KRISTIN CHENOWETH
Why she’s feeling fabulous at 50!
Nearly 15 years ago, Kristin Chenoweth received some words of wisdom—from none other than her good friend Prince—which still resonate. “He said, ‘How old are you?’ and I said,‘oh, I’m 35,’ ” she recalls. “He goes, ‘Age is just a number.’ ” After the Emmy-winning actress asked the music legend for his age in return, “He said, ‘I actually don’t know,’ ” she recalls with a smile. “I thought that was cool, like, ‘ Who cares?’ ”
Nevertheless, Chenoweth proudly shares that her 50th birthday was on July 24, and after more than 30 years in show business, she’s ready to embrace the next chapter of her life. Now working on Trial & Error: Lady, Killer (coming to the Seven Network), Chenoweth says she’s becoming more aware of the importance of maintaining a balance of health, career and relationships. Until recently, such perspective has been sorely lacking. “I just work constantly, and I don’t take time to heal, rejuvenate and recharge,” she admits. “But slowing down is hard for me because I feel like I have so much still I want to do.” Of course, what she’s done already is impressive.
The Oklahoma native, who began performing at a young age in local churches, quickly made a name for herself on Broadway while starring in numerous productions, including You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown— for which she earned a Tony Award— and as good witch Glinda in Wicked.
A petite dynamo at just 1.5m, she never let not being statuesque stand in her way. “My whole life I was told I would never make it,” she says, but notes that she opted to “take the things that make you different and go with that.” Working nearly nonstop in 2012, she suffered a terrifying accident on the set of The Good Wife, where she played political reporter Peggy Byrne. A piece of lighting equipment fell on her, causing a skull fracture and severe injuries to her neck and ribs. “You know how things happen in your life to make you pause?” she asks. “Well that was a big one for me. I’m still learning how to deal with chronic pain. But, you know what? I still work. I still am able to. I know this, if I don’t take days off, I don’t do that good, so I’m trying.”
For the past 11 years, Chenoweth has also suffered from Ménière’s disease, an inner-ear disorder that can cause vertigo and lead to loss of hearing, but she has turned to counselling, meditation and prayer to help her push through. “We all have our crap, right?” she says. “So I’ll just keep dealing with it best I can.”
A devout Christian and a long-time gay-rights activist, Chenoweth concedes she hasn’t made much time for romance. “I have not been great at that part of the balance, so I would like to learn to make the time for that special someone.” But after her milestone birthday, the star is “happy with the ageing and how it’s happening,” and feels content. “Any time there’s an audience, I’m happiest,” she says. “I’m lucky to be alive. And I feel so lucky I’m still able to do what I love.”