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W
ith her voluptuous
figure swathed in a
black Vivienne
estwood dress, Christina
Hendricks looks like a
Hollywood version of Botticelli’s
Venus as she glides onto the red
carpet. Posing for photos
alongside an assortment of stick-
insect starlets in size zero
dresses, the actress stands out
like an expensive cigar in a box of
cigarettes. Soon enough, images
of Hendricks at this year’s Bafta
awards in London are flying
across the globe, with scores of
bloggers and fashion-writers
marvelling at the star’s ample
curves and her willingness to
show themoff.
‘I know I have a figure and I
long ago decided that I wouldn’t
starvemyself and try to become
one of those typically skinny
actresses, not that I could ever
really get to that point,’ the
37-year-old says. ‘Menwill stare
and there’s nothing you can do
except let a guy know if he’s
staring too intently – a gentleman
will always be discreet. At a
certain point you just don’t care
anymore. I’mcompletely
comfortable withmy body.’
Hendricks’ comfort with the
way she looks has proven to be
infectious. Since jiggling ontoTV
screens in 2007 as JoanHarris
(néeHolloway), the vampish office
manager in
MadMen
, a drama
series that follows the lives of
1960sMadisonAvenue
advertisingworkers, the actress
has inspired a generation of
ROUNDED PERSONALITY
Since Christina Hendricks appeared in the hit TV series
Mad Men
,
the world has reawoken to the idea of beauty with curves – but the
actress is far more than an hourglass silhouette
women to embrace their fuller
figures. Her status as a rolemodel
was confirmed in 2010when
BritishEqualitiesMinister Lynne
Featherstone praisedHendricks
for engendering a healthy body
image in a timewhere gaunt
models adorn billboards. The star
has also had a significant impact
on fashion – she is the face of
designer VivienneWestwood,
who has described her as the
‘embodiment of beauty’ –while, as
a sex symbol, she has single-
handedly reawokenmen’s desire
for the hourglass figure.
Sit downwithHendricks and
it’s clear her allure is more than
skin deep. In person she is chatty,
flirty and utterly charming.
‘I have always tried tomake
my way in the world by being
open and enthusiastic,’ she says.
‘I like being a bit sassy at times
and sometimes it can be a great
advantage to be a woman and be
able to project sexiness inways
that men can’t. It’s fun.’
A natural sexiness – her
stunning features are
complemented by aMarilyn
Monroe-type girlish voice that
makes youmelt – is not the only
thing the actress shares with her
MadMen
character. Like her
alter ego, Hendricks exudes a
steely determination to succeed
against the odds. Joan’s struggle
to get ahead in an office of selfish
menwho can’t see past her
cleavage strikes a chordwith the
actress who plays her.
‘I would like to believe that I
share her determination,’ she
C H R I S T I N A H E N D R I C K S
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