Screen grab from ABC's TV show "Repeat After Me"
Carson City’s Kristen Good, who now lives in Hollywood, is about to star on television with actor Scott Foley of “Scandal” TV fame.
The word star might be a stretch, but Good will be a focal point of a segment with Foley, an actor who plays the character Jake Ballard on the hit TV series of politics and intrigue called “Scandal.” Her appearance, however, is no scandal. It will be on the new ABC “Candid Camera” type of show called “Repeat After Me” set for broadcast tonight.
Good applied after an advertisement sought a nanny for Foley’s child, but the interview turned out to be a setup to record their interplay and her reactions.
“I was pretty much laughing the entire time,” said Good, a 2012 graduate of Carson High School who goes to college in Southern California.
The 20-year-old, who intends to wind up with a career as an acupuncture health care professional, said the interview was an odd one with bizarre twists and turns.
“He didn’t actually ask me any normal questions,” said Good. “I was just thinking — I’m not sure if I want this job. He was acting like a crazy person.” When finally she was informed it was a put-on deal for a TV show, she was stunned. “I was so surprised,” said Good. “It didn’t really hit me until they ran me out on stage and I saw an audience. I probably look like a weirdo on TV.”
Good, daughter of Carson City’s Jim and Susan Good, said Foley acted egotistical at first during the interview conducted at Warner Brothers studio, which was an in-person followup to an earlier screening interview on Skype.
She said even before the questions began, Foley said he knew he was good looking and wanted to get the autograph request situation he assumed was coming out of the way, but she initially declined that offer. During the interview, she said, he told her his six year old smokes cigarettes and wanted to do what he called “role playing.”
She said Foley fell on the floor all balled up and pretended to want his mommy, rum, ice cream and a cigarette.
“That’s when I thought: this is crazy,” she said.
Soon, though, she was told about the hidden camera set up and what was going on. “At first, I didn’t believe it.” She did, however, after they ran her out on stage before an audience and later paid her more than other contestants. “They said I was the winning act of the night, so they paid me $1,000,” said Good. She said she will use the money for living expenses. She rooms in Hollywood with a friend and commutes to Ventura for college classes, but intends soon to apply to Emperor’s College of Traditional Oriental Medicine to learn acupuncture.
In Carson City, she worked at Sierra Acupuncture on Division Street part time and developed an interest in pursuing a career in that field. She said her 15 minutes of fame on TV is unlikely to turn her head.
“No, they actually asked me about that but I’m pretty set on acupuncture,” said Good. She expressed joy at the chance to help people as she has seen acupuncturists do. “I love it,”
Good said Foley didn’t turn out to be the egotist he pretended to be at first. “Not in real life,” she said. “He was really nice.”
She said it was a great time, sounding particularly pleased about something related more to Carson City than Hollywood after her chance on the new show Ellen DeGeneres is helping produce. That aspect? Her parents’ reaction.
“They definitely have a DVR to record it,” she said. “They’re the best parents ever.” The show, according to Good, airs at 8:30 p.m. tonight on ABC channels.