SAG-AFTRA actress and producer, Pamela Jayne Morgan, has built an impressive track record in film, television and theater projects. A native of Fall River, Massachusetts, she has earned numerous awards for her film, television and theater projects. She is known for “The Holdovers” (2023), “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (2019) and “Boston Strangler” (2023). Pamela has also been a radio voice-over actor, industrial “corporatainment” producer, theatrical dance studio founder, and children’s theater director. Here she shares the perspectives and working philosophy that continue to help her achieve growth and success.
David: You’re an award-winning SAG-AFTRA film, television, and theater actress. Three different media require some adjustments in technique. But what do you always try to keep the same regardless of the medium in which you’re acting?
Pamela: I always strive for authenticity and specificity in my interpretation and delivery of my character’s thoughts, emotions, and storyline. I interpret and respond as I would in my life rather than making assumptions about what or how this character “should” be.
David: You portrayed Blanche Dubois in “A Streetcar Named Desire” twice in your life –– once as a high school senior and then, again, almost 30 years later. What was it like for you to return to that role as an adult?
Pamela: It was pure joy to revisit the complicated and sorrowful character of Blanche Dubois. My portrayal, as an adult, was far more nuanced and grounded in her fragility, pain, insecurity, and lack of self-esteem. After all, I had lived 30 years of life as a woman and gained far more understanding than I had when I played her as a high school senior.
David: You are known to believe that much of one’s success in life and in acting is being positive. How did you come to learn that –– any role models or teachers in particular?
Pamela: Positivity breeds positivity; negativity breeds negativity. I think we all understand that on a very basic level. It’s another thing to truly believe that you can directly affect the abundance (or lack thereof) in your own life. Each of us emits vibrational energy into the Universe. And while that may sound “woo-woo,” I am a firm believer and a grateful recipient. My work with Wendy Braun of Actor Inspiration really drove this home to me. Since taking her “Success Breakthrough Workshop” course, my career, personal and spiritual lives have reaped exponential benefits. The essence of the mind is the essence of life.
David: You spend a lot of time in both Boston and New York. Can you share an observation about a difference between those two cultures?
Pamela: While the cultures of these cities are different in many ways –– most notably in their size, ethnic demographics, etc. –– they share numerous essential qualities. Both are epicenters of learning, are comprised of diverse populations, and offer a vibrant theater scene. They also both offer most delectable cuisines and restaurants, museums and historical locations, and are major tourist destinations. I think the differences are more in numbers versus “culture,” per se.
David: In addition to numerous awards for your film, television, and theater projects, you were honored as an “Imaginnaire” by Imagine Magazine for your contributions to the New England Film Industry. Can you mention a specific contribution you try to make in New England that you would not apply so much in –– say –– Hollywood?
Pamela: I don’t think it’s a matter of trying to make a specific contribution. It’s more a matter of the having opportunities to make a contribution as an actress to a storyline in a film or television show regardless of the production location. Having said that, production location is not necessarily the same as storyline location. For projects that I’ve shot in New England whose story is based in New England, I’m in the envious position of being able to speak the language in the locale’s accent and more fully embody the history, culture and vibe.
David: “He’ll Be Home for Christmas,” in which you play the family matriarch, was awarded BEST TV PILOT at the 16th Annual LA Webfest. In your own life, did you have a particular role model as a family matriarch? Or did you draw more on observations from other people’s families?
Pamela: I did, indeed, have a beautiful role model –– my maternal grandmother, Nana.She was the kindest, most trusting, innocent, and faithful person to bless my life. Because of her (and my mother) I grew up surrounded by unconditional love. I learned to make the most of everything from this woman who lived through the Great Depression. I learned that the simple things in life really do matter and can bring joy that money cannot buy. She was the guiding light in our family. (Visit the “He’ll Be Home for Christmas” IMDb page here: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26544146/)
David: Beyond acting, you’re a successful producer. What skills or mindsets do you consider most important in being effective as a producer?
Pamela: Effective producers understand the entire project from both creative and business standpoints. They are aligned with both the director’s vision and studio’s/production company’s directive and budget. They collaborate to assemble the right people for the cast and crew. They understand the need for a reasonable schedule and work to ensure adherence to it. They are disciplined and manage expectations.
David: Drawing on what you’ve learned in life, what wise advice would you give to your 20-year-old self if you could?
Pamela: Be humble and confident. Trust your instincts and take risks.
Be kind and grateful. Respect yourself and others.
Don’t procrastinate.
And commit to having balance in your life.
David: If you could magically have a relaxed dinner with an historic actress who is no longer on this earth –– Marilyn Monroe, Bette Davis, Katherine Hepburn, etc. –– who would you choose to meet and chat with, and why?
Pamela: Anne Bancroft, and we’d probably have a liquid lunch! She was a brilliant actress of film, television and theater who excelled in both dramatic and biting comedic roles. She was equally as mesmerizing as the smart and seductive Mrs. Robinson in “The Graduate” and the tough-love disciplinarian Annie Sullivan in “The Miracle Worker.” I could watch her for hours on end –– she fully inhabited every character she portrayed through her raspy voice, facial expressions, and delivery of dialogue. And she had a long and happy marriage to Mel Brooks, which is a feat in the world of celebrity.
One of her best quotes about her husband was, “He makes me laugh a lot …. I get excited when I hear his key in the door. It’s like, ‘Ooh! The party’s going to start!’”
Fun fact about Anne: She won an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmys, two Tonys, (as well as two Golden Globes, three BAFTAs, two National Board of Review Awards, and a Cannes Film Festival Award) making her one of only 24 actors to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting. I’ll toast to that! (Side note: “The Miracle Worker” is another instance of acting in the same play at different points in my life. In high school I played Kate Keller [Helen’s mother] and 35 years later played Annie Sullivan. I studied Anne’s work in the movie as I prepared for the role.)
David: Same magical question about any actor in history whose work has influenced you?
Pamela: Robin Williams, if I could get him to sit still. I fell in love with his wackiness watching “Mork & Mindy.” His phrenetic energy was uniquely exceptional. The voices, physicality, the plethora of characters, spontaneity, improvisational skills, and the brilliance of his observations that he wove into his comedy shows are legendary. Then, lo and behold, we discover his softer and more dramatic acting chops in classics like “Good Will Hunting,” “Dead Poets Society,” “Patch Adams,” and “Awakenings.” He fully committed to everything he created and did so with complete authenticity. What a keen loss we all suffered with his passing. Nano nano.
David: You appeared in the film “The Holdovers” as a waitress who declined to serve a cherries jubilee dessert due to its alcohol content when a minor was present. Do you enjoy the news that it’s now being developed as a television series?
Pamela: Heck yes! I’m sending vibes into the Universe to manifest that the series will shoot local to Boston (as did the movie) and that my waitress gets hired to work in Mary’s (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) kitchen at the prestigious Barton Academy. Wouldn’t that be the cherry on the cake? (Watch Pam’s “Cherries Jubilee” scene on the film’s IMDb page: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14849194)
David: Among the many examples of your versatility is the fact that you sometimes function as a children’s theater director. Can you describe a primary focus when you’re working?
Pamela: May I say that directing children’s theater is one of the most rewarding endeavors of my career. Being able to introduce children to the glory of theater and guiding them to discover and appreciate the benefits of engaging in the performing arts is significant. A primary focus is to encourage them to be themselves and to celebrate that individuality and that of their peers.
In this way, we teach them about interdependence and how everyone contributes to the production (teamwork) by using their individual talents, building confidence in themselves and others, being committed to the project, and developing the capacity for empathy. A child’s experience in theater is so much more than learning the basics of stage acting; it’s about cultivating these and other lifelong skills including public speaking and creative expression.
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