John Lithgow's hair removal story, from playing Roberta in Garp

[GinaDouglas]

By the sounds of it, the people delivering this service should be wearing lots of leather and going by the name "Mistress".

I saw Lithgow on a talk show, discussing his preparation for the role of Roberta.  He said hair removal was the biggest issue.  That they told him going in, that his choices were between the least painful way, shaving the hair off, and having it waxed off, which would be painful.  Shaving would take a ton of time, every single day, but waxing would get it done and over with.  Lithgow chose waxing.  They sent him to a pro, and Lithgow laughed it up on the talk show, about how the wax-woman fit his stereotype of what such a woman would be like, burly, with a German accent, a Nordic name, and gruff manner.

When Helga ripped the first strip off, Lithgow couldn't believe how much it hurt.  So, he told the talk show's audience how he used his actor-superpowers to make it not hurt.  He made a mental shift in his mind, convincing himself that the ripping of the wax strips felt good.  He liked it, he enjoyed it.  He made sounds of pleasure when he felt the hair coming out, until he genuinely convinced himself that he really was enjoying it.  He ended the story on the punch line, that when she was finished with her professional duties, Helga asked Lithgow to go out with her on a date.

[K8]

Cute story.  You don't say whether he actually went out with her, though.

The first time I had my eyebrows done, I easily could have gone with YOWCH but decided instead to go with: The pain feels so GOOD - do some more! 

Humor helps us get through the rough spots if we can manage it.

- Kate

[GinaDouglas]

Lithgow did not say if he went out with Helga.  He only said she asked him.