With Soap Legend Tonja Walker’s new chat show One Date To Love now out in the world I thought id take a moment to send some of the Spending Time With…questions over to Tonja
What was the most recent book you read?
Twelve Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson
Out of all the characters you’ve played, which one is the most like you?
The Mom, Linda McCardle, in The Derby Stallion
What is one of your most favourite locations you have filmed or performed in?
The Jamboree in the Hills with the late Country Star Hoyt Axton. I played his daughter in a Warner Bros./NBC pilot. While we’re waiting for news that the pilot was going to get “picked up” he asked if I’d like to come in the road with his band for the summer. ( I asked if there was a place on the bus to plug my curlers and there was!) We played one nighters for 90 days and I had the best time as were on the Honeysuckle Rose bus! We played the Jamboree to 80000 people. He “made” me sing ‘Stand By Your Man’, in the middle of the set, alone. I didn’t want to sing that song, but he was right. When I walked to the center in the stage, and the band played the iconic for note intro, the crowd truly went wild. I couldn’t see over the people, as the crowd looked like it went on forever. I’ll never forget that feeling of elation when they all applauded and screamed their approval when I finished. I can see how that could become an addiction! lol
Do you have any ‘props or keepsakes from any of your films or shows?
Yes several. There are 3’x3’ photos of Alex that were used behind the bar of the set of Olanov’s on One Life to Live. There are 6 of them that were all hung together on the wall, three in the top and 3 on the bottom. When I left the show, the set designers secretly gave them to me. It’s not easy to find a place to hang just one in my home, but I’ve found a spot in my office for one of them.
Have you ever gotten someone’s autograph? Which is the most memorable for you?
I remember when Liza Minelli signed the glass on a huge marquee sized poster of her in Cabaret and said To Tonja, You are a Wonderful Actress! Love Liza. That’s hanging in my living room.
What is the ONE single coolest movie geek thing you own?
I have the above mentioned ‘Cabaret’ poster and also the original Jane Russell ‘Outlaw’ poster. She also signed an 8×10 plus a note telling me and my late husband to enjoy the poster. Very cool.
What is one film that gives you the ‘creeps’? Or scares you
The Omen. I had to watch it from the lobby through the theatre door window when the flies started crawling on the priest’s head.
What horror film do you think was the first one you experienced?
See above. 1st and Last!
Do you have an ‘off switch’ when not working, and how does it work?
Off switch? The drive home with music or a phone call helps.
How do you prepare for an audition?
To prepare for an audition, first I read the script if I can get it to see how the scene I’ll use in the audition fits into it. Then I write down the things that the writer says about the character what other people say about her and what I can deduce from that about the character.
I take note of the backstory that’s been given to me a relationship with the other characters in the show, and create my own backstory to fill in the blanks. I create the thoughts that she’s thinking before she speaks each line, whatever words those are, then I try to memorize the words. It’s not too difficult after this process. If there are any that are giving me a hard time I write them down over and over again. Then I record the other person‘s lines and leave a little space to say mine while listening to the recording. That’s a good way to practice until you find somebody to do it with you.
What’s the first thing you do when you get on ‘set’
First thing I do when I get on a set is go to my dressing room or trailer after saying hello as many people as I see. I find out when the wardrobe call is and make sure that I’m there for that on time. Make sure that I am there for the Make Up call Hair call on time. And I find the person I’m gonna be working with and run lines with that person. I also discuss what that person thinks of the scene and give them my perspective on as well.
Do you prefer day shoots or night shoots?
Regarding my preference of day shoots or night shoots, I just wanna work.Day shoots are easier because of the time situation and being able to sleep before you work. but night shoots you get to sleep in during the day, so that’s fun too. Nothing is really more fun than working.
If you had to make a ‘bucket list’ of people you’d love to work with, tell me one name who would be on it?
Oh, what a great question! I would love to work with Anthony Hopkins, Robert Redford, and Maggie Smith, Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep…But she would be most intimidating. Jane Fonda is always been one of my favorites. I guess I have a pretty long list, huh?
Do you read reviews of shows that you are in?
So far, the reviews I’ve had have been from magazines that already liked my work and wanted to interview me as a result of it. I’ve been pretty lucky.
Let’s shine a light on some of your past work. Which of your projects are you most proud of?
I’m proud of many of the scenes that I did on One Life to Live in General Hospital but especially One Life to Live Alex Olanov was a once in a lifetime character I know that sounds funny but she really was. I’m also very proud of the Derby Stallion because I produced that film, cast Zac Efron in his first film role, directed the kids(who were my daughters), got the movie distribution deals and the movie made money. It was my first try!
With regards to your own projects? What are you working on that you can tell me about?
Right now I’m working on a few things. I’ve been writing a series with a partner in Quebec for the past three years. We’re going to be pitching it in May. I wanted to do a talkshow about how funny it is to be dating at this age. But my friend told me I needed to bring in soap operas because that’s how people know me. So I’ve created this series called One Date to Love and I do bring in celebrities from daytime and interview them about their love lives ( the good the bad and the ugly). I bring in professionals in the therapy field, in fashion, health and those who specialize in self esteem building and success. And every guest is fun!
What’s the most difficult thing about your creative journey?
The most difficult thing about my creative journey is that I had to stop it and now I’m restarting it again. When I’m met my husband, he told me I was never going to have to work ( though for me working was my true joy) and he really didn’t want me to work then. He lived in Cleveland Ohio and he couldn’t do a commutes California and didn’t really want me not to be with him as we raised our children and I agreed. So when I did work, I did what I could do in Cleveland. I went to New York a bit and financed some Broadway, and worked a little bit on One Live to Live. I sang in my own shows locally once in a while, did work for the Actor’s Fund and sang at charity events for them (once with Liza Minnelli, which was amazing). I went to California and worked a little bit and we did the movie,
The Derby Stallion together, and I created some product videos for his business. We were married 21 years before he passed away, and basically I was a full-time wife and mother. I loved it as I’d waited until I was 37 to marry. I’d worked steadily for 17 years. Now I need to work again because his treatment was very expensive and I sent my children to great colleges. It’s difficult to get back in because the year I came back here Covid hit and we were locked up for two more years. Now no one sees anyone in person. Making tapes at home to audition is horrible and there’s no human connection. If you notice most of the casting in new shows is a bit wanting and I think that’s due to tape casting and hiring influencers who are not trained actors. I know it’s cheaper for studios and networks in the short run but I hope they realize what they are losing by doing it this way.
Many shows with great potential are not making it, and I think that is why. Where are the Ian Sumerholder’s and the Paul Wesley‘s in these new youthful supposedly hot shows for young people. Why are we all watching so much British TV and Documentaries? Yes, Ted Lasso was a riot, but how many other’s will be classics like Everybody Loves Raymond and Seinfeld? Thirty Something was great, This is Us, Desperate Housewives … great TV. Thank heaven for Dick Wolf’s shows.
And, the flipside. What’s the most enjoyable for you?
The most enjoyable is working… I loved being on a show and co creating with the writers, producers and directors the while person for a long time. That’s a treat.
I was tweet chatting with Mick Garris (The Stand, Hocus Pocus) a while back and asked him which name springs to mind when he thought ‘Oh MY God i’ve met them’ My reply was George A Romero (Night Of The Living Dead), Mick’s was Steven Speilberg. Who would yours be?
Oh my God’s? Well, I met Ronald Reagan, Smokey Robinson, Dionne Warwick, Whitney Houston, Michael Bolton ( at first when his name was Boleton), Jane Fonda, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, hung out a lot with Harvey Fierstein (which was a blast!), Michael Jackson and went to Liza’s wedding.
I met Bill Clinton, Rob Reiner, Donald Trump but they weren’t as much of an OMG top me as the others.
If you can sit down with any one living person and chat to them for two hours? Who would you choose?
Dick Wolf, Robert Redford, Tyler Perry, Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese because they have serial success even after time off. I need their expertise at this point. And they fascinate me.
Only a couple of days ago, the Tonja took some time out of her day to leap onto a video chat with me to talk about her career, her life and her thoughts. I enjoyed the chat, and I hope you do too!
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