MiraclesHQ: How long have you been in the business? Have you always wanted to be an actor?
Benita: I have been in the business of performing my whole life. However, my TV/film career has just begun to blossom in the last 2 years.
I’ve spent the last 20 years as a singer. I got a BA in Music from Cal State L.A., and I have sung in many Equity houses in the United States . In July I’ll be touring to Napa with the acclaimed Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company, Opera a la Carte.
I have always wanted to be a performer. I used to entertain my family with my impressions of Carol Burnett, waddling in the park with her knee-high stockings around her ankles calling, “Here, pidgey, pidgey.” There was never anything else I wanted to be or do.
What is your training or background? And did you have to learn anything fun or offbeat that viewers should know about, like swordfighting, combat training, juggling, singing, dance, specific accents, etc.?
After high school I went to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasadena . I studied Musical Theatre, Acting and Dance. After that, I went to Pasadena City College and majored in theatre and English. Eventually I ended up at Cal State L.A., studying opera.
Are you drawn to any specific role type or particular genre?
Well, like most actresses, I think, I am drawn to the dramatic, tragic roles. I’d love to play Medea. However, I’m pretty funny and quirky so I often play those kinds of roles.
Which actors do you admire most for their craft?
I’m no spring chicken, so I remember the “good ole days” of actors. You know, they weren’t 20, they weren’t perfect, and they certainly weren’t a size 2.
So, I admire Jessica Lange in everything, Glenn Close, Meryl Streep and of course Bette Midler in The Rose. I also love Whoopi Goldberg, especially in The Color Purple. To me, those are real actresses, who weren’t afraid of being gritty or not looking gorgeous for a moment. Oh, and I can’t forget Sally Field and Sissy Spacek.
How did you get this role? Did you have to audition and if so, how did you discover you had the part?
I had to audition for the role of Gretchen Albright. However, I did have some help. Richard and I went to high school together and have been very close friends ever since. Our children were born 3 days apart and we were in each other’s weddings, etc. And when he told me about “Miracles,” I expressed an interest in being involved. However, Rich had only seen me on stage, never on television and I think he was a bit wary to mix friendship with business. Plus this was a huge project for him and I think you lose credibility when you immediately start hiring all your high school friends.
So time passed, and my agent kept submitting me for the show, and then one day I just called Rich up and said, “Look, is this a waste of time? I mean, you don’t see these submissions. Only the casting people do, and they’re never going to call me in. I’m not SAG, I have no TV credits, sure I was amazing in Into the Woods, but who cares.”
Then Rich said, “Well as a matter of fact, there is a role I think you’d be right for, and I told the casting people to call you in for an audition, so you should be hearing something soon.” I was elated but skeptical. You know, there are so many steps to getting a role -- the audition is just the beginning, then there are callbacks, producer calls, etc. etc. etc. But they did call me in later that week and on Halloween 2002, I drove to Paramount Studios to audition for Ron Surma.
It was bizarre. It was just Ron and I and a camera in a room the size of a small bathroom. I had memorized my lines, Ron read with me and it was over. I was disappointed Rich wasn’t there. I figured this was a bad sign and my chances were slim that I’d even get a call back without Rich’s help. I called my agent as soon as I left the building and she said, “Call your friend. Ask him why he wasn’t there. He’s your friend, right?”
So, I called Rich on his cell and said, “Where were you?” He said he’d had every intention of being there but he got held up in a production meeting. Not to worry. The tape would be messengered over today or tomorrow and he’d let me know. Then he got a very serious tone and he said, “Look Benita, I’ve already told Bill (the director) that you’re my friend. But I also told him that if he has any reservations at all or if he sees someone he likes better then he should go with that. I can find something else for you later.” I was really disappointed. I thought, “Why isn’t my friend pushing for me? Why is he just giving up so easily? So I mentally prepared myself for not getting the role and rushed off to the airport to pick up visiting family. That night, around 7:30 , just as we were heading out for trick or treating with the kids, I realized I hadn’t even checked phone messages all day. Being used to live theatre, I also thought it would take a week to 10 days to hear about Miracles.
There was this message from Rich. Again, the very serious, foreboding tone he is so good at. “Hey Benita, this is Rich. Listen, I hate to leave this sort of thing on your answering machine but…get ready to make your ABC television debut, YOU GOT THE PART!!!!”
I couldn’t believe it. I started crying, cheering, jumping up and down. I screamed a lot. My husband and kids rushed into the kitchen and we all whooped and hollered for about 5 minutes. Then I called Rich and he explained that while viewing the audition tapes from that day, Rich had stepped out to go to the restroom. He left Bill D’Elia in the room. When he returned Bill was watching my audition. He said to Rich, “Uh, who’s she?” Rich said sheepishly, “Oh, that’s my friend, Benita, I was telling you about.” Then Bill said, “She’s perfect. Let’s hire her.” And Rich said, “Really, are you sure?” And Bill said, “Yeah, I like her. She’ll be great.”
And so nepotism and luck and hopefully a bit of talent landed me my first television job, not as an extra or an under 5, but as a guest star. Wow, now that’s a way to start a television career!
What was your favorite thing about being on the "Miracles" set?
My favorite part of being on the “Miracles” set? Now, that’s a hard one. The whole thing was one of the happiest days of my life. You have to realize, I’ve done live theatre, musicals, operas for most of my life. In this line of work, you’re on your own. You do your own hair and makeup. No one pampers you and you have to keep your energy up for 6 shows a week, night after night and two shows on Saturday – it’s hard work for minimal pay. Plus singing opera is like being an athlete. You have to sleep a lot, eat well and you certainly can’t do too much drinking or smoking.
But the “Miracles” shoot was like a day at an actor’s spa. I drove up to a church parking lot in Pasadena . There a van was waiting for me to drive me to our location. As we approached, the driver got on a walkie-talkie and said, “I’ve got our actress. Benita Scheckel is here.” Like I was Princess Di or something.
Then I was whisked off to wardrobe where I was not only given my outfit for the day, but since it was raining, I was handed an umbrella and hand warmers for my pockets (I mean, I’d never even heard of hand warmers before).
Then all day, people were holding my umbrella, handing me bottles of water and treating me like I was somebody special. The really amazing part came when we rehearsed our first scene. There I was, just standing on my mark, waiting for my next direction – and then somebody yelled, “First string out, second string in.” and this woman came over and said she was my stand-in and I should go sit in the director’s chair marked “Guest Star” while they set up the shot. Unbelievable.
Then in the makeup trailer, Marissa Ramirez came in, and I was star-struck because I was a huge fan of hers as Gia on “General Hospital.” And it all just got better and better. I got to sing opera with the guy who styled my hair. I sat next to Skeet and ate fabulous food during meals.
However, my favorite thing about being on the “Miracles” set was the moment when I was lying ‘dead’ on the floor as Gretchen, and I opened my eyes to see Richard peering down at me, smiling from ear to ear. He said, “This is the coolest day of my life.”
And then he paused, and after eyeing the fake blood and my black and blue skin, he yelled, “What have I done to my friend?!” It was a great day!
Your impact on the episode "Hand of God" (and on the "Miracles" plotline for the season) was huge. How much rehearsal did you do for your scene?
Thank you for thinking my impact in the episode was huge. In truth, I was disappointed my role was so small. But I think it was a great way to get my feet wet. There was very little rehearsal for my scenes. My sense was that in TV if you get it right quickly then you shoot the scene and move on.
And Blake [Bashoff, http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003942/], the guy who played my killer, was amazing. He had been on tons of TV shows so he was a real pro. He made my scenes very easy to shoot.
Did Rich or anyone else reveal some other story elements or secrets that the audience doesn't yet know?
No, Rich just kept telling me he’d send me a copy of all the episodes as soon as he could. He did say Paul would have a love interest. When we got the DVDs my husband and I watched all 13 episodes that day. We had our own Miracles party.
Was any of your work on the show cut or shortened, that might be interesting to talk about?
No, in fact my role was actually lengthened a bit. I got to come in for a second day of shooting because when Alva was explaining who I was to Paul, they decided they wanted to show me in a flashback. So, that’s when they had me come to the studio in Canoga Park and film the glass bowl breaking in the sink and me cutting my hand and seeing my blood spell out “God is Nowhere.”
Was there anything you drew from your own life that helped you really get into the character of Gretchen?
Sure, lots. First, I’m a mom, so standing at the kitchen sink, doing dishes is second nature to me. Plus, looking worn and haggard is also easy when you’re a busy working mom. I also taught high school English for awhile so it was natural for me to be so trusting of Chad and let him in the door and be so charmed by him.
What was it like to work with Skeet?
Unfortunately, I never got to do anything with Skeet. The only time I saw him was when we were in the makeup trailer together and he was quiet and subdued after an entire day of filming. I wanted to say, “Hi” but I didn’t want to be annoying. He never really looked my way, so I kept a respectful distance.
What did you think of "Miracles" and its dark look and feel? Were you a viewer of the show as well as a participant in it?
I loved “Miracles.” Because Rich is my friend, I was thinking, “What if it’s crap? I can’t tell Rich his show sucks.” But he sent us a copy of the pilot and my husband and I were like, “My God, this is fantastic. There is nothing like this on television.” It was smart, scary and full of heart. It was real. It was not a parade of prepubescent supermodels, pouting and writhing on film. There was no gimmick. It was sophisticated and intelligent. It was like old films in that it was character-driven, inspirational, dealing with universal themes, like Man vs. Man, Man vs. Himself, Man vs. The Gods, Man vs. Nature.
Did you connect with any of the other actors on the show? And do you have any interesting stories to tell us about the other actors, crew and/or the shoot itself?
I connected most with Blake [Bashoff], my “killer.” He was sweet and helpful and he showed me the ropes of my first TV job. I will be forever grateful to him.
What are your own beliefs on hemography? Had you ever heard of it before the show?
I don’t know what I think about hemography. I never quite found out if it is a real phenomenon or if Rich invented it for the show, but I am quite open to inexplicable things happening on a regular basis. I think there’s a lot of energy beyond us that we cannot see but that we definitely perceive.
How did they achieve the "God is Nowhere" effect on the towel?
The “God is Nowhere” effect on the towel was simply done by someone writing it in fake blood and placing it on the counter for the shot. [A loud yelp of disbelief is heard from “Miracles” fans! – Angela] I think I too was hoping there was something more magical about it but it was pretty straightforward.
Looking back, what was your favorite thing about the "Miracles" experience?
I guess my favorite thing about the “Miracles” experience was that my good friend had success and he shared it with me. In this business, unless you’re the child of a celebrity, we have to help each other. There’s a lot of talent and the only way to get in is if someone believes in you.
What new projects will "Miracles" viewers be able to see you in?
Well, on November 5 th 2004, “Miracles” viewers can catch me on the Lifetime network in a show called “What Should You Do?” The show airs at 10 p.m. on Fridays.
In my episode, I play a pregnant mom who goes into labor weeks before her due date and has to deliver her baby on the bathroom floor, at home, with only the help of her 11 year-old son.
I am also currently in production for a television show for a Christian network, called “Believers Among Us.” In it, I also play a mom. I don’t know yet when that will air.
And in July I will tour with an opera company to Napa Valley to sing in Pirates of Penzance.
Our thanks and congratulations to Benita for taking the time to talk to us at MiraclesHQ, and all our best wishes to her in her upcoming performances. If you’re in the Napa Valley area, check out Pirates of Penzance, and don’t miss her appearance on Lifetime’s “What Should You Do?” on Friday, November 5, at 10 p.m.
Copyright © Angela D. Mitchell 2004 and MiraclesHQ.com. All Rights Reserved. No portion of this interview may be republished or quoted without express permission from MiraclesHQ.com.
|
