You all know by now that we lost yet another institution with the passing of Rue McClanahan last week. What's the connection? One of Rue's last regular roles was as Peggy on the Logo series (the events take place before the events of the show). That's Rue with the amazing Beth Grant, reprising her role as Sissy in both the original production and the movie.
Joyce Labriola, who runs our sister organization, JTMF West, shared these quotes with us, and we thought we'd share them with you. They are from Leslie Jordan (who played Brother Boy in all three versions) and Beth Grant, both of whom knew and loved Rue well, and both of whom have amazing things to say about a very funny woman...
Leslie Jordan:“I got really close in the twilight of Rue’s life. She’s one of the true Southern ladies. She showed up in Shreveport, La. to play my mother on the series Sordid Lives with a portable sewing machine, and she wanted to make her own hats. She just said, ‘I just think that this lady would have made beautiful Sunday hats.’ We got so close, though, Rue and I. We did a tour of comedy from the show. She was in a wheelchair, I think after a hip replacement, and rather than stand-up comedy, she called it sit-down comedy. Honey, we wheeled her out [and] I thought we were going to have to get the hook! We said, ‘You have 20 minutes.’ Well, she had that audience on the palm of her hands. From the moment they wheeled her out. I thought, how are we going to get her off the stage? It was watching a master at her craft. She was Southern, and a storyteller, and she had a story for any occasion. Oh, she was something. One night, she came to me and said, ‘I just had a fight with my husband.’ I said, ‘About what, Rue?’ She was very upset, she said, ‘Well, we were watching Everyone Loves Raymond, and my husband said that he liked Patricia Heaton’s acting. And I said, yes, she’s a good actress, but her posture is terrible. And my husband said, “Oh, you always have something to say.” But I was just commenting that a lady should have good posture!’ So she’s fighting with her husband about Patricia Heaton’s posture. And I thought, that’s Rue right there. There are ways we handle ourselves. You can be a wonderful actress, but you have to have good posture as well. She was a lady, but she was a bawdy lady too. She could get down with the best of us. She was filthy. She will really be missed."
Beth Grant: I loved her so much. I did a play called Picnic in Los Angeles with her (years ago), and she played my mom. It was my first big break. And she was so kind to me.And we did an out-of-town try out in Denver, and I told that when I was a little girl I had always wanted to go to Mardi Gras, because a lot of my friends had gone and come back with these crystal beads and how I always wanted those crystal beads. So opening night in Denver, she gave me the most gorgeous crystal beads you've ever seen. I still have them. And she had forgotten all about it. When we did Sordid Lives, I reminded her. For her to bring that magic to it by remembering a silly little story I told, it was so special. It sounds so cliche, but she was a consummate professional. She had the best timing in the world, playing Blanche -- as a southerner, believe me -- to perfection. Her timing was so great. You could just feel if there was a funny moment coming on, she could send out a vibe to let you know to hold or to jump in. She could lead you to good timing, as well. She was a comic genius. She really was. in every way. I miss her so very much right now. She's a magical person to me. I'm going to wear my crystal beads today, that's what I've decided."
We couldn't have said it, better.
Put on your "crystal beads" and join us as we celebrate lives well-spent, people well-remembered and all the laughter we have shared with them.
