I was auditioning for To Kill a Mockingbird at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. My ample figure didn’t resemble the tall, slender Maudie Atkinson in the movie version. When I told the director I wore glasses (to read only), he said he thought Maudie, too, might wear glasses. I replied, “Well, I also envision her as a full-figured woman.” He laughed and said he hadn’t considered that before, but thought I might be right. I got the part and my Equity card and then went on to lose 120 pounds!
