***

Tina begins,  “ My dad Kenneth J. Kennard, III was a well-known and influential entertainment lawyer from Michigan.  He brokered contracts for a lot of the major stars of the1950’s through the early1970’s.  In the 1950’s he helped create the ‘Studio Farm System.’ Basically the studio owned the actors, directors, and producers for the movies they were making. As a studio player they groomed you to be a star.  For instance:  Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds were contract players at Universal Studios in the 1950’s.  The studio paid for lessons, including; fencing, horseback riding, singing lessons, etc. whatever you needed they paid for it.  As a contract player you would receive a small salary.  In exchange, you could only work for that studio.  The only down side was you didn’t have a say in what movie you would do or what part you would play.  You could also be loaned out to other studios too, and you would make the same amount of money.  But the studio that owns your contract could negotiate whatever price they could get for your services.  It was a win-win situation for all the studios. 

Also as an entertainment lawyer, my dad would read the scripts that the executives were interested in.  Then my dad would narrow it down to a few scripts the studio (his client) should bid on and buy, then the executives would pick the scripts and then my dad would write the contracts and finish the deal.  That’s where I learned about script development, at my father’s knee.”

 “Now my mother is the opposite of my dad in personality.  She is famous, and she’s use to people fawning all over her.  People know her all over the world.”  Dana interrupts and says, “Oh my God your mother is Oprah Winfrey?”  Everyone turns and looks at Dana like ‘You are such a idiot!’  Tina continues, “Dana look at me I’m white, lily white.  No my mother is Penny Laine, the actress.  Her real name is Janice Westin.  My mom has won two Academy Awards, a Tony Award and a lot of other awards.  In the 1970’s you didn’t have babies in your late 40’s. She really didn’t know what to do with a little one at her age.  I think she was kind of embarrassed.  So my dad really raised me.”