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Australian magnificence Kym Johnson waltzed her means onto the ballroom flooring — and into viewers’ hearts — on Dancing With the Stars as a professional again in Season 3 of the dance actuality competitors collection. Over time, she competed in 15 seasons of the present, taking residence the coveted Mirrorball trophy twice. Her first win was with Donny Osmond in Season 9; her bookend was earned with soccer participant Hines Ward in Season 12.
In Season 20, Johnson was paired with Shark Tank star Robert Herjavec. The 2 continued to tango off-screen and wed in 2016. Johnson Herjavec final competed on the present in Season 24 with Mr. T.
Now, Johnson-Herjavec is taking up a brand new function within the Lifetime film Looking Housewives. She performs Joli Symons, a girl hoping to have a enjoyable getaway along with her girlfriends. After their small aircraft crashes within the wilderness, the ladies should use their expertise — and what’s of their purses — to outlive. Looking Housewives additionally stars DWTS alumna Denise Richards and Nene Leakes in addition to Melyssa Ford. TV Insider chatted with Johnson-Herjavec about turning into an actress and if she’ll revisit DWTS like she did final season for the emotional tribute to late decide Len Goodman.
You began on DWTS in Season 3 in a pre-streaming, pre-social media world. You and the opposite OG execs grew to become immediate celebrities. What was it like being in that golden age of the present?
Kym Johnson Herjavec: It was the very best. I used to pinch myself that I used to be part of all of it. I do know it’s so loopy — particularly again then, as you mentioned, when it was in these early years. I’m undecided we even realized how massive it was. We had been simply going with it.
The present’s getting again to fundamentals now in some ways .
Sure. I beloved final season. [Hosts] Julianne [Hough] and Alfonso [Ribeiro] are superb. It does really feel prefer it did again within the heyday.
There are execs at this time who grew up watching the present. Some might have wished to develop into a professional dancer as a result of stardom can come together with the job. However the OG professional dancers had fame thrust upon you.
It’s so true when you consider it like that. We’d all come from the aggressive dance world and it was concerning the work, not the celebrity. That’s why it was so particular.
How did your function in Looking Housewives come about?
My husband [Robert Herjavec, Shark Tank] and I had moved to Canada about 4 years in the past. I labored with a manufacturing firm on a film known as Love Alaska. It was a small function, and I kind of dipped my toe into performing. I discovered that I actually missed performing. [Acting] could be very totally different from acting on Dancing With the Stars, however the producers approached me. I hadn’t achieved any performing earlier than so I used to be nervous to do it. I had some performing classes. I didn’t wish to go in with out being ready. That’s the dancer in me. I acquired an performing coach and located that I actually beloved it! It’s very totally different, clearly, to dancing.
The forged contains some acquainted faces. Each Denise and Nene had been opponents on DWTS.
Sure. I believed, “Wow, that is going to be so nice as a result of I do know them so properly.” We already had an amazing connection. We shot a number of it out within the woods, not in a studio, which was good in that I’m used to being a dwell performer. Being out within the parts felt like doing a dwell efficiency.
How does it really feel to tackle this problem?
I’ve actually loved it, making this pivot in my profession and getting again into issues extra creatively. It’s been an amazing problem. I feel, in a means, I’d put limits on myself. What I’m realizing is that it’s by no means too late should you put the work in. I’m very lucky to have achieved Dancing With the Stars, which has helped me get these alternatives. As a dancer, I’m used to rehearsing and rehearsing and ensuring [my routine] is rehearsed. I went into the identical strategy with performing. I knew my script again to entrance. I knew everybody’s strains. However I used to be instructed don’t get married to them as a result of they may change the night time earlier than, and [acting] is all about reacting to whom you’re working with. I discovered not solely from Denise but additionally Nene and Melyssa. Denise and Nene had come into my world, and now, I’ve come into theirs.
What are you able to inform me concerning the story?
The plot is humorous, and [the scenario we’re in] might probably occur.
Is there a double-meaning to the title? Are the housewives each looking for one thing and being hunted?
We’re being hunted. We’re despatched on this final ladies journey that goes horribly flawed. Our husbands usually are not what we predict. The query turns into, how are we going to outlive and battle for our lives within the woods? As we’re doing this, we be taught lots about one another and ourselves. We study what we really need, and we might want one thing totally different out of life.
Is there something that may put together you for a task like this?
I had achieved Superstar Survivor in Australia earlier than I’d come over to America to bop with Jerry Springer [in Season 3 of DWTS]. I feel that’s how I might need gotten this job. The casting director mentioned, “I noticed footage of you on YouTube doing Survivor and I noticed you within the parts. I feel you’d be nice for this function.”
How did you do on Superstar Survivor?
I voted myself off. I had had it. I used to be good on the challenges, and I threw myself into it, however at one level we had a kind of a mini-cyclone and torrential rain. On the third night time, I simply mentioned to the remainder of my staff, “If we lose the following problem and one in every of us has to go, you’ll be able to vote for me [to go].” And that’s precisely what occurred. So this present is nearly just like the Actual Housewives meets Survivor.
Your characters need to survive partially based mostly on what’s of their purses.
[Wryly] Sure, tablets and booze.
What are the must-haves that you just hold in your bag?
I at all times hold a [lip balm] and a sanitizer particularly as I’ve children. I’ve to say I’m nothing like my character. The function I play — Joli — doesn’t like her husband. I really like mine so we’re very totally different there. Joli does just like the finer issues in life, however she’s realizing she needs extra out of life. She loves her girlfriends, [and] she’s acquired a really humorous persona.
What else is retaining you busy?
I’m working with a manufacturing firm in Canada. I’m engaged on improvement and manufacturing, and now we have a few motion pictures that we’re growing proper now. I really like Christmas motion pictures. White Christmas is my favourite. I wish to convey these massive dance Christmas motion pictures again. We’re engaged on that proper now, which is nice as a result of at Dancing With the Stars, you get to be so artistic. Once I was on the present as a dance professional, I got here up with [ideas for] the costumes, props, and the units. It was so artistic. So I really feel like I’m utilizing what I did again then differently. I’m actually studying lots, and this has been an amazing transition.
Nene’s hilarious and Denise has achieved comedy, too. Are there parts of humor in Looking Housewives?
Sure. It’s a fairly critical movie, however it’s additionally humorous. There are humorous moments together with the hazard. I feel viewers will snicker together with us. We’re clearly not joyful to be within the scenario we’re in, however it’s humorous watching us survive and figuring issues out for ourselves. Nene and I had the very best time. She is aware of easy methods to ship a line. She’s acquired such an amazing persona. Our time on Dancing With the Stars helps make all of it a bit extra pure. I really like Denise as properly.
It was so nice that you just and different OG execs got here again for the tribute to the late Len Goodman final season. The dance everybody did to “Moon River,” one in every of his favourite songs, was lovely.
Thanks. Oh my gosh. When the present known as me and mentioned what they had been doing to honor Len, in fact, I mentioned sure, I’ll be there. All of us beloved him a lot. It was so unhappy, however it was additionally such an attractive tribute. All of us wished to be there. I beloved it. All of us reminisced about Len, the nice occasions, and the nice previous days. We had been welling up each time we did the dance. It was emotional being again there within the ballroom. Seeing Len’s [empty] chair on the finish and Carrie Ann [Inaba] and Bruno [Tonioli] one another. It was actually nice being again within the ballroom.
If the present had been to succeed in out and invite you again as both a visitor decide or coach or to do one other dance, are you open for any of that?
I might by no means say no. By no means say by no means. I really like the present. It’s a part of who I’m. I’ve moved from being on the present in America to being a decide on the present in Australia. Then, I went again to the American one. I crammed in a single night time for Erin Andrews as co-host. I really feel like I’ve achieved a little bit of the whole lot with the present.
What else is retaining you busy along with Looking Housewives?
I’ve a cabaret present that I’m going to do in Palm Springs. I sing, and I’ll have some Dancing With the Stars tales, however it’s largely about my journey coming from Australia and ending up in Hollywood. Engaged on the present has been enjoyable. I really like cabaret, and I like to tells tales. There will probably be some dance in my act, too.
Looking Housewives, Film Premiere, Saturday, March 9, 8/7c, Lifetime
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