When we asked Dumb and Dumber actress Lauren Holly how she’s been getting through this wild ride we call 2020, her response was simple: “Being kind to myself.” From binge-watching television to ordering a Peloton bike, the Toronto-born star is changing the meaning of the word “indulgence” and turning it into self-love. But, that doesn’t mean she’s not missing life as a Hollywood regular. Today’s premier of her newest movie on Netflix, Tiny Pretty Things, was the perfect opportunity for us to catch up and ask about her beauty favorites, how her workout routine has changed and what she’s been doing to stay sane.
NewBeauty: What have you been doing to stay sane and get through all of this hardship?
Lauren Holly: Honestly, I’m just being kind to myself and not setting a lot of expectations. Back in March, when COVID first hit and everything was shut down, I was trying to maintain a schedule. On my to-do list I had things like “clean out the closet” and “attend a Zoom workout” in order to stay productive. But, after a few weeks, all of that went out the window. I think I’m like everybody else on this rollercoaster where some days I feel like I’m productive and busy and other days I feel like the whole day goes by and I’m binging a show. Eventually I decided that we’re just going to feel the way we feel and do what we need to do.
NB: How do you stay motivated to keep going?
LH: It is very hard. I practice Bikram yoga, which is a certain kind of yoga and it’s in a very hot room. I love it—it’s like my own personal form of meditation because I can’t think of anything (besides the heat) through the whole class. I haven’t been practicing since COVID, and I miss it so much. It really gave my brain a rest and my skin a glow. There was a period of time where my studio was open, but I just couldn’t bring myself to go in. I’m still scared—a sweaty room isn’t exactly a safe place to be right now. However, it’s so not the same doing it in my bedroom. Like everyone else, I ordered a Peloton bike so I can stay motivated (and sweaty) in the meantime.
NB: What did your physical training look like for Tiny Pretty Things?
LH: Before production started, I went to classes with the dancers in the cast as a bonding exercise that soon became a comedy routine because I couldn’t move like them, let alone hold my arm up for a whole minute. Dancing is so much harder than people would think—I can’t stress it enough. I always considered myself an athlete, so going into this I thought I would be able to figure it out, but I came nowhere close! The training these dancers go through to simply make themselves look graceful is an incredible thing. For my role, I worked with our main choreographer Jennifer Nichols to perfect my walk, my posture and more. It’s interesting because she would videotape me through the whole process and it was cool to see the changes. It’s not like I was learning big, dramatic movements, but I had to do the finer things like learn to walk and move like a dancer.
NB: How has playing a role as a dancer shaped your perception of beauty?
LH: It makes you realize that beauty really does come from within. Being healthy is how dancers avoid injury. They take care of themselves, they eat really well and they treat food as fuel. What we put into our bodies and how we treat our bodies is so important. Eating right, staying hydrated and moving your body every day is essential for self-care.
NB: Do you follow a specific diet?
LH: I just eat. I don’t follow a specific diet because whenever I’ve tried them, I always cheat. It’s too much pressure. One thing that I try to do is I try to eat things that don’t come out of boxes, bags or cans. Fresh food is the best.
NB: If you had to choose a few beauty favorites to bring with you on set, what would they be?
LH: Moisture, moisture, moisture. On set, we had such a great hair and makeup team. At the end of the day, when we would take off all of our makeup, they would prepare hot towels and my makeup artist had all these wonderful concoctions, like oils and creams, to lather on my face for my ride home. It was a total pamper session! I’m also huge on keeping my face clean. I don’t think there’s ever been a night I had gone to bed with my makeup on, even when I was young and out drinking. My mother used to drill that into me, too. Keeping your skin super hydrated and clean is what you need to do.
NB: What are your favorite cleansers or moisturizers?
LH: I run the gamut. To be honest, I’m in the middle of developing my own line. That’s far away in time, but I’m really into natural ingredients. Nothing too harsh. I don’t like things that have more than two ingredients. If there’s a list of chemicals that are in them, I’d rather not use it.
NB: Congrats on turning 57! What is your perception on aging?
LH: I went through a period where the way I was looking on the outside wasn’t matching how I felt on the inside. It all started when young men would deliver a pizza and call me ma’am. In my head I’m just like them! One of the biggest things you can do is just accept yourself. I also feel fortunate that I’m living in Toronto at the moment because there’s much less of an aging stigma here. Right before COVID hit, I was in Los Angeles for an event and I was left feeling depressed because I felt like everyone there was desperate to be younger. I don’t feel that in Canada. It feels like aging is more respected here and I appreciate that very much.
