Dancing With the Stars alum Chandler Kinney knows exactly which one of her Elle costars should hit the dance floor after her, and it’s June Diane Raphael.
Chatting with DECIDER about her new Prime Video series, which also stars Lexi Minetree as the titular pampered LA native long before her time at Harvard Law School, Kinney — who plays Elle’s high school nemesis, Kimberly — says that she has seen enough to say that the Grace and Frankie alum is the perfect person to tackle the ballroom in the competition series.
“June would be amazing. I think June is next in line. I’m gonna put up June for the task, her work ethic is insane,” Kinney, who finished in third place alongside partner Brandon Armstrong back in Season 33, tells DECIDER. “I think she would be a menace out on that dance floor.”
In the Legally Blonde prequel series, Raphael plays Eva Woods, the dedicated and distinguished mother of the show’s protagonist, who often needs a helping hand to navigate the perils of high school. Off-screen, it sounds like Raphael is just as much of a motherly figure to the young cast members in the show, offering advice, guidance, and quips whenever they might be needed.
“I have learned so much from this woman. She is truly such an inspiration to all of us,” Kinney adds of the actress and comedian, saying she’s also seen her dance moves before and the potential for a Mirrorball Trophy contender is certainly there. “I’ve seen her out [on a dance floor], I’ve had the privilege, and that girl can move. She can bust a move. I think that she would be incredible on the show. Let’s make that happen.”
According to Gabrielle Policano, who plays Liz in Elle, not only can Raphael bust a move on a dance floor, she can also crack a joke that will leave the whole cast and crew in tears. It’s that improv upbringing that makes her the perfect person to teach other actors a thing or two about making a scene or a moment as funny as it can possibly be.
“June will do this thing a lot where she does a lot of [improv lines], they come to her so fast it’s almost scary,” Policano says, “She’ll do one of them and be like, ‘Give me one more,’ and she’ll just come out with the next thing, and that will happen like five times in a row. And we’re always [watching] like, ‘Each one was better than the last.’”
Kinney adds, “She will just go to a place and she’ll just say, ‘Can I have another?’ And then she’ll deliver a zinger and it’s a master class.”
Perhaps she can be as quick on her feet, literally speaking, as she is metaphorically. As for whether or not Raphael would sign up to do the intense two-month TV series, the jury is still out, but half the battle is knowing that you have people in your corner, right?
Come on ABC, pick up the phone and give her a call! And in the meantime, check out Elle Season 1, which is now streaming on Prime Video.