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[0:06] Robert Bannon: It's the round table with me, Robert Bannon. When I heard that Elaine Hendrix is coming to do Hello Dolly in Rochester, New York. Okay, let me take you back. Firstly, I know everything she's done because I really love her. And she's beautiful and charming and talented and sweet. I feel like she's been there my whole life. Like I was celebrating New Year's Eve at my mom's house, and Elaine Hendrix is there. And if I'm 12 years old, I'm watching Elaine Hendrix on TV or in the movies. And then I'm watching her on Dancing with the Stars. And she's singing Wicked, flying up in the air with the broomstick. And I know all about her now and her foot and her life and her struggle. I love her. You know, my principal, I'm a teacher in Detroit.

My principal's daughter and me had a watch party every week for Dancing with the Stars. And we were voting for Elaine. And my principal said, people better vote for Elaine because that lady is out there working her face off. And Elaine, side note, besides Hello Dolly, she's gonna be here in Detroit. She's coming to the Fox Theater with Dancing. She's the busiest woman in show business, and she's here with you. Elaine Hendrix is here on the round table, and we're so excited. Welcome to the show.

[1:12] Elaine Hendrix: God, thank you. I'm sitting here. I love this introduction. Please keep going. I have watched you. I have watched you. I feel like I have watched you literally forever. Like you I've grown up with you.

[1:27] Robert Bannon: Yeah, I'm sure.

[1:28] Elaine Hendrix: Oh, I'm sure you have. You're a baby.

[1:31] Robert Bannon: No, I'm a I'm a 42 years old.

[1:34] Elaine Hendrix: So that means you're not even 42 years old. So I don't even know how that's possible, Elaine.

[1:39] Elaine Hendrix: I I I you were watching me when I was still in the womb.

[1:42] Robert Bannon: Yes, and you were it was some of your best work. No shade, but you were very good those days. Very good. I I have to say, you're you're coming to Rochester. Our friends at OFC Creations does some of the most incredible work. We have been working with them. They have the most incredible casting. What was it like when they said to you, hey, why don't you come be Dolly Levi and be in Hello Dolly?

[2:02] Elaine Hendrix: Yeah. So you know, being in the entertainment industry, I rarely know like what the year is going to bring, right? So this time last year, I had I had a couple of things going, but then by the end of last year, and at this point now, I'm doing Hello Dolly. I did Dancing with the Stars, now I'm going to do the tour. It's like you just never know what's gonna happen. Like what's what the world is gonna bring you. And so they called us, like my reps, maybe last May or April, and asked if I wanted to do this. And I'm like, someone in Rochester thought, like, hey, let's get Elaine Hendrix up here to do Hello Dolly. I'm like, I'm so in for that. Absolutely. And and now it's happening. And they do when I tell you the costumes, I know you're not in Rochester yet.

So you haven't rehearsed, you have not met your cast, but the costumes, the sets, the people, and it's not just you, Elaine. I mean, you have an incredible cast of people that are going to be with you. So it's an all-star cast. Tyler Hardwick has been here on this show before. He's gonna be part of the this cast is bananas. So do you have a moment when you fell in love with theater? And I know you're an actress in television and film, but the singing, the dancing, the music of it all, is there a moment you remember growing up that you said, this is what I want to do?

[3:26] Elaine Hendrix: Oh, absolutely. Yeah. Uh theater, I began in theater. It's like, so. This is all of this is just me going back to my roots. I do as much theater as I possibly can. And because I I ended up doing a lot of film and television in my career, it can be hard to fit like full runs in. So I've done like shorter runs, like the Hello Dolly, it's a shorter run. I can do that a little easier. And so I've done a ton of it. I began like doing, you know, um school and city productions when I was younger, and then I went to a performing arts high school. And that's when I learned, like, oh, I can actually do this for a living. I had no idea. That changed my life. I had the most incredible mentor. I was a dancer at the time.

And then um, and then I was uh, as I shared on my journey with Dancing with the Stars, then I got hit by a car, and that completely changed my trajectory. And so then here I am acting, and I and I've gotten to work with really a lot of incredible people, just on stage, not as much as I would like. So at this portion of my life moving forward, I'm really aiming to change that.

[4:35] Robert Bannon: Well, it's exciting, and what a place to start it. If you're in the area or you're gonna be in the area, or get in the area January 29th to February 15th, and you could go to OFC Creations.com. I'm sure it's gonna sell out. Their shows sell out, and they have an incredible group of people who go see them. So this show is gonna sell out in a minute, so you better get your tickets right away and get them. I I was reading about you. I want to find this Elaine Hendrix in the Keith Sweat dancing moment or you talk about dancing, MC Hammer, Keith Sweat, and then all these ads. I mean, you were modeling for Nike and Levi's and Mattel, and then you you brought up brought it up, and you just brought it up here. You got into a car accident, really changed your entire life. How serious was that moment in your life and the accident?

[5:20] Elaine Hendrix: And yeah, very because I really um I'd like to be like really point out that it wasn't just a car accident because I wasn't in a car, I was on a bicycle. So it was car on, it wasn't car on car, it was car on Elaine. So um, so that really it was terrifying. I'm so lucky. I'm so incredibly lucky that like I walked away from it. And I was in physical therapy for about eight months afterwards. And while I didn't get to dance at the level that I had been dancing and and doing all that I had been doing, it really forced me to pivot. And I mean, here I am. I like to think that things worked out okay. So when you recovered, thank God, and everything was okay and you were okay. Did you make a conscious decision to say, I'm gonna stay in this business and I'm gonna be an actor or an actress, or did the work start to come because very early on, uh you know, very early on in your career, I you you started doing stuff like this.

[6:25] Elaine Hendrix: I did like the Smart reboot. Yeah, that was I've done, you know, it's so interesting. I'm not sure why, or because like you can't, there's I think there's very little that you can plan for in this industry. You know, you can hope for things, you can work towards things, but there's very little planning. And somehow, some way my career is full of remakes, reboots, sequels of like these big legendary franchises. And I feel so incredibly lucky for that. So Get Smart was my first one. I that was my very first television series, and it was with the original Get Smart, Don Adams, Barbara Felden, and then it was with Andy Dick and myself. We were the new agents. And that was just such an incredible experience.

And it didn't last very long, but that's like really kind of solidified it for me. Because before, between being hit by the car and doing Get Smart, it was it was about pivoting and figuring out like how I was gonna do things because I knew that I wanted to act, but I was so in love with act with dancing, and dancing is how I was making my living. So then I had to, you know, I had to just recalibrate all together. And then I really credit my dance career to helping me launch my acting career a lot faster because while I knew very little about Hollywood and the business and being on set, I learned very quickly because I was programmed that way as a dancer. So it just all like it just all worked out. And I and I I worked my tail off, and I'm just so grateful.

[8:18] Robert Bannon: Well, we're grateful because all of the hundred plus IMDB credits have given us a much joy and so much laughter and and so many memories uh of the work that you've done. So thank you for the effort and the time you put on set to give us some joy in our house. For you dancing and now being in Hello Dolly and then Dancing with the Stars, obviously, um you get to go back to you're not afraid if they give you a little one two step in Hello Dolly. You'll give a little a little hello dolly moment uh on the dance floor.

[8:44] Elaine Hendrix: Yeah, I will. I sure will. Yeah, they they messaged me and said, uh, are you good with dancing? And I'm like, Oh, I think I'm good with dancing now.

[8:52] Robert Bannon: Yeah.

[8:52] Elaine Hendrix: Oh, oh yeah. Have you seen this? I think she's good with dancing.

[8:54] Robert Bannon: I think she's good with dancing. What was so fun about that is the story is true. Every single night when you guys were on, me and Kendall would sit there and we would text, and we became it's such a bonding experience. You must have heard from people from all ages, all styles. It's something that your grandmother can watch with a baby, and your families can sit together. And you must have found all sorts of people who were inspired by your story messaging you.

[9:19] Elaine Hendrix: I was, and thank you for saying that. It um it makes me I I usually get emotional talking about it because the amount of love and support that I received through Dancing with the Stars, I couldn't have predicted that like at all. I knew that I was going into it with my whole heart and soul, and I had the intention of making it to the finals, but you know, I don't have like especially compared to some of the other contestants. Like I had a fraction of the social media following that they did. And I am older, and you know, there was just so many elements that I was like, I don't know how this is gonna go, but I'm going to give it everything that I've got. And and so the fact that people showed up for me is just blows my mind. It it was incredible.

[10:10] Robert Bannon: Your story was incredible, and we were rooting for you every step of the way. You all won because it was such an incredible season, truly.

[10:16] Elaine Hendrix: Yeah.

[10:17] Robert Bannon: While we're here to talk about Hello Dolly, I would be remiss to just say you can see Elaine also as she goes across North America. There's a bunch of dates that she's gonna be with Dancing with the Stars, including coming in Detroit, where I out me and my husband are. So um, I don't know, I may have to take you out for a dog and uh and and and say hey.

[10:34] Elaine Hendrix: Yeah.

[10:34] Robert Bannon: Well, I'll have a veggie dog.

[10:37] Elaine Hendrix: Um, I'm sorry. Let me explain.

[10:40] Robert Bannon: Let me and it's my question because if you go on Instagram, Elaine for Animals, I wanted to ask you about it. Tell us about your activism.

[10:48] Elaine Hendrix: And yes, please. Soy dogs, veggie dogs.

[10:51] Elaine Hendrix: Exactly, yes. Um, I um and you cut out the you might did you say soy dogs?

[10:59] Robert Bannon: Oh, okay, because I I just heard the dogs, and so I thought, okay, thank you. Thank you. I appreciate I appreciate the um the attention to detail.

[11:08] Elaine Hendrix: Yeah, I am I am a big animal rights activist, and I've I've been doing that, um gosh, I've been doing that almost two decades now. And I the real short story is that as my career was expanding, I started getting invited to all these different charity events and everything, and I just didn't feel like I was making a difference. You know, I was kind of like being spread so thin. So I sat down to figure out like, well, okay, so what do I want my platform to be? And I started with, well, what do I love? Okay, I love animals, and as much as I loved animals, I had no idea what was happening to them. And this is like, you know, kind of early days of internet. So now it's so it's so easy to find out what's and to know what's happening with them.

But um, yeah, that like that was just such a game changer for me. And then and then that's really expanded. It's kind of been my entire life's work to champion anyone, anything who certain certain groups of people like to label as marginalized.

[12:17] Elaine Hendrix: I personally like I don't understand that concept because it's like how can we all human. How how is a human marginalized? That just doesn't make sense to me. So I I champion the marginalized and um it's my great honor to do so. Well women, people of color, the queer community, uh anybody who has had indigenous indigenous people, um down to the the animals that have to be treated and preserve a life and and to be have a full life as well um that's what makes you it exudes off of your spirit the kindness and compassion that you have we saw it on television we see it on screen and now getting to talk to you you just exude that energy was growing up in Tennessee um and your foundation in this business do you take that girl is that girl still a part of who you are do you still take the the way you were then and and carry it on through your career and through your life gosh I like to think that I do yeah I mean but one of the things is people like well you don't sound like you're from the Tennessee and I'm like well yeah sometimes I do but um I uh I you know I I feel like certain I feel like certain parts of my background it's like I don't identify with anymore but the concept anyway of like Tennessee is the volunteer state you know so I grew up very much I came from a family and a community that was very involved like you get in there you you do something and so I definitely carry that spirit around with me I I like to think that I don't you know even in this business, you know, people are always climbing and scraping and you know, networking and hustling and all that.

[14:07] Robert Bannon: And I was just talking with someone about that today. I I feel like I am still able to see people and not commodities. And that's really, really important to me, both in my personal life and my professional life, which I really don't I don't draw a line between because I draw so much from my personal, I draw everything from my personal life from my professional life. So that's sort of the long-winded answer for you.

[14:34] Elaine Hendrix: I I love it. Listen, when you come in Rochester, New York, they have some great places for you. They're gonna have good vegan food for you. And when you come to Detroit, Trap Vegan is around the corner from my house. I'll bring you something from the stage door, a good portobello burger. I promise I got something for you.

[14:48] Robert Bannon: I can't wait. I can't wait to hug your neck. That's just good. So when people come see you in Hello Dolly, I know people come to you from all different aspects. Maybe they remember you from Superstar, maybe they Romeo Michelle, which is living forever and has just had a run off Broadway to talk about making different things happen. And of course, of course, the parent trap and um and which is iconic when I talk about growing up. Um I'm 42, so I was 13 years, almost a cup. I remember going to the movie theater and seeing it with my brother.

[15:18] Elaine Hendrix: You were you were that age, yeah, yeah.

[15:20] Robert Bannon: So when people come see you, when you get recognized at the airport at the supermarket, they must know you from all sorts of things. You never know what they know you from.

[15:27] Elaine Hendrix: I really don't, and it's always fun to guess. I mean, by and large, it's it has been parent trap. Now dancing with the stars is is eclipsing everything. But that's you know, it's so fresh, you know, and it's so in the zyge straight now. Um, but people and then one of the like really fun things is when people are over like, oh, I watched Get Smart, or you know, I saw you from that documentary, What the Bleep Do We Know, or I saw that independent film you did with Leanne Rhymes, or you know, whatever. I've done such a wide variety of projects. I like to say I've done everything from web series to major motion pictures.

[16:04] Robert Bannon: So I've done everything short of porn so far.

[16:09] Elaine Hendrix: But life is both long and short, so who knows? You know, I was not judging Elaine. I'm out here to make a book. Look, I was I gave you what I have an interesting one that I remember you in that maybe is not the most I mean I remember it. I like this one.

[16:23] Robert Bannon: Yes. See, that's another like remake, reboot franchise, the monsters, scary little Christmas.

[16:32] Elaine Hendrix: Yes.

[16:34] Robert Bannon: I love it. See, this is a career that goes and goes forever. The longevity of it, um, it means you're a tough person because this business is not always easy, like you say, it's unpredictable. Some years are book solid, some years you're ready to try to find a job. What has given you the motivation and the drive to keep going that you've made your whole career, your whole life has been a working actor.

[16:53] Elaine Hendrix: Oh, thanks. Um besides trauma, um let me let me think about that. Um, you know, I I always because I I teach a lot too, and I'm gonna be guest teaching at OFC, which I'm really excited about. Um I always tell people like you really have like if you really want to, because you can you can be an artist and you can create and you can perform at any level, like it doesn't have to be the Hollywood, but if you're gonna go for Hollywood, or you know what Hollywood represents, you know, the the industry to make it your your career, you really have to not envision yourself doing anything else because it is such a tough journey. So my I was really fortunate in that my mom, who had her master's degree, who worked in higher education for over 40 years, like she said to me, I don't think you should go to college.

You know what you want to do. And at that time I was it was dancing, and she was like, You've got to do that while you're young, while your body still can. And I think you should not have any, like burn the backup plans and go for it. And I think having that kind of support for me changed everything.

[18:13] Elaine Hendrix: And then because you know, I knew no one in LA when I came out here. When I first started coming out to LA, I'm in LA right now. Um I'm at my best friendly San Walters right now. And um my mom, like, there she is, that's my bestie. And uh, and so like I just I started coming out here when I was really young, and I had to learn it all myself. I didn't, you know, have anyone to to teach me and show me. So I think after a while, like I put so much of me into this, that it's like year after year, the the good years sort of carry you through the bad years, and then after a while, it's sort of like I'm gonna give a really simple example. I'm now five and a half years of not eating refined sugar. And when you I know it's it's hard, but it's really the struggle is very real.

And you start out and it's like, I'm going to do this thing. And then when things get tough, like after a while, it's like, well, you know, I got I got I got 30 days under my belt, you know, I got a hundred days under my belt. It's like it's that commitment, and you've given so much to it that I don't at this point now, it's like, well, I at five and a half years, I don't want to break it now. And I feel like there's there's kind of some of that in the longevity of doing what we do here. It's like I've put so much time and effort into it. Am I gonna really go do something else? And look, look, my I'd I paid a therapist a lot of money to say take a step and the rest will follow. That one step to sugar, that one step towards this business, and then you just keep going, and then before you know it, the year has gone and another year is gone, and and and a body of work is created, and we just keep growing every single year.

[20:00] Robert Bannon: Wait, what you this is so off topic. What did you eat so far today?

[20:05] Elaine Hendrix: Oh, because I listen, I the reason I had to give up sugar was because I won't just have like one or two cookies. I'll eat an entire sleeve of cookies, and then like, and then then the next day, like, well, I deserve another cookie, right? Because like I, you know, so then the next thing I know, like I'm just eating sugar all the time. And I'm gonna be really real. I've done other short stints of of not eating sugar, and then I read that sugar creates premature wrinkles, and all that's all I needed to hear. So it was like vanity saves the day. This is a this is a Twix bar right here. This is a situation.

[20:47] Robert Bannon: That's that's I would never guess your age. I would never ever guess your age.

[20:54] Elaine Hendrix: Vanity is my favorite sin. I'm just saying.

[20:57] Robert Bannon: I just so what we can do, I I I want to say a shout out. Well, you brought up an important point point, youth theater. I I taught musical theater in in uh in Newark, New Jersey for years. The OFC creation, the the group that they have up there, the youth musical theater education Program is the best in the neighborhood in the area. These young kids inspire a people of a certain age to keep on going. When you masterclass, when you do lectures, when you see people that have that drive and the energy that maybe reminds you of you, or they even are more ready to go than than maybe we all were. Um, it's gotta, it's gotta be so inspiring and exciting to see their excitement.

[21:32] Elaine Hendrix: Oh, it's so true. And again, like I don't like I don't care if you're just if you want to make this a hobby for yourself or whatever, the curiosity, the learning, the growing, the stretching. It's so important as an artist and as a human. And I love when I have time to teach because it feeds me as much as I feel like I'm feeding them. It's kind of it's very similar to doing, you know, to doing live theater. It's one of the things I love so much about it is that that reciprocity with the the um with the audience, that energy exchange. So I love it so much.

[22:08] Robert Bannon: Well, I'm excited. I'm excited for you to get up to New York. I'm excited for Rochester, I'm excited for the community. Elaine Hendrix is gonna be Dolly Levi, everybody. And hello, Dolly. The incredible Jerry Herman score, this incredible story that you know and love. She's gonna steal your heart. She's she's gonna.

[22:23] Elaine Hendrix: Oh my gosh, am I blushing?

[22:25] Robert Bannon: She's gonna steal your heart, everybody. You all better get a ticket and hurry up and get it. It's gonna be the end of this month into February. So you have to, it's perfect for Valentine's Day. It's a perfect date night. Have a little have a little night out with somebody you care about and see an incredible evening of theater. Shout out to I love this Christmas tree. Shout out to Lisa M. Walters.

[22:41] Elaine Hendrix: Well, you're talking. I have to say, New Year's Eve, I was so fun to see you guys in Times Square. You guys need uh I'm I want to pitch, you know, the reality show, the talk show. The you two are so infectious and fun. I need it. I need a daytime daily talk show.

[22:59] Robert Bannon: Listen, keep speaking it because we're working on it and it's coming. It's just let's let's let's make that happen sooner rather than later.

[23:07] Elaine Hendrix: Okay, because I'm in, because I need it. And I remember her, much like you growing up and doing fun character actress parts and doing bit parts here and the funny best friend here and the personality there. And I'm so incredibly excited for her. She has put in so many years of hard work and for her to be blown up and is as big as all the work that she's doing. It can't happen to a more talented person.

[23:29] Robert Bannon: No, you are so sweet. Thank you. You are so cute. I love you guys' friendship. Anyway, get a ticket. Thank you for being here. I'll either see you in Rochester or I'll see you here in Detroit.

[23:41] Elaine Hendrix: Both, please.

[23:42] Robert Bannon: Okay, done. Check. Let's do it. Elaine Hendrix, everybody, get your tickets to see her in Hello Dolly. And then she's toying around the entire country with Dancing with the Stars. You're not going to want to miss a single second. My show is your show. Thank you for being here.

[23:54] Elaine Hendrix: Thank you, Robert.