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Maybe Monica Potter isn’t just a poor man’s Julia Roberts

Monica Potter looks like a blond Julia Roberts. Luckily, her impressive stint on 'Parenthood' means she has a lot more going for her now.

Way back in 2001, there was a little movie starring Morgan Freeman called Along Came a Spider. It co-starred Julia Roberts. Okay, actually it didn’t. It starred some random, blond, WASPy lookalike named Monica Potter. You guys, she wasn’t very good. She blended into the background and was one of the factors that contributed to making that film utterly forgettable, despite the fact that it was released during a particularly hot point in Morgan Freeman’s career.

Potter bopped around in movies for several years after this, and honestly, I rarely thought of her. I just figured she’d fade into obscurity– another blond actress who looked like another actress but wasn’t nearly as compelling. Then, Trust Me happened. Maybe I’m alone in this, but I loved the Eric McCormack advertising show. Sure, it was a pretty transparent ploy to capitalize on the success of Mad Men, but I adored it anyway. Sure, Eric McCormack and Tom Cavanagh are dreamy, but I was incredibly impressed with Miss Sarah Krajicek-Hunter herself, Monica Potter.

Sure, a beautiful, yet bumbling insecure blond is a dime a dozen on TV these days, but Potter managed to make Sarah relatable. I’ve never been divorced, but I could totally see myself hanging on to my ex-husband to a disturbing degree, much as she did on Trust Me– just as I could also see myself making out with my future boss in an alley after a Christmas party.

Now, on Parenthood, she continues that likable vulnerability as Kristina Braverman. As a stay-at-home mom who is trying to care for her young son with Asperger Syndrome, she manages to make what is for many, an unfamiliar situation, familiar. My life isn’t like hers, but she makes me understand. I can identify with the crushing sense of failure she feels, even though logically she knows that her son’s diagnosis and his resulting behavior isn’t her fault.

Because she and the writers did such a good job setting up the emotional turmoil that Kristina is going through, her melt-down at the playground a couple of weeks ago was that much more heartbreaking. When she was watching Gaby accomplish what she could not in such a short period of time, you could see the fight between the relief, the sadness, and the anger that accompanied the deceptively simple act of her son playing ball with another kid.

I know that not everybody loves this show, and that Bob gave up on it, and I understand why. The first few episodes were loaded with awkward transitions and contrivances. However, in the past few weeks, the truth has outweighed the histrionics and convenient situations. The show is finding its footing, and Monica Potter is carving out a nice niche for herself that doesn’t involve fading into the background or looking like Pretty Woman.

Photo Credit: NBC

Categories: | Clack | General | Parenthood | TV Shows |

8 Responses to “Maybe Monica Potter isn’t just a poor man’s Julia Roberts”

April 28, 2010 at 4:46 PM

She was on Boston Legal for a while before Trust Me, which is what I always associate her with.

April 28, 2010 at 9:59 PM

I can’t believe this post ignores Boston Legal. While she sucked on that like she does on Parenthood at least BL is the reason why anyone in this country knows what Asperger Syndrome is.

April 28, 2010 at 10:32 PM

Along Came a Spider’s giant failure can only slightly be blamed on Potter.

April 28, 2010 at 10:35 PM

Yeah, I never watched Boston Legal, so the only reason I knew she was on that at all was from reading her IMDB page.

April 29, 2010 at 12:32 AM

Go watch Boston Legal, we will wait. :)

April 29, 2010 at 1:36 AM

She annoys the heck out of me. I’ve seen her on three shows now and she’s whiny all the time. Sorry but I have to disagree with you here. I bet she’s a lovely person in real life but the people she’s playing are just… *brrrr*

May 2, 2010 at 11:44 PM

Personally I love Monica. She is great. She was good in I’m with Lucy and Martha meet…(with Ralph Fiennes and Rufus Sewell) and I’ve liked her in almost everything I’ve seen her in. Maybe she would have gotten more roles if she didn’t look so much like Julia ( who I don’t think is that great) Sorry. Julia is sooo overrated. Everytime I hear her fake scream and her fake laugh it annoys me.
Love Monica. So so on Julia.

June 17, 2010 at 4:54 PM

Just to post this comment to everyone here Monica potter makes good movies and she is a very beautiful and respectful actress…

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