Greg Staffa 0:00

You're listening to the Staffa Corner Podcast, a Staffatarian look at entertainment and life with your host, Greg Staffat. My guest this episode is a talented young actress. She can be seen on films like On My Block, Heaven Sent, the 2016 remake of Adventures in Babysitting, but best known for her role as Destiny Baker on Disney Channel's series Bunked. Please introduce Mallory James Mahoney. Mallory, thanks for joining us today.

Mallory James Mahoney 0:48

Hi, thank you for having me. I'm so happy to be here.

Greg Staffa 0:50

You might notice a dog in the background. What kind of dog is it?

Mallory James Mahoney 0:54

I have a miniature burnadoodle, so it's a Bernese Mountain Dog Poodle Mix. His name is in Lord Stanley.

Greg Staffa 1:00

You're 17. Uh you've been acting since a very young age. Does it what do you see yourself as? Because I think I mean if I look back to what I was 17, you know, what I was doing, I wasn't taking it very seriously. And I think we kind of tend to diminish young adults of what they what they are uh or what they claim that they they're doing as a profession. Do you consider yourself, you know, an actress or is this something that you're exploring? What is your kind of definition of what you do?

Mallory James Mahoney 1:33

I would say I definitely see myself as an actress. I was really lucky. I found what I love to do at a very young age, and I'm so grateful that I've been able to pursue it and keep working at it. And every day I'm just so excited to get to go and work and film.

Greg Staffa 1:49

What was your first introduction to the film or TV?

Mallory James Mahoney 1:53

My first one was actually a short film called Dig. And it was it was a really fun experience. It actually ended up going to Sundance Film Festival, so that was kind of crazy that a few months after we filmed it, we got to go and be on a red carpet there and stuff. It was really cool.

Greg Staffa 2:11

And you like the red carpets and everything? That is that something you enjoy?

Mallory James Mahoney 2:14

Um, I wouldn't think it bothers me, but that's definitely not like why I enjoy doing it. I prefer the acting side of it, but I don't mind like, you know, people coming up and saying hi to me or wanting a picture because I like knowing that people enjoy the show or enjoy the work that I do.

Greg Staffa 2:30

So what was it that got you interested in acting?

Mallory James Mahoney 2:33

I I would actually say it's probably when I was about five years old, I went to a play with my parents, and I was just sitting there and I'm watching them up there, and I'm like, something just clicked in my head. It was like, this is what I want to do. This I I would love this. And I was very shy as a kid, so my parents were like, no, there's no way, like, you'll hate it. And so I ended up asking them like for a year, and they finally put me in a local theater just to like scare me out of it, because they thought once I was up there I would totally hate it, and I loved it. I ended up booking a solo um in my first like show that I did, and that's just kind of where it all started.

Greg Staffa 3:10

I mean, you said you were shy. Is it because that you're playing someone else that you kind of lose yourself in in that character that you're no longer Mallory, you're someone else, and so Mallory may be shy, but the characters that you're playing, you kind of can immerse yourself in and be someone else?

Mallory James Mahoney 3:28

Is that what got you past it, or is it just that is like honestly my favorite part of acting because I get I love getting to like kind of create these whole new personalities for these characters that I'm playing, and getting to like you know, kind of just explore as a different type of person who's totally the opposite of who I am, or maybe I find connections from who I am, but there's all these different routes that you can take to find out what you think this character is like, and I just think that's so fascinating. I love doing it.

Greg Staffa 3:59

You got past the shy part, showed your parents that you could do it. What was the next step of like, okay, I really want to do this now?

Mallory James Mahoney 4:07

I ended up finding an agent in Texas where I live, and so I joined with her, and she got me into an acting class that's here, and through that acting class at Catherine Sullivan's um acting for film, I ended up finding my LA agent, Jennifer Petratis, and then I started it just all started, you know, snowballing, and I was going out for pilot seasons, and I booked my first pilot, my very first time out in LA, and I've been working ever since.

Greg Staffa 4:37

And have your parents, I assume, they've come around now and said, Well, we've created a monster by kind of daring her to do it, and now look at what we're doing. How have they been as far as the adjustment of seeing that this is something that is for real for you?

Mallory James Mahoney 4:51

They are very supportive. Honestly, they're my biggest support system, and I'm so thankful for that. I think once they realized like I loved it and I really enjoyed doing it, they were totally on board. I think it is definitely an adjustment for us though, because whenever I'm filming, my mom and I go out to LA and my dad stays here with the dog, and so it's a little bit difficult being separated for so long. But we come back about one week every month or so, so we still get to spend time together.

Greg Staffa 5:19

I mean, you grew up in Texas, so there's a little bit of a Texas girl in you. What do you do to kind of keep that? Uh I'm sure there's the the Mallory that's the actress now, but there's also the the the Texas girl, you know, I mean you're you're 17. What is your that keeps you grounded in Texas? What kind of things do you hang on to so not to lose that part of you?

Mallory James Mahoney 5:41

I would say the biggest thing is like just hanging on to like all my family that's here, all of my friends. Like I still have a ton of friends that live here in Texas. Um, and when I'm home, like I'm just a normal kid. I still have like chores to do, I gotta take out the trash, skim the pool. It's I have just like this totally normal life whenever I'm back in Texas.

Greg Staffa 6:04

You're not like mom, I was on the red carpet yesterday and now I'm cleaning the pool.

Mallory James Mahoney 6:07

She says, I don't care. You gotta do your work.

Greg Staffa 6:10

Seventeen, so I assume they still they still provide you like teachers and stuff like that when you're you're on set.

Mallory James Mahoney 6:17

Well, normally they would, but I am legal eighteen, so like I tested out where I don't have to do school on set. Gotcha. So I'm finishing high school on my own time. Um, but I'm not doing it on set with a teacher.

Greg Staffa 6:29

Well, that must be kind of a relief for you.

Mallory James Mahoney 6:32

Yeah, it is. It it makes it a little difficult because I don't have a ton of time in my schedule to get my school work done, but I do make it collect the graduating in December this year.

Greg Staffa 6:43

Oh, okay. Now, one of the things I have to ask is like when I was 17, no one came to me as far as being a role model. No, I mean I was just a 17-year-old dork. I gotta imagine that fairly or unfairly, you know, being on the Disney Channel and doing these movies and being a young 17-year-old, there's a lot of pressure to to be a role model or to be an influence. Is that fair to say, or is that something that you welcome, or is it kind of like you want to ask that of a 27-year-old actress? Is it is that a burden? How do you kind of go about?

Mallory James Mahoney 7:21

Um, I feel like it's an amazing thing because I always try my hardest to be a very good person and I try to show others like just how to be good in the world and just to treat everyone with kindness. And I'm so thankful that there are girls who look up to me and have like a good role model to trust because not everyone is the best person to look up to, and so I try my hardest to be someone that's worth being a role model, I guess. So you do it just I mean, I'm not perfect and I know that, but I try my hardest to teach other girls just to do their best. There is definitely a different feel of just knowing people are always watching you, but I don't really mind it.

Greg Staffa 8:02

Well, that's good. Now you've performed with several different actors and actresses. Is there anyone that you're like do you have a bucket list that you're you know, one day I hope to work with so-and-so?

Mallory James Mahoney 8:13

Oh, uh a lot. I would say, um, let's see, like Reese Witherspoon, Octavia Spencer. I mean, there's so many. It's hard to pick just a few. I think Russell Brickles would be fun.

Greg Staffa 8:27

Who's who's been your favorite? Like who's someone that you just you met, you you thought they'd be bigger than life, and they were just like, wow, this is like one of the nicest people I've had to deal with. It doesn't even have to be a famous actor, just someone that's kind of really took you under their wing or kind of showed you the ropes, or who's someone that's been influential to you while you've been doing this?

Mallory James Mahoney 8:48

I would say probably actually Justin Long. He was in my very first pilot I did, and he was so amazing, he was so nice to me, and I was just this little like eight-year-old girl, and he was so kind. I mean, he really just kind of like helped make me feel just more comfortable, I guess, on the set, and he brought his dog, and so I got to see his dog, and we kind of bonded over that. But he was just like really nice and really welcomed me in.

Greg Staffa 9:19

One of the things I've always kind of wondered is you have your own parents, but you often being so young, you have people that play your parents. And I've always wondered, you know, do the the the kids from like uh everyone loves Draymond or some of these shows that you grow up watching the kids, do they stay do you stay in touch with like your fictional parents? How is that relationship? Are these actors and actresses, you know, are they mentoring or is it when the the show is done or the movie is finished filming? Do you just go back to your own lives?

Mallory James Mahoney 9:50

I mean, I on on Bunk I don't have I haven't I we haven't met any of my parents yet, but I did do a movie called Heaven Sent, where um I had two parents, Marley Sheldon and Christian Kane. And I've actually stayed in touch with them. Like we still reach out to each other on Instagram every once in a while. But we all like we got really close and they took me shopping together. They tried to like bond with me as if they were like my real parents, so we could have that on screen chemistry. So I really loved them, it was so much fun. We actually went sledding together in the snow.

Greg Staffa 10:25

Oh wow. That's Christian Keene from Leverage, right?

Mallory James Mahoney 10:29

Yes.

Greg Staffa 10:30

Okay, wow, yeah, I I love him.

Mallory James Mahoney 10:32

He's amazing. He's amazing. I love him so much.

Greg Staffa 10:37

Yeah, he's one of my favorite TV actors. So you're you're 17. Do you see the next few years being a transition period as an actress to the kind of losing the kids roles and becoming more adult roles? Or how do you is it a natural progression? Is it something you're looking forward to?

Mallory James Mahoney 10:55

I think I would I would love to like start. I don't know if I will be transferring much in the next few years, but I would love to because I love a challenge in the acting world of like playing more characters and like growing more with my abilities. But I do still look pretty young, so who knows if I'll get many of those roles. We'll see.

Greg Staffa 11:14

Yeah, I kind of touched on this earlier. The whole trusting that this is what you want to do. I mean, I'm in my late 40s. Uh, if I had you know been asked when I was doing when I was 17, 18, you know, what do I want to do for my future? Um, I would have no clue, and it surely wouldn't be this. Um, I've done all sorts of things throughout my years. You know, is acting what you see as the future too? I mean, right now you're loving it and stuff like that, but have you thought about the future much, or is it just kind of go with what you got and see what happens from there?

Mallory James Mahoney 11:49

I would say I do like I see myself acting. I can't imagine not acting in the future. I love it much. But I will say my parents have always told me, like, keep doing this as long as I love it. If I don't love it, then I can stop and go to college and figure out what I do want to do with my life. But I definitely I do. I love it so much right now, and I can't picture doing anything else.

Greg Staffa 12:11

Do you see college in some form being in there, kind of incorporating college between filmings or you know, taking classes online?

Mallory James Mahoney 12:20

Absolutely. I love both. I I really like learning, even if I'm not necessarily gonna use it for my career. I just like learning different stuff. So I think it would be really fun to go to college and work on different classes.

Greg Staffa 12:32

And your mom goes everywhere with you.

Mallory James Mahoney 12:36

For the most part, yeah.

Greg Staffa 12:38

And then your shooting, I mean, have you shot I assume most of your shooting has been like LA and stuff like that. Have you done anything kind of a little bit more exotic or a little bit more out there or you've had to do more traveling or Yes.

Mallory James Mahoney 12:53

I actually I did um Adventures in Babysitting was filmed in Vancouver, Canada. So that one was really fun because we also the whole cast was so close, like we became best friends and it was just like a mini vacation for all of us. Um so that one was really fun. I filmed in Boulder, Colorado, and it was snowing, which I love because I'm a Texas girl. I barely see the snow, so it was so much fun. It's so beautiful there. But I I've definitely loved doing some more like location style shoots like those.

Greg Staffa 13:25

And what goes into deciding, you know, what you should take and what you shouldn't take, or is it right now just kind of I want to absorb everything, you know, just kind of put myself out there and see what happens?

Mallory James Mahoney 13:36

Well, right now it's been difficult for auditioning because I am very locked into my show bunk. So it's it hard for other shows. I mean, we did 30 episodes this year, so there's not really any time to film other stuff. But I do I love doing different auditions of totally different characters, like all over different all over the spectrum of how people and characters are. But I love just trying out different things.

Greg Staffa 14:01

Is there a genre that you would like to explore or I think a really fun one would be like maybe a horror movie or a psychological thriller.

Mallory James Mahoney 14:11

I think that would just be a really fun movie to be a part of. Another one on my bucket list is like playing my own twin. I think would be so much fun. It's a lot of work, but I think it would be really cool.

Greg Staffa 14:24

Is there anything that like let's say Steven Spielberg came to you and said, I want you to to help me tell the story of so and so. Is there anyone that you would say, you know, this is a story I would I would love to tell?

Mallory James Mahoney 14:36

Perhaps like Dolly Parton. She has a very interesting story, so I think that would be a fun one. We look pretty similar.

Greg Staffa 14:46

That would be kind of a fun one. She seems like just a nice nice bubbly person. Have you met her?

Mallory James Mahoney 14:53

I have not, I wish.

Greg Staffa 14:56

Let's say you have the day off, other than going home to Texas. What what kind of hobbies and stuff like do you do to entertain yourself?

Mallory James Mahoney 15:03

There's a little bit of time of doing interviews, but I feel like uh most of my time I spend doing like just different hobbies that I like. I love aerial silk, I'm learning that right now. I'm working on ice skating, I love swimming in my pool, playing with my dog, reading books, you know, just like normal stuff, drawing, whatever. I'm not really big into like the party scenes of it, I guess. So I would say like I prefer just like hanging out with my friends, just you know, having a night in. But yeah, I feel like I just live a very normal life whenever I'm not filming.

Greg Staffa 15:37

What would you advise like a young a young woman that's is curious about the the the acting bug? What would advise would you give to them?

Mallory James Mahoney 15:46

If you want to start acting, I would say try like just be prepared to hear the word no a lot because they tell you no for the most random things sometimes, but you gotta be ready to hear it and don't let it make you lose like your confidence. Stay strong, keep working at it if you really love it.

Greg Staffa 16:05

Now you said the the no part like it's it stuck with you very much. Was there something because you said randomly random no? Give us an example of a random no, if you will. You don't have to say who it was, but what's like a uh an example of a random no that you're talking about?

Mallory James Mahoney 16:21

Well, within like a month period, I probably got no's on different parts and characters because they said I looked too young, and then like a week later they would say I look too old. And they were like characters that were like the same age. So it really just depends on people's preferences of what they want to this character to look like, and so sometimes you just don't fit that mold.

Greg Staffa 16:46

I guess the lesson is not to take it personally, they have kind of their image set in mind, and whether or not you fit it is two different things.

Mallory James Mahoney 16:54

Don't let it affect you, yeah.

Greg Staffa 16:56

Now, being I mean, you're at an age where you still absorb wealth of information. I mean, uh as a kid, we're always discovering and and learning from what we know and see, is the outside part of acting, something that interests you, you know, where you see casting, where you see directing. Is that anything that interests you?

Mallory James Mahoney 17:18

I would love to direct. I'm so fascinated on like the behind the camera, like all the behind-the-scenes stuff of that. And I think it is so cool, and I would I would love to be able to do it someday. Just getting to put all like the little pieces of a TV show together, I think, is so cool.

Greg Staffa 17:36

You've had your fair share of different directors.

Mallory James Mahoney 17:38

Do they d treat you overall as an adult fairly well or well we do get a new director like almost every single week, so I definitely have seen quite a few of them. For the most part, everyone treats me like an adult. I feel like that's also changed though from like when I joined the show in season three, like they were treating me more like a little kid than because I was one. I was only 12 years old and I was new. I had never been on a TV show before. But kind of after that first year, they started treating me as more of an adult because I kind of knew what I was doing and I figured it out. And I always try to be very professional on the set. So like I want to direct, and that's a big part for me. So I want to treat other directors with respect.

Greg Staffa 18:21

So it had less to do with your age and more to do with your experience. The more you got the experience, the more that you got the respect.

Mallory James Mahoney 18:28

Yeah, definitely.

Greg Staffa 18:30

You do all these interviews. Uh, what's a question that you don't get asked that you wish someone would ask you?

Mallory James Mahoney 18:37

Ooh.

Greg Staffa 18:38

Um, I mean, I I've done countless red carpets, and it's always you always feel dumb that you're asking the same thing, you know, what what got you? I mean, I'm sure I'm not the first person to ask you what got you involved in acting. And so there's there's a series of questions I have to ask that you just kind of go, yep, that's what he asked, and that's what he's gonna ask, and that's what he's gonna ask. But is there any I mean, anytime I come out of a job interview, I'm like, oh, they didn't ask me about this. So what's what's something or two things that people don't ask you about that you wish you could share a little bit about?

Mallory James Mahoney 19:09

Ooh. I don't know if I have any. I feel like most of the most of the bases are pretty well covered.

unknown 19:16

Okay.

Greg Staffa 19:17

Fair enough. I just wanted to give you an opportunity for that. Do you do any charity work or do you do anything to give back? I assume that you do some stuff with animals given your love of them.

Mallory James Mahoney 19:28

Yeah. I I actually work with a lot of charities and nonprofits. I work with the Christopher Dana Reeves Foundation. I work with Freshwater Project International, Project Chemp. I have a lot of different foundations that I support and try to help out as much as I can. I feel like it's so important to kind of give back to the earth and try and leave the world better than it was when we came into it.

Greg Staffa 19:55

What's kind of the lasting impression that you want to be left with when people meet you or see you on screen or I think I would love to know that I have like moved someone and made them feel something through the work I was doing.

Mallory James Mahoney 20:09

I feel like that is such an important part of the industry and why we create TV and film is to like really make people feel stuff and have emotions about what they're watching. And I feel like that's kind of like such an honor for when you can have that experience from watching someone.

Greg Staffa 20:30

And as an actress, have you thought much about the future? Have you thought, you know, the five-year plan? I mean, your mom, as you get older, your mom's not gonna have to go with you as much as she might want to go with you. Um, there's gonna have to be kind of that cutting of the umbilical cord, whether mom wants it or not, or whether you want it or not. You know, have you thought about the transitions that's gonna be happening in the next few years as you become more of an adult, not only an actress, but as a person.

Mallory James Mahoney 20:59

Absolutely. I've been thinking about that like a lot, very much. I think my mom won't be too upset to be back in Texas for a while. She always misses it when we're in LA. So I don't think she'll find it too much. And I even like I handle everything for my work myself. Um, like when I go to set, I just go out myself and I learn all my lines. And but it's it's always nice having her with me. Now she just kind of helps around me so I can always be my own person.

Greg Staffa 21:32

Well, that's good. Now, I know that if I was your age doing the celebrity interviews that I have done, uh if my parents are around watching, you know, me interact with some of these celebrities, they might go nuts. I have to maintain a a professionalism. You know, I I've interviewed people like Pierce Brosnan, where the inner child in me is all giddy interviewing, you know, James Bond, but I have to remain calm and cool. Has your mom ever, though, let's Put her out there. Has your mom ever lost it, you know, seeing an actor or an actress that you get a to work with or anything like that?

Mallory James Mahoney 22:10

Um, no, she hasn't. I will say one thing for her though is I don't think she fully realizes whenever we see a celebrity in public, she always thinks of someone that she knows from high school. So that's definitely interesting. So I wouldn't say she ever freaks out too much when she sees a celebrity.

Greg Staffa 22:27

Well, that's good. So in your time that we have remaining, tell us a little bit about Bunked.

Mallory James Mahoney 22:32

Well, we just got picked up for season seven of Bunked.

Greg Staffa 22:35

Congratulations.

Mallory James Mahoney 22:40

And I am I started as a camper and now I'm a counselor, and actually in season six we moved to a ranch, so now we are ranch Kiki Waka instead of camp Kiki Waka, and all the characters got to learn a little bit more of the ranching way of life, and I loved it because we got to have lots of animals this season, which is always so much fun. I am so excited to get another season. I would love to be on the show as long as they're happy to have me. I love working and I I got to have my character grow so much throughout the years, and she's even like become a little bit more like me, which is really nice, and I think it's she's such a fun character to play, so I I would love to keep playing her for as long as possible.

Greg Staffa 23:24

Do you have a lot of input in your character and and where things go and are you able to say, hey, that's that's not something my character does or doesn't do?

Mallory James Mahoney 23:32

Our show is definitely very collaborative and yeah, with like a lot of the things for like our blocking or our movements in the show, like if a director who's just coming in and has never been on the show, they'll sometimes even just ask us, like, what do you think you would be doing right now? How would you be spending your time? And that's one nice thing because we we have like learned like what we think our character would be doing, which someone who's brand new coming into it might not know.

Greg Staffa 23:59

Uh, where can people find you on social media?

Mallory James Mahoney 24:02

You can find me at at Mallory James Mahoney, on Instagram, Facebook, and I believe Twitter too.

unknown 24:10

Okay.

Greg Staffa 24:11

Give a thanks to your mom. I don't think your mom gives enough credit for how well you've done as a you know a young adult now.

Mallory James Mahoney 24:19

Yes, I'm so thankful to her. Thank you. I'll definitely tell her when I see her, too.

Greg Staffa 24:22

All right.

Mallory James Mahoney 24:23

Thank you for having me. Bye, have a nice day.

Greg Staffa 24:26

Bye. Thank you. That does it for this episode. Thank you for listening to The Staff of Corner.