Acclaimed actress Kathleen Chalfant's role in "Familiar Touch," has earned her critical acclaim and Oscar buzz from movie critics. She also starred in the Off-Broadway show "Pen Pals" last year, and she will be starring in the Off-Broadway play "The Dinosaurs." Most recently, she played the role of St. George in the espionage thriller series "The Copenhagen Test" opposite Simu Liu. Her character was the Boss in charge of the Orphanage.
She is also known for her theater work in "Angels in America," as well as her acting work in the hit TV series "The Affair."
Chalfant shared 10 interesting and exciting things about herself.
Favorite Films
Her favorite movies include “Lawrence of Arabia” and “The Wizard of Oz.” “The movie that made me want to become an actress when I was 10 years ago was ‘Miss Sadie Thompson’ with Rita Hayworth,” Chalfant said.
“Also, I like all the ‘Fellini’ movies, especially about Rome. We were living in Rome when ‘Satyricon’ was shot,” she added.
Kathleen's Favorite Series to Binge
Her favorite series to binge-watch include “Slow Horses” and all the Italian crime series on MHz. “It’s all the foreign series, not English speaking,” she said. “I also love ‘A French Village.’ That is a great one!”
“Of course, ‘The Copenhagen Test’ too,” she conceded. “The problem with ‘The Copenhagen Test’ is if I binge-watch it, I have to watch myself, and I don’t like watching myself.”
“The great thing about ‘The Copenhagen Test’ is that you’re not sure who is doing what to whom,” she added.
On Her Role Models
On her favorite models and inspirations, she said, “Brave, peaceful people. I admire ordinary people who engage themselves fearlessly in civic activity and in dissent.”
“There are so many brave people every day these days, standing up in a world in which we often think there's nothing to be done,” she noted.
“So, it's those people, the regular people. There were great examples of them when I grew up. One of the great ones is Eleanor Roosevelt,” she added.
What Kathleen Chalfant Says is Best Thing About Being the Age She Is (81)
On the best thing about being her age, Chalfant stated, “Not giving a damn. There is a kind of freedom at this stage of life. Paradoxically, the idea that there is much less in front of you than behind you is freeing in some way, because you think if there are things you're going to do, then you better get on with it. Now, anything that happens in my career is gravy!”
Favorite Sport to Watch and to Play
On her favorite sports to watch and to play, she said, “My favorite sport to watch is basketball. I love it. My grandson is a wonderful basketball player.”
“I'm not a big team sports player because I'm blind in one eye, so I can't play many things with balls, but I love to swim,” Chalfant said. “My favorite sport that I wished I had participated in (but my children did) was riding horses),” she said.
Kathleen's Favorite Cheat Meal
Her favorite cheat meal is “Fried chicken” from “Popeyes.”
How She Unwinds
On her favorite hobbies to unwind and relax, she said, “I read a lot. I read all the time. I do five or six word puzzles in the New York Times every morning, and it takes me about an hour.”
The Best Advice Kathleen Chalfant Has Been Given
On the best advice she has ever been given, she said, “No is also an answer. “
If Kathleen Could Have a Superpower It Would Be...
Her superpower of choice would be “empathy.” “This is a time when empathy is important,” she admitted. “We have to pay attention these days.”
On Success
Regarding her definition of the word success, the veteran actress said, “Success means having enough. I think I have enough; I don’t need more.”
Photo Courtesy of Music Box Films