"Ally McBeal"'s Courtney
Thorne-Smith on elves,
boobs and pecan balls
Courtney Thorne-Smith plays Georgia, the nice-girl foil to Calista Flockhart's erratic Ally
on the Emmy-winning "Ally McBeal." Most recently, she's become a spokesmodel for Almay
cosmetics. We chatted with her on a break during an ... um ... uniquely strenuous episode.
Shape:
With your outrageously unpredictable shooting schedule, nailing down an interview
with you was not easy. How do you find time to work out?
Courtney Thorne-Smith:
Some weeks I'm hardly in the show, so that gives me time. But the
last couple of episodes have been ...
Shape:
... lots of Georgia?
T-S:
Exactly. Plus we do things they don't do on other shows. The other day it said in the
script: "Fight with elves."
Shape:
OK. That is a tad unusual.
T-S:
Yes, and you really don't know how long a scene like that is going to take.
Shape:
So was all this elf-fighting an aerobic experience? Can we consider it exercise?
T-S:
Oh, yeah. I was exhausted. And I had bruises all over my back afterward.
Shape:
Presumably you also do non-elf-related workouts. Otherwise, perhaps we'd better stop
the interview right here.
T-S:
I get up early - 5:30 - and do an hour of running or the StairMaster nearly every day.
Twice a week I do Pilates. I love the Ali MacGraw yoga tape and Kathy Smith's "Yoga
Challenge." Plus, I meditate every morning, which is more powerful than anything in helping
me have perspective throughout my day.
Shape:
Are you one of those people who get grumpy if they don't exercise?
T-S:
Very grumpy and very sluggish. I'm lucky I'm not one of those people who has to drag
herself to the gym, but a few years ago I got so stressed I started exercising too much.
Shape:
Precisely how far off the deep end did you go?
T-S:
Not far. I like running, so I figured, hey, five miles feels good, eight must feel
better! But after a while I didn't have any energy. I needed to eat more and run less. And
I gave up the fantasy of having thin arms.
Shape:
Actually, your arms look very good.
T-S:
Yeah, but for years I really wanted thin, thin arms. Finally, I looked at my mother
and sister and went, "This is my genetics. I have boobs but not thin arms." In fact, I
spent years debating whether to get a boob reduction.
Shape:
Get out of here! So what else does this neurotic inner voice say? We all have those
voices that say stupid things.
T-S:
Mine complains because I will never have a perfectly flat tummy or breasts that look
wonderful in a tank top without a bra. I will never wear spaghetti straps successfully. The
grass is always greener, right? We need to just relax and be kinder to ourselves.
Shape:
It doesn't help that you work in an industry that runs on narcissism and cosmetic
surgery.
T-S:
And competition, unfortunately.
Shape:
Is there competition on the set?
T-S:
Yes and no. As long as I'm honest, there's camaraderie. For example, I'll be feeling
self-critical, but if I walk into the makeup trailer and say, "I'm feeling crazy because of
this and this," every woman in there goes, "Yeah, me too!" When we talk about what's really
going on, it opens the door for other women and we're reminded that we're all in the same
boat. Like at awards shows, which are supposed to be so glamorous, if one person says, "I'm
uncomfortable in my dress," seven others say, "If I have to hold my stomach in for one more
minute, I'm gonna die!"
Shape:
What have you learned from your character, Georgia?
T-S:
Patience. People say, "She should dump Billy." But Georgia has the attitude that
nothing is lost by waiting a day. I've applied that to my own life. I can be furious at my
boyfriend, Andy [genetic scientist Andrew Conrad], but if I wait 24 hours before I go into
my tirade, it's gone.
Shape: "Wait 24 hours." That'd make a good refrigerator magnet. Other than elf fights, what other interesting things have you done on the show?
T-S: Well, Calista and I always say our favorite show is the "sperm episode." That's when we had to go into a prison and bring back the prisoner's, you know, in a cup, to impregnate his wife. Also, the episode where I got to sing, badly. And kickboxing with Calista. I love doing the stunts.
Shape: You once said you were miserable in high school because you weren't popular. I guess you showed those snotty girls!
T-S: The deal is, you only get popular when you no longer care.
Shape: Another good refrigerator magnet. One last fitness question: What's your eating regimen?
T-S: What works best for me is healthy eating and very little sugar. I can turn fruitoholic in no time flat because sugar sets up a craving in me that is not pretty. My whole family is a bunch of sugar wackos. All my grandma wanted before she died was pecan and praline balls.
Shape: On the other hand, maybe at a certain age one has earned the right to eat what one pleases.
T-S: You're right. Okay, that's what I'm gonna do. I'll be really healthy 'til I'm 85 or 90, then eat nothing but pecan balls.
Celeste Fremon is a Los Angeles freelance writer who has thin arms but might consider
trading them for Courtney's boobs.
Text and pictures are courtesy of Stan Young and were used with written permission.