Mary Ann Halpin | Fear, Fame, and Flashbacks: Artistry Through Life’s Lens

Mutual Singers: [: 00:00:00

Show Announcer: Welcome to the center of the Coachella Valley universe. You've made it to Skip Paige's Little Bar with Patrick Evans and Randy Florence. Get ready for another fun. [00:01:00] and story-filled episode of Big Conversations, Little Bar presented by the McCallum Theater. Order Tickets now by visiting McCallumTheatre.org or call the Box Office at (760) 340-2787.

Now in their eighth season. Here are your hosts, Patrick and Randy.

Patrick Evans, Host: Well, thank you very much. We are back here in the coveted corner booth of Skip Paige’s Little Bar in Palm Desert, California for another edition of Big Conversations, Little Bar. My name is Patrick Evans. I'm joined. Each and every week by my trustee, dear friend, spiritual guru, uh, man of the hour bomb vivant occasionally will never do well, Mr. Randy Florence,

Randy Florence, Host: and well, unfortunately we're out of time now.

Patrick Evans, Host: That's it. Thank you for subscribing. So you never miss...

Randy Florence, Host: Thank you for being here. It's the spiritual guru thing still freaks me out a little bit. I feel so responsible for you. I, I just, can I tell you how I think you're doing with that? No, no, no.

Patrick Evans, Host: That's not the kind of guru you're supposed to be.

ot of work. I'm having to do [: 00:02:00

Patrick Evans, Host: Thank you. You're doing a great job. No, I follow along on your, on your, uh, Facebook posts and your Instagrams and I derive a lot of, oh, I got a couple of good ones coming out.

Yeah, I bet you do. Oh, you're gonna love these. I liked when you were just going randomly through the, uh, the, the 10 Commandments.

Randy Florence, Host: Well now I've got a new one coming out that prints the 10 Commandments, but it finishes each one with the words Accept when? Oh, that's 10 commandments. 20, 25.

Patrick Evans, Host: I thought you had to do it like you did.

Uh, fortunes from fortune cookies and say, except in bed. It's not chicken. That's not chicken. It wasn't chicken. That wasn't chicken. Um. We are of course very grateful to our sponsor. Our primary sponsor, the presenting sponsor of Big Conversations Little Bar, the McCallum Theater, gearing up for another incredible season.

This one's gonna be bigger and better than ever. They've added shows. They're gonna be doing shows earlier and later. Well, and we've been talking

Randy Florence, Host: about 'em

Patrick Evans, Host: nonstop.

Randy Florence, Host: I mean, that. First show's probably just gonna sell out like in five minutes.

Patrick Evans, Host: I think it's already sold out.

Randy Florence, Host: Oh, based on congratulations and thank you 'cause

Patrick Evans, Host: I always tell people, go to McCallum theater.org and get your tickets right now. So again, McCallum theater.org. Get your tickets before they run out. What's up with you? Anything new, anything exciting going on in your world?

Randy Florence, Host: No, I'm I, I'll look forward to these every single week 'cause it means I get to next, sit next to you, wonderful people for another week.

Patrick Evans, Host: As Steve Martin said, I'd rather be with you than the finest people in the world. Uh, I love that. I'm somebody. Yeah, I'm excited because our guest today. Someone, uh, you and I have both gotten to know because we were doing an improv class. Yes. And Maryanne Halpin is our guest. She is an author, she's a photographer, she's an artist, she's an actress, uh, and a great improv partner.

That was so fun to be in the class with you. Oh, you forgot bomb Beon. I, no, you're the Bombon. Oh, oh, oh. No. You're the new dwell. She's the bomb. Be bomb too.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: I like certainly be bomb. I like to be bomb

Randy Florence, Host: rock

Patrick Evans, Host: contour.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: [: 00:04:00

Randy Florence, Host: I. Be able to focus on rest. Cheers. Well, cheers darling.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: Nice to, lovely to have you.

Nice. This is nice. Is so fun. I love this little bar.

Patrick Evans, Host: Yes. This is a great little bar, little bar with the big drinks, appropriately named Little Bar. So welcome. Welcome to Big Conversations Little Bar. Thank you. Thank you. I wanna start by, uh, asking you something not about you. I wanna talk about your husband briefly.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: Oh,

Patrick Evans, Host: my dear Joe Crow, my hunk of Burning love. You're a hunk of hunk of Burning Love, and I'm sure he can play that tune, can't he? Yeah, I think he can. He's an amazing piano player. He is. And he's got some really great piano bar

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: stories. He does. He has, he has a one man show. I don't know if you saw that one.

He's a, he has two. One is called, um, you know, everybody does. Tributes. And so he decided to do a show called Joe Croyle, A tribute to Joe Croyle. Yes.

Patrick Evans, Host: I had him on Eye on the Dish. I was like, that is a wonderful title. That's so

pin, Guest: cool. Because it [: 00:05:00

I mean, you know, for instance, like he was playing in this really upscale restaurant in Beverly Hills, and, and Burt Brack comes in with Angie Dickenson, that's a long time ago. And so walks up to him and puts $200 in his tip jar and looks at him and he says, don't play any of my songs. That's phenomenal.

So he always says in the, he says, so in honor of Burt Backrack, I'm not playing any of his. Songs I'm playing that not once I could do that,

Randy Florence, Host: I could go there and not play any of his songs on you. I know you could. Yeah, that's right. I could be very successful in not playing. I, I think you would be brilliant.

Well,

Patrick Evans, Host: uh, we want to get him on as well, but, uh, I just thought we'd throw that out because he's an entertainer around town. If folks I said

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: he couldn't come because it was about me,

Patrick Evans, Host: it's good. Well, it's gonna be about you, but I love that show about himself.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: No, he couldn't come today anyway. He had a, he had a music gig this afternoon.

andy, we are doing a remote. [: 00:06:00

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: Oh, Randy. So we'll put you back in the home later,

Patrick Evans, Host: right? I, I'm gonna go, uh, reverse chronological with you.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: Okay?

Patrick Evans, Host: Uh, because you spent the last few years you were in LA but you're in the desert now. Yes. Years, you and Joe Bozer.

Yeah. And five years. And, uh, but you're still churning out work, doing great photography. But you were in a Super Bowl commercial.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: Yes. You were wearing that exact top. I know. When I was getting dressed, I realized, I think this is the outfit, because they put, they, they had me, they, and they tried everything on me that the, the costumer had.

And then the, the clients came up, they go, what did you wear on the callback? And, and, and I realized, you know, this has snaps and, you know, so you're gonna recreate

Randy Florence, Host: the. The scene.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: Yeah. Here, just square

Patrick Evans, Host: up right

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: to

Randy Florence, Host: this camera? Yeah. That's your camera.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: Bingo.

Randy Florence, Host: That's mine going. You did, you had a,

Patrick Evans, Host: you had a a, a flash scene in the Super Bowl.

Yes.

that's David McNeil, who is [: 00:07:00

Randy Florence, Host: deal

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: in this town. It was really? Do people

Randy Florence, Host: still call you out when they

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: see you? Oh, no thing, you know, 'cause I didn't wear glasses and I didn't, you know, I don't, didn't have, I don't walk around with that, that attitude.

Well,

Randy Florence, Host: once you, once you flashed, I, I lost the glasses I remember was weather tech.

ental mm-hmm. Um, convertible: 1963

Well, a number of years ago, I mean, when I first started my young career, I, I was a singer, dancer and actress, and then I did that until, you know, in the eighties, and then I became [00:08:00] professional photographer because it just was, you know, I had to support myself. You know, it's hard to make a living as an. I tried.

You did you as an actress. I have not done well at all. The dress didn't fit you well,

Patrick Evans, Host: did they?

Randy Florence, Host: Oh, my boobs are too big for some of the parts. Oh wow. That's

Patrick Evans, Host: true. I know. Me

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: too. And you know, people just treat you like a piece of meat, Randy. They do. I'm tired of it. And you should be. I got so tired of it, you know?

And now I welcome it. I think it's like whenever I get cat calls, I go across the street and thank them and they go, oh, I'm so sorry. No, no, thank you. When you first started.

Patrick Evans, Host: Yeah. A acting, yeah. Would you have done the flash thing if they asked you was a Oh, sure. Yeah. Okay. You would've, oh

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: yeah. I mean, it was so tame.

even years ago, and I let my [: 00:09:00

And I was like, oh, please don't make me, I, I just, I, I don't really like auditioning, you know, it's, that's why I'm an improv because it really kind of gets my chops up, you know, auditioning sucks. Oh, it's, it's really, it's tricky. Um, so, uh, I said, okay, let's give it a go. So we went out on one and we got this little internet commercial for um, blue Diamond Almond Breeze.

We played calcium 'cause we're old and we had, so Joe and I were like, we had an improv on the streak going. He, he's like, you know, when you're older you gotta, you know, drink some protein, get for your calcium or whatever. And I went, oh honey, you're so cute. And they just, that was it, you know? And then we did like a big lots together.

? I did some print work. For [: 00:10:00

65. Well, I stretch 'cause I'm not really 65. Of course not. And so, um, that dance like nobody's looking and just, you know, so we just, you know, we've known Chip so long and we both used to be dancers. We used to dance in shows together and stuff. And so we auditioned and, you know, later when I talked to the casting in Miami, he said, we saw that tape.

We just said, don't see anybody else. That's them. That's them. And they call us the Bettys. So, um, so they, they, we did it last year and then they brought us back, uh, a few months ago. And then we're hoping, I'm hoping they like, bring us, take us to

Randy Florence, Host: Europe or something. Well, once they hear this, your calendar's just gonna fill out.

na blow up. Oh, I know. This [: 00:11:00

Patrick Evans, Host: Um, I'm sure you're on the map, but this will put you not only on the map, but on GPS. Oh, wow. Oh wow. Nobody uses maps anymore.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: I'm so excited. Know I don't just put you right on the Thomas Guy. Serious to that

Randy Florence, Host: bottoms up. We might be overselling it a little bit.

I don't think so. The impact of the podcast at Sean Bel Well, that's true Career.

Patrick Evans, Host: Skyrocketed. He was our third guest. That was perfect. That was Sean. Well, he's a smooth jazz artist and he came on and talked about, uh oh, oh, A wonderful tune that he had recorded, uh, and released as a single, and now he's touring and he's all over the eye.

Yeah. He said, oh wow. That's fantastic. He's killing it.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: That's great. He

Patrick Evans, Host: gives us no

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: credit at all. None.

Patrick Evans, Host: Zero. Actually, that's

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: not true. I will, when I get my. Award for whatever that is. When you get your

Randy Florence, Host: podcast

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: guest, I'll mention both of you. Thank you. Thank,

Patrick Evans, Host: thank you. Um, talk a tell us a little bit about why you did.

s and, and, and that's. I, I [: 00:12:00

Randy Florence, Host: I'm having all sorts of problems

Patrick Evans, Host: with parts as I get older. I'll

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: tell you commercially, I like, I always say I'm a sup.

I'm the, I'm the supermodel for medication. You know, because when you get older, I couldn't get. I couldn't get arre. Oh, now I could probably get arrested, but you know, back then, you know, I, I had dark hair, you know, olive skin. They said you took to look too ethnic and blah, blah, blah. And they all wanted blonde hair, blue eyed.

And now it's like, well now my hair isn't dark. So, you know, and I am older, so it's great. I love it. That's terrific. I just, I worked that. Senior thing. Oh my God. You know, on flights I get, you know, I go, oh, I'm, I'm, I'm a senior. Oh, come this way. Oh yeah. Oh my back, my back. Are you kidding? I'm, I'm pulling that senior card left and right

Patrick Evans, Host: as well.

come, but he enrolled in it, [: 00:13:00

Randy Florence, Host: else's.

Patrick Evans, Host: You didn't get nearly as much for your money? No, I didn't get the word. And you paid a lot more per class than everybody else did. Yes. Uh, what made you decide to do.

And I'm gonna give a shout out to Melanie Blue, who did a terrific job. She, she runs an amazing, I

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: love Melanie Blue. She is, the thing that I love about her is she's so passionate and she's so supportive. Yeah. Yeah. And everything after ev any, but he does, even if we fail miserably, which. I am many times.

But that's, you have to fail. You have to fail. It's like there's a, there's an acting coach in LA and I remember she had these, these, these, uh, stress balls and on it, she gave every actor this, it said, dare to suck. And I thought, that is brilliant. And so when I actually, I'm digressing, but when I worked with Ashers, I always say, dare to suck when you're in front of the camera.

Dare to suck. Because that means you're

Randy Florence, Host: stretching.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: Because you're stretching. Yeah. So what, why I became, well, in some

ndustries, that's really the [: 00:14:00

Yes. And I'm gonna fall on my face. But you have to do that. You have to, to get, to get better at anything. The one thing I found about that, Melanie, was very, um. She made it very easy.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: Yes,

Patrick Evans, Host: she did. And, and I thought she was a great instructor in that regard. The thing that surprised me when I walked into the class and I, I didn't know anybody else was taking it.

Mm-hmm. Uh, but I walked in and I knew most of the people taking that class, and that was the most unnerving. I, I really wanted to go into a class where I didn't know anybody, and it could sort of be anonymous, but it was like, damnit. I know her. I, you can't, you can't be this, you can't walk into a room and be anonymous time.

I know.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: Come on. Everybody knows you Patrick. Well, but

Patrick Evans, Host: it was, but Melanie

Randy Florence, Host: kind of, you're on television every day. She was very freeing. She has this, well, the Patrick Evans t-shirt, you know that he was wearing that day. Exactly. Just in case anybody didn't know. Well, I

Patrick Evans, Host: always carry a name tag that says, hello.

My name is Patrick. Name [: 00:15:00

Randy Florence, Host: I

g an eighties? I said, in the: 1980

Oh wow. And that's exactly what I'm wearing to this concert. And then she, when we walked into the arena. She's like, I know why you dress like that so that you look like you look on TV so that people will purposely recognize you. You're doing this on purpose. I'm like, you don't need it. I'm not that much of a narcissist.

I am a narcissist, but I'm not that much of a, I've been in that arena when you weren't wearing any identifiers.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: You're a Spanish dancer. I a a, yeah, yeah,

Patrick Evans, Host: yeah,

Randy Florence, Host: yeah. That's right. I wanted. I'm always fascinated by how people got here.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: Mm-hmm.

Randy Florence, Host: So to the bar. Uber. Uber and life. Yeah. Uber Drive, life Drive show.

Where were you born?

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: I was born in Chicago. Okay. And we came out here when I was five.

Randy Florence, Host: We,

nn Halpin, Guest: your whole [: 00:16:00

Patrick Evans, Host: Germans going Yeah.

They don't usually go it very, I mean, and,

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: and, and she said, you know, I, she was very strong and she just put us all in a, you know, the station wagon. My dad didn't even have a job. He quit his job. Wow. Came out. What did he do? He was very brave. He, he was a, um, an engineer. He was a, uh, he eventually worked.

Lockheed and he was a missile engineer. So

Randy Florence, Host: he came to the right place.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: He did,

Patrick Evans, Host: yeah. Yeah. So many people came out to California at that, you know, in that timeframe. Yes. For that reason, my wife's family, that's the only reason they're here. They they ended up at JPL. Yeah. 'cause all of her uncles were,

a where my dad worked at Van [: 00:17:00

So,

Randy Florence, Host: you know, when did you start to get into the thought that you might wanna do some acting?

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: Well, in high school, I, I, they, they put me in a charm school, Mary Webb Davis. And Little did I know, she was a big modeling agency in la so this was like a little branch. So I. Started modeling in high school, you know, all the designers would come through and they would, you know, need models.

So I would, I would, Helen Rose and Esteve and, and even I was even a dresser for the models for Rudy Gerrick. Remember I was like helping the girl in the topless bathing suit. It was so exciting. I bet I'm

Randy Florence, Host: getting excited. Just listen.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: I know. So, you know, and it was just, you know, and then I just, I was gonna go to New York and model and I'm, and I just.

you know, did all this, that [: 00:18:00

Randy Florence, Host: and you knew it at that point.

This is what I want to do.

But you know, seriously, when: 1985

And I thought, well, I'm gonna, I'm gonna, you know, pitch myself as an actress, you know, so I look at all the, you know, on the wall there's all these scripts and they, you know, all they, they, you know, they package people. So I'm telling him about, man, she's, oh, well how did you do this? I love the lighting here.

ook a leave of absence from, [: 00:19:00

Patrick Evans, Host: worked out brilliantly for you.

Yeah. Uh, you know, you have books out there and Yeah. Uh, and I think you charted a really interesting course. Uh, you know, with, with the photography first, with the, uh, the, the pregnant photography, the portraiture, tell us about the origins of that book. And that was your first

ht? That was my first book in: 1990

And it's, it's, it kind of, it wasn't, you know. It was when Demi Moore was on the cover of, uh, vanity Fair. And a lot of people, when that white book came out, a lot of people thought I did that. Really? And I went, well, I wish it was Annie, you know, uh,

Patrick Evans, Host: and pregnant Goddess Hood. Yes. A celebration of life.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: Yeah.

life. Like halfway through I [: 00:20:00

I was at two births, one was an act accidental accidentally. She went into, you know, just happened to go into, um, it was a home birth. Wow. And so Laura, Robert, she didn't deliver while you

Patrick Evans, Host: were doing the pictures?

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: During the pictures, she was in labor. Oh my gosh. And so I, um, we had her in the bedroom. She had a, she had a whole pool of water set up in her bedroom and they had music going and light.

And candles going, and we're waiting for the mid midwife and it was rush hour, so we were just, oh my God. It was that baby was coming.

Patrick Evans, Host: So you had a midwife crisis.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: Midwife. Crisis. Oh god.

Randy Florence, Host: Of all of them. After 115 episodes, that might have been the worst.

Patrick Evans, Host: It's

Randy Florence, Host: certainly

Patrick Evans, Host: the most recent. Very clever. That's the most recent fun.

Quite, quite clever [: 00:21:00

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: So Joe's out, Joe Lifton cooks. So he's out in the kitchen, he's, he's cutting vegetables and he's cooking for everybody and he's giving shots of tequila to the husband and, and, and people are running out. Go, Joe, we're having a baby in here.

Quiet down. So, so I knew I was shooting film at the time and so I knew that somehow something told me to bring fast film. Like 3,200 speed film so that I could do low light shooting. And I captured these beautiful pictures of the baby coming outta the water. Wow. And it was just, oh my gosh. It just makes, makes you cry.

Wow. When you see that. And, um, so it, that was, that was an amazing experience. Was

Patrick Evans, Host: so doing that book though, was sort of therapy for you? Yeah. That's what I was

Randy Florence, Host: gonna

Patrick Evans, Host: ask.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: It was because you

Patrick Evans, Host: couldn't have kids and so this was a way of experiencing that vicariously.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: Yeah. Right. Um, and I'm, I'm, I'm not sad about having children.

, these books have become my [: 00:22:00

They were. The book signing that could have been her, their, their daughter or their, her granddaughter's. Like, what, what the heck? I called him up and I said, I am not childless. I am child free. And you better not do that to any woman again. Wow. And it was really interesting to see how cool people can be not even know that they do that, you know?

Patrick Evans, Host: Yeah. That's somebody that didn't think, think that through. Oh

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: boy. No, it was so cruel. But anyway, the, it was a beautiful experience. Took me five years to do that book. And then, and it's, it's

Patrick Evans, Host: a gorgeous book. You brought in a copy and it's really, it's phenomenal.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: Oh, thank you. Yeah, it was the first, it was really controversial.

I was really [: 00:23:00

Randy Florence, Host: the look of the pregnant body.

right before, it was like in: 1997

So you thought we were more progressive? Of course. Now it's

Randy Florence, Host: not a

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: big

Randy Florence, Host: deal. No. We already had a president having affairs by that time, so it should have been,

Patrick Evans, Host: yeah, I think we had, oh boy. I think I've been going on a couple a hundred years maybe. I mean, FDR R did. Eye in the arms of his mistress. A God bless him.

Really? Yes.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: Yeah.

ew him. Races, and then, you [: 00:24:00

We

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: are fearless women. Fearless, fearless women. Yeah. So it's, so the next book I, I met, uh, two women that I, I did their, their book cover for them. They, they, um, I did wrap them in fabric like goddesses and they held swords. And it was about kind of, their book was sort of about fearless aging. And so we decided they were such Oh yeah.

Midlife,

Patrick Evans, Host: midlife visions. Um, midlife portraits.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: Yeah. It's midlife portraits. And so it became a book about women, um, some famous and some I call 'em extraordinary ordinary women, really moving through fear, um, to embracing their getting older. And so it was, I was going through that too.

Randy Florence, Host: I, I read that you, and maybe you still do, uh, woke up almost every morning with.

Some anxiety and a butterfly. Those butterflies in your stomach, is that still going on?

know, that's an interesting [: 00:25:00

And you can't, because it has to release the imaginal disk. Isn't that crazy? Wow. And then you can't help a butterfly get out of the cocoon 'cause you'll damage it or it'll die or it'll damage the wings. So I love that imagery. In fact, my logo is a butterfly in the sword. Mm-hmm. And so it's funny you say about butterflies in my stomach.

verything and run. You know? [: 00:26:00

Randy Florence, Host: So it's not a motivator for you, it's just get the hell outta here. Yeah.

Patrick Evans, Host: Alright. Yeah. With that we're gonna take a quick break and recognize our presenting sponsor, the McCallum Theater.

We want to hear from them and then we'll be right back.

uncer: The McCallum Theater's: 2020

Great lineup of classical dance, comedy cabaret, and more. The McCallum entertains, educates and enriches the Coachella Valley through world-class performances. At the desert's premier performing arts center. We kick off the season on September 10th with the Righteous Brothers. John Lovet brings his comedy to the McCallum on September 13th.

[: 00:27:00

Patrick Evans, Host: Thank you very much. The McCallum theater, McCallum theater.org. Get your tickets. That season is coming up. I know it feels like it's the, the midst of summer, at least when we're recording this. It is the midst of summer. Uh, the season is rapidly approaching. Our guest is Maryanne Helpin, and she is talking about, I wanna go back to your first book though, because the, the book with the images of, of pregnant, uh, the portraits of pregnant women, right.

Uh, that got on the view. So, and you didn't, the book did, but tell us about that experience and what they were, what they were talking about. Because as you said, the book was oddly controversial at the time. It,

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: it was shockingly controversial and they said they were looking, they said, would you do. Do this.

ose pregnant. And Joey Behar [: 00:28:00

I was gonna ask you what

Randy Florence, Host: happened to sales of the book?

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: It, it did, it, it, we sold about 20,000 copies and they were gonna reorder. And it was funny because the guy, the, the publisher, he didn't like this project and his wife took it on because she was pregnant. Ah, and, and you know, she ended up in the book and, um, so it, it was just interesting that he, he, they were talking 'cause somebody in the meeting told, told, called me and told me, he said, yeah, he wasn't pleased.

our one. Were the, I'm still [: 00:29:00

Patrick Evans, Host: Alright. And so in your Fearless Women's series, uh, you, you mentioned that, uh, some were celebrities, were, were not, but tell us about some of your favorite celebrity shows.

Oh, Joni Mitchell. Oh, it's an incredible picture. Chip Mitchell. The

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: picture's

Randy Florence, Host: awesome.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: Oh my gosh. I mean, my neighbors across this street, Brad and Rick, love you, Brad and Rick. Oh my gosh. They, they now live down the desert and so they actually were collectors of Joni Mitchell's art and Brad met. Joni Mitchell's best friend at the gym is in LA and so they knew I wanted her for the book.

So they arranged a dinner and they got her to come to the dinner. And I just, I was like, talk about butterflies. I was like, hyperventilating and, you know, and all this stuff. And the first thing, and we'd been my assistant, Isabella was like, she was trying to get her. So she was incredible. She, she would go after these celebrities and just.

m doing this book, um, about [: 00:30:00

She's incredible stories. And so, um, at the, at the end, you know, it was all, you know, Joanie and about her art and the whole thing. And at the end they brought out my pregnant Godde book. And they put it down and she, she, um, looked at it and she's turning, and she goes, you did all these pictures. I said, Uhhuh.

She goes, so, so what's this book you're doing? Oh, and I went as, it's about fearless women and a woman holding a sword. She goes, holding a sword. I know just what I'll wear. And I'm like, oh, I, I was ready to faint, you know? So when she walked to the door, you know, she looks at me and she takes my should. She says, I'll be in your book.

e, calling, calling, calling [: 00:31:00

Can't wait. I You have to, you have to. So I get at the 11 30th hour, right? Uh, we get her and she comes and I've got a picture where she's. She's like this. It's not in the book, but she's smoking. And she goes, I remember exactly what she said. I'm shooting with a hostile block, medium format, fino. And she goes like this, I smoked all through pneumonia.

Patrick Evans, Host: Oh my goodness. And

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: I've got this, it's almost out of frame, the cigarette. And I just went, guy, you are fearless. Hmm. Wow. So, yeah. And I remember we were paying. James Brown. 'cause I said, what kind? I always say what I shoot, I what kind of music you wanna hear. And she goes, you have a new James Brown and there's a picture in there where she's, um, playing the sword like a guitar.

ch. It's Jon Mitchell smoke. [: 00:32:00

She told about the loves in her life and oh, she was just, it was, I just laid on the couch drinking and listening and she's looking, I don't want this ever to end. 'cause you know, I told her, you know, when I met her I said, you know, you changed my life. And she said, how did I change your life? She wants to know.

I said, well, you brought, I was a teenager. You brought poetry into my life. I played guitar because of you. I said, not, not very well. I said, your, your music is kind of tough. It's kind of jazz. She goes, yeah. It's kind of, yeah, I know it's a little tough and. So it was just, that was remarkable. And then Erin Brockovich was amazing.

Randy Florence, Host: Talk about that one. How'd you meet her? She,

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: um,

Patrick Evans, Host: through one of the authors knew you were running a, an EPA super fund. That's right. I've been messing up water for years. Yeah.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: Yeah. And, uh, was your dad

Patrick Evans, Host: and all of his missile work and they finally caught up to you, right?

ary Ann Halpin, Guest: Yeah. [: 00:33:00

Oh. So. Um, Erin came first and then I did a picture of her in the book. It's with her sitting on the floor cross-legged with the sword and balancing a water, glass of water symbolizing hinkley. Of course, you know, we had a little tape down and a little cell wouldn't fall, but, um, it's, it's very cool. And then Joe asked her, he said, you know, that scene in the movie where you, you, you know.

Your character hands the water to the people from, um, P was it p pg pg e?

Randy Florence, Host: I don't know that it was back then, but, or back there. But I know the, the, in the, in the, in the, to the corporate honcho, she hands the water and says, you drink it,

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: you, you, she said, well, that's true. But it was in the courtroom that that happened.

s or, mm-hmm. Yeah. And, uh, [: 00:34:00

I said, you know what Erin? I gotta go, I gotta photograph Melissa Manchester. I was like, what? Those like dreams, goodbye. But I did talk to her a few years ago because she called and it was so funny. She left on, on my voicemail, she says, hi, I don't know if you remember me. You photographed me for your book.

My name is Erin Brockovich.

Randy Florence, Host: Oh, that's hilarious. Like I started laughing. Erin Brockovich, this is my number and blah blah,

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: and she wanted me to talk, talk to about licensing the picture for a project she was doing. So I called her back and I. Erin Maryanne helping here. I said, you are so funny. She said, what are you talking about?

name. Did she laugh? But we, [: 00:35:00

But you know, she's just really cool. And I love with work this, this fearless

Patrick Evans, Host: woman process. Hold up that book to this camera so that just kind of in front of. Not in front of her face. Like, yeah, there you go. Now you can see it. This is my first

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: one that's, this is the last one. I did that. That's, that's the, the vision of world.

really dark time. This was in: 2012

Randy Florence, Host: well you started an organization, fearless Women. Yes. Um, talk about that. What was the, what was the rationale behind putting that organization together?

Was it because you saw this I Dark period movie? Yes.

re the healers of the world. [: 00:36:00

And we were gonna do, I mean, I had big plans. I was gonna do a tour, which I did a tour of five cities on my book tour. And, and it was, it was really a lot, you know? And, and then I had this organization and we go into each city and we get a Fearless Women Award. And I ended up in the hospital at the end of the year.

r this organization and just [: 00:37:00

I was like that, it was a wind wounded butterfly, I think, you know.

Randy Florence, Host: Well, moving into this whole thing, did you, did you consider yourself a fearless woman?

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: Mm, I have moments. Yeah. I still don't, I don't think we're ever totally fearless and that's okay. Yeah. You know, I mean, I always say, you know, fear less, love more, fear less do more fearless.

Be more, you know, more of an activist. Yeah, fearless. Be kind, you know, it's all about less fear. Rather than just being fearless, you know, I say, oh, just be fearless. What

Patrick Evans, Host: are some of the things that you fear the most?

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: Ooh, Patrick. Oh my goodness, I gotta take a drink of that. The first thing she said was Patrick as

Patrick Evans, Host: well.

I believe that's a common answer. Yes.

most? I'm a scary guy. Oh my [: 00:38:00

Randy Florence, Host: You were asked in an interview how men were starting to change, and this was 20 years ago. Mm-hmm. A little bit towards, mm-hmm. Uh, the way they talked about women, the way they saw women. And you talked about at that time that you felt like things were actually. Improving a little bit. How do you feel now?

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: You know, I think on a spiritual level that this is all it's all meant to be. And I think when I, when I, when I think that the world should be perfect, I go, what? You know, what do we think of? This is planet Earth. This is for learning. This is a school. And, but it's a really scary time. I think it's scarier than I even thought it would be.

eriod of time, we'll go into [: 00:39:00

Children's not gonna get food. And it just makes my heartache, you know, and I'm looking, you know, just, I'm always looking to see what I can do.

Randy Florence, Host: And what are you doing? What are you doing to help? Help yourself more than anything? Well, you

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: know, I'm doing the rallies and I, I, I think, you know, I, it's funny.

When I moved down here, I went through a lot of anxiety, a lot of anxiety. I think everything that, you know, being in LA and, and, and creating on demand and just. Really pushing so hard and I even did women's retreats. I let women's retreats and I shot, and I, you know, I was just like on go. So I, we had to move two, three times in two years.

own here and we had a place. [: 00:40:00

And, um, so I. I'm all about, really about people honoring themselves and self care and taking care of their mental health.

Randy Florence, Host: Yeah,

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: because that, was that

Randy Florence, Host: what you had to focus on at that time? I

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: did. And so now it's like I was talking to a friend, um, my dear friend Michael Alden, who you've gotta meet, is an amazing producer.

lf and my way of, of dealing [: 00:41:00

Italy and you know, and then I'm fine and then I, you know, I, it's, it's, you know, it's just like you have to, I, I don't think you can avoid it all. You don't pitch a tent? No, I don't pitch a tent, you know, and I think it's so, you know, people get so embarrassed about, um, their mental health and try to hide everything and all that stuff.

And, but I think, um. I think we just have to be, the main thing is we have to be really cheerleaders for each other, and I'm with that with all my friends are that for me and all I am for all of them, and especially now, that's, that's the most important thing for me right now as far as, you know, if you're, you can affect act for each person, your pot.

ith your positivity, you can [: 00:42:00

Randy Florence, Host: effect.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: Yeah. Yeah. It's so that's, that's the whole, my whole philosophy and, and choosing joy

Randy Florence, Host: by the way. It shows every time I've seen you, that's what I've seen. Thank you. Thank you.

Alright. You say you're

Patrick Evans, Host: not gonna do another book, but you still have a number of, uh, acting gigs. What, what's next for you? What's the next project like about podcasts or anything

Randy Florence, Host: that you, uh, you know, it's funny you say that 'cause I had, I think I've asked every person

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: per I have. I, I started to do a podcast with three of my girlfriends, but no, I mean.

Randy Florence, Host: Taking pictures of podcasters. Oh, podcasters.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: Yeah. Doesn't that sound interesting? You know, specialize in taking pictures of podcasters. Yeah. Are you a podcaster? It's US and Joe Rogan.

Music: We take a picture. Yeah.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: Well, I don't know. Whoever wants to commission me, I will. I will do their picture and I've. I've photographed so many wonderful people here.

e? Yeah. Oh my gosh, he's so [: 00:43:00

Patrick Evans, Host: but who is the least photogenic person?

You can tell us? N. It was

Randy Florence, Host: a podcaster. It, it would almost certainly be a podcaster. Yeah. I can't say it 'cause Randy's sitting right here. That would be feel bad.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: Yeah. He was a podcaster. You know, I don't know. I just, I just love working, I just love photographing people. You know, I, I, I used to share a studio downtown LA with, with a guy that did, um.

Product photography and it was a great, it was a great partnership because he didn't wanna have anybody photograph anybody that talk and anything that talked back to him. And I wanted a photo, I didn't wanna photograph anybody thing that didn't talk back to me. So we were really good that way. That's a good

Randy Florence, Host: partnership.

her and I'll call him 'cause [: 00:44:00

My thing is really directing, really pulling out, and I think that's. Where my, um, acting background comes in. So I, and I love, I get so excited when somebody gets there. I have these little techniques, look away, take a breath, see somebody, and, you know, and then when they start really getting there, like, you know, one of, I don't know if you know Randy Brenner.

I don't, he's don't believe I do. Oh my God. He's a great, um, I photographed him not too long ago and he just comes to mind because he's so much fun. He's an actor. He is a director. He directed light in the Piazza at the CV rep. Oh, okay. He's miss, miss, um, Mr. Parker at the Desert Art, and he, he just pops in my head because he was so much fun and we did some characters and he had some hats.

e just kind of played and it [: 00:45:00

Randy Florence, Host: flashing America anytime in the near future? I don't know.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: We'll see if they wanna do another one. You know, another wi tag. So you'd get,

Randy Florence, Host: you'd have to get paid for it. Oh

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: gosh, yes.

Randy Florence, Host: Me. I'll do it.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: You pay me, Randy. I wish I wasn't broke.

I send you a contract. I wish I wasn't broke. No, it wasn't very, it wasn't very exciting. I was all under the, you know, you saw me from the back and you know, you saw that, you just

Randy Florence, Host: looked like you were having so much fun. It fun. All of you did it fun.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: It was really fun. So do you want to do more of that? I'd love to, especially if they pay me the big bucks.

I like, you know, celebrity crews too is such. I, I, they're such a great organization to work for. They just are lovely. And, um, and I mean the, the, the, the other commercial was too, I must say, and oh, I've gotta tell you that the producer, what the, the main producer for WeatherTech, his name is, um, Kerry Potterfield.

ve a place in La Quinta. Oh. [: 00:46:00

Randy Florence, Host: We should do a remote that we would do Lake Geneva. You

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: would, you would really like, Carrie's really interesting.

He's done a lot of big commercials and he's a really good producer. And so he told me on this. Slices, you know, everybody on the set called you Palm Springs. I went, oh, I like that. That's actually kind of cool. That's cool. Yeah, because this is kind of a Palm Springs. It's a very Palm Springs thing. Yeah.

Patrick Evans, Host: Where did you shoot the commercial?

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: We shot it at, um, three different locations, uh, all on beaches. And, uh, they sat up like for the bingo parlor. They put, they, they set up a whole tent. They built it, and then for, you know, when we get arrested Yeah. You know, with the, they, they created that too, right. On the right up.

Right. Be, you know, in the parking lot before. That is so

Randy Florence, Host: cool.

h, yeah, I just, I loved the [: 00:47:00

Randy Florence, Host: was kind of you, wasn't it?

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: It. Well, somebody described it as a cross between, you know, Samantha from Sex and the City and, um, Jennifer Coolidge and I went, I could see that.

I love that. I like both of those. Yeah. Okay. I like that. That's good. Um, but you know, just like getting rest. I remember the audition. They, they said, okay, now line up against the wall. This is your mugshot. I go, do we get arrested? And they go, yeah. And so we all, they go, okay, when we say three, go into your, uh, you know, your mugshot pose.

So I just took a risk and I went and I think that clenched it. That's awesome. So that is phenomenal. Yeah. So, well,

Patrick Evans, Host: this has been delightful. Thank you. You my gosh. So, you, you were right. You said this was gonna be a blast. I told you it was gonna be a lot of fun. Oh, well, again, Randy was in our improv class.

He, but unfortunately for lots of reasons, he, he was not there often. But

ndy Florence, Host: I didn't [: 00:48:00

Patrick Evans, Host: was every week. You didn't realize it was every week. I kept

Randy Florence, Host: coming in with a script. Yes.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: Well, wait, wait. Does everybody know what your name, your name was? We all picked a name. Oh, she, I was mar I was marvelous.

Maryanne. Oh yeah, yeah. You were. I regurgitating Randy. I was regurgitating Randy. I regurgitating Randy. I kept saying, Randy, please pick something else, please. It was the only one I can can remember and Patrick was petrified, petrified pat.

Patrick Evans, Host: That was a fun call. And I was, uh, because that was really off the, uh, off the beaten path for me.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: I know, but you were great that first, the scene that you two did and you played on I in the desert.

Patrick Evans, Host: Oh, I did. Yeah. Yeah, we played that. Yeah. That was hilarious. The strip

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: club with you. But you were in the strip club and I didn't

Randy Florence, Host: sign any kind of a waiver or anything. Did, did you know I was gonna be on eye on the desert?

Did you? Did you know? No, I'm hearing this for the first time. Wow. And I played it again right

Patrick Evans, Host: after your child help segment. People. It's like, by the way, if you'd like to know more about Randy Florence, here's a little something.

Randy Florence, Host: Every week we're gonna be showing a clip about Randy. Oh

Ann Halpin, Guest: my gosh, [: 00:49:00

I know. I'm so sorry. I get through it. I have

Randy Florence, Host: a great wife so I get through through. Yeah, good

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: thing. God bless her.

Randy Florence, Host: She's a, she's a saint. She has to be. She has to be. This was so fun. Thank you for joining us. You welcome. Maryanne Helpin. Thank you very

Patrick Evans, Host: much. And you have your own website, maryanne helpin.com.

That's correct. Folks can find you if you're looking for someone that does wonderful photography and good samples of her work in there. Really good stuff in there. And the books are available, the Fearless Women's SE series. The latest one still out, so you can grab that. Thank you so much for coming on and sharing your time.

Thank you. And your talent with us. We, this

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: is so fun. It was a

Patrick Evans, Host: blast.

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: And I get to have a nice class of lunch. You do? Yes.

Randy Florence, Host: Yes. This is excellent. Well, we don't put the bill out until the episode's over. Yeah, yeah. We don't want anybody reacting

Mary Ann Halpin, Guest: is everybody.

Randy Florence, Host: So thank

Patrick Evans, Host: you so much. You are welcome. Thank you, Randy.

r here on this one. That's a [: 00:50:00

Randy Florence, Host: my new plant-based diet. That's right.

Patrick Evans, Host: My thanks to Randy for our thanks to Marianne Helpin, our guest today, and of course, John McMullen, our producer, and to the McCallum Theater, our presenting sponsor, as well as the good people here at The Little Bar because they take good care of us every time we we're.

Taking up their biggest booth, their highest revenue space. That's right. And they let us do it and, and they are always kind and gracious. So, and remember that you can sign up for our podcast so you never miss an episode. And we're available wherever your favorite podcast are. That's the platform you can find us on.

Thanks for listening to Big Conversations

to purchase tickets by phone [: 00:51:00

27 87. This program is a production of the mutual broadcasting system and is available from Amazon Music. Apple Podcast, audible Captivate fm, Spotify and YouTube.