Kristin Chenoweth of “Pushing Daisies” is nominated for the best supporting actress in a comedy series category for this year’s Emmy Awards that will be announced Sunday. She plays the Pie Hole waitress Olive Snook who once worked as a jockey.
That story line was not too big a stretch. The singer/actress stands a mere 4-feet-11-inches tall. Playing the role of a character with a secret jockey life might be the perfect pick. But Chenoweth almost passed on the role for the quirky ABC series about a man who brings the dead back to life.
“I was going to do ‘Young Frankenstein’ on Broadway. [Series creator] Bryan Fuller came backstage while I was doing ‘The Apple Tree.’ He said ‘I know that Olive is not prevalent yet.’ But when he told me what was going to happen with the character I decided it sounded like it was a perfect fit for me,” Chenoweth says during an interview in July.
The cliffhanger from season one had Olive being told a big secret. Chenoweth explains for the first three episodes of season two, Olive will be in “a very funny place so she won’t be able to tell the secret.”
Chenoweth has had to work on those first few episodes while wearing a large splint on her left hand. During a recording session for a Christmas album at Capitol Records, she was bitten by a brown recluse spider.
The recording session was going smoothly until she felt a pain in her left hand. When she looked, red streaking had started. Record producer Jay Landers made Chenoweth go to the hospital. Although no serious damage was done, Chenoweth would have to wear the brace for a few days.
It should be long gone by the time she arrives for the “60th Primetime Emmy Awards” to air on ABC at 8 p.m. Sunday. Her Emmy nomination is one of 12 for the series.
