Nearly everyone can recognize Jolie's or Johansson's, um, talents from across a crowded theater, but what about the woman playing their best friend, mom, or even Pilates instructor? Here I shine a spotlight on those actresses that live in the shadows and ask the question:
Who's That Lady?
Judy Greer
Judy Greer
Judy Greer was born in Livonia, a town outside of Detroit. For nearly ten years, she trained as a dancer. The most intriguing notation I found about Judy's life is that she worked as an oyster shucker. Was that a high school summer job, or a struggling-actress-looking-for-work job? Considering that three days after graduating from DePaul University's theater program, she landed her first acting gig, I'm thinking the former. To find work in the industry so quickly, it had to be kismet.
3 Unforgettable Roles
Cursed - A horror movie, especially such a lame one, must seem an odd choice. As Joanie, Jake's jealous ex-lover, Judy's the only reason anyone should ever want to sit through this. One particular outburst by Joanie almost made it worth the price of admission.
The Great New Wonderful - As Allison, one of the main characters in this series of vignettes concerning post-9/11 New York, Judy gives an nuanced performance as a mother in denial about her son's dysfunctional emotional state. I hope this serious, sensual character is just the beginning of larger roles for Ms. Greer.
TV: Arrested Development - Those with exceptional taste in television will remember Ms. Greer most famously for the not-so-last words, "It's the last time you'll see these!" as spoken by her character Kitty Sanchez.
What can I say about Kitty? Well, Judy sells Kitty's sex-crazed ways perfectly. Just talking about it makes me want to hunker down for an evening marathon of Kitty episodes.Honorable Mentions: Interesting factoid: Judy played a secondary character named Kitty in The Village and was the main patient on the TV medical drama, House. That episode, coincidentally, was titled Here Kitty. Strange, right? I guess it would've been too much for the writer's of Californication to name her hooker role Kitty instead of Trixie. In 27 Dresses, Judy has some fun as Jane's raunchy best bud. Her small part as the waitress Alice in Adaptation almost edged out Cursed. She was so cute that I just didn't understand why Kaufman wouldn't lock that down.
Saw it, but even I don't remember her in it!
Who doesn't remember George Clooney's sex scene at the beginning of Three Kings? What I don't remember is that Judy was the other half of that sex sandwich! However, that's not the only time I overlooked her presence.
Films: Elizabethtown, Jawbreaker, What Women Want, The Wedding Planner, American Dreamz
Knowing Judy Greer plays the patented best friend or the sexually-charged lady, you'd think I'd recall seeing her more often. If you want to know more about her career, check out her IMDB and Wikipedia pages.
Opening this weekend, you can catch Judy portraying Jennifer Aniston's friend Marty in Love Happens. Judy Greer has four upcoming movies and a recurring role on the new television show Glen Martin, DDS. Of those five, my excitement is torn between the phenomenal cast of Peep World and the nadless adventures of Barry Munday. Guess that means I'll have to watch them both!
Great choice, and it must be said, great rack.
ReplyDeleteSuch an awesome role for her in Arrested. "Take the glasses off...no, put the glasses back on. Ok, hair down, glasses off. No, hair up, glasses on...."
I, too, had forgotten that she was Clooney's chica in Three Kings. Though, it was an awfully small role.
Her AD role is unforgettable.
ReplyDeleteI actually had another WtL lined up next, but when I realized Judy had a new movie, I couldn't pass up the chance to post her first.