KATHRYN HAHN
The Actress Depicting Sex For The Everyday Woman
Kathryn Hahn’s career is infused with new life. Like many others, the 46-year-old actress has defied the Hollywood aging standards forced upon women. And she’s doing it by portraying sexually comfortable women.
More recently, Hahn starred in Mrs. Fletcher, the story of a single, empty-nester mom who discovers porn. With her son out of the house, she experiences a sexual awakening. She learns how to self-pleasure and what she likes. It’s an empowering, visceral role that twenty years ago may not have been shown on-screen.
“I certainly didn’t set out to be the poster person for women’s sexuality over 40,” she told The New York Times. “Sexuality is a piece of it. An important and splashy piece, but not the whole thing. It’s the desire and hunger I’m attracted to. A woman who wants.”
Hahn is well-known for her collaborations with producer/director/writer Jill Soloway. Their first film together was Afternoon Delight. It follows Hahn’s character Rachel as she attempts to spice up her sex life with her husband by inviting a stripper to live with them. The film ends with an orgasm. I Love Dick documents a similar plot with Kevin Bacon playing her husband.
Then came Soloway’s Amazon Prime hit Transparent. In it, Hahn played Rabbi Raquel, a woman who struggles with getting pregnant. It demonstrates another challenge for the modern woman.
Before her busy career in TV, Hahn was often the rom-com sidekick and character actress. Her first significant film was How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days. Hahn was Michelle, the quirky best friend of Kate Hudson’s character. Then she was the edgy, hilarious mom in Bad Moms, starring with Mila Kunis and Kristen Bell. Hahn has moved from the supporting cast to leads in her remarkable twenty year journey.
Now, Hahn is on another HBO show — the Mark Ruffalo-led I Know This Much Is True. The series showcases her serious side in this supporting role. It’s not a sexual role and it’s a stark comparison to her other projects. It’s a move that could earn her more dramatic parts that showcase her complexities without losing that comedic flair. Hopefully, we’ll get to see that in the upcoming WandaVision series debuting on Disney+. Kathryn Hahn is a one in a million talent and PROVOKR is in love.
