While most television actresses find themselves hopelessly playing the same role over and over again, Loni Anderson has managed (over the course of a career spanning nearly four decades) to avoid the pitfalls of the typecasting couch altogether. Perhaps it’s her ever-changing, chameleon-like exterior, combined with her commitment to fully inhabiting each character from the outside in. Perhaps it’s her mastery of a wide variety of accents, be they standard, dialectic, or California blonde. Whatever the reason, watching Loni ply her craft is akin to taking a masterclass in American performance styles.
Observe, as she effortlessly evokes the deepest range of human emotion, without so much as batting a false eyelash:
1. Elation
2. Horror
3. Skepticism
4. Intellectuality and Smartitude
5. Self-loathing
6. Fit n’ Fancy!
7. Embalmer’s Little Helper
8. Olden Timey
9. Wintry Mix
10. God Is Dead
As far as we at Classic Gay Sitcoms are concerned, the so-called “fine actresses” of the world — the Streeps, the Therons, the Tina Feys — are a dime a dozen, what with their bags of tricks and phony baloney line readings. What Anderson does — between looking directly at the camera, turning her head slightly to the left, and wearing various types of bikini tops — is art.
Sincerely,
Executive VP of Re-Programming
“CGS: Eat your heart out, Burt Reynolds.”
