A story in the February issue of O Magazine profiles Meredith Vieira, Suze Orman, Tom Colicchio, Ellen DeGeneres, Barbara Walters and Holly Robinson Peete – they each share the opportunity that made their careers and changed their lives.
Here’s some of the stories:
Barbara Walters:
“I was a writer for the Today show when the so-called “Today Girl” was Maureen O’Sullivan, mother of Mia Farrow. She was a well regarded actress, but she couldn’t handle Today— the time cues, the hours. NBC needed a replacement for just 13 weeks, somebody they didn’t have to pay much—and there I was. And there I stayed for 13 years. Can you imagine? My whole career is made.”
Holly Robinson:
“When I auditioned for 21 Jump Street, I was fresh out of college, nervous, and broke. I drove an old Honda with bad brakes that made a horrible screeching sound, like Fred Flintstone at a stop sign. After the audition, just as I was starting my little Honda, the21 Jump Street producers walked into the parking lot. They heard that awful noise, looked at my car, looked at me, and I swear they thought, We have to give her the part because she’s got to get those brakes fixed! That afternoon I found out the role was mine.”
Suze Orman:
“My biggest break in life was losing all my money. I was working at a bakery in Berkeley, and my customers pooled $50,000 so I could open my own restaurant. I invested it at Merrill Lynch, where it was mismanaged; in four months, it was gone. I was devastated, but I had to rise to the occasion. So I learned all about finance and investing, went to Merrill Lynch’s training program, and became an executive there. Every loss leads you to a gain, and every no takes you hat much closer to a yes.”
Check out the full story in February issue of O Magazine.
Also check out OWN’s “Your OWN Show” that airs Fridays at 9 pm.
