Sarah Jessica Parker Explores her Past

Gina Wilhelm - Sarah Jessica Parker Explores her Past

NBC is bringing the British documentary show "Who Do You Think You Are?" to the States (the CBC has already aired a Canadian version).

As part of the series, Sarah Jessica Parker has come to Salem, MA. She was recently spotted at the Charter Street Cemetery filming a segment for the show.

The program explores the ancestry of various celebrities. Other stars who will be profiled in the series include Lisa Kudrow and Susan Sarandon.

The details are being kept secret, so it's unknown if there is a witch in Parker's family tree.

The show begins April 20th at 8 p.m. on your local NBC affiliate.

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Monique Gaffney on Theatre Dynasties

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Monique Gaffney on Theatre Dynasties

Monique Gaffney is no stranger to acting. Her father is Floyd Gaffney, a theater professor at UC San Diego and "the father of black theater in San Diego."

Floyd didn't want his daughter to get into acting. When she took his theater class, he gave her a B plus. Not an awful grade, but not an auspicious start, either.

It wasn't until both father and daughter received Patte awards that she found out she had his blessing.

Floyd received a lifetime achievement award. During his speech, he said he didn't want Monique to get into theater, but then he said "I saw her onstage and I just knew."

Monique hasn't found a way to make a full-time living acting in San Diego, but in spite of that, she still believes that "art is life."

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Has Kate Winslet "Blown Her Chances" at an Oscar?

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Has Kate Winslet "Blown Her Chances" at an Oscar?

Now that the Oscar nominations have come out, everyone is trying to figure out who's going to win.

Film critic Barry Norman thinks that Kate Winslet may have blown her chances at a win with her flustered Golden Globe acceptance speech.

In the speech, Winslet recognized the other women who were nominated in her category. Unfortunately, she forgot the name of Angelina Jolie.

In accepting the Golden Globe, Winslet said "I'm so sorry Anne, Meryl, Kristin - oh god, who's the other one... Angelina!"

Norman feels that between the unintended slight towards Jolie, Hollywood "royalty," and the fact that Winslet isn't American, she may very well have ruined her shot at winning the Oscar.

Though probably not connected, oddsmakers have shortened the odds that Meryl Streep will win the Oscar for her performance in "Doubt."

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Get Your Act Together - Review

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Get Your Act Together - Review


I've found another new book! This one is called Get Your Act Together and was written by Mike Pniewski.


Mike has been acting in film and television over 20 years, appearing in "We Are Marshall" and "Spaceballs," to name a couple.


In Get Your Act Together, he offers his tips for success in working consistently in a highly competitive career where the vast majority of his colleagues spend a lot of time without work.


He's also written the book in a way to be helpful in any career, not just acting.


Get Your Act Together looks like a great resource for anyone looking to get ahead. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.

Let me know!

Gina Wilhelm Actress

SAG Award Winners Announced

Gina Wilhelm Actress - SAG Award Winners Announced

The Screen Actors Guild awards were announced January 25th, and some very familiar faces were again recognized for their outstanding work.

Meryl Streep received an Actor award for her leading performance in "Doubt." Followers of this blog will remember that Streep has already achieved an Oscar milestone, having received a record 15 nominations.

Her SAG win could portend well for an Oscar.

However, the same could hold true for Kate Winslet, who already won Golden Globes for both lead actress and supporting actress and won a SAG award this weekend for her supporting performance in "The Reader."

The twist here is that her Golden Globe for "The Reader" was for supporting actress. Her lead actress award was for "Revolutionary Road."

For the Academy Awards, she received only a lead actress nomination (not one in each category), and that was for her "supporting" role in "The Reader."

When the Oscars are handed out, the actresses will be competing in the same category.

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Sundance Winners React

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Sundance Winners React

The Sundance Film Festival is over now, and one of its big winners is "Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire."

The movie got both the Audience and Grand Jury awards for a U.S. drama, and actress Mo'Nique received a Special Jury Prize for her performance.

One of the film's stars, first-time actress Gabourey Sidibe, described her experience at the festival as "insanely awesome," and as if it were "the land of Oz or something."

What a great start to an acting career!

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Meryl Streep Achieves Oscar Milestone

Gina Wilhelm - Meryl Streep Achieves Oscar Milestone

Meryl Streep sat down with Cynthia McFadden of Nightline to talk about her latest achievement.

With her latest nomination for leading actress in "Doubt," Streep has received 15 Oscar nominations, a record.

Streep talked to McFadden about the meaninglessness of being called "the world's greatest living actress."

She discussed how much she enjoys "difficult" women, whether Sister Aloysius from "Doubt" is the nun equivalent of Miranda Priestly from "The Devil Wears Prada", and if powerful women are being seen more positively.

Finally, she discusses her role-models.

I know I have found mine.

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Actresses React to Their First Oscar Nominations

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Actresses React to Their First Oscar Nominations

Viola Davis and Taraji P. Henson both received their first nominations for Academy Awards this year for "Doubt" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," respectively.

Both actresses, nominated in the supporting actress category, reflected on the new honors.

Henson screamed silently so as not to wake her baby. She also says costar Brad Pitt (also nominated for an award) was more excited for her than she was.

Viola Davis, who was in a single scene with with Meryl Streep, had her script for four months.

It sounds like the practice paid off.

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Michelle Williams Gets Into Character

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Michelle Williams Gets Into Character

Michelle Williams plays a forlorn woman in a Pacific Northwest town who's lost her dog in "Wendy and Lucy," imbuing her with sorrow.

She worked with Kelly Reichardt, the film's writer and director, and hopes and plans to work with her again.

To find the character, she started by reading the source material for the movie, "Train Choir," by Jon Raymond.

Reichardt, the director told her to watch Mike Leigh's "Bleak Moments" and Max Ophuls' "The Reckless Moment." She also gave Williams photos taken in Oregon and a picture of Verna Bloom.

Williams also watched work by video artist Sadie Benning and the film "Mouchette." She listened to Elliott Smith, Will Oldham, and Rachel's.

After that, though, much of her character work came from her own experiences.

Williams found the work with Reichardt healing. It gave her a sense of family that she hopes to continue in their next project together.

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Will Melissa Leo Get an Oscar Nomination?

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Will Melissa Leo Get an Oscar Nomination?

As we get closer and closer to the time for Oscar nominations to come out, people are still trying to handicap who--and what--will be named.

Will "Wall-E" be nominated for best picture (not likely. When "Beauty and the Beast" got the nomination, there wasn't an animated feature category)?

How about "The Dark Knight?" Will it (probably)?

And then, who might surprise us with a nomination?

The Chicago Tribune suspects that Melissa Leo may be nominated for her work in "Frozen River."

If that happens, Kristin Scott Thomas or Angelina Jolie may get squeezed out.

Then Angelina will have someone new at whom to glare.

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Can Kate Winslet Win Two Oscars This Year?

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Can Kate Winslet Win Two Oscars This Year?

Kate Winslet won two Golden Globes this year.

She was named best actress for her performance in "Revolutionary Road" and best supporting actress for "The Reader."

Now the question is whether she can repeat the feat at the Oscars.

Although there have been 11 times in the last 80 years that the same performer has received a leading and supporting nomination, no one has ever been able to take home both awards.

In fact, only one other person has managed to win two Golden Globes. In 1988, Sigourney Weaver won best actress for "Gorillas in the Mist" and best supporting actress for "Working Girl."

She didn't win either Oscar.

Now the LA Times is handicapping Winslet's chances of not only winning, but of being nominated for two Oscars.

Gina Wilhelm Actress

The Secret Diary of Billie Piper

Gina Wilhelm Actress - The Secret Diary of Billie Piper

Billie Piper has a varied career. She signed a record deal at age 15. She was considered by many fans to be one of Dr. Who's best traveling companions.

Now at age 25 she stars in the Showtime series "Secret Diary of a Call Girl."

In the title role of Belle, Piper frequently breaks the fourth wall to address the audience. That aspect of the show actually made her more nervous than the show's subject matter.

I, on the other hand, love to break the fourth wall. It doesn't make me nervous at all.

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Actor or Actress?

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Actor or Actress?

There's been some debate among my friends over what a woman who acts is supposed to call herself: Is she an actor or an actress? Or a female actor? Or a woman who acts?

The L.A. Times today which illuminates the debate, though does not give any answers.

Some contend that actress actually means a "small actor."

In days gone by, the term connoted a woman of ill repute (even worse than that of her male counterparts, which is saying something).

The actress Gene Tierney considered the word a "title," not a job description.

David Mamet is vehemently--and colorfully--opposed to the use of the term "actress."

Actress Fiona Shaw is in the minority of those who actually consider the word "actress" a badge of honor; usually the best you can hope for is that it not be considered an insult.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences still uses the word "actress," while the Screen Actors Guild uses the term "female actor."

On the other hand, the SAG award statuette is very definitely male, which may dilute the message of equality a bit.

In the meantime, I don't seem to be offended by the suffix "-ess" and the blog is already named, so for now, I continue to call myself...

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Chances are Good for Awards for "The United States of Tara"

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Chances are Good for Awards for "The United States of Tara"

"The United States of Tara" will air on Showtime starting Saturday, January 18, at 10 pm.

Gina Wilhelm Actress has noticed something of late on her Facebook account. There are ads for "The United States of Tara" everywhere.

Apparently, regardless of what comedy show I watch, it means I'll like "The United States of Tara."

"Scrubs?" Yup. "30 Rock?" Check. "The Simpsons?" You betcha. "The Daily Show?" Unbelievably, yes.

Now, it could just be that Gina Wilhelm Actress has astonishingly good taste in Funny, and the advertising is meant to imply that "The United States of Tara" is also Funny.

Otherwise, it's hard to say how a straight sit-com about a woman with multiple personality disorder is reminiscent of two workplace comedies, America's favorite animated dysfunctionals, and a comedy news parody.

"The United States of Tara" will air on Showtime starring actress Toni Collette as the aforementioned woman. In addition to her main personality, she's also a brooding teen, a '50s housewife, and a good ole boy.

Showtime has done well in terms of garnering awards lately. Last year David Duchovny won a Golden Globe for his work in "Californication," which was also nominated for best comedy series.

Duchovny and the show both received nominations this year. Mary-Louise Parker has been nominated the last two years in a row for her work on "Weeds." The program itself has also been nominated.

"Dexter" and its star, Michael C. Hall, have both been nominated for the last two years.

On top of that, cable shows not aired on HBO are getting more and more recognition at the Emmys.

Additionally, movies about people with multiple personalities are frequently well represented at award time. Joanne Woodward won an Oscar for her performance in "The Three Faces of Eve."

Sally Field won an Emmy for her turn in "Sybil," upsetting Jane Alexander, who was supposed to be a shoe-in.

Finally, Collette herself has won a number of critics' and other types of awards. She has also received numerous nominations for Emmys, Oscars, and Golden Globes.

Perhaps she and Showtime are hoping that this combination will get her the "major" awards that have just eluded her so far.

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Bo Derek Honored for her Work with Veterans

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Bo Derek Honored for her Work with Veterans

Bo Derek, the star of "10," was honored for her work on behalf of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

She has been the honorary chair of VA's National Rehabilitation Special Events since 2000.

Her work there was to encourage veterans to use the VA's rehabilitative services, improve public understanding of the program, and visiting Veterans Affairs medical centers.

She's also participated in several USO tours and worked with the Special Forces Association.

The Special Forces Association named Derek an honorary Green Beret.

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Sally Hawkins Snubbed for a BAFTA Award

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Sally Hawkins Snubbed for a BAFTA Award

Despite her win at the Golden Globes for best actress in a comedy or musical, Sally Hawkins was left off the list of nominees for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts award for the best actress.

Instead, Kate Winslet received two nominations, one for "The Reader" and one for "Revolutionary Road."

Winslet won Golden Globes for both movies, but she was nominated as a lead actress for "Road" and as a supporting actress for "The Reader."

Sally Hawkins' performance had been widely hailed and is considered to be a top contender for a lead actress Oscar for her performance in "Happy-Go-Lucky." Roger Ebert had called her "a joy to behold."

Her director for the movie, Mike Leigh, was also left out of the nominations.

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Iris Bahr has had Enough

Gina Wilhelm - Iris Bahr has had Enough

You may know Iris Bahr from her work on "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Wednesday night, though, she started performing in a very different project.

The Israeli-American actress is performing the one-woman show "Dai (Enough)" in Washington, DC at Studio Theatre's Milton space.

It's part of Theater J's Voices from a Changing Middle East festival.

Bahr, who wrote the show, plays 11 different characters, including left- and right-wing Israelis and a Palestinian professor. The show takes place in a Tel Aviv cafe moments before a suicide bomber destroys it.

She said the idea came to her when she was in a Hollywood coffee shop arguing with other actors. She says when others find out she's Israeli, the accusations start flying.

She also says the piece isn't really political. Her aim was not to express a certain political viewpoint, but to illuminate the "splintered Israeli psyche."

She wanted to show what it's like to live in a place where you're always under threat.

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Marilyn Novak and the Golden Age of Hollywood?

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Marilyn Novak and the Golden Age of Hollywood?

Marilyn Novak was in "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (the original) and "The Greatest Show on Earth."

She's the one you actually see in "The Day the Earth Stood Still" playing Helen Benson in the long shots--not Patricia Neal.

She might have had a chance to make it really big. But directors kept wanting her to run away with them, and she had a husband to whom she wanted to stay married.

She was the official pinup girl for the Washington DC National Guard in 1951. She notes, however, that it was pretty easy to get to be an official pinup girl.

Her agent asked if the guardsmen would be willing to make her their pinup girl. When they agreed, he was able to call her their "official pinup girl."

When John Kelly of the Washington Post pointed out that it sounds like the Hollywood was kind of sleazy, Novak says she thinks things are better now.

Back then, there was no point "bothering" with the actresses who wouldn't play ball. Now, she says, she thinks looks count for less and talent counts for more.

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Kate Winslet and Tina Fey Win Golden Globes

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Kate Winslet and Tina Fey Win Golden Globes

The Golden Globe ceremony was held last night, January 11, 2009.

Despite an earlier web mistake, it was Kate Winslet, not Anne Hathaway, who took home the best actress in a drama award for her role in "Revolutionary Road."

Winslet also received a supporting actress award for her work in "The Reader."

On the television side of things, Tina Fey won best actress in a comedy series for her work on "30 Rock." The program, which she also writes and produces, won for best television musical or comedy.

The Golden Globes have a reputation for being fairly informal. Mickey Rourke (who won best actor in a drama for "The Wrestler") gave an acceptance speech littered with obscenity.

Fey told her internet critics to "suck it."

In her speech, Kate Winslet said she was unaccustomed to victory. She had been nominated for five previous Golden Globes, but never won.

Now it's on to the Oscars, where Winslet also has five nominations but no wins.

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Cherry Jones is Not a Happy Housewife

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Cherry Jones is Not a Happy Housewife

When the new season of "24" starts tonight, there will be a new president--a woman. As played by Cherry Jones, Allison Taylor is the new Commander-in-Chief.

Ms. Jones points out that President Taylor's character isn't based on Hillary Clinton, though she can understand why one might think she was.

She actually based her own portrayal of the character on Eleanor Roosevelt, Golda Meir, and John Wayne, though The Duke has more to do with her walk than her psychology.

She does wonder, however, if President Taylor might lead the way for a nonfiction female president someday.

After all, Dennis Haysbert was an African-American president when Barack Obama was just starting his senate career.

The new job comes at a time when Meryl Streep is receiving accolades for playing a part Jones herself originated.

Ms. Jones won a Tony for her work as Sister Aloysius in the stage version of "Doubt." Streep is now up for a Golden Globe for the same role and is considered likely to get an Oscar nomination for the same part.

Cherry Jones is pragmatic about the situation. She says that she had a terrific run playing the role, but the director needed someone who hadn't played the role over 700 times.

She also calls Streep a "genius actor."

She also says that although President Taylor is married, she isn't a wife. She's the one running the show.

Jones refuses to play characters like Nora, the unhappy wife in Ibsen's "A Doll's House." She feels that those characters are always trying to be free.

That just isn't in her make-up. It may limit her somewhat (it's a highly prevalent type of role), but she prefers to play women who start free and have greater challenges.

Anne Hathaway Has Not Won the Golden Globe. Yet. Maybe.

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Anne Hathaway Has Not Won the Golden Globe. Yet. Maybe.

Anne Hathaway won a Critics' Choice award this week for her performance in "Rachel Getting Married."

On Friday, the website for the Golden Globes showed that she had won that award as well.

The website places a star next to the name of the winner of a category. On Friday, a star briefly appeared next to Ms. Hathaway's name.

The star was later removed.

A message appeared on the website saying that her name had "randomly" been marked as a winner and that only four executive at Ernst & Young LLP know who the winners are.

The Golden Globes will actually be announced Sunday night, Jan. 11, 2009, at 8 pm on NBC. Best of luck to Hathaway, Meryl Streep (her co-winner for the Critics' Choice award), and all the other nominees.

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Actresses Have to Study, Too

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Actresses Have to Study, Too

A number of movies this year take place in other times and places. How do today's actresses give convincing performances? Study.

Viola Davis has been nominated for a Golden Globe and is getting a lot of Oscar buzz for her performance in "Doubt," but originally she had a very different take on her scene.

At first, she approached the scene as a confrontation, the way a woman in 2008 might.

However, writer-director John Patrick Shanley reminded her that the interaction was taking place in 1964, and there had to be a "certain politeness" to it.

She studied Catholicism (her character converts to get her son into a Catholic school), read several books on the time, and watched a lot of film from the civil rights movement.

She took a lot of inspiration from the mother of Emmett Till, who gave a restrained and polite speech after her son's killers were acquitted.

For "The Secret Life of Bees," which also takes place in 1964, Queen Latifah's performance was aided by care packages the director sent the cast.

The care packages had books, movies, and songs of the era.

Elizabeth Banks, who plays Laura Bush in "W," read several books, but also watched the Charlie Rose's interviews with the First Lady.

She said there was such rapport between the two, it was a window into the First Lady's personality.

In addition to actual study, a lot of actresses in period pieces have been aided by their costuming.

Ms. Davis said the way her costume hid her-and the way the overcoat hid the rest of the costume-gave her real insight into her character's motivation.

Studying: It's not just for kids!

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Bollywood Hot Actress Gets in the Pool

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Bollywood Hot Actress Gets in the Pool

To film a song sequence in the upcoming movie "Trump Card,"
up-and-coming Bollywood hot actress Manasi, and models
Yashika and Urvashi Chowdhary jumped right in.

The sequence was filmed in the swimming pool at the Madh Island in Mumbai.

"Trump Card" is a low-budget murder mystery, but the Bollywood hot actress and her costars are enthusiastic about the project. With songs in a swimming pool, who wouldn't be?

Big Acting - Actress Search

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Actress Scott Thomas has Uphill Climb This Award Season

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Actress Scott Thomas has Uphill Climb This Award Season

According to the Los Angeles Times, women named Kate (or Cate) have it easy when it comes to film awards.

Katharine Hepburn was nominated for 12 Oscars. Kate Winslet was the youngest woman to get five nominations. Cate Blanchett has 5 nominations, too, and won a supporting actress Oscar-for playing Kate Hepburn.

Winslet and Blanchett are both up for awards again this year, as is Kate Beckinsale.

Emma Thompson has been nominated for a Golden Globe for her work in "Last Chance Harvey." Her character is named Kate, too.

Where does this leave Kristin Scott Thomas? This year she's brilliant as a woman released from prison after 15 years in "I've Loved You So Long," a French-language film.

Sadly, though, actress Scott Thomas doesn't play a Kate. Not even a Cate or a Kathryn. Instead, she's a "Juliette."

Ah well, at least she has that nomination from 1995 for "The English Patient."

Who did actress Scott Thomas play then? Oh, right: Katharine Clifton.

Gina Wilhelm Actress

In New York Actress Gives "Chicago" Talkback

Gina Wilhelm Actress - In New York Actress Gives "Chicago" Talkback

The Kander and Ebb musical "Chicago" has been running on Broadway for 12 years. Starting in September 2008, they started having "Talkback Tuesdays," a monthy question-and-answer session after a Tuesday performance.

January 6, 2009, the Talkbacks continue. Tonight in New York actress Melora Hardin will lead the question-and-answer session.

Hardin, who has extensive screen credits, stepped into the role of Roxie Hart on December 29, 2008.

She isn't a New York Actress (she originally hails from Texas), but she'll give audience members a glimpse behind the curtain of a long-running Broadway show

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Spanish Actress Penélope Cruz's Near Miss

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Spanish Actress Penélope Cruz's Near Miss

The National Society of Film Critics handed out their annual awards on Saturday, January 3, 2009. Hanna Schygulla took away the best actress prize for her work in "Edge of Heaven."

The society has two rounds of voting. Penélope Cruz, who is originally from Madrid, had won in the first round of voting for her work in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona." In the first round, Schygulla had come in fourth.

Interestingly, Eve, the "girl" robot in "Wall-E," also received a vote for best actress.

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Stockard Channing Avoids Typical Older Actress Roles

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Stockard Channing Avoids Typical "Older Actress" Roles

Stockard Channing does not want to do piñata parts; those are the grotesque roles for older women, drunken mothers-in-law and the like.

Instead, she's returning to a singing role for the first time since 1984 in "Pal Joey" on Broadway.

She describes her character in the show, Vera Simpson, as the original cougar. Vera is a rich married woman who is one of the title character's two love interests in the play.

The role is also most assuredly not a piñata part, which makes Channing very happy - along with the chance to sing again. One of her songs in the show is "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered."

Gina Wilhelm Actress enjoys piñata parts, but she also isn't actually an older actress yet. She just sometimes gets to play those roles. It may change by the time she's "older."

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Actress Jean Arthur Is Someone You Should Know

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Actress Jean Arthur is Someone You Should Know

Funnyhollywoodvideos has listed 10 classic film actresses that you should know and love.

Among these is Jean Arthur, who frequently appeared in Frank Capra's films. She appeared alongside Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, and Gary Cooper.

The other actresses are women with whom I'm more familiar: Katharine and Audrey Hepburn, Bette Davis, Ginger Rogers, Lucille Ball, Barbara Stanwyck, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, and Joan Crawford.

Jean Arthur is someone to know better.

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Review Acting Out

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Review Acting Out

I've just found this new book, Acting Out . It's written by Stuart Stone, a casting director from LA.

In Acting Out , he gives all the tips on booking film jobs in LA; getting an agent, what to know for a callback, how to get a great headshot.

Acting Out looks like a terrific resource. I'd love to hear what you think about it. Let me know!

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Isabelle Huppert on Cannes Film Jury

Gina Wilhelm Actress

French actress Isabelle Huppert has been chosen to head the jury for the 2009 Cannes film festival.

This is the second year in a row an actor has been the head juror. Last year the position was held by Sean Penn.

Ms. Huppert has won the best actress twice at the festival, in 1978 and in 2001. She has appeared in more than 90 movies.

The festival runs May 13 to 24.

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Cloris Leachman Loves a Parade

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Today marked the 120th Tournament of Roses parade. Its Grand Marshall was Cloris Leachman.

The 82-year-old actress made a new name for herself in her performance on the most recent season of "Dancing with the Stars."

The theme of this year's parade was Hats Off to Entertainment. The president of the Tournament of Roses thought she personified the theme perfectly.

Leachman has been having a big year. In addition to her turn on "Dancing," she also appeared in the remake of "The Women" with Jada Pinkett Smith, Carrie Fisher, Candice Bergen, Debra Messing, and Bette Midler.

She also taped an upcoming episode of "The Office," which will air after the Super Bowl.

She just wrapped filming a Quentin Tarantino film, "Inglourious Basterds," with Brad Pitt.

She has also worked on projects with Lou Diamond Phillips, Val Kilmer, and Natalie Portman.

Gina Wilhelm Actress wishes to point out that when she performed in the Rose Parade, her Grand Marshall was Chi Chi Rodriguez. I sorta wish it had been Cloris.

Gina Wilhelm Actress