Women my own age, Part 12

Come on, everybody now!

Only you can set me free, 'Cause I'm guilty - guilty - guilty as a girl can be...

Amber Smith, born March 2, 1972. Looked at broadly (which isn't a bad idea), actress and fashion model Amber Smith has a handful of award-winning films and television shows to her credit.

She's appeared in American Beauty, L.A. Confidential, The Rat Pack, and an episode of Friends. However, her parts in all were either small, dependent on her displaying her body (naked or otherwise), or both.

One can understand why. She is picturesque, to say the least. But then, so are a lot of actress/models who don't have her credits, so either she's doing something right or she's the luckiest actress/model in the US...

Judith Godrèche, born March 23, 1972. When I said Charlotte Gainsbourg was the French girl in this series, I didn't realize Ms. Godrèche was also going to be in it.

I first saw her in the film Ridicule, about which I remember little now, save that I was delighted in her performance. Since then I have also seen her in the film La Désenchantée~

~ about which I remember more. It's a very quiet film, which depends a lot for its effect upon what we read into Ms. Godrèche's face. The character isn't going to tell us what she's feeling or thinking easily.

This seems to fit with what is, according to her IMDb bio, Ms. Godrèche's favorite poem. I like it, too. Here is an excerpt, but you should follow the link and read the whole thing.

What I was taught,
I go down from the window at the back of the house.
I went to the countryside with grand plans,
But all I found in it was grass and trees,
And when there were people, they were just like other people
I step back from the window and sit in a chair. What should I think about now?

Now may I tell you what I get a kick out of? I get a kick out of the fact that I have just discovered a poem that was new to me; in which I find much philosophy. And I never would have read it, had Godrèche not been so beautiful.

There's something about all women in that, to coin a phrase.

Or all men.

I get no kick from champagne; Mere alcohol doesn't thrill me at all...So tell me, why should it be true...

(And BTW, who else do you know who gives Bananarama and Sinatra nearly equal space in his heart?)

NiCole Robinson, born April 12, 1971. Ms. Robinson-and she put that capital "C" there-was Margaret on The West Wing for all seven years, first as secretary to the great John Spencer's character, Leo.

After that well-remembered actor's sad passage, I'm not sure whose secretary she became (I'd stopped watching), but I know she was with the show until the end.

"Serious" WW fans like me all have our favorite "Margaret moments." Fortunately for you, a YouTuber called diloeee has put together a compilation of about five minutes of some of the funniest.



On one of the WW DVD commentaries, director Tommy Schlamme describes Robinson's acting style as "One foot through the wall." See what he means?

For the record, my two favorites in that comp are one that I'll just call "Who's Elizabeth?" so as not to blow a punch line, and when Leo finds out Margaret's been practicing the President's signature.

An episode called Lord John Marbury has my favorite non-comedic (and not included in the above comp) "Margaret moment." It comes when Josh tells Leo that his (Leo's) drug problem is about to be made public, and asks if his family knows.

Yes, Leo says, they know...and almost before he says it, Margaret is nodding her own reply to Josh's question. I always loved that, because even though nothing is ever mentioned about it again, what it said to me is: Margaret not only knows, she knows and is keeping track of everyone else who knows...