When I started this show, I made a wish list of guests that I was hoping would be willing to grant me interviews. At the top of the list were two multi-talented superstars: Lesley Ann Warren and Linda Eder. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would get to interview them both in the same week! But it happened.
As you can imagine, unless you're a big name talk show host, it isn't easy to contact celebrities. For good reasons, their contact information is not readily available. And if by some miracle you are able to contact them - or, more precisely, their publicists - it is certainly not easy to convince them to give me an hour of their time for an interview. Celebrities are incredibly busy, and they receive hundreds of requests every week for personal appearances. Naturally, their publicists are very selective about which requests they will grant.
So, try to imagine my reaction last week when, within days of each other, both Lesley Ann Warren and Linda Eder said yes! I was over the moon with excitement. Preparing their interviews took almost no time at all, because I am such a huge fan that I had all of their career highlights memorized in my brain! I will confess that I was more than a little nervous at the beginning of each interview. I SO wanted to impress upon them that I am a knowledgeable fan who has the greatest admiration and respect for their talent and achievements.
I needn't have been nervous at all. Within moments, Lesley and Linda were warm, forthcoming, candid and insightful. They have no egos. Stars of this caliber don't need egos; their talent speaks for itself.
Lesley and Linda were obviously engaged in their interviews. They didn't rush through them; they weren't in a hurry. They took the time to elaborate upon their answers and provide lots of anecdotes, opinions and reminiscences. I've watched interviews where you can tell that the guest just wants to get it over with and get out of there. Luckily, none of my guests has done that to me. I hope it never happens, because I work hard to prepare informative and compelling interviews, and part of my job is to win over not only the audience, but equally importantly, the guest, so that he/she will trust me and open up. I must say that so far, I'm happy with the rapport and chemistry between my guests and myself. They have all been friendly and appreciative. Lesley Ann Warren and Linda Eder were among the most memorable in that respect.
What the audience doesn't see is what happens after the camera stops recording. Lesley and Linda were very complimentary and gracious. They both made a point of telling me how happy they were with their interviews. There is no greater compliment an interviewer can receive than to be told by a high-profile guest, who has been interviewed hundreds of times, that this was one of the best interviews of their career. I am proud to say that I have received such compliments more than a few times, and it is exceedingly gratifying.
Every guest has his/her fan base. My interviews are primarily aimed at pleasing the guest's fans. I love hearing from fans who tell me that, through my interviews, they learned so much about their favourite celebrities. That signifies to me that I did a good job in formulating my questions.
And I am always very happy when I see that a guest has posted the interview on his/her website and social media platforms. That gesture is the best validation I can get from a guest, because it means that the guest felt the interview was worthy of his/her personal endorsement.
Our show is only a few months old and no one can predict where we're headed. But one thing is certain: Lesley Ann Warren and Linda Eder set the standard very high. Their professionalism, generosity, warmth and kindness will never be forgotten.
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