(Photo credit: Amy Harrity)
Selma Blair is considered one of the most versatile actresses in Hollywood.
The Detroit native began acting in the early 1990s in a school production of T.S. Eliot’s Murder in the Cathedral. She considered her performance a failure, but her English teacher encouraged her not to give up.
Today, her acting credits span across multiple genres. Perhaps best known for her performance as Vivian Kesington in the hit film Romantic comedy Legally Blonde, Blair also appeared in the film Cruel Intentions, as Kris Jenner in the American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson, and in multiple theater productions.
In recent years, Blair’s greatest role has been offscreen as an advocate. Diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2018, Blair has spoken candidly about the decades she spent searching for answers.
“I probably had juvenile MS, as my first optical neuritis was when I was about seven,” she shared at the Flow Space Women’s Health Summit. For years, she was misread, dismissed, or told she was simply “emotional.” “I wish I gave myself that same kindness then. There’s no reason that shame or guilt should hold you back from living the life we should live.”
Jewish advocacy has always been an important part of Blair’s work. She was raised Jewish, attended Hillel Day School, and went to Camp Ramah. “I always hold the memory of the Holocaust in a sacred space. It has informed much of my life, my thinking,” she told The Forward. Blair has publicly declared her support for Israel and headlined the JUF Women’s Philanthropy Spring Event in May of 2023.
What was the last book you read?
I am reading A Brilliant Life, the story of the author’s survival of the Holocaust. She sent it to me herself and I was very moved. Thank you, Rachelle Unreich.
What’s your all-time favorite movie?
The Graduate is the movie that I can solidly say has lasted my whole life on my top five list. I really, really like Ann Bancroft.
What’s your favorite Jewish food?
I like all the Jewish food, even gefilte fish. I also make a great noodle kugel. My mother put in a lot of apples. I like it with the streusel topping.
What are you listening to these days?
I am making my son a playlist of the songs I was listening to at his age in 1987: Depeche Mode, Love and Rockets, New Order. It was a good year for music.
Who was the last person you texted on your phone?
My old friend, Skunks.
If you could invite three people to a Shabbat dinner, who would they be?
Joan Rivers, Carrie Fisher, and Fran Lebowitz. That’s a lot of Jewish broads.
If you could have any other occupation, what would it be?
I am not qualified for many other careers, but I would have wanted to have been a doctor. Noble and so interesting.
Who are two of your biggest role models?
My mother was the original role model. Her work ethic while wearing heels and a red lip was grand. Joan Didion, too. Not the red lip, but her work ethic was something. Writing in grief, over and under grief, despite grief. We keep on.
What are you currently binging on TV?
I am currently binging academy screeners.
If you could offer the teen version of yourself one piece of wisdom, what would it be?
I would tell my teen self, “We made it.” And to not have so many worries. “Breathe deeply and live for the son you will have. People will need you, so stay the course, little Blair.”
