the idea uh but I said I
don't want to because I want to be able
to go home so he said well that's that's
a good thing to know and so I never
looked forward and I think Ed's uh
character was kind of reliant on mine if
I if I wasn't going to be there they
weren't going to have him there uh or
vice versa you know really uh so that's
that's the way it worked out for me and
and I'm kind of glad but I think that
Amy you know going back to how hard you
worked I mean boy they worked hard and
when they weren't working they they have
a weekend and then theyd have to those
those pretty fabulous looking PR shots
you spent your weekends doing other
stuff without dialogue uh and I think
Amy I think told um Sutton Foster when
we were working on bun heads that she'd
been a little hard on you girls you know
well she had come from half hour well we
none of us knew we were shooting on film
when we started which is a much longer
day and what she wanted to do was
ambitious the amount of dialogue the the
way the show was shot she really had a
vision for it and so are I'm I'm proud
and pleased that you know it took some
doing but um but yeah I would not trade
it for anything I think that's the way
she always works though she she's very
intense she likes the details yeah but
in a good way like when she's focused on
one thing it's there's nothing else no
it's true it's absolutely true Kelly
recently you took your life into your
own hands when you declared Logan your
bodyguard not yet I had no idea this is
such a big deal I I have been asked that
question a few times actually over the
years I go team Logan team what what are
they talking about I don't do social
media I don't pay attention to this
stuff but that was just my honest answer
and that's the trouble with me I tend to
be a little too honest you'll see that
in the book it's in the book uh as so I
just I just liked his look I liked his
style I love the other guys I thought
they were really wonderful and cute you
know yeah but uh he was and besides I
was just thinking about this because
I've been asked this question recently
is besides wouldn't wouldn't uh Emily
want that I mean he comes from a wealthy
family yes yes no it is I think you
could have protected Yourself by saying
Emily would have wanted it but
but um but uh Kelly here are other
questions that I I uh get asked could
you imagine playing Emily Gilmore
but I think that there's a world out
there that would love to embrace us all
back I just wonder if after all this
time and all the different directions
we've gone if we would all come back
together and I don't see that happening
unless we all wanted to be together I
don't see it without at least four of us
uh you know wanting to be there and wish
we had Ed with us but um I I don't know
I just don't think it's likely to happen
because we just keep going on in other
directions and we were so lucky to have
that the what is it a year in the life
or whatever that that was great that's
what it's called I don't pay attention
to titles I'm busy learning my [Laughter]
[Laughter]
lines do you know this is a small
factoid that it was going to be called
Gilmore Girls Seasons because the
episodes are winter spring summer fall
but they were afraid when people went to
to uh whatever this is on the on the
Netflix that they would be confused
because there were so many seasons of
the show that they wouldn't understand
that it was called that the thing was
called seasons that's how it's called a
year in the life all right um back to you
you
we in uh explicably are getting ready
for audience questions um because the
time has flown um I would like to ask
you a couple of just kind of esoteric
things um when you look back what image
do you have or what comes to mind or
what is something that makes you feel
proud I would say Gilmore Girls great
yeah was even a set up yeah
yeah and what makes me feel really happy
daughter I love you we um it's not the
end yet this is like uh things you say
at the end but this is this friendship
means I I means so much to me I really
do feel we were placed together thank
you wonderful timing um at plays
together to play this mother and
daughter to I don't know it's some
Cosmic um like gift to get to know these
characters and and and get to know each
other as friends and I just um it's
something I'm really thankful for to say
the least um hold on I need my BR cleanex
cleanex
um and when you look ahead what is
something you feel excited
about I want to just keep acting I my
whole idea was always I just want to act
until I die uh I really do and I thought
the best [Laughter]
[Laughter] [Applause]
[Applause]
role and I thought if I ever wanted to
do it one of the best roles to play
would be Madam armfelt in A Little Night [Applause]
[Applause]
Music because at the end she's dead and
they don't realize that she she's in the
wheelchair and she's dead and the show's
over and they don't even know it and I
thought wouldn't that be neat to to die
in a dying scene you know and have have
the curtain come up and everybody's
ready for the curtain calls and I'm
lying on the floor there and oh my
God I just thought that would be really
superb acting it really would you know I
once had to play a dead person and I had
gotten contact lenses for the first time
and I get blinking and she's supposed to
be they don't know she's dead because
her eyes are open and it was bad okay
um uh okay okay so um these will have
not been vetted by me so we'll put on
our glasses and see what we the first
one is I can never
remember specific lines but what do you
have a favorite Emily Gilmore
line I some have been brought to me I
don't know that I really have that that
one about uh then buy me a bow and drive
I didn't I didn't even remember saying I
didn't even remember that scene but it
seems to be very popular so why not that
that's my favorite one great why did you
change your name from Carol to Kelly I
did that because I've been when I was a
dancer still I was in the chorus of a
show and uh I had uh one of the actors
it was really a singer in the show as we
would pass each other in the hallway and
uh downstairs during the scenes you know
upstairs and we would just make up
characters as we greeted one another and
uh he had a couple of characters and I
had one who was particularly obnoxious
her name was Kelly Westbrook and she was
a very spoiled rich girl and she was
saying because daddy said I can't have
my fourth horse and I really want a
fourth horse I mean that kind of thing
and so this little group is a little
click I was a part of we'd hang out
after the shows and stuff there were
four or five of us and that whole group
started calling me Kelly and then by the
time we got to the Chorus Line thing
Michael started calling me Kelly and of
course if Michael called me Kelly he was
God I was Kelly and so I left it like
that I was happy to change my name but I
I mean I I didn't really plan on it
because I was Carol Bishop for all those
years until I joined sag and they sent
my card back I you had to give them an
alternative name so I had Carol bishop
and then my married name at the time
Carol Bishop Miller and they said me a
card that said Carol Bishop Miller and I
called him I said no no no no no you
just and they said no there is a Carol
Bishop which I've never found her by the
way but uh so I kind of left it but uh
then I decided I really would change it
I even talked to Michael Bennett about
it and he wisely said don't change it
until after the Tony which I was going
to do going to do and then we're sitting
out there in the audience we've
rehearsed the the opening number for the
Tony night and the whole thing we're
just sitting hanging around and one of
the people from the Tony committee comes
trotting down the aisle and he leans
over and he said uh when your uh
nomination is uh announced would you
want to be Carol bishop or Kelly Bishop
and I said
said
Kelly because I thought National
Television what better way to say I'm
changing my name world you know so I did
I didn't run it by Michael I'm sure he
was a little miffed but it it worked for
me so why
not I have a yes I have a cousin named
Lauren Graham and she had to change her
name I feel bad
okay because it was taken um what is
something new I love this that you
learned about yourself over the course
of working on the
book um I'm really smart uh yes my
memory is not as bad as I thought it was
uh I I I really enjoyed my life and I
have to say I've looked at it I I'm not
lauding myself too much but I've been
really fair and honest and hardworking
and willing to put up with a lot of
stuff including those bad jobs that I
you know there's one thing I will tell
you you always learn more from a bad job
than you do from a good job it it's just
it really it's a learning experience you
know so uh I I think I'm I'm kind of
impressed with myself on that level is
that I kept going and going and going
and I wasn't going to stop because I had
a dream and nobody's going to take that
dream away from me even though it
changed from being a ballerina to being
an actress nobody's going to take it
away from me they can't have it that's
stage um hi Kelly as a young
professional in the entertainment
industry what advice do you have someone
for someone 5 years into their career
how do you know when you're ready for
the next opportunity that's Addison I
oopsies how how are you what is it ready
so I guess it's if you're five years
into your career maybe you're looking
for what's the next step um you're
always looking you're always looking if
the opportunity is there and I think a
lot of people make the mistake uh and
it's there's no real fault in this but
it's good to be alert the opportunities
are there and you miss them you just
don't see them and if it's there give it
a shot give it a try and I I've said to
a lot of younger actors it's a hard
business there's no question about it
and you have to be tough and you have to
be able to take rejection because how
many people in in the Civilized World
civilian World i''s say uh are are used
to being told no no no thank you no no
no and still come back the next day and
go how about today uh and you have to be
able to do that you have to let it go
and move on and the opportunities are
there and you just keep plugging away
and trying and doing and knowing that
you love that dream and sticking with it
and at some point I've talked to actors
about this as well that it's getting to
be just too hard and I know that that
you have to do the the office job and
the waitressing job and all of that if
it's not fun anymore when it becomes
tedious and it's really not fun just
doing it then find something else and
you can probably find something kind of
with in the business so you can still be
around the same fabulous people and and
uh and be creative and and do something
else but just keep doing it as long as
you want to why not yeah I found it
helpful to have a small goal and this
just I didn't I just did this naturally
which is I wanted a couple lines on a
soap opera or something I like I I I
would just picture what I felt was
attainable given where I was and then
get go a little bit further than next
time and then you know went from being a
guest star to being a series regular
like and and and now it it is more about
am I going to enjoy the day am I going
to enjoy the people I've already we've
already had so much like now I just
really want to be part of the creative
team rather than that's more important
to me than like starring and something
yeah I me I mean I'm not I'm not looking
for any uh stunning role or anything um
but I really want to do good work I I
mean I want to do good work from me I
want to do good acting but I also want
to do good work and so that means I need
good writers and that's that's where we
were so lucky because we got one of the
best in the business and uh it's just a
know what advice would you give your
what advice would your older self give
your younger
self H uh stop being such a pushover
that and that is more in my personal
life don't do that and then finally with
my wonderful husband Lee Leonard I
finally got to a point and I said okay
I'm done with that I he he's probably
out there he might be out there there
might be two of them out there I might
never meet them that's okay I have a
certain standard now and I'm not going
to go below that and if he doesn't come
along too bad and if he does lucky him
and he and he and he came along and he
came and then I did the smartest thing I
ever done as a woman uh a single young
woman who enjoyed having Affairs and
such uh is I let him chase me I had
never thought about not letting a guy
know that I was really interested in him
and I just kind of say I was demure
right the word [Applause]
and I discovered something as a woman
that uh all really smart women know men
like the chase they were cavemen they were
were
Hunters you know so that's okay say well
maybe and because now you're more
alluring and then you say well I can't
make it tonight and well well how about
tomorrow he did that too I go how about
Friday night go and it was legitimate I
had something to do I said I'm I'm busy
uh Friday night he's said how about
Saturday I go whoa okay all right right
I I I think I can clear my calendar you
know uh and it
worked how long were you married we were
married for 38
years great great
yeah I got to meet him and hang out with
you guys a couple of times and he was
really special he was he was amazing
just am he taught me so much yeah you
know he was so smart and fair outspoken
boy you I spent a lot of our
relationship if somebody would come up
and say something stupid leaning into
him saying don't say anything don't say
don't say anything I was sure someday
somebody was going to slug him cuz he'd
say it he'd say it he he was amaz he
wasn't rude I mean he didn't swear he
would just in one sentence kind of lay
him right
out and his daughter Cheryl is still Yes
Cheryl his daughter uh who spent a lot
of time with us um all through our
marriage and she really fronted for me
when I was going out of town being an
actress and looking after Lee in the
house and then as of course he got sick
and you know kept continually getting
worse she took a leave of absence from
her job and took care of the house and
everything and then after he passed away
uh you know she went back down but then
I ended up getting sick and she was back
up again and looking after me and
looking after the house and basically
um we are we are coming to our end here
um I know I could do this and perhaps we
should every night for weeks at a
time right into the 92nd Street Y and
see what they have to say about that um
I really love near the end of the book
you talk about um going to see
Hamilton and um when it was still at the
public theater and they did a um a sort
of tribute to A Chorus Line
um do you can do you have glasses do I
have glasses I want to read a little
piece of it it doesn't make sense for me
to read your book no it does
okay just lower your voice I can't it's
this is all it doesn't go that low
um I just love this story of uh you
seeing a dancer in in Hamilton who um
made you think um wow that was that was me up
me up there and um at some point while I
there and um at some point while I watched her I was blindsided out of
watched her I was blindsided out of nowhere by a deep ache of sadness as the
nowhere by a deep ache of sadness as the thought hit me that used to be me up
thought hit me that used to be me up there then just as suddenly the same
there then just as suddenly the same thought hit me with the greatest wave of
thought hit me with the greatest wave of joy and gratitude that used to be me up
joy and gratitude that used to be me up there and then after you um you went to
there and then after you um you went to to meet her uh they they brought all the
to meet her uh they they brought all the chorus L um after the Hamilton curtain
chorus L um after the Hamilton curtain calls their cast recreated the opening
calls their cast recreated the opening number of A Chorus Line lining up across
number of A Chorus Line lining up across the stage holding their head shot in
the stage holding their head shot in front of their faces and singing Who Am
front of their faces and singing Who Am I anyway am I my resume there were lots
I anyway am I my resume there were lots of tears and hugs on that stage followed
of tears and hugs on that stage followed by all of us mingling around giving me a
by all of us mingling around giving me a perfect opportunity to walk over to that
perfect opportunity to walk over to that young chorus dancer the girl I used to
young chorus dancer the girl I used to be I'm so excited for you I told her
be I'm so excited for you I told her this is thrilling I know what it's like
this is thrilling I know what it's like and I want you to relish it inhale it
and I want you to relish it inhale it live it grab every moment of it you're
live it grab every moment of it you're so talented and I don't want you to ever
so talented and I don't want you to ever get to a point where you think I don't
get to a point where you think I don't really feel like doing the show tonight
really feel like doing the show tonight do it give yourself a chance to be
do it give yourself a chance to be adored one more time because you will be
adored one more time because you will be and you'll carry this Exquisite
and you'll carry this Exquisite experience with you for the rest of your
experience with you for the rest of your life to this day when I occasionally
life to this day when I occasionally fall into that sadness trap I think back
fall into that sadness trap I think back on that night and that lesson don't cry
on that night and that lesson don't cry because you think your best days are
because you think your best days are gone smile because you had them in the
gone smile because you had them in the first
place I think we say good night I just want to say thank you again
night I just want to say thank you again thank you to all of you whose incredible
thank you to all of you whose incredible enthusiasm and love and joy is what
enthusiasm and love and joy is what brings us together again and again we we
brings us together again and again we we relish every opportunity and Kelly I
relish every opportunity and Kelly I just love you so much this is a
just love you so much this is a beautiful um piece of work and um you
beautiful um piece of work and um you inspire me every day and I'm so lucky I
inspire me every day and I'm so lucky I get to be your pretend daughter
get to be your pretend daughter [Applause]
Click on any text or timestamp to jump to that moment in the video
Share:
Most transcripts ready in under 5 seconds
One-Click Copy125+ LanguagesSearch ContentJump to Timestamps
Paste YouTube URL
Enter any YouTube video link to get the full transcript
Transcript Extraction Form
Most transcripts ready in under 5 seconds
Get Our Chrome Extension
Get transcripts instantly without leaving YouTube. Install our Chrome extension for one-click access to any video's transcript directly on the watch page.
