I like that Kristen Wiig is getting magazine covers these days. Too often, professional comediennes are not thought of as “stylish” enough to make the major fashion covers. That being said… I have some weird feelings about Kristen. I like her, I think she’s very talented, and I support her career as much as possible. But I also feel like Kristen really wants to be seen as a Fashion Girl, Real Actress and Comedienne… in that order. And it doesn’t really work out. I end up feeling sorry for her (irrationally) because I feel like she tries too hard to be something she’s not. She’s not Charlize Theron – Wiig is never going to rock a Dior gown and look like a fierce fashion bitch. But that’s what SHE wants. And I wonder why Oscar-nominated screenwriter and talented comedienne isn’t good enough for her.
I was reminded of my mixed feelings as I looked through this Elle editorial (shot at Grey Gardens) and cover. The cover is horrible. It’s like they blended her face with Olivia Wilde. The inside photos are very try-hard too and it just feels like… it’s off-brand. This isn’t who Wiig really is. This is who she’s trying to be. You can see the ELLE coverage here, and here are some highlights from the interview:
Being categorized: “It’s not necessarily a bad thing. You have to have some sort of context for a person to register in your brain, and I was introduced to the world as a cast member of SNL. But I’ve always wanted to do dramatic stuff, to write and direct, do a lot of different things. Comedy is where my heart lies, but there’s also something really satisfying about being able to step away with a small crew, become a character and get to know her for a few months at a time.”
Her upcoming lead role in Welcome to Me: She plays a woman with borderline personality disorder who wins the lottery, quits her meds, and starts a TV talk show. “I’d never read a character like that. I got to a scene where it read, ‘She’s fully naked,’ and I remember thinking: If I do this movie, I have to do this scene, because it’s really important to this script.”
See what I mean? Kristen wants to be all things. And I guess… good for her. Good for her for stretching herself and stepping outside of comedy box and for moving out of her comfort zone. Eh. Are you just dying to see Kristen in a bunch of dramatic roles? I’m not. It’s like Jim Carrey – he’s a decent dramatic actor but why fight his natural comedic talents? Kristen is hilarious, but she wants to be more than that.
Photos courtesy of Carter Smith for ELLE.
I don’t know what it is but I always found her annoying to watch, like Anne Hathaway. Never found her particularly funny as well, even in the movie Bridesmaids were I thought the other actresses stole the show.
I don’t like her. She’s not that funny, I only like her when she played PMK on snl. I think I am the only person who thought Bridesmaids was way overrated. The few funny parts went on too damn long that they weren’t funny anymore. I love stupid idiot humor like The Hangover but I was so disappointed after all the hype. Maybe she’ll be a good dramatic actress
Same here. I’m glad I waited until Bridesmaids was on OnDemand, because after I watched it, my first response was “that’s it?” I also love stupid humor, but I thought Bridesmaids was more of a “women can be just as gross/raunchy as men” than it was actually funny.
So on board with this one.
“Bridesmaids” was so hyped up and I think I barely laughed (like really laughed) while watching it. I was not expecting anything special (I don’t mind stupid idiot humour at all), but this was just so boring to me. And I was least impressed with Wiig.
@Lucky, you’re not alone – there was a “Bridesmaids” related thread here a few years ago and I talked about how much I loathed it. Everyone hyped it up so much and when I finally saw it, I was so disappointed. It was unfunny and gross and pretty much sampled every negative female stereotype around (the tight-arse perfectionist who just needs to “let loose;” the flaky, neurotic mess who can’t get her life together; the gross, vulgar fat woman who’s the target of every joke; the warring, jealous bitches). I agree 100% with @K.B. that it was a “women are just as gross as men” movie, and I don’t find that to be progress at all. Totally unfunny.
Not alone. I hated Brisdesmaids, every character in it except for Melissa McCarthy and Chris O’Dowd was a major jerk who deserved all the bad things.
Agree. I find her irritating, not funny, in almost every role.
I thought Rose Byrne totally stole the show in “Bridesmaids,” even though it was Wiig’s movie (she wrote/produced, right?).
I feel the same way. I’ve never been a big fan of hers, and I thought most of her characters on SNL were the same, and not funny at all. She seems like she’d be a not-so-nice person in her normal, everyday life.
These have been my exact impressions of her, too. Even her funny bits in Bridesmaids seemed lifted from her SNL skits. I think she’s maybe not as versatile as she thinks she is.
Although I did find Bridesmaids pretty funny. I’ll give her kudos for pulling that off, albeit with a ton of help from a very talented cast.
@Esmom – I’ll admit that one of the few times I laughed during Bridesmaids was the plane scene. Kristen did a good job playing an unsympathetic hot mess.
Agreed.
The plane scene was the funniest scene in the entire movie.
Melissa McCarthy was hysterical throughout the movie, though.
Question:
Anyone else see The Heat with McCarthy and Sandra bullock?
I caught some of it over the weekend.
How is it that mccarthy’s husband is in it?
Do he and she get cast as a package deal???
Love him, by the way…
I loved her on SNL, but Bridesmaids wasn’t that spectacular to me.
Anne Hathaway is an amazing actress and I love watching her. I had to say that 😀
Jim Carey is a really strong actor and I thinik that the fact he was a comedian cost him some big awards.
ITA about Jim Carrey…Man on the Moon, Truman Show, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind…He was excellent in all of them. Jim will never get any recognition for his dramatic acting because the snobby Academy Awards will never forgive Jim for talking with his ass in Ace Ventura!!!!!!
As for Kristen….she is just okay to me…funny sometimes, not funnt sometimes…
I don’t find her necessarily annoying, but her appeal or draw completely evades me.
Wow. Nice to see my feelings confirmed by other Celebitches. She’s not that funny and she is definitely not a fashion girl. She looks very average. There is nothing special about her. She should just be lucky she’s gotten this far as a comedian and an actress.
So true
Totally agree with most comments about Bridesmaids. I didn’t get the hype yes it had funny parts, but was it deserving of all the praise and hype, IMO No.
Rose Byrne was wonderful in her role. Melissa had some funny parts, but was annoying too at times.
Also any movie with popping scenes, turn me off completely. I did not find that funny or hysterical. It was disgusting to me. Yuck, it grossed me out.
I remember I was eating some candy while watching the film and when the disgusting pooping scene came, I gagged and found it disgusting. The movie was overhyped IMO .
I wonder if Kristen’s agent is pushing her in a more serious direction for longevity?
…but can she pull it off? I’m not sure ,,does she appeal beyond being a comedy act?
She seems unfriendly, but I’m making a huge assumption. Anyway, it’s the same with all Actors/Actresses they want accolades for everything. Doing just one thing and excelling at it isn’t enough for them.
I like the clothes but I feel like her bob is too straight for her features. They should’ve taken a roundbrush to that thing.
Agreed, but i’m taking that Elle cover to my hairstylist for a color reference!
She was very meh in that Walter Mitty movie, and that wasn’t even a difficult role. She is also not really funny.
I am not even a fan of Jim Carrey but he totally was able to hold his own opposite Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
I totally agree about Jim Carrey. He’s fantastic in dramatic roles. I loved him in The Truman Show.
love love lovedddddd The Truman Show. One of my favs…funny yet heartbreaking all at the same time. Carrey was made for that role.
I said the same thing when I saw Walter Mitty! She was so BLAND in it! She’s a Jennifer Aniston type actress – she acts the same in all of her movies.
I thought Jim Carrey too.
She looks like Jen Aniston on that cover.Wow.
I’ve been getting Aniston vibes from her for awhile, but this shoot realy brings it out.
I think it’s the hair?
I think she was going for Patricia Arquette, but no where near her attractiveness.
That cover… I thought it was Patricia Arquette >.<
Now I can’t unsee it.
OMG!!!!! Yes, totally.
And like a few others have mentioned above, I really don’t find her all that funny. I thought both Bridesmaids and The Hangover were way overrated. Gross out, raunchy humor can be great and all but sometimes the same joke (or similar joke) drawn out too long just becomes cheesy. I have not seen Wiig in too many other films but the few roles I watched she did nothing – or very little – for me. Maybe trying drama is what she needs.
Nailed it!
Oops, just saw your comment, apologies. She doesn’t have the same bone structure, not anywhere near as stunning.
Patricia looks way better.
I really like Kristen Wiig. Hope the rumors about her hooking up with Jon Hamm aren’t true. It makes her look weak if so. Anyway I had to laugh at her description of her new movie about a woman with borderline personality disorder starting a talk show. Don’t know why Bethanny Frankel-Stein immediately popped into mind.
I wish I was as weak as her, if that’s the case 😉
I like her too and think it’s cool that she’s trying to do different things. I guess I don’t get why people think she’s unfriendly-I’ve never read anything negative about her except for the cheating rumors with Jon Hamm and they could be completely false. I enjoyed “Bridesmaids” and thought she could be funny on SNL but to me she never was at the same level comedy-wise as an Amy Poehler or a Tina Fey (most people aren’t) so I don’t really think of her as a comedian.
I like her, I think she’s talented, and I hope she continues to write more as well. That cover doesn’t really look like her though – why can’t magazines leave well enough alone?
I never got the impression she wants to be a fashion girl. She has a unique style for the red carpet and honestly I rarely like what she chooses, but other than that, I don’t see much media in terms of her and the fashion world.
Another annoying SNL alum in the movies who thinks she is funnier than she really is.
There is something about her I just cannot warm up to and sorry, but Bridesmaids was NOT that funny.
bridesmaids must be one of those movies that polarizes viewers.
i have NEVER laughed so much IN MY LIFE during a movie.
for me, melissa mccarthy’s character was the funniest, hands down.
i have friends who didn’t find it that funny as well.
this makes me think of another comedic movie – i’m probably dating myself – the full monty.
colleagues at that time talked incessantly about how funny a movie this was and couldn’t believe i hadn’t seen it – YOU MUST SEE IT – they told me.
my husband and i settled in on a rainy saturday night anxious to see it…
and wound up looking at each other in dismay – it was the least funny movie we had ever seen.
i guess it’s all subjective.
anyway…
kristen wiig is a comedic actress.
she’s know for her awkwardness, not her style.
she’s at her best when she’s goofy.
THIS is why we love her!
she can dress stylish…fine…but no one is going to buy fashion because she wears it.
the clothes in this shoot are gorgeous, though.
oh – something else came to mind – sorry – too much coffee.
remember when jennifer grey got plastic surgery and began acting all sex pot/style icon?
buried her career.
we loved her as she was in dirty dancing.
don’t change who you are…
Right. She’s like Cheri Oteri 2.0.
Um, I actually really like this shoot. If she wants to try and branch out, why not? Might not work out but she’s not being obnoxious about it like others … um, Blake Lively?
I don’t think she’s done as well as she could have post-Bridesmaids and the Oscar nom.
I don’t know – she’s worked pretty much non-stop and has several films finished and more on the way, and I think she just got an Emmy nomination for a mini-series she did. Considering how other SNL stars have crashed and burned after leaving, I’d say her career is going very well.
I have always liked Kristen. I do not always find her that funny but she is the kind of woman I find sexy. i have always had a thing for the pretty but not drop-dead gorgeous; funny and super smart women (Julia Louis Dreyfus Tina Fey and Sara Silverman.) I guess her type just rings all my bells. I will be watching her movie 🙂
Robin Williams,Adam Sandler,Monique,Ben Stiller, and Whoopi Goldberg are all comedians that were able to transition into serious actors. All of them have done dramatic roles and were very good. A few even won Oscars. It is possible for Kristen Wiig to become a serious actress.
I really enjoyed “Bridesmaids”, and I can understand why she wants to do more than comedy but, I don’t know, it just doesn’t really work for her. I think these dramatic roles are too much of a stretch. Certainly not suggesting she turn into another Sandler and churn out awful, plotless drivel but even he turned out fantastic performances in “Punch Drunk Love” and “Spanglish” – he has the potential for drama but it isn’t necessarily a strength. That is to say, there is nothing wrong with staying in your lane.
I love her, and thinks she is a great comedic actress and a great writer. She has already shown some good dramatic acting chops (Whip It).
I also really like her. I think she is a great comedy actress and she does intelligent comedy, what is pretty refreshing. I’m looking forward to see her in dramatic roles, might not work out, but I think she has very good chances. I also think her image works well in fashion as something apart from the usual fashion scene. I find her very good looking. IMO, Jim Carrey’s greatest roles were in drama or comedy-drama movies, so why not? She is not the average celebrity for sure.
She was hilarious in Bridesmaids but boring as hell in Walter Mitty. Don’t really care for her but i love everything she’s wearing on the cover.
I feel like female comediennes frequently have to prove themselves more than male. She really stood out on SNL & I think branching out is a good thing. Even tho I think she’s probably a better comedy actress. Bridesmaids was very funny & she is underrated to be honest.
I can’t imagine Kristen as a fashion girl. She should give that dream up and stick to what she’s good at. She’s very talented and funny, also a very pretty lady -just not fashion girl beautiful. She doesn’t have any amazing features to play up – she’s kinda plain.
i kind of take offense to saying that she should be content with what she has and comparing her to charlize of all people. i don’t think you meant to imply that because she isn’t as beautiful as charlize she isn’t allowed to want more for herself and isn’t allowed to enjoy fashion and want to play around with it, but it’s still how i read it…
Surprised to see so many disliking her! I’m not a die hard fan, but I like her solid career and how successful she is at what she does. It’s a rare thing that an actor will write and star in the movie that becomes a sensation all over the world. I just admire her.
I also thought Bridesmaids was overrated and not that funny. However, at the end, when her character is watching her best friend leave after the wedding, I felt more of the mix of happiness/sadness from her than I ever felt from Julia Roberts in “My Best Friend’s Wedding” (which has the lead character facing the same realization — their best friend just married someone very wealthy, and will run in different circles from now on). If Roberts can having a career as a “serious” actress, I don’t see why Wiig can’t.
I find it interesting when a comedic actress tries to “diversify her portfolio” a bit and gets backlash. Sure, Jim Carrey got some…some, when he did crossover, but I think it’s harder for the girls. She “wants to be a fierce fashion bitch”….there is a part of us ALL who wants to be a fierce fashion bitch, so good for her for getting 1 10000th of a step closer than the rest of us ever will.
I think people put too much stock in being a “comedienne” vs a dramatic actress. Good art, no matter what it provenance, is grounded in truth. Sometimes her comedy isn’t always laugh out loud funny, but it is definitely awkward and takes you out of your comfort zone, which is often the point. And that, takes a bit of talent and….wait for it…truth.
Oh, wow, I thought I was the only person who didn’t find her at all funny or interesting. At all. In fact, she actively irritates me enough to want to turn the channel when she’s on. LOL Why is that? *shrug* She ain’t talented. Sorry. And she seems like probably an unpleasant person in person?
I disagree with some of the comments above. I find her extremely funny, I enjoyed Bridesmaid very much and I have watched the movie 3 times and my favorite character was Kristen’s. I don’t think she has had much luck with other characters that she has been played, like the Walter Mitty movie but I certainly think she is very talented and might transition well into bigger Hollywood roles.