#322 Ami Dolenz is Out of Control

CTS Announcer 0:01

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Jeff Dwoskin 0:27

All right, Emily, thank you so much for that amazing introduction. You get this show going each and every week, and this week was no exception. Welcome, everybody to Episode 322 of classic conversations. As always, I am your host, Jeff Dwoskin. Welcome to What is sure to be the most out of control episode of all time. My guest today is none other than the amazing Ami Dolenz loved her and can't buy me love General Hospital. She's out of control and so much more. And that's coming up in just a few seconds. And in these few seconds Joseph cope the original Dr. Doom from Roger Corman's unreleased Fantastic Four was my guest last week check that out that completed my trilogy of Dr. Doom Sue Storm and the original Mr. Fantastic all from that legendary unreleased movie, but we're here to talk about release movies miracle beach Pumpkinhead two tix Oh, so much so many stories, you're gonna love my conversation with Ami Dolenz. Enjoy. Alright, everyone, I'm excited to introduce my next guest, actor, producer, Artist Author, loved her and can't buy me love. She's out of control General Hospital million other things. She ruled the 80s and the 90s. So excited to have on the show, Ami Dolenz.

Ami Dolenz 2:00

Hey, Jeff, thank you so much for having me.

Jeff Dwoskin 2:03

It's been a long time we were almost did it and then there was a strike

Ami Dolenz 2:06

the oh my goodness, it's been a long time coming.

Jeff Dwoskin 2:09

Here. We're so excited. I've got tons of questions I always do is I like I'll rewatch stuff in an AMI Dolan's couple of weeks as I watch the movies, and stuff like that.

Ami Dolenz 2:24

You're not going to ask questions that I don't even remember. It's

Jeff Dwoskin 2:28

more just kind of just you know, going into my superfan mode. So no gotchas. And I'll give you time if you need time to remember something. Ami, so you rule the 80s and 90s. But before that your parents both famous when were you aware that your parents were famous? Oh,

Ami Dolenz 2:47

that's okay. No, I do. kind of remember, I remember, I tell this story. Sometimes my dad and mom got divorced when I was quite young. So my dad was a weekend dad. So he picked me up and we'd go ice skating, that was one of my favorite things to do. And, of course, he'd get stopped all the time, and recognized and autographs and pictures and stuff. And you know, I'd get a little annoyed, I was about six, seven, maybe eight at a time around that, you know, period of time. And that's when I first started to notice that people would constantly come up and want to, like, talk to him and see him and stuff like that. But the funny thing is, is you know, and then I was annoyed. So I had him dressed up in a costume, kind of, you know, with a hat and glasses, and I tried to make them look different. And you know, and then nobody recognized him and I was, you know, that's kind of cool for two seconds. And then I said, you know, Dad, it's okay, take the costume off. Now you can take the hat and the glasses and everything up, because I was so used to the you know, all the you know, all the attention that because I was so used to that, that he wanted it back. So my dad always thought that was so funny because that's how I grew up. And I was just that kind of time.

Jeff Dwoskin 4:02

Well, then you took control of it. You're like I now it's now it's on? I'll allow this. I'll

Ami Dolenz 4:08

just because I This is weird. Now now it's weird that people aren't paying attention.

Jeff Dwoskin 4:14

Well, it's a time. So if it's if you're six or seven, this is mid 70s. Right? Yeah. So monkeys were probably at this point. So it was probably off about five years or so like that. But like, Yeah, cuz

Ami Dolenz 4:28

I was born after the monkeys. So did you

Jeff Dwoskin 4:31

know your dad was a monkey? Like, did you like when people are coming up? They're like, Oh, your dad's like this super famous TV guy and singer, the voice of the 60s basically. And I was like, Yeah,

Ami Dolenz 4:41

I know. People would say that all the time. In school. My teachers would be fans, you know, which was kind of weird. Teachers, get an autograph from my peers and bring your homework back. And by the way, can you haven't signed it?

Jeff Dwoskin 4:58

Yet? Oh, yeah. They put it in the policy, we need the parents to autograph prove that you just Why are you Why are you only saving Ami's? That's funny. So your teachers it's funny because like when you think back if when you're that young your teachers are young. So your teachers, you always think of teachers as being old but when you when you were like fire when you were six or seven your teachers were probably in their early 20s So they were possibly in love with your dad. Or or Davey or Peter, or the monkey one of the monkeys right?

Ami Dolenz 5:35

Favorites, you know everybody does.

Jeff Dwoskin 5:38

Oh, that is so funny. All right. So and then your mom was also famous British model Top of the Pops. Is it juiced? How do you say is a French is that how do you Samantha? Oh, snap the jest, Josh? Oh, you know, I had to go fancy. I'm like, it can't be just again. It can't be that easy. I know. Just British, it's got to be something in there. Just just okay. All right. So you're famous parents and then you growing up and you decide you want to act at some point, right, Mickey? Now Mickey comes from a fan your dad as it comes from famous family to his dad and mom. Were also Yeah, third generation. They didn't really take it to you wanting to be an actor. Yeah,

Ami Dolenz 6:26

my dad wanted me to do anything but anything that being showbusiness, but I was determined when I became a teenager, you know how teenagers are like, I want to do what I want to do. So I talked him into it. And you know, went daddy really, really, really, really want to do this. So I kind of went behind his back a little bit, his best friend. I went to him, and I know he had new agents and things like that. So I kind of, you know, went Yeah, can you help me out and he's like, okay, but Jad gonna have to tell your dad at some point. And we did and he was fine with it eventually. So I got my way. Julie do clinics lie down.

Jeff Dwoskin 7:14

Alright, so you set your parents down, and you're like, I'm gonna act and then you went to junior Star Search? Yeah,

Ami Dolenz 7:20

that's right. That was the first thing. That's how I got my sag card, which is not an easy thing to do. Sometimes, I guess back then, I don't know how easy it is now. But so that's how I got my sag card, which is union? Nobody knows.

Jeff Dwoskin 7:35

Yeah, now sag AFTRA, which is why we're not talking till now. Right. Right. That's right. It's all changed. Alright. So yeah, so I read there was 1000 1000 tapes submitted young Ami Dolenz rises above and you won the competition. Once you won that competition. What did that open up? So now you're starting to your dad's friend have helped you and now you're starting to knock down some doors of the

Ami Dolenz 8:00

agent before that. And I'm not I mean, my dad's name obviously opened up doors. I got my foot in the door. And then I had to you know, actually come through, but and that yeah, that opened up. Just a lot of auditions. And then of course, like all the actresses, you know, now and back in the day, you go for your auditions, you do your callbacks, you either get it or you don't or you know, so disappointments, and then I lights and all that. Did everyone assume you could sing? Pretty much? Yeah, that's an interesting question. Nobody's asked me that before. And yeah, everybody thought I could sing. I mean, I think I can, like do karaoke. And that's pretty much about it. Broadway.

Jeff Dwoskin 8:48

Karaoke, any of your siblings get the singing gene? Not

Ami Dolenz 8:52

really. No, no, no, none of us. I mean, we all just think for fun, do that a lot. We've actually done karaoke together. So as far as I think got

Jeff Dwoskin 9:04

I think the monkeys theme is the only thing I've ever actually done as karaoke. I'm not very, I'm not good at singing. But that song is just too fun. You can just

Ami Dolenz 9:13

it's fun. And it's easy. And yeah, that's funny. So

Jeff Dwoskin 9:16

to go back for a second time, it maybe you were too young. There was a point where you lived in Laurel Canyon was that during the whole everything in music was happening during that period. Did you were there famous people coming in and out of the house type stuff?

Ami Dolenz 9:30

Oh, yeah. I mean, all my next door neighbor was Alice Cooper. I remember Alice Cooper more than anybody, because I used to go to his house all the time and swim in his pool. And my grandfather and him were friends and my grandfather, I think was the one who taught him how to play golf. So because he was a big golfer, my grandfather, and he worked on Alice's house. So that was a lot of fun. So I was over there a lot. And Allison house yeah.

Jeff Dwoskin 9:54

Alice Cooper from Detroit, Michigan.

CTS Announcer 9:56

Yeah. Oh

Ami Dolenz 9:59

no. Alice was great. He was he was kind of my babysitter so yeah.

Jeff Dwoskin 10:04

Did that scar you at all? Is that a fair?

Ami Dolenz 10:06

Oh Not at all. He was a wonderful babies that

Jeff Dwoskin 10:11

he didn't wear the makeup while he was

Ami Dolenz 10:14

the first concert I think I ever went to was the Black Widow concert and Alice you know, I remember this so distinct I must have been like six or something for some reason. I remember backstage and he was putting on his makeup. And he said, you know, okay, Ami, no, don't be scared. This is just me and it's still me. I'm just like, have scary makeup on. I kind of remember this whole, you know, thing that because he didn't want me to be scared and I went to the concert and that was my first concert wasn't a monkey's concert. It was an Alice Cooper concert.

Jeff Dwoskin 10:47

My first concert with my parents. There's two first concerts I feel you always have. There's a one with your ego with your parents and the one solo. Know Barry Manilow parents. The monkeys were actually my first Oh my god.

Ami Dolenz 11:00

That's crazy. That's so cool. The

Jeff Dwoskin 11:03

20th anniversary that big, big shindig that they did the big comeback. The big

Ami Dolenz 11:08

comeback. I remember that very well. I went on tour with them and I was like 16 At the time I was like so cool tour bus and you know the whole bit.

Jeff Dwoskin 11:17

Was that fine when this? I wouldn't call you a roadie but like, No, it was

Ami Dolenz 11:22

really fun. No, it was a lot of and Weird Al Yankovic, which I remember opening up for them at some point. I don't remember what can I do. I had a couple of little tours them. So but I remember him opening up and that was so much fun. I got to go on stage with weird owl and get cut in half and my best friend Chanel. So that was kind of fun. Like a surgeon. I

Jeff Dwoskin 11:43

love that. I love where now. I love where it. Oh,

Ami Dolenz 11:47

he was so much fun to hang out with to we were always hanging out with Weird Al and his band was a lot of fun.

Jeff Dwoskin 11:52

I think all the backstage stories we could probably fill up the whole time. But I love I love these. So that's cool. So all right. So since you toured with the monkey, did you have a favorite monkey? Besides your dad? I assume your dad is your favorite monkey.

Ami Dolenz 12:08

Oh, that's a toughy I did I love them all pretty much equally. I mean, I hung out with David, Davy Jones a lot, because his daughters and me were really good friends. So I think between all of them, I knew Davey really well, because he was always over the house. And I was always playing with his kids and that kind of thing. So he's kind of like a second dad. Yeah,

Jeff Dwoskin 12:30

that's really cool. Did you ever get to know Mike, because Mike didn't tour with them back then. Maybe he showed up once every night?

Ami Dolenz 12:35

I don't I really I mean, I definitely know Mike has always said hi and big hug and you know, and all that. But um, he was yeah, he was the least one that I really knew. I knew his kids more than than him. I knew his son, Jason. Really? Well,

Jeff Dwoskin 12:53

like wasn't really part of all those early wines. And then it was a little bit and then I know him and your dad tour towards the end. Yeah.

Ami Dolenz 13:00

Didn't like touring at all. He hated it. absolutely hated it. Yeah.

Jeff Dwoskin 13:05

Yeah, I saw him and your dad in Chicago.

Ami Dolenz 13:07

Oh, cool. I didn't get to see them together actually. Which kind of was really annoying. But yeah, I wanted to go and check it out. And I never got to

Jeff Dwoskin 13:16

there's a great live album of the two of them that you can get. Oh, very cool. There you go. I shouldn't have to be telling you this

Ami Dolenz 13:26

funny because sometimes a lot of my dad and I talk a lot and this is like the last thing we talk I'm

Jeff Dwoskin 13:31

sure I'm sure as you're when you're talking your dad is not about how famous he is and all these things

Ami Dolenz 13:40

the time I don't know where he is you just calling me from somewhere we're gonna have to get on stage and like I've no clue that you know he's performing very funny.

Jeff Dwoskin 13:49

I Ami Dolenz about to takeover in the 80s Right so now you're you're acting and children of Time Square was your first but they're also early on was growing pains you were on a lot of things

Ami Dolenz 14:02

silver spoons yeah all those you know guest spots.

Jeff Dwoskin 14:05

I want to focus for a second on the new Leave It to Beaver oh my

Ami Dolenz 14:10

god I forgot about leave it to the Oh my goodness. Yeah, that was yeah, I remember that. You did two episodes

Jeff Dwoskin 14:16

of that. So what was it like hanging with Barbara Billingsley and Tony the beef and Wally and it

Ami Dolenz 14:22

was so much fun. They were so great. Everybody was so wonderful. I remember the back streets I think it must have been universal. I want to say my I might Yeah, that might be wrong. But all like you know they have this whole street with all these you know, like proper little homes and some of them aren't even real they have just like the you know, outer kind of shell you walk back looks kind of creepy. Like nothing you know, all this sets up. Yeah, it was a it was a lot of fun. And it was just a great set. I was such a long time ago. It's hard to pin down like certain you know stories to Some so much was happening then too because I was I was doing all these different shows. So I was kind of running around a lot that

Jeff Dwoskin 15:06

you were everywhere like you said silver spoons for a few episodes Webster Mr. Belvedere star, man.

Ami Dolenz 15:13

Oh my god Star Man totally forgot about that. Oh my god.

Jeff Dwoskin 15:18

That's crazy. So all right, let me ask you a question. pivoting off the Oh, I forgot about that type thing. Do you have copies of everything you've ever done? I mean, maybe at the time you did, but have you ever like gone? Oh, here's everything I've done, or like, you know, you know, I mean, like, I

Ami Dolenz 15:32

have clips of some things. Because, you know, you put together an acting reel and stuff like that. So I've done that. Well, not one anymore. But I used to, you know, put clips together and acting reels and stuff. But I think everything, probably not, I don't have everything now.

Jeff Dwoskin 15:51

So I'll just memories

Ami Dolenz 15:54

get older, they seem to be drifting further and further away.

Jeff Dwoskin 16:00

It's interesting that with some of this new services, you could probably hunt down some of these things. Probably

Ami Dolenz 16:04

could actually yeah, I probably could. Definitely. Definitely. I would be. Yeah, for

Jeff Dwoskin 16:11

the Ami Dolenz Museum. When you're doing all the TV, you then you got a movie role, right? Are you at this time always auditioning for TV and movie it because now we've got camp I'm in love with mixed dreaming.

Ami Dolenz 16:29

Oh, yeah. Oh, God, what was it? Yeah, he did have that nickname for all Patrick Dempsey was an MC dreamy? Yeah, I think it was. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And I was reading for pretty much everything at that point. Yeah. Right. Because

Jeff Dwoskin 16:43

you're everywhere. You have any memories of any stories from that movie?

Ami Dolenz 16:47

Oh, Can't Buy Me Love was a really, that was the first time I was actually I could go and I think was Arizona and I was 18. I just turned 18. So I didn't have to have a chaperone. So that was you know, that was very exciting. I do you remember that? I'm like, my mom's not there. And yeah, that was a it was a lot of fun. Got to like, go wild. Out

Jeff Dwoskin 17:13

of control. She's out of control. No, that doesn't come to later. First we have General Hospital. Yeah. And then he dropped out of high school.

Ami Dolenz 17:24

Yeah, I did. I well, I lived in Acapulco, and I was younger, and they put me back a grade basically. So I was I think 18 in 11th grade so I could drop out and I was working on General Hospital and I just decided to you know, out there working so see if I'm out of here. I gotta go to work can't go to school.

Jeff Dwoskin 17:47

Do you regret dropping out? No, not really.

Ami Dolenz 17:49

I hated school in general. So I was not really you know, school person times. I do actually I wouldn't recommend it to any anybody. I think you know, stick with it. I wish I had stuck with it sometimes. Now it's just such a long time ago doesn't really make a difference.

Jeff Dwoskin 18:06

How did your parents feel about it? At the time,

Ami Dolenz 18:08

I think my dad was more disappointed than my mom. But I never I knew I was never really going to go to college. I knew I didn't want to go to college. So you know my college was kind of general hospital learn how to say my lines, how to memorize find my light, find my mark deal with cameras, all that so General Hospital to me was kind of like college and now

Jeff Dwoskin 18:28

you're starting to get noticed Young Artist Award nominations. And so it's like you're becoming a big deal. And then you get like your first when you left General Hospital you that's your first headlining movie, right? She's out of control. Yeah.

Ami Dolenz 18:40

Yeah, that was very exciting. That was so exciting. I remember seeing my trailer like, oh my god, it's my trailer. I have one of my very own. I

Jeff Dwoskin 18:49

mean, this is like extremely surreal. I mean, because like so right now. You're how old? Are you now? Like 20 ish?

Ami Dolenz 18:56

Yeah. Early 20s playing like I think a 15 year old 16 year old or something? Yeah.

Jeff Dwoskin 19:01

It was the 80s It was fine.

Ami Dolenz 19:06

Well, that's what they wanted. They wanted kids that you know, that looked like kids but still, you know, they didn't have to go to school and you can work them like ours are adults. So yeah, so I got a lot of work look, so my voice is still like really high.

Jeff Dwoskin 19:21

How was Tony Danza as a as a movie dad?

Ami Dolenz 19:24

He was the best movie dad. He was so great. He was really really fun taught me how to tap dance in the makeup trailer. And yeah, I remember him always, you know, making sure that if it's like a late shoot somebody walking me to Whitaker car and you know, that kind of thing. So he was very protective. Very nice guy. Such a sweetheart. Very

Jeff Dwoskin 19:45

cool. And then Paula Abdul.

Ami Dolenz 19:47

Yeah, that was so much fun. Because I was like, Oh, my God all up.

Jeff Dwoskin 19:56

That's fine. And then there's a young test in Diamond who he later work. With again and rip and say by the Battle of the college years but also Matthew Perry young Matthew Perry

Ami Dolenz 20:07

young Matthew Perry. Yeah, we had such a blast together during that damn scene. And yeah, he was, he was a great guy. Yeah. And we got to hang out off a set and we you know, because we kind of traveling the same group of, you know, actors so, you know, events and stuff we'd run into each other and all that. Yeah, it's really sad. You would have Yes,

Jeff Dwoskin 20:28

very sad also a testament just how much everyone just fell apart when that when he passed away. Just I mean, I how much people loved him and shock rewatching she's out of control and seeing him being a jerk.

Ami Dolenz 20:41

Yeah, exactly. He did do a good jerk. He did everything good. And he was a really good actor. He was an amazing actor. Oh, he

Jeff Dwoskin 20:50

was great. Yeah, he's, it's super funny. Such a talent. Sorry to interrupt, have to take a quick break. I do want to take a moment to thank you for your support of the sponsors. When you support the sponsors. You're supporting us here at Classic conversations. And that's how we keep the lights on. And now back to my conversation with Ami Dolenz more friends. Absolutely. That's a challenge. So and then, keeping the Friends theme I guess. Jennifer Aniston Ferris Bueller TV show. Yeah, you were smiling. Peterson.

Ami Dolenz 21:20

Yeah, that was a lot of fun to boy. Oh my god, that was great. That was so great.

Jeff Dwoskin 21:26

Was there a lot of pressure with the show that's coming off like such a huge movie, like an iconic movie? And you're gonna make a TV show on it?

Ami Dolenz 21:33

A little bit? Yeah. Yeah. Cuz it was just, it was kind of different. It was just so different from the movie, I kind of I felt sometimes, but the humor was still there, which is so important. So and then at that point, you know, you're just doing your own thing. You're not even really thinking about the movie. You're just kind of, you know, doing your own version, I guess of the characters.

Jeff Dwoskin 21:56

And then I read the Bill Bixby directed two episodes. Yes.

Ami Dolenz 22:02

I remember him more than any I guess any other director because it was Bill Bixby so and I used to watch you know, the Hulk and stuff. So like, that was very, I was very exciting to work with him.

Jeff Dwoskin 22:13

I can imagine it would be amazing. I think he went on to also direct a lot of what was that show? She was from on the Big Bang theory also.

Ami Dolenz 22:21

Anyway, Lawson Wow. Awesome.

Jeff Dwoskin 22:24

Yeah. Thanks be directed a lot of blossom episodes.

Ami Dolenz 22:28

I didn't know that. Okay. Oh, I hear what Yeah, Blossom.

Jeff Dwoskin 22:31

There you go. Thank you. Usually these things Bobby, I just, I didn't even think about it.

Ami Dolenz 22:36

And I'm the one who can't remember.

Jeff Dwoskin 22:40

We're a good team or good team. Did Bill Bixby talk about like any of the classic things he was doing? Or is he just dragged in Go Do Your

Ami Dolenz 22:48

Oh, he was he was a very serious director. He was very focused. He never talked about, you know, at least not to me. And I don't think I even asked I was in you know, I didn't want to like be like, Oh my god. So what was like?

Jeff Dwoskin 23:04

No one was like, Don't make them angry. Am I right? All right.

Ami Dolenz 23:08

Don't make him angry. Because then after that, I did some signings with the king. Now I'm blanking. The Hulk the actually. Lou Ferrigno. Yeah. Who's a such a sweet guy. Very nice guy. So I got to meet him after I met Bill Bixby. There you go.

Jeff Dwoskin 23:25

The whole cast. Alright, so you you got to work with Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry just before? Yeah. Before they blew up on friends. Yeah, yeah. All right. So then we're getting into the 90s Miracle beach. Genie named it a genie named Genie.

Ami Dolenz 23:45

Very fun to play a genie. So whimsical.

Jeff Dwoskin 23:48

Pet Merida, young Dean Cain? Yeah. As a young guy just watching from my eyes now. It was just it was a Martin Mall. Dean Cameron, can you explain to me because I'm sitting there reading about his like, released overseas as hard bodies to like, what was that all about? Like, does that do you even know? It just seems so weird.

Ami Dolenz 24:09

Well, I think because there were two versions. I never saw the other version. But I think there was one version where they did have some topless girls in it. So maybe that had something to do it. No, because I learned that there were two kind of separate version. I'm not quite sure why. I guess just so you know, overseas more you know, nudity. I wasn't in any of those teams. So I assumed that's what it was about.

Jeff Dwoskin 24:38

Yeah, so I read your anti nudity. We are like your own which is probably ends up being and ends up being a good thing. Yeah, everybody. Yeah.

Ami Dolenz 24:49

I just didn't want to do it myself. So I just you know, but I'm totally cool with it. I'm just shy. About I'm shy or used to be you know, Oh, no,

Jeff Dwoskin 25:00

I definitely think that's what it was about miracle beach there was def probably definitely a version with that was suitable for TV and then Pumpkinhead to I watched from Canada to because I just I wanted to watch Pumpkinhead movie and I'm like well I might as well watch the one that Ami Dolenz and you got to work with Punky Brewster.

Ami Dolenz 25:20

She's such a sweetheart Leigh you're so sweet

Jeff Dwoskin 25:24

when you're making or movies because you've done quite a few which board to and tics and other kinds of horror movies so

Ami Dolenz 25:31

it's makes it

Jeff Dwoskin 25:33

horrific when not horrific. But is it like is there any sense of like, what's it like when you're making a horror movie? Is it just like, this will be scary when we watch the final cut type thing? Is it like? Yeah,

Ami Dolenz 25:44

oh, definitely. Yeah. Cuz you're having you know, lunch with people that have you know, having, you know, steaks through their bellies and you know, dripping blood off her face and the reading ribs, you know, or something. So it's not really that scary when you're actually making because a lot of like, cuts stop. Okay, reset. Where's the zombie juice? So

Jeff Dwoskin 26:09

when you're making like one of these types of movies, then you really don't know what it's gonna be until you see that final? Oh,

Ami Dolenz 26:17

yeah, like you need a special effects and you know, and all that, then, you know, and it is kind of shocking, because then it's like, Oh, my God, it looks so much better than you thought it would.

Jeff Dwoskin 26:27

Do you watch all your movies? Have you seen? Is there any movies of yours that you haven't seen? Um,

Ami Dolenz 26:32

I eventually, watch. I think all of them. But I hate watching myself and a lot of actors. And a lot of actors are like that. They don't like seeing this. So some do and then some don't. I'm one that I hate watching myself. So I tried to avoid it as much as possible.

Jeff Dwoskin 26:53

It's hard I get it. You're not because you're just you're like, Oh, why did I do that? Or why shouldn't I do that differently? True or False? There's a quote, in terms of Pumpkinhead to blood wings. The quote was that you felt the video game was better than the movie.

Ami Dolenz 27:09

No, that's definitely false. Because I've never seen the video game.

Jeff Dwoskin 27:13

All right. I love debunking stuff.

Ami Dolenz 27:16

I've never seen it. That's definitely false. All right. Didn't even know there actually was a video. That's really

Jeff Dwoskin 27:27

that's why I always ask I like you see all this trivia out there. And it's like Ami Dolenz considers video game, definitely better than the movie that spawned it.

Ami Dolenz 27:37

Trying to think I mean, I didn't even know there was a video game. I don't remember

Jeff Dwoskin 27:41

video. I probably was just your voice and it or something. Oh, maybe

Ami Dolenz 27:45

yeah, that's weird. And

Jeff Dwoskin 27:47

then skipping around for a second one thing that popped out that I heard you killed Mickey Rooney.

Ami Dolenz 27:54

I like saying like to kill Mickey Rooney.

Jeff Dwoskin 27:57

And Murder She Wrote.

Ami Dolenz 27:59

I got to be the murderer. That's so cool.

Jeff Dwoskin 28:04

I met Mickey Rooney once just for half a second and he was in Detroit. I shook his hand. I said, Oh, Mr. Rooney, that's just funny. It's just classic. You were in a TV show. Superboy which I forgot there were even was a Superboy. But I remembered when when I saw when I saw it on your thing. I was like, Oh, yeah. And then you got to hang with Zack Morris. Yeah,

Ami Dolenz 28:23

yeah, you've done it all. That was funny. I got to play. Um, actually, I got to play a singer. So I got to pretend to be on stage and singing and it was definitely not me singing. But that was kind of fun, because I got to play superstar for a minute.

Jeff Dwoskin 28:45

That's awesome. I was so into Saved by the Bell and all that back then. Yeah. Talk to me about the corries You did a couple of things with Corey Haim. I know.

Ami Dolenz 28:56

Yeah, that's another one that was just he's such a great, great actor. And he just, you know, just tragic. And he was just a fun, lovable guy, you know, always had a very funny, very funny guy. Lots of good sense of humor.

Jeff Dwoskin 29:11

It was fun growing up and the time in the corries. I tell you that it was they were everywhere else. So

Ami Dolenz 29:16

yeah, I knew both of them. I worked with both of them. Actually. Yeah.

Jeff Dwoskin 29:21

Corey Feldman now singing and doing all that stuff. Oh,

Ami Dolenz 29:24

that's right. I heard about that. Good friend. Very cool. He loved doing that. And I remember seeing him when he was younger. Doing something. I think it was at the Whisky. I want to say Yeah, and I was there supporting.

Jeff Dwoskin 29:39

And then ticks. Yeah.

Ami Dolenz 29:42

But you have to say very carefully when I did some radio interviews and some other stuff. And I remember saying, you know, it's called tics. Because if you say it another way it could come out sounding a bit different. So yeah, That was a it was a lot of fun too. So

Jeff Dwoskin 30:02

Alfonso Roberto, you're back with him again after silver spoons. He's a tough guy. And this one I was I was interesting to see I reckon picture was a tough guy.

Ami Dolenz 30:14

But I think that's why he loved doing it because he got to play something, you know, different from what he's used to. So it

Jeff Dwoskin 30:21

was good. I just you know, when you have someone so in your head, you don't just dance the dance thing that the doing that and all that.

Ami Dolenz 30:29

You know, so to typecast and then

Jeff Dwoskin 30:31

Seth Green, like Peter Scolari was in this cleanser and his father, clean, Howard. And it was like,

Ami Dolenz 30:41

there's a lot of people in this movie. Yeah. eaters galore. Yeah,

Jeff Dwoskin 30:45

I guess again, this one, this type of movie ticks is just one of those where you gotta go see it after? Oh,

Ami Dolenz 30:52

yeah, I remember because the tics were actually when we were working with them were just like rubber toys. They didn't move around. And I was just like, you know, something you give to your dog or cat or something like really just very fake looking. And then you get the special effects in there. And pretty cool.

Jeff Dwoskin 31:10

That is pretty awesome. So after like this incredible 80s 90s Ron, what made you kind of step away from acting?

Ami Dolenz 31:18

Just kind of, I guess I just lost the passion for it. In a way, you know, you just kind of wanted to move on to something different. And yeah, it's really as simple as that. Nothing, you know, really exciting thing you know, I got married I I fell in love with art. And I just kind of wanted to be my own boss a little bit. And yeah, just that very uneventful. Just kind of eased out of it wasn't like some huge decision. Okay, I'm stopping.

Jeff Dwoskin 31:47

I mean, we're the were the offers slowing down because you were like, it seemed like just in review, going over everything. Everything was like you're on, you're on fire, like everyone wanted Ami Dolenz kind of rockin those two decades. Alright, so you fell in love with art? Talk to me about like, I know, you wrote a children's book. And I know Yeah, tell me about tell me about being an artist now. So I

Ami Dolenz 32:09

wrote a children's book, Harold and Agatha first. And then I was still acting maybe a little bit here and there not really into it that much. And moved up to Vancouver, Canada, I fell in love with them just kind of fiddling around with artwork, and I always wanted to do art. So it was something that I just kind of got back into, and ended up going to a school called Emily Carr University and getting my certificate for illustration. And, and I just, you know, just really took to it.

Jeff Dwoskin 32:42

So what is it? What is that degree? That just means you learned all these techniques? Yeah,

Ami Dolenz 32:47

you get a certificate and you say you can get a certificate, you know, it's watercolor pen and ink, specifically illustration. And for me, it's pen and ink that I do a lot of my artwork in and watercolor. Yeah. Cool.

Jeff Dwoskin 33:00

So now you're doing what your parents wanted you to originally do and not be

Ami Dolenz 33:04

pretty much yeah, my dad's very into it.

Jeff Dwoskin 33:12

Alright, so you wrote the first book, what was the inspiration of the book.

Ami Dolenz 33:15

The inspiration for that was from my dad is well, he, when my parents broke up, my mother ended up eventually going to England and we lived there for a little while, but then we moved back and then my dad ended up going to England and living in England. So I would go for my summers and you know, about three months, every year and spend time with my dad and he come back and forth a lot too. But in the beginning, he would start a heroine Agatha story and so it's just the story that he would tell me every night before bed and then by the end of the trip he'd finish it so we go to the airport and that would be the end of the how Harold and Agatha story so that's how that came about. I just remember all the stories of Harold and Agatha I don't know how he came up with the names or anything but and yeah, so I wanted to write it down and document

Jeff Dwoskin 34:09

that's really cool. thing do you miss acting Do you ever think about going back into that world?

Ami Dolenz 34:18

Occasionally? I do I guess they got what do I mean? I certainly don't miss all the auditioning and the login and I get it you know didn't get you know and you know being told what to wear what Stan do this do that say it like that? That kind of thing. But I think it's the being on set with everybody and having that family unit kind of making something together than you know beginning middle and an end a finished product and being proud of it. That's that that's the stuff I miss more than anything the thing I miss more than anything in the community. Ami

Jeff Dwoskin 34:56

I read that you turn down to audition for Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Is that true or no?

Ami Dolenz 35:05

Don't remember. Honestly, I don't remember that. Well, there were so many auditions and stuff.

Jeff Dwoskin 35:11

That would be one you would remember. I'd imagine since it became an

Ami Dolenz 35:15

imagined so yeah. All right,

Jeff Dwoskin 35:17

I'm debunking left and right.

Ami Dolenz 35:20

I remember reading for it. So maybe I did that. Honestly, I don't remember. That's weird. Such a long time ago. It's all good. Now.

Jeff Dwoskin 35:31

So Ami, what was you can go deep cut, or you can go. You can pick anything but like, what would you say? If someone were to like, just discover Ami Dolenz and you were like, Oh, these are the three things of mine. You need to watch. What would you recommend? What would be the your Ami Dolenz starter kit?

Ami Dolenz 35:50

Oh, whoa. Oh, that's a I guess she's added control because that was the one that was just such a fun character. It was, you know, going from this ugly duckling kind of, you know, it had such a great arc. There. So that was a lot of fun. And I guess miracle beach because I mean, I've got to play a genie. How fun was that? And I just had such a great time with that. That part. Got a third? That's a that's a toughy probably one of the scary movies. Six, maybe? Probably ticks. I got to play such a bitch. That was kind of fun. Can I say that? Of course. Of course. Yeah, cuz that was a fun part. I got to play all bitchy.

Jeff Dwoskin 36:36

All right, and then we'll put his a runner up killing Mickey Rooney.

Ami Dolenz 36:39

Yeah. Murder She Wrote. Again, I got to play a murderer as though found fun. And I think which four two was also because that was really like got to be possessed. All that that was probably scary movies. That would have been a good one too. I love that one.

Jeff Dwoskin 36:57

So you just love scary movies you play is this is Halloween. And Ami Dolenz house a big deal. I mean, it must be right.

Ami Dolenz 37:03

Oh, yeah. I love Halloween.

Jeff Dwoskin 37:06

So the big question is on the TV do we have which board to pumpkin head to ticks. These all running in rotation on Halloween as people come by? We've

Ami Dolenz 37:17

got a couple of times here in Vancouver because I'm passing out candy to kids. And so I've had friends over and I just you know, in the background, we'd have Halloween music playing but then on the TV, we'd have like scary movies. So and my husband of course he's like, we gotta put one two years old. We gotta put one two years on. So

Jeff Dwoskin 37:36

it should be only Ami Dolenz movies. scary movies. It's your it's your holiday. It's your holiday. Let's end with what's Do you have a favorite monkey song?

Ami Dolenz 37:47

Yeah, a stepping stone.

Jeff Dwoskin 37:50

That's a good one. I love stepping stone.

Ami Dolenz 37:55

You set in stone.

Jeff Dwoskin 37:58

Your voice of an angel. Very cool. This was awesome. Ami, thank you for hanging out with me.

Ami Dolenz 38:06

Thank you so much for having me. I'm so happy we got it together. Yeah.

Jeff Dwoskin 38:14

Awesome. Is there anywhere that people can keep up with you on the socials or online or selling your art?

Ami Dolenz 38:21

AmiDolenzart.com and everything's gonna pretty much be there. So looking forward to that

Jeff Dwoskin 38:29

amazing, I will put a link in the show notes so everyone can get all of your awesome art. Everyone should start hunting down all the Ami Dolenz goodness that we talked about. We thank you so much.

Ami Dolenz 38:46

Thank you so much.

Jeff Dwoskin 38:48

All right, how amazing was Ami Dolenz? What is your favorite Ami Dolenz classic tweet at me hashtag me whatever you know, you know the drill. What's your favorite monkey song? Just curious that shows shout out to Jeff Raymond the biggest Ami Dolenz fan in the world. Well, with the interview over it can only mean one thing I know another episode has come to an end. I do want to thank Ami Dolenz one more time for being awesome. And I do want to thank all of you for coming back week after week. It means the world to me, and I'll see you next time.

CTS Announcer 39:24

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Transcribed by https://otter.ai