.”
“Sedra was a pretty big star in her day. I’m giving her a chance to make a comeback,” Dana said. “Two decades is a long time to be out of the public’s eye. Heck, she hasn’t really worked since before I was born.”
“Cheers to you!” Tim said raising his glass. “Sedra’s a star. At least in gay drag clubs.”
Dana laughed out loud. “I can totally see that,” she said. Then, smiling conspiratorially, Dana whispered, “Tell you a secret. Sedra wasn’t the first choice for Trixie’s role. Hell no. She wasn’t even the second or third or tenth. Nope. Not at all. I wanted Cher to play my grandmother. But Cher said no . Then I demanded that lady on that old show, ‘Raymond.’”
“Doris Roberts?” Tim said. “She would’ve been great.”
“Hell yeah, she would have been great. But she said, ‘No-way Jose.’ Then I had a fight with the producer ‘cause he wouldn’t even contact Sandra Bullock or Angelina Jolie. Said he wouldn’t insult ’em. Sheesh, what a jerk. He insulted me by making me feel less of a star than those old women. Sedra and I have plans to bite his butt, too. But he finally got me Sedra. Which was totally my idea ’cause she’s been writing me letters for a couple of years. Said she could tell that I came from a long line of talent. Said she was a fan and wanted to know me better. No line of talent, trust me. My parents are boobs who believe in the resurrection of Elvis. Anyway, I’m adopted.”
“Maybe it’s time you produced and directed your own films,” Tim said. “You’ve had two back-to-back blockbusters. I’ll bet if you asked politely, the studio would say, ‘You go girl! Make us buckets of dough!’”
Dana was suddenly a bit more alert. “I wouldn’t even have to be polite,” she said. “I’m not as dumb as people think. Even Sedra treats me as though I’ve got mostly air between my ears. Thinks she’s teaching me about life.” She rambled, realizing that she was offering too much information, but was unable to stop her wagging tongue.
Tim said, “Don’t let Sedra suck too much of your power. You can do very well without her help. I don’t believe that anybody thinks you’re dumb.”
“Well, my producer’s too dumb to think I’m dumber,” Dana giggled.
“You were smart enough to think of Sedra Stone for the role of Catharine and to build it up with more dialogue,” Tim said.
“Smart. Not dumb,” Dana parroted Tim, and nodded her head in a wobble. “I would have thought of Sedra eventually, if she hadn’t thought of herself first. Matter of fact, Sedra’s dumber ’cause she wanted that stupid role when it only had one line. Said she wanted to be close to me. Oh, not like a lez or anything. Said she felt maternal pride…even though we’d only e-mailed each other.”
“Now her character has pages of dialogue,” Tim said. “She was damn smart to find another meal ticket. But I can tell that you see through her. She’s always been transparent to me, too, and to anyone with an ounce of intuition.”
Suddenly feeling vulnerable, Dana pulled her blouse closed and fumbled with the buttons. “I should be directing my own work,” she repeated Tim’s ludicrous suggestion as if she’d just thought of it herself. “And what’s this about your mother and a Hall of Fame? She’s not like someone that important, is she?”
Tim slowly nodded his head. “Used to be,” he said. “Did you ever hear of Carol Burnett?”
Dana shrugged.
“When Polly Pepper—Mom—was working on television, she was a bigger name.”
Dana looked around, unable to find her whisky glass, which was immediately in front of her. For a long moment she sat and starred at the paisley wallpaper, which only helped to make her dizzy. Then, in a defeated voice born from too much alcohol, and way too many surprises, she said, “I think I knew that. I don’t feel so great.”
Dana folded her arms on the table and laid her head down. She instantly fell
“Sedra was a pretty big star in her day. I’m giving her a chance to make a comeback,” Dana said. “Two decades is a long time to be out of the public’s eye. Heck, she hasn’t really worked since before I was born.”
“Cheers to you!” Tim said raising his glass. “Sedra’s a star. At least in gay drag clubs.”
Dana laughed out loud. “I can totally see that,” she said. Then, smiling conspiratorially, Dana whispered, “Tell you a secret. Sedra wasn’t the first choice for Trixie’s role. Hell no. She wasn’t even the second or third or tenth. Nope. Not at all. I wanted Cher to play my grandmother. But Cher said no . Then I demanded that lady on that old show, ‘Raymond.’”
“Doris Roberts?” Tim said. “She would’ve been great.”
“Hell yeah, she would have been great. But she said, ‘No-way Jose.’ Then I had a fight with the producer ‘cause he wouldn’t even contact Sandra Bullock or Angelina Jolie. Said he wouldn’t insult ’em. Sheesh, what a jerk. He insulted me by making me feel less of a star than those old women. Sedra and I have plans to bite his butt, too. But he finally got me Sedra. Which was totally my idea ’cause she’s been writing me letters for a couple of years. Said she could tell that I came from a long line of talent. Said she was a fan and wanted to know me better. No line of talent, trust me. My parents are boobs who believe in the resurrection of Elvis. Anyway, I’m adopted.”
“Maybe it’s time you produced and directed your own films,” Tim said. “You’ve had two back-to-back blockbusters. I’ll bet if you asked politely, the studio would say, ‘You go girl! Make us buckets of dough!’”
Dana was suddenly a bit more alert. “I wouldn’t even have to be polite,” she said. “I’m not as dumb as people think. Even Sedra treats me as though I’ve got mostly air between my ears. Thinks she’s teaching me about life.” She rambled, realizing that she was offering too much information, but was unable to stop her wagging tongue.
Tim said, “Don’t let Sedra suck too much of your power. You can do very well without her help. I don’t believe that anybody thinks you’re dumb.”
“Well, my producer’s too dumb to think I’m dumber,” Dana giggled.
“You were smart enough to think of Sedra Stone for the role of Catharine and to build it up with more dialogue,” Tim said.
“Smart. Not dumb,” Dana parroted Tim, and nodded her head in a wobble. “I would have thought of Sedra eventually, if she hadn’t thought of herself first. Matter of fact, Sedra’s dumber ’cause she wanted that stupid role when it only had one line. Said she wanted to be close to me. Oh, not like a lez or anything. Said she felt maternal pride…even though we’d only e-mailed each other.”
“Now her character has pages of dialogue,” Tim said. “She was damn smart to find another meal ticket. But I can tell that you see through her. She’s always been transparent to me, too, and to anyone with an ounce of intuition.”
Suddenly feeling vulnerable, Dana pulled her blouse closed and fumbled with the buttons. “I should be directing my own work,” she repeated Tim’s ludicrous suggestion as if she’d just thought of it herself. “And what’s this about your mother and a Hall of Fame? She’s not like someone that important, is she?”
Tim slowly nodded his head. “Used to be,” he said. “Did you ever hear of Carol Burnett?”
Dana shrugged.
“When Polly Pepper—Mom—was working on television, she was a bigger name.”
Dana looked around, unable to find her whisky glass, which was immediately in front of her. For a long moment she sat and starred at the paisley wallpaper, which only helped to make her dizzy. Then, in a defeated voice born from too much alcohol, and way too many surprises, she said, “I think I knew that. I don’t feel so great.”
Dana folded her arms on the table and laid her head down. She instantly fell
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