The world is in a pretty sad and alarming state at the moment and we all long for sweeter, more tranquil times. I know I do. However a little humour helps.
The posts of Liam Neeson in full Easter Bunny costume reciting nursery rhymes, on Instagram, in his “hard man” character, are a joy. Actors who can make fun of themselves are the best. I remember Katharine Hepburn saying to me “ what a ridiculous profession ours is, dressing up in funny clothes and being some-one else”.
When we were making “The Lion in Winter”, Kate, as we called her, would change out of her costume and her make-up as often as possible. She felt more relaxed I think. She would put on her favoured clothes – her uniform-pants and white shirt, her comfortable wardrobe. Kate would also collect cardigans from her leading men…she often wore one of Spencer Tracy’s old cardigan.
She was right – it is a daft career for a grown-up, but we love doing it and it does bring pleasure to some people, so why not? I think we need all the smiles we can get at the moment.
Kate, as I was invited to call her, was a remarkable woman and actress. There is an interesting documentary about her life and work on Netflix. I would often have dinner with her when we were filming in France and heard many of her fascinating stories. She made it all look so easy, but it wasn’t. I will write more about her in another story.
Leave a Reply