SIGOURNEY WEAVER

Say her name and I picture her in her white bikini undies -- what a powerful ad that was, promoting the not great, but fascinating movie "Alien."

Sigourney Weaver was most interesting to me in 'Working Girl," as the knowing, sophisticated boss who underestimates the talents, intuition and sex appeal of her assistant, wonderfully played by Melanie Griffith.
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I was rooting for Melanie but I loved the boss, Signourney.

And I loved Sigourney opposite Mel Gibson in "The Year of Living Dangerously." I have seen that movie at least twice. And, of course, I remember her playing in "Gorillas in the Mist," in "Ghostbusters," and quite a few other films.

Even so, my sense of Weaver is as a down-to-earth, un-snobbish, friendly, accessible, typical "gal" -- that's the Sigourney I think I know.

I don't know her personally, but John met her when her husband to-be, Jim Simpson, was doing his first directing project. What amazed me, when John described the couple, was that Sigourney, despite her rising status as a star, was at every rehearsal just as a wife, encouraging him.

I didn't pay a great deal of attention to other "Aliens" films, or the fact that she's TV royalty -- daughter of television executive and television pioneer Sylvester "Pat" Weaver, who ran NBC. Apparently, daughter Signourney pursued her career on her own -- did all the apprenticing, studying, auditioning -- was hired because of her talent, and the look of her. She's not super beautiful, but rather average, fresh-faced, good-looking, and tall -- really very tall.

And I don't pay a great attention to her many Oscar nominations or the awards she's won. I just like her in whatever she plays -- small or large roles, villain or heroine. I like the women she plays, and it doesn't seem like "playing" -- it seem as if it's her.

She's starring in a new USA mini series, "Political Animals," about a Secretary of State married to a popular, womanizing ex-president. Though the ads and reviewers say it's the Hillary Clinton story, the womanly Sigourney makes the character her own, and doesn't distract or confuse my feelings about the amazing Hillary.

That's what's special about Weaver -- she is always herself, centered, never borrowing from other women, or selling us typical attitudes toward love, romance, or morality. Watching Sigourney, you meet the real woman.

Will this mini series be a hit? I hope it will be -- success breeds more success -- moves, TV, Broadway shows. Sigourney Weaver is growing, expanding, becoming more and more interesting.

Remember this scene from "Alien?"


Here's a clip from"Political Animals."