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Here's how Amanda Blake won the role of Kitty Russell in Gunsmoke
"I made it the hard way."
Here’s a great job interview tip that’s sure to win you the role, courtesy of your favorite lady, Kitty Russell: Just sit down in a prospective boss’s office and refuse to leave! It’s sure to work!
Well, it certainly worked for Amanda Blake.
In an interview with The Montreal Star, Blake described her rise to stardom. Imperative to that ascent, she confirmed, was her own strength and perseverance. She said, “As Kitty Russell of Gunsmoke, I’ve achieved status not only in the eyes of the industry but in my own eyes. I’ve become a successful actress, and I made it the hard way. No one gave me anything in this business except my start at Metro. I’ve struggled all the way.”
The actress then revealed how she was able to land her famed role. She explained, “I insisted upon it. Six years ago, I went and sat in Bill Warren’s office — he was producing — and I just sat there. I don’t know how long until he would see me. I just out-waited for him.” For Blake, her patience was eventually (and luckily) rewarded. She said, “Finally, he let me come into his office. We talked for 45 minutes. We discussed my background and acting concepts. I’d done a good bit of live TV, and eventually, he said, ‘Would you be interested in testing for the part?’”
Of course, after testing, Blake won the role. She said, “I tested, and they gave me the job, and we made a pilot film and the film was sold. And here I am six years; after; and next fall the film goes to an hour in length, so I guess people still like it. More importantly, I guess they still like me.”
Obviously, we can’t condone waiting out your potential employer, and not everyone can be as beautiful and charming as Amanda Blake while they’re doing it, but this interview really speaks to Blake’s determination as an actress. More importantly, it speaks to her power that made her an absolutely perfect Kitty Russell.
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