Actress Kristin Chenoweth On COVID-19, ‘The West Wing,’ And ‘Wicked’

Like all of us, actress/singer Kristin Chenoweth has had to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. But the 4'11' powerhouse hasn't let it get her down. She has a new Apple TV comedy/music series (as yet unnamed) premiering soon, produced by Saturday Night Live's Lorne Michaels, and is partnering with Kellogg’s Crackers for do-it-yourself holiday treat recipes. She is also planning a return to her roots in Oklahoma to spend the holidays with her family. We spoke with Chenoweth, 52, who has won an Emmy for Pushing Daisies (2009), and a Tony for You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown, via phone for a catch-up. Following are edited excerpts from a longer conversation.

Jim Clash: In The West Wing TV series, there’s a memorable scene where your character, Annabeth Schott, finds the beloved character Leo McGary (played by actor John Spencer) dying in a hotel room from a heart attack. That must have been hard to act?

Kristin Chenoweth: Honestly, it was one of the toughest days of my career. I just kept thinking of how John [Spencer] would have guided me. I had his warming coat on that day. He always had a Jolly Rancher in his mouth. In the pocket, I reached down, and there was a Jolly Rancher! No kidding. I took it as a sign. I said, "I hear you, John." It just got me through that scene, you know?

Clash: In real life, John Spencer died not long after, strangely also of a heart attack. You sang at his funeral.

Chenoweth: I think my throat clamped down, disconnected from my brain. It wasn't a good performance, but it was heartfelt, nonetheless. I sang the song, For Good, from the musical, Wicked, which embodied him. He would tell me all the time in the [actor's] trailer, all of the songs he loved. He loved most the words to For Good. I remembered that. So when his best friend asked me to sing at the funeral and mentioned that song, I said that I was just going to say that. John's still in my phone, okay? He's still in my phone. And he will never not be in my phone.

Clash: What's the difference between acting on stage versus on film?

Chenoweth: Actually, people think there's a difference, and there is. On stage you're going to have a dial, and it's going to be at a 10 most of the time, because you're selling it to the people in the back. Now you can back it down to a five, in an intimate scene, of course, whether it's a Broadway play or a musical. On film and TV, the dial goes down a little bit, depending upon what you're playing. For my upcoming Apple TV show [still untitled], the characters I play really walk a fine line. I have to be flexible, from a 7/8 to a 5/6 - occasionally a 10, if the camera is a little bit farther back. It's a musical, at least it has a musical base to it, and I'm enjoying myself a lot. I have a huge number that will air in episode five that's about eight-minutes long.

Clash: When you won a Tony in 1999 for You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown. What was it like when they announced your name?

Chenoweth: Oh my goodness, Jim, now you're asking me to go way back. I always feel smarter and richer when I talk to Forbes, that's for sure [laughs]. I would say, shock! I had just performed, and had a very short time to change clothes before I found out if I won or not. And they did call my name. I literally walked from getting changed out onto the stage. I don't believe in planning speeches for anything like that - I just like to be in the moment. When you look at that Tony speech, it is absolutely 1,000% Kristi Dawn Chenoweth, right there.

Clash: How will you handle the COVID-19 pandemic over the coming holidays?

Chenoweth: We've all been literally wearing cones and masks and sanitizing, and, so far, we have been safe. I will continue to do that when I go home to Oklahoma. But I have done the Covid dance before I ever even knew it was a thing. The one positive out of this, and it has been very difficult, is that people are becoming more aware of germs, what they touch, what they need to touch and how they put their hands to their eyes. I know it sounds crazy, but I've always been wearing masks and gloves, and hand-sanitizing. I sanitize every plane seat, too, and I've done it for years. I've been made fun of, until now [laughs].

Clash: How did you end up partnering with Kellogg's Crackers for do-it-yourself holiday treat recipes?

Chenoweth: I don't know if you know this about me, but I like things that come in packages. That's how I cook. So it seemed like a great partnership for me with the Kellogg's family. I've just been showing off the amazing [kitchen] board we have here. You can go on our website and check out the different winter wonderland treats that they have for the holidays. In my family we eat, and a lot of the things we eat are appetizers. I can't think of a better thing than this.