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Donna Lynn Champlin is an actress, singer, and dancer. She is known for playing Paula Proctor in the hit comedy series "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" on The CW. Most recently, she starred as Bernie in the Off-Broadway production of "Pen Pals" opposite Emily Skinner as Mags, who ironically enough are real-life best friends.
Donna's Favorite Movies
She listed “All That Jazz” with Roy Scheider. “I do love that movie. There is something about its grittiness that I like. It’s real reality interspersed.”
Favorite Series to Binge-watch
Her favorite series to binge are “The Diplomat,” “Stranger Things,” and “True Blood.” “I actually go back to ‘True Blood,’ which is my guilty pleasure because I love it. The acting is amazing, and I think the writing is hilarious and awesome. I actually love everything about ‘True Blood’,” she said.
Favorite Cheat mMal
Her favorite cheat meal is “Arby’s.” “While there are so many, I am an Arby’s girl,” she admitted.
Favorite Sports to Watch and to Play
“If I am thinking about Olympics, I like ice skating,” she said. “In the Summer Olympics, I like gymnastics. I am more into the dancey stuff.”
Donna Lynne Champlin's Favorite Motto to live by
Always be a first-rate version of yourself and never a second-rate version of someone else.
Her Favorite Hobbies to Unwind and Relax
Her favorite hobbies include crafting and sewing. “My husband jokes that I'm a big believer in idle hands or the devil's workshop, so I'm constantly doing things,” she said.
“He calls my small corner in the apartment where I have my mannequin and sewing machine and hot glue gun ‘Mama Donna’s Craft Shop.’ When it goes into overdrive, he always goes, ‘Oh god, you need a job’,” she elaborated.
If Donna Lynne Champlin Could Have a Superpower it Would Be..
If she were to have any superpower, it would be to cure Type 1 Diabetes. “My son has Type 1 Diabetes, and my superpower would be a cure for it,” she said.
“I would love the ability to cure and eradicate Type 1 Diabetes,” she added.
On This Stage of Her Life
On the title of the current chapter of her life, she revealed, “Time for Mommy to Shine.”
What Donna Says is the Best Thing About Being her Age
On the best thing about being her age, she shared, “The power of ‘no.’ You get to a certain age where politeness and manners are very important. You can always say ‘no’ politely and with respect, but there is just such a power in saying ‘no, thank you’.”
“There is such a power in taking control once you get into your 50s, and your 40s, especially as women,” she said.
“I think we're programmed to say “yes, yes, yes” most of our lives. Then, something happens when you're in your 40s and you just kind of go, ‘Oh, I can't do it anymore.’ So yeah, so the power of no, I love in the 50s… a polite no,” she concluded.
Lessons Learned from the Show "Pen Pals"
She shared some of the lessons that she learned from the play "Pen Pals. “You can really rely on text. You know, in theory, you would think that listening to two people read letters doesn’t sound very theatrical yet it somehow is," she said.
“So, I think what I learned is that if you focus and if you commit to the material, then so will the audience. You have to take control of the material and fully commit,” she noted.
“It’s just an interesting lesson in text, and what you can do with text with your voice and your emotions and not necessarily your body,” she added.
To learn more about actress Donna Lynne Champlin, follow her on Instagram.
Photo Credit: Russ Rowland