Joyce Kulhawik

" And good morning and welcome to exceptional women this is genetics candy and -- I gotta admit I can't. Nervous this morning to nine interviewing the woman who isn't needed only comes interview. She is -- he went. The legendary arts and entertainment anchor formally. You've been easy and nationally syndicated movie preview show hot ticket. Roger Ebert at the movies. She is my friends and I am really proud of that this morning you'll get to know of the many reasons why. -- called Hillary is so dear to everyone who knows her I ask Joyce to take this back."

" Give us a glimpse of her childhood in Bridgeport yeah. Tough working class town. Two great hard working parents my mom an executive secretary my dad worked in retail and that ended up eating houses for a living and they were just tremendous and very ethnic background I'm polish and Italian so we're a wildly volatile. It's a it was terrific and I also live right behind. The Catholic church and the convent in the rectory harassment parish church organist and soloists from the time I was eleven. I thought I was gonna be and none before I was gonna be anything else was either going to be -- not an actress. Is everything you know I told our listeners when we started this interview that they were gonna find out an awful lot of cash and now we already have. You just talked about being a singer and playing the organ glory your church tell me not that and what life performance has always been -- very talented singer. I was probably the first artistic thing -- for spontaneously. Did I remember standing in my backyard is a really little girl. Singing this him. At the top of my lungs full of glory full of wonder and I'm just remembering that. I don't know where it came from a -- it was very natural intuitive. Impulse. And I just always sang. And then sang in school and then piano lessons. And and that led to choir and the church and the or again and I it was left to seeing is this. -- disembodied voice in the back of the church you know and it was mysterious to to sing in church and of the ritual and I would sing those. High rate premium masses in Latin and this just really kind of amazing and it was a great way to make some extra money I mean a lot of money doing weddings and funerals on a Saturday morning do you still -- in the car do you care of the windows zero I -- seeing every where and mostly alone. I happen to be the most shy about singing -- speak in public and -- lot of different things but it's difficult for me saying so but what's the oldest artistic inclination very few people have really heard -- say they decide what does little delicate soprano -- I would -- and -- stole my career. He came to Boston to -- Simmons and -- a little known fact you -- one of two in the top graduating seniors in the class -- go to college years I majored in English. And education minor -- music over to Manuel loved literature but prior -- that I had studied -- had studied ballet and -- by taking piano lessons I sang I loved the movies and theater is always a movie -- to stand in front of the picture window at home in -- imagine I was on the stage I thought I was Sarah Bernhardt I imagine myself as a performer. I didn't ultimately think I was talented enough to do any single one of those thing you know you're talking about growing up in -- right out and I grew up right down the street Norwalk Connecticut and their -- in my backyard staging plays and use starring in all of the major -- you know I of course was. Dorsey and then I was Glenda the good witch because I'd like to dig into the goodness. I'm -- hotel. Rates. That was slippers and you're. You are listening to George Scully knew -- she is in the spotlight this morning on exceptional women welcome thank you so much for joining us Joyce. So let's go to Brookline High School where you were in English teacher for two years I remember hesitating when I first started to teach I really didn't think I wanted ultimately be a teacher even though that's what I trained for actually got my masters in teaching English I decided to try what I thought was a fun profession and I thought for type -- like that. So I walked to open now Boyle since street and started knocking on doors and would ask people about their jobs and everybody would like let me in and talk with me I was always never afraid to do that you just sort of say hello and people would -- before one to the next the next to the next a lot of women actually talk to me and told me about their jobs ended up getting a job. With a place called -- casting corporation that made TV and radio commercials. Was hired as the receptionist. So like got to make coffee and answered -- and make -- they he would answer the telephone and at the end of six months with my master's degree in English and education I was so bored. But one day two guys walked into the office and they looked at me and said would you to be in TV commercial license our mason will we can't pay -- but we give you a video portfolio and I didn't know what that was but. I made a commercial for the Plainfield Connecticut dog racing track. And I pretend I was on a date -- it was made up didn't you know of cameras and we're staying -- always incredible they gave me this little port audio and I didn't even have equipment which to play it's -- carried this taper it with me. It did department stores where I would try to pop it into the audiovisual department equipment but. There's never the right size like just edit touching it away at home and couldn't figure out where the heck it was. And forgot about it that's when I got the call from Brookline High School where I'd done my student teaching and they asked me to come in and be a teacher filling in for a teacher halfway through the year and I that for about two years but it was never a great fit for me. I was really young and I looked like one of the kids the first semester I was there I got asked that the junior prom. I had -- he. I would think telling to the prom but as H operandi -- for sixteen I was 22. I didn't know I was their sisters their mother and their friend I hated the discipline problems with paperwork the AA walls like English like kids but. He was too emotionally draining for me so I quit cold against. Everybody's recommendations. But I realize that it's a real vocation to be teacher and I was surrounded by people who -- great teachers and loved it in a way that I didn't and I could see the difference between them and me I thought I've got to find the thing that I feel like that about my mother said to me Joyce you don't like it quit. -- But you know that's a fleeting thought the second thing that happened was that I made an appointment to meet the -- communications department Simmons College where I'd gone to school. I hadn't majored in communications I didn't know anything about that and at the end of the two hour meeting they gave me a recommendation to see a student who would graduated from there who was now the producer of a brand new show called evening SE. The third thing that happened was inescapable I was also planning my wedding that summer my future mother in law runs a stationery store she was preparing wedding invitations for a woman who was leaving her job and leaving the area and the job she was leaving. Was as an on air talent on a brand new show called evening magazine. And they were looking for her replacement and my mother in law -- said to me. They audition forty people for this job and they can't find somebody you should call them so that was the third time that name came up. But those did you just joining us good morning the person you are listening to who now always listens to her mother and her mother in law the heck is doing it's -- she is in the spotlight this morning we're finding out. How she got to where she is today 28 years at WBZ. And now this story about evening magazine like call them up and I said hi my name his choice to -- where a teacher out of work and they said to me -- you have the video portfolio."

" haven't -- portfolio you know what I'd be calling without what."

" Sell they said we'll bring it down to the station we'll take a look so how the phone and I -- rid Hickey is set things that he had been two and a half years. I mean even remember where I put it I went Terry in the house I found it I got all dressed up like jumped into the car drove -- Soldiers Field Road -- into the door. Got up to the security window little hand reached out I gave him the tape they ticket if flat close and I thought it'll ever be seen again and that'll be the end of that. Two weeks went by my mother said. Call them. So light and they say oh this -- you're tape you need to commit for an audition beat the Swan Boats at 420 on Thursday afternoon. And I showed up they said don't wear black don't wear white I wore red -- preparing instant weekend I didn't know what it was -- watched the show I prepared an instant weekend which -- just I've made up events you know like a pipe smoking contest about my husband tonight. Prepared like a doctoral dissertation. Got down there and they were ten other women who showed up that day. And came word."

" Hole. And --"

" And and -- or so and I was a skinny little Burnett and appear and our local Iraq. They are not lookin' for you but maybe he'll get a job behind the scenes you've got a good education so we do lots to see you would go first. I was number two I watched the first woman who went up there and I noticed she was wearing all white. And I thought -- well they only gave us three directions this could be easier. I admit she did know to do their hands so when I got up here I put my hands in my pockets luckily I had them. But then my mind was a complete blank as I was panic and and the index cards are going in and out of my pockets 'cause I'm forgetting it's like hello I'm Joyce -- I couldn't remember anything I blew the audition completely started to rip the Mike off and walk away when the producer jumped out of the truck. Came running over and said I think you've got something we're looking for get back here and said and -- he -- don't just get rid of those carts. And just tell us about yourself I just started talking and -- great we'll give you call and the rest is mr. They hired me. In the sixth largest market in the country no connections no experience that was it and this -- hunch and my Peter Pan or I that's I think."

" Part of the magical -- Joyce. Is that kind of passion he I think that's what comes out on the television screen and -- great storyteller what are the biggest challenges that you ever met when you first got started was having a job as a full time teacher. And then realizing it didn't make your heart sank. So as young women are listening today's show in its called exceptional women what advice do you have for young women. Who might not be doing what makes the heart -- and how hard is it to just step out on the legends say -- jumpin it's easy and it's hard is you don't know what it is you're looking for into -- jump in somewhere realize. This doesn't feel right it's not where I want a any preconceptions. You may have had or other people may have had about who you are and where you need to be your mother and father may have had hopes and dreams for you union had a concept of yourself he -- been branded by teachers a particular way ultimately what you have to do is figure out what makes -- happy it's usually dry -- in front if you put it's hard to hear that voice sometimes so that's the hard part once you believe that's my cheese here. When you first got started with the evening magazine. And people started recognizing you on the street was that I loved it into this -- can not understand how people find that to -- there -- new sins or anybody is complaining about that I always felt like I -- my job to these people the audience that I was there to serve I always not a -- serve this position that -- the audience recognized me it meant I was doing my job and if I were walking down the street and somebody says -- I felt like one of the family and they felt like that for -- evening magazine segue into arts and entertainment reporter and an an anchor. Feel along the way -- what were some of the speed bumps that you may have encountered initially when I was on evening magazine I had to produced by segments and also be on air producing the segments with -- Being on TV. Harvard took me a long time to learn how to beat my self. Which is the challenge for everybody. In broadcast. At all if you're on the radio if you're on television and you are yourself. You have to strip everything away and just be yourself it's the exact opposite of what an actor has to do. Which is to layer on a character -- lots of actors find it difficult to be themselves -- Shanghai the trick for a broadcaster is to relax enough to elect who you are being out there and to feel vulnerable enough to yourself -- the -- Sometimes I actually feel more relaxed in front of a microphone then I do one on one somehow you just truly have to be yourself and you have to be relaxed to do that it took -- ten years I think of being on here every single night -- to be myself what also helped with that was that what I had to do -- the -- with -- literally give my opinion could hide behind my byline or anything it was my face my voice my words out there you have to understand I don't wanna tell people how to spend their money or what it should mean for them. My ideal scenario would be that everybody sees everything and then we also data we talk about it. I never want it might refuse to be prescriptive. I want my reviews are my analysis to. -- to stimulate conversation. And talk -- again disagreements. And a back and forth I wanna create interest in this area I think the arts show was a lot about ourselves I think there's lots of ways to looked at a movie or theater and so I'm looking to create that conversation when I'm out there. For those did you just joining us good morning and welcome you are listening to magic when a six point seven award winning program. Exceptional women. This is magic ski Indio Terry and in a spotlight. Arts and entertainment legend Joyce called -- Also my good friend you are a cancer survivor -- in the middle of this incredible career you are a multi cancer -- three times three times it's almost unfathomable. Actually the doctors have said to me they could count on the fingers of one hand people that fall into my category there's not a lot of cancer in my family there's no history key item one of these incredibly healthy people. Except for that I get cancer talk with the two different kinds of cancer they say that cancer changes you from the inside out what happened here. You really -- always appreciate. To some extent a lot more what's right here every single today. That you're just -- if period the end that you wake up to open your rise is a miracle so if you're having even an awful day that some kind of trip to take to elect -- gosh this is one of those bad days as this one of those depressing day is or -- those great days. And every now and then I have the thought when I wake up I don't know what the -- gonna happen today. How ex agents all I look forward to every day. It also forces you to pay a lot of attention to your own body and your intuition and these are the same lessons that I think you learn as you make your way through a career. To finding -- makes. To being a mom did being a mom. Tell me -- becoming a mother changed team. I have fifteen year old daughter is fantastic. Being -- mom. She just got to pull yourself up and go hey -- be a mom now. Submit to be strong you are also a champion for the arts especially for local artists so tell me what the -- 98 at the aren't always been the filter through which I view the world there's always been for me more meaning in a novel in the newspaper from mean the arts speak the truth. It's the artist filter in that. What's essential I'm always excavating for meaning I think the universe speaks to us I think we need to understand the deeper meaning of everything that goes on around -- every encounter it is always the sub conscious that's an amazing -- conscious world. -- this is the part that speaks loud and clear to me and has the most truth and -- so that warmer looking at the surface of something to look like the surface of a lot of different things what an amazing that is the most important thing you know he could find a train knocked over in the woods. A lot of reasons for why that got there. May be died maybe somebody chopped it down two totally different realities. Joyce landing great interviews is no easy task in you know throughout your tenure at WBZ. You just seem to land one right after the other so I know you must have some interesting stories to tell can you share some. One of the best -- I've ever had Merrill Streep."

" Everything you'd want in an interview she is brilliant. She is completely open she's completely real cheese hum all she's a got X. She is that the -- top of her today I mean she's revered by so many people -- she's. What are these people that. Is the whole thing and she's beautiful I mean much more beautiful than you've ever even seen her on camera she's luminous like she is mirrors in her skin glowing she said when she looks at someone she said like when I look at you. What it's like to be in your scheme to have that here to have that police -- Russian ballet dancer who defected to the United States. He was of very amazing debt. For me he was coming to Boston he was gonna do interviews. We decided to intercept him in Saratoga. Easy flew in the -- we'd gotten clearance to do the interview I show up. And they say well we'll ask mr. -- and killed agreed to do the interview and I sit. -- ask just flew by helicopter it's all paid for me here what do you mean ask. -- in this particular. Anti may not be in the -- and I'm thinking now this is unbelievable this really -- So they walked over to him and I see them talking and he's looking past them over their shoulder at me. And looking and looking and looking and finally she turns around and comes back and says mr. Maria has agreed to speak to you. But he will it give you ten minutes and whatever you do don't be boring is that he's bored he will get up and walk away I thought oh my gosh. So I thought well we've -- got ten minutes I'm gonna race mr. an area of to the -- we were outside and you meaning here's a city starts right I'll also -- racing Matt took a lot so I thought he's got a sense of humor that's pretty good. I don't know where I got the nerve to say that but. We sat down into lawn chairs had a -- used in a few. I mean actually clicked ten minutes turns into fifteen minutes which turns into twenty minutes. To finally I'm thinking to myself you better end this now before you ruin a good thing. Leave them wanting more. So I said mr. -- thank you so much for this incredible interview and I reached out my hand he reaches out his hand shake hands. I leaned back in my chair and I keep --"

" Right and going -- completely over I might backed the legs fly the camera. I'm staring at the sky line and my back in front of the most graceful man in the universe right. Everybody is laughing he's laughing the assistants are laughing except for my camera -- his leaning over me saying. He's up. And I look over I -- mr. -- it would stop laughing and helped me up. He stands up Regis got his hand I reach out my hand he lit studio up and says I'm -- at bats and."

" That's the moral of the story whenever you fall over always get up you may have to accept some help and you never know exactly what kind of dance you're gonna do. Offered those just joining us kind of morning in the spotlight she is a legend in Boston and now you know why it's magic ski India Terry we are talking today with Joyce called Hewitt if you could take a young woman just getting started in -- by the end. What would you tell him what you wish someone said TU when you first got started I at least tell people it's not enough to major in communication. C should double major you should major in communications and some. Others subject matter that means something to use that you love. Because you need something to communicate. To the really successful communicators you've got to be behind every word. And mean what you say do you feel like a TrailBlazer --"

" Umar I just feel like me and I always have my health feel like this Amy who is five. Singing in my backyard the same meal with seventeen feeling very awkward and you know an inaugural school never having dated really not till I got to college. You need to stay very close to who you are always got me through my two cancers."

" I knew there was something wrong when doctors told me I was fine. I have learned to pay attention to my deepest voice I got the most 62. Way to identify what intuition it's the little voice that speaks before you even finish asking the question. The answer is there can you know it your daughter comes home one day and said mom I wanna have a career just flaky and that's -- that's what do you think I say to her if you love your work you never work day in your life that's been said many times before. And it is the absolute truth -- gonna work an awful lot of hours you better love that thing. When an obstacle than is in your path and it has been too many times I'm sure in these 28 years. How do you get around -- is what's your philosophy well Mike Steve -- obstacles is not to anticipate the -- not to throw too much energy care if you anticipate obstacles he will never move not planning for the and keeping your eye. The ball keeping your -- and -- you wanna go. Skating -- Elaine and not thinking all of this might be there or this might be here just keep your eye on the point you wanna get too and just go there. What's the next chapter. I don't it's exactly know -- a lot of stuff coming at me right now I'm trying to clear the decks. If you don't know exactly where to begin just jump in and start swimming in the current we'll start take Q. So that's what I'm doing I'm jumping in and a lot of different places. I've been volunteering I've been donating my services I've been speaking in and seeing him hosting an appearing. On your radio show I -- too little TVP. I am working on a website X there's a lot of stuff that I'm contemplating and in the process of trying to make happen and I'm gonna see what takes off. Happy and I'm a little off balance and I think that's all good. And their Sheen."

" Someone I admire so -- Any room -- too -- that she is one of the most loved and respected entertainment anchor. In the nation. And a passionate advocate for the arts right here in Boston in fact there's -- named after her wing -- When you're three time cancer survivor you -- the rule only differently. -- having made it through both ovarian cancer and melanoma. -- an inspiration to everyone who -- her. So if you know someone who has beaten the odds in the toughest of times someone. Inspires you we love to hear her story."

" Just go to magic 1067. Dot com and click on exceptional women. This is magic ski Indian Terry -- gay Vernon and meet every Sunday morning at this time for another edition -- exceptional women. Radio portraits of women who will in -- you."