On the first day of this thing I could now call “work,” I walked into the Resistance Base set for rehearsal and J.J. She stood in the mirror behind me and smiled like we had gotten matching tattoos. So after we tested a few other space-appropriate hairstyles, we decided to embrace the weird galactic nepotism of it all and went with the mini–Leia buns. Even though she complained for years about how the iconic Leia buns “further widened my already wide face,” she desperately wanted me to carry on the face-widening family tradition! Some people carry on their family name, some people carry on holiday traditions–I was going to carry on the family hairstyle. Funnily enough, my mom had more to say about my hairstyle than her own. (Actually, she wasn’t really one for sitting, so she paced up and down and around me, occasionally reapplying her already overapplied glitter makeup and feeding Gary, her French bulldog.) Between glitterings, the hairstylist crafted what was to become General Leia’s hairstyle, then it was on to me: little Lieutenant Connix. On that first day, my mom and I sat next to each other in the hair and makeup trailer. I couldn’t tell my mom, but little sassy, sarcastic, postcollege me felt like a giddy, grateful middle schooler showing up to a fancy new school. So on that fateful first day driving up to Pinewood, I was like a doe-eyed child.
#Ikeeper time full
Growing up, my parents treated film sets like a house full of people with the flu: they kept me away from them at all costs. And there I was, on my way to be in motherf-cking Star Wars. I was definitely afraid, but as a wise woman once said, “Stay afraid, but do it anyway … The confidence will follow.”Ībout a month later, they somehow ended up calling. I assumed they would never call me, but after that audition, I realized I wanted to give the whole acting thing a shot. I was terrified and most likely made a fool of myself, but I kind of had a great time doing it.
I probably had never been more nervous in my life.
A couple weeks later I went in for my audition. So when my mom called me and told me they wanted me to come in to audition for Star Wars, I pretended it wasn’t a big deal–I even laughed at the concept–but inside I couldn’t think of anything that would make me happier. I was embarrassed to admit I was even slightly interested. I went to school planning to throw music festivals, but always had this little sliver of me that wanted to do what my parents pushed me so hard not to do–act. When I graduated from college, like most folks, I was trying to figure out what the hell to do with my life. And no one could have played her like my mother. She doesn’t need anyone to defend her, because she defends herself. She knows what she wants, and she gets it. I realized then that Leia is more than just a character. It was a side of my mom I had never seen before. People had stories of how Leia saved their lives. People waited in line for hours just to meet her.
Watching the amount of joy it brought to people when she hugged them or threw glitter in their faces was incredible to witness. It was surreal: people of all ages from all over the world were dressed up like my mom, the lady who sang me to sleep at night and held me when I was scared. It was the first time I realized how widespread and deep people’s love for Leia was, even after so many years. Later that year, I went to Comic-Con with my mom. I was supposed to be the “cool,” “hot” one–not her! But staring at the screen that day, I realized no one is, or ever will be, as hot or as cool as Princess F-cking Leia. Like any kid, I didn’t want my mom to be “hot” or “cool”–she was my mom. I’d wanted to hate it so I could tell her how lame she was.
#Ikeeper time movie
So I went home and watched the movie I had forever considered too loud and finally figured out what all the fuss was about the lady in the TV. My mom? The lady who wore glitter makeup like it was lotion and didn’t wear a bra to support her much-support-needed DD/F’s? They couldn’t be talking about her! I had to investigate who this person was they were talking about.
#Ikeeper time tv
I’m sorry! Don’t judge me!) My mom used to love to tell people that every time she tried to put it on, I would cover my ears and yell, “It’s too loud, Mommy! Turn it off!”–or fearfully question, “Is that lady in the TV you?” It wasn’t until middle school that I finally decided to watch it of my own accord–not because I suddenly developed a keen interest in ’70s sci-fi, but because boys started coming up to me and saying they fantasized about my mom. (And I technically didn’t finish it until I was 9 or 10. I didn’t watch Star Wars until I was about 6 years old.
0 kommentar(er)
