Bladerunner’s Zhora, Six Feet Under’s Margaret Chenowith and even Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead’s Rose – let’s be honest your faves could never. Yes, it’s fair to say Joanna Cassidy has taken on some truly iconic roles. Currently appearing in Bravo’s terrific Odd Mom Out, Loverboy caught up with her to discuss narrowly missing out on the role of Wonder Woman, which of her characters has been adapted by drag queens and what she is expecting from the Bladerunner sequel.
First up, you’ve played some truly iconic roles. What do you think they all have in common?
I see a sardonic wit but I’m really a pushy cat.
You were originally due to play Wonder Woman, but the Director insisted Lynda Carter play the role at the last minute. Do you think you could have beaten her at the famous Wonder Woman transformation spin?
Yes, it was between myself and Linda Carter but it’s okay because my career would have taken a whole other direction. No doubt, I could have beaten Linda at the transformation spin.
When I first saw you as Zhora in Blade Runner, you were instantly one of my favourite villains of all time. Did you see her as a villain?
No, I never saw Zhora as a villain. I saw her as a survivor and she was only built to last for years. You do know that Zhora’s Inception was just in June. June 12, 2016. So I guess I have four years left now unless they can come up with a way to save me.
What are your thoughts about the upcoming Blade Runner sequel?
I’m very excited about Blade Runner 2 but also a little apprehensive. I don’t know that any movie could have beaten the original but we will see. The new director, Deni, is a fantastic director and I’m really looking forward to seeing what he is doing with the movie.
I’ve just finished Grace Jones’ autobiography and she says they wanted her to play the part initially. We know Grace is partial to a good yarn. What’s your side in this?
As far as I know I’m the only person they really saw to play the part. I love Grace Jones very much but sometimes I think she’s a legend in her own mind. I will tell her face to face that I used to stay up half the night dancing to her ‘Pull up to the bumper.’
You pretty much invented the drag term Executive Realness with your look in ‘Don’t Tell Mom…’ have you ever seen any drag queens dress up in any of your looks?
I have seen drag queens dress like Rose in Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead. I also just saw a traveling art show where an artist did a full size rendering of Rose in the red jacket at the MoCA museum. It’s always interesting to me to see people copy a look that I’ve designed. I love it. I hope that it continues to go that way.
Words cannot express how much I loved you as Margaret Chenowith. What’s your opinion of her?
Thank you for the compliment. I love her too. She was a combination of insanity and vulnerability. A woman who was verging on being a psychopath and not having a lot of empathy but every now and again she would come through for someone. She was one of the more strangely lucid characters that I’ve played. And I’m so glad that Ellen Pool who was one of the producers, she always pushed for me to come back. It only started out as a two episode role, but in the first year it developed and stayed on the five years.
Did you have a favourite scene?
My favourite scene with Margaret Chenoweth was when I was waiting with Brenda in my car for my husband’s lover to come out of the spa. After they said, ‘Action’, I pulled the woman out of the car and I thought the entire crew was going to die with laughter. They didn’t expect that at all and it’s a good thing it was a stuntwoman in the car. I had a great time with that scene and felt that I should have been nominated for an Emmy for that. I always imagined that females would go into rage mode after they see something like that which is what made me do that scene. It was so liberating. Maybe a little too liberating. I’m such a lady.
Along with iconic roles have come some pretty iconic wigs – from Don’t Tell Mom… to Who Framed Roger Rabbit? to Star Trek and more. Which has been the hardest work with?
My most painful wig was the one I wore in Dangerous Beauty. It was a period piece taking place in the 1600/1700’s when the Italians adhere a wig to you. They used tiniest little pins to hold up your own hair. I have never had such headaches in my life at the end of every day because the actual wig itself was so tiny and had to be so small around my face. It wasn’t like a large lace front wig that can relax on your head. Those little Italian ladies were constantly running around me repinning and repinning. I just wore a silver wig in a show that I did. I thought I look very good in it. I like silver around my face now.
I’ve read that you turned down the role of Elvira in Scarface. Is this true?
I would have loved to have been in Scarface but the truth is, no I never got asked to be in that movie. That’s just one of those little gossip things floating around.
Finally we are named after the infamous Mariah Carey song. What is your favourite Mariah song?
Your name is the name of the song that I love that she did. I think she’s an amazing singer. Maybe she needs to come down off for cloud a little bit. I do really admire her as a singer.
Joanna is on Instagram & Twitter and can currently be in seen in Bravo TV’s Odd Mom Out.
