Image courtesy of amazon.com
A good thing is happening in Hollywood. No longer do actresses have to be pigeonholed into one type of character for the entirety on their film career. (You know those stereotypical roles; romantic lead, ingénue, quirky best friend, working girl, comic relief, vamp, foil, hard-working mom, psychopath, tragic mulatto.) In this new version of Hollywood, actresses can move more easily through a variety of characters, being deeply conflicted and dramatic on one hand or top banana on the other. And for some actresses, especially if they have that facility, the days of being confined to one type of acting genre is over and the sky is the limit.
Arden Myrin is one of the new breed of actresses who is breaking the typecast mold. Known primarily for her comedy skits on “MadTV” and “Chelsea Lately,” Arden Myrin has had film roles in”Kinsey,” “Christmas with the Kranks,” “The Imformant!,” and “Wrong Cops,” just to name a few. And some of her strong performances demonstrate her versatility in comedy, as well as dramatic roles.
With her star still rising with a starring role in a new Netflix series and the soon to be released “HeadShop,” Arden took the time to speak with Fashion Reverie about her craft, her love affair with standup, and her passion for creating characters.
Images courtesy of celebmafia.com and wikipedia.com, respectively
Fashion Reverie: Arden is an interesting name, where does it come from and how did your parents pick that name?
Arden Myrin: My mom grew up in Queens, NY and went to Bayside High and I am named after my mom and my last name is some weird Swedish Viking derivation.
FR: You became involved in theater and acting as a young child. Where did this love of theater and creating characters come from?
Arden Myrin: I grew up in a tiny town in Rhode Island. There is still mostly just a general store and no stoplights. My parents had moved from New York City to this small town and every year my mom would take me to NYC. One year I saw “Annie,” and that was it for me. I was a redheaded kid and I just knew I could play Annie. My parents even recorded “Saturday Night Live” for me and I would watch and not understand some of the adult humor.
So, I just grew up in this country town and I couldn’t wait to be an adult. All we had was old movies on TV, so I believed that when I grew up I would be a Judy Holliday or Myrna Loy character.
FR: Do you think growing up in a small town fed into you’re desire to act and create characters?
Arden Myrin: My mom kind of strategically left NYC because she wanted her children to be able to create their own fun and their own magic. I think when there is a lack of constant stimulation you can be forced to use your imagination more. There is a beauty in growing up in a simple place that spurs creativity. I wanted to razzle dazzle, and there was no razzle dazzle in my home town. I wanted to be like Gypsy Rose Lee with sequins and feathers, anything other than the corduroys I saw every day.
Image courtesy of pinterest
FR: You really got your start in this industry as a member of the famous Groundlings and doing standup. Why comedy as a starting point?
Arden Myrin: I always loved Gilda Radner, Teri Garr, and Madeline Kahn. I just knew that if I didn’t go to Yale or Juilliard I needed some way to get on stage to show what I could do to get an agent. And I was always a kind of silly girl. I knew I could write something to help get me an agent.
I like making people laugh and I come from a very funny family. If you can brighten someone’s day with laughter than you have accomplished something good.
FR: You obviously love stand-up because you’ve been doing it for some time now. Why do you keep coming back to standup?
Arden Myrin: That’s an interesting question because standup terrifies me. You know there are not that many women who tour as standup headliners.
In this political climate we feel that the country is so divided; however, when you tour you get to know people in a way that you never would. And people who may have different political views don’t seem so strange and odd. It is a humbling experience to be welcomed in a town or city and share an experience with people who on the surface seem so different.
FR: You have done stage, screen, television, and stand-up. Which platform do you prefer, and why?
Arden Myrin: If I had to pick one, I like television the most because you can tell a story and develop a character over several episodes. Still, there is a thrill of doing live theater every night.
Image courtesy of “Chelsea Lately”
FR: Could you talk a little bit about appearing over 100 times on “Chelsea Lately”?
Arden Myrin: That show was so much fun, as well as a little frightening. You are flying solo on “Chelsea Lately” because you never did retakes. It was always fun because you so much wanted to do a good job. The audience would let you know if they got your jokes or not, and you were also on the show with really good comedians.
I was so grateful to be a part of that show and watch Chelsea build her whole brand and image. She is such a hard worker. You know, she was writing all those books in the middle of doing five shows a week. She would also fly all over the country on the weekends and do stand-up, as well as promote her books. She worked her ass off, and built that whole machine.
FR: How did being cast in “HeadShop” come about?
Arden Myrin: It was really a magical present. It was offered to me and I wish all my roles appeared so magically. I didn’t have to audition; my manager represented a couple of people who were cast (Evan Ross and Nicole Ari Parker). From beginning to end it was a great joy. I loved working with the writer/director Kim Bass.
Images courtesy of “HeadShop”
FR: Could you talk a little bit about your character Shelby in “HeadShop”?
Arden Myrin: Shelby is a sweet, newly divorced trophy wife who was married to a much older, wealthy man. She acquired a huge settlement from her divorce and now doesn’t know what to do with time and all this money. She has been seeing a therapist (played by Nicole Ari Parker) in San Francisco and has become obsessed with her. Shelby thinks her therapist is her best friend although she pays her.
FR: Without giving too much away, what do you think viewers will get from and like about “HeadShop”?
Arden Myrin: Audiences will find the movie funny, and that there is a lot of wit to it as well. The film celebrates community which is one of the themes of the film. The film speaks to gentrification, community, love and finding that place of acceptance.
FR: Fashion Reverie is a fashion magazine; that said, who are your favorite designers?
Arden Myrin: I recently have fallen in love with the YSL mini dress. I have been stalking online trying to buy vintage ones. When I come to NYC, I love going to the store ATT. They have such great clothes, they have Self Portrait, a brand I love.
FR: Which designers would you like to wear that you haven’t already worn?
Arden Myrin: That is an interesting question. I love ethereal clothes that make you feel like you are playing dress up. I am not afraid of a little whimsy. I would love to wear Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Rodarte, and Miu Miu.
Blake Patterson and Arden Myrin image courtesy of “HeadShop”
FR: Lets talk about the Blake Patterson clothes you are wearing in “HeadShop.”
Arden Myrin: Nicole Ari Parker’s therapist character moves her San Francisco practice to Oakland. I trail behind her to continue working with her as my therapist. So her I am driving across the Golden Gate Bridge in my white Bentley to Oakland because I am obsessed with this therapist. Now mind you, I am the only one from her practice in San Francisco who follows her to Oakland.
Next door to her office in Oakland is fashion store called the Nubian Queen run by Evan Ross’s character. The clothes are the beautiful African inspired-clothing made with the most luxurious African fabrics. I am like Malibu Barbie who has just found her design aesthetic in these unbelievable garments. I buy almost everything in the store from head wraps to you name it. It’s like I have found my true self. I become so obsessed with the clothing that I start to fund his clothing line.
Blake Patterson designed all these garments for me. Now, Blake is this small white guy from Ohio and it was a surprise to me that he was going to create all these incredible garments for me. The clothes are so magical and he made them all in one week. He went to an African fabric store and bought the fabric. He played with the different shapes and silhouettes. I got to wear one exquisite garment that was like a jumpsuit with a huge ruffle down one side.
Now, when Blake Patterson made the garments in the film, he didn’t know I was cast in the role. At any rate, the garments fit like a glove. The clothes are so beautiful and joyful and I got to wear maybe five or six of these incredible garments in the film. It was the most beautiful wardrobe I have ever worn in a film.
FR: What’s next for you?
Arden Myrin: I am in a new Netflix show. It is called “Insatiable,” and it’s about beauty pageants and murder, and I play a bad character. I am like Reese Witherspoon in “Legally Blond,” but I act like Reese in “Election.” I am all deception and duplicity. My character is Regina Sinclair and I am all southern charm, but evil. By the way, “Insatiable” is filmed in Atlanta. I am ruthless and wound tight. Alyssa Milano is also in the cast.
—William S. Gooch
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