Cuttings from the press 1999

Doing It All For Your Love

Doing It All For Your Love

With a career that's lasted 17 years and is still going strong, Dedee Pfeiffer is something of a showbiz veteran. Best known for being on TV, first on Cybill and now with For Your Love, Dedee's also getting busy on the big screen. She'll soon be seen in the films The Sky is Falling with Teri Garr and Howard Hessman, and Radical Jack with Mister Mullet himself, Billy Ray Cyrus. We caught her dashing between sets.

Is acting a skill you can learn, a talent you're born with, or a combination of the two?

I think it's a combination of the two. Some people who aren't born with the talent can be trained, while other people just naturally have the ability to act. I was not born with the ability to act, I was very trained. But I'm a character actress. I'm more known for my kooky characters. All my studying has been with character work. That's why people are always surprised that I'm not like my character [on For Your Love].

Does she have any piercing like you do?

Actually, I used to have a nipple ring, but it fell out. And it hurt so bad when I got it that I swore if it ever came out it was not going back in. But I'm thinking I might have to get my belly button pierced. My younger sister just had it done, and she said it wasn't too bad.

I also read that you have two ring-necked doves named Itchy and Scratchy. I guess you're a big Simpsons fan then?

Simpsons? No, actually, I'm like a big geek. I don't watch TV. I don't go to the movies either. I just watch animal shows; Discovery Channel, Learning Channel and Animal Planet. I think I've watched The Simpsons twice. I never know when anything's on.

Actors often date their co-stars. Why don't they date the guys on the crew?

Oh, I don't think that's true. I know a lot of people who've hooked up with people in the crew. People just don't want to brag about it. Have you ever heard of "location lust"? When you put a group of people on a set in another city, within a day people have really bonded, if you know what I mean. I've seen all sorts of stuff (laughs). I think it's a riot.

You were a supporting character on Cybill, and on For Your Love you're part of an ensemble. Are there advantages to not being the center of attention?

Oh God yes. I really love ensemble work. I am a team player, even if I'm the lead, because I believe that it takes a large group of people to make a show work. There's just no room for ego.

And finally, I once saw you use your celebrity status to bet backstage at a Rush concert...

Yeah, but I didn't do that for me, I did that for my husband. My husband has been such a huge fan from the get go. I mean, every album he has is Rush. There might be one Nine Inch Nails disc. He's a freak. So what happened was, I asked my publicist if she would get us tickets, we would pay for them, and she called back and said, "I did better; I got you backstage." He had an orgasm.

But when did you realize you had this power?

Just this year, really. My friends are always saying, "Tell them who you are, we'll get in," but no, that's just gross. But in the last year, I noticed that when I'd call a restaurant and be like, "I know it's last minute, but is there any way I could get a reservation for four people?" And they'd ask, "What's your name?" "Dedee Pfeiffer." "Why yes, Ms Pfeiffer, as a matter of fact you can." And I just think it's funny. After 17 years of acting, I can get a reservation.

Copyright Bikini magazine 19991100 -- Paul Semel (Photo by Richard Reinsdorf))