When Elaine Hendrix stepped onto the Dancing with the Stars stage, America didn’t just watch a performance — they watched a story unfold. A story of persistence, vulnerability, exhaustion, joy, injury, belief, and rediscovery. Week after week, audiences rallied around her, rooting not just for her dancing but for her spirit.
Elaine has spent decades in front of the camera, lighting up screens in projects like The Parent Trap, Friends, ER, Married with Children, Charmed, Get Smart, and many more. But her recent journey on Dancing with the Stars struck a deeper chord. She became one of only four women over 52 to ever reach the finals in the show’s 34-season history — and she did it by showing up fully, honestly, and bravely.
On Living Ageless and Bold, Elaine sat down to talk about what that experience was really like — the preparation, the pressure, the injuries, the friendships, and the personal growth that came from returning to dance after decades away.
Discovering Dance and the Dream of Performing
Elaine’s love for performing began early. She grew up in a small town in East Tennessee and later moved with her mother to Atlanta while she was still in high school. It was there that someone suggested she audition for a performing arts school.
That audition — her very first — changed everything.
Elaine had been performing all her life, but attending a performing arts school helped her realize that this passion could actually become a career. She trained in dance, learning classic modern and contemporary jazz from a mentor who had studied under Alvin Ailey. Dance became central to her identity.
Her mother played a pivotal role during this time. Rather than insisting on a traditional path, she encouraged Elaine to pursue dance fully while she was young, reminding her that college could always come later. That belief — that passion deserved to be honored — gave Elaine the freedom to chase her dream.
The Accident That Changed Everything
Not long after beginning her professional dance journey, Elaine was hit by a car while riding a bicycle. She’s careful to clarify the language: she didn’t “get into” an accident — she was hit.
The injuries were significant and long-lasting. While she continued dancing in some capacity, the physical toll made it impossible to maintain the intense training required of a professional dancer. Even years later, she still carries injuries from that moment and has tried many methods to manage the pain and wear on her body.
That accident forced a pivot.
While dance had once been her primary path, Elaine began focusing more fully on acting — a shift that would lead to an extraordinary career in television and film.
A Career Built Over Time
Elaine’s acting career grew steadily. She booked roles, built momentum, and eventually landed what would become one of her most iconic parts: Meredith Blake in The Parent Trap. The role came through a traditional audition process — one of hundreds of actresses considered.
When she landed the role, it wasn’t something she could have predicted. It was simply the alignment of preparation, timing, and opportunity.
The film became a cultural touchstone, and Meredith Blake remains a character audiences still talk about decades later. Elaine has often reflected on how different the experience might have been if social media had existed at the time — how visibility, fan engagement, and cultural impact have changed so dramatically.
But even as The Parent Trap became a standout moment, Elaine continued working steadily. Television, film, comedy, drama — her career accumulated layers, relationships, and experiences that shaped her understanding of the industry.
Returning to Dance Through Dancing with the Stars
Years later, Dancing with the Stars offered Elaine something unexpected: a return to dance.
When the opportunity came, it represented a chance to revisit what she once loved deeply — and to see what her body could still do. She was honest about where she was physically. She wasn’t in “dancing shape,” and ballroom dance was completely new to her. Partner dancing was new. The technique was new. The endurance required was intense.
Still, she said yes.
Training quickly became all-consuming. Rehearsals started at four hours a day and eventually stretched to eight. Alongside dance practice came workouts, recovery sessions, fittings, hair, makeup, press obligations, and travel. Her days were full, demanding, and physically taxing.
Sleep became essential. Elaine aimed for nine hours a night, knowing how important recovery would be — especially at her age.
Injury, Recovery, and Pushing Forward
Despite her careful preparation, Elaine was injured during the season. While injuries are common on the show, being taken to the hospital in an ambulance is rare — and it happened to her.
Still, she was determined not to let that moment define her exit. She worked hard to recover quickly enough to continue, pushing through pain and exhaustion. What mattered most to her was how she left the show. She didn’t want injury to be the end of the story.
That determination became a theme of her journey.
Performing Live, Fear, and Mental Pressure
Dancing live in front of millions brought its own set of challenges. Elaine spoke candidly about the fear that came with it — the fear of forgetting choreography, of making mistakes, of freezing under pressure.
She and her partner, Alan, ran their routines again and again. Preparation became their anchor.
Elaine also spoke openly about navigating menopause during the competition. She described moments when her brain would “glitch,” when memory would suddenly falter. Before each performance, she warned Alan that it could happen — not out of fear, but honesty.
Despite those concerns, she recalled only two mistakes she could remember making. The audience never noticed.
What mattered most was showing up and continuing forward.
The Power of Support and Not Doing It Alone
One of the most moving parts of Elaine’s story is the role of community.
Her best friend Lisa — whom she met nearly 30 years ago during The Parent Trap — showed up week after week to support her. Even while filming her own show, Lisa made the effort to be there in the audience, cheering her on.
That presence meant everything.
Elaine also spoke about her bond with her dance partner, Alan. Though their partnership lasted only a few months, the intensity of the experience created a deep connection. She hopes it’s one that lasts.
She emphasized an important truth: she did not do Dancing with the Stars alone — and no one should try to do hard things alone.
Support, she believes, is essential. Whether from friends, collaborators, or chosen family, having people who believe in you can make the difference between giving up and pushing through.
Making It to the Finals
As the competition progressed, Elaine often believed her journey was about to end. Each week felt uncertain. After an injury and hospital visit, she wasn’t sure viewers would continue to vote for her.
But they did.
Week after week, America rallied around her.
During the semi-finals — Prince Night — she faced another challenge. The song assignments were fixed by the estate, and she and Alan had to perform them in a specific order. Their first dance didn’t offer the dramatic punch that later routines would, but they knew something stronger was coming.
When they performed their Paso Doble, they gave everything they had.
Standing on stage waiting for results, Elaine assumed her time was up. She soaked in the moment, prepared for it to be her last. When her name was called first, she was overwhelmed with emotion — crying, screaming, grateful.
Her goal had never been to win. She simply wanted to make it to the finals.
And she did.
Aging, Identity, and Drawing the Line
Elaine also spoke honestly about aging in Hollywood — a space that continues to evolve but still presents challenges. While there are more opportunities now, sexism and ageism haven’t disappeared.
What has changed for her is clarity.
She has drawn firm boundaries around what she will and will not do. She’s turned down six-figure opportunities that didn’t align with her values. For her, integrity, safety, and self-respect matter more than money.
She believes deeply in defining yourself rather than accepting definitions imposed by others. That belief is something she credits in part to her upbringing and to a lifetime of unlearning conditioning.
Control, she says, comes from focusing on what you can influence: how you show up, how you perform, how you treat others, and how you walk through the world.
Friendship, Belief, and Growth
Friendship took on a deeper meaning throughout Elaine’s journey. Having people who believed in her — sometimes more than she believed in herself — became a source of strength.
She spoke about how belief compounds. How confidence grows when others hold faith in you during moments when yours wavers.
She also emphasized that self-belief isn’t constant. It fluctuates. It evolves. It’s something you work on continuously.
What Comes Next
Looking ahead, Elaine is returning to what feeds her most: live performance.
She had already set the intention to get back on stage before Dancing with the Stars ever came into her life. That intention led to performing in Hello, Dolly!, then to the show, and now to touring and additional live projects she can’t yet share.
What excites her most is being with an audience — that shared energy, that immediacy, that exchange.
She also continues to teach acting, sharing decades of experience with students. Her approach is rooted in honesty: there is no single path, no guaranteed formula. She offers tools, insight, and guidance, helping students discover what works for them.
Reinvention Has No Expiration Date
Elaine Hendrix’s journey is not about chasing youth or proving anything. It’s about returning to yourself, about listening to what calls you back. About allowing life to evolve.
Her time on Dancing with the Stars reminded viewers — and herself — that reinvention doesn’t have an age limit, and fulfillment doesn’t come from doing everything alone.
It comes from courage, community, and choosing to keep showing up.
And sometimes, it comes from dancing your way right into America’s heart.
Watch her full episode here:
https://youtu.be/Rn_QdDNvGAk?si=Uqlu3C4sF96yNs6h
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