NOTE: This interview with Udana was conducted Spring, 2015. In this installment, publicist Bill Murphy (BM) and multi-talented Udana Power (UP), discuss Udana’s career from Knot’s Landing (1979-1993) up to the present day.
BM: Let’s talk about Knots Landing, 1990. You played a servant in an episode called, “Side by Side.” What do you remember about Knots Landing?
UP: Wow! I can’t remember a whole lot, actually. It wasn’t a big deal, it wasn’t a big role. There was one day maybe two days, I can’t remember, I just remember that I did it.
BM: Let’s see, yeah, in that episode, Servant. I wouldn’t imagine would be a terribly important role in your career. [Both laugh.]
UP: No, not a big one, no. Two days pay. The interesting thing about this profession is that there are wonderful actors who got into acting because the LOVE to act. Not just love to act, they devote their lives to the profession. They don’t care about money. It’s a passion. A calling. And the wake-up call is that they have to also make a living. That doesn’t matter much when you’re young. When you are young, everything is possible and you’re willing to do anything it takes to be one of the chosen 3% who make a living as actors, sleep on the floor, eat a half an apple a day, whatever. Then life happens along the way and if you are not subsidized by wealthy parents or a rich spouse, you learn that you have to make money. That’s a very rude awakening. That’s why I encourage actors and filmmakers of all kinds to become financially solvent and responsible at the very beginning. Before you come to Hollywood, have a business in place that will give you the flexibility and financial freedom to go on auditions as a profession – because, let’s face it, going on auditions is the actors’ life here in Los Angeles. Just getting the auditions and going on the auditions is all that you can be proactive about. Getting the job and doing the job are just the icing on the cake. So I work with actors and filmmakers to show them how to create that residual income on the side so that they are freed up to actually concentrate on their work, rather than stress about how to pay the bills. It’s important. Because when you go into an audition when you’re broke…well, it shows. You need to have a stable foundation to play in the A-Game here.
BM: Well, let’s go to the next one then. In Life Goes On you played in two episodes as a character named Kathy Gutman.
UP: Yes, that was wonderful. We spent about two weeks on that. It was at least two weeks – lots of overtime. Patti LuPone was the star and we were out on the back lot at Warner Brothers in Burbank playing neighborhood football. We were just a bunch of husbands and wives out in the park playing. My husband was playing on the opposing team and he pretended to get a heart attack. When he fell down clutching the ball, everyone panicked and ran over to him and then he jumped up and ran across the goal. It was only a trick. So later in the game he had a real heart attack and Continue reading
