As a little girl, Marcia Gay Harden performed plays on the front porches of Navy bases in Japan, where her father, Capt. Thad Harden, was stationed and her mother was a homemaker.
Today, the 40-year-old actress enjoys a bit wider audience. She’s worked with some of the top stars of stage and screen, including Clint Eastwood and Tommy Lee Jones in the current hit, “Space Cowboys.”
The brunette beauty starred in “Late for Dinner” with Shirley MacLaine, Jessica Tandy and Kathy Bates, and was in “The First Wives Club,” “Flubber,” “Meet Joe Black,” “Desperate Measures” and “Miller’s Crossing,” among other films.
Next up are “Just Like Mona” with Andy Garcia, “Gaudi Afternoon” with Juliette Lewis and “Pollock” with Ed Harris.
Not that she’s forsaken her earliest acting experience. Harden, who splits her time between upstate New York and Venice, Calif., with filmmaker husband Thaddaeus Scheel and their infant daughter, Eulala Grace, also won Drama Desk and Tony awards for her work on Broadway in “Angels in America.”- Farrah Weinstein
Q. What was it like working with the men in “Space Cowboys”?
A. They’re all so sexy and talented. What more could a girl ask for? I never had to pull out my chair once at lunch.
Q: What do you do to relax?
A: It usually has to do with reduced amounts of clothing.
Q: What can’t you live without?
A: Books, books, books.
Q: What’s your workout routine?
A: Hitting the snooze button 30 times. It’s great for the forearm muscle. Then a half-hour jog.
Q: How do you take care of yourself?
A: I wear my seat belt. Also, I try to spend as much time as I can in my country home.
Q: What are your favorite clothes?
A: Clothes are all about mood for me. I love Givenchy suits and the ’40s look they have, but I also love old Wrangler jeans and the dusty Cowboy boots look. Of course, I wouldn’t be a true New Yorker if I didn”t wear a lot of black!
Q: Favorite food?
A: Anything in Rome.
Q: Do you follow a special diet?
A: I try to eat whole, fresh, natural foods, which include homemade blueberry ice cream.
Q: Describe your personal style.
A: Mary Poppins meets Betty Paige.
Q: If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be?
A: I wish that I were more patient.
Q: What do you wear when relaxing?
A: Bathing-suit top, wind pants and bare feet.
Q: What do you wear for a big night out?
A: Sexy Calvin Klein or Susan Lazar vintage clothes.
Q: Do you have any special health or beauty tips?
A: Good posture. It is the fastest and cheapest way to lose weight.
Q: My closet is full of …
A: Cashmere. I”ll burn in hell.
Q: Some would say I have too many …
A: Hats.
Q: Some would say I have too few …
A: Hangers.
Q: What aspect of your style do your friends tease you about?
A: My teletubbies suitcase.
Q: What was your most embarrassing fashion faux pas?
A: That brief period of time spent rebelling in college when I refused to shave my legs. Very pretty.
Q: What tricks have you learned from makeup artists?
A: Use blush for lipstick for a very soft effect.