Her breakout film is currently being taught at UCLA’s film school.
During her July 23 appearance as a guest on Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson’s podcast, “Where Everybody Knows Your Name,” Dern talked about how she was “forced” to drop out of UCLA’s film school after landing the role of Sandy Williams in “Blue Velvet.”
Dern had already acted in the movie “Mask,” but it was “Blue Velvet” in 1986 that really shot her to stardom.
After being chosen for the position, Dern requested a leave of absence from her college department so that she could work on the film. It was said to the actress, “absolutely not.”
He responded, “Well, I’ll look at the script if you want to give me the script, but, you know, you’re not going to get a leave of absence,” when I said, “I have this opportunity.” That is not going to occur. According to Dern, there is no medical emergency.
Following Dern’s reading of the “Blue Velvet” script in his office at UCLA, the head of the film school phoned him back.
“First of all, you are no longer welcome at UCLA if you make this choice,” Dern remembered hearing. “You’re going outside. Nevertheless, secondarily, after reading this script, I find it absurd that you would forfeit your college degree for this.
