My First Five Husbands..: And the Ones Who Got Away by Rue McClanahan

Author:Rue McClanahan
Format: mobi
Tags: Autobiography, Actors - United States, Entertainment & Performing Arts - General, Entertainment & Performing Arts, General, United States, Biography & Autobiography, Television (Performing Arts), Personal Memoirs, Entertainment & Performing Arts - Actors & Actresses, Individual Actors And Actresses, Actors, Rue, McClanahan, Biography, Women
ISBN: 9780767926768
Publisher: Random House, Inc.
Published: 2007-04-10T04:00:00+00:00

In April, I accepted the female lead in a somewhat interesting play about a gal who, having been deeply hurt, swears off men and decides she’s a lesbian, until a sweet young guy starts wooing her, prompting her to reexamine her true sexual orientation.

Interesting, as my sofa pal would say.

I enjoyed smoking a cigar and stomping around in my overalls, but the actor playing the love interest seemed a little…oh, how shall we say it? Saucy in the sneakers? Mincy in the moccasins? Fluffy in the Florsheims? This was the stud who was supposed to ignite my character’s libido and swing her interest back to men? But the young director didn’t agree that we needed an actor with a bit more testosterone. On opening night, my leading man was sporting heavy mascara. He hadn’t worn mascara in dress rehearsal, and now he had on more than I did! His long curly lashes were fairly gleaming. I was mesmerized.

After the show, the director’s sister, who was producing the play, threw an opening-night party and, as it ran rather late, invited me to stay in her spare bedroom instead of driving home to New Jersey. How hospitable! I called Mark and told him I’d be home the next morning, but as I climbed into bed, there came a knock at my door. It was our producer—about three sheets to the wind—wanting to climb right in with me. Good grief, Gwendolyn! I explained that I’d only been playing a lesbian. Apparently, rather convincingly.

A pretty darn eventful production, but I was glad when it closed after one week. At the last performance, a wonderful Broadway actor named Bill Macy came backstage to introduce himself and congratulate me. As we chatted, he told me, “I’ve been hired to play the husband in a new Norman Lear series. A spin-off of All in the Family called Maude.”

“What a break!” I marveled. “And you deserve it, Bill. I’m envious, but happy for you!”

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Sandy had four puppies. Mark and I went through a few nervous weeks trying to keep them quiet, but the landlady dropped by and saw the menagerie crawling happily around, and even the saints couldn’t save us. Mark took Sandy to Oklahoma for the summer and I found homes for the puppies, taking the names and numbers of the adoptive parents. Then I focused on forging ahead with my career. (Remember that old thing?)

I’d salivated to get into the Joseph Papp circle for years and finally got an audition with the legendary producer. At an outdoor café in SoHo, I read some scenes for Mr. Papp and he hired me to understudy the leading lady in Sticks and Bones, David Rabe’s Pulitzer Prize–winning play on Broadway. After two weeks, Mr. Papp said, “I actually hired you to take over the role. The actress has already given notice. I want you to start playing it as soon as you’re ready.”

Ready? Honey child, I was born ready!

My character, Harriet, spent most of

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