Rebecca Gayheart is currently captivating audiences as the hopeful Shelby in the Broadway production of Robert Harling’s, Steel Magnolias, co-starring Delta Burke, Christine Ebersole, Frances Sternhagen, Marsha Mason and Lily Rabe. Steel Magnolias tells the story of several women who meet in a small town Louisiana beauty parlor. The center of the story is M’Lynn and her daughter, Shelby. A 1989 film version starred Sally Field and Julia Roberts. Fans can catch Gayheart’s performance at the Lyceum Theatre. “I am in NY for six months doing the show and really, there is not much else I can do besides the show. I do eight shows a week and it is a grueling schedule. I have never done Broadway before,” Gayheart says. “It is a whole different ballgame, but I am loving it and it is very rewarding. Being on stage every night is wonderful.”
Gayheart, who married actor Eric Dane in October, had been living in LA when she got cast in Steel Magnolias. Although she had limited stage experience, the actress won a Garland Award for her performance in a Los Angeles production of The Last Night of Ballyhoo. Gayheart is no stranger to the hustle bustle of the entertainment industry. At the tender age of fifteen, this Kentucky native moved to the Big Apple and enrolled in the Professional Children’s School. Gayheart started out in modeling and commercials, gaining national recognition as the “Noxzema Girl.” TV credits include Nip Tuck, Dead Like Me, Wasteland, Beverly Hills 90210 (who could forget her turn as Dylan’s ill-fated-love interest!), and Invasion and Earth 2. Some of her film hits: Somebody is Waiting, Scream 2, Nothing to Lose, Urban Legend, Jawbreaker, Urban Legends: Final Cut, Harvard Man and Pipe Dream.
This blue-eyed stunner has quite a few fan sites dubbing her “One of the world’s most striking and beautiful women.” But for Gayheart, it’s her adorable Maltese, Jackie, that steals her heart. “I always thought they were the best dogs, they are so friendly and they don’t shed. They are the dogs of a million kisses, they lick a lot.” Gayheart named her pooch Jackie after Jackie Chan and Jackie O. “She can gracefully kick your ass!” Gayheart laughs. Jackie is three-years-old and Gayheart gushes, “She is my baby, she is so spoiled. Before she was house trained, her nickname was Pee-Biscuit, instead of Seabiscuit. She would always pee on the carpet! She’s fine now, but it was difficult to train her.”
Gayheart admits that Jackie is becoming quite the New Yorker. “She is a great traveler. I try to take her everywhere with me. I tried to take her on the subway once. She freaked out because of the sounds. We get coffee and croissants together. She goes to Barney’s. They have a lot of cute dog things for her!” Has Jackie made an appearance on Broadway? “Of course! Everyone I work with knows and loves Jackie very much.” No Diva behavior here … Jackie gets along great with the rest of the cast. “Oh my God, they love her. They beg me to bring her in. She is like the mascot for Steel Magnolias. The director even bought her a little pink shirt to wear.” Sounds like Rebecca Gayheart and her charming pooch have taken New York by storm and have no problem stealing the show. Encore!
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