The Conversation Cady Huffman Tony Award-winning actress, singer, director, and producer
On August 23 and 24, the Florida Theatre and Theatre Jacksonville will present their second annual Broadway musical in concert, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, starring acclaimed artist Cady Huffman, who will be in town to play the role of Pseudolus. Huffman has so many theater, film, TV, digital, music, and directing credits that it’s impossible to list them all. Highlights include her performance as Ulla in The Producers with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick (for which she won Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle awards), a recurring role on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, and 10 consecutive seasons as a judge on Iron Chef America. We caught up with Cady to ask her a few questions about her multifaceted life and career.
How did you get your start in acting/theater?
My first workshop was when I was six, and I did youth theater every summer. At 17, I was cast in Stephen Schwartz’s The Baker’s Wife, and Stephen actually came and directed it. This put me, a local hire, in the room with very successful professionals for the first time. Then when I turned 18, I got my first equity gig doing a play called They’re Playing Our Song in L.A. with the Bottoms brothers (actors Tim, Joseph, and Ben).
So, you have deep roots in community theater?
I was very lucky to grow up in a place (Santa Barbara) that had a really hot theater scene in the ’60s and ’70s, and by the time I was doing paid work, it felt like I’d already been at it for a while. When I did The Baker’s Wife, Stephen cast a 21-year-old professional actress as one of the leads, and she became one of my best friends. The Bottoms brothers also remain friends. I know well the wonderful magic of community theater, and the value of young actors being on stage with seasoned professionals—one reason I’m excited to come do Forum and meet the local cast and talent.
You have such a multifaceted career. Do you have a favorite medium or outlet?
I am really so into everything that when I get an opportunity, I go for it. These days, I’m not interested in rising to the top anymore—all I want to do is direct, talk about theater, and play music. It’s funny, when I’m recognized in public (which is not very often), I’m always really interested how they know me. Broadway, soap opera, or eating?
Speaking of eating, can you dish about your time on Iron Chef?
I got a call around 2003 about a new show (there was already a Japanese version, which was hilarious), and they needed a (sorta) celebrity to be a judge. I did one season, and I guess they needed someone comfortable on
camera who wasn’t an expert. And I think they liked my normal approach—my feedback was like “this spinach tastes kind of spinachy.” I ended up doing 10 seasons. It was wonderful. I was invited to the homes of a couple of chefs, and the whole experience was so educational. My ex-husband, who loves to cook, and I definitely stepped up our game in the kitchen during that time.
What about your time on Curb Your Enthusiasm with Larry David?
I really enjoy improv, and I did one season in the early 2000s. Larry David already had all this great stuff under his belt, including Seinfeld. And it was by far and away the most fun, easiest, and best job I’ve ever had. There were no lines, and it was the most joyful set imaginable.
What do you do when you’re not working?
I’m currently producing a short film. I got serious about teaching myself the ukelele during the pandemic. I also play the baritone horn (a small tuba-like instrument) and rudimentary piano, and I love to sing and use my voice as an instrument. There’s a friend who talked me into doing a duo with her—she plays bass, and I play ukelele—and we do gigs as Cady & Mary Ann. I call it jazz, and she calls it cabaret (we joke that it’s jazzaret or cabajazz). I relish this as a creative outlet.
