MARCIA WARNE PROVES THAT TALENT AGES WELL, TOO!
BY PAMELA KLEIBRINK THOMPSON
PHOTOGRAPHY KIMBERLEE MILLER
You may look at Marcia Warne’s sweet face and think, “Why does she look so familiar?”. It could be she has the spirit of everybody’s favorite grandma or it could be because you’ve seen her in innumerable local commercials, movies or stage performances. It could be that you met her at the opening of one of her art shows. Or it may be that you just ran into
her on the Greenbelt with her best friend, Chris.
One thing is certain: if you meet her, you will remember her. Though she has the spirit of an angel, she has a devilish smile and a wicked sense of humor.
People who know her have dubbed her “Boise’s Betty White” for far more than her senior status. Marcia is not only a lovely actress but also has a passion for animals. Like Betty White, Marcia is quick to point out that some of her best friends have four legs.
Marcia describes herself as “artistic, adventurous, spiritual loving, hungry for knowledge, old and wise. I would also describe myself as a survivor. I survived cancer, open heart surgery, and Covid twice.” Marcia is a volunteer for Mended Hearts, a national organization that helps people recover from significant heart procedures.
She started her acting career rather late in life but embraced the craft with the passion of a young ingenue. She has been cast in many projects as the result of her commitment to taking classes and working hard. Marcia shares a birthday with Grandma Moses – September 7. She’s been a huge inspiration for Marcia. It could just be that if they had had a chance to know each other, Grandma Moses may have been influenced to act!
“I’ve been exposed to acting most of my life. My dad did some acting when I was a little girl, and my sister acted professionally introduced me to some wonderful teachers. I started taking classes from April Matson, Catrine McGregor, Chance Fuerstinger, and others.” Scott Grady wrote a film script about notorious lady bank robbers for Marcia and her two friends who were in the same age range. Marcia was hooked. She’s appeared in several films and commercials. She’s proud to be represented by Life Tale Management, which is run by Madalyn VanValkenburgh, who have provided her with lots of auditions and opportunities. “My Shih Tzu mix, Chris, is also officially represented by them! That’s a first.”
“When I’m acting, I am totally present. I don’t think of anything other than the part I am playing. I love really ‘getting into a character.’ Also, it’s so rewarding to evoke feelings and emotions among the people in the audience.”
Marcia, or should I say – Doctor Marcia Warne – has a doctorate in Education and has taught many subjects in many states. Of all of these experiences, the standout is when she taught first grade at the International School of Geneva to small classes of gifted students from five or six different countries. “It was an incredible experience. Some of those first graders were doing fifth and sixth grade work. What I loved the most was seeing how those kids showed caring and compassion for each other. The nations of the world could have learned a lot from their example.”
Marcia found more than a rewarding job in Europe–she also met her future husband, George. “We met in Paris and London and over the North Pole.” Their marriage lasted 21 years, until her husband’s death in 1992.
In 1980, Marcia moved to Boise with George, seven-year-old daughter Star and six-year-old son Zion. Daughter Star teaches English as a second language and is also a part-time bartender at the Visual Arts Center. Son Zion is “an incredible glass blower. His work is often mistaken to be that of one of the most famous glass blowers in the world, Dale Chihuly.”
