The Battlestar Galactica Fan Club had the opportunity to catch up with Kathy Coleman & talk to her a little bit about her life & career and explore some interesting aspects that were brought out in our chat.
The added benefit is that Kathy is a truly wonderful & open person and really interested in sharing with all of you.
Let's check in with Kathy...
Shawn :So Kathy, what prompted you to get into show business in the first place?
Kathy: It wasn't so much my idea, but my Mothers.
When I was young I was very outgoing and people would stop my Mother on the street and tell her that I should be in show business.
It wasn't much of a stretch for me because I liked to perform for people and show them a range of emotions, from laughter to crying.
Pretty much that's it.
Shawn ;What were the circumstances of your first acting job?
Kathy: It was a commercial for Shakey's Pizza.
They were looking for a Goldilocks to go along with their three bears.
Probably 100 girls tried out for the part and then it got down to myself and Melissa Gilbert!
If you look at the the commercial on youtube, you'll see why I got it.
Shawn: How did you you get the part on Land of the Lost as Holly Marshall?
Kathy: Many, many auditions and call backs...7 to be exact.
The network had to approve of me and on down the line (Producers, Directors etc).
I really wanted to land a series.
My Mother and I had a deal that if I ever got a series, I could have a pony.
I got the series, she stayed true to her word and my pony "Comanche" came into my life.
Yeah!
Shawn: What were Spencer Milligan (Rick Marshall) & Wesley Eure (Will Marshall) like to work with?
Kathy: Great!
Just like a real family.
Although I had never had a Father, nor a Brother that age.
My siblings were much older than I and had a different Father.
Shawn: After the show what parts did you get?
Kathy: Not a lot...commercials mostly.
I had grown at a normal rate and they could get actors that were 18 to play 15 year olds, so having me on the set was not only expensive, but the time frame of how long they could work me played a factor as well.
3 hours of school a day and all.
Shawn: Was it difficult as a child actor to make the transition to older roles?
Kathy: No, that wasn't the problem.
But by the time I'd turned 18 I was already married and started having babies.
Married into the Bell family (Bel-Air) and moved to Fallon Nevada to work on the family farm...5 thousand gallons of milk produced daily and 12 Thousand hogs a year!
It was a state of the art farm...a multi-million dollar operation.
Shawn: Did you feel like you were being pushed to do more Saturday or Sci-Fi/Fantasy?
Kathy: No, I was never asked to do more children's television or Sci-Fi.
I don't believe I was ever typecast.
Take out the braids and I could have portrayed any normal teenager, problems and all.
Shawn: Were you interested in exploring more dramatic roles?
Kathy: Yes, if I had stayed in the business that's exactly what I would have liked to have done.
Shawn: In the years since the show went off the air and between acting jobs, what have you been up to?
Kathy: Lot's of exploring...my childhood was very controlled, so for many years I enjoyed being out of control.
For instance the different places I lived and the adventures I went on...Mexico being one of them.
Shawn: Do you have any special projects under way?
Kathy: My book!
I've been working on it for about 7 years, at times putting it down for months at at time.
I'm also in the process of living alone for the first time in my life.
It's pretty weird, but I'm having fun with it.
Totally self reliant and broke sometimes, compared to always having had plenty of money and no worries in that department.
However the part I'm really loving about this experience is that I only answer to myself!
VERY COOL FEELING!!! The Cover of Kathy's book "The Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth"
Shawn: Speaking of projects...the re-make of Land of the Lost with Will Ferrell, it could have gone many directions but they chose to spoof it and go in a comedic direction, what was your take on that?
Kathy: It wasn't Land of the Lost...period!
Shawn: Both you and Wesley Eure had cameo appearances in the film that didn't make the final cut, what was your reaction to that?
Kathy: Bummed at first, but after seeing the film and the reaction from the fans, I felt pretty good not to be a part of that bomb!
Ha Ha!
Shawn: Have you wanted to become more active in television & film again?
Kathy: Absolutely...I'd love to find a great director to work with and explore the range of my depths and talent.
Just one juicy role!
Shawn: You do some interesting art work, very aboriginal in style, what's your inspiration to do this besides the style?
Kathy: My Mother is Australian...so that's a big part of it.
But the art part fell out of the sky, just woke up one day and had a desire to study these incredible people after reading hundreds of books!
The art just came out of me, I love doing it.
It takes me to a really great freeing place in my soul.
Shawn: We were talking about your book...is this simply covering the Land of the Lost or is it more autobiographical with that being part of the story?
Kathy: Exactly.
My life has been like a snow storm. The damaged photo cover reflects that storm. the book follows the weather pattern of my journey.
Of course, Land of the Lost being part of that.
Shawn: Insofar as Land of the Lost is concerned, or any TV show for that matter, people usually don't know what's going on behind the lights & cameras.
So is this going to be a tell all kind of thing?
Kathy: But of course!
Shawn: What do you see for yourself and where do you want to go professionally?
Kathy: I see myself content and blessed in whatever comes my way.
I would love to have a role someday...acting or otherwise....where I could stand naked so to speak and turn slowly & get to that place of true honesty.
Shawn: A word of advice for anyone who wants to get into the acting gig?
Kathy: Always go for what you want in life and don't walk away from your dreams or live kicking yourself for not trying.
It's like any other choice you make in life, some parts of the the business are great and some just aren't!
Ha ha I remember those Sleestack Reptilians. It was funny because, they moved sooo slow you could throw rocks at em while walking backwards, yet characters/the lost family, used to run like hell. :-))
I loved this show growing up, and never missed an episode.
I LOVED Land Of The Lost when I was a wee laddie! Aye! IN FACT...My parents were deathly afraid I would ride a raft into a cave and die horribly in some waterfalls or something trying to get there!!!! This brings back memories! Oh...Watch out for Sleestacks, T-Rex, and any other pre-historic critters! So say we all! :o)
PS...I STILL want a pet T-Rex, and my birthday's not far off...I'm just saying...
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