Joan Allen
Allen, 48, is on the mommy track. In The Upside of Anger, Allen plays a bitter, boozy mother of four who's abandoned by her husband. And in Off the Map, she's an earthy matron who favors gardening in the nude.
ON BARING ALL FOR OFF THE MAP I've always said no to nude scenes. They were going to use a body double, but once I got to Taos, N.Mex., where we shot the film, the atmosphere blew my mind. Once I hung out there, I was like, "Well, I can kind of see why someone would garden naked here." It's not a sexual scene at all. It's very National Geographic. It's shot very tastefully with a lot of sagebrush in between. That comforted me. I'd been working out, so I was in good shape.
ON HER UPSIDE LOVE INTEREST, KEVIN COSTNER I met him for the first time for lunch [before filming the movie]. He's very smart. And he was funnier than I thought.
ON MANAGING ANGER IN REAL LIFE Anger is really tough for me. I tend to avoid angry situations. I've had enough therapy to realize I should understand how to express anger in a positive way. But I'll flare up for a few seconds and then just sit on it. Or I want to run immediately into the other room. Being misunderstood is a real lightning rod for me.
ON SEPARATING FROM HER HUSBAND, ACTOR PETER FRIEDMAN, IN 2002 It was a totally different experience [than in Upside]. We're on very, very good terms. I asked my daughter [Sadie, 11] after she saw the movie if I was like that and she said, "No, Mom, God no." I said, "Okay, just checking."
ON HER DATING LIFE It's nonexistent. I don't go out very much, so it's partially my own doing. I haven't been on a date in forever. I'm with my daughter a lot. I keep hoping that when it makes sense, then something will happen.
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