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Actor Andrew Rannells visits his hometown, Omaha
In exclusive interview, Rannells credits the people who shaped him
LINCOLN. JUST UNDER AN HOUR. WELL, HE’S BEEN ON SCREEN, OFF SCREEN, AND EVEN ON STAGE. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT OMAHA NATIVE ANDREW REYNOLDS AND TALKING WITH ANDREW REYNOLDS. KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN’S JULIE CORNELL SPOKE WITH THE ACTOR ABOUT HIS CAREER HIGHLIGHTS AND FUTURE IN THIS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW. HE’S HAD A CAREER IN THE LIMELIGHT, LASTING MORE THAN 30 YEARS. A VOICE ACTOR, BROADWAY MOVIES. HE’S FROM OMAHA. ANDREW REYNOLDS JOINING US TODAY. WELCOME. HELLO. HI, JULIE. WHAT’S IT LIKE TO BE TO LOOK BACK AT THE HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR CAREER, LIKE SOUTH PARK AND BOOK OF MORMON? WELL, IT’S IT’S A LOT. I MEAN, IT ALL STARTED IN OMAHA AT THE. WHAT WAS THEN THE EMMY GIFFORD CHILDREN’S THEATER THAT MY FAMILY, I GREW UP VERY CLOSE TO THAT THEATER. SO THAT’S WHERE IT REALLY ALL STARTED. AND ALL OF THE VOICEOVER WORK THAT I GOT TO DO WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL IN OMAHA BECAUSE OF BECAUSE OF MY, YOU KNOW, RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE AT THE EMMY GIFFORD, THEY REALLY SET ME ON QUITE, QUITE A STRONG PATH TO HAVE A HAVE A, YOU KNOW, HAVE A CAREER IN THIS BUSINESS, WHICH I DIDN’T REALLY REALIZE AT THE TIME WHEN I WAS A KID, BUT JUST HAVING FUN. YEAH. YEAH, I WAS JUST HAVING FUN. IT WAS FUN. AND, YOU KNOW, I CONTINUED, YOU KNOW, I JUST WAS GOING TO OUR LADY OF LOURDES AND THEN WENT TO CREIGHTON PREP, AND IT WAS ALWAYS JUST SOMETHING I DID, SORT OF FOR FUN. BUT THEN MOVING TO NEW YORK AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, I REALIZED I WAS LIKE, WOW, I REALLY HAVE I HAVE MORE EXPERIENCE THAN I PROBABLY THAN I PROBABLY SHOULD AT THIS POINT, WHICH WAS VERY EXCITING. WELL, YOU MADE THAT HAPPEN. AND I KNOW THAT THERE WERE SOME TOUGH TIMES AND LEAN TIMES. WHAT STRENGTHS DID YOU LEAN ON DURING THOSE TIMES WHEN YOU’RE PERFORMING ARTS JOURNEY? WELL, YES, IT DID TAKE A LONG, LONG TIME. JULIE, FOR MY CAREER TO REALLY, SORT OF TO REALLY SORT OF START. BUT I THINK SOMETHING THAT I, I SORT OF HELD ON TO EARLY ON WAS, WAS SOME ADVICE THAT AN ACTRESS NAMED PAM CARTER GAVE ME WHO PAM CARTER WAS AN ACTRESS THAT I WORKED WITH A LOT AT THE EMMY GIFFORD AND DID A LOT IN THE IN THE COMMUNITY IN OMAHA. AND SHE TOLD ME BEFORE I MOVED, SHE WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER YOU’RE DOING, YOUR CAREER IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. IT DOESN’T START WITH A PARTICULAR JOB OR A PARTICULAR SALARY, OR HOW MUCH YOU HAVE IN YOUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT. IT’S IT’S ALL IT’S EVERYTHING YOU’RE DOING IS LEADING YOU TO YOUR CAREER. AND THAT WAS REALLY HELPFUL BECAUSE IT DID MAKE ME FEEL LIKE I WAS ALWAYS MOVING TOWARDS A GOAL, EVEN THOUGH AT TIMES I DIDN’T NECESSARILY KNOW WHAT THAT GOAL. YOU KNOW HOW THAT WOULD TURN OUT. BUT THEN BY THE TIME I WAS IN MY EARLY 30S IN THE BOOK OF MORMON CAME AROUND, I FELT REALLY PREPARED TO HANDLE IT, PROBABLY IN A WAY THAT I MAYBE WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HANDLE IT IF THAT HAD HAPPENED IN MY EARLY 20S. SO BASICALLY, EMBRACING WHERE YOU ARE NOW IS GOING TO TAKE YOU WHERE YOU WANT TO GO, RIGHT? YEAH. THAT’S A THAT WAS EXACTLY IT. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE ROLE? I MEAN, THE BOOK OF MORMON IS OBVIOUSLY ONE THAT IS PLAYING ELDER PRICE, AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT I CHANGED MY WHOLE LIFE AND CHANGED MY WHOLE CAREER. SO THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT I WILL ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL FOR. I WAS I’VE BEEN VERY LUCKY ON BROADWAY. YOU KNOW, I GOT TO PLAY HEDWIG ON BROADWAY. I GOT TO DO A REVIVAL OF FALSETTOS, WHICH WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SHOWS GROWING UP THAT I, I FIRST SAW ON THE TONY AWARDS WHEN I WAS IN SEVENTH GRADE, I THINK, AND THAT WAS ONE THAT I, YOU KNOW, SORT OF KNEW BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS FROM THE CAST RECORDING AND THEN YEARS LATER GOT TO DO IT ON BROADWAY. THAT WAS THAT WAS VERY EXCITING. AND I REALLY LOVED PLAYING ELIJAH ON GIRLS ON HBO. THAT WAS A SHOW THAT I WAS VERY LUCKY TO BE A PART OF, THAT WE DID FOR SIX SEASONS, SO THAT WAS YEAH, THAT WAS DEFINITELY ONE THAT I, I JUST I LOOK BACK VERY FONDLY ON. FINAL QUESTION. ANY ADVICE FOR ASPIRING TALENT? OH, WELL, ALONG THOSE LINES, WHAT PAM CARTER SAID TO ME, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I ALSO LEARNED PRETTY EARLY IN MY CAREER THAT JEALOUSY DOES NOT HELP YOU PROGRESS. SO KEEP YOUR EYES ON YOUR OWN PAPER IS WHAT I HAD TO TELL MYSELF A LOT, BECAUSE I SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN MY EARLY 20S AND MID 20S AND LATE 20S, BEING BEING JEALOUS OF WHAT OTHER PEOPLE WERE DOING OR WHAT OTHER PEOPLE HAD. AND, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU’RE REALLY ONLY COMPETING WITH YOURSELF. SO SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME WORRYING ABOUT WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE DOING, IT ULTIMATELY DOESN’T SERVE YOU. IT IS A WASTE OF TIME. WELL, I’M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AT THE HEARTLAND FAMILY SERVICE GALA. IT IS SOLD OUT. ANDREW. OH, WHAT? JULIE. WE WE SOLD IT OUT. YES. IT’S FANTASTIC. CONGRATULATIONS. THAT’S EXCITING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WELL, IT’S GOING TO BE VERY FUN. YEAH. THIS SATURDAY. ALL RIGHT. SEE YOU THEN. THANK YOU. I LOVE THAT ADVICE TO KIND OF THAT REINING IN OF JEALOUSY BECAUSE IT’S NOT JUST PERF
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Actor Andrew Rannells visits his hometown, Omaha
In exclusive interview, Rannells credits the people who shaped him
Omaha native, Andrew Rannells, will be back in town this weekend as the guest star of a fundraising gala for Heartland Family Service. Rannells has had a 30 year career on stage, films and television. He’s a Grammy Award winner and two-time nominated Tony Award actor who can soon be seen in the Netflix comedy series, “Too Much.” The multi-talented musical theater, film and TV star recently interviewed with KETV Newswatch 7’s Julie Cornell, sharing his early experience in show business, crediting his mentors and talking about his colorful, successful career. The gala for Heartland Family Service is sold out. Rannells will perform at the event and speak about his career and life in show business. Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
Omaha native, Andrew Rannells, will be back in town this weekend as the guest star of a fundraising gala for Heartland Family Service.
Rannells has had a 30 year career on stage, films and television. He’s a Grammy Award winner and two-time nominated Tony Award actor who can soon be seen in the Netflix comedy series, “Too Much.”
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The multi-talented musical theater, film and TV star recently interviewed with KETV Newswatch 7’s Julie Cornell, sharing his early experience in show business, crediting his mentors and talking about his colorful, successful career.
The gala for Heartland Family Service is sold out. Rannells will perform at the event and speak about his career and life in show business.
Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.
NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
