Laura Dern reveals the most embarrassing moment of her career
Laura Dern has enjoyed a career that few actors have, with staggering supporting roles in the likes of Marriage Story and The Master, as well as breakout leading roles in Smooth Talk, Blue Velvet and The Tale.
Dern has an incredible ability to bring authenticity and unfiltered truth to each character, from the repressed sadness of Marmee in Little Women to the fragile stability of Amy in Enlightened and the unrestrained anger of Renata in Big Little Lies. But the actor’s ease with the medium perhaps comes from a long history on set and beginning her career as a child, gaining her first professional job when she was eleven and leading to an unfortunate incident with one of her costars.
Foxes was an erotic thriller directed in 1980 by Adrian Lyne, starring Jodie Foster and Scott Baio. It follows a group of four teenage girls who come-of-age in San Fernando Valley and their experiences with drinking, sex and drugs. Dern has a very small role in the film and was only 11 years old during the production.
It was perhaps most well-known at the time for being Foster’s last role before taking a break from acting during her time at Yale, with the actor having a tumultuous time with the press during the beginning of her career after her controversial role in Taxi Driver.
However, while it was the beginning of a hiatus for Foster, it was the beginning of a long career for Dern, despite having slightly embarrassing memories from her first day on set, saying, “I was 11, and Scott Baio was a very beloved actor. I saw him from across the room and he was wearing a white leisure suit. He looked so stunning and I was so excited, and I knew I was about to make the best first impression and he would love me forever. The director was there and the producer and it was a big deal — it was my first opportunity to be a professional actor. My dog was with me, and my dog got her period on his pantsuit.”
Scott Baio most famously played Bugsy Malone in the 1976 film adaptation of the musical, as well as starring in Cursed. This would understandably be mortifying for any young person new to the film industry and desperate to make a positive impression, but Dern thankfully didn’t let this experience deter her, and went on to have an illustrious career.
Following on from the success of Foxes, Dern starred in Teachers, Mask and then Smooth Talk, which was perhaps the role that put her on the map and marked her as one of the stars to watch. It follows a young teenager girl called Connie who tries to avoid the clutches of an older man who becomes infatuated with her. It is deeply unsettling and suspenseful, with an end sequence that remains one of the most tense viewing experiences I’ve ever had.
Dern is set to reclaim her role as Renata Klein on the recently announced third season of Big Little Lies, which remains one of her favourite roles.
