Interview #4: Mariah Bonner - The Voice in the Valley

Intro

Mariah Bonner shares her creative journey in the world of entertainment, from starting as a ballet dancer to becoming a model and actress. She later discovered her passion for singing and formed a musical partnership with Marcus Dagan. 

Mariah talks about the influences and inspirations that shaped her career and the challenges she faced along the way. She also discusses her experience auditioning for The Voice and the impact of the pandemic on her music career. 

Mariah Bonner shares her experiences in the entertainment industry, including her journey in cabaret singing and her move to Argentina. She emphasizes the importance of storytelling in her performances and the influence of her acting and ballet background. 

Mariah also discusses her blog about living on a ranch in Argentina and her involvement in the Bonner winery. She talks about her music project, Voice from the Valley, and her upcoming album of love songs in multiple languages. Mariah's advice to aspiring entertainers is to take control of their own careers and not rely too much on others' opinions.

Some of you may remember her from her screen play in the movie, 'The Social Network'.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction: Mariah Bonner's Creative Journey

01:11 Diving into the World of Entertainment

05:18 Transitioning from Modeling to Acting

08:46 Finding Inspiration in the Arts

11:36 Lessons Learned in Acting

12:02 Mariah Bonner's Role in 'The Social Network'

14:46 Influential Figures in Mariah Bonner's Career

15:21 Creating 'Mariah's Morning Minutes' on YouTube

19:00 Exploring the Path of Singing

21:34 Meeting Marcus Degan and Forming a Musical Partnership

23:36 Marcus Degan's Musical Expertise

24:45 The Art of Storytelling in Cabaret Singing

27:08 From Los Angeles to Argentina: A Journey in Music and Life

31:18 Voice from the Valley: Sharing Music and Experiences

40:10 Creating an Album of Multilingual Love Songs

46:38 Taking Control of Your Entertainment Career

Full Transcript
Rick Barron (00:02)

Hi everyone. I am very pleased and honored to have Mariah Bonner on my show today. She's the embodiment of grace and resilience. She is a passionate entertainer that has many talents with captivating charisma on both stage and screen. 

I have to tell you; this force of nature commands your attention. Today, she'll walk us through her creative journey and how she blends innovative techniques in creating emotionally charged music that leaves an indelible mark on the soul, and her ongoing efforts pushing the boundaries of inventive expression through her stage performances and thought -provoking music videos. 

We'll explore her challenges, lessons learned, and current projects today. 

Some people are considered Renaissance men for their vast knowledge and various skills. For what she's accomplished, Mariah is a Renaissance woman. I'm Rick Barron, your host, and welcome to my podcast that's Life, I swear. 

Please join me today as I have my conversation with the amazing Mariah Bonner. Mariah, welcome to the show.

Mariah Bonner (01:33)

Thank you, Rick. Thanks for having me.

Rick Barron (01:34)

So great to see you. So, well, I've been waiting a long time to have this opportunity. So, I really thank you for taking the time to speak with me. So, I want to dive into your beginning, if you will, of how you got into the world of entertainment.

I think the first time you got your feet wet was when you played a mouse in the Nutcracker with the Ballet Theater of Annapolis. So, what can you share about that experience?

Mariah Bonner (01:39)

Well, Rick, you really did your research. What can I share about that experience? Well, I was very young. I don't remember how young and I remember that I auditioned. It was the first time that I had auditioned for a role and got it. And I loved it.

Rick Barron (02:02)

Mm -hmm.

Mariah Bonner (02:06)

I can remember our costumes, the smell of the backstage and of the stage and being in awe of the ballerinas, the older girls who were so, they were doing pas de deux and they were so beautiful and I loved their costumes and the sugar plum fairy. It was a very special moment for me and I'll always remember it.

Rick Barron (02:30)

How old were you at the time?

Mariah Bonner (02:35)

I think I might have been eight or nine around there. Yeah.

Rick Barron (02:50)

Mm -hmm. And I would guess you might have had stage fright.

Mariah Bonner (02:55)

You know what, strangely enough, I did have a little stage fright and I was encouraged and appeased by a very nice lady backstage. I think she was somebody's mother and I've never really suffered from it again. I get a little bit kind of jitters before a show, but I don't have stage fright per se.

Rick Barron (03:10)

Mm -hmm.

Rick Barron (03:15)

I see. That's great. So, for the benefit of the audience, because I'm sure a lot of people would like to know, can you give us kind of a broad brushstroke of how your career started and where you are today?

Mariah Bonner (03:21)

Yes, in broad brushstrokes. I think my career officially started when I was 14 years old. It didn't start in the way that I expected. I was studying ballet, I was living in Paris, and I took theater lessons, and I was expecting to start off as a professional dancer or maybe an actress. But it so happened that one day I was walking home…

 Rick Barron (03:49)

Mm -hmm.

Mariah Bonner (03:50)

...from my ballet lesson and I decided to walk. I could have taken the subway, but that day I decided to walk because it was a pretty December day. And so, I walked along the Champs -Elysées and I was walking along and it was just one of those days where I felt good and right. And so, I'm walking along and I hear this man call behind me, Mademoiselle, Mademoiselle. 

I was 14, but I'd lived in Paris for a few years by now and I knew that men on the street who talked to you was A, normal and common, B, you just ignore them. But this guy was very persistent and suddenly he came up right next to me and I turned and I couldn't help but turn and look at him. And he was an older man in a trench coat carrying an umbrella and he said, excuse me, Mademoiselle, are you a model? And I said, no, actually, I'm a dancer.

And he said, well, you really should consider becoming a model. And he handed me a card for the agency that he worked for. And so, I went skipping off home and I showed the card to my mother and we went and visited the agency. Turns out it was one of the most reputable, biggest agencies in Paris with all the top models. And I was immediately signed, never saw that man again, but that was when I really started my professional career.

Rick Barron (05:21)

Wow, so at the, I think you said the age of 14, you started off as a model, 15, okay. Wow. So, at 15 or almost 15, becoming a model in Paris, what was that like? I mean, I would have to imagine there was a lot of excitement, but I guess on the flip side of that coin, there must've been moments where you felt like overwhelmed maybe.

Mariah Bonner (06:22)

Yeah, I was going to be 15 in January, but I was still just 14.

Mariah Bonner (06:23)

Yeah, you're right. It was very exciting and it really led my life in a direction that I may not have gone in otherwise. And it was a little overwhelming. Suddenly I was in a very grown-up professional world and I was made to cut my hair. 

I was taking shopping. I was sort of being groomed by these...folks who worked in the agency and I also started going on photo shoots. I remember my mother came with me to the very first photo shoot I ever did and it was in a fellow's apartment and he had a Polaroid camera and she came with me and then she didn't come with me again after that and I went on the subway by myself, I went to castings, I went on photo shoots. 

So, I guess grew up, doing all these things that were very professional. And at times it was overwhelming at moments like when they wanted me to travel. I didn't like going away from my family. I didn't like it. I would get homesick. But it was something that you did and that was expected. So, in those ways, it was at times overwhelming. But mostly it was fun and exciting. Yeah.

Rick Barron (07:25)

Wow, that's great. What a journey that was. Now, later on, I understood that you wanted to take your career on a different avenue, and that was going into drama and wanting to be an actress or an actor, if you will. How did that come about?

Mariah Bonner (07:26)

It came about naturally. I think I was always wanting to be an actress. I always wanted to do that. And it kind of came about really because I was continuing to take theater lessons whilst I would go on my auditions and castings all day for modeling and my ballet lessons. I took my theater lessons too.

Mariah Bonner (08:10)

And there was a casting director at the school that I went to and she said they're casting for the role of a young woman who has an accent, who should speak French with an accent. Now I didn't speak French with an accent, but I could because it was in my native tongue, so I could pretend. And she thought I looked the part. And so, she sent me on this audition and I got it. I ended up booking it. 
 
 And then boom, suddenly I'm in a TV film in France and I'm filming and it's just wonderful and I realized I really want to do this. I want to do this professionally, seriously. I want to go learn how to do it well. And so, I had the bug that I wanted to do that.

Rick Barron (09:21)

Wow. So where did you go to hone your skills in acting? I mean, did you go to a drama school or?

Mariah Bonner (9:22)

Yes, I did, Rick, I did indeed. I went to the Guildhall Hall School of Music and Drama, which is in London, and that's where I went.

Rick Barron (09:23)

Wow. In the time you were there, how many years did it take to complete the course there to earn your degree, if you will?

Mariah Bonner (09:33)

That was a three-year course and I did earn a BA in the arts. Yeah.

Rick Barron (09:40)

Ah, excellent. So, over that period of time, I'm sure you must have met various professors, teachers that helped you learn the craft of being an actor and drama and how to present yourself, if you will. What were some of the people that you came across that had a very big influence on you?

Mariah Bonner (10:23)

Well, all of those teachers at the Guildhall were wonderful. They really were. There was Wendy Allnut who taught movement and dance. There was Ken Ray who taught acrobatics and improvisation. And we would learn Chinese exercises for moving energy around. 

And he would have us do like aborigine exercises where you'd have to like stick out your tongue and make crazy faces. And then there was Wyn Jones, Dear Wyn Jones was the head of the drama department and he recently passed away. But he directed me in a play called Inherit the Wind and which I played the lead. 

He at one point during the rehearsal he said something to me which always stuck.  What he said was I had to come and say goodbye to the man I loved and it wasn't sure I'd ever be able to see him again. 

So, I had to say goodbye with the weight of knowing this might be the last time and he just gave me one little note, he said remember it has to cost and at the time I was like well what does he mean. 

Then I realized I think what he meant was it has to cost me, me, Mariah, can't be an actress and just kind of superficially glide along without really getting into myself and giving of myself. So, I took it to mean that and I always retained that because I think that's what makes actors so great and any artist is that they really give of themselves and it does cost them.

Rick Barron (11:40)

Yeah, because I, and that those are very wise words. I mean, I know actors who, they stay in character so they don't lose that momentum. And that's a hard thing to do. So, so you, I think you've been in various movies in your, in your background. I know the first time I ever saw you was in the movie, The Social Network.

Mariah Bonner (11:49)

Yeah, it is.

Mariah Bonner (11:56)

Yes.

Mariah Bonner (12:02)

Oh, yes.

Rick Barron (12:10)

You played the character; I think her name was Tori.

Mariah Bonner (12:15)

Tory with the Appletini's. That's right.

Yeah. Oh my gosh. Oh, that was interesting. 

Rick Barron (12:20)

Now, later on, as you were getting into your craft of acting, have you, what were some of the biggest inspirations in the arts for you that really inspired you along your way in, in, in drama and in dancing, if you will.

Mariah Bonner (13:00)

The biggest inspirations, I had a lot. I have to say one thing that's sticking out to me right now is my grandmother from New York. She lived in New York City and she herself was quite an artist. And she introduced me to Martha Graham and Isadora Duncan, dancers who were kind of early on in the contemporary world and modern dance world and Alvin Ailey. 

And I remember her having a big book of Tennessee Williams plays that she lent to me and with my other grandmother. We watched lots and lots of musicals and 1940s and 50s, dramedies and comedies. And I was really inspired by the movies of her library, like Random Harvest and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Casablanca. And so those films, those figures, the characters, really the stories inspired me greatly.

Rick Barron (14:10)

Was there an actor or an actress that really? That was like, that's the path I would love to follow. That type of acting talent, if you will.

Mariah Bonner (14:31)

Yes, yes, it came later, but her name is Vivian Lee. And I say it came later because I would have seen her in a lot of films growing up, but I wouldn't have really put it together that she was somebody I wanted to emulate. I liked her because of the versatility of her roles. She played Anna Karenina, she played Scarlett O 'Hara in Gone with the Wind. She was in A Streetcar named Desire. She just had this vast variety of roles that were juicy and complex and I admired that about her.

That's great. Wow. No, as I followed your career, um, I noticed that you went from, uh, I just happened to catch you on, uh, on YouTube. You were doing a video and I thought, wow, how did that happen? But I think what caught my attention was that you were doing various, um, shows called Mariah's Morning Minutes on YouTube. And I found that so interesting. How did that come about? I mean, what was the inspiration for doing that?

Mariah Bonner (15:13)

Yeah.

How did that come about? I mean, what was the inspiration for doing that?

Well, the inspiration for that was the pandemic and a close family friend who said to me one day when I was kind of, I was hanging around her office and I probably had a sign on my forehead that said, don't know what to do with myself. And she said, look, Mariah, you've got the internet. You should make videos. You should put your voice out there. There's nothing holding you back.

Mariah Bonner (15:51)

Go for it. Get yourself out there. So, at that moment, that very day, I think, I just sort of went, yeah, heck, I can do this, you're right. And I had all the equipment. I had an iPhone, I had a little ring light, and I just started right there and then doing these little mini videos of snippets of songs and just a bit of background about the song. And I sent them every day and I did 100 videos during that time, that time of the pandemic.

Rick Barron (16:20)

Well, I didn't know it was 100. I mean, that's, I mean, if it's something that you really truly love, it's not work. 

Mariah Bonner (16:31)

No, that's true.

Yeah, but there are some days that it does feel like work. I mean, you've got to feel like it and you have to do it and think about what you're going to sing, what can I say that's interesting about this song? Oh boy, my voice isn't really where I want it to be. So, all those things, like you're right, it's not work because I love it. And I think I would just do it anyway, you know, but then you've got to actually do it.

Rick Barron (16:56)

Oh, well, I mean, you know, thanks to your friend. I mean, she really helped you.

Mariah Bonner (17:02)

Well, exactly. She did. She really did. I mean, she just gave me those words of encouragement, which gave me the impetus. And I just thought, well, goodness, why wouldn't I? Absolutely. So, like I said, I started right there and then.

Rick Barron (17:10)

Well, I know your journey in music also took you, I guess, in various directions. And I guess another discovery I came across was where you auditioned for The Voice in Baltimore. And the way I caught it was that as I was doing my research, at first, I didn't recognize you because you have blonde hair.

Mariah Bonner (17:44)

Oh yes, that's right, I did. I had blonde hair.

Rick Barron (17:46)

And I thought, oh, no, no, that is Mariah. But I loved it when you said that, you know, how you were getting ready for it and how your mother made this great fruitcake to help you get through all this. What can you share about that moment and how that all developed?

Mariah Bonner (18:05)

Well, yes, my mother's fruitcake is hands down the best fruitcake I've ever had. Shout out to mom and another friend. I auditioned because of another friend of mine who knew about my singing and who'd come to see me. And she said, you know, they're having auditions for The Voice in Baltimore. You should do that. And so, I thought, yeah, why not? So, I signed up. 

I stood outside from like six in the morning on the coldest day of the year in Baltimore in front of the convention center and waited with I don't know how many other people to get in, to audition, sing my bit of my song a Capella and the whole audition process was like five minutes and then it was over and it didn't work out but you know what it was a darn great experience.

Rick Barron (19:00)

I'm sure you learned a lot in that time period. So, when you went into the singing avenue, was this something that you wanted to make a different direction now or was it in parallel with, I'll continue my acting but I'll also do singing now. How did that work out?

Mariah Bonner (19:18)

I didn't think about it at all that way. It happened by chance and then by intention and now it's what I'm doing. But the way that it came about was I was on a film set and I was filming a short film called Ma Cite Mon Histoire, which is on my YouTube channel. And it was one of the first auditions that I got for myself in LA. I auditioned; I got the part.

Okay and I'm on set and we're shooting and I think I was having my hair changed or something and I was humming. I was humming a little tune and the director came up and he said, gee, I didn't know you sang, Mariah. And I said, well, I mean, don't really, but I'm just humming. And he said, well, I like your humming. And I wrote a song, it's in French and it's an original song for this film. How about you record it? And I said, okay, great.

So, we went to this recording studio in Hollywood, we recorded the song, it was so much fun, and I just remember going, wow, I really like this, this is fun, I want to do more. And so that was a little, like one of those little moments where you have a little bit of a light bulb and go, yeah, I'm going to do more.

Rick Barron (20:18)

And well, that seems to how it happens in the career of entertainment. Sometimes you're in the right place at the right time. And then sometimes it takes, you know, years to all of a sudden, wow, you found your moment. Now this is where this is the path you need to take now because you've arrived. You've paid your dues. Now in the world of music, I know again, from looking at some of your various YouTube videos, you partner up.

Rick Barron (21:09)

Now you start working with a person named Marcus Dagan. You two, when I was looking at the various videos, I couldn't help but see there was a genuine chemistry there with you two and how you performed. So how did you come across meeting Marcus?

Mariah Bonner (21:34)

Well, I came across Marcus because I was back in Baltimore and I had been invited to sing at a little event that a friend of mine was putting on and I had sort of reluctantly accepted and I didn't really know how seriously I wanted to take this singing thing and I was in a little bit of a middle place, an in -between place.

And turns out I got up on stage, absolutely loved performing again, had a ball and went home buzzing thinking, oh my gosh, I got to figure out how to do more of this. So, I knew that, so to get my pianist who'd accompanied me, I had placed an ad on Craigslist and he was very good, but I knew it wasn't sustainable for long -term.

It didn’t work because he lived far away and it just wasn't going to work. I knew that. And so, I started asking around in my neighborhood of Mount Vernon in Baltimore. Hey, I'm getting into singing. I'm looking for a musician and a fellow who's my neighbor said, you need to meet Marcus. So, he gave me Marcus's number. I called Marcus up. He didn't answer. He called me up. I didn't answer. I get a voicemail from him and I listened to his voice.

And I thought, wow, now that's a heck of a voice. We met a day later for coffee, decided to try out some songs and the rest is history. Yeah, I remember distinctly sitting in my car listening to the message going, wow, what a voice. If this is his speaking voice, what must his singing voice be like? And then we met and as I say, from there on, we continued.

Rick Barron (23:58)

Now, how long has he been in the business? I mean, is he still working today in music or?

Mariah Bonner (24:00)

Marcus is still working today in music and he has been in the business since 1972 or three, I want to say. So, most of his adult life, his entire adult life, he is dedicated to performing as a pianist, singer and composer.

Rick Barron (24:20)

That is amazing. Imagine from your working with him, he had a collective set of musical skills, you know, imagination and best practices to share. Can you talk about some of those things with us and with the audience?

Mariah Bonner (24:30)

Sure, yeah, he really did. I mean, he did and does have a wealth of knowledge, a load of fun stories about his experience in the business over the years. He taught me so much, it would be too much to try to get down in just a few sentences, but I would say the biggest lesson I learned from him there too, one of them is, tell the story of the song.

Don't just sing it, tell the story. He would change a word here and there if it suited him. He would even change the whole ending if he wanted to. He wasn't reverent with the songs that way. He made them his own. He would say you have to wear the song like an old leather jacket. And so, I remember that and I take that on board. And the other thing is having a little glass of Jack Daniels sitting by you during a show.

because that does more for your voice. A little sip of that just lubricates the whole contraption. It does and it just tickles the cords and warms them beautifully. 

Gives you more courage.

Rick Barron (25:31)

Oh my God. So, in the time I watched you on the stage with Marcus, and I think in line with what he told you how to, how he would play his music, you know, change a different word or melody, if you will, watching you, I can't help but think that you incorporated some of your drama skills, your ballet, if you will because I watch your hand gestures and how you put a lot of emotion and how you sing a song. It's never the same. It's always different from one song to the next. And I can't help but get the sense that through your movements and how you are expressing yourself, even with your facial expressions, you're telling a story. Am I on the right course there or?

Mariah Bonner (26:23)

Yeah, you are. I think that's where acting and singing come together for me. Because I do get to use my skills as an actress and the skills, I picked up during ballet with the body movement and gestures. And I do think that that's what makes this unique form of storytelling through song, which is cabaret, which is what I really think I honed in on and was able to.

Finesse with Marcus, that's where those two come together and make it very satisfying for me as an art form.

Rick Barron (27:12)

You seemed to home in on cabaret singing. What was the...I guess the spark that led you in that direction of singing?

Mariah Bonner (27:23)

A few things, a few things. I think it was the people that I met who knew about that and who guided me. Starting in Los Angeles, I met a few people there and I did my very first cabaret show in the backyard of my singing teacher's house with an upright piano and a wonderful pianist. And he mentioned cabaret and I didn't really know anything about it. He said, you, you.

You suit this art form; you should pursue this. I give you a platform here, put together some songs, we'll do a little show. And so, I got that encouragement. Then I came back to Baltimore and I met Marcus who is basically, that's what he was, he's a cabaret artist. So, it was like not that I sought it out necessarily, but that I found people who are doing it and I liked it and I did feel that it suited me. I liked that.

Rick Barron (28:15)

That's amazing. Gosh. So how long did you do the cabaret singing? I mean, it was for a couple of years at least or?

Mariah Bonner (28:20)

Well, I've been doing it, let's see. I mean, I guess I would have started in Los Angeles taking lessons, putting on my first show in 2014. I continued on from there. I took breaks. I didn't, you know, in Los Angeles, I was very much focused on TV and film and I did some theater. So, I didn't focus on it as much. It was more when I went to Baltimore, then I met Marcus.

And so, it's been several years choppy and I really sort of got myself in full gear with it in 2018 when I came into contact with Marcus. Yeah.

Rick Barron (29:13)

Okay, interesting, interesting. So later on, I took note that I came across your blog on the internet and it didn't hit me right away. And I thought, oh my gosh, she's moved to Argentina. How did that all come about? I mean, you're always on the move.

Mariah Bonner (29:29)

Yes, well, that's true. How did moving to Argentina come about? Well, I know Argentina. I've known Argentina for many years because of my dad who loves Argentina and bought a ranch down here. And so, I've been coming here for over 20 years now. 

And when I met my husband and we had the opportunity to come down here and for him to run the farms. He speaks good Spanish. He was interested in agriculture and winemaking and he had all the right skills and desire. And so, he had heard the call of the wild as it were. And I said, okay, great. Yeah, let's go. And so, I started a blog about our experience moving down here, living on a ranch in remote Argentina.

Rick Barron (30:40)

Wow, I wow 20 years and your father that has sounds like he's done a lot because I another thing I came across was I saw in reference to the Bonner winery. Is that associated with your dad as well?

Mariah Bonner (30:48)

Oh, yeah.

Well, it's Bonner Private Wines, and what it is, is it's a wine club that my brother, Will, started. And it's in part a vehicle for the wine that we make on our property called Tacana. And in part, it's also for him to curate these interesting wines from Argentina, Spain, Italy, all around the world. And he puts together these boxes and sends them to his wine club members.

But that all came about because of the winery that we have and the wine that we make. So, there you go. Yeah.

Rick Barron (31:10)

That's interesting. Also, you seem to have taken what you learned from Mariah's morning minutes and now have incorporated into what you call now the voice from the valley. And you're now producing a lot of music, which I think is in beautiful Spanish, by the way. What can you share about that?

Mariah Bonner (31:44)

Yes, thank you.

Yes, so Voice from the Valley I started, it's been 13 videos I think, maybe 12, 12 or 13 videos so far. And I started it as a, it's an extension of Mariah's Morning Minutes. It's the same idea. It's sometimes a whole song, sometimes just half a song. There are short videos of songs in Spanish, in Portuguese, I've sung in French as well.

And the idea is that I'm continuing to share my voice and put out videos of me singing a cappella, even though last week's or this week's video, I actually put together a little compilation of a song from when I was in the recording studio so that you could start to hear how it will sound and get a feel for what I'm working on. So, yeah.

Rick Barron (32:30)

So, with all that you're doing now with the studio and these songs on the voice from the valley, does that equate to future projects such as singing or performance other performances? I mean, where are we going now with your career now? 

Mariah Bonner (32:56)

Where are we going? Good question. So where are we going? Well, I am working on a new recording project. So, I'm putting together an album, an album of love songs, and they'll be in Spanish and French and English and Portuguese. And putting that together in Salta in a recording studio that I found here, which is...professional and the guitarist I'm working with is wonderful and he also sings. So, I'm doing that and I'm also continuing to perform. So, I have a performance this week in Salta and I'll be looking for more venues and more opportunities to do that. So, we're moving forward. Persevere.

Rick Barron (34:00)

Good for you. Well, I know in my introduction, I called you a Renaissance woman. And from what you are covering in your story about how you got started in the entertainment business, I mean, you just said you can speak French, Portuguese, Spanish, okay, English. How do you do that?

Mariah Bonner (34:05)

Well, just correction there, I can sing in all those languages, but I can really only, I master English, then I speak pretty good French and pretty good Spanish, and Portuguese, I can sing in Portuguese. So, correction there, but yes, I mean, I would say that I have a natural ability with languages, first of all.

Mariah Bonner (34:34)

Second of all, I enjoy it. So, it's fun for me to pick up these songs and figure out how to sing them and sound authentic.

Rick Barron (34:50)

Wow, that's really great. In your blog, I noticed you always have very interesting articles about your journey with you and your husband in Argentina. But the photos are fantastic. But there was one photo that I keep going back to because I found very interesting. Maybe it was because of the angle or the shot or what have you. But it was a picture of a chapel. And...

Mariah Bonner (35:00)

Yeah.

Rick Barron (35:10)

What is that about? Why did you take a picture of a chapel?

Mariah Bonner (35:15)

Well, the chapel is behind my house. It's on the ranch. And I love this chapel. It's very small and it was built by my dad. He designed it and he built it. And what I especially think is so interesting about it is the fact that he made a cross with wine bottles. So, they look green when you're just looking at them, but then at a certain time of the day, the sun shines through…

Mariah Bonner (35:51)

…and they are illuminated beautifully. And I just love that I have a little chapel behind the house that we live in and that my dad built it. And it's just another element of our life that I wanted to share with my readers.

Rick Barron (35:52)

Wow, your father sounds remarkable.

Mariah Bonner (35:55)

Well, thank you. I think he's a pretty remarkable guy.

Rick Barron (36:10)

I mean, no. So, from the time you played a mouse to where you are today, what are some of the memorable moments that you kind of look back on from time to time that tells you, wow, it's been such an interesting journey thus far, but if I had to pick out a moment or two, these were the ones that really hit my heart.

Mariah Bonner (36:40)

Wow, that is a very good question. There are so many moments that I cherish from my journey. And something that's just popping into my head right now is how after a show with Marcus, we used to get together almost religiously to have a martini or a Manhattan at his flat and just say cheers, well done…

…and inevitably chat about A, how the show had gone, but also B, like his own life and his own experiences. And he would share anecdotes and we would laugh and it was fun. And I miss that. And I cherish those memories. And then there's others of my time in Los Angeles were wonderful. I loved living there. I loved the deer.

Artistic friends that I made and some of our great projects like putting on a play that we wrote, that we produced and my friend Marilyn and I assembled the whole thing and that is great. Something I'm just so proud of that we did. And then going to London and studying there and the wonderful people I met there and just going to the pub after class and shooting the breeze over a beer, you know, it's just so special. Those were special moments. So, I do hold on to them. Yeah.

Rick Barron (38:00)

Yeah, well, remember, remember those moments. Yeah, because they're always going to be so memorable. And, you know, in the blink of an eye, you know, your, your life goes extremely fast because, you know, look at Marcus, I remember where he is now. And I'm sure he has, uh, many chapters that he probably goes back to and thinking about where he was and where he is today. It's, it's, it's got to be an amazing story.

Mariah Bonner (38:25)

Yes.

Mariah Bonner (38:32)

Yeah.

Oh, I know. Oh yeah, well it is. And I hope I'll have the same amazing story to tell when I'm very gray. Oh well, thank you, Rick. Yeah.

Well, so far, you're on the right course. So, I'm going to get a little philosophical here. If you could go back in time and give your younger self a piece of advice of going into the world of entertainment, what would it be? Or maybe it's someone who is not you, but it's getting into the business. What words of wisdom would you want to share with them?

Mariah Bonner (39:14)

Do you know what I would say? Gosh. I would say don't rely so much on other people and what they think you should do. Like for instance, my example here is in Hollywood, for instance, young actors, they want to get an actor, a manager, they want to get an agent, because it's hard to get auditions without them.

But the truth is, it's not that hard. And I did it. And maybe some young actor will tell me, well, it's harder now than it was when you were doing it. But I just think do as much of it as you can on your own, because it's so hard to wait around until other people say, give you permission to do something. So, my advice to anybody getting in there and I would have said this to myself because I think I did spend a lot of time feeling dejected, waiting, is go ahead and do it. Don't wait. Do put on that play you want to put on. Figure out with your friends, you know, put up a fundraiser online, do a bake sale, I don't know, do it. 

Don't wait around because like you say, it goes so fast and this is your journey and it's so precious and important and you want to really be able to take control of as much as you can. That's what I would say.

Rick Barron (40:50)

No, that's very good because, you know, like you say, you can wait and wait and wait, but sometimes you just have to put your foot in the water and just find out. I mean, and sometimes that's the best experience to go through. You know, you may not succeed. Okay. But why didn't I succeed? And you can learn from that. So sometimes failure is probably more important than success. I know that sounds kind of silly, but it really is.

Mariah Bonner (40:53)

Yes.

Mariah Bonner (41:01)

Yes.

Mariah Bonner (41:13)

That's what they say. No, I think that's true. I do. So, it's probably don't, yeah, don't seek, don't be looking for the success. Just go here. I guess the other thing I'm going to say is don't be so worried about the outcome. All you can do is control the input. Your input is all you can control. After that, the outcome, whether they accept you for the role…

Rick Barron (41:35)

Mm.

Mariah Bonner (41:42)

…whether you get the agent, whether your screenplay makes it in the festival and the producer picks it up, whether your voice is selected on the voice, any of these things, but you know in yourself you can feel good about the work you're doing, that you know, I'm doing my thing and I'm proud of what I'm doing.

Rick Barron (41:35)

Good for you. No, I like that. That's why those are words of wisdom. I've ever heard it seriously. No, that that was well put. I like that. No. Well, I mean, you're and you're talking from experience, you know what you've been through. I mean, others will probably have, you know, their own stories, but this is your story. And I think that's what's really important. Now, again, you've done so much and you've come so far, but I have to imagine.

Mariah Bonner (42:23)

Exactly. Exactly.

Rick Barron (42:36)

You know, other than your husband, your parents played a big role in how they have guided you with their pearls of wisdom and how, and where you are today. What did they instill on you that says, wow, they, because of how they raised me or how they spoke to me or what they taught me, I've learned so much and that's how I've been able to get where I am in my life.

Mariah Bonner (43:00)

Yeah, my parents are people that I admire. I'll say that. And my dad said that to me. He would say the thing about the input versus the outcome. He would say that to me. And I remember that because I got it, but I think now I do get it. I got it sort of, but now I get it. 

I think their work ethic, how they, my dad and my mom too, were very dedicated to their own projects, what they were doing. And they just kind of moved ahead. They were always working away, chipping away, doing what they had to do. And so, I guess, you know, they kind of gave me an idea that it isn't going to be handed to you.

Talent is not enough. You can have all of that, but you've got to do the work and nothing, there's no secret, my dad would say, Mariah, there's no secret to this. You got to get up in the morning and you got to do your work and then you can finish it around six or seven. And then you, you know, you do it again the next day. And once you've done that for about 20 or 30 years, maybe you'll get successful, but you may not, you might not.

Rick Barron (44:28)

No, no, that's great because I think, you know, many people need to understand that life will not even meet you half ways at times and sometimes not even that. And you, you've got to, you know, take the bull by the horns and you know, no one's going to help you, but you in the end, because you know, like what your father said, things that like, I think I know what you mean, but I don't know any.

Mariah Bonner (44:51)

Right.

Rick Barron (44:58)

Later on, you discover it. Oh, now I get it. My father did the same thing with me and you know, both my father and my mother, they're, they're now gone, but they left so many pearls of wisdom for me that I still reflect upon that it's, it's very helpful. It's helped guide me. And I, I like to think I'm a better person for it because of them. 

Mariah Bonner (45:21)

Yeah, well that's wonderful to have parents like that. I feel like my parents are real role models and I look up to them. I really do, I always have and I feel like that's very fortunate. I'm very fortunate that way.

Rick Barron (45:37)

Wow. Well, all right. My gosh, we've, we've talked about so much and I think just hearing, yeah, I love your laughter by the way. But I think, you know, you, you've said so much about every stage of where you've been in your life and future projects. Uh, and I think with the guidance of yourself as well and your parents.

Mariah Bonner (45:47)

Oh, thank you.

Rick Barron (46:06)

You're, you still have a lot to discover. And I see that you have the gumption that, hey, nothing's going to stop me. You know, just watch me take off. So no, and I think that's, that's great. So, with that thought in mind, um, what closing thought would you want to leave the audience today with what we talked about or your life in general? These pearls of wisdom. What comes to mind?

Mariah Bonner (46:38)

Well, as my dear old friend Marcus again would say, I'd like to leave you with a thought. I don't have any right now, so I'll sing a song instead. We'll meet again. Don't know where, don't know when, but I know we'll meet again some sunny day. So.

Rick Barron (47:03)

Oh, that's beautiful. Oh my gosh. I got to tell you, um, I got to thank you from the bottom of my heart for you taking the time to speak with me, sharing your thoughts, not just with me, but with the entire audience that is listening. And I, I wish you and your husband and your family so much joy and luck as you go forward in your lives. But I think, uh, you're, you're an amazing person.

I got to tell you; you really are.

Mariah Bonner (47:38)

Well, Rick, thank you so much. You know, it is such an honor and such a joy to have talked with you, and I so appreciate your asking me to be part of your show. And I guess I would say in closing, good for you. Keep up the great work, and everybody out there, keep at it, whatever it is you're doing. Just don't give up.

Rick Barron (47:56)

Great. Well, that said, for further information regarding this interview, please visit my website, which you can find on Apple Podcasts. As always, I thank you for the privilege of you listening and your interest. Be sure to subscribe here or wherever you get your podcasts so you don't miss an episode. And we'll see you soon.