Who’s that Girl
Fern Mayo
The Suicidal File Girl in What Women Want
Kitty, the flashing ex-secretary on Arrested Development
That popular bitch who sabotaged Jennifer Garner’s character in 13 Going on 30.
Recently, I was in a bar discussing this woman. I’m rattling off all the movies she’s been in. Usually she’s the sweet, but somehow not attractive enough to be the lead best friend. I’m rattling off the movies she’s played second fiddle in and all the companions at my table who have ever seen a chick flick are nodding in agreement. “Oh yeah! That girl! She was jLo’s assistant in The Wedding Planner too, wasn’t she?” Emphatic agreements ring out from the table. “What’s her name?” Silence rings out. We all scratch our temples and ponder a grain of rice in front of us, sip our beers waiting for someone to free us.
I feel like I’m always bringing up Judy Greer; so much so that you’d think I would’ve been able to tell my tablemates what her name is. But yet, whenever this discussion comes up - of actors that we need, we know, we recognize the second they’re on screen - I fail to remember poor Judy’s name. I get home and pull up the IMDB page of The Village because I feel like she was in that too, wasn’t she? Why yes, she was. That movie was kind of garbage, but like a 7-11 off an empty highway, it was a comfort to see her familiar face. As a matter of fact, if I see a romantic comedy starring an actress over the age of 30 I want, no, NEED to see Judy hustling alongside her with a stack of papers freaking out because she ditched last week’s meeting in favor of getting it on with Patrick Dempsey.
But when is Judy’s big day? She’s got a remarkable career on her shoulders, nothing to sneer at. But what keeps Hollywood from making her a leading lady and keeping her the literal bff? Is she hard to work with? Does she make outrageous demands for her dressing room and make you bathe her chihuahua in Fiji water daily? Maybe she’s comfortable exactly where she is. If not, take a chance on her, movie makers. I want to see a romantic comedy starring her and another second banana male. Someone not so famous that he’ll upstage her, but still someone likable enough that we want to see. I’m thinking Justin Long. Either way, I’m still happy seeing Judy gracing my TV and movie screens in whatever she takes on. And when my friends and I inevitably have this discussion again, I’ll definitely remember her name.
