‘Death Becomes Her' star Jennifer Simard is ready to be a leading lady: ‘I don't feel pressure, I feel joy'
If you're Jennifer Simard, The Golden Girls is essential to your character work. In addition to playing Helen Sharp in the new musical Death Becomes Her, the two-time Tony Award-nominated actress hosts The Golden Girls Deep Dive Podcast. So, when asked in a recent Gold Derby interview (watch above) which of the iconic sitcom quartet she thinks her character Helen identifies as, the actress is ready with her answer. 'In the context of this show, a Dorothy,' she states firmly, 'but when she gets glammed up, she's like Dorothy at the Rusty Anchor when she out-sings Blanche, because she transforms into Blanche.' Clearly there is thoughtfulness and preparation behind the camp comedy.
'I think we just knew from the beginning that we were going to work,' suggests Simard of costar Megan Hilty, the Blanche to her Dorothy. The pair have been attached to Death Becomes Her since an early reading in 2023 before continuing with the pre-Broadway run in Chicago. Their chemistry is the beating heart of this stage adaptation about two frenemies who drink a magic potion to earn immortality. Simard suggests that their compatibility on and off stage may be courtesy of their astrological fire signs. 'She's Aries and I'm Leo and I think we get one another. … I think that that chemistry, that genuine love and affection and care that we have for one another as Jennifer and Megan comes across as [their characters] Madeline and Helen.'
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The film version of Death Becomes Her has amassed a cult following for its perfectly executed camp, and there are few Broadway performers capable of executing high comedy like Simard. After all, she did snare Tony nominations for playing a horny nun in Disaster! and making a meal out of a role in Company that other actors might only have viewed as a snack. Simard eats another meal in this show courtesy of the number 'Madeline,' which Helen sings while obsessing over her rival from the inside of a psychiatric hospital. Simard finds countless quirks and ticks in her performance to telegraph Helen's mental spiral. 'That number is tricky because we need it to be funny, but there's a responsibility behind it because you are in a mental health institution,' she explains, 'and luckily that's something I've been very public about, and did a solo show about it called Stigma. So I feel like an appropriate person to speak on this matter. … So it's this fine line of you absolutely have to play it for the heightened comedy that it is and it is most successful when you can find those really strange nuances.'
When it comes to the many iconic sight gags or quotable lines made famous by Goldie Hawn in the film, Simard isn't concerned about comparisons. 'Maybe it's my age and just how comfortable I am in my skin, but I don't feel pressure, I feel joy,' she admits. 'You make it yours by always working from the inside out. At least that's how I work. I would never try to do an impression of the incredible, iconic, singular Goldie Hawn.' The Hollywood star recently attended the Broadway show and visited the company backstage. It's clear that a meaningful conversation occurred between the two Helen actresses, but Simard isn't ready to spill the beans on the compliments and stories that Hawn shared. 'I'm going to keep them right here,' she says, bringing her hands to her chest, 'but I will never forget. It was pretty great.'
Death Becomes Her marks a major milestone in Simard's illustrious stage career. She made her Broadway debut 18 years ago as a replacement in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Since then she's made a name for herself in scene stealing supporting roles, and performed alongside major stars like Bette Midler and Bernadette Peters in Hello, Dolly! and Patti LuPone in Company. But Death Becomes Her is Simard's first leading role on Broadway. 'It is a responsibility I don't take lightly and it's an experience that I feel ready to manage in that I had the best teachers to show me how to be a leading man and a leading lady,' she says with confidence. Simard recounts how Peters and Victor Garber made a point to visit the dressing rooms of every ensemble member before each show, and that she has soaked up the lessons of those legendary performers like a sponge. 'The reason why I feel ready to be a leading lady on Broadway is not even so much for the stuff you see on stage, because I was doing that Off-Broadway for years. … But what is different is the experience that I've had with people who have come before me who have taught me how to behave. And so that's why I feel ready.'
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