Melora Hardin on social reactions
Melora Hardin [Jan Levinson in NBC's "The Office"] is also a musician, and in our interview several years ago, she talked about how actors and artists - especially women - are responded to and labeled.
“I have never ever felt when I walked into a room as a brunette that anybody was testing my intelligence. But as a blonde, I certainly felt that way. That was really weird. I really enjoyed being blonde, but I felt myself being tested more, by men especially, but by women also….
“This is what I have, this is my package. I just happen to be wrapped with this color paper and this color of bow: my looks. It’s nice that it’s pleasing to a lot of people, and that I don’t have to struggle with that in this lifetime…
“If I were Claudia Schiffer I’d be glad to make millions off of my long legs and big breasts and blonde hair, I’d have no problem with that. But I’m not her, and have other things that are appealing, and I don’t mind using them.”
Labeling of artists is “a pain,” she agrees - “And we all hate it, but it’s one of those things you have to have a sense of humor about. But this is a business. and you have to give the businessmen something to grab onto: that labeling is not for the artist, it’s for the businessmen; they’re not creative thinkers, they don’t think the way we think, they can’t be whimsical the way we can be, they need concreteness.”
Quotes from my interview with Melora Hardin
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