DEE WALLACE:
LEGENDARY SCREEN MOM WANTS TO HELP YOU GIVE BIRTH TO A NEW YOU
The Actress/Author/Healer Talks "E.T.," "Cujo," "The Howling,"
"The Hills Have Eyes," "10" and Her Latest Book
By Paul Freeman [2021 Interview]
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Courtesy of Dee Wallace
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On screen, she's been equally iconic as a supermom and a scream queen. Off screen, Dee Wallace has earnestly earned success as an author, teacher and healer.
With more than 200 credits amassed, Wallace has displayed a remarkable versatility as an actress. She's fondly remembered as Mary, the overwhelmed, endearing mom in Steven Spielberg's classic "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," one of the most beloved science-fiction/fantasy films of all time. Wallace also gave an unforgettable performance as the fiercely protective mother in "Cujo."
Horror fans adore Wallace for her work in such genre favorites as "The Howling," "The Hills Have Eyes" "The Frighteners" and "Critters." But Wallace was equally effective playing a lovable hooker in Blake Edwards' hilarious "10." And she charmed in the romantic comedy "Secret Admirer." In numerous Lifetime and Hallmark TV-movies, she has warmed hearts.
Wallace's other big screen roles include "Invisible Mom," "Pirates of the Plain," "Love and Mercy," 2007's "Halloween," Rob Zombie's "3 From Hell" and 2021's "13 Fanboy," in which she portrays herself. Among her myriad TV guest shots are "The Streets of San Francisco," "Man From Atlantis," "Starsky & Hutch," "Police Woman," "Barnaby Jones," "Lou Grant," "Hart to Hart," "Taxi, "Simon & Simon," the 1985 "Twilight Zone," "Murder She Wrote," "Ally McBeal," "Felicity," "Touched By An Angel," "Grey's Anatomy," "The Office" and "NCIS."
But there's another dimension to Wallace's achievements. Over the course of decades, she has established herself as a widely respected healer/channeler. She has counseled innumerable people on the art of self-creation through a weekly call-in radio show, monthly webinars, private sessions and her books. The latest book is "Born: Giving Birth to a New You." Many individuals have found her advice to be life-changing, opening up infinite possibilities.
Dee Wallace spoke with Pop Culture Classics about her multi-faceted career.
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Courtesy of Dee Wallace
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POP CULTURE CLASSICS:
I'd like to go through your remarkable acting career, but first I want to touch on your new book, "Born." It's a fascinating read. What do you most hope readers will get out of the book?
DEE WALLACE:
The information about how to lead a happier life. My whole goal was to make it simple, straight-forward and entertaining, and yet give the formula that you have to follow for manifesting what you want in your life.
PCC:
So with the text and the exercises, the readers have everything they need to change their outlook and to learn about self-defining, self-loving and self-creation.
WALLACE:
Yes.
PCC:
Spirituality, brain science, religion -- some people view those as being mutually exclusive, but actually quite the opposite is true?
WALLACE:
Absolutely, the opposite is true. I think that creates so much divisiveness and gives us excuses not to move forward in our lives -- "Well, this is against God" and "This is against religion." Or, and more so, "This is all luck and happenstance. Right? There is no scientific proof that this happens." Well, none of those are true, as I point out in the book.
God gave us the right to create our own lives, through our free will, to understand how energy works and what masters of our own energy we really are. And brain science is literally saying exactly the things that they say in the Good Book. Like I point out in "Born" that, in the Good Book, they say, "Peace, love, joy -- think only on these things." Brain science says, "Whatever you think about and focus on, you create more of in your life."
So if we think on joy and we think on peace and we think on love, we all create more of that in our life. I'm convinced the Christ was teaching brain science in the only language they had back then.
PCC:
When did you first pursue the healing work? Was there something that particularly sparked that, a spiritual person, an emotional event?
WALLACE:
No, it was a journey. I used to channel, when I was little, like a lot of little kids do with their imaginary friends. Like one of my friends' little boys that she adopted, when they were in the car, he was about three years old, he looked at this big semi truck that was across the street and said, "Look Mommy, that's how I died with my last mommy."
We all channel information. Like, if anybody has gone, "You know, I should call so-and-so," and the next day they call you, that's channeling. You're getting the information between the two of you that you need to talk. So I had a lot of those experiences, when I was little. And after my father committed suicide, he actually spoke to me through a light in my room. And I'm a pretty grounded girl [laughs].
And it's funny now that I do so many horror films. I thought, if that were a scene in a movie, I would probably choose as an actress, because of the script, to play it very fearfully. But there was no fear. I felt so calm and so loved, when all that happened. So anyway, I had a lot of experiences, when I was little, and kind of put it away during college and everything.
And when I met my husband, Christopher Stone, he was very involved in a thing called Conceptology, which was really a precursor to The Secret. And we could go down and study that and read it a couple if times a month in Santa Ana. And when he died suddenly, I dropped to my knees and I said to God, "I don't want to be pissed off. I don't want be a victim. I want a way we can heal ourselves."
Now if you go back to the Good Book again, it says, "Ask and ye receive." So I was asking. I was asking for a way that we could heal ourselves. What most people don't understand is, "ask" in the original Hebrew, is "claim" or "demand." So it's not, "Oh, gosh, if I'm worthy..." It's more, "This will be delivered to me."
So as soon as I said that, literally within seconds, I got my first message, which was "Use the light within you to heal yourself." And I've kind of been studying that and learning more about it and expanding that for the 40 years that I've been practicing this now.
PCC:
And the decision to not just utilize that knowledge yourself, but to share it, how did that come about?
WALLACE:
Well, I think, in the beginning, people demanded that I share it. It started in my acting studio. That's when my husband passed. And after that, I would start watching the scenes and I would get these downloads of information about where their blocks were. And so my students started working with me and their lives started changing. And then their parents wanted to work with me and their friends wanted to work with me. And now I have clients all over the world that work with me.
So I didn't really think about taking this out into the world. But the world came to me and said, "No, you have to take it out into the world. If we're witnessing lives changing this much, then you have to share how it happens." And so "Born" is my sixth book. It puts together a lot of the latest information that has come through with the channel.
PCC:
The concept of loving yourself as a central belief, did that come easily for you personally, or was that a challenge at first?
WALLACE:
It was a big challenge at first, because I was brought up in a pretty religious household. My brother was a minister. And I was taught that it was blasphemous, really, that you should put yourself last and take care of everyone else. And I came to learn that, well, the simplest way I can say it is - Who do you want to give everything to? The people you love.
So if we're wanting to give beautiful, wonderful things to ourselves, we need to love ourselves first. And the more we love ourselves in the highest way, in an unconditionally loving way, which is divine love, then our cup runneth over and we have more to share with everyone.
PCC:
You mentioned your father's suicide. In the book, you write about dealing with poverty and all the childhood difficulties. How has the Creative Force helped you to get past all of that?
WALLACE:
You know, the channel has just taught me that nobody leaves without choice. And in reality, every death is a suicide on the soul level, because we are choosing to go. And I just have such trust and faith in things unveiling and revealing themselves in a truthful way, if that's what we are asking for and focusing on.
My life is so different since I began this work. One of the biggest things I was taught when I was growing up was struggle, because we were very, very poor. And I've learned that the more you struggle, the more you push things away from yourself. So we're all wanting more ease, more money, more flow in our lives and, at the same time, most of us believe that we have to create that by struggling. That's an oxymoron.
And your brain thinks in pictures. So if you're saying, "Oh, I've got to struggle really hard to make it," then your brain is going to see struggle. Just like if you tell a little three-year-old, "Don't touch the TV," they'll smile at you and go right over and touch that TV. But that's how most of us are talking to the Universe. We're saying, "I don't want to have to think about money and I don't want to be so in fear of money." And so what our brain sees and focuses on is worry and fear about money, which pushes money away from us.
PCC:
Early in your career, did you have the usual actor insecurities about landing the next job?
WALLACE:
I still do [laughs].
PCC:
But doesn't the creative force help to eliminate the doubts and worries?
WALLACE:
Well, it's ongoing. All these teachers who give you these sound bite things and say, "Oh, do this and your life's going to be different," you know, it's not true. Living and creating your life goes on every moment of every day. So sure, I, for example, when the pandemic hit and all the studios closed down, I went, "Oh, my gosh, how am I going to make a living? How am I going to keep going?"
And my channel said, "Dee, the studios aren't your livelihood. Your consciousness is your livelihood. Get up every day and say, 'How can I create?'" So one day I got up and I said, "Okay, what can I create today?" And I heard, "Write the book." So I sat down and I started.
And they gave me the exact formula, which I already knew, but I hadn't put it together. And that's how "Born" was born. I needed to create something and I was led to create something that hopefully will give people a lot of freedom and joy in their lives.
PCC:
It must be beneficial to introduce these concepts early in life. Is that why you put together a children's book, as well?
WALLACE:
Absolutely. "BuppaLaPaloo & the I LOVE MEs" is book one of what I hope is going to be a series of books, teaching these early principles to kids, because most people don't know -- our self-esteem and how we see ourselves in the world is completely locked into our brains by eight years old. So anything we were taught or that was modeled to us before eight years old, from birth, we build our entire lives on, until we become conscious that that's not the way it has to be, that we have choice.
The first chapter of "Born" is how to actually make a choice, because most people don't. And once you get that concept, then you can really start writing the life that you want instead of the life that you were told how life is.
PCC:
The healing work, what you've learned from that, how might that have affected your acting? And did your experiences in acting affect your healing work in some ways?
WALLACE:
Actually, yes. My mentor, Charles Conrad, when I found him, he taught us this amazing technique of getting your energy very, very high and what he called "throwing your energy," which is taking the energy off yourself and putting it all onto the person that you're working with. And what that does, literally, is open up a channel.
So for years, including "E.T.," all the roles that I played, I played by channeling the character, for want of a better term. So when I got to the healing work, I went, "Oh, my gosh I've been doing this in my acting for years! I know this. I know how to trust this." And so it was easy for me. It was the Universe literally planning out and weaving that together so that I would easily be able to step into it.
And when I was first asked to channel and do this work, I went, "Why me?" And they said, "Because you're the kid from Kansas that everybody can relate to. And you're able to say it in such a plain, simple way that people can understand it."
PCC:
You hear about songwriters talking about songs coming to them or through them. Do you think that all true artists are doing some form of channeling?
WALLACE: I think all people are doing some form of channeling. But absolutely, artists know to get out of their own way. Now, you can do the work and you can break a script down. I don't. But you can. You can break a song down. But at some point, you have to get out of the way and just be the conduit for the Creative Force to come through you. And that's when the magic happens.
PCC:
As far as your fascination with acting -- Your mother performed in community theatre, is that right?
WALLACE:
Yes.
PCC:
So were you emulating her, to some degree, at the beginning?
WALLACE:
Well, I can tell you the moment... I mean, again, we were extremely poor. And my mother was so incredibly creative that she would barter her secretarial skills, so I could have dance lessons and what they called then "elocution." So I started performing around town very early in my life and doing commercials.
But I can tell you the moment that I really decided. I was sitting in church and every Christmas and Easter, my mother would do this amazing half-hour reading in place of the sermon. And people from four states would come to watch my mother do this. And I sat through this -- I was about eight years old -- and I looked around at all these adult men and women who were crying and just so moved. And I went, "Ohhh, I have to do this. I have to move people like my mommy does." In that moment, the decision was made. The choice was made right then.
PCC: But later, you were teaching high school, when you decided to leave your life in Kansas behind and move to New York City to pursue an acting career. Did you see that as daring?
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Dee Faces the Rabid "Cujo"
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WALLACE:
It scared the heck out of me [laughs]. I'd never been out of Kansas in my life. I had talked about my dream and my mom said, "Okay, Dee, but just get something to fall back on, something that's safe." So I went to the University of Kansas. I got my teaching degree, taught a year of high school. And I thought, "If I don't go now, I'm never going to go." So I did. And the rest is kind of history.
PCC:
You did a lot of guest shots on classic TV series -- "Streets of San Francisco," "Starsky & Hutch," "Lou Grant," "Murder She Wrote," on and on. Were any of the veteran stars helpful, nurturing to a young actor?
WALLACE:
Actually most of them were. Angie Dickinson, that one, "Police Woman," was my first guest-starring role. And I'll never forget, I did my close-up and the director said, "All right, we're moving on." And I said, "Excuse me, could I have one more?" And he looked at me and said, "Dee, it was great." And Angie turned around and said, "If the actress thinks she can do it better, give her one more." And so he did. And he came up to me and he said, "I really didn't believe you could make it better, but it was."
So I always remember that beautiful moment, when Angie came forward to speak out for me. And I try to do it with all the young actors on my sets now.
PCC: I noticed you had been in an episode of "Hotel" with Elizabeth Taylor.
WALLACE:
Yeah, well, that was an experience [big laugh].
PCC:
What were your impressions of Liz?
WALLACE:
Well, actually, when we were there in the scene, she was great to work with. It's just, she had to have a red carpet up to her trailer and something from Tiffany's in her dressing room every day [laughs]. I mean, it was an eye-opener to me, who was still going, "Oh, my God! I got a job! I'm so lucky." [Laughs] But, you know, she knew her worth and she claimed her worth. Whether or not people agree with that is another thing.
PCC:
One of your credits was the original "Stepford Wives." What was that experience like?
WALLACE:
It was actually my first credit. I was sitting in an office in New York, because I was running out of money, so I was there to interview for a receptionist position. And the director [Bryan Forbes] walked by and he looked at me and then he went back into office and he came back out and looked at me again. And he walked over to me and said, "Are you an actor?" I said, "I am!" He said, "Do you want to be in a movie?" I said, "I do!" [Laughs] So, I mean, if you blink, you miss me. But it was my first credit, working with a major director.
And again, a real eye-opener, because all those three women [Katharine Ross, Paula Prentiss, Tina Louise] were so different. They were so different! I mean, Tina wouldn't walk around without her little umbrella... I mean, it was crazy. It was a learning thing for me to just be in the moment of the scene and not judge anything else around me that was going on.
When you go into judgment, then your channel shuts off, in acting or healing, which is probably why Christ said, "Judge not," because the minute you go into judgment, you shut down "you."
PCC:
"The Hills Have Eyes" -- Wes Craven was certainly a highly regarded horror director. What did you think of his style?
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Dee Wallace plays a comforting mom in "Cujo"
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WALLACE:
I thought it was incredibly interesting. Now this was the first -- other than a religious film that I did -- this was my first lead part in a movie. Wes was very quiet. He is very professor-like, because he was a college professor. Very quiet, very low key. I honestly don't remember interacting with him very much. I'm sure I did, but I don't remember it.
It was a really tough shoot. All the actors stayed in one trailer. And I remember that the bathroom broke, which was a joy. So I spent a lot of time in my car and actually ended up paying for my own hotel down there, because the trip was so long, back and forth -- we were in the Mojave desert, driving from L.A. -- that it got to be kind of dangerous, because we were so tired. So I just bit the bullet and bought my own motel room.
PCC:
At least the movie ended up having a lasting impact.
WALLACE:
Who would have thought? Huh? Really! I mean, we just thought it was a fun horror film and, gosh, we all got to do big parts [laughs]. So we had some film to show agents and maybe they'd hire us [laughs].
PCC:
You must have had a different feeling on "10," working with Blake Edwards, such an acclaimed writer/director.
WALLACE:
Yes, Blake holds a very, very fond place in my heart forever. I had done the "Lou Grant" episode entitled "The Hooker" and Lynn Stalmaster, who was the top casting director in L.A. at the time, saw me. I was the last girl to read for the part of Mary Lewis. That was the last day. And he happened to catch my performance that night. They brought me in and Blake hired me before I got to the car.
They couldn't find that right combination of vulnerability and what Blake thought was sexiness. He just kept saying to me, "You're a young Lee Remick. You're a young Lee Remick." [Laughs] I had to go look up who Lee Remick was.
PCC:
That was high praise.
WALLACE:
Well, yeah, of course, now, she's an icon. But Blake was really -- he would probably roll over in his grave, to hear me say this -- but he was kind of a father figure to me and watched over me and kind of took care of me.
I remember we went to Los Hadas, Mexico, and we went down early. And one by one, all the supporting roles got fired. And I called my guy at the time and I said, "You know, I'm probably not going to end up doing this movie, but at least I've had a really nice vacation." [Laughs] But Blake kept me. And I just always, always appreciated his professionalism and his openness to our ideas.
I remember Dudley and I -- and of course Blake had written the script -- and Dudley and I finished the scene and there was this short pause. And Blake said, "Well, I don't know who the hell wrote it, but we're going to print it." [Laughs] I just tried to keep up with Dudley, seriously. I never knew what he was going to do. He was all over the place. But my technique, which had trained me to be in the moment, made it easy for me to adapt to that.
PCC:
He was kind of a comic genius.
WALLACE:
Absolutely. Such a loss when he died. Such a loss.
PCC:
That was the big breakthrough for Bo Derek. Was John Derek looming throughout the shoot?
WALLACE:
Unfortunately, yes. Well, he was until Blake finally put his foot down about some things.
PCC:
And then on "The Frighteners," you had an opportunity to work with Peter Jackson.
WALLACE:
Oh, again, big, big place in my heart for Peter Jackson. He is so respectful to everybody on his set. Even if the Best Boy has a problem, he'll set down at lunch and talk to him about it. If someone's partner is having a baby, they get two weeks off, no questions asked.
My husband had a heart attack and ultimately died, while I was shooting "The Frighteners." And so I had to fly back and forth, New Zealand to L.A., four times in two-and-a-half weeks. And they said, "Don't worry Dee. You can settle up at the end." So I went in to settle up with them, which would probably have been all my salary. And the bookkeeper said, "No, this is Peter's gift to you. He's going to take care of all the flights." That's the kind of guy Peter Jackson is. Along with being a great director.
PCC:
And that was a change of pace for Michael J. Fox.
WALLACE:
Yeah. Actually, that was the movie where he was starting to experience his illness. And so he was flying back and forth several times to consult about that.
PCC:
So a lot of unexpected trauma happening during that shoot.
WALLACE:
Interesting that you put it that way, but yeah, there was. But boy, some amazing performances.
PCC:
Yeah. It was a riveting movie. And so was "The Howling." It's the 40th anniversary of its release -- hard to believe.
WALLACE:
Yeah. And next year is the 40th anniversary of E.T.. Staggering, isn't it?
PCC:
It certainly is. "The Howling," interestingly, is filled with people choosing the wrong therapist.
WALLACE:
[Laughs] Well, yeah, that might be an addendum to the movie, yeah. But to me it was always the light and dark, at battle with each other, which is what we're seeing in this country right now, seeing in the world.
PCC:
And you got to work with Christopher Stone on that one. I guess he was your fiancé at the time, a bit before you got married?
WALLACE:
Yeah, that's why the film has such a soft place in my heart. You know, everybody thought that I had gotten him hired. I didn't. I didn't have the clout to get anybody hired. But Dan Blatt, our producer, called me and said, "Dee, we've got a great cast to support you. We're just really having trouble finding the part of your husband." I said, "What are you looking for?" "Well, we're looking for somebody who's really virile, but who's got a real emotional, vulnerable side." And I thought, "Oh, my God, I'm engaged to him!"
But, of course, in one second, my brain went, "Don't you dare say that. He'll never get hired." So I said to Dan, "You know, there's this guy I did 'C.H.I.P.S' with, Christopher Smith? Or Stone? Some 'S' word." So they went out and they found him and they called him in and he auditioned. And he got the part.
The next day, Dan calls and I pick up. And he went, "I'm sorry. I must have dialed the wrong number. You know that guy you recommended? I really liked him and we hired him. And I was calling to talk to him." And I went, "No, you've got the right number, Dan." And there was this short pause and he goes, "Oh, shit." [Laughs]
But we all became really, really good friends, the three of us. And they were extremely happy to have Christopher there to handle the nut case that I could become during all those emotional things [laughs].
PCC:
And you had the ever charming Patrick MacNee to work with, as well.
WALLACE:
Oh, he was so charming, so lovely to work with, yeah.
PCC:
You mentioned the 40th anniversary of "E.T." coming up. Why do you think it still resonates so deeply with audiences?
WALLACE:
Because it's the truth. Because it gives us hope. Because it makes our hearts open and reminds us of love and friendship. All the things that make life work. It's very much like "The Wizard of Oz" and "Peter Pan." Why have they lasted so long? Look at all the messages. "Think happy thoughts and you fly." "You had the power all along, Dorothy. Keep your heart open and you get home." If we would just listen and apply them. They're so easy. And that's why I wrote "Born."
PCC:
Does the film reflect some of the concepts you now use in healing?
WALLACE:
You mean "E.T."? Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. "E.T." made a very strong choice to go home. And he committed to it. And he practiced love and joy in his life, with the kids. And he was naive and thought like the kids. And he allowed the universe to come in and help him create this magical journey. And really, in a nutshell, that's it.
PCC:
After some massive pictures, "E.T." was supposedly Spielberg's little personal film. Did you have a sense it could actually be a phenomenon?
WALLACE:
No. I don't think any creative goes into it with that feeling. We just go in knowing that we want to do the best job we can do. And we knew we had an amazing script by Melissa Mathison. When I went behind closed doors to read the script, I called my agent and I said, "You know, I'm not sure this is going to do anything for me and my career, but I think it's going to do a lot for the world and I want to be a part of it."
But the music and the marketing and is the public ready for the message -- all that stuff has to come together. The special effects, my gosh! Without Carlo Rambaldi's E.T. -- I mean, you can't even see the movie without that now. Can you? It's magical.
PCC:
Your experience working with Steven Spielberg, what was that like?
WALLACE:
Well, that's like, "How's it working with an icon?" He's a genius. The thing that most impressed me about Steven, he knows exactly what he wants. He was this very big director. He always gave us an opportunity to bring in our own ideas, even the kids. And you know, Steven, in a lot of ways, is very childlike.
So it was almost easier for him, when we were shooting with the kids, to identify with them than it was with a lot of the adults on the set. I just always appreciated, really appreciated, the fact that he allowed me to bring in a lot of my own ideas and discuss them. And a lot of them were implemented.
PCC: Did you draw on memories of your own mom, in shaping the role?
WALLACE:
You know, that's a great question. I don't purposefully draw on memories of my mom. But my mom, for most of my life, was a strong, single mother. My dad was a severe alcoholic, who committed suicide. And she pretty much was the backbone of my family with a lot of support from my grandmother.
And then Christopher died very early. We'd been married 18 years. But my daughter had just turned seven. So I had to become a very strong, single mother. So it's a part I know very well, from both sides. And I think that's probably why I attract things like "Cujo" and "E.T.," which, by the way, Mary, I believe, was the first single mother portrayed in a major film.
PCC:
Do you remember your reaction the first time you saw the finished film?
WALLACE:
Well, that was interesting. The first time I saw it was at Universal with a bunch of suits, executives. Nobody reacts, because God forbid if they react and their boss doesn't. I left that going, "Oh, my God, my career's over. They hated it." And then my husband said, "Honey, go watch it with a real audience." So we went over and stood in line at the Cinerama Dome and watched it with a real audience who were weeping and applauding and cheering. It was like you went into another world experience with the film. And then I knew.
PCC:
You must constantly hear stories about how profoundly the film affected people.
WALLACE:
Oh, my gosh, everywhere I go. Everywhere I go. One of the most touching stories that I have heard is this woman who was the mother of an autistic little boy. She had never heard him speak. Ever. He was 10 years old and she took him to see the re-release of "E.T." and on the way home, he started speaking every line that "E.T." said. And she was telling me this as tears were dropping down her face. She said, "I just wanted you to know that you're part of a miracle in my life." We just never know how we touch people.
PCC:
You mentioned "Cujo." That's so harrowing to watch. Was it grueling to shoot?
WALLACE:
Grueling. Hardest thing I've ever done. And my favorite film.
PCC:
What makes it your favorite?
WALLACE:
Well, I just think I went as far as I could go, as honestly as I could go there. I'm very proud of my performance in that. And it's a subject very close to my heart -- what a mother would do to save and keep her child safe.
PCC:
Stephen King has notoriously hated adaptations of his novels, but he said he thought you deserved an Oscar for that performance and it's impossible to argue with that. His praise speaks volumes.
WALLACE:
Yes, I appreciated that very much from Stephen. You know, he actually contacted us after the film came out and said, "Thank God you didn't kill the kid at the end of the film. I never got more hate mail than when I killed the kid at the end of the book."
PCC:
There's that the old adage about never working with kids or animals... well, working with them has certainly worked out well for you.
WALLACE:
Well, I wouldn't have had a career, would I? [Laughs]
PCC:
Being designated a scream queen, did you get a kick out of that?
WALLACE:
You know, it doesn't bother me at all. I love the horror industry. I love the genre. I love to be able to play all the emotional sides. And I love the fact that I can go off and do beautiful little Hallmark movies and rom-coms and Lifetime movies. I do a lot of other stuff. And I have done a lot of really powerful horror films that I'm proud of. And I've got to tell you -- horror fans, some of the best fans in the world.
PCC:
You did some memorable sitcom work, too, including "Taxi." That was one of my favorite episodes of the series.
WALLACE:
Oh, thank you. Gosh, did I have a beautiful time working with Judd Hirsch. I had literally never done a comedy before and really was a total fish out of water. Again, Charles taught me how to have really good instincts. But Judd really did baby me through that whole process. He just kept saying, "Trust yourself, Dee. Trust yourself. You know how to do this. You're funny." [Laughs] Because I didn't know I was funny.
PCC:
It was a great ensemble they had. Did you get to work with Andy Kaufman?
WALLACE:
A little bit. Yep. And Danny [DeVito]. Danny was just beautiful to me. So supportive. It was just a beautiful cast, a beautiful company. Beautiful set to walk onto.
PCC:
Your daughter is now an actress [Gabrielle Stone], as well?
WALLACE:
She's an actor and director and a two-time, best-selling author.
PCC:
Following in your footsteps.
WALLACE:
Apple tree, apple tree. Yep. [Laughs]
PCC:
Did you give her a lot of advice, both in terms of the acting and the healing work?
WALLACE:
Well, she studied acting with me. She was brought up with all my healing work. She actually had me on her podcast a while back and I said, "So, Gabrielle, do you remember the affirmations we used to say every night?" And do you know, she could rattle them off -- "I am strong. I am smart. I loving. I am loved. I am healthy." So she was raised with all this. And I think that's why she's as successful as she is. She wrote that as a testimonial on my book -- "The principles in this book made me as successful as I am." And she said, "Mom, it's true."
PCC:
It's great you were able to imbue that in her so early.
WALLACE:
Well, again, whatever we teach them and model to them before eight years old, they build their entire lives on. And so did we, by the way, which does not mean anything and everything can't be changed.
PCC:
In terms of focusing on positivity, do you find that there is even more negativity to overcome these days? Does the societal negativity -- the political landscape, climate change, the pandemic -- transfer to personal negativity?
WALLACE:
Well, I think it can if you allow it to. You see, we're in control. We're always at choice of what we do with our own energy. So if we allow the negative to take us over, we must realize that we are ceding the negative to grow bigger. Again, brain science says, "Whatever you send your energy to and focus on, you will create more of in your lives."
PCC:
You're certainly creating a lot of positive things in your life. I see that you have tons of projects, just completed or in pre-production, despite the pandemic.
WALLACE:
Yes, two of the best years I ever had, because I got up every day, like my channel said, and said, "Okay, what can I create today?" So we created a beautiful short horror film for all the fans, called "Stay Home." I think you can find it on YouTube. I wrote a book. I did three of four films during that time. I mean, it was a pretty prolific time for me, because I didn't accept the limitations that everybody else said were put upon us. I said, "I'm sorry, I'm the one who directs my own energy. So what do I want to create?"
PCC:
Well, I certainly look forward to seeing all the things that you've been creating.
WALLACE:
[Laughs] Well, me too!
To learn more about Dee Wallace and her healing work, to reserve a session, purchase a signed copy of "Born," or study her acting videos, visit
iamdeewallace.com/
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