SHE’S THE MISTRESS OF THE MIC WHO’S BEEN BRINGING COUNTLESS CELEBRITIES INTO OUR HOMES FOR ALMOST A DECADE BEGINNING WITH HOSTING DUTIES ON EXTRA, THE E! NETWORK AND MOST RECENTLY, NBC’S DANCING WITH THE STARS. FOR SAMANTHA HARRIS, BEING VIEWED BY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE EVERY WEEK IS JUST PART OF THE JOB, BUT SHE ISN’T CONTENT WITH SIMPLY REPORTING ON ALL THE ACTION. HARRIS OFTEN JOINS IN ON THE FUN HERSELF, PERFORMING WITH CIRQUE DU SOLEIL, SINGING WITH WAYNE NEWTON, AND DOING THE JIVE WITH HER DWTS CO-HOST TOM BERGERON. THE SEASONED ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST IS STILL AS ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT HER WORK AS SHE WAS DURING HER EARLY YEARS IN LA, GOING FROM ONE AUDITION TO THE NEXT. NEVER TAKING “NO” FOR AN ANSWER, HARRIS EVENTUALLY LANDED HER DREAM JOB, AND IS NOW FULLY ENJOYING THE FRUITS OF HER LABOR.
by Margarita Hirapetian
What was it like performing the jive on live TV?
The jive was a very humbling experience. I grew up in a family of dancers and always thought of myself as a dancer until I walked onto the ballroom floor and saw all the pros from our show. I realized I’m really just a mover. It was an eye-opening experience.
Do you plan on performing again?
I would love to do another dance, but it’s not about us. It’s about the dancers on the show. I don’t know how many people really wanna see Tom and I dance. My mom wants me to dance again, and my grandmother, so maybe for them one day.
Of all the past winners, who do you think deserved it the most?
I think it’s too hard to judge. I think everyone from their particular season deserved it. I’m boring, I know. I’m
too boring to actually say who is the best, but I do think all of them were the right choices to win.
Which of the past contestants would you like to see battle it out in a dance-off?
Well, I think doing an all-star season would be amazing, and we’re at a point where we have enough people to choose from. I think it’d be cool to see Sabrina Bryan versus Mel B. That would be pretty hot.
Do you ever play favorites with the contestants?
I don’t think I could actually say I have a favorite. I think Jerry Springer was the biggest pleasant surprise because we all had a preconceived notion of who he was from his show. Also, Drew Lachey is a great guy. We became friends and have occasionally gone out as couples on double dates with my husband and his wife.
Do you remember the first celebrity interview you ever did?
Keanu Reeves, in Minneapolis. It was a movie of his called Johnny Mnemonic. It was luck of the draw
and I got to do the interview. It was very exciting cause I had a crush on him. I got him to quote
Shakespeare, which was a strange thing to do with the guy you knew from Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.
Who’s been your toughest interview so far?
You know, it’s not a question I’d wanna answer. In the past I’ve made the mistake of answering who is the most difficult and it always comes back to bite you in the ass. I will tell you though that some actors are very tough interviews. To be honest, I love the interviews that are challenging because they keep me on my toes and they keep me thinking.
What’s it like being on the other side of the mic?
It’s weird being on this side. I like asking the questions. It’s very weird giving the reply.
What’s coming up on this season of Dancing with the Stars?
There’s gonna be a lot of things that will make people wanna tune in. I know I would wanna tune in even if I wasn’t hosting it. This job is so ridiculously fun that I feel almost guilty for having it.
[ samantha-harris.com ]
