Saturday, October 5, 2013

Interview with Ami Dolenz

Earlier this week, I had the chance to talk with Ami Dolenz. Her father is Monkee member Mickey Dolenz, but she's made a nice career for herself as an actress, in films such as She's Out of Control (1989), and a writer, with her recently published book, Harold and Agatha: The Mysterious Jewel. Fans can also find out about her upcoming projects on her website.





1. Ami, I’ll start with a question I’m sure you’ve been asked multiple times. What was it like growing up as the daughter of one of the Monkees?

-(laughs) if I had a nickel for every time..(laughs). My dad was a great dad. To me, it didn’t really seem different at all because it was just my dad. I remember Alice Cooper being around all the time because he was a next door neighbor. My dad was very loving, wonderful and funny. His sense of humor is one of the things I remember growing up.

2. At what point did you decide that you wanted to become an actress?

-I was probably in high school. When I was really little I wanted to but I didn’t pursue it. In high school, I started doing plays and got an agent. Now I’m in art school to pursue another profession.

3. Your company, KidPix Productions, stages birthday parties for children like movie shoots. Where did the idea for that come from?

-We decided to get rid of that company when we moved to Vancouver. It was a great company but was a lot of hard work. We had other avenues we wanted to explore. It was the combination of my husband, myself and my father. To tell you the truth, it came from a dinner conversation one night. I don’t remember who brought it up because it was a long time ago. I just remember putting it all together and coming up with ideas, like doing the makeup and hair, and yelling ‘Action!.’ We had to film in sequence, unlike an actual movie shoot. That made it more like a play.

4. Do you have a favorite of the TV or movie appearances you’ve done?

-I guess I’d say, for different reasons, I loved She’s Out of Control because I loved working with Tony Danza, and it was a fun character to play. It was like playing 2 characters, going from being an ugly duckling to someone who’s more confident. I also loved playing a genie (in Miracle Beach) because it was fantasy. General Hospital taught me so much and I love the people on that show. That was the first thing I did. I also love the scary movies I did because I love scary movies.

But I’d say She’s Out of Control sticks out because of the poster with me and Tony Danza.

5. Do you have a favorite co-star? Who would you like to work with?

-Tony Danza, but there are so many I’m trying to remember the names (laughs). I can’t think of one person I didn’t like working with. I really think I go into doing something with the intention of being a team effort.

6. You recently had a children’s book, Harold and Agatha: The Mysterious Jewel, published. What was the inspiration for that story?

-When I was about 7-8 I would spent summers with my dad in England. He’d always start off with a Harold & Agatha story. We never wrote anything down but I started loving these stories. He’d finish each story by the time I returned to the airport. I remember certain names & ideas. The story itself, though, is pretty much mine because we couldn’t remember much from what he told (laughs). I dedicated it to my daddy.

7. Do you plan to write other books?

-I’m working on a picture book with my dad now, & I’ll probably work on another Harold and Agatha story. Right now, I’m studying art at Emily Carr School in Vancouver. I wanted to be a cartoonist before I became an actress.

8. You also taught acting classes for children. What was that like?

-I loved it. I loved working with the kids. They were so much fun and I learned about acting from them, as well. We did KidPix after that. I might go back to teaching kids acting one day.

9. Your husband, Jerry Trimble, is also in show business. Do the two of you plan to work together on a movie?

-We did work on a movie called Shogun Cop. I played a bit part. It was before we married. If something comes up, we’d definitely love to work together. He’s doing youth motivational speaking. I’ve been helping him with that. We met in acting class so we had those scenes with each other.

10. Do you have any future movie or TV appearances in the works?

-Not really that I can discuss right now. But we’ll have to see. Keep your fingers crossed (laughs).

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