The Mighty Marguerite

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​Growing up in the entertainment industry has a tendency to take its toll on actors- particularly females who have made a brand for themselves off of being adorable. It’s all-too-common a tale told about the child starlet who relied on their megawatt smile until they no longer could, and many actresses who start acting young unfortunately peak early with their first performance being their best. However, when it comes to “Mighty Ducks” star Marguerite Moreau, that stereotype actually couldn’t be further from the case.

​Not that the captivating Disney franchise star isn’t cute. In fact, if her cult hit “Wet Hot American Summer” and it’s reboot miniseries taught us anything, it’s that the gorgeous actress simply doesn’t age, and she may very well be even more beautiful now than she was at the start of her career- with her own megawatt smile not only still perfectly intact, but also so unbelievably bright that earth could save on electricity by getting her to use it to light up every room. Nearly 30 years in the business, and Moreau certainly hasn’t lost that spark, quick to make audiences wonder if there may very well be a painting rotting in an attic somewhere that keeps the gorgeous actress looking so impossibly youthful and stunning.

​But, while the twinkly-eyed star’s beauty seems to only have multiplied through the years , so has her talent. Make no mistake- Moreau may still be cute as a button, and certainly still easy to love for indulging the nostalgia factor and giving details on her hit film franchise, as well as her roles on past hits like “Boy Meets World” and “Blossom,” but at the end of the day, the captivating beauty is in fact, a real actress- never once resting on her smile, her past hits, or her “brand” to carry her. A true dramaturge, Moreau has more than done her homework.

​While many actors that start young get sloppy in honing their craft later on- always looking for the next on-brand leading role that will solidify their stardom, Moreau is a  risk-taker that frequently ventures down the path less traveled, exploring meaty guest parts on acclaimed hits like “Mad Men,” and “Lost,” while joining improv groups and theater companies outside of Hollywood in efforts to grow as an actress. Yes, you just read that right- a beautiful actress who got her start as a pre-teen in a huge blockbuster franchise works on her career with theater and improv! A thespian through and through, the former “Mighty Ducks” star has actually never again played a character similar to Connie, and as far as “building a brand” goes, every performance she has given is diverse from one another, demonstrating the wide-range and versatility the California native possesses.

​Take her famed “Wet Hot American Summer” role; Katie. On the surface, the cutesy character may very well seem like the obvious choice for an actress that got her start as the quintessential dream girl in an otherwise all male children’s movie. After all; Katie was the sweetheart of Camp Firewood, so it would make perfect sense for one of America’s most formidable sweethearts to slide into her shoes. That is, until audiences catch wind of the fact that the sweet-smiled camper is actually the dream girl from hell- quick to stomp on hearts with an alluring giggle. In many ways, it seemed as though after almost a decade of trying to be what Hollywood intended her to be with cutesy roles in projects like “The Mighty Ducks,” “Blossom,” and “3rd Rock From The Sun,” Moreau used her “Wet Hot American Summer” on-screen persona not only to lampoon the idea of her being “America’s Sweetheart,” but to use Katie to break the box she had been pigeonholed into, tearing it apart as she more than held her own amongst a master class of talent like Chris Meloni, Bradley Cooper, and Paul Rudd. In doing so, she proved that she was far more than just “cute,” perfectly conquering the tongue-in-cheek satire of the clever film while demonstrating expert comedic timing, slaughtering the idea of her only being simply “the pretty, cute girl.”  

​And if that wasn’t enough to put the final nail in the coffin of Moreau being merely reduced to her toothy smile, the intuitive actress officially killed that perception shortly thereafter with her performance in the gripping 2004 version of “Helter Skelter.” Dedicated to a fault and known for being a reader, the devoted artist immersed herself in research on the famed case in order to play deranged “good little girl gone bad” Sadie Atkins- another role that seemed tailor made for an actress looking to debunk any sweetheart stigmas. A true tour de force in the film, Moreau should have easily won an Emmy for her performance (or at the very least, garnered a nomination,) as her portrayal still to this day goes down in history as the greatest depiction ever of a Manson family member- and that’s actually saying a lot considering there have been well over a dozen Manson films and TV shows, with three out just this past summer alone.

​While Katie may have very well been the gripping actress’s way of destroying the sweetheart persona through comedy, Sadie was Moreau’s true time to shine, allowing the fascinating artist to truly prove to the world that she was being underestimated. Another twisted take on the cutesy dream girl role, the diabolical true crime character was the perfect part for the gifted artist to transform the way audiences saw her. Somewhat miscast as the homely and erratic Atkins, the luminous star in theory seemed a bit too beautiful and polished for the role- until she somehow made the character her own, replacing the haphazard and whiney nature of Atkins with a dark, evil confidence and open lack of empathy that somehow actually seemed more in tune with prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi’s harrowing tale. In fact, Moreau was so good that it seems as though all other actresses who have taken the role since then use her portrayal for research, rather than the real girl.

​Since then, the diminutive beauty has managed to turn all former perceptions of her around as she has added a wide range of characters to her resume, like bitter converted Muslim woman Linda on “Shameless,” who gains empowerment from catching her husband in a gay affair, to her most recent role on “The Unsettling,” where the angelic faced actress will once again show the world that she may not be as filled with sugar and spice as she seems. A longtime veteran in this business, Moreau comes across strikingly knowledgeable of her industry, a true fan herself of film, television, and theater, and it appears that her love and research of the business have more than paid off in her carving out a career that kept her from being just another pretty face.

​However, while Moreau may very well have come a long way from her dream girl sweetheart beginnings, the down to earth star seems to have no problem taking a trip down memory lane with us, giving the details of every guest spot from “The Wonder Years” to “Smallville,” while filling us in on sweet stories of major heroes from our childhood like Will Friedle and Joey Lawrence. As talented as she may be and as hard as she has worked to shed the persona, Marguerite will always be our dream girl, and if there was ever any doubt, just attend one of our focus groups to find out and witness the begging for us to get her in this section. Well, readers- we listen to you! You groveled for her, you got her! So, it is our great pleasure to give to you the mighty Marguerite Moreau;

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WINGMAN: So, you have a new TV show in the works called “The Unsettling.” What can you tell fans about it,  and about your character?

MARGUERITE MOREAU: “The Unsettling” is a horror anthology.  Our story is about my character’s family- which includes my son and four foster teens that my husband and I have taken in.  My character, Fia, seems to effortlessly manage the busy household, but has an intense faith that causes the kids to wonder if she is as kind as she seems. It’s about trust, love, friendship- and there are some great scares.

WINGMAN: You also have two movies on the way. “Into The Ashes,” alongside Luke Grimes, Frank Grillo, and James Badge Dale, and “Monuments.” What can you tell fans about those?

MOREAU: “Into the Ashes” is a Western Noir about revenge.  I play the rose among the thorns. We shot it over the winter in Birmingham Alabama. It opened July 19th and is available now on various platforms. Then, “Monuments” is a mad comedy about death, grief and letting go. Having recently lost my father very quickly to pancreatic cancer, it was a wonderful project to work on. I love movies and television because they can offer comforting spaces to sit with the hard things and life and help-me at least, breathe a little easier.  That was shot in Chicago and Boulder Colorado and will be out hopefully next year. Lastly, I just returned from Portland, where I was shooting “The Birch,” for Facebook Watch. It is based on the wonderful and popular short from Crypt TV, “The Birch.” I play Rachel, who I thought was going to be a funny mom who was just trying to get her daughter through high school in one piece. But Facebook was very secretive about the project and I ended up having a crazy ride as that character! That comes out on Halloween to scare you silly!

WINGMAN: Of course, fans love you from “The Mighty Ducks” movies. We’ve had Stephen Herek in the magazine before. Great cast here- Joshua Jackson, Elden Henson. You were recently with all of them for a convention, right? Are you still close?

MOREAU: Many of us were able to come together for the 25th Anniversary of “D2: The Mighty Ducks” and the Anaheim Mighty Ducks NHL hockey team that the movies spawned. It was wonderful to get together over a beer, tell stories, and share memories of the good times we shared together.  

WINGMAN: Rumor has it that the movies are getting a TV show reboot. Is there any chance Connie is the new coach, and would you like to be a part of the series?

MOREAU: I wonder what kind of coach Connie would be. She would probably drive them hard in practice and give them a hug when they missed a slap shot- and she would love inspirational quotes- the cheesiest and dorkiest. But, also; “Clear Eyes, Full hearts can’t lose.” [Smiles]

WINGMAN: Speaking of your movies getting TV reboots, “Wet Hot American Summer” was the first TV series officially owned and produced by Netflix. Both seasons of the show were great. Do you guys think you’ll come back for another season?

MOREAU: Maybe when we’re all in our 70s- but, we will play the campers as toddlers- drool and all!

WINGMAN: Speaking of talented casts, that cast is one of the best- these are some of the most talented people in the world; Michael Showalter, Paul Rudd, Ken Marino, Molly Shannon, Janeane Garafolo, Bradley Cooper, Adam Scott, Chris Meloni, and Josh Charles. Talk about the fantastic company you’re in there.  

MOREAU: You forgot Poehler, David Wain, Joe Lo Truglio, David Hyde Pierce, Elizabeth Banks, Michael Ian Black, and Jon Benjamin!

WINGMAN: You are a really fearless actress- and you’re the real deal acting wise. You are part of improv theaters, and you can really shine in comedy and drama. It is very rare that you see someone who was a child actress who is so exceptionally conventionally gorgeous become a true character actor. How did you really carve that path out for yourself? 

MOREAU: That is so nice to say. I try to stay curious, learn from my mistakes, push myself and say Yes!

WINGMAN: You do YouTube recreations “Masterpiece Theater” of “Saved By The Bell” and “The Jersey Shore” and they are amazing! How did you get into that?

MOREAU: I adore Ceciley Jenkins- who is the creator. She is so, so funny, a great collaborator, and a terrific person! I was lucky enough to meet her and stay close, so that when the opportunity presented itself, we were off to the races with those projects. I had so much fun doing those.    

WINGMAN: In the “Saved By The Bell” ones, you play Kelly Kapowski, and you are good friends with Tiffani Theissen, right? Has she seen them?

MOREAU: [Laughs] I have no idea. I should ask her.  Tiff has a great sense of humor, and she is very gracious about how much we all loved “Saved By the Bell.”

WINGMAN: This year is the 50th anniversary of the Tate/Labianca murders, and there are three films coming out this year about the Manson family. Your Manson movie; “Helter Skelter” from 2004, is the best Manson movie out there- and you are by far and away the best Sadie, and I believe you truly set the tone for what the idea of Sadie in film is. What research did you do to tackle that role?

MOREAU: Oh, thank you. I loved that role. I read everything I could find, including the book Sadie Atkins herself wrote.  Vincent Bugliosi- who was the prosecutor at trial- made me copies of his interviews with Sadie, which were very helpful. I also rented so many videos from CineFile on Santa Monica Blvd in West LA. They had a whole Manson section. I absorbed everything I could and just kept working on it before they even gave me the role- which was a good thing. They told me three days before I started shooting that they were giving me the role, and I was ready. My first days were where Sadie is being interviewed in jail and on the witness stand. It was a lesson in following my instinct, but also I’m just so happy that my joy in the work materialized in getting the actual job- it doesn’t always work that way.

WINGMAN: You were also in the amazing miniseries; “The People Vs. OJ Simpson”- with Sarah Paulson- who has also played Sadie. Are you fascinated by true crime stories?

MOREAU: Oh, Yes. I remember driving up to LA with my mom for auditions and seeing the courthouse from the freeway during the O.J. Trial. They had erected scaffolding for all the press. I also enjoyed “Serial,” was a huge watcher of “The First 48″ and “Cold Case Files.” And I think because I love to read, if a project has a novel or real life event connected to it, it is a great jumping off point for my imagination to create a character. And with real life people, there is an opportunity to try to understand what was going on in their lives.

WINGMAN: Another one of your really outside the box roles was as Linda on “Shameless”- one of the best shows of all time, and your character was pretty rich in the fact that she was a converted Muslim woman dealing with her husband’s gay affair, and she then took on a lot of her own power. Talk about that part a bit, and what you did to get in that headspace and learn about that character.

MOREAU: I know! I love “Shameless” too. I’m a big Fan. And I loved that character. For Linda, I started with prayer. I was raised Catholic, and am used to kneeling at church. For her, prayer was 5 times a day. From there, answers started to come about her marriage, her love, and her fear. Linda is a very unhappy woman who thought that converting to a religion and becoming the most devout, best Muslim, would bring her acceptance and love. She needs a lot of self love and is perhaps hiding behind her faith.

WINGMAN: You have guest starred in every great show for the past three decades- starting with “Blossom,” and “Boy Meets World,” and “3rd Rock From The Sun,” to “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Mad Men,” “The O.C.,” “Smallville,” “Brothers And Sisters,” “Private Practice” – really every show. Which sticks out the most in your mind, and why?

MOREAU: They all do for different reasons. Let’s go down the list; for “Blossom,” in my real high school life, my date for the winter formal dance backed out two days before when I said we might miss the dinner with our friends before the dance cause I was shooting “Blossom.” Joey Lawrence was so kind about it and offered to go with me- probably just to make me laugh but it was sweet. Ironically we were shooting a prom episode! On “The Wonder Years,” it was my first job ever and on my absolute favorite show at the time. I was so nervous that I’m not quite sure how I made it through that day. My eyeballs were as big as saucers around Fred [Savage] and Josh [Saviano.]  Thank goodness Danica wasn’t there that day, I might have keeled over from jealousy. Every girl wanted to be Winnie Cooper. “Boy Meets World” was fun because the guys were all so fun to hang with and then when they said “Action!” I got to kiss Will [Friedle] a lot. Great job. On “3rd Rock From The Sun,” John [Lithgow] and Jane [Curtain] were so cool, and they had yoga before rehearsal every day. That was way before yoga was a thing. I remember hanging with Joseph Gordon Levitt, who was maybe 9 at the time, and thinking, “Wow, this kid is totally incredible and he is going to do so many amazing things,” and well, you know how that turned out! With “Grey’s Anatomy,” I watched from the beginning, and to walk the halls of Seattle Grace was thrilling. “Mad Men” was an honor and a privilege to be a part of. I still remember the audition, which was almost as much fun as shooting- Matthew Weiner writes beautiful material and it is so much fun to do. As far as “The O.C.” goes, I shot a pilot for the creator;Josh Schwartz called “Wall To Wall Records” with Bradley Cooper.  We had so much fun making it and were all pretty bummed when it didn’t get picked up. Luckily his next show was a huge hit and I was invited to play. The whole cast was lovely and very generous. So, there’s a few.

WINGMAN: Fans also love you from “Queen Of The Damned,” starring the late great Aaliyah. What do you remember about the singer?

MOREAU: Aaliyah was a very generous and hard working person. She was very elegant, graceful, and poised. I very much looked up to her in how she handled herself. She worked hard on the role and was recording her album at night. Dave Lachappelle  shot the cover of that album, and she invited me to the shoot and let me play the music. I think I just played Madonna’s “Music” the entire time! And, she didn’t mind a bit. I loved her whole family. We were all in Australia for six months, and I was very young-too young to be alone for that long. They were all very kind to me.

WINGMAN: You’ve really done so much, and worked with everyone from Gene Hackman, to John Lithgow, to Ray Romano, to Dennis Hopper, to Ryan Murphy, to David Nutter- who has also been in the magazine. What other types of roles would you love to play, and who else would you love to work with- or, work with again?

MOREAU: Here’s what is on my list; a Western, a political thriller, film noir, a turn of the century drawing room comedy, a musical, a Tarantino film, a fantasy sci-fi. Whew, I have a lot of work to do! And I would love to work with everyone again-except… [smirks] I would never!

Lightning round

1. Which of “The Mighty Ducks” was the best skater?

ME in Ducks 1, Josh [Jackson] in Ducks 2, and Garrette [Ratliff Henson] in Ducks 3.

2. Which Savage brother had the better show to guest star on; Fred with “The Wonder Years,” or Ben with “Boy Meets World.”

Well, I had more experience when I guest starred on “Boy Meets World,” so it was more fun. I was so confused by being on my first set, I have no idea if it was fun. Imagine stepping into the world of your favorite show? Bonkers!

3. Which decade would you rather return to; The 60s like the “The Wonder Years,” “Mad Men,” or “Helter Skelter,” or the 80s like “Wet Hot American Summer”?

Let’s not go back- women have too much to lose.

4. Who had more kick ass powers; Joseph Gordon Levitt as an alien on “3rd Rock From The Sun,” or Larissa Oleynik turning into puddles on “Alex Mack”?

Gosh, I can’t remember. You tell me!

5. Other than “Helter Skelter” of course, which is your favorite Manson movie or show?

“Manson’s Lost Girls.” My husband was in it! [Winks]

6. What show that you haven’t guest starred on would you love to guest star on?

“GLOW,” “The Office”- I know, “Bosch,” “Stranger Things,” “Big Little Lies,” “Outlander,” “The Crown.”

7. Who does Katie from “Wet Hot American Summer” belong with; Andy, Coop, or Blake?

I think Coop. He is the Michael to her Jan!