SINATRA
Harden had played a “white trash, Texas trailer”-type character in a 1991 TV movie In Broad Daylight, so she was shocked when director James Steven Sadwith wanted her to play Ava Gardner in CBS’ Frank Sinatra biopic miniseries. “I said, ‘Dude, Ava Gardner is considered the most beautiful woman in the world. You cast me as this trashy person.’ He said, ‘No, I think you can.'” So she did. “I didn’t think of myself as beautiful, but to be in her gowns… and you know, beauty is a lot about attitude.” She remembers the scene above, “where they had this mink that slipped down [Ava’s] shoulders… and I was just like, the sexiest thing ever!” Harden laughs. “I kept a little bit of that Ava, I hope, in my life with me.”
Loving Barkskins so far, she’s great.
I’ll admit I haven’t seen a whole lot of her work, but she was so so so so good on Damages. I remember wishing they had kept her around past that season.
I miss Trophy Wife!
So, so much! That show was hilarious, and she was fantastic
Thirded! So incredibly underrated.
It’s one of those shows I think of every so often and wish it could have continued. Go On is another excellent one season comedy.
I wasn’t a fan of how SVU handled her character as time went on. I loved her first two appearances. It became a joke in my family that the only good guys were the SVU squad even though they did a lot of the same things so the ends would justify everything. At this point, she’s better keeping her character far away from the show. Next they’ll turn her into a pedophile serial killer that’s after Olivia and Rollins’ kids.
In other news, MGH is a fantastic actor and I hope she continues to get meaty roles.
I do have to agree, the way SVU did Dana was dirty. It was so out of character with no real explanation about how that informed who she had become.
Her chemistry with Luis Guzman was among the best I’ve ever seen on TV. Code Black had some rough spots in the writing, but it was 100% worth tuning in each week just for the two of them.
I agree, loved those two together.
Though this is about tv, my introduction to Harden was in Millers Crossing. Been hooked ever since!
Code Black was the best medical show. CBS did a disservice by cancelling it. It was well written, directed, acted and shot. There was no hanky spanky like other medical shows that are still on.
I miss Code Black. It was a great show, wish they would bring it back.
Her character in SVU was decimated. Totally destroyed in her last episode.
Trophy Wife just needed a better title and it would have made it. “It Takes Three”, “Third Time’s the Charm”, “Functional Family” – I feel like shows that come with a great name are lucky, bc it’s hard (clearly).
TVLine, what Marcia said about regretting her last SVU appearance would make a really cool article: what episodes do recurring guest stars or former regulars regret returning for – or respectfully declined because they wanted to protect their character? Fans always THINK they want to see their favorite actor in character again, but is it always for the best? I’m thinking of Amber Benson turning down an appearance as Tara in S7 of Buffy bc she didn’t want an evil image to be fans’ last impression and I’m sure there are more. I keep thinking for soaps one of the only ways for actors to protect their character from terrible writing is to just leave the show, and then that brings in, does one do it for the money even if they think the story is bad. It’s a business! I’d be super curious what actors had to say. :)
I love her on law and order and on the movie mystic river
Mystic River was awesome. She was nominated for an Academy Award. Her winning role in Pollack was great.
Yes Marcia Gay Harden knew David Marshall Grant from “Code Blue” but she also almost two years playing pill addictive wife Harper Pitt married to Grant’s deeply closeted gay Mormon Joe Pitt In the original Broadway production of “Angels in America”. They worked very well with each other.
I still miss Trophy Wife. That was such an underrated gem. The cast was fabulous!