“My short skirts, allegedly the death of feminism and, of course, people were talking about my weight… I felt like I was on trial for something. It was bizarre,” Flockhart recalled.
Calista Flockhart is looking back at her time on Ally McBeal.
While she had some wonderful moments filming the hit legal drama, Flockhart said she often felt that she was “on trial” in the media.
The series, which saw Flockhart in the titular role, ran for five seasons between 1997 and 2002, and primarily focused on the romantic lives of the lead characters.
The show, which was hugely popular while on the air, and still remains a favorite for many, garnered many a headline and think piece, with Time magazine even suggesting that Ally McBeal signified the “death of feminism,” thanks to its female cast members’ short skirts and slim figures.
Flockhart addressed the commentary surrounding the show in a new interview with The Times of London, telling the outlet that that what had started out as “creating something really special” then “went to s–t” in part because of the scrutiny of her character’s appearance and obsession with her biological clock, symbolized by the vision of a now infamous — and quite creepy — dancing baby.
“My short skirts, allegedly the death of feminism and, of course, people were talking about my weight… I felt like I was on trial for something. It was bizarre,” Flockhart recalled.
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Calista Flockhart Says She Thought Anorexia Rumors Would ‘Ruin’ Her Career: ‘It Was Painful’
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She added, “I never knew if my heart was going to break into a million pieces or if I was going to die laughing. It was that absurd… To me, the show was about one woman, who happened to be vulnerable and weird. I didn’t think she was representative of all women.”
As for the body-shaming she endured, Flockhart said she was worried she would never be “hired again,” after rumors began swirling that she was anorexic.
“I was very sleep-deprived and I was depressed about it. I did think that it was going to ruin my career,’ Flockhart admitted. “I didn’t think anybody would ever hire me again, because they would just assume I had anorexia, and that would be the end of that.”
The actress, 59, also explained to the publication that she felt that situation — and those headlines — would not fly today.
“They call it body-shaming now. I haven’t thought about it in a long time, but it’s really not OK to accuse someone of having a disease that a lot of people struggle with,” she remarked. “I look back at pictures, and I’m the same then as I am now, and nobody says a word now.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Flockhart remarked on her 22-year love story with husband, Harrison Ford, 81,and its somewhat rocky start.
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Flockhart, who said it was Ford, who approached her table at the 59th annual Golden Globes in 2002, first that the Indiana Jones actor was a “lascivious old man.”
“I was aware of who Harrison Ford was! But I didn’t think, ‘Oh this is Indiana Jones.’ It was more along the lines of, ‘This is some lascivious old man and what is he doing at our table?’ I was being a smartass,” she told The Times.
It was the start of something special, with their marriage proving to stand the test of time in an industry that sees very few long-lasting relationships.
See more pics of the couple below.
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