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| Mathnetters George Frankly and Kate Monday |
Today’s Eight Eighties Questions interview is with
Beverly Leech, an actress who most 1980s kids will remember as Kate Monday from
Mathnet. A parody of Dragnet, Mathnet
was a segment of the mathematically-themed Children’s Television Workshop hit SquareOne
Television. She also worked on many
other memorable 1980s shows, including Star Search, The Facts of Life, Matlock,
Head of the Class, and Quantum Leap. Her
long and multifaceted career has included film and Broadway, as well. Just a few of her many credits include
Frasier, Star Trek: Voyager, JAG,
Criminal Minds, Mad Men, and Rizzoli & Isles. She has recently had memorable spots in the
Nokia Lumia commercials “The Wedding” (which included a Jedi-like leap over a
table), and “The Recital” (where she asks, “How’s this for a drama shot?” and
delivers a wallop of a head-butt). In
addition to her own work in front of the camera, she is one of the most sought
after acting coaches in Hollywood and is the author of Actor Muscle – Craft, Grit, Wit:
A Professional Guide to the Business of Acting.
Beverly was kind enough to take time out of her busy
schedule to be the first interviewee of the Eight Eighties Questions series.
#1. When you think back to your days on Mathnet,
what is the first thing that comes to mind?
The first thing?
‘The Angle of Incidence equals the angle of reflection’ – from “The
Problem of the Missing Baseball,” season one of Mathnet. Hey, I learned some things, too!
#2. What was the best thing that happened to you as
a result of playing Kate Monday?
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| Beverly Leech |
There wasn’t any one “best thing” except that I grew
up. I grew up in all sorts of ways – as
a person, as an actor. I believe that
our incomparable director, Charlie Dubin, was the kindest, funniest, toughest,
and most interesting man I’d ever met. I
had very little experience on a film set, and in my ignorance, had no good
habits that were a reflection of a “leading lady.” Charlie literally grabbed me by the collar
and plunked me in to a chair next to him and told me I wasn’t ever allowed to
leave the set for any reason. “Sit
there, be quiet, and learn something.”
And I did. Charlie had his early
roots in vaudeville, and his stories between camera set-ups were
hilarious. I’ll always be grateful for
his intervention and talent. Janette
Webb, our beautiful producer, was a lady in every sense of the word, and she
very patiently smoothed out my Texan-tomboy-redneck manners … though, honestly,
it took longer that she probably would have preferred. Lastly, I can’t say enough good things about
the writing team of Dave Connell and Jim Thurman – truly funny men, deeply
committed, and always a joy to break out a new script. They are still my
favorite writers to this day, and really taught me everything about timing and
comedy.
#3. What was a typical day of filming like for a
five episode Mathnet case?
I’m very disciplined and like to wake up several hours
before the early morning, 6am, calls to set.
I’d get up around 4 or 5 am, have coffee, move around and get my body
awake – then review the day’s scenes with a bowl of cereal or hard boiled
eggs. I’d drive to set, go to makeup and
wardrobe, then do a camera blocking with the director, and go back to the hair
and makeup trailer to finish the prep. Joe and the guest star and I would run
the scene lightly in the trailer, get to know each other a bit, then go to the
set and wait for camera to be ready, rehearse some more. Being on set requires patience – there’s a
lot of waiting. But under no
circumstances can you get lazy and zone out on the intent of the immediate
scene. When camera is ready, you have to
be, too. So I wait like a pot that’s
lightly simmering, just ready to go in to a full boil. And since the dialogue was frequently
difficult with zany tongue twisters and mathematic formulas, I was running
those quite a bit. At lunch, I don’t
always eat with the cast and crew. If it’s
been a big morning and I’m feeling a little burned out, I will grab a tray but
prop my feet up in the trailer for a power nap to rejuvenate my brain
cells. Then, eat lunch while I’m going
through touch ups before camera again.
There’s nothing worse than losing your juice before the shooting day is
over, so lunch time power naps are important for me. “Losing your juice” means my mind and body
begin to fade – I forget lines, I get slow or clumsy, and that by itself will
kill comedy. Comedy needs pace and
timing, and my instrument needs to play to its tune.
#4. My favorite episode of Mathnet was “The View
From the Rear Terrace” [a parody of the Alfred Hitchcock classic Rear
Window]. Kate was in a wheelchair recuperating from a leg
injury, which she refused to reveal how it happened because she said it was
embarrassing. While at home, Kate was nearly killed by a time bomb that
had been planted by a deranged criminal seeking revenge. With seconds
left to go, Kate is screaming her last goodbyes to George through the locked
door as he tries to save her. Thankfully he succeeded, and in my opinion
it was the most intense episode in Mathnet history. What can you tell us
about that episode, especially the mystery injury and the bomb scene?
This episode was one of my favorites as well – mainly
because it was one of the few times we broke out of the traditional Mathnet
script and circumstances. It was perhaps
the only time (?) we got to see Kate and George in their homes, not the
headquarters or at the scene of a “crime.” They weren’t in uniform, which is a
visual sign of authority, but in regular clothing – more human, more
vulnerable, and we see them as friends.
In the past, they were always friendly and worked well together, but
this time it was a deeper friendship, with more at stake. And because of this situation, the production
also relaxed the requirement of my character’s stoicism and “just the facts”
kind of delivery. I was allowed to move
out from that emotionally, and it was a gratifying experience. Joe Howard is simply wonderful to work with –
always. He is a very talented man, very
humble, and a consummate professional. I
rather admire and look up to him, so it was effortless to transfer that real
kinship in to our performance.
#5. Kate Monday disappeared without a
trace, and was literally never mentioned again. Her disappearance was
very upsetting to a lot of little Mathnet fans. What happened?
Aw, gee. I hate answering this. It broke my heart to
leave the show, it really did. In the
early years after my departure, I never answered anyone with a straight answer
about why because I was very protective of the show’s image. But, it’s been 20
years, and it’s not that it’s some deep dark secret, it was just long and
complicated. The short answer is: After several years of working under the same
contract (which had started out very simple and tidy), headquarters in New York
changed the shooting schedule, location, and the contract terms in such a way
that I literally could not afford to do it.
The salary for Mathnet was very meager, but it was a labor of love, not about the money. And PBS/CTW had the wisdom at that time to shoot it on hiatus. [Hiatus is a rest period in between the shooting seasons of the industry.] I made enough money in the other seasons to cover all of my expenses and my bills, and during the hiatus, I was able to afford to work on Mathnet. Initially, Mathnet was shot in LA, and when they did it in New York, CTW/PBS covered the travel and modest living quarters. Covering those travel expenses is industry standard, by the way, and routinely practiced by every major studio and production house.
It was no secret that my agents didn’t make a good commission on this gig, and pressured me to move on, but I really enjoyed doing the show and continued in spite of that. However, the deal that was presented to me by CTW/PBS the last year was drastically different - the shooting schedule was going to be moved into pilot season, which would effectively take me out of the market during a highly lucrative time. Furthermore, in those days, you were exclusively tied by contract to a show: you had to be available at all times and you couldn’t do anything else. So I would not have had the ability to appear on any other shows (shows that paid my rent and bills). The other huge surprise was that they wanted me to literally move to New York to be considered a “local hire” - then they wouldn’t have to pay for my airfare, or housing, or per diem to eat. When all was said and done, my choices were to either leave my husband and newborn completely behind in California ⎯ or take them with me and effectively cut off two sources of income (his and mine). Now, it comes down to math! After taxes and commissions to a teeny weeny salary, it left me with about 200 bucks a week. Can any single person live in New York on $200 a week? Impossible. We explained the situation in contract negotiations over and over again. I was willing to take the part, and I was even willing to take the money, but there had to be some kind of compromise that would allow me to afford to do it. If they kept the traditional shooting schedule at hiatus, for instance, I doubt there would have been a problem ⎯ I’d have taken it in a heartbeat. But there wasn’t any compromise; they wouldn’t even pay for the plane ticket – totally contrary to industry standards. And we all know what happened next. It was very, very hard phone call. I didn’t allow my agent to do it, I handled it personally. The producer and I both cried on the phone. I loved those people, and I had a really hard time stepping away. But CTW/PBS headquarters did what they had to do to meet their budget, and I did what I had to do to meet mine. Now, it’s been 20 years, water under the bridge. I don’t have any hard feelings about it at all, and I’m sure they don’t either.
The salary for Mathnet was very meager, but it was a labor of love, not about the money. And PBS/CTW had the wisdom at that time to shoot it on hiatus. [Hiatus is a rest period in between the shooting seasons of the industry.] I made enough money in the other seasons to cover all of my expenses and my bills, and during the hiatus, I was able to afford to work on Mathnet. Initially, Mathnet was shot in LA, and when they did it in New York, CTW/PBS covered the travel and modest living quarters. Covering those travel expenses is industry standard, by the way, and routinely practiced by every major studio and production house.
It was no secret that my agents didn’t make a good commission on this gig, and pressured me to move on, but I really enjoyed doing the show and continued in spite of that. However, the deal that was presented to me by CTW/PBS the last year was drastically different - the shooting schedule was going to be moved into pilot season, which would effectively take me out of the market during a highly lucrative time. Furthermore, in those days, you were exclusively tied by contract to a show: you had to be available at all times and you couldn’t do anything else. So I would not have had the ability to appear on any other shows (shows that paid my rent and bills). The other huge surprise was that they wanted me to literally move to New York to be considered a “local hire” - then they wouldn’t have to pay for my airfare, or housing, or per diem to eat. When all was said and done, my choices were to either leave my husband and newborn completely behind in California ⎯ or take them with me and effectively cut off two sources of income (his and mine). Now, it comes down to math! After taxes and commissions to a teeny weeny salary, it left me with about 200 bucks a week. Can any single person live in New York on $200 a week? Impossible. We explained the situation in contract negotiations over and over again. I was willing to take the part, and I was even willing to take the money, but there had to be some kind of compromise that would allow me to afford to do it. If they kept the traditional shooting schedule at hiatus, for instance, I doubt there would have been a problem ⎯ I’d have taken it in a heartbeat. But there wasn’t any compromise; they wouldn’t even pay for the plane ticket – totally contrary to industry standards. And we all know what happened next. It was very, very hard phone call. I didn’t allow my agent to do it, I handled it personally. The producer and I both cried on the phone. I loved those people, and I had a really hard time stepping away. But CTW/PBS headquarters did what they had to do to meet their budget, and I did what I had to do to meet mine. Now, it’s been 20 years, water under the bridge. I don’t have any hard feelings about it at all, and I’m sure they don’t either.
#6. One of Mathnet’s trademarks was that Kate and
George carried their calculators in holsters. After your time on the show
ended, did you get to keep them or your Mathnet badge?
Yes. Props gave me
the badge as a parting gift. I have the
badge in the special chest where I store all my precious memories.
#7. Between acting, coaching, and writing, you’ve
got a lot going on. What can you tell us about your current projects?
Still pounding pavement as an actor, but I’m a classic
actor and superstitious about divulging titles to specific projects. It jinx’
the audition. I’m blessed to have
terrific agents, both theatrically and commercially. A lot of women my age sometimes stall out,
but I’ve already renewed contracts and it feels good to still keep showing up
and being allowed to use the gifts my higher power has so graciously given
me. I try to remember that when my ego
gets petulant. I currently work every
week with a great actors/writers lab, The Actors Gym, run by Academy Award
Winning writer/director, Bobby Moresco.
It’s a great group of highly skilled professionals and we develop new
screenplays and television pilots, and workshop the occasional stage play -
very invigorating. Lately, I’ve been
auditioning again for musical theatre which is a total surprise. I’d had a series of shoulder surgeries the
last few years and had literally stepped out of that very rigorous type of
production. But, I’m back, and who knew
I still had singing chops? As things
slow down for the holidays, I stay busy doing staged readings for other writers
– will be doing one this Friday, actually – an interesting film noir piece set
in the South. My husband, actor
Christian Meoli, runs a rather successful venue called The Arena Cinema in
Hollywood, giving independent film makers a chance to give their film a
theatrical release. He’s the face and the brains of the operation, but I assist
with the business aspects to keep the wheels running smoothly. Yes, it involves MATH.
#8. What piece of life advice would you like to
share?
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s – ‘It’s Never Too Late’
“For what it’s worth: it’s never too late, or in my case, too early
to be whoever you want to be. There’s no
time limit, stop whenever you want. You
can change or stay the same; there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle
you. I hope you feel things you’ve never
felt before. I hope you meet people with
a different point of view. I hope you
live a life you’re proud of. If you find
that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.”
~ AND ~ I think #6
and #10 below are the most potent for me
personally.
‘THE TEN RULES OF SHOW BIZ’
1. Take
the money …
2. Eat
when you can …
3. Nothing
is in the bag, so keep your day job.
4. Never
screw the stage manager.
5. Never
turn your back on a producer.
6.
Leave
yourself alone, and work to be better.
7. Never
share a vast idea with a half vast person.
8. Never
forget what they’ve done to you, but never show you remember.
9. Never
underestimate the bad taste of the artistically pretentious.
10. Fame is what others give
you. Success is what you give yourself.
Be sure to check out some of Beverly Leech's links:
"Actor Muscle: Craft. Grit. Wit. A Professional Guide
to the Business of Acting" 2014 edition available in print
at Amazon.
"The Nuts and Bolts: Audition Technique for
Television & Film" MP3 Download at CD Baby. Now on
shelves at Samuel French/LA, Drama Book Shop/NYC, and
Skylight Books.
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