Bonnie Bailey-Reed loves to make people laugh.
She is an actress and art director who will be seen in the hilarious new show “Kenan” starting next Tuesday, Feb. 16th. Her first love is performing on stage and sharing the magic of the lights and the live audience. With two National Tours under her belt, acting, singing, and dancing changed her life. She can boast of a long filmography that strings back to 2001 and fans have spotted her in “How I Met Your Mother,” “Fargo,” “Glee,” and plenty more. Get up close and personal with Bonnie.
Colleen Bement: What can you tell us about your experience on the set of “Kenan?” Was it fun? Was it difficult?
Bonnie Bailey-Reed: I had a fabulous day shooting “Kenan!” The entire cast and crew were so welcoming and fun to work with! It felt like a family already! Chris Rock was our Director! What a treat to meet Chris Rock! And, he was so nice! We were shooting on location. The crew was so organized and made the scheduled roll along brilliantly! At the end of the day, Kenan gave everyone a custom-made sweatshirt with The Kenan Thompson Show logo and characters of the principal characters’ faces! It made me feel so honored to receive one! A rare treat, let me tell ya!
CB: What was your audition like for “Kenan?”
BBR: The audition was great! Greenstein/Daniel Casting is a very calming and safe place to audition. I didn’t get to actually meet Kenan or Chris Rock at the audition. It was a videotape for the Producers and the Director. Brett Greenstein and Collin Daniel are wonderful Casting Directors to audition for because they give you good positive feedback! This makes your nerves calm down so you do your best!
CB: Your Instagram says that you love to make people laugh. Is that what drew you to show biz?
BBR: Yes, I think that had a lot to do with my decision. As a kid, I was quite the ‘show-off’ and loved the attention. I was never shy about being in front of an audience! My senior year of high school, I took the first Drama Class I’d ever taken. The ole’ Showbiz bug was planted and became my passion for life! It’s “in my blood” as they say! My first love is performing on stage. There’s nothing like the magic of the lights and the live audience to fuel your performances! I began my career as a singer/dancer touring with two National Tours; “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” and “They’re Playing Our Song.” I had moved from Dallas, Texas to New York City hoping to become a Broadway Musical Star! The Tours were as close as I got, but my experiences living there and pursuing my dream was life-changing!
CB: Tell us about any other projects that you have in the works.
BBR: I have a really fun Guest Star role on “SHRILL” streaming on Hulu! The Episode is #206 Season Two entitled “WAHAM” starring Aidy Bryant. I had a blast shooting on “Shrill!” My character was the next door neighbor of Aidy’s Mother, played by Julia Sweeney! It was so much fun shooting the scene with the two of them! They were both so sweet and easy to work with! I am blown away that I have had the privilege to now work with three Saturday Night Live stars; Kenan Thompson, Aidy Bryant, and Julia Sweeney! Hmmm…maybe SNL needs an ‘older woman’ cast member?! LOL!
CB: I noticed that you were on “Days of Our Lives” for a bit. I have to admit that “Days” was my staple in my college years. I’ve always been curious: How is working on a soap compared to a primetime series?
BBR: OMG! The difference is like night and day! The shooting pace for a Soap is so much faster due to the fact that during one week of shooting, there might be 4 different episodes to be shot that week! The shooting of a half-hour Sitcom, like The Kenan Thompson Show or an hour-long Episodic is a much calmer, slower pace because only one episode is shot per week! I hand it to Soap actors for their ability to keep up with the pace and memorization of so many lines of dialogue every day! It must be similar to shooting SNL when I think about it! Hats off to those brilliant actors for sure!
CB: Do you happen to enjoy writing or directing?
BBR: People have told me all my life that I am a great Story Teller! But, when I attempt to actually write my stories, I get so tied up with grammar and punctuation, the story isn’t funny anymore! I’ve been trying to write a One Woman Show for years…it’s still not written! I really enjoy directing for Stage. Although, I’ve not had the opportunity in quite a while!
CB: How do you spend your spare time?
BBR: How do I spend my spare time? Honey, there’s a Pandemic! There ain’t nothin’ TO do!! I love Facebook and seeing all the folks who have been a part of my entire life all mixed up together on one page! Ha! The best part of this stay-at-home order is that my husband and I have gotten to be together so much! My husband, Gary Lee Reed is THE funniest man on earth! He constantly makes me laugh! Our 30 year Anniversary is Valentine’s Day! He is an Actor/Director and is so very talented and down-to-earth! He is my Soulmate! We’ve had a blast whether we’re laughing instead of crying during this tragic time in our world, or truly crying and hugging each other to get through all of this craziness in our country! I am very blessed!
Catch “Kenan” on Tuesday nights.
Written by Colleen Bement
Lynn Makes
Evan Conroy
Ron Peterson