The biggest advice I can give loved ones who are supporting someone navigating a newly diagnosed mental illness is patience, patience, and patience.
Madchen Amick
Back in the mid '90s, I went to a film festival, and they were airing 'Central Park West' at the same time as this cute little romantic comedy movie called 'French Exit,' and I got to go from one theater where I was goofy, falling over myself, to this kind of evil vixen kind of character.
I've paid my dues. It wasn't overnight success. I went to tons of casting calls and auditions... But I've got to give luck some credit.
I really like supernatural stories, but, to me, 'Witches of East End' is really grounded. It's not just going for the magic tricks and keeping it superficial and action-y.
Yeah - I wanna be the sister to Khaleesi in 'Game of Thrones.' I wanna be a dragon lady; that would be really fun!
The whole concept of witches was that women were speaking up for themselves and fighting for their rights. The whole concept of witchcraft came into play to hold down women and women's empowerment.
Most executives are male, so it's always sort of their vision of stuff. I'm constantly fighting against that even when I play the wife or the girlfriend or the best friend. I always try my hardest to bring as much layering in and not make things stereotypical, but it's hard.
It's just unfortunate that a network only makes their profit off of live viewership because their hands are tied by advertisers. They may believe in the show and want it to continue, but they just unfortunately can't afford it.
I worry that when educational counselors and teachers call in families with concerns about a child having a learning disability, we aren't always looking at the complete picture.
It's odd to grow up in a gaming town because... we know all of the tricks that are going on behind the scenes.
When I was just starting out, I had two choices: I could be the beautiful girl on the main man's arm as decoration, or I would have to do a little independent movie to get any depth in the female character.
'Witches of East End' is certainly wild, and so are a lot of other shows these days. But 'Twin Peaks' still holds the gold medal for strange. I think we'll hang onto that for all of TV eternity!
Slowly but surely, we have much better female roles to play and to choose from.
Once I had left 'Twin Peaks' and started doing other shows and other movies, I kept running into, 'No, no, we can't do it this way. This is the way it has to happen.' I'm like, 'No. I've already done it, and it worked, so I don't understand what you're saying.'
It is possible and very common to overcome and manage a mental illness.
I'm representing the single women out there, dating around, trying to find the right guy who respects you and appreciates you. Maybe I'll settle down somewhere. Gotta keep looking.
You just have to enjoy what you're doing. You just never know how people are going to receive it.
I thought Beverly Hills was a gated community. I always drove around Beverly Hills because I thought that there's a guard that was going to stop me.
I know 'Vikings' isn't really based in magic, but it goes back to Old World spirituality and different religions, and a lot of voodoo.
I do love that witches haven't really been explored that much. Usually, witches are the little side character... a bad female character that comes in and leaves.
I've worked with a lot of really great actors, but it's not very often that you all bond so easily.
Everybody loves vampire stories, and if there's one show in particular that's done really well, it just opens the door and the opportunity for more of those kind of stories to get through.
I really loved 'Witches of Eastwick', the movie with Michelle Pfeiffer and Jack Nicholson and Cher.
My first introduction to television, and really just the business in general, was working with David Lynch, with his incredibly open, creative mind that was not following any rules.
I think the amazing thing about 'Twin Peaks' was that it completely changed television from that point forward.
I knew David Lynch going to television was going to be something. It was either going to not work, nobody was going to get it and it would disappear, or it was going to be something special and really stand out.
In the same way that our school system feels strongly about requiring vaccinations and annual physicals, I feel strongly that it is essential to add a mental health component to that annual physical.
When I first got to L.A., I thought every person in a limo was a star.
I wanted to be ballerina, be in a band, then in drama.
It's great to have female characters that have depth that you can explore instead of being the decoration or the girlfriend or the wife.
Usually, witches are the little side character... a bad female character that comes in and leaves.
For the most part, it's a very male-dominated business. Most executives are male, so it's always sort of their vision of stuff. I'm constantly fighting against that, even when I play the wife or the girlfriend or the best friend. I always try my hardest to bring as much layering in and not make things stereotypical, but it's hard.
My first introduction to television, and really just the business in general, was working with David Lynch, with his incredibly open, creative mind that was not following any rules. I didn't know it, because I hadn't been in the business.
'Twin Peaks' was huge. I mean, it changed television; it was a huge hit, and it only went a season and a half. So that teaches you immediately that you just enjoy it for the time that you do it.
People just don't sit down and watch shows live anymore. They DVR it. They stream it; they watch it on Netflix or iTunes.
It's amazing that we have lead females on television and a couple of them over 40. Thank you very much. And being beautiful and strong and sexy and everything that you hope for.
I think the amazing thing about 'Twin Peaks' was that it completely changed television from that point forward. It showed everyone that you can just sit really quiet with storylines and characters. It can be scary, it can be uncomfortable, it can be weirdly funny.
It's not very often that you get to come up with ideas and bring your take on the character and then actually have writers, producers, and directors pay attention to it.
I am lucky enough to be married to a personal trainer. He's able to whip me into shape pretty quickly.
I have played a lot of roles in my career where I'm the sexual interest. I'm always having to fight that.
I am so lucky that throughout my career I've been able to play such different characters.
That was the beauty of 'Twin Peaks.' The young people had just as deep of storylines as the older generation in town.
I have a good relationship with Lifetime.
I didn't follow big box office ideas. That eventually led me to witches. It's led me to find interesting roles.
'Twin Peaks' was incredibly slow, methodic, taking shots that were uncomfortably long, with a lot of scenes where there was barely any dialogue. 'Riverdale' has a much faster pace.
The most common thing over the years is, 'What's it like to work with David Lynch?' That's absolutely the fascination, whether it's people that are in the industry or it's just diehard fans. Because he's our modern-day master. We're lucky enough to be alive at the time that an absolute master and genius is working.
We don't have to look back at da Vinci's work and Albert Einstein's work and Mozart's work. We're actually living in the time period that David Lynch is creating his art. We're so lucky.
