Perhaps one of Joan’s most unusual jobs is one where she was asked to “fill in” – in a manner of speaking – for a Hollywood legend. “I had been bothering the casting director at MGM for a while when he finally told me, ‘I have something for you.’” MGM was preparing to make the film “Butterfield 8” starring Elizabeth Taylor; the star had been reluctant to cooperate because she was eager to begin work on the epic “Cleopatra.” MGM wanted to shoot the film in studios in New York and Taylor wanted to remain in Los Angeles.
Joan was asked if she could go to New York to rehearse the film – playing Taylor’s part – with director Daniel Mann and the rest of the cast. Joan worked for weeks reading Taylor’s lines, and her dedication paid off when she was awarded a small part (a single line) in the film – for which she still earns residuals.
The role won Taylor her only Academy Award, but curiously, their paths would cross again years later through their mutual acquaintance with Rod Steiger. “When Rod and I were first dating, he went to see Elizabeth about working on a new project,” she says. “This was a period when she wasn’t feeling well, and Rod was one of the people who really encouraged her to get well and return to public life. That lead to speculation that Rod and Liz were dating and he was going to be her next husband. Rod and I were on an airplane to Spain, and he liked to read the tabloids: when I saw the headline saying Liz and Rod were going to wed, I said, ‘What’s this all about?’ And he smiled at me and said, “Joan, I’m sitting next to YOU!”
For now, Joan keeps busy preserving the legacy of her late husband, as well as continuing her stage, film, and television work whenever the right opportunity presents itself. ‘There’s still so much I can do, I’m still learning after all these years,” she explains. “I have a regular table at my favorite restaurant in Malibu and it faces the door, because I want to watch everyone walk in, I want to observe the way they use their body, because that’s so much a part of my process as an actress.” Although she has written her memoirs, Joan still knows that there are more chapters of her life left to live, and many more roles left to play.
Joan Benedict Steiger is an exceptionally talented and accomplished American actress of film, television and stage. She is in conversation with Namita Nayyar, President Women Fitness.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: You became a performer at an early age of seven years studying ballet & tap dancing. Your first recital was at the famous Brooklyn Academy of Music. You went as a young student to the Rome Opera Ballet School and subsequently, lived in Paris and later began to pursue acting as an actress in films, television and on stage. You reached the pinnacle of success for the role as Edith Fairchild on General Hospital, an American daytime television medical drama that is listed in Guinness World Records as the longest-running American soap opera in production. Tell us about your journey that took you to where you are now in the world of acting?
Ms. Joan Benedict Steiger: I started when I was 15. My journey started with iconic acting teachers like Betty Samin, Bobby Lewis and Stella Adler in the beginning of the great age of television. I starred on The Steve Allen show, Candid Camera and Kraft Theater, making my way finally to a stage and have now done 40 stage plays. I have become a member of several top acting groups over the years. I married Academy Award winner Rod Steiger. I also married a Broadway stage star John Myhers (who starred as Captain Von Trapp in the original Sound of Music) I’ve been dancing my whole life. I studied at the Rome Opera Ballet.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: You are a leading actress of films, television and theater. Which medium and platform of performance brings the best of professional satisfaction in you?
Ms. Joan Benedict Steiger: Very simple, the stage…. theater.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine you shall like to share?
Ms. Joan Benedict Steiger: I’ve been tap dancing since the age of seven and I take tap classes three times a week.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Do you take some special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?
Ms. Joan Benedict Steiger: I have a protein drink in the morning for breakfast. I have my dinner at lunch time fish and vegetables which I love! I stay away from desserts. For dinner I have yogurt and fruit. I also take about a thousand vitamins which I have done for 20 years.
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