An Ozarks Woman In The Movies

An interview with Tess Harper

Academy award-nominated actress Tess Harper grew up in the Ozarks. Born in the small town Tess Harper, photo by Teresa of Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, she attended Arkansas State University, Beebe; and Southwest Mis- Ayres. souri State University, Springfield. She now lives in Beverly Hills, California, but frequently returns to visit. She says that her experiences in the Ozarks and her memories of Ozarkers influence her work as an actress. Harper is best known for her portrayal of Rosa Lee, the strong young widow in her first film, Tender Mercies, in which she starred opposite Robert Duvall, and for her role as Chick in Crimes of the Heart for which she received an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress. Guest Editor Julie Bloodworth visited Tess Harper on location in Natchitoches, Louisiana, where she was working on the feature film, Man in the Moon.

OZW: You got your career start in Texas. Tess : In some ways, it was the road not What led to your being cast in Tender Mercies? taken. I actually patterned that woman on two Tess: I had moved to Dallas, primarily be­ things. One was my father, who is extremely cause I didn't have the guts to move to New York stoic and is not well-equipped to verbalize how or L.A. Dallas had an active theater and acting he feels, like a lot of men of his generation. It community and there were also a lot of films doesn't mean he feels any less; it means that he being shot in Texas at that time as well as a lot doesn't articulate how he feels. He bel ieves you of commercials and industrials. That adds up to accept what life has to offer. The character in money for acting.I had hit thirty and I knew that Tender Mercies has had some sad things hap­ I either had to go to graduate school or redirect pen to her in her life, and she accepts that they my life in some way. So I thought, Well , what the were sad and goes on . heck, I'll give it three years in Dallas. The other thing I patterned her on was a line The first year and a half I was there, I did in the Bible during Jesus' life as a young boy dinner theater and I did commercials for IBM and when he did extraordinary things. The line is banks all over that area. One day after taking an something to the effect of, "And Mary watched acting class with a casting director, I got a call these things and kept them in her heart." In other from her saying that she was casting this film words, she just observed and took it in. And I called Tender Mercies, that Robert Duvall was thought," That's just what Rosa Lee does." Rosa going to be in it, and that an Australian was going Lee is the best-written example of Christian to direct it. She said she would like the director grace I have seen--a non-judgmental , accepting to meet me. He was Australian, and he didn't human being who has values that she believes know he couldn't cast the lead of a film out of in and lives by, but who doesn't ring a bell above Dallas, Texas. All the circumstances were right, her head saying, "Look at me being wonderful." and I was prepared; I had been acting all this She is comfortable in her surroundings. She's an time. The amazing thing about Tender Mercies observer of other people, but without judging was that I just knew those people so well. them because she realizes she does not have OZW: Rosa Lee, the character you played in the facil ity or the wisdom or the godliness to Tender Mercies, is a young widow who's deeply judge what other people do. That's a rem arkable rooted in traditional values. Did you connect with trait, and very few people have it. her in that respect? OZW: Almost on the opposite end of the

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