Comedian, actor, writer, producer, and director . . . Elaine Ballace has done it all in show business. And whatever her role, she remains funny, positive, and exuberant. I recently had a chance to talk with her, and it was a joyful experience.
When I asked how she had gotten started in entertainment, and she explained that it all began on an ice skating rink. A doctor had prescribed skating as a treatment for Elaine’s sister, who was knock-kneed. Elaine, only a few years old, was determined to try skating too. She kept at it throughout her youth, growing in skill and experience.
One day, an agent took note of her on the rink. Though Elaine was an amateur (and not allowed to act in commercials), her parents had clearly seen the acting spark in her, and so they allowed her to “go pro” and begin acting in commercials. With that, an acting career was born!
Since breaking into the business in 1977 with a part in Hawaii Five-O, Elaine has worked in dozens of movies and TV series. Some of her best-known roles have been in Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993), Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995), Love at the Christmas Table (2012), The To Do List (2013), and The MissAdventures of Camp Elaine (2019). Elaine also co-starred with actress and director Victoria Rowell in the TV series, The Rich and the Ruthless (from 2017 to 2019).
This past year, Elaine appeared in Dared My Best Friend to Ruin My Life (2020), and starred in Love Without Hairs (2020), in which Elaine and her co-star Anthony Gaeta meet in a room as prostitute and customer, with their encounter leading to frank self-examination. The script was originally written as a play, as the movie focuses just on these two individuals. Elaine also played Bernie Sanders’ wife, Jane Sanders, in Free Lunch Express (2020), asatire on Bernie’s life.H
During the pandemic, Elaine has embarked on a new venture, helping inspire first-time writers. She wrote a guide called How to Write a Book, Camp Elaine Style, with Oreo. It’s a place to write your thoughts while we’re all homebound, that you’ll love sharing years later with friends and family. Find it at Platzer.Media/elaine. One comes away from talking to Elaine feeling that anything is possible, and good turns of fortune are likely, waiting just around the corner.
