Ray Waddell

Hi Ray,

I really enjoyed filming Gospel of Deceit because I loved the conflict that character goes through. She wants to be a good person, but she is torn between lust & a desire for happiness and duty to the parish and to her husband. I also like stories about relationship (forget the endless car chases – I find those tedious). This movie was all about relationship between a woman, her lover, her husband and their past.

It was also wonderful to act with the very funny and kind J.C. MacKenzie – who played my hypocritical and conniving husband – and the very hardworking and lovely Cory Sevier, who played my young lover.

The subject matter the story covered was more than just one issue: it certainly looked at the hypocrisy of men in power especially on issues such as sex; it touched on fidelity and marriage; it dealt with the issue of falling in love and how much control does one have over that; it dealt with duty and love….

Since my character is married to an Episcopalian minister, and he is not a person of high morals, I guess one could say there is a commentary on the Church there too. I did not take offense as I believe that there are bad people everywhere and churches are just one of them, so this movie is less a commentary about the church than about human nature!

And then of course it has the big plot twists that these kinds of movies have, which are just entertaining surprises.

I am so glad you liked Gospel of Deceit. It will be playing again May 16, 2013 at 6am on Lifetime Movie Network…

Thank you for writing!
Alexandra

2) Hello Alexandra and it feels so wonderful to email you. I love just about anything you are in from the movies to the TV series you have been in. You are a very talented and beautiful actress. Do you have anything in the works as far as movies or new shows coming out? Also I was curious but you seem to be really tall and do you think that your height has ever prevented you from landing any roles in films or shows? Do you think it has helped you in gaining roles as well and finally a bit of an odd questions but are you the tallest actress in Hollywood and do you or have you ever run into women who were actually taller than you? Thanks for all your movies and hope to see some more soon.

Emily

Hi Emily,

At 5 feet 10 inches (5’10″), I am not the tallest actress in Hollywood, as off the top (no pun intended of my head I can think of Sigourney Weaver (5’11″), Brenda Strong (5’11 1/2″)and Brooke Shields (6′). I think that my height has for sure counted me out of some roles, as there are many leading actors who are my height and with heels that makes me taller. Our society doesn’t like that (remember when they lowered Princess Diana’s head to be below Prince Charles’ on a commemorative stamp?). However, since all the actresses I have mentioned who are taller than me have done very well, I cannot use my height as an excuse- I am sure that my stature has gotten me more jobs than I have lost! Our assets are sometimes the reasons we do not get a job, and what we consider our debits sometimes get us one – I remember the director of Out of the Shadows told me that I got the job when I flubbed a line during the taped audition and I calmly asked to redo the scene. He thought the authority I had in that moment was perfect for the role!

This year is my producing year. I am producing a movie called The B Team, which will be announced at Cannes this month. The script is very funny and it is wonderful to be working with so many great friends! I am also producing a movie based on the book Free the Animals, currently titled Valerie. The script will be finished this month and I am very excited about it. I hope to do some acting too, in The Anchor, but we do not have a start date yet.

Tall Women Unite!
Alexandra

3) there has been some talk in chat rooms and on some movie sites that there might be a sequel or a remake of christine. would you ever reprise your role as leigh cabot?
dave

Hi Dave,

As we know from the last scene of the movie, Christine the car is not dead, so perhaps there will be a sequel if she revives 30 years later .

I would love to play the role of Leigh Cabot again, or maybe the mother of a younger Leigh Cabot if they do a remake! I hope Keith Gordon and John Stockwell come back too! Since it is the 30th anniversary of the movie, I will making an appearance alongside a bunch of castmates from Christine at the Carlisle Car Show. A real Christine car will be there too and there will be a screening of the movie that weekend.

Best wishes,
Alexandra
ps “God, I hate rock’n'roll” (my last line, and the last line of the movie, for those of you who have not seen the film

The next year, I did a book report on Peter Singer’s Animal Liberation, and animal rights became a strong reason for me to give up leather, wool and silk and to purchase cruelty free products. But I still ate dairy, even though I was fully aware of the horrors of the dairy industry .  I was in awe of vegans -so many things have milk and eggs in them!   I knew there were substitutes, but it seemed like I was confronted by dairy virtually every day, and I always said yes since there was no vegan alternative at hand.  When it came to fashion, I was OK not being able to wear designer clothes, but I couldn’t wrap my head around not being able to eat any treat whenever I wanted.

I once watched a particularly graphic video on dairy cow abuse that had me weeping harder than I had in years, yet 4 hours later I had a frozen yogurt.  Food had always been my crutch and sugar was my addiction, so I figured I would never be able to become completely vegan.

But then one day, I did.  It took me 20 years from the time I first vaguely aspired to be vegan, but in 2010, after eating a frozen yogurt that I realized didn’t really taste that good, I told my husband Ian that I was giving up dairy for good.  I cannot tell you why that day, I can only say that all the messages I had been getting over the years suddenly added up, and I knew I was never going back.  I wanted my diet to reflect my values, and eating food from exploited, captive animals was against my ethics.

Being vegan wasn’t a no-brainer at first – for the first few weeks, it meant planning meals until I had a few that I liked and could keep handy, and I had to bring healthy snacks with me when I went out for the day, to lower the odds that I’d impulsively, in a fit of low blood sugar, reach for a something that had dairy in it.

Something happened that surprised me: pretty quickly, everything with eggs or milk in it became unpalatable.  I do not feel deprived forgoing my hitherto favorite treats like milk chocolate: to eat dairy is now as far off as eating plastic, or eating meat.

My heart has also opened. I am more peaceful, patient and empathetic.  I literally look at the world differently.

For me, giving up these foods for ethical reasons, not to lose weight or even for my health, has made it easy to resist my favorite temptations. I certainly feel healthier as a vegan, because I am finally aligned: my diet is in tune with my heart.

I regret deeply that it took me so long to finally commit to being vegan.  But now that I have, it is far easier and more rewarding personally than I ever imagined it would be.   What are the reasons you have switched to a plant based diet?

Maybe It’s Time to Offend a Few Folks

by Alexandra Paul

Speaking out about human overpopulation is not an easy thing, as I have been told that people get offended. I have not personally experienced offending anyone, but perhaps those folks have been too polite to tell me. I have not read any studies that prove people are offended, but perhaps I have missed them. If I offend you in this video, please let me know.

I once asked the executive director of the Rainforest Action Network why RAN didn’t discuss the huge number of people on the planet as a factor in rainforest devastation and encourage smaller human families, as everyone in that nonprofit organization probably understands that the demand for resources from 7 billion people on the planet is causing extensive damage to the earth. They know that if the UN projection of 10 billion people on the planet by 2050 is right, it will be disastrous for forests everywhere. She admitted, abashedly, that she did not want to alienate donors.

RAN is an organization whose members break into corporate offices and hang banners out the windows excoriating Big Oil, yet they are afraid to talk about human overpopulation in their pamphlets or on their website. If RAN won’t admit the link between diminishing natural resources and a population that grows by 220,000 people every day, then what large environmental organization will?

It turns out, none.

Is it really impolite to promote smaller families?
Even within the population community, there is disagreement on how to approach the topic of lowering fertility. Some activists believe that the word “overpopulation” is too strong, even though by all accounts the world IS overpopulated: An article in the journal Nature reports that the global groundwater footprint is about 3.5 times the actual amount we have in our aquifers. Scientists have estimated that humans consume 50% more of the earth’s resources than she is able to restore each year. If people continue to consume the planet’s resources at this rate, by 2030 humanity will need two planets worth of resources to support the world’s population.

My message is clear: I recommend one child per couple to lower the population, avert future famines, and avoid wars over water. If that sounds radical, then maybe it is time for radicalism. In a culture that bemoans a falling fertility rate because it will damage the economy — instead of praising smaller families because it means less crowding, more nature and better quality of life for all — there is great need for more voices of sanity. Voices like Edward Abbey who said, “Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.”

For those of us in the United States, this message is especially important. Although our families average 2 kids per couple, our consumption outweighs that of larger families in Africa and Asia. The average American consumes 20 times more resources than someone from Mozambique and generates 169 times more carbon dioxide than a Bangladeshi. We have even outdone ourselves: a family of four today lives in a house twice as large as one the family would have occupied in 1950.

I believe that we must stabilize and then lower the world population if humans are to survive on this planet. If advocating a culture that encourages smaller families is offensive, then I must offend. Too much is at stake to be polite.

–

Alexandra Paul is an internationally recognized actress and an environmental and social activist. To hear Alexandra speak about overpopulation, please see her TEDx video.

Any thoughts on being Wonder Woman? I think you would have been far better as WW than any other of the women that have been mentioned since then…and that’s my completely unbiased opinion. I even remember seeing a rather good photo manipulation of you as Wonder Woman which would prove my point, if I only could find it.

J-E Lindqvist

Hi J-E,

I know that at some point in the late 90s there was talk in the media that I was the top choice to play Wonder Woman in the movie version – my sister heard it on radio in San Francisco, Ain’t It Cool News posted it also, and another friend read about it in a newspaper. I was never formally offered the part, and in the end the movie was never made.

I really do not know how that rumour got started, so perhaps the producers were thinking of offering it to me!

I would have been awesome I’d still be awesome, but I think they’ll cast someone in their 30s.

If you find that photo manipulation, please send it to me, as I would love to see it.

Thank you so much,
Alexandra

2) hi alexandra!
i loved your role “amy” in the perry mason movies! what was it like doing those films??? what was raymond burr like to work with? i’m sure it must’ve been awesome!!!

best wishes,
robert
sydney, australia

Hi Robert,

I am happy the Perry Mason tv movies also play overseas, as they are on tv quite often here too. I starred in 3 of them in 1989, and had a contract for several more, so I was very disappointed not to be picked up for another set of shows. I was touched that Raymond went to bat to argue for my character to stay, but the head of the network decided he wanted Billy Moses the actor playing my fiance, to have alot of girlfriends, so that was that.

Raymond was wonderful to work with. He remains a legend, a star of both movies and tv. He was kind to everyone, extremely generous (a great philanthropist too) and he was adored by the crew (always see how the crew feels about an actor, that says alot). He passed away 4 years later, and I was very sad. I am still in touch with Raymond’s longtime partner, Robert Benevides, and every Christmas Robert sends Ian and me 2 bottles of his incredible wine from Raymond Burr Vineyards, the winery he founded with Raymond.

I loved shooting those tv movies. My character, Amy, was so fun to play, as she was sassy, streetwise and enthusiastic. Working with Raymond, Billy and Barbara Hale was so fun, and I have been friends with Billy ever since. We did a movie together in 2002, A Lover’s Revenge. I even introduced him to his current wife, Sarah!

Thanks for reminding me of such a wonderful experience.
Alexandra

3) hi alexandra-

watched your tedx talk on you tube. try getting at least a trailer for JAMPACKED on Youtube. I’ve linked you talk to one of my websites: http://ecoprophet1.tripod.com

I’ve also written an online book, SAVING THE PLANET, in which one of my chapters is overpopulation. see url: http://pulsar774.tripod.com

Thanx for your insights and solutions. yes, a one child per family policy for americans and everyone on earth is now necessary.

Peace,
steve jones
global environmentalist

http://multimedialinx.tripod.com

santa cruz, california
USA

Hi Steve,

Thank you so much for writing a book with a chapter on overpopulation. It is so important we all realize that, to save the world, we must stabilize (and lower) the human population. Alot of people (environmentalists included) do not understand the connection.

Jampacked was an educational film for high school students on overpopulation made 15 years ago, so its style is a bit outdated. I am very proud, however, to have hosted, co-written and co-produced it, and at the time there was no documentary on the overpopulation issue available to any high schools. I am not sure it is even available through its old distributor, but it has sold well.

Keep up the good work, Steve, and thank you for writing!
Alexandra

Hi Federico,

I am so glad that American Flyers is available in Italy. Yes, I did have alot of blonde in my hair for that movie. We were planning to dye that chunk of hair purple, but in bleaching the hair before putting that color on, we decided we liked the blonde look and stopped there. We decided it would match all my wardrobe better!

To swim better and longer: take a couple swimming lessons from a good coach, to make sure you have not developed bad habits in your stroke. There are always things to improve! And then the second part is to swim, swim, swim! Vary your workouts so that you not only can swim for long periods at a steady pace without stopping, but also add in intervals of sprint work.

My husband Ian sells an excellent swim dvd that gives you instruction on technique and swim workouts. You can order here: http://store.triathlontrainingseries.com/swimming-for-triathletes-p14.aspx. They will mail to Italy!

Best of luck in your swimming and thank you for your letter.

Alexandra

2) You mentioned you lifted weights, and I see you’re competing in lots of athletic events. How strong were (or are) you in you prime, in terms of: a) maximum bench, b) military and c) leg press capabilities? How does that compare to today, and do you miss that? I’m guessing you’re probably stronger than most men your height including myself. My max is 170 bench press, and probably not enough double that on the leg press machine. I’m a weakling
Jay

Hi Jay,

I actually am not particularly strong. When I lift weights, I lift very light weights and do about 13 reps. I prefer this as I do not want to have larger muscles, and I can get larger quite easily. I lift weights mostly for bone strength and definition.

I also have shoulder and knee weaknesses, so I am very protective and keep the weights light so I do not exacerbate the injuries. I bench press only 50 lbs. I leg press 180 lbs. I do not do military presses. I hope I did not disappoint

In terms of my prime, I feel as good in my 50th year as I did in my 30th, but I do not know if I am weaker or stronger. I do have more limits: because of my shoulder and knee overuse, I can no longer swim with as much speed or run. But I have learned to work around that by doing other things: lots of stretching and long, slow swims. So lsoing in one area has allowed me to improve in others.

You don’t seem like a weakling to me!
Alexandra

3) Hi Alexandra,
Wow just come across your brothers story, he is a hero. Is he out of prison? What are the best ways to get involved with helping animals? My heart breaks over farm animals and there terrible treatment. Much love Elaine xx

Hi Elaine,

Jonathan is out of prison and working at a company in Oregon that deals with environmental forestry management. He is doing very well and I will tell him that you wrote. Thank you.

The best thing to do to help animals is to become vegan. To not wear, eat or use items that have exploited, tortured or killed animals is a powerful statement. Your buying habits of vegan products also send the strongest message possible to companies that they need to being offering more non animal wares.

Becoming vegan is one of the best things I have done for myself and for the planet. Join me.

Thank you so much for writing,
Alexandra

I was watching Stars in Danger and saw you…… I have NO IDEA WHY “YOU” yes YOU were the alternate for the ladies…. frankly the other ladies (minus Bethany) cannot hold a candle to you.

Anyway, the reason for my email is I think you look terrific as you always have. I am inspired by your mindset and dedication to overcoming fears and your tenacity in physical activity. I did my first marathon in Edmonton, Canada last year and it is only the beginning for me. I am heading to the pool shortly and considering training for a triathlon.

Thank you Alexandra for inspiring me and no doubt many others

Raemonde

Hi Raemonde,

Thank you for your supportive email. I am glad you saw Fox TV’s Stars in Danger and that you enjoyed it. Sounds like you are going to do well in your triathlons, if yiou have done a marathon and are training in the pool too. The great thing about a triathlon is you are doing 3 sports instead of one, and this in a way is easier on your body than just doing one sport, because you are crosstraining. The swimming and biking mean less pounding than just running every day, and the swimming means upper body work you dont get when you are training for a marathon.

One trap common for triathletes is to train in the 2 sports they feel most comfortable with and ignore their “limiter”, the sport they are least good at. Because they are still training hard, it is easy to avoid the third sport. Beware! My husband, Ian Murray, who coaches triathletes encourages his clients to train the most at the sport at which they are least proficient (which is usually the one they usually want to avoid).

Good luck with whatever sports you do. The most important thing is to keep moving (I am on my treadmill desk right now, answering your email .

And thank you for watching the show!

Best wishes,
Alexandra

2) I just saw your TED Talk about overpopulation, and I was blown away. I’ve been making the same noise for years and all I get is the stink eye from my friends with 3, 4, 5 kids. It was so refreshing to watch your video, and see that someone else not only feels the same way, but can couch the argument so eloquently. Well done.
Scott Keck

Hi Scott,

I appreciate your kind words about my TEDx talk. Thank you so much for watching it!

My theory about talking about human overpopulation is that folks who have already had kids are not the ones with whom to discuss the issue, unless they are planning to have more. They understandably get defensive, and we sound like we hate their children, even though of course we are simply very concerned about the world in which they are going to grow up. So my message is intended for those who have not yet have children. That group can save the world!!!

I am thrilled to hear you are talking about the issue – bravo! That is exactly what we must do. My favorite video showing how fast population grows is here. When I talk in classrooms, I start it at 1:31 and turn it off at 5:45, so it is a very powerful 4 minutes. Just show it to your friends and you really dont have to say much after that. If they want to argue further, you can show them my video.

Thank you for courageously spreading the word about overpopulation. Keep it up!!!!

Alexandra

3) Hi Alexandra,

You have an extremely inspiring lifestyle. In particular, I notice you are vegan and, therefore, an animal lover. Do you have any animals and if so, what kind?
lynn

Hi Lynn,

Ian and I have the honour of sharing our lives with our cat Hallie. We went to the West LA animal shelter after our white cat JaJa passed away. Hallie meowed loudly and purred contentedly in Ian’s arms, so that was that, we adopted her. .

We named her Hallie after Halle Berry who was coming out in the movie Catwoman that week and was a black girl cat too My friend Jodie’s daughter also suggested it was short for Halloween, which is true too!

She is incredibly loving. When Ian and I are home, she follows us around the house, just wanting to be in the same room with us. When our alarm goes off in the early morning, she immediately jumps on the bed if she is not there already, as she knows this is 5 Minute Cuddle Time. She loves to sleep in the crook of our arms or right on our chests (luckily she is light enough to do that). During the day, she trots outside and hangs out with our neighbors cat, Tigre. Sometimes they just sit and stare at each other, other times when I call her they will both come ambling towards me, like a couple.

She is not happy having other cats in the house, so we have decided (reluctantly, on my part) not to adopt another cat while she is still with us, out of respect for her happiness.

There are two photos of her on this page, smack in the middle, one on Caroline and one up in a tree.

Thank you, Lynn, for letting me ramble on about my lovely cat!

Alexandra

We arrive in Greensboro, North Carolina on December 13 to compete 2 days later at the Greensboro Aquatic Center, I am not confident I will make it past the first round, but I am proud of myself for overcoming several fears and making the most of this 10 day training experience. Now it is show time!

My fellow divers are wonderfully supportive of each other, and on Competition Day it doesn’t feel so much like we were competing against each other, but that we are striving to do our best. And do our best we do. I – well watch the show and you can see how I did. Suffice it to say that I was thrilled to be there, and it was a blast taping the show. It was “live to tape” (no reshoots) but it took 5 hours to finish, with all the stopping and starting. I know it will be really fun to watch too (only 2 hours), so I hope you tune in tomorrow, Wednesday, Jan 9 at 8p/7c on Fox!

I want to thank my awesome coach, Karl Warden, for his amazing guidance, his loving patience and his diving expertise.

I also want to thank my amazing friend David Chokachi, who made me a better diver just by being next to me on the 5 meter platform. I was privileged to be his diving partner for the synchro dive.

The crew and the cast of divers were all awesome. I feel blessed. Note: it has been almost a month since we taped, and my shoulders are still stiff from those fast twitch muscles awakening ! Bruises pretty much gone, phew.

» Read Part 1
» Read Part 2

I spoke on the importance of smaller family size because it is a taboo subject all around the world and I don’t like shying away from important topics! It is vital that we discuss the issue of if we are going to solve the very serious dilemma we are in. Let’s stop the denial!

If enough people watch the video, it will appear on TED.com, a site that opens up this discussion to millions of people. As of now, amongst the thousands of talks on TED.com, not one focuses on human overpopulation.

Please help me start a conversation about stabilizing world population by playing the video below. And please share the link on your facebook and twitter pages. Every bit helps!

Thank you for your support! Enjoy the video and I look forward to your feedback!

Back at the pool, I am badly shaken by the concussion (or whatever it was that made me slur my words and lose my balance for half an hour), and I regress: my fear of heights comes back.  I am also tired of hurting – my shoulders, stiff from flinging my arms up; my thighs, stinging from hitting the water wrong over and over; my head, sensitive from the incident a few days ago.  The wetsuit I am wearing to protect me somewhat doesn’t stop me from hurting almost every time I hit the water. The one bright spot is that I am now paired with David Chokachi for the synchronized dive.   I feel less scared up on the 5 meter platform with David next to me. Having such a strong connection with my dive partner gives me courage and helps raise my game.  Even Karl, who is training both of us, notices I am better when I am diving next to David, and he decides that we are going to do the 1 ½ front somersault together, even though I am so bruised from messing that dive up that Fox has to photoshop the bruises off my legs for their PR photos (watch the special, however, and you will see them). David is a natural at somersaults, having spent many summers in Massachusetts diving off cliffs – he is fearless and enthusiastic as he scampers up the 3 flights of stairs to the higher board, me trotting behind him like a puppy, hoping to somehow catch his talent and his attitude.  I don’t want to let him down!  Karl is patient, upbeat and supportive, and I feel blessed to have him in my corner. On the second to last day of training before we leave for North Carolina, I work with Curt Wilson again on the trampoline on my forward tuck and he gives me invaluable advice which helps me  improve my entry into the water .

But what about my solo dive?  The inward dive is obviously off the table…

Tune in to my next blog to find out what Karl has in store for me and how it feels to be at the Greensboro Aquatic Center!

» Read Part 1
» Read Part 3