Lindsey Vonn has made a foray into acting
Lindsey Vonn after winning her 3rd overall World Cup at the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup in March
Now that the Olympics are over I find myself liking Lindsey Vonn, I think :D
Olympic Gold Medalist Lindsey Vonn guest stars on Law & Order in Episode 20.23: "Rubber Room", which finds detectives investigate a potential school attack after video footage of explosives surface on an Internet blog site. When Lieutenant Anita Van Buren (S. Epatha Merkerson) discovers a blog site featuring video of an alarming amount of explosives, Detective Cyrus Lupo (Jeremy Sisto) and Detective Kevin Bernard (Anthony Anderson) race against time to find the anonymous blogger before plans to blow up a school are put into action. The Department of Education's refusal to take the threat seriously and resistance from the teachers' union further complicate the investigation. Fortunately, an administrative assistant at the teachers' union, Alicia (guest star Lindsey Vonn), gives the detectives a tip to lead them in the right direction. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Van Buren struggles to keep her personal issues from becoming public.
We recently caught up with Lindsey Vonn to find out more about Episode 20.23: "Rubber Room", which airs Monday, May 24th. Here is what she had to say:
How did it feel when Bob Costas announced you'd be on the show?
Lindsey Vonn: That was a big surprise and I was so thrilled and he originally told me on the show that I was going to be you know a juror but you know they upgraded me a little bit and I had a pretty cool part. So I was just - I was so thrilled.
Well you originally had said you would play anything, even a corpse. How did your experience compare with what you expected it, you know in your mind?
Lindsey Vonn: I think my character Alicia was a lot more fun to play than a corpse even though I would have been a corpse, I pretty much would have been anything to be on my favorite, you know, TV show. But you know I just - I enjoyed being on the show tremendously and everyone there was so nice and so helpful and it was just an amazing experience. To give you a little background as to how big of a fan I am one of the producers after the show, he sent me a gift bag with a ton of Law & Order stuff and there was a Law & Order robe and I've been pretty much wearing it around since it came to my house. So I'm a huge Law & Order fan.
I was just wondering with this appearance if you're considering maybe this will be one of a start of acting appearances for you?
Lindsey Vonn: Well you know right now I'm just really focused on my skiing career but definitely you know I had such a great time on Law & Order that if any opportunities like this arise in the future I'd definitely be very interested.
You've been on quite a whirlwind, I mean every time I read a tweet you're someplace else. When do you ship back over to getting ready for next season?
Lindsey Vonn: Actually I'm going to start working out on the same day that my episode airs, May 24. I'm you know going to hit the gym again and start with my six day a week, six hour a day training program. And then we start on snow training in the beginning of August in New Zealand.
Are you going to spend your time back in Austria again this summer?
Lindsey Vonn: Yeah I am, I think I'm going to go the end of June and beginning of July so I'll be there for like about three weeks and you know be training with the Red Bullet team and be stationed in Austria probably Salzburg for that whole three weeks.
How hard was it to go back to complete the season as well as you did after the high of the Olympics? I mean all the difficulty, all the angst about the injury and then the high of the gold and bronze medals?
Lindsey Vonn: It was really hard. I think mostly because of my injury and also because of just you know having so much going on at the Olympics it was kind of just a - it was a little anti-climactic to finish out the season. But you know those two weeks were so important and I really had to refocus and you know I was fighting really hard for all the titles and I'm just really thankful that I was able to end the season well and you know clinch the overall title which was also a really big goal of mine for last season.
Have you done any acting before and how nervous were you when you were - did the shooting compared to when you set off down that slope for the Olympic gold that you won in the end?
Lindsey Vonn: Well I've done - I mean I've done commercials before but I've never done really any acting and I have to say it was a lot more nerve wracking to be on the set with my favorite characters on my favorite TV show than being in the start of a World Cup or an Olympic race. I honestly was you know just completely shaking and I had a grin from ear to ear and actually when we were doing the takes I just couldn't stop smiling and I was supposed to be you know a serious character that's you know ratting out her boss. And I just couldn't stop smiling so I don't know if I did a great job but I was definitely very happy to be on the show, that's for sure.
I was wondering if you could tell us a little bit about how you actually went about you know getting on the show and what the process was like from when you found out that you know you would be able to be on the show?
Lindsey Vonn: Well I mean after Bob Costas told me on his show at the Olympics it was just really a matter of coordinating and trying to figure out a time that I could do it and you know making sure that it wasn't a time where I wasn't skiing. And then I you know came to New York and they sent me a script and I - you know I memorized it and I showed up on set and we kind of took it from there. It wasn't - I didn't you know do any acting classes or you know I wasn't really any big preparation. I just kind of showed up and yeah, I hope I did an okay job.
And is there any particular reason you like the original Law & Order better than SVU or Criminal Intent?
Lindsey Vonn: Well honestly the original Law & Order and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit are my two favorites. I don't know, I mean I just - I've always grown up watching Law & Order and Sam Waterston, he still in the regular Law & Order so I love watching him. And I mean - but honestly it doesn't really matter, I love and watch all of the different Law & Order series.
Would any other TV show have done it for you the way that Law & Order does if you had gotten an invite to be on I don't know, a sitcom or something for example.
Lindsey Vonn: I mean honestly I've been hoping to be on the show for a long time and I just - I don't know if any show really can compare to Law & Order for me, I've just been watching it since I was a little girl. And I mean I think the one other show that I would really love to be on would be 30 Rock because it's hilarious and I love all the characters on it. But Law & Order is truly my favorite and it always will be.
Were the actors on the show as impressed by having you around as you were being around them? Who was the geekier fan?
Lindsey Vonn: I don't know, I mean they were all just so nice, I don't - you know I talked to you know Jeremy Sisto and Anthony Anderson a lot and Alana De La Garza was on the episode as well and they were all just - you know they said congratulations and they were so nice. And you know they said they had watched me in the Olympics and of course that meant the world to me because you know I'm such big fans of them so it was definitely a very surreal moment for me.
I just got a column that just flashed up here that says NBC is canceling Law & Order, that it will not run another season and it end at 20 seasons. What does that do?
Lindsey Vonn: Really? I think that we're just - well from what I understood was that we were just hoping or waiting to see if they got picked up for next season. I don't know if it was really canceled completely. But I of course am a huge Law & Order fan and I would be devastated if the show got canceled or stopped being made. I have got it on automatic TiVO and you know that's what I watch before I go to bed and when I'm working out in the gym. And I would be devastated if it was canceled.
Well unfortunately that's what it says. Yikes. I know, that's awful, they should give them 21 seasons. Is it - if you were not an Olympic skier, which would be very hard to imagine, what would you do? If your injury had been a career-ending thing, what would you want to do?
Lindsey Vonn: I'm not sure, I honestly can't imagine myself doing anything but skiing at least for the moment. You know I think after my career I definitely look forward to you know starting a family and being a stay at home mom and maybe not traveling as much. But you know skiing is my passion and I love doing it and I hope I'm able to do it for the rest of my life.
Would you ever consider doing a reality series that follows you as you try for your next World Cup title?
Lindsey Vonn: Yeah, I mean I'm definitely open to that idea. I don't know if it would be great reality TV show, but you know there would definitely be a lot of interesting things going on. But I mean I'm open to anything honestly. You know you never know what's around the next corner so I mean no one's ever asked me that question, sorry I'm kind of floored. But yeah, I'm definitely open to something like that.
What's your favorite World Cup venue and why?
Lindsey Vonn: My favorite World Cup venue is St. Anton Austria, it's one of the most challenging downhill races I've ever competed in and it also has a great crowd, there's always a ton of public there and a lot of great Austrian fans. So it's definitely my favorite place on the World Cup tour.
Now that you're doing it seems quite a bit of television, do you think or have you ever thought about hosting Saturday Night Live?
Lindsey Vonn: Wow, I don't know if anyone could do a better job than Betty White, but I would definitely be interested in that. You know I love Saturday Night Live and it's you know such a funny show. I don't know if I'm funny enough to be on it but definitely would be interested in doing it.
Since you're so athletic and have such a great figure and body and all of that, what about - any thoughts of being on Dancing with the Stars one season?
Lindsey Vonn: They asked me to be on this season but it conflicted with the World Cup schedule so I would definitely love to do it, I just you know it's just hard to find the time that I can do it.
Now off the slopes, in what ways has skiing prepared you for stepping into things like TV and Law & Order?
Lindsey Vonn: I mean I think you know being in high pressure situations like you know in a World Cup or the Olympics definitely makes you have to deal with your nerves and you have to be able to perform on the spot. And I think that definitely helped me when I was trying to act on Law & Order. I think I still you know need to learn a lot about acting and - but definitely I think being in those high-pressure situations in skiing definitely was a big help.
Well obviously fans see you as Lindsey Vonn the skier but how do you approach the challenge of showing people different sides of yourself?
Lindsey Vonn: You know I enjoy you know just showing people other sides of me, especially you know everyone always sees me in my helmet and my ski suit and it's nice to just show everyone you know me, just me in my every day clothes or you know just me in high heels or just me not in my ski gear basically. But it's - you know it's hard to - you know I'm so much involved in the ski world but it's hard to really branch out and you know show people who I am outside of skiing. So I don't know, I mean I'm trying to do that, I'm trying to you know keep the fans updated and just trying to you know write on Facebook and Twitter and you know let people kind of in to my life and I hope that helps to show another side of me.
The Olympics were really magical and I guess aside from Whistler what was your favorite moment in the city?
Lindsey Vonn: I think my favorite other Olympic moment in Vancouver was watching the men's hockey final. That was a really cool game and so intense and you know there was so much patriotism from both sides. And it was a very magical event.
Is this maybe something that you would do for another show? And could it actually be a side gig?
Lindsey Vonn: Well I mean you know like I said I'm still really focused on my skiing, but you know I had such a great time on Law & Order and of course I love the show so if you know any opportunities like this arise in the future I'm definitely very interested.
And they came to you about the situation, about being on it?
Lindsey Vonn: Yeah, they did. I guess Dick Wolf had seen or read that I am an obsessive Law & Order fan and he asked me to be on the show so I was really honored and you know we're talking you know I'm definitely open to anything like that in the future for sure.
I had heard a rumor might be a Law & Order LA, now that's the rumor I've heard so we've got that and maybe SVU and a couple others, so maybe you could do the next couple seasons. But you have time I mean, so acting wasn't scary and you didn't get butterflies and almost throw up while doing it?
Lindsey Vonn: Oh no, I never felt that. I was very nervous but I was very, very nervous but you know everyone on set was so nice and so helpful and it made the whole experience comfortable and easy for me and you know it was hard though because I was so excited just to be in the same room as all my favorite characters, you know on my favorite TV show that I was just grinning from ear to ear. And it was hard to stop grinning. You know everyone else was there - all the other actors were able to you know joke around and then in between takes and then as soon as you know they called action they were serious and I was so just smiling and you know just really excited. And I think the you know producer and - was scratching his head a little bit but I hope that he got the right - you know the right takes in the end.
What was the most memorable moment of doing the show for you? Which one will you always remember as the time you did on that show?
Lindsey Vonn: My most memorable moment of being on the show I think was at the end when after we were done filming they asked me to see my Olympic medals and they all - all the characters and cast put the medals on and it was so cool. You know I was standing there with my favorite characters, you know hanging out with my Olympic medals, it was a very surreal moment and I'm so thankful for that. It was a very cool moment for me.
Hello, this is a great story about the Olympic medals, I was wondering where do you keep it at home?
Lindsey Vonn: I keep it right next to my bed, both of them and I really don't leave home without them, they're just kind of a part of me. You know I can never leave them behind now, they're just - they're so special and just reminds me of you know all the hard work that I put in. And you know I keep reliving the joy of winning the downhill, it was a dream come true.
Yeah. I saw you're off the rink in the Maxim Hot 100, congratulations on that.
Lindsey Vonn: Thank you.
Have you done the photo yet or - and what was it like doing that magazine shoot?
Lindsey Vonn: I actually I think they just - the magazine just came out today and it was one of the sauna shots, the Sports Illustrated swimsuit shoot that I did so the picture was already taken.
Well isn't it great that athletes are making that list?
Lindsey Vonn: I think it's great. You know I think it really is good for young women and kids and just to know that you know you don't have to be skinny. I mean I feel like a lot of people these days are you know in magazines are all so skinny and I think you know everyone - I think it just - you need to have someone that you know is more athletic out there. And that's not necessarily me but I personally would like to see more athletes in magazines and just the - you know prove to people that you can be you know muscular and strong and healthy and still be attractive.
And what advice would you give to aspiring skiers?
Lindsey Vonn: Just to follow your dreams. You know if you have a goal and a dream and you want to achieve it just work hard and do everything you can to get there and one day it will come true.
Well do you have any specific tips, pointers like how to train?
Lindsey Vonn: I mean it's kind of hard, I mean it's hard to give tips to skiers if I don't know how they ski but you know I think as long as you're - I think the most important thing in skiing is you have to be having fun. And if you're having fun then everything else will come easy to you.
I just wanted to go back to the comment about Law & Order being canceled and I know Sharon as well who's there if she can comment on that.
Lindsey Vonn: Yeah, I really hope that it's not canceled. I mean like I said I had heard that they were just waiting to get picked up for next season. But I really hope that it's not canceled, I would be devastated and I mean I don't know what I would do. I mean I guess - I hope there would still be at least Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. But you know nothing really compares to just the original Law & Order. So I honestly hope that it's not true, that you know they'll still be going next season again.
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Lindsey Vonn starts campaign to save "Law & Order"
As soon as we heard the news yesterday that "Law & Order" had been canceled by NBC, we really only thought one thing: "Wow. Poor Lindsey Vonn is going to be traumatized!" It's the skier's favorite show (she's been very clear about that), and following her victories at the Vancouver Winter Olympics, series creator Dick Wolf offered her a guest spot on an episode.
Good thing she was able to snag that guest starring role before NBC put the cabash on this wonderful show. By ending the show this season as opposed to next, it ties "Gunsmoke" as the longest running drama of all time. If it had gone on for one more season, its 21st, it would have set a new record.
Lindsey is not taking this news of cancellation lightly (she really doesn't take anything lightly). She has started a Facebook page entitled "Save Law & Order!". Head to Facebook and search for this group and join it! Under info, Lindsey wrote: "We need to band together to help save this classic show! Where would we be without Sam Waterston and S. Epatha Merkerson!"
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Here's article about what red carpets she's been on recently. There's a picture of her with Scarlett Johansson and the Abe Lincoln painting at the White House.