Kirsten Pullen

 Classic Hollywood starlets like Esther Williams, Carmen Miranda, Lena Horne, Jane Russell, and Zsa Zsa Gabor are rarely hailed as naturalistic performers or as serious actresses. Like a Natural Woman challenges these assumptions, revealing the work and acting training that went into the onscreen and off-screen performances of celebrities who always appeared to be “playing themselves.” Drawing from a wealth of films and publicity materials, Kirsten Pullen gives us a fresh take on both Hollywood acting techniques and the performance of femininity itself.