Happy birthday Laura Dern.
Renata Klein fancam over Flo Milli? I didn’t expect it, but I love it. Stream it here:
I know it’s late, but it’s still February 10th in California, which means we’re celebrating. There’s much to be said about Laura Dern. She has only gotten more stunning over time, and somehow continues to exude a serene presence; she’s one of those celebrities who seems like she’s down to get down and simultaneously hold a conversation with you about the ebb-and-flow of life (I feel like that conversation would be somewhat motherly, in that she would listen attentively and then offer you advice through some platitude you’ve probably never heard before).
So I wonder: what hold does Laura Dern have on the gay community? In 2020, the Spirit Awards invited the Gay Men’s Choir of Los Angeles to perform, and they did a tribute to all the gay-ness in cinema that isn’t usually read that way— and a montage of Laura Dern was at the apex. If you haven’t seen it? Here you go. The fact that it's introduced by Aubrey Plaza is just... *chefs kiss*
Her powerhouse women characters may have something to do with it. The 2020 Spirit Awards honored her with an award for her iconic role as the illustrious lawyer Nora Fanshaw in Marriage Story. And lest we not forget her legendary series role as Big Corporate Mother™ Renata “I used to like to sit on your face too” Klein in Big Little Lies. I don’t have much to say about either of these women except that seeing her in powerful, No Bullshit type roles makes me squeal with excitement, and I’m not the only one (refer to the above video). Anyone else in her powerful #girlboss roles would make me squirm, but I’m rooting for her at every turn. What she's taught me: make sure you take your husband to the cleaners when he does you wrong.
Dern has always been a No Bullshit gal. One of the most memorable of all her roles is her one-episode-run on Ellen in 1997, which ended up putting her out of work for a year because she plays the confident and charming lesbian Susan, who is Ellen’s love interest. The episode is “the one where Ellen comes out,” with Oprah also featured as Ellen’s therapist. The three had a reunion a few years back about what it meant to be part of the episode that shook shit up for Hollywood and the future of the sitcom.
“The Puppy Episode” starts with Ellen on a date with an old friend Richard— but not even two minutes pass before Susan enters, wiggling her way in between the couple, and charming Ellen along the way. The rest of the episode focuses on Ellen and Susan’s connection; they joke as Richard stands idly by, his role relegated to third wheel. The episode distorts the typical “heterosexual problematic” of the sitcom, demanding the viewer witness burgeoning desire between the two women who are so clearly better suited for each other.
When Susan expresses to Ellen that she is gay, and then suggests that Ellen is also gay, Ellen is shocked. She is suddenly uncomfortable in the situation, and awkwardly removes herself *insert gay vibes*. The viewer watches as Ellen struggles to work through her feelings, and finally, during a therapy session, she admits she has feelings for Susan. (Yes I had to take screen record all these videos on my phone and then upload them onto Youtube in order to embed them here. That is how dedicated I am. You’re welcome).
In the final scene, Ellen finally comes out to Susan after struggling to say it all along. “Susan, I’m gay.” And Laura Dern is on the receiving end of that statement. The scene transcends the boundaries of the characters— suddenly it is about the actors, and the moment they share. Following her confession, Ellen’s eyes brighten and her smile grows in a way we haven’t seen throughout the episode. She sighs with relief, and Susan folds her into a hug, squeezing her tenderly in a way that feels comforting, like a soft blanket that holds you when you are feeling vulnerable. It's between Ellen and Susan, two characters who have an understanding of each other in way no one else has before, and also between Ellen and Laura, two friends who are experiencing a similar understanding. The scene is about Ellen coming out— but it's also about the friends she is able to come out to. It's about the space that was made for her to do so, in a careful and revelatory way. It’s about how Laura Dern is part of this moment.
I know presently none of us want to be a “friend of Ellen” (read: war criminal) per sé, but Laura Dern is a “friend of Ellen” (read: lesbian) in essence, and that feels good. She is undoubtedly gay, in energy, in spirit, in existence, even though she exists under a guise of “heterosexuality,” whatever that means. So yeah, Laura Dern is a gay icon for this episode, and pretty much every other role she’s held. Even if she’s straight.
I came across a 2019 interview with Laura in which the interviewer, Rosemary Donahue felt comfortable enough to come out to her during the course of the interview, to which Laura responds:
That’s beautiful, thank you for telling me that. That’s what happens when you live as your authentic self.
It's really something that Laura continues to foster a space and an energy that encourages people to be authentically themselves, and feel safe in that. We love you girl.