Quinn even has her own rockabilly-blues band, Aileen Quinn and the Leapin’ Lizards, which is a reference to one of her movie character’s catchphrases. When requested, one of the songs the band will perform is a cover of “Tomorrow,” the signature showstopper from Annie.
Quinn is making her first trip to San Antonio Nov. 24-25. She'll join her former Annie co-stars Toni Ann Gisondi and Rosanne Sorrentino, who played Molly and Pepper in the movie, at the Wonderland of the Americas Mall, 4522 Fredericksburg Road, for a meet-and-greet with fans from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Billed as the 5th Annual Upside Down '80s Celebration, the event also will feature cast members from Netflix’s hit show Stranger Things, including Randy Havens (Mr. Clarke) and Mark Steger (Demogorgon). Admission is free, and VIP packages for autographs and photos are available online.
During a recent interview with the Current, Quinn, 52, talked about her experience making Annie, working with San Antonio’s own Carol Burnett, and what she thinks about Jay-Z sampling Annie’s “Hard Knock Life” for his own version of the song in 1998.
I just showed my kids the movie for the first time this week. We were wondering how many takes it took you to flip into the laundry basket.
(Laughs.) It's funny that you say that because we had some amazing gymnasts that were on that set. I was a trained dancer up to that point — tap, ballet and jazz. But I had never done actual gymnastics. So, I did a little training with someone in the Valley. Doing those splits and then flipping into the laundry basket did take a few takes. As I recall, I didn't stretch properly, so let's just say I was a little sore the next day. I'm very proud of my gymnastics moment there.
No stunt doubles back in 1982.
Exactly. Back in those days, we used to do things the old-fashioned way. Some stars still do that today, like Tom Cruise.
And Tom Cruise does stunts where he hangs from airplanes. So, you have that in common since you hang from a helicopter in Annie.
They did make me climb up on that bridge in New Jersey. I hope they never tear that down because it's become a landmark. I really did climb up. It was very slippery and wet. I had leather shoes on. I remember they told Carol Burnett and my mom not to worry if I fell in the river because they had a guy in a boat that would fish me out. Carol was like, “Oh, no. We have to make this safer.”
What was your overall experience working with Carol? She was born in San Antonio, so we love to claim her.
I did not know that! I knew there was a Texas connection, but I didn’t know it was actually San Antonio! This will be my first trip to San Antonio. I'm so happy that she's still with us and still performing. What I remember the most is how kind she was. She's a real person. Besides nailing the performance, she was always working with her co-stars and really looking out for them as much as possible. That's a hard combination to find. She is brilliant. I worked with so many of the best when I was only 9 1/2 years old.
When did you realize the pedigree of people you had worked with in Annie, from Carol to Albert Finney to Tim Curry to director John Huston?
That came later in life — in my late 20s or early 30s. I hadn’t seen Carol’s show yet. I only knew her from a Reading Is Fundamental commercial. Now, to this day, I watch her show. But before that, I had no idea what a well-rounded performer she was and how crazy funny she was. When I became an adult and started watching other films, I realized how talented these people were.
Does it feel like more than 40 years since you made Annie?
Some days it does, but some days it feels like it was just 20 years ago. I got so close to the cast of Annie, even though I was so busy. I was a child, so I had to go to school for three hours a day. We really bonded as a cast and hung out during filming. You become a family. So, I've been lucky to be a part of many families in performance.
What do you think it is about Annie that makes it beloved even to this day?
I mean, it's about so many different aspects of life that we're all trying to get through. It’s a survival story. Those are the kinds of stories I like. Annie is a hero who finds her way along in life. The film is also about Daddy Warbucks (Finney) and about how he came from nothing and then built his way up. I think it’s about people realizing that we need each other in this world. It's about how we all need to come together.
What’s your favorite song from the movie?
I really like soulful things, so “Maybe” is my favorite song. And I like “Hard Knock Life.” I like that Jay-Z covered it. He said the survival story resonated with him because [Annie] came from nothing. But I really love the beauty and the sentiment and the power of “Maybe.” So, “Tomorrow” would be my third favorite. “Tomorrow” gives us the hope we all need. Without hope, you don't have anything.
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