Days of Our Lives Star Patrika Darbo on Staying True to Yourself in Hollywood

Some people spend their whole lives asking permission. Patrika Darbo never did. At a Hollywood audition in 1968 she was told she had all the talent in the world and none of the look the business wanted. What she did next set the tone for the next 40 years, two Emmys, and one of the most respected character careers in the industry. You know her as Nancy Wesley on Days of Our Lives, and from In the Line of Fire, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and Roseanne. What you may not know is the woman underneath all of it. Sharp, unfiltered, endlessly funny, and completely unwilling to be anything other than exactly who she is. She sat down with Denisa to talk about the roles she will never take, the moment she walked away from a job that fell apart without her, the causes she would go to war for, and the love that has lasted more than half a century. Some of what she says will surprise you. All of it will stay with you. Come meet the real Patrika Darbo. All Roads Theater Company: https://allroadstheatreco.org/ Patrika Darbo: https://www.instagram.com/darbopatrik... Subscribe for new episodes every week. Until next time, stay curious and inspired. Watch more episodes and connect with Denisa here: https://beyondyourbarpodcast.com/ Instagram:   / denisatova   LinkedIn:   / denisatova   Facebook:   / denisatova   Podcast Production by HypeCats.com, webinars, and podcasts: hypecats.com. Timestamps: 00:00 Cold open 00:39 Introduction 01:37 Feisty or fearless, which gets her in more trouble 02:32 What she was like as a little girl 03:23 The 1968 audition and being told she was too heavy to work 04:27 Moving to California anyway and working her way up 05:46 Walking out of a job that went bankrupt three months later 07:05 There's no such thing as can't 08:16 Full figured women in Hollywood and what still needs to change 12:10 John Malkovich, In the Line of Fire, and the kindness he showed a student 14:09 The roles that bring her alive and the ones she refuses to do 15:46 Landing on Days of Our Lives for over 20 years 17:38 Staying yourself in an industry that pressures you to change 19:20 Why the arts matter and finding her people in the theater department 20:50 The role she loved playing and working with Roseanne 22:10 Advocacy for veterans and UCLA Operation Mend 23:15 Denisa shares the loss of her son 27:35 All Roads Theater Company and a safe place for every kind of kid 29:50 Why you should leave money in your will to care for your pets 32:05 The secret to 54 years of marriage 32:15 Being her husband's caretaker through Alzheimer's 35:00 What she is still protecting these days 35:50 Standing up for your neighbor and never looking away 38:15 Closing thoughts #PatrikaDarbo #DaysOfOurLives #BeyondYourBar #Podcast #Hollywood #Emmy #CharacterActor #InTheLineOfFire