Interview by Suzanne Ordas Curry
I don't recall the initial prompt, but I met Casey on Social Media. I think what attracted my attention was her love of Seinfeld, a mutual love. So, I had to know what this girl was about. She must be pretty cool and have a great sense of humor if she could watch Seinfeld repeats and laugh each time.
So, with a few prompts from some of the most classic lines from Seinfeld, here's some info you might not have known about this talented and busy host of Good Day New Mexico, who spends her days in Albuquerque covering all sorts of morning show subjects and successfully pursues acting in her spare time - you may not know she's played a reporter in movies and TV, such as Independence Day: Resurgence and her latest movie, Only The Brave, is out this fall. And for those in the Northeast, you can see Casey as the Optimum Lady on cable.
No Soup for you!!
Tell me about when a door was closed on you on your path to where you are now. What happened? Did you learn from it?
Casey Messer: A door?! How about too many doors to keep track of! From auditions & callbacks where I didn’t book a role, to not making the top 15 at Miss USA (16th didn’t count ;) --but I’m one of those who chooses to believe things happen for a reason. And those doors slammed in my face only made me work harder and not take the jobs/gigs I have landed for granted. Lately, I’ve been on 4 auditions and booked all 4! Timing is everything.
"Well, If you knew Susie..."
Tell me how your friends would describe you.
Casey Messer: I would hope my friends would say I’m a go getter! Always up to something (work-wise). In TV, ya gotta hustle, many of us do other gigs on the side—mostly because we enjoy it!
"You know I always wanted to be an architect."
What did you want to be when you were a young girl? What's some career advice for a young girl who wants to follow in your footsteps?
Casey Messer: Two shows I used to love watching as a kid on E! Can’t recall the name but they would run these fashion shows. I wanted to be one of those runway models (at 5’4 it didn’t pan out). And the other was Wild On E! with Brooke Burke—who didn’t love her?!
The TV industry has changed so much since I first got involved. Thanks to social media and a cell phone anyone can broadcast themselves. Which is great! Be an expert in something, find your niche.
"I don't want to wear a puffy shirt."
Were you ever asked to do or report on something on the air that you objected to, or really didn't want to do?
Casey Messer: Yes, while in college I did an internship in El Paso with NBC. I was sent with the photog to interview a family who had just lost their son in a rollover car accident. The entire family was there holding pictures of their beloved son in tears. After the interview we got back to the news van and the footage had no sound. We had to go back and re-interview the father. Some glitch still left us without an interview. I put my foot down and said, “We cannot go back there and put that family through anymore.” It was that day I knew I didn’t want to do hard news.
"These pretzels are making me thirsty!"
What is your favorite beverage? Your favorite foods? What about pretzels?
Casey Messer: I love coffee with peppermint mocha creamer. A diet coke every once in a while—especially with pizza or popcorn at the movies! Of course I love pretzels! I just had a big, soft one for lunch the other day from Aunt Annies—yum! I also love honey mustard pretzels. I accidentally grabbed a bag the other day that was gluten free—they were amazing!
I wouldn’t consider myself a foodie. There definitely might be something wrong with my palette. I’m not a fancy food person. I could eat pizza almost every day or a dinner date to eat a burger and fries is right up my alley. Thai food is my favorite!
Festivus, for the rest of us!
Tell me about your favorite holidays, with your family now or when you were growing up. Did you have any special holiday traditions?
Casey Messer: Growing up we lived in New Mexico and my dad commuted to Alaska. Two weeks home, two weeks in Alaska. This made me a flexible person, where it doesn’t matter what day you celebrate something, what matters is when everyone can be together regardless of the date on the calendar. I always did enjoy Christmas, I love all the décor, the lights and the music. Our tradition was opening presents on Christmas Eve then jumping in the car to go look at lights.
I’ve always liked Halloween too. And my 2 year old is obsessed! He can’t wait for the scary store to open! We must have made 20 trips to the Halloween store last year! He loves it!
Serenity now!
What do you do to destress? How do you think women can destress when trying to juggle work and family?
Casey Messer: I’m a runner. Right now I’m training for my 7th marathon, Chicago this October. I think there’s even more pressure on parents these days. I know I feel this way, thanks to social media, we see all the perfect posts of moms with the perfect meal, with the perfect nursery, the perfect child. When we know darn well that’s so not reality. I interviewed actresses and moms Tia and Tamera Mowry when I was pregnant and I asked for parenting advice. And that was the best thing could’ve told me. Good for the mom who keeps everything perfect and their child mess-free but it’s not real. Do what works for you and your family. Why does everything need to be perfect? You’re only going to stress yourself out.
I think as a parent if you’re raising good, caring children that’s all you can ask for.
Giddy up!
Tell me about your job, why you like it, any upcoming projects and what you want to do in the future.
Casey Messer: Every Monday I host for DirecTV, The Screening Room. It’s the channel when you go to buy or rent a movie. And Monday-Friday I also host Good Day New Mexico. We’re the #1 morning lifestyle show. I write shows, interviews and questions for my guests.
An upcoming project I’m really excited about is the movie, Only the Brave. It hits theaters this October. I play one of the bar girls who speaks to Taylor Kitsch—fingers crossed our scene makes it into the movie.
"Maybe the dingos ate your baby"
Tell me about the funniest or stupidest thing anyone ever said to you, personally or professionally.
Casey Messer: This is a tough one because working in TV you hear a lot of dumb things. But nothing that comes to mind at the moment. And one of the funniest people I know is my old college buddy Oscar. He’s one of those people who doesn’t even try to be funny he just naturally is—those are the best! And my 2 year old cracks us up all the time. One of his latest—“Not today suckas!” Where does he get this stuff?!
Yada yada yada...
Favorite movies: Serendipity, my producer has the poster hanging in our office—he knew it was my fave. And Boondock Saints—those brothers are awesome!
Favorite shows to binge on: I still to this day love watching and will lol at reruns of friends and Seinfeld (hence these great interview questions). More recently favorite shows: Younger on TV Land and a guilty pleasure Real Housewives NYC
Favorite restaurants: Can you believe Applebee’s used to be one of my favorites. In college, I was first a hostess then when I turned 19 I could wait tables.
Your idea for a perfect day: Start my day with a coffee. Go for a morning run, 5-6 miles. A massage. Brunch. Then a fun activity with our 2 year old—he loves the trampoline park. Dinner with friends and family!
For more on Casey:
Twitter: @CaseyonTV