Nora Dunn at Chicago’s Hopleaf

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Nora Dunn (photography by Tina Smothers)

This used to be my response to famous people. Not so this time. Somehow, I felt right at home hearing how Nora was once so starstruck upon meeting Harrison Ford that she slipped off her wedding ring. Or how she witnessed Mike Nichols and Sigourney Weaver arguing over which set of $2000 sofa pillows was better. Or how she was so afraid of meeting Jack Nicholson for a power lunch that she bolted to Lorne Michaels‘ limo and smoked a joint with the chauffeur. I felt like I was hearing stories about my peers. This may qualify me as delusional; but certainly not envious.

Another thing that distinguished Ms. Dunn from the other storytellers was that she spoke extemporaneously. She held a sheet of paper in one hand; but she never looked at it. The others read from manuscripts.

The only seats left when I arrived at the function were behind the speakers. Consequently, I saw the faces of most of the audience members, as well as the behinds of the speakers. Ms. Dunn was the only speaker who positioned herself so that I was included in her gaze, protecting herself, also, from my assessment of her behind.

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Perhaps the most distinguishing aspect of Nora Dunn’s performance that night was how perfect she looked and how poised she appeared in front of this literary audience. I always thought she looked kind of butch on SNL. But in the upper room of this historic watering hole, she looked soft, feminine and very well kept.

Her hair was long. The chestnut color complimented her fair skin. Her makeup was tastefully spare. Meaning that, from a distance, you couldn’t tell she was wearing any; but up close, her complexion appeared flawless (radiant, actually). Her body was lean and curvy. She obviously works out; no plastic surgery anywhere, that I could tell. She was dressed like a lifestyle model from The Gap (which isn’t a bad thing) — nice jeans; suede jacket; simple shoes, exposing dark red toenails; short, polished fingernails; spare jewelry (a couple of silver bracelets, a couple of rings).

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She did something that night that few women have ever done in my presence–she made elegance look easy.

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I thought, “This is money well spent!” Which begs the question: What price elegance?

Nora Dunn may or may not be wealthy, by today’s standards. I suspect not. But whatever she has spent over the years on personal trainers, nutritionists, wardrobe coaches, acting coaches, therapists and other mentors — it was worth every penny!

Or maybe she works out on her own, and does her own shopping and cooking. Regardless, she did something that night that few women have ever done in my presence–she made elegance look easy.
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