If seasons one and two of The A-Team are your favorite, you most likely remember a young lady being a part of the crew.
For 24 episodes, Melinda Culea played Amy Amanda Allen, the reporter who assisted the guys as they went on missions. The role came shortly after she quit acting, and it served as a reminder that her "work was terrific." Culea's acting journey was far from easy. She was a model in Chicago before taking the profession seriously.
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In an interview with Albany Democrat-Herald in 1983, she spoke about her journey and what made her decide to stop auditioning for roles. The article revealed that Culea moved to New York and began studying acting along with her modeling. Many of her earliest credits were minor roles, but she eventually got the opportunity to star in the NBC pilot Washed Out.
The pilot didn't sell, nor did the pilot to her own show, Dear Teacher. As a result of the continuous rejection, Culea decided enough was enough.
"I felt my work was terrible. So I just quit," she began. "I auditioned for a couple of good shows, very good shows, and just missed getting them. That killed me. I'd gotten to the level where I thought my work was good, and not getting those devastated me. It was enough, enough, enough. I couldn't do it. I went away."
As the saying goes, "rejection is a sign that something better is coming." Soon enough, Culea understood that. When a friend decided to make their own script for an independent film, Culea helped, and began to feel good about her work again. So, she went back to New York on a mission.
"I went back to New York feeling much better about myself. I did have some talent!" she added. "I called my agent and said, 'send me on some auditions.'" Her agent did just that, sending her to audition for a role in Charley II with Cliff Robertson.
"What had happened is that I'd realized what is important is the work, not the outcome. A lot of the outcome has to do with business. You need someone with you who is knowledgeable about the business. I got new managers. They saw me on a pilot. They really believed in me. They'd never stopped calling."
She snagged her A-Team role one month after being with her new team. It was an experience that Culea felt she needed.
