Swathed in a blue and pink shawl, Cloris Leachman waltzed into the Langham Huntington Hotel & Spa in Pasadena earlier this week like a madcap fairy godmother. The Oscar-winning actress is the grand marshal of the 2009 Tournament of Roses Parade this morning.
"Never in my most un-lucid moments had I imagined it," she said in between applications of pink lipstick. "I'm a great-grandmother, and I'm shocked they were even aware of me in this regard."
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Saturday, January 03, 2009 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 29 words Type of Material: Correction
Cloris Leachman: An article about Cloris Leachman in Thursday's Calendar section said the actress had competed in the Miss America Pageant in 1964. She was a contestant in 1946.
But after sitting in a room with the 82-year-old, it's hard to imagine not being aware of her -- as fans of the most recent season of "Dancing With the Stars" already know. The hit ABC show introduced the veteran performer to a vast new audience, whom she won over with her grace, wit and surprising agility.
"Cloris Leachman is perfect for our theme, Hats Off to Entertainment," Corky Conzonire, president of the Tournament of Roses, said in a statement. "As an actress of stage, screen and television, a comedian and now even a dancer, she is more than representative of the vast world of entertainment. I can't think of an individual who better personifies the spirit of our theme."
An Iowa native, Leachman laments that she has always been too busy on New Year's Day to watch the full parade -- she raised five children while acting full time. This year she is excited to share the experience with her great-grandchildren, and perhaps start a new family tradition.
"I am thrilled, beyond thrilled," she said. "Well, shocked and thrilled, really."
2008 was an especially busy year for Leachman, as renewed interest in her career meant nonstop projects. In addition to her appearances on "Dancing With the Stars," she played alongside Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Candice Bergen and Carrie Fisher in the remake of the 1939 classic "The Women." And she will star in an upcoming episode of NBC's "The Office" with Jack Black and Jessica Alba. (The episode is slated to air after the Super Bowl.)
"You have to decide" to be young, she said. And eat well, of course, adding that she's been a vegetarian for more than 50 years.
Leachman's career in television and film began shortly after she competed in the Miss America Pageant in 1964; from there she went on to win an Oscar for "The Last Picture Show" (1971) and garner nine Emmys (eight prime-time, one daytime). Her many other notable roles included the nosy neighbor, Phyllis, on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and as Frau Blucher in Mel Brooks' 1974 comedy "Young Frankenstein."
