Do I really look that bad?

My vanity has been exposed. Let me explain.

I recently started filming for a movie that is being shot in the Columbia area. The film is about a priest getting married in a future where Catholic priests are allowed to wed. I play the role of Imogene, an uptight, staunch, conservative Catholic who is opposed to this new liberty and basically makes life miserable for a priest and his new wife. I am in about 8 scenes that are spread throughout the script.

I read my scenes, but never actually read the whole script...until yesterday.

I was a initially a little concerned about my costuming. Black is not a good color for me and I wear the same ugly black dress in every single scene. My hair is always pulled into a tight bun. When not in an animated rage, I have a permanent scowl on my face. And, of course, Imogene would never wear makeup.

Yesterday I got to set a bit early (wearing my ugly black dress and my scowl.) I saw a script laying around and decided to read it from start to finish.

And the story and scenes all started coming together:

• "So, that's why I was standing on Washington street ranting about the Pope!"
• "Oh! I see! I was to have been ranting to a news camera!"  (How'd I miss that?)

I kept reading. What's this? The next scene had two drunks in a bar looking up at the TV news. 

Drunk # 1 says, "That woman's uglier than a kick in the prunes"

I slowly raised my head and said, "Hey! - that's me he's talking about! I'm not uglier than a kick in the prunes, am I?" I had been wearing my black dress, no makeup and my hair pulled back in a bun. And, of course, I was scowling. But uglier than a kick in the prunes?

One of my cast mates told me not to worry, because the guy was drunk. He told me I'm way better looking than a kick in the prunes.

But when I told my husband, he reminded me that to drunks, every woman looks way more attractive than they really are. "So," I said, "does that mean I'm WAY uglier than a kick in the prunes?"

Then I remembered the first costume I ever wore on a stage, playing the Stepmother in Cinderella. Actually, the costumes weren't too bad.  It was the road-kill wig that about pushed me over the edge.

My ego survived that show in tact. I guess I'll survive this as well.