Clarinda

Clarinda Ross has always been a ham, in fact, her paternal granddaddy called her “hambone” probably cause he could not remember her real name (there were a lot of kids running around).  When she was elected queen of the first grade her mama, Miss Charlotte, teased her hair up high and flashbulbs went off as she marched across the football field, and her fate as a professional hambone was sealed.

Since that time she’s spent the majority of her time on stage or in front of a camera.  When she was crowned runner-up for Miss Jr. Miss of Boone, NC so many pictures were taken her daddy declared “Well, if you die won’t none of us ever forget when you looked like.”  This tickled Clarinda to no end because she is a “Daddy’s girl” – like all good southern women.

After high school she took her pageant scholarship money and headed straight across town to major in Theatre at Appalachian State University – “Go Mountaineers!”  That way her precious daddy could continue to see her picture in the paper.

After graduation, she ventured forth to the Big Peach where she worked at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. She went on to become “locally famous” as a stage actress in Atlanta and throughout the southeast, touring her solo play, “From My Grandmother’s Grandmother Unto Me,” based on her storytelling mama’s relatives.  GRANDMOTHER was made into a film for PBS, directed by John D. Allen.  So, she was literally the star of her very first movie.  Having become a maven of country culture, she was appointed to be a Cultural Ambassador by Georgia Gov. Zell Miller who sent her off to meet the Queen of Norway prior to the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer. Clarinda and the Queen got on fine probably based on her first grade brush with Queendom.

While in Atlanta, Clarinda started doing movies, TV and commercials (naturally she was the NASCAR mom). After performing on the last season of In the Heat of the NightCarroll O’Connor suggested she move to Los Angeles, where she met and married longtime character actor, Googy Gress (who is half southern – his mama being from Trussville, Alabama). They have raised three precious children who mind their manners and don’t talk back.  Clarinda and her husband continue to work on stage and in TV and film.  They split their time between California, and her hometown, Boone, North Carolina. www.clarindaross.com

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What She Loves Most About Being a Southern Woman
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What She Loves Most About Being a Southern Woman

The accent.  Most folks love a southern accent.  You can pretty much say anything you want as long as you smile and call folks "Sugar" and say "Hey Y'all."

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What She Loves Most About The South
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What She Loves Most About The South

The people.  Southerners are so kind and helpful. Southern men and boys will always hold the door open for you.  One time when my kids were little, I was flying through a NYC airport with three little ones, strollers, carseats, etc. - the TSA workers just looked at me "like move along lady." I threw a little hissy fit and told them, "You know in the south, folks come out from behind the stainless steel table and help mothers!"

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What's Her Favorite Southernisms
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What's Her Favorite Southernisms

"Hey, Shug" (short for sugar)
"Save the planet!  It's the only one with cornbread!"
"Bless your heart."
"Oh, no, I hate that!" 

I am constantly trying to put the "south" in southern California, endeavoring to raise my boys to be southern gentleman.   Upon my strong insistence, my kids say,  

"Yes Ma'am",  "No Ma'am", "Thank you, Ma'am, and "Please Ma'am"  

Boys can't go wrong with those words. My boys stand out here in California and often implore - "Why do we have to be so good?" --- I tell them loud and often my favorite southern sayin'....

"I'm not raising the rest of the world. I'm raising you!"

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What's Her Favorite Southern Food
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What's Her Favorite Southern Food

Cornbread.  I'm kind of known for my cornbread, and not to brag, but I can make a casserole out of almost anything, I promise - invite me over, show me your fridge, I'll bring the Martha White, hand me a pyrex dish and watch me work.

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What's Her Favorite Southern City
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What's Her Favorite Southern City

Of course my favorite town is my hometown of Boone, NC but my favorite city is HOT-Lanta.

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