Heroes in Business - Dedee Pfeiffer, actor in Big Sky, Falling Down movie, Into The Night

Episode Date: July 6, 2021

Dedee Pfeiffer, actor in Falling Down movie, Into The Night, now in Big Sky, highly anticipated fall premiere of season 2 on ABC is interviewed by David Cogan founder of Eliances and famous celebrity host of The Eliances Heroes Radio Show broadcast on am and fm, syndicated online connect with Dedee on Instagram @dedeepfeifferofficial and www.eliances.com

Up in the sky, look, it's captivating, it's energizing, it's Eliance's Heroes. Eliance's is the destination for entrepreneurs, investors, CEOs, inventors, leaders, celebrities, and startups, where our heroes in business align. Now, here's your host flying in, David Kogan, founder of Eliance's. That's right, and I'm flying in. Why? Because of the opportunity to be able to interview people that are changing the world, that are entertaining others, that are helping others. That's what it's all about. And you know, no matter what, we always learn something from each person. And we all have that gift. And so exciting. And by the way, too,

I so much appreciate it when, right, last week, who did we have in the feedback that we had on? When I interviewed Ed Begley Jr. So that's right. Make sure that you check out alliances.com. That's E-L-I-A-N-C-E-S.com. Why? Because it's the only place where entrepreneurs align. Well, let's get started with our next hero today.

I'm super excited. We have with us Dede Pfeiffer, film and television now in big sky. That's right, big sky thing. Big and sky. The highly anticipated fall premiere of season two on ABC and also too you could reach you could reach DD at DD Pfeiffer official on Instagram we'll also have it on our website at alliances.com so DD what's going on in the sky the big sky talk to us well first thank you for having me on David it's such an honor um and big sky you that's a really good question I'm always the last to know anything that's going on in the Pfeiffer family let alone Big Sky so but I will tell you this I was promised it's going to be an amazing second season we got to remember we got

to keep the bar really high because the first season we had a lot of cliffhangers and a lot going on it's an emotionally charged exciting show with gas stars who come on and then we shoot each other and we shoot them and then they die. And then we start it all over again. I think it's going to be a lot more of that, but a little bit deeper, a little richer, maybe. Getting to know the characters a little bit more, maybe, I think. And talk to us, too, because some people may not know a little bit about the background of Big Sky and what it's about. So for those that may not know, can you just do a brief summary of it?

First, I'm fixing myself because I'm moving because I have to go to Albuquerque because we're filming the second season of Big Sky in Mexico. That's right. This last year we were in Canada and now I'm in LA and I'm packing. So Big Sky is a detective, two gals. The way they meet is

well, the way they work together and they have this mutual guy situation. And anyway, long story short, they turned out to be these amazing detectives. They run after the bad guys, the bad guys run after them. You meet up with some crazy characters in the bowels and the hills of Montana, textured characters. And I'll put it this way, you watch the pilot

and we show you exactly how we play in Big Sky. Nobody is safe. That's really the bottom line. Even Denise, my character. Even I'm not safe. It doesn't matter who my brother-in-law is. It only makes ratings to kill me. You know what?

In fact, let's talk about it. Who is your brother-in-law? Well, last time I checked, it was, well, yeah. David, David E. Kelly. He's the creator, writer, show, he actually was a showrunner. Now we have Elwood. But, yeah, David is my brother-in-law,

and first time we're working together, so that's interesting. It's just, like, crazy weird because he's my brother-in-law. We go fishing, you know, during Thanksgiving. Right, right. So, yeah, how do you, like, how is the dynamics there? And did you have to audition for it? Well, actually, I was finishing my last year of a 10-year, it's supposed to have been a four-year, degree.

I went for my Master's of Social Work, Bachelor's in Psych. I was finishing my last year to be 10 years, David. Oh, my God, I had no idea what I was doing the whole academic time. And he texted me out of nowhere saying, hey, I have this role for you. Are you still acting? And I was like, huh? First of all, he never texts me. I didn't know he had my number. I only see him on holidays. So I was like, Oh my God. Yes. The answer was of course. Yes, yes, yes, yes. E E E S S S. Um, because really I was about to graduate and launch into the world as a social

worker. And I had no idea how it's going to financially support my boys on that salary in LA so that was a lifeline that he had no idea he threw me big time so yeah because that's the thing you took about what 10 years off from acting what made you just at that point decide to leave and and go and get your education um well really I never wanted an education. I just wanted to help people on a larger level than just all the volunteer work that I did. I also was a little frustrated with the industry at that time. I felt like it wasn't very kind to women in the sense that, you know,

guys could grow old and get all, like, chubby and gray and wrinkles, and they were somehow sexier and more employable, if that's a good word. And we tried that shit, and we were, likeier and more employable if that's a good word and we tried that shit and we were like in the unemployment line right and I'm raising two boys on my own thinking what kind of message am I sending to them um so there was that I also started really noticing a lot of social welfare issues that were really bothering me and I've always really cared about people and animals and just love and light in general. So I thought I would take a break and go get one of those things called a degree, not having a clue that I had learning

disabilities. I didn't know what I was doing. So 10 years later, I got a degree. Wow. And then you end up again, getting a text from your brother-in-law. And I mean, so who would have ever thought who would have ever known I mean you couldn't have predicted this was going to happen no not in a thousand years it was just and I called my sister shell and I was like David I think he just offered me a role which by the way let me back up a minute I did have to read for the network and the producers and the casting director because no one had seen me in 10 years right so I of like just, I disappeared and I was on it. And I went to community college route by the way, which is fantastic.

I love myself some community colleges. They really helped me every single pretty thermal professors who now produces them for professors. And she was like, I know, I know. And I wanted to tell you about a month ago, but I couldn't. And so it was just really exciting. I think that the mother earth just shifted to kind of say, let's help this mama out a little bit. And it really, really did. Yeah. Oh, that's awesome. Awesome. And again,

you know, you're watching, listening to me, David Kogan, host of the alliances hero show, make sure you go to alliances.com. That's E-L-I-A-N-C-E-S.com. We have with us Dede Pfeiffer, film and television now in Big Sky. So make sure that you check it out, season two on ABC. And you could reach her by going to at Dede Pfeiffer official on Instagram. In fact, Dede, you mentioned someone by the name of Michelle. Yeah. Michelle Pfeiffer.

What's the relation there? Last time I checked, she was my sister. And we were talking about hair color, but I just went really red. And, yeah, she's my sister. Now, DeeDee, you've been involved in TV and film. In fact, what, you were with Falling Down with Michael Douglas? Okay, yeah. Yeah, right?

That was a crazy story. Michael Douglas? Okay, yeah. Yeah, right. That was a crazy story. David, I went to go read for Jill Schumacher for a series called Malibu 2000. He really liked me, and I didn't get it because this girl named Drew Barrymore got it at the time. Drew, Patricia Arquette, all of those chicks were always getting roles over me. So he said, listen, you're not going to get this role, but I'm going to give you the small role in this film I'm doing. I think you can probably do something fun with it. And I was like, okay.

So when I realized it was with Michael Douglas and Robert Duvall and all these amazing actors, Robert Hershey, I was like, oh, my God. And then I went to the wardrobe fitting. I had it scored. I was going to be this sexy whammy burger girl who was waiting for her Clyde. And she thought she was Bonnie. She was waiting for Clyde. And I went to the wardrobe and they put this hamburger on my head. What? Dude,

yeah, with this little thing. I'm Sheila with this little bouncy, like, and I thought, I'm finally going to be in a huge film with a huge, amazing, gorgeous star. And I got a hamburger on my flipping head. So coming from the way that I was taught how to act, I was like, ooh, I'm going to

work that hamburger on my head like no one's ever seen before. Right, right. Really crazy, fun scene because of the way I was taught how to act. There's no such thing as a small role, only small actors. So I really filled her up with a lot of internal work where she was just bonny and frustrated and thought she was all that and a bag of chips. And then when Michael comes in with a gun, she's like, ah, my hero. Right, and what an intense movie in that.

I mean, that just, I want to go back to Big Sky. So Big Sky wasn't, it's set in Montana, but it wasn't filmed in Montana? You know, we were all over. When we first started, we were in New Mexico. And then the pandemic happened. We had literally barely one day, not even really one day of shooting in. I came home real quick to get my boys all settled in to go back to New Mexico. And then everyone was saying, DeeDee, when you get back, buy toilet paper, get toilet paper. People are

hoarded. And I'm like, what are you talking about? What is a pandemic? What? I'm looking it up in, you know, Wikipedia. And when I came home, yeah, it was scary. And I literally came home when the whole town was hoarding toilet paper. I'm emotionally scarred. I always tell the story about going to Costco. I got to our labor, but it was a very scary experience. And we shut down. Bam.

Everyone went home. And then we, like everybody else, we went into lockdown. Then when we resurfaced, we went to Canada, did our whole season there, which was very interesting shooting with the pandemic. It was a completely different way of shooting, completely different way of shooting. Then we came home now, had a little rest, and now we're going back to New Mexico.

So Big Sky is a journey just to watch the show, and the making of Big Sky has been a journey. Right. And the thing is, is now going back to hopefully where things now are more open. I mean, you just kind of started getting adjusted to where how things were, you know, with everything going on and all the restrictions and that. Now going back to it. I mean, that's got to kind of be a mind trip. You're getting into one, then getting into the other.

It's crazy because everyone's, oh, how is it to work with so-and-so or so-and-so? And I'm like, I'll be honest with you, unless they were in the scene with me, I never met them. And I never met three and I never met more three-quarters of the crew and the little bit of the skeleton crew that did actually able to work in the a bubble which are those of us without masks um we were we were literally diligently tested twice a week whether you work or not constantly being tested constantly um your nose gets a little sore after I'm all yeah but you do it and so there is a flood of people that I would not ever even know that I was in the show with them had I not watched the show myself.

Right. Or in a random, maybe we did a round table on a Zoom. But really interesting, because usually you know everybody you work with. I don't even know the crew unless they had a mask on. If they didn't have a mask on, I wouldn't know who they were. This is crazy. You have to find other clever ways to bond with your cast. That is for sure.

You've been blessed with great success and also, too, with children that you have. What kind of secrets can you share with children that want to get into the field of acting, want to be able to have various roles across the board and be able to be on something like on ABC like you're on now and that, which has just really taken off called Big Sky. Again, make sure you check it out, Big Sky. What kind of secrets can you share with them about being able to one even get into it I always say the same

answer exactly what my sister told me when I told her when I was 18 at that point I had worked since I was like 10 or something yes child labor was very popular back there and when I grew up um and when I was 18 she was doing Scarface and I said I think I want to try this thing called acting and she's like well get your butt into a really good acting workshop. Period. Period. Don't look at headshots. Don't look at agents.

Don't look at any of that stuff. Just make sure that this is something you want to do. So I went into an acting workshop and I realized I sucked really bad. And to this day, I kind of still feel like I'm not sure why people keep hiring me. It's imposter syndrome, right? But the one thing I did was I studied for two years before I even looked for an agent and got a headshot. I think I would recommend that if you don't have the money for a workshop, then I would go to a community college, just see if acting itself is something

you're passionate about. And the reason why I say that it's because it's a very competitive industry, less than 1% of actors are working at any given time. Right? So hearing the word no, actors are working at any given time, right? So hearing the word no, you're going to hear it a lot more than you're going to hear yes, right? So if your value revolves around getting the role, then you're going to have some self-esteem issues for sure, right? So I would also add doing other things that you're passionate about. I'm passionate about volunteer work. And also, anything that you do that's away from your acting that involves you in the world is only a plus, will also enrich

your ability to act. Because you want to call upon natural, organic moments, right? In a scene that you saw or you went through. But if you're going through life like this with resistance, look at what you see. It's all convoluted. If you going through life like this with resistance look at look at what you see it's all convoluted if you go through life like this curious look you see everything right

you go through life with curiosity not resistance you you get more and then you're able to pull that back into your performance and also just enriches your life and your soul right so i yeah absolutely and uh i think it's important again to for our listeners viewers to know you've been in movies with george clooney besides michael douglas george clooney kiana reeves jeff goldman and and others and stuff what surprised you most about some of these people well they george and i dated before we did a movie together so I kind of knew that's what it is well George George we all were running around we all were running around back in the day you know all these huge stars now we used to you were trudging and like when I was a good kisser yeah come on you know our listeners want to know this entail and

he's married to that's a little like Petey. Let's just say I was never disappointed. Fair enough. No, George is great. I can't say enough really good things about George. He's a fantastic man. I'm sure he's going to be a fantastic father now because I hear he's got kids.

Oh my God, what was the question? I just had a total brain fart. What surprised you most about maybe one in particular or about them Surprises me nothing really surprises me because really Celebrities are no different really than the common person other than their lives You're certainly different if you're high caliber actor right people like my sister and the Georges you live a pretty isolated life When you go out your life is now

Mike you my people are micromanaging every single thing you do so you either become very aware of that and you start changing your persona right you put out who you want them to see versus maybe who you are a little more self-conscious but otherwise i'd say everyone i worked with they're just people with the same problem. Everything is out there for everybody to see, judge, be either jealous of or envious of or hate them for their politics or whatever. I don't know. Yeah. That's why I just try to stay in my lane, you know. Right.

Well, awesome. Awesome advice. Awesome and everything. And I got to tell you, D.D. Pfeiffer, you're an inspiration to women in Hollywood and entertainment. That's a hero making the mark. Check her out in Big Sky on ABC. Big Sky. And you can reach her directly on Instagram by going to at Ddpfeiferofficial. This has been David Kogan with the Alliance's Hero Show.