Playing Corny Collins has been an exciting and incredible journey that I am so grateful for. When I originally found out I was playing this role I was kind of shocked. I’m short and usually play comedic roles, but I was very excited to take on this new character type and had a blast exploring the creation of my own Corny Collins!
I really feel that Corny is a genuinely nice guy who loves the kids but becomes bothered by certain issues especially the issue of desegregation. However, I feel that Corny can also be a goof and quite a sarcastic man. He loves the audience’s attention, but he also loves getting away with what he wants to get away with. He tends to be a flirtatious guy in some scenes mainly because he thinks everybody loves him, but in other scenes his true honest side comes out that is usually played “off air”. He sticks up for segregation because he sees what is going on and it honestly bothers him. Corny sees that The Corny Collins Show is segregated and he clearly has a problem with that so he agrees with Tracy throughout the show and, by the end, helps her out with the plan to bring everyone together for the spectacular event that is nationwide. By being a nationwide event, Corny hopes to bring a new light to the rest of America and show that everyone else can have a change in their heart and hope for a new beginning!
