Connecticut retiree Linda proves it’s never too late to “rewire” your life and follow a passion.
What do you do after retiring from a career as a college professor? If you’re Linda from Connecticut, you become an extra on one of your favorite TV shows! Linda has always loved history. After retiring from teaching, she gave tours at The Breakers mansion in Newport — which also happens to be one of the real-life filming locations for HBO’s The Gilded Age. And Linda LOVES The Gilded Age. Then she read a book with a message that stuck with her: Don’t retire. Rewire. So Linda decided to take that advice literally. She wrote to the people behind The Gilded Age, sent in her headshot and basically said: How do I get in on this? And it worked. Linda landed a spot as an extra on the show — turning her love of history and The Gilded Age into an entirely new adventure after retirement. And yes, she was even on set for that now-famous appearance by Matt Damon and David Letterman!
Christine & Salt talked with Linda about how she made it happen, what it’s really like to work as a background actor on The Gilded Age, and what she saw when two VERY famous “extras” suddenly joined her on set. Oh, and fun fact: Linda told us later that the only famous part of her in season 3 was her arm! Check out the interview above, and see her on set below — and take Linda’s story as a little inspiration: It’s never too late to rewire, try something completely new and follow the thing you’re passionate about.
Christine & Salt talk with Linda about how retirement led her to The Gilded Age — and what happened when Matt Damon and David Letterman showed up on set.
Christine & Salt talk with Linda about how retirement led her to The Gilded Age — and what happened when Matt Damon and David Letterman showed up on set.
