Minka Kelly has revealed she’s always got a backup plan ready, if Hollywood doesn’t call, she’s happy to return to her “scrub tech” roots. The actress, who is currently starring in Netflix’s Ransom Canyon, spent time working as a surgical technologist before hitting it big in Hollywood. And, just in case the acting roles stop coming, Minka isn’t afraid to go back to the hospital setting.
On Today with Jenna and Friends, Minka opened up about how she often wonders if her acting career is over after each project finishes. “I’ve thought that every time a job ends,” she admitted. “And if time passes between roles, you think, ‘Okay, this is it. I had a good run,’ and that’s fine. But I’ve got my backup. I can always be a scrub tech again.”
Minka shared that she thinks about returning to her hospital job “all the time,” saying it gives her confidence knowing she’s skilled in more than one area. For her, acting isn’t the whole world. “The rejection that comes with being an actor is balanced out because I know I’m good at this,” she said. “I loved being a scrub technician so much. It feels great to be good at something.”
While Minka may be ready for any challenge, she’s far from slowing down in her acting career. Her latest role in Ransom Canyon sees her taking on a Western character, and she revealed that her boyfriend, Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons, helped her learn to play piano for the part. “He’d help me translate music,” she said, admitting she couldn’t read sheet music but had him guide her through the process.
Despite her musical challenge, Minka says she can still play the songs she learned for the role, and she even joked that Dan’s presence on set was a bit of a love story. “The producers and writers just naturally fell in love with him,” she laughed. “They asked if he’d play a character, and of course, he agreed to join.”
It’s clear that whether she’s acting or scrubbing in, Minka Kelly is ready to face whatever comes her way. With confidence in both her Hollywood career and backup career, she’s proving that she’s got options, and is living proof that it’s okay to have a plan B.
