The A-team Fans V3.0 ~ Bekijk onderwerp - A woman holding her ground being one the tough guys

Moderator Geregistreerd op: 23-12-2004 Berichten: 368 Woonplaats: Wevelgem

Melinda Culea, playing Amy Amanda Allen on the A-team, thinks she's just being practical. Herself. Her favorite colleague on the action-packed adventure series is mr. T. Reason: mr. T says that she's a girl who doesn't let things get to her head. Unfortunately, that statement doesn't seem to go for the other cast-members. As a matter of fact, it appears that they are not getting along at all lately. It looks like Melinda has become a victim of the situation.

Melinda tells us an anecdote that doesn't just shed some light on not her own character, but on mr. T's as well.

"During the first few months we'd had one particular tough morning shooting the show, so George Peppard, Hannibal, invited the whole team to have lunch with him in an exclusive French restaurant. I noticed T. looking at the menu and making a face. Eventually he looked at everyone and said: "What's all this, I just want some steak and potatoes!" I loved it, because it's just the way I am too. No fancy stuff."

Melinda says that there are some similarities between her and T. Maybe because they are both from the American Mid-West, where everyone is civil and a daily meal seems to consist of steak and baked potatoes. But mr. T, the growling B.A. Baracus on the A-team, grew up in the ghettos of Chicago. Melinda, on the other hand, grew up in one of its easy suburbs, so you can hardly speak of a similar background.

29 year-old Melinda got into show business by accident. "My husband and I were working in one of my father's stores." Melinda says. "One day, nearly five years ago, I was driving a friend to an audition, and I was discovered… I was asked to be a model. I was terrified. When I was growing up, it had always been made clear that looks were not important, but I said yes to the offer, especially because we could use the money. I got married at a young age, and unfortunately our marriage couldn't survive the strain my career was putting on our relationship."

So she got divorced, took acting lessons and decided (about three years ago now) after appearing in several TV commercials, that the next step was going to be Hollywood.

After several appearances in TV shows and TV pilots that never made it to a series, the A-team was a major breakthrough. Even though her character on the series has been replaced by someone else. Nobody seems to know the real reason - or nobody wants to say. We do know that "Amy" will be on the Dutch TV screen for a while.

"What was it like being the only woman on an all-tough-rugged-guy-production?"

"Sometimes frightening, sometimes pleasant." the actress says. "And I've learned a lot. One of the things I learned is that it's hard for men to handle tension. For me it was easy. Sometimes, after a long day of shooting, or when we were behind on schedule, I managed to ease the tension among the crew with some humor or sensitivity."

During her involvement with the A-team Melinda Culea was sure that she could be both feminine and 'one of the boys' at the same time. But when the men weren't getting along any more, Culea was the one who had to make way. But as said before, nobody's talking.

It is a known fact that jealousy among the stars of the successful series ruined it. George Peppard for one is not at all happy with the immense publicity mr. T is getting. Peppard considers "The A-team" to be his show and is demanding the credit for it.

The attractive actress is angry and disappointed about the fact that she was forced to leave the show. But she's not taking it lying down. She's too practical for that.

"There are enough things I would like to do." Melinda says. "I've got time to play the piano again. And during the A-team I've been thinking about quitting television in order to do children's theater. I would also like to get back to school again."

By the way, Melinda doesn't expect Hollywood to keep her out of work for very long. And beside from finding another part in a TV production, she has one other ambition. Melinda: "I would like to learn how to become a good cook." Steak and potatoes?