Q&A WithThe OC’s Melinda Clarke
By Susan Hornik
Read the Article at russellgrant.match.com
Q&A With…The OC’s Melinda Clarke
By Susan Hornik
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The OC‘s Melinda Clarke
By Susan L. Hornik
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The star of the hot TV show speaks out on strong women, getting older, learning about love—and more.
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You’ve done a great job playing the role of a very strong-willed woman on Fox’s hit series, The OC. What’s that like for you? |
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That’s the question everyone asks me all the time. I just think of Julie as a very misguided, complicated human being. But that’s the point—she is still a human being. If she was just the villain or just the bitch, then it’s a one-dimensional, boring character. |
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Do you think men are attracted to bitchy women? |
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Yes, I do. But not every man—it depends on the personality. But we’re always mistaking a strong woman for a bitch. If she’s not nurturing or warm and fuzzy, she must be a bitch, right? But by the same standards, a man would just be tough or well-respected. |
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What’s interesting about your character is that you get just as juicy romantic storylines as the 20-somethings on your show. |
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It definitely comes up in conversation a lot, this obsession with youth. I was 25 yesterday. You are in your 30s with the snap of a finger. I think it was Bruce Willis who said, we’re all 25 in our minds. And it’s true. I got together with a bunch of friends from high school, and it doesn’t seem like anybody’s changed. It’s amazing to me that a woman turning 35 or 40 somehow is less sexual. Maybe it’s the 13-year-olds who say, oh yes, she is totally old, she is like 32. And I want to grab that kid by the scruff and say, “You will be 35 in one second!” But I wouldn’t go back to that time period in my life if somebody gave me a billion dollars. I enjoy the respect I get for being a woman as opposed to a girl. |
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You are in a successful marriage. What have you learned about relationships that you can share with our readers? |
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Relationships are the hardest thing for human beings to have success in. It takes work—and it will never stop taking work. The priest who married my husband and I is also a family therapist for marriage. He talked about marriage and how it grows and changes—the lust changes and then it moves on, and then you have to find new and interesting things to keep it going. And you have to talk, fight and make up. It’s a very mature decision to go into a relationship that will last forever. I think a lot of people go into it lightly and are not quite prepared for it. |
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What’s the most romantic thing your husband could do for you? |
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Clean the cat box, so I don’t have to do it. It really makes a difference! There’s nothing less romantic than getting behind in your domestic responsibilities. |
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What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done for love? |
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A sexy strip dance for my then boyfriend, now husband! It was done to the tune of The Doors’ “L.A. Woman.” At our wedding, when the garter tossed, we played the same song! |
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Susan L. Hornik is an entertainment journalist in Los Angeles. |
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