Movies - TV
Let's Talk About Kirstie Alley's Most Underrated Role
By BJ COLANGELO
Directed by Michael Park Jann from a brilliant script by Lona Williams, the mockumentary "Drop Dead Gorgeous" was a financial and critical flop but has developed a die-hard cult following over the years. The movie boasts a stellar cast that includes Ellen Barkin, Allison Janney, and Kirsten Dunst, but it was Kirstie Alley’s performance as Gladys Leeman that stole the show.
Gladys Leeman was a departure for Alley because while the role is undeniably funny, the humor is downright bleak, in contrast to her time on “Cheers.” Alley’s Gladys is a woman that anyone who grew up in a small Midwestern town knows all too well, a busybody who genuinely thinks she's better than everyone else.
"Drop Dead Gorgeous" is a messy masterpiece, and without the perfect villainy of Kirstie Alley's Gladys Leeman, there's no way the film would have worked as well. Whether it's her speech about "big city, no bra wearin', hairy-legged, women's libbers" or the agonizing cry of "the swan ate my baby!" after her daughter literally blows up on a parade float, Alley's comedic timing was undeniable.