The fact that we scored this guest is beyond our wildest dreams. Lesley Ann Warren is here this week. You Might Know Her From Clue; Cinderella; Victor/Victoria; Choose Me; Desperate Housewives; In Plain Sight; and Will & Grace. This chat with Lesley just gave us all the feels from talking about her iteration of Cinderella to replacing Carrie Fisher as Miss Scarlet in our favorite movie Clue, to the homework she did to make Norma Cassidy the icon that she is in Victor/Victoria. Our heads are still in the clouds! 

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Why does every New York play end with a sharp intake of breath (Hamilton, Jagged Little Pill)

Reese Witherspoon pukes and screams on The Morning Show

Tone of show is closer to Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip than Smash sorry

Sarah Paulson did a Holly Hunter impression

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and 30 Rock came out same year just like Armageddon and Deep Impact

Damian got a dog! @Ronettethepit

Carrie Fisher was set to play Miss Scarlet and then allegedly checked into rehab before filming started so Lesley Ann Warren was called in

Jonathan Lynn made the cast watch His Girl Friday to get the speed and style he wanted for Clue

There is a 4th ending that was apparently filmed (?) but cut where Wadsworth killed everyone 

Was 18 when she starred in the tv musical 1965 Cinderella (Ginger Rogers, Celeste Holm, Jo Van Fleet) with music by Richard Rodgers, directed by Charles Dubin

Sang live to tape on Cinderella 

Lesley was flown out to NYC to sing the finale recent Broadway production of Cinderella (with new modern book by Douglas Carter Beane) starring Keke Palmer. 

Was under contract with Disney for the live action musicals The Happiest Millionaire  and The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band

Greer Garson and Fred MacMurray played her parents in The Happiest MIllionaire

Broadway career began with 110 in the Shade, and starred in Drat! The Cat!, famous flop that ran for 8 performances

Starred in the Gone with the Wind musical, Scarlett (1970)

Lee Strasberg was Lesley’s acting teacher (she was youngest student in his class)

Oscar nominated for her role as Norma Cassidy in Victor/Victoria (1982) music by Henry Mancini and Leslie Bricusse. “Chicago, Illinois” was written for her.

Gay stuff: The Muppets, musicals, Desperate Housewives, Will & Grace, Clue

Lesley auditioned to be Liesl in The Sound of Music movie

Spoke at the Blake Edwards memorial at The Academy 

Choose Me (1984 dir: Alan Rudolph)  EW named it one of the 50 best independent films of all time

Teddy Pendergrass score for Choose Me is cool as shit (opening sequence so good)

Lesley Ann Warren with the Muppets (flirting with pig “Last Dance”)

Starred as Dana Lambert on the original Mission Impossible tv series

Her episode of Shelley Duvall’s Faerie Tale Theatre:  The Dancing Princesses co-starring Sachi Parker (Shirley MacLaine’s estranged daughter) and Zelda Rubinstein

The very important interview with Sachi Parker we mentioned

Desperate Housewives was a challenging experience

Played Lois Lane in the tv version of the flop musical, It’s a Bird It’s a Plane...

Screentest for Lois Lane in the Superman movie is a special feature on the DVD

In the room with: Mary Steenburgen, Susan Sarandon, Barbara Hershey, Michelle Pfeiffer, Chirstine Lahti

Celeste Holm told Lesley Ann Warren to stop frowning on the set of Cinderella

Played mom to lots: Ashton Kutcher (Jobs), Julia Roberts (Baja Oklahoma), Katie Homes (Teaching Mrs Tingle), Mary McCormack (In Plain Sight)

Sang and danced with Carol Burnett on first season of her variety show

Rob Marshall approached Lesley to perhaps be part of “Cell Block Tango” in the Chicago movie

Celeste Holm died in 2012 but I accidentally killed her off between 2009-2011. 

Marc Cherry (allegedly) hit Nicolette Sheridan on the head during Desperate Housewives 

Tom Hooper and the Les Mis movie are a disgrace

Keke Palmer singing “Freddy My Love” on Grease Live!

Lesley Ann Warren was in Clue with Christopher Lloyd who was in a coming of age movie about camp with next week’s guest.