This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:08] Al Malafronte: Hello and welcome to the Break a Bat Podcast where baseball meets Broadway, an attempt to show that my two favorite mediums don't have to live in such separate worlds and maybe even break some stigmas.

[0:19] Al Malafronte: We're happy to have you with us. Now let's play ball.

[0:25] Al Malafronte: Hello and welcome to Break a Bat, where baseball meets Broadway and sports meet show business. This is Al Malafronte coming at you tonight for the Broadway Podcast Network.

[0:35] Al Malafronte: Uh always a treat when we get to welcome folks to the batter's box who are native New Yorkers and have also taken show business by storm in a short period of time. Over the last five years, my guest tonight has burst onto the soap opera scene in all-star caliber fashion through her performances as Ciara Brady in Days of Our Lives, which earned her an Emmy Award this summer, actually. And uh right now at Peacock, you can catch her starring in the show's limited series Beyond Salem. We're so grateful she could join us tonight. So with that being said, I ask you all to please turn your attention to home plate. Just be on the marquee. Now batting Victoria Konefal.

[1:12] Victoria Konefal: Oh, thank you so much for having me. Ah, it's such an honor. Like I said, we love when we get to bring in folks who are native New Yorkers. And I feel like this is like a special occasion for us. You know, maybe it's once or twice a year that we have hitters from the soap world join us. So uh you're helping our batting average with the audience today.

[1:30] Victoria Konefal: Oh my goodness. Well, it's my pleasure.

[1:32] Al Malafronte: Ah, well, it's good to have you here. And uh I was also very happy to hear you're a Yankee fan.

[1:36] Victoria Konefal: I am because I know you could have gone either way growing up in Brooklyn.

[1:39] Al Malafronte: So right.

[1:40] Victoria Konefal: Yeah. My uh my first game was actually a Mets versus Yankees game at Yankee Stadium, and uh I was rooting for the Yankees. My best friend was rooting for the Mets, the Yankees won. Of course we did, and uh it was a victorious day for me.

[1:54] Al Malafronte: Now, were you a Jeter or an A-Rod girl?

[1:57] Victoria Konefal: Honestly, Jeter.

[1:59] Al Malafronte: Honestly, that's a good answer. There's usually no right or wrong answer to what I talk about in the show, but that's like how you have to answer if you're a true Yankee fan. It's Derek Jeter over.

[2:07] Victoria Konefal: Oh, absolutely.

[2:09] Al Malafronte: Yeah, Jeter's a classic.

[2:11] Victoria Konefal: Yeah, oh the best.

[2:13] Al Malafronte: Now a Hall of Famer, too.

[2:14] Victoria Konefal: Yeah, very proud of him.

[2:15] Al Malafronte: Yeah. He he did our city well.

[2:17] Victoria Konefal: He certainly did. And uh so have you, by the way. You had quite the summer.

[2:20] Victoria Konefal: I have, yeah. It's been crazy. Red carpets, Emmy Awards, like a new series.

[2:27] Al Malafronte: I know 2021's had its challenges, but like on a personal note, you're crushing it. Congratulations.

[2:34] Victoria Konefal: I mean, yeah, thank you. Uh I'm really grateful and blessed for all the opportunities that have come my way. You know, I've just been trying to weather the storm like everyone else. And uh it's been an incredibly blessed summer to say the least, you know. Uh the Emmy being like the thing that takes the cake. I I still can't believe it. Uh it really hasn't hit me. And I honestly don't think it ever will. Um, because in theory, it seems like this, you know, massive achievement. It's like, oh my God, you've reached like the tippity top, but it's like I don't, I don't feel that yet. Because I feel like I still have so far to go in my own personal career journey. Um, and so I do like to reflect and be grateful for it, but it just it doesn't feel real. It doesn't feel like a tangible thing. It's crazy.

[3:26] Al Malafronte: Now, do you keep it in the living room or anything or within plain sight?

[3:31] Victoria Konefal: It is in my living room, it's right uh uh on top of the mantle at my doorway. Um, so it's the first thing I see when I come in, and the last thing I see when I leave. It's it's nice to look at, but I don't like again, it's hard for me to even understand what it is I'm looking at. Like I haven't, you know, it just got in the mail um three weeks ago.

[3:53] Victoria Konefal: So I won in July, but or June, I don't even remember. I won this summer and it just got to my house three weeks ago.

[4:03] Al Malafronte: Wait, you don't get to take it home from the ceremony?

[4:07] Victoria Konefal: No, no, they it's a fake one. They uh they they send it to you a couple months later.

[4:14] Al Malafronte: Wow, you know what's so uh that's interesting because it in baseball, for example, they have the baseball writers dinner where they give out all of the awards. And yeah, like they have, you know, these guys like kind of have their caddies take out the actual hardware with them, at least if they live in New York, otherwise they have the team ship it to them. And the Mets had an interesting situation with that because they they shipped Jacob deGrom's Cy Young Award and didn't use enough packaging or something, and the whole thing like broke apart in the mail. So I hope that uh I hope that Days of Our Lives did like a good job with like the bubble wrap and everything and make sure it got back to you in one piece.

[4:50] Victoria Konefal: Yeah, well, yeah, the Academy sent it to me themselves. Um, the Emmy like board, I guess, the board of members they sent it and they sent it in this beautiful leather box with like padding and stuff in it. It was lined with satin. I'm like, oh my god, this is bougie and I love it.

[5:09] Al Malafronte: Now, how surreal was that whole like how like you know, the Emmy Day, for example. I know you've been nominated before, but you're a bit more seasoned in the game now. Is there a story or two that stands out about everything leading up to it? And then I guess that feeling once your name is actually called.

[5:24] Victoria Konefal: Yeah, so this Emmy was special in general because um it was a COVID Emmy, the second one. So the ceremony was filmed two weeks before it actually aired. And they had all of the nominees record their acceptance speeches regardless of whether or not we knew we won. So like the footage from the actual ceremony, that wasn't happening in real time. That was shot prior. They also had me film like my gracious loser face, where they're like, yeah, yeah, crazy. I thought that was something that they made up on Friends. You remember that with Joey Tribbiani when he was going for the soap?

[6:01] Al Malafronte: Oh yes.

[6:02] Victoria Konefal: Yep. I remember very vividly. He was also on Days of Our Lives.

[6:06] Al Malafronte: Dr. Drake Ramoray.

[6:09] Victoria Konefal: Oh, I'm so happy you mentioned that. Yeah, man. I love that show. Um, but no, it's a real thing. I mean, it's it's not a real thing when the ceremony is in real time without the COVID restrictions. But because of the COVID restrictions, they had to put something together. Like they actually green screened an audience in, you know, for like the wide shots. It was all fake. It was all made up. Um, and they they had me sitting on the carpet and they were like, okay. And they're calling out the nominees, and they didn't call your name. Give us your reaction. Go. And I was like, I I can't take this seriously. So I like looked sad for a second, and then I started clapping, and then I started laughing, and they're like, Yeah, girl, we can't use that.

Take, give us something better. And I was like, okay. And so we filmed it again, and I couldn't take it seriously. So they're like, all right, we'll just show your picture. We're not gonna, you know, whatever. Um, but they ended up not even using that. They ended up using my acceptance speech because I won. So I didn't even have to worry about that.

[7:07] Al Malafronte: Oh my gosh. So you give a you give an acceptance speech like under the pre like let me ask you. So you prepare that weeks in advance. I've actually never spoken to anyone about that. Like, how does that how does that typically work? Even in a non-COVID time, you don't go off the cuff.

[7:21] Victoria Konefal: Yeah, you can. I mean, you you take it uh as personally as you want. Some people prepare, some people write, you know, a very meticulous thing. I was not prepared. I'm very much like a last minute thrive under pressure kind of person. So I had written down in my iPhone notes like a couple things that I wanted to say. And once we arrived to the Emmys, um, we did the carpet, we did, you know, the interviews and whatnot. And I thought I was gonna have more time before they filmed my acceptance speech. But they were like, all right, and it's your turn, Victoria. And I'm like, you guys, give me at least two minutes. I have no idea what I'm gonna say. Like it's not gonna serve either of us if I go up right now.

So let me just look through my notes, organize my thoughts. Because also it feels so ingenuine when you're up there and you have no idea if you won. You're just you know, it's like you're acting as yourself, and I act for a living. I don't want to act as Victoria Konefal, you know. I want to be genuine, and and so I tried to like put myself in a position of okay, you won gratitude, ground yourself in the gratitude of it. Like, because that's the only way that I could propel this speech forward to make it sound somewhat genuine, you know. I had no idea that I won.

[8:33] Victoria Konefal: So um, yeah, I I had some things written down, but for the most part, I uh it came off the top of my dome. I remember at the end of it, I don't even know why I said this. I'm not Spanish, I'm not of Latino heritage, right? I'm Polish.

[8:49] Al Malafronte: Yeah, you're Miss Poland, USA, yeah.

[8:52] Victoria Konefal: Yeah, like I'm I'm Polish, and at the end of my speech, I say amor dinero i la pura vida, which means love, money, and a pure life. I don't know why I said that. It just came off my brain. I'm like, I'm not even Latin. Like, what am I doing speaking Spanish excepting my speech? Like, this is crazy. I was nervous, I guess, like to calm my nerves. I started speaking Spanish. Who knows? Uh, but yeah, I uh I ended up doing that, and that was hilarious. Rewatching that, I'm like, oh god, what was I thinking?

[9:24] Victoria Konefal: The answer is nothing. I wasn't thinking at all. I was just winging it.

[9:27] Al Malafronte: How did mom and dad react to that?

[9:31] Victoria Konefal: Oh man, they thought it was hilarious.

[9:34] Al Malafronte: Yeah, all right.

[9:35] Victoria Konefal: Yeah, I mean, they love the they love the rest of the speech too. So um, they were just, I mean, they honestly didn't even care what I said. They were just happy that I won. They were so proud of me still.

[9:46] Al Malafronte: Now, now that you're an Emmy winner, I do have to know. Um, you know, with the whole mini-series that you've been doing. Do you get to offer notes on Ciara and maybe provide on uh, you know, maybe some of the insight as far as where you want to take her?

[9:59] Victoria Konefal: No, I would love to, but no, it doesn't really change much in terms of the way the production treats me. You know, they're they're happy about it, but they're kind of like, all right, and moving forward, you know, business as usual. Um, I would like to potentially have more influence. And I guess I've been playing the character for so long that I do kind of take her in my own direction, and they trust me with it because I've been doing well so far. So they let me, you know, uh ad lib here and there if I need to, but ultimately it's it's their word above everyone else's.

[10:32] Al Malafronte: Interesting. Well, you know what? That's that's good that you just kind of you know don't piss anyone off to go back to Joey on Days of Our Lives.

[10:39] Victoria Konefal: Yeah, I'm not sure if you remember, you know, telling people, but I think he told the writer that he doesn't watch soap operas and he had to do a little something to get out of the thing.

[10:49] Al Malafronte: Um, I know the show off the back of my hand. Test me with that friend's line.

[10:52] Victoria Konefal: Oh, yeah, the first one they wrote him off.

[10:54] Al Malafronte: Yeah, that's right. They wrote him off after the first interview because he said that he writes a lot of his own lines, and the writers were like, You write your own lines?

[11:02] Victoria Konefal: Yeah, write this.

[11:03] Al Malafronte: And then it cuts to him going, I fall down an elevator shaft.

[11:09] Victoria Konefal: It's the most New York show, though, isn't it? Like, don't don't you appreciate it even more, like being a New Yorker and working in that industry and like all the Joey Tribbiani stuff.

[11:18] Victoria Konefal: Yeah. And like, so I grew up watching that show. Um, I went to LaGuardia, which is where Jennifer Aniston graduated. She graduated from my high school.

[11:26] Al Malafronte: So that ties me into the show.

[11:28] Victoria Konefal: Um, on the show, I work with John Aniston. He plays my grandfather, and that's her dad. So I'm tied into that show that way. And then after I keep the show playing on repeat as kind of like my comfort show, like when I'm cooking or you know, cleaning, I'll have it on as just, you know, just it feels like home. It feels like it's what should be playing in my house.

[11:52] Victoria Konefal: And I was watching it after I had booked Days of Our Lives, and I knew that Joey was on days, but I never really put two and two together. He has a scene as Dr. Drake Ramoray where he's in the hospital room and he kisses a woman in a coma or who just got out of a coma. That woman was, she plays my mother on the show. They had real Days of Our Lives actors. And I'm like doing my thing. I'm like cleaning or whatever. And I look over and I'm like, is that is that Christian Alfonso? Is Joey Tribbiani kissing my mother? I absolutely freaked out, cried, called my sister, and I'm like, you will never believe what I just realized. Um, yeah, that show is so close to me for so many reasons. But that that was a moment that stuck out for sure. Cause I look over and Joey's kissing my mother. I'm like, wow, this is as good as life gets, honestly. I'm good from here.

[12:40] Al Malafronte: Oh my God. You know, I'm gonna ask you this. You know, you mentioned going to LaGuardia High School. Obviously, you were super talented from a young age, but did you ever imagine yourself in soap operas? Like, did you think you were gonna be doing that type of acting?

[12:59] Victoria Konefal: No, and I don't think that's you know, I'm limited to that. Like, yes, technically I am a star on a soap right now. Um, but I'm an actress first and foremost. Like, I started in theater when I was seven and I carried that out. And then I've you know, done movies, I've done horror films, I've done, you know, lifetime films. I did an episode of Modern Family, so I'm like all over the map.

[13:21] Victoria Konefal: I'm an I'm an actress first and foremost. I never thought that I would get a soap. I didn't really see that in my future. But you know, when I booked Days, I was a struggling actress living in LA. I was a waitress, I had four dollars in my bank account. Um, and I was offered a two-year contract to be on a soap, and I was thrilled at the opportunity. Like, it was my first real big gig, my first leading, like, you know, series. It was epic. Um, and I love every second of it. I've learned so much. Uh, but to answer your question, no, I never grew up thinking that I was gonna be on a soap, and I don't necessarily categorize myself as a soap actor. I'm just an actor who happened to book a soap and is still on it.

Now I'm gonna use a little baseball parallel here for a second. There's different hitters that will, yeah, you know, they're gonna adjust their game based on the type of pitcher. If it's a knuckleballer, you're gonna approach that differently than you would someone who's throwing a hundred miles an hour, a hundred mile an hour fastballs. You're gonna approach a left-handed pitcher different than you're gonna approach a right-handed pitcher. What's like the biggest difference between the audition for a soap opera, for example, and you know, some of the movies that you auditioned for and then booked, or just like, you know, even the sitcoms.

[14:41] Victoria Konefal: Um, the audition process, I don't say that I wouldn't say that there is a big difference just because I approach acting with my own technical training and like the way like acting is one in the same for me, you know, like stay truthful to the script to the situation, stay truthful to your on-screen partner, you know, like remain grounded and truthful in the situation. So the audition wasn't different. What is drastically different is our filming process and the material we are given. Like my character so far has been kidnapped seven times. She's been set on fire by multiple different family members four times. She's been exploded in a car. Somehow she survives. Like the shit that we go through is so far-fetched and so different that the way I play it is the same as I would play any other thing.

It's just the lines and the story is drastically different than anything I've ever done. And also the rate at which we film is psychotically fast. Because we air every day, we have to constantly be in production. So the studio is capable of filming three episodes in one day. That's crazy. We do like 180 pages a day collectively. I remember the most that I had to film in one day personally was 80 pages of dialogue because I had three episodes that day. We don't really have time for rehearsal half the time. And we only have time to do one take. So with movies and stuff, you get coverage. You get, you know, four to 10 to 15 takes of one scene because you know the director and the team is waiting for you to get your best performance.

For soaps, it's not necessarily about giving us our best performance. It's about getting it done on time. So they'll give us one take, move on. With the episodes, what you see is what you get. We have one chance to go up there, perform our stuff, and then you will you move on to the next scene. Um, so in that way, it's very, very different than anything else in film and TV ever, you know. Um, and because of that, I have been, I feel like my skill has grown at an exponential rate only because I thrive under this pressure. Um, and I have no choice but to succeed after the first time. So, like when I step on a movie set again and I see 12 pages on the roster, that's a lot for a movie set, but for me, that's gonna be like easy peasy lemon squeezy because I've been dealing with 80 pages a day for the past three years.

So it's like I'm really grateful for this opportunity because I feel like I've learned things here that I can't learn at a conservatory. I can't learn an acting class and I can't learn on any other set.

[17:30] Al Malafronte: Yeah.

[17:31] Al Malafronte: No, I what a way to put it. So if you botch one line, what happens? Do they give you like one more chance to get it right, or do they just cut the scene?

[17:39] Victoria Konefal: I mean, it depends on how badly you botch it. There are times where I botch a line and they're like, no, no, it's fine for us moving forward. Um, but let's say you completely mess up a line and you cuss or you go, oops, I'm sorry, let's run that back. They'll be like, okay, and we're taking it from this exact line. Like it's very quick. You don't get to start the whole scene over. Sometimes you do. Um, but ultimately you can't, you don't really have a choice. Like actors have been fired from soaps for doing that too often, like messing up the lines too often and slowing down production. Like they take it very seriously. One of the skills that you need to possess as a soap actor is the ability to memorize your lines quickly, is the ability to perform and show up and do your work and not mess up.

Um, and I feel like the stigma that people have about soaps and soap actors is like, oh, they're such bad actors because blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. No, no, just because you don't relate to the material and you don't find that enjoyable doesn't mean that we're not some of the hardest working actors in the game, if not the most. Like we work our asses off for lack of better word. And uh I think that that people should know, like and take that into account and take us more seriously. Uh, it's like you try to step on the set where we're filming 80 pages a day, you know, talking about how I've been blown up and somehow brought back to life, and do it seriously. Like we can't, you know, like it's it's a lot of work and everyone works so hard. So um I think that we deserve a lot more props than you know, the general public is willing to give us. And that's just because they don't understand the process behind what goes into what we do.

[19:20] Al Malafronte: Right.

[19:20] Al Malafronte: No, I let hey, listen, I I I'll give you all the credit in the world, obviously. I um like I mentioned, it's always a special occasion when we get to welcome folks in from the soap world. But however, like you said before, you're not just a soap actress, you're an actress in the most purest sense of the term. I I actually I was thinking about that. I I think you know Jen Lilly as well. You know, it's very similar. Look at how many different types of roles she can play as well. I think you're always in the ready position based on that. Uh, you know, you have to be on your feet. So, like, you know, to use low baseball term, you're always in the ready position. The ball's always going to be hit to you, and you have to think quickly because you don't have all the time in the world. But I think that uh, you know, the skills that you exhibit, uh, they show a lot of talent. So you're a very diversified player, so to speak.

[20:06] Victoria Konefal: Thank you. I appreciate that.

[20:08] Al Malafronte: Absolutely. And I have to ask you, how was uh Beyond Salem proposition to you? Was this on the table for a while, or was this kind of uh pleasant surprise?

[20:17] Victoria Konefal: Uh it was a pleasant surprise. So they called me actually. Um, I got a phone call from one of our executive producers, Albert. That's my name. He called me that's my full name. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. I I don't hear it that often. That's why I got so excited. Albert. Um, yeah, no, Albert called me uh on the day of the Emmys, the real ones, the ones where I found out this was beforehand. And he was like, Hey, I know you're probably busy, but I have something to talk to you about. We're planning on doing a spin-off with um Peacock and NBC. And he gave me a brief little rundown, and he was just like, Does that seem like something you're interested in? And I'm like, you know what? That sounds like a lot of fun.

Yeah, I would potentially be really interested in that, you know, forward the information along over to the rest of my team and and we'll discuss, you know, what what to do with this. And uh it happened really fast. We filmed the entire series in like a week. Um and it was put into production about a month and a half after I got the call. So it was it was quick and and it was a surprise. And and I had no idea that it would um excel in the way that it did. Like Sony promoted it, NBC promoted it, Peacock promoted it. It was everywhere, you know. We had a star-studded cast, uh, Lisa Rinna was a part of it, Jack A. Harry, Eileen Davidson, you know, we had some wonderfully incredibly talented people join the cast, and and it was really refreshing and and we had more time to to shoot this.

Like our shooting days were longer. Um, and we had a couple takes occasionally, you know, depending on the scene. Uh, but generally we still filmed fast, we still filmed at uh the rate of soap films. But it was nice. It was a nice change of pace and a change of storyline, and also because it was on a streaming service, it was treated as a primetime show, meaning we had more freedom to talk about certain things and that that aren't necessarily allowed on daytime television. Like we are restricted, you know, four days of our lives because the audience is a very specific audience and and it does air at like 12 p.m. So it can't be too crazy and raunchy. Whereas on Beyond Salem, I don't know if you know the storyline, but my character found herself in the middle of a sex party. She was accidentally found in the middle of an orgy and she just walked in on this and it's like, oh my God. Um, so we had a lot of fun exploring the dramatics of a soap without the soap limitations.

[23:06] Al Malafronte: Yeah, I mean, I knew about the guns and the jewel heist and everything just from the trailer, but the yeah, the sex party. That that's that's news to me.

[23:13] Victoria Konefal: That's it. That's uh wow. This is like this in episode five. The very last one.

[23:21] Al Malafronte: So uh so that trailer isn't just like Hollywood working its magic, it's really that intense.

[23:28] Victoria Konefal: Yeah, absolutely.

[23:30] Al Malafronte: Wow.

[23:30] Al Malafronte: Wow. And maybe have a pri So does this qualify you for a primetime Emmy next?

[23:36] Victoria Konefal: Oh, I don't know. I don't know how streaming services work with Emmys. Um, I guess it does. We would have to see, you know, who is nominated and and whatnot, but I I I assume so I'm the wrong person to ask. I don't know anything about anything.

[23:52] Al Malafronte: So the academy rules, you don't have them like up on the wall.

[23:55] Victoria Konefal: No, right.

[23:56] Victoria Konefal: Like, no, I I don't. Um, but you know, if I do find out anything, I will let you know.

[24:03] Al Malafronte: Yeah, well, we'll certainly be rooting for you, obviously.

[24:06] Victoria Konefal: Um, thank you.

[24:08] Al Malafronte: Of course. Now, are you out in LA these days full time?

[24:12] Victoria Konefal: I am, yeah. I actually just got back from New York yesterday for fashion week. Uh that was crazy and chaotic. I didn't even feel like I was home because I was working literally 24-7. Um, but yeah, I've been in LA for five years now, and I try to make it back home as much as I can. I miss New York more and more every day. I do plan on going back at some point, you know, when my career is a bit more stable and I don't have to be out here. But uh yeah, I've been I've been enjoying my time out here while I've been living.

[24:46] Al Malafronte: What's been the biggest difference, either positive or negative?

[24:51] Victoria Konefal: So there are two, and one of them is positive and one of them is negative. Uh, the positive one is that I'm very much into nature. Like I love escaping into the forest. I love the beach. You know, you know, Coney Island ain't no walk in the park. Coney Island may as well be a nuclear waste plant. Like it is disgusting out there. So when I want to go to the beach, I can't. Um, whereas California, the coast is gorgeous. You know, Malibu is a 40-minute drive away from me. Um, I can go snowboarding and surfing in the same day. Uh, there are mountains and a plethora of hikes and so much nature for me to enjoy. And I feel like that really grounds me and and nature is what I need in life. So I'd say California has a one-up over New York in that sense.

Um, but the negative thing, the biggest difference I've noticed is just society and like the people. And it took me a while to find my tribe out here just because I'm so picky with who I let into my life. And a lot of the people that I was meeting weren't making me feel good. Like my energy wasn't thriving around them. I feel like everyone in LA that you meet, whether they're born and bred in LA or whether they're transplants, they have some kind of ulterior motive. Um, this is very much the town that is fake. You know, it is the town of plastic surgery, and it is the town of you know, everyone like being a certain way to your face. It's it's glorifying your life on social media and not being real. And New York is all about being real. And that's that's what I'm missing out here is is going out in public and people being real with me.

[26:41] Victoria Konefal: Um, and I miss that. So once I found my tribe, I stuck with them. I'm fortunate and blessed enough to have found an amazing group of people to surround myself with. But ultimately, yeah, I don't really vibe with LA's vibe um in general. It's just very surface level to me. And you know, being a New Yorker, we don't chit chat for no reason. When we say something, we say it to say it. So uh it's it was hard to adjust, but I've I've adjusted and I've learned how to maneuver around it where it doesn't compromise my mental health.

[27:18] Al Malafronte: Now, if you don't mind my asking, where'd you meet your new tribe? Did you meet them on set? Is there like have you just become more acclimated with the area so you know where to socialize, I guess? Like, how does that kind of work? Because really, I aside from college, I've really only lived in New York. So I'm very curious about this.

[27:34] Victoria Konefal: Yeah. No, I met uh a couple of them on set. My closest friend uh Lindsay is actually from New York. So of course, the two new New Yorkers gravitate to each other. Um, and then I just met other people along the way that really, you know, different movie sets um in different situations, and it's like you meet some people and you don't really click with them, and that's fine, and they come into your life and you're like, okay, if we ever see each other, we'll be cordial. You know, we know each other, we don't vibe, we don't click. And then some people just stand out and you find yourself feeling really good around them, and especially in LA, those are the people that you need to hold on to. Um, so yeah, just through the years, like I've been out here for five years.

I don't have a massive group of friends, you know, and I like to keep it that way. Um, but the ones that I have found, I have no intention of letting go anytime soon. They're uh all of the people in my life are ride or dies.

[28:31] Al Malafronte: I I can totally relate to that. I mean, these days, you know, as I just turned 30, not long ago. It's interesting. Your circle does get smaller, but at least in my case, probably because I've only lived in New York, it's pretty much been like the same core since high school. But yeah, it has gotten, I guess it's been weeded out a little bit over the years. But yeah, like you said, it's um, you know, that it's funny, you mentioned your friend Lindsay, her being a New Yorker. You have a lot of the same values and the same mentality and everything. And there's a lot to be said for that because even with a lot of my buddies who went away to college, yeah, they're still tight with many of their college friends, but there's just something about home, I guess, that's a little bit more comforting, you know, especially when you're far away in LA, you know.

[29:18] Victoria Konefal: Yeah, people who are born and and bred and cut from the same cloth, like we get each other in ways that others can't. Um, and we value certain things that others don't necessarily value. So it's I always find that when I meet a New Yorker in LA, we're both like, hey, I see you, you see me, we see each other, you know, like we're here for each other. And there's an automatic like bond that just can't be broken. I love it.

[29:48] Al Malafronte: Now uh I was surprised. I, you know, obviously, you know, you talked about some of the negatives, but I take it you miss L and B pizza as well.

[29:57] Victoria Konefal: Mm-hmm. I miss all the pizza. Listen, I was back for I was back in New York for this week. I had pizza and bagels every day, basically. Every day. I like to feed up on I like to carbo load while I'm at home because I know I can't get it out here. So my father's family, they're all from Brooklyn. So my spots, you mentioned Coney Allen. I take it you know Gargiu's.

[30:20] Al Malafronte: No.

[30:21] Victoria Konefal: Oh, great Italian place. It's right um I couldn't, it it's uh it's not far, you know. Like I know we're Astro, where it's not Astro Land anymore, but then you know you get the Cyclone Stadium, but it's right down the block from their great Italian place. Michael's a marine park, LMB. I don't know if you remember Edelman's kosher deli back in the day, but that was there.

[30:41] Al Malafronte: Oh, I do.

[30:42] Victoria Konefal: You remember Adelman's, yeah.

[30:44] Al Malafronte: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[30:45] Victoria Konefal: Oh, the best.

[30:46] Al Malafronte: Yeah.

[30:47] Victoria Konefal: You make you're making me miss Brooklyn. I'm a borough away, but I gotta now I'm like now I'm like hungry. So I'm in midtown Manhattan, at least for now, moving in a couple weeks to a different area, which I'm relieved about because it's changed a lot here since COVID hit, so to speak.

[31:04] Al Malafronte: Yeah.

[31:05] Victoria Konefal: There's like more unrest in midtown.

[31:09] Al Malafronte: Yeah, I feel like every time I come back home, I have to reacquaint myself with the city.

[31:14] Victoria Konefal: That's also something that bothers me is New York changes so fast. And when you're there for the change, it's less harsh. But then being out here and then coming home and me being like, wait, my favorite spot is closed, or oh, they turned that bodega in Harlem into a Whole Foods. You're like, where what where what happened? Like, where was I? Why are they doing this to the city? Um, and that really saddens me is is not being there to grow with the city. I have to reacquaint myself every time I go. Uh, and it's it's starting to not feel like home.

[31:47] Victoria Konefal: Like the other day, I used to know the subway map on the back of my hand, right? The other day I got lost in the train. I'm like, whoa, I'm a New Yorker. This is not me. Like, what is happening? I'm sorry. I got I'm on the queue right now. I thought what how did I get on the queue? You know? Um it's crazy. Uh, but then again, there's also the silver lining to that where it's like when you're in New York for too long, the magic kind of goes away. Like I I would reflect back on to when I would walk through the streets and it would be just another day. Now I'm walking by the streets and I'm like, oh, it smells like garbage and sewer. I love it. I'm like, do you smell that in the air? It's you know, hearing.

Like it it smells amazing. And in that magic that like Kevin McAllister felt when he went to the city in home alone too. That's how I feel every absolutely, hands down. But that's how I feel every time I'm in New York now. I get to re-experience the magic of it, and and I get to feel the butterfly and the butterflies in my stomach when I'm there, uh, which is something that I you you lose when you live there for too often too long, you know.

[32:55] Victoria Konefal: Um, so yeah, I get to re experience the magic, but then again, I miss a lot of what's going on in the city. So, you know, there are ups and downs to everything. There's the yin and the yang. Um, but I I try to just look at the positive if I can. Um, but yeah, I do miss home. I want to go back so bad. Ultimately, I would love to be bi-coastal and like have a place out here, have a place out there, and just travel back and forth for you know, whenever I feel like it.

[33:21] Al Malafronte: Why don't you do some Broadway that way, or at least do like a little bit of a residency in a Broadway show? That way you can, you know, spend an extended period of time here in New York and then you know.

[33:32] Victoria Konefal: Yeah, there's a lot of politics.

[33:35] Al Malafronte: Not politics, I know I'm kidding.

[33:37] Victoria Konefal: In the industry, in the industry, just like certain things. I for what I'm trying to accomplish right now, it just makes fiscal sense for me to stay out here. Um LA is where a lot of the movies and TV shows cast, and they oftentimes need uh an LA based person. So for the sake of my career, I I do have to stay here. But the second I'm I think that it's all right for me to go to New York and it wouldn't compromise my career standpoint. You best believe I'm hopping on that jet blue plane. First class, I don't care, I'm celebrating. Bring on the bubbly. Excuse me, Miss Stewart is bring on some uh Moe, please. Moe, Moet? How do you pronounce that? So now you know the uh sponsors of Beyond Salem are obviously uh Jet Blue and Mo, but can they sponsor me in my life? Jet Blue, if you're listening. Friend Ambassador.

[34:39] Al Malafronte: Oh my god, that's too good. Now, mom and dad are still in Brooklyn, right?

[34:44] Victoria Konefal: Um my mom bought a house in Staten Island because she was sick of living in an apartment. She wanted a home. So uh now she has a house out there. And yeah, my my dad is still still in Brooklyn.

[34:59] Al Malafronte: Now, did you, when you were growing up, were they big into the arts? Is that kind of how you caught the bug?

[35:05] Victoria Konefal: No, no, they weren't actually. Um, I just I found the passion by myself when I was seven. Uh, I I was always a very creative kid. I would express myself artistically in a plethora of ways. Um, I remember I took a roll of aluminum foil once and I uh created a fashion line. I I created clothing and I performed a little runaway show for my family, dressed from head to toe in aluminum foil tiaras and crowns and and you know, earrings and and all that. I even made myself aluminum foil shoes. Like I was always a little weird, and I would always find a way to express myself in an unconventional way. And then I remember watching a play when I was seven and seeing something about seeing it happen live in front of me, like completely blew me away.

And I knew that I wanted to be a part of it. You know, when you watch film and TV, especially as a kid, you don't really understand that those are real people and that's something you can do. You know, it seems very unattainable. And it's like, oh, the only way you can get on TV is if someone discovers you at a supermarket or something like that. Like it didn't really occur to me that I could go out there, work my ass off and actually make it. Um so I just wanted to be in plays and and and do it for my own personal enjoyment. And and uh, you know, like I I did have a backup plan. I did go to college for psychology and criminal law. Like I I was supposed to be something else, but I can't see myself working any other job other than this.

I can't. I I'm gonna be an actress for the rest of my life, and I'm not gonna take no for an answer, no matter how long it takes, no matter what happens, I'm gonna get to where I know I'm destined to be, you know?

[36:54] Al Malafronte: Yeah, you have to have that mentality because it's a survival of the fittest, and especially mentally more than anything.

[37:01] Victoria Konefal: Yeah, if you don't have faith in yourself, you're setting yourself up for failure. If you don't believe in yourself, who's gonna believe in you? Like who's gonna, you know?

[37:09] Al Malafronte: Oh yeah. I I you don't have to convince me. I'm very much of that belief myself. And um, you know, it I mentioned before, you know, you've accomplished so much in a short period of time, but uh I want to preface you for a moment. It might get tough here on Break of Bat uh with this little segment that we do called fastball derby, Victoria. Are you familiar?

[37:29] Victoria Konefal: Okay, I'm not.

[37:31] Al Malafronte: All right, so I want you to picture yourself. Yeah, so fastball derby. So now I take it during your first Yankee game, uh Mariana Rivera was probably still pitching for the team. He was probably the closer for the Yankees.

[37:45] Victoria Konefal: Oh, probably. I can't remember. I was very young.

[37:49] Al Malafronte: So let's if it was before 2014, then Mariana was still on the team. He had a nasty okay, yeah. So it was before then. He had a nasty pitch called a cutter. And basically his main successor has been someone who's the complete opposite. His name is Araldus Chapman, and Aralda Chapman is a closer who throws just pure heat. He's the fastest throwing man of all time. He throws uh 105 miles an hour at times, which is a major league record. Uh so when you're in the batter's box against him, you gotta think quick. So, in this circumstance, um, less any neck tattoos, I want you to invisual uh visualize me as a Ralda Shatman, as you know, the pitcher on the mound, throwing really fast, and you have to swing as quick as you can. Um, I'll ask you a question, and you tell me the first thing that comes to your mind. How does that sound?

[38:42] Victoria Konefal: That sounds great. That sounds like it happened on an episode of Friends 2.

[38:48] Al Malafronte: Phoebe and Joey played the game where it's like, okay, North Route or South Route, where he was trying to figure out how to get to Vegas.

[38:55] Victoria Konefal: Oh my god. Wait a second. Was that when they drove her uh her grandmother's taxi there?

[39:00] Al Malafronte: Oh my god, he kept falling asleep.

[39:02] Victoria Konefal: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Right. And they're like, who do you want to sleep with? Monica or Rachel? And Ross is like, it's two, talk to my sister. Like, why are you?

[39:11] Al Malafronte: Yep. I know every episode of Oh my god. Well, that I might just add a uh fun question to fastball derby in that case, but I'll keep that in my back pocket. Let's uh let's start you off easy.

[39:23] Al Malafronte: Okay, great. That are up. Favorite New York City meal.

[39:27] Victoria Konefal: Uh pizza.

[39:29] Al Malafronte: Do you have a favorite pizzeria?

[39:33] Victoria Konefal: Corner pizza. Uh it's a couple blocks away from my hometown where I grew up in Kensington. Uh, it's my childhood, so it's it's gonna be my favorite just because it's it was my go-to and it's what it's what home tastes like to me.

[39:48] Al Malafronte: Favorite holiday tradition.

[39:51] Victoria Konefal: Um, um Christmas dinner. Uh Polish people have this thing where we have Vigilia on Christmas Eve, and we have a very specific meal set up for us, and uh um it's very traditional and and cultural, but um, we make like like warm fruit stew to drink.

[40:13] Victoria Konefal: It's really weird and unconventional, but yeah, probably Christmas dinner.

[40:18] Al Malafronte: Favorite Friends episode.

[40:22] Victoria Konefal: Uh, the one where Joey gets a turkey caught on his head.

[40:26] Al Malafronte: Oh, that's like I think it's called like the one with all the Thanksgivings where they also flash back when Monica dropped the knife on Chandler's foot.

[40:34] Victoria Konefal: Yeah.

[40:36] Al Malafronte: That episode is hilarious to me.

[40:38] Victoria Konefal: That's a good one. Um, you could be the lead in one Broadway musical. What would it be?

[40:42] Victoria Konefal: Oh my god. Um, Grease. I would want to be Sandy.

[40:50] Al Malafronte: Yeah.

[40:51] Victoria Konefal: No, I'm not blonde. I could wear a wig. They've, you know, when they did the revival in '07, they had Laura Osnes play Sandy. So it's not a, uh, like a hair. I was gonna say it like they're not stereotyping by your hair color anymore for that role.

[41:06] Al Malafronte: So that's a good thing.

[41:09] Victoria Konefal: Um, how about this greatest baseball game or sporting event you've ever been to?

[41:17] Victoria Konefal: Oh god. Oh god, you're gonna hate me.

[41:20] Al Malafronte: Oh god.

[41:20] Victoria Konefal: Okay, so we know I'm a Yankees fan. What you did not know about me is that I'm a Pats fan.

[41:25] Al Malafronte: How does that happen?

[41:27] Victoria Konefal: You haven't, you go to the, I don't know. I don't know. You can't ask me. There's no rhyme and reason. But I went to a Pats game. It was Pats versus the Jets.

[41:37] Al Malafronte: Oh my god, Jets fan, so you're not offending me.

[41:39] Victoria Konefal: I tell people I like the Titans because I love the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville in general, so you're not offending me. Go ahead.

[41:45] Victoria Konefal: I don't know how I'm a fan of a Boston team. Ugh, it's a shame, and I'm very ashamed of it. Trust. I do feel like I'm betraying New York trust. It's disgusting. However, I am a Pats fan. I went to a Pats Jets game in Gillette Stadium. Um, and the Pats won. It was a New Year's Eve game. Uh, it was the coldest game of the season of in history, I think. Uh, the wind chill was like negative 75. We were on the news. The news anchors were like, these people are psychotic. Um, I got a beer and the beer froze over at the top within 15 minutes. It was really, it was an interesting time, but I love being there because it was my first football game, and uh, it was just really nice to feel the energy.

[42:32] Al Malafronte: Wow. I never would have pegged you as a, uh, a girl at an NFL stadium on New Year's Eve.

[42:38] Victoria Konefal: Okay, that's kind of awesome.

[42:40] Al Malafronte: Yeah, surprises everywhere. Um, there's a kind of fun one. Uh, let's turn back the clock for a moment. You have to binge watch one of these '80s sitcoms. Growing Pains or The Wonder Years. Which are you binging?

[42:51] Victoria Konefal: Growing Pains.

[42:56] Al Malafronte: Great answer. I mean, they're both, I mean, either it's a win-win either one, and they're both very bingeable, but I was just curious. Um, most embarrassing onset moment.

[43:12] Victoria Konefal: Oh god. Um, oh I don't know. I don't really embarrass easy. I think that like I'm just goofy and people expect goofy out of me. Uh, so I don't really have an embarrassing. I mean, there's this one mishap that happened where I was eating a blue lollipop right before um I was supposed to film, and my entire mouth was bright blue, like an Oompa Loompa. Like I was an Oompa Loompa from the inside out. Um, and they were like, V, what is wrong with your mouth? They're like open, and I'm like, don't tell me to open like what's happening? Like, what do you mean? There's something wrong with my mouth. There's something wrong with your mouth. Like, what do you mean? Uh, my entire mouth was bright blue, and so they had to cut for lunch so that I had time to de-blue my mouth. So that's something that happened that's it's like unconventional and weird.

[44:06] Victoria Konefal: Yeah.

[44:07] Al Malafronte: Oh my gosh. So this is a little friend's abbreviation there, but um, yeah, I mean, you talk about you know being on a tight schedule. It's interesting that they're able to accommodate time for you to um get your mouth.

[44:18] Victoria Konefal: Because we've just so happened to be approaching our lunch break. You know, we do have to follow like SAG-AFTRA rules and stuff. So after a certain amount of filming time, we have to be given a break. And so it was right around the lunch break. And so they were just like, let's just break early, let Victoria have time because we cannot. They tried to film with my blue mouth, but they couldn't make it work because I opened my mouth too much. I don't know. Um, we have big mouths, so we are too loud, and uh yeah, they needed time for me to brush and whatnot. So yeah, that was an interesting little moment.

[44:56] Al Malafronte: Wait, is this on the DOOL set?

[44:56] Al Malafronte: Okay, aside from the uh, aside from uh your time at Gillette Stadium on New Year's Eve, what's the fact about you that would surprise people the most?

[45:09] Victoria Konefal: Um, I once watched an hour long documentary about seashells and how they were made. I'm like a random nerd, and I know so many random facts about different things. Like, I don't know, uh a lot of like American history and whatnot. I don't know what most people would know, but I know random things like um 98% of koalas are lesbians. I know that. Like, I just know mad random facts. That's something that I have a lot of interesting knowledge in my repertoire.

[45:46] Al Malafronte: That's interesting. I mean, I mean, listen, yeah. First of all, I would never peg you as the type to sit down for an hour and watch a documentary about seashells and those, you know, those seashells.

[45:54] Victoria Konefal: These seashells are so cool. Seashells are basically the fingernails of the ocean. Like they're so cool. I'm, I find ordinarily mundane things interesting. Like I'm such a nerd at heart. I'm such a little nerd. I love it.

[46:10] Al Malafronte: I mean, you mentioned going to Malibu before. I mean, there's probably nothing more beautiful than that. I haven't been there in about 10 years, to tell you the truth. Last time I was out in Cali in general, I was 21. But just that shoreline, do you actually like go out and collect seashells now in Malibu?

[46:26] Victoria Konefal: So the seashells in California are particularly boring because of the algae um and the biosphere that the seashells live in. So this is where my knowledge comes in handy. Uh, the most interesting looking seashells are those in um the southern areas of the world because the climate and the way marine life is set up down there basically allows for seashells to be uh more beautiful in color and different shapes and whatnot. The seashells in northern America are typically like the white, you know, Sally's seashells by the seashore kind of things. So yeah, I don't really collect them out here, but every time I go abroad, I collect my seashells.

[47:11] Al Malafronte: That is very cool. Um now these are like our standard two closers. I have a feeling I know what you might say, but you're just full of surprises tonight for this uh next question. I'm really curious to hear where you take it. Uh, favorite moment in your career so far.

[47:31] Victoria Konefal: A favorite moment in my career so far. Tempted to say the Emmy. Um, but honestly, there was this one time that I auditioned for Batwoman, um, the new CW show when they fired Ruby Rose, or she left. I don't know what happened with that. But Ruby Rose had to be replaced. And um, I went all the way. I was runner up. It was between me and Javisia, the girl who actually booked it. Um, but I was so close, I could taste it, close to being Batwoman. And that, although I didn't get it, that moment to me was like, but you can like you're capable. It was kind of like a pat on the back and a little, you know, sign from the universe being like, keep going, you're almost there, you know. Um, so that, you know, that tied with my Emmy are two of my favorite moments in my career.

[48:24] Al Malafronte: Wow. See, I figured that you'd end up saying the Emmy, but little stories like that, I just love when we get to kind of uncover those deep dives here on that. That's so cool to hear. Well, uh, this is the last uh one that we use to wrap every show. And um, you gotta think about this one because I'm sure it seems like you you're very smart and you have a really good head in your shoulders, and I'm sure it's rooted in a great upbringing, the people you surround yourself with. Um, but what is the best piece of advice anyone's ever given you?

[49:05] Victoria Konefal: It's not that serious regarding everything. It's not as serious as you make it out to be. It's not that hard. Life is not that we complicate everything for ourselves so much. Um, and you know, we take everything personally and very seriously, and it's like it's not that deep. It's not that serious. Take most things with a grain of salt and move on. You know, don't try to overthink anything. And this applies to personal relationships, professional relationships, um, how you feel about yourself, how you feel about others, how you feel about social media. Like, don't take everything too seriously.

[49:43] Al Malafronte: I needed to hear that today myself, you know, just because it's been a crazy week and was feeling overwhelmed in some ways. And honestly, you, it's not that deep.

[49:55] Victoria Konefal: Yeah, you just in general, brother. It's not that serious.

[49:58] Al Malafronte: You're right. It's not, it really isn't. It's, it's I think we also, no, I was just saying it's like it's, it's refreshing to because you know, we're recording this at about, you know, around six o'clock on the East Coast time here. So I had like a pretty long work day and it was just nuts. And uh this was like kind of, I feel a lot better going into dinner tonight after, you know, your little bit of wisdom.

[50:21] Victoria Konefal: So I don't have to like lose sleep over the chaos that ensued on my Wednesday here in New York. So thank you for that.

[50:28] Victoria Konefal: Yeah, yeah.

[50:30] Al Malafronte: Oh, you're welcome. Yeah, chaos is only as important as we allow it to be. Like we can allow it to affect us, or we can acknowledge it and move on and like just, you know, decide to be happy. And I know it's easier said than done. It's hard to step back and just live a fruitful, happy, stress-free life. You know, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel stressed. This past week going into fashion week is one of the most stressful weeks of my life. Uh, everything flipped upside down for me. I had a whole like mishap with technology and everything. But it's just like the only way to get through it is to remind yourself that like you don't have to take it so seriously. Life is so short and so fun if you let it.

[51:11] Al Malafronte: So yeah.

[51:13] Victoria Konefal: Wow. By the way, it looked like you were having a, all things considered. Uh, you know, we shouldn't take social media too seriously, but it looks like you were having a nice time during fashion week. So hopefully you can come next time you come back to New York and everything. Uh, be sure to stop by Broadway because we'd certainly love to, you know, meet you one day. Because uh, this was awesome. You were putting a light in the batter's box, Victoria.

[51:34] Victoria Konefal: Oh my god, thank you so much. Oh my god. Such a great time tonight. And uh for the folks at home who may want to connect with you on social media and see what you're up to and everything. Where's the best place for them to find you?

[51:47] Victoria Konefal: Uh, I am the most active on Instagram. I do have a Twitter, but I don't go on it because I can only handle so much social media at one time. So I've chosen Instagram as my designated uh platform, and that is at Victoria Konefal. It's just my first and last name.

[52:04] Al Malafronte: Awesome. And uh listen, thank you so much again for coming on the show tonight. This was an absolute blast.

[52:10] Victoria Konefal: Yeah, thank you for having me. It was so much fun.

[52:12] Al Malafronte: Oh, my pleasure. And uh be sure to catch Victoria on Peacock. You can uh view Beyond Salem in its entirety right now. And we were just so happy that we were able to put this one together. And uh I hope everyone in our audience certainly enjoyed it as much as I did. So, with that being said, this is Al Malafronte signing off for Break a Bat in the Broadway Podcast Network. We'll see you next time.

[52:36] Al Malafronte: Thanks for listening to Break a Bat. This is produced by the fine folks at the Broadway Podcast Network. Visit and subscribe at bpn.fm/breakabat. You can find me online at break_a_bat_podcast. And you can also find the Broadway Podcast Network on Instagram at Broadway Podcast Network. It's been so great having you here with us today, and we'll see you next time.