Getting older can be tough, or so they say.
As far as I can tell, it’s pretty great: having kids, figuring out how to wake up before noon, learning not to eat Tide pods.
But I won’t deny the challenges. Some are mundane: creaky knees, the same old job, needing better sleep. Some are more profound, such as realizing that our childhood dreams might never come true.
Perhaps we all have the thing that got away: maybe you wanted to go back to school, or you’re mulling the payments on that midlife Camaro, or — who knows? — maybe you’ve secretly always wanted to try out a mullet (your moment has arrived, by the way).
So I was inspired when I heard about Sandra Ellis Lafferty. Sure, having acted in 80 movies is impressive, but she didn’t get started until she was 50?
Maybe it’s not too late for you and me.
An Issue of Timing
Growing up in Fort Payne, Alabama, Sandra spent her weeks looking forward to Saturday.
It wasn’t for the downtime, or her friends, or the mountain scenery — it was the DeKalb Theatre, lights warmly aglow over downtown.
Once a week, her parents let her walk from their grocery store to the theatre. She watched as many movies as she could. And whether it was the gritty film noir streets, the vibrance of the first technicolors, or the magic of Susan Hayward, Sandra thought: “that’s what I’m going to do with my life”.
Instead of a career under the big lights, she raised four children.
At 21, despite the odds, the stars aligned. A college professor offered to connect her with a friend who directed on Broadway. It was her big chance — the one that most people never get.
But there was an issue: timing.
Sandra had another responsibility — it was small, but it was growing steadily, and she could feel it starting to kick in her belly. So she turned down Broadway. Instead of a career under the big lights, she raised four children.
Missed Opportunities
Still, in the midst of parenthood, she refused to let the dream die. “All along,” she said, “I kept waiting. There were near misses.”
For example, when she was getting her masters at UM Kansas City, she had to turn down an internship at the Rep Theatre (the show included Ernie Hudson, of Ghostbusters fame).
Decades later, while living in Colorado, her brother Jerry came to visit. “I took him to the Denver Center for the Performing Arts — just to see it,” she said. “I looked up at the large photos of all the actors on the walls, and I told him, ‘I want my picture up there, Jerry.’”
“It will be,” he said.
“No, Mom,” he said. “Go for it.”
So Jerry, who happened to be a writer, helped Sandra compose a letter. “I had some acting credits to my name,” she said, “and Jerry had a way with words. He wrote it; I signed it. I still think sending an actual letter made a difference.”
Sure enough, the theatre called. But her youngest child was 16, and she had promised to wait until he was 18.
“No, Mom,” he said. “Go for it.”
Dogfight
A few years later, Sandra had a chance to audition for a movie: “Dogfight”, starring River Phoenix.
“I was naive, I knew nothing about protocol,” she said. “When the director walked over, I perked up and said, ‘I’m auditioning for the role of the crying woman!’ She looked at me for a moment and said, ‘yes, I know’. Of course she did! She was directing the movie.”
You’ve probably already seen Sandra: “The Hunger Games”, “Baywatch”, “The Vampire Diaries”. She even played June Carter’s mom in “Walk the Line”.
Still, her talent won out. Over 30 years after turning down Broadway, Sandra got the role.
And she hasn’t stopped since. Decades after that audition, Sandra has now appeared in over 80 movies and TV shows — many of which you have probably seen, such as “The Hunger Games”, “Baywatch” and “The Vampire Diaries”. She even played June Carter’s mom in “Walk the Line”.
The Walk of Fame
In 2000, Sandra’s mother got sick, so she moved home to Fort Payne, and thanks to the growth of the Georgia film industry, she has lived here ever since. The town has awarded her a star on its Walk of Fame, directly in front of the DeKalb Theatre where in her youth, she decided to become an actress.
But this is not an ending: she’s still acting as much as ever, and last we spoke, she had just been cast in “Lincoln League”, a historical thriller. “I’m going to be a really mean Southern woman,” she said. “This character’s not like me at all, so it’s going to be fun.”
At the end of our time together, I asked Sandra if she would have been as successful had she started her career at 21 instead of 50.
She looked at me and smiled. “Oh yes,” she said. “I was young, but I was ready. This is what I always wanted. I’ll do it until I die.”
Check out the full list of movies where you’ve seen Sandra.
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Shout out to The Spot Coffee Shop in downtown Fort Payne for the portrait location.
