The 64-year-old is still thriving despite being near the pension age, and said turning 60 changed her whole outlook on life.
Cross said part of the joy of getting older is that it provides more luxury to choose the roles you want to play. The villainous aspect of Madame Morrible drew her towards Wicked.
I feel like now downtime is a good thing, and it’s very rejuvenating and I think we need that at this stage of life too. But there are periods where I go, ‘oh God, I haven’t done anything for a while, what’s going on?’ But I think that’s where you can pick and choose a couple of things that you love.”
Cross’ advice for anyone looking to take a break and enjoy their mature age more is simple: just make sure you don’t stay away from what you love for too long.
“You are only as good as the last performance. I’m not even talking about vocally, I’m talking about confidence,” she said.
“And just to move yourself forward and think, ‘I might’ve had five years off, but I can still do it’, you can’t stay off it for too long, otherwise you start to question yourself: ‘It’s been such a long time since I’ve, since I’ve done this, can I do it?’”
She said being able to do things she loves, such as performing with the other Lady Killers over the past 18 years, means she is able to go out and perform and work and still have joy in what she does.
Listen to the full podcast for more from Tina on her varied career, including working with prisoners, and more advice on how she stays active and finds the joy in her career.
Tina Cross can be seen on stage in Wicked at the SkyCity Theatre in Auckland from March 31.
Ask Me Anything is a NZ Herald podcast, hosted by Paula Bennett. New episodes are out every Sunday.
You can follow the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
