I’ve had a crush on Clea DuVall since … well, at least since But I’m a Cheerleader. It feels like it’s been going on a lot longer than that, probably because it was one of those crush-at-first-sight things. There’s something so very dashing about her. But it’s not just her looks; I also think she’s a very good actress. She was unforgettable on Buffy. She was irresistible in But I’m a Cheerleader. She stole my heart in Sleeping Beauties, and then made it ache in Girl, Interrupted. She was haunting in Carnivàle and in the 2004 TV version of Helter Skelter. In everything from The Faculty to Identity to 21 Grams, she has a presence that is somehow both steady and unsettling.
No doubt that’s why she’s done a lot of thrillers and “dark” films. But she can also be hilarious – did you see her on the brilliant Popular as Wanda Rickets?
And then there are the rumors about her sexuality. Although Clea herself has neither confirmed nor denied, she has played a lesbian more than once, and has done gay-friendly films like the aforementioned Cheerleader, The Laramie Project and Itty Bitty Titty Committee. All that said, I’m not sure I’m going to like Clea’s next movie, Anamorph. The film stars Willem Dafoe as a detective on the trail of a serial killer who “turns his victims into works of art.” Here’s the trailer (be warned; it’s pretty grisly):
As a horror fan and a Clea fan, I ought to be looking forward to this. But it seems kind of second-rate. And Clea’s part looks small, not to mention straight and, of course, victim-y. As Cinematical says, “She might as well be listed as ‘bait/love interest’ in the credits.” Sigh. Anamorph is scheduled to debut in November. Clea also has a movie coming up on the Lifetime Movie Network, The Watch (premiering March 18). That one is also a thriller; Clea plays a student who attempts to move past a trauma by taking part in an isolation experiment. Uh, of course.
And IMDb notes three more films for her in 2008, two more in the horror/thriller genre and one comedy/drama, Thicker. (But her character’s name in that one is Lonely, so don’t worry; she’s not going the bubbly rom-com route anytime soon.)
I don’t really have a point to all of this. I think I just wanted to look at some pictures of Clea. Speaking of which, here are two more: And now that I’m thinking about Carnivàle, here’s that scene in which Clea and Carla Gallo share a smoke and a smooch:
And let’s end where we started, with But I’m a Cheerleader:
Yep, I still have a crush.
