Gore Vidal a “Funster”

Heather Thomas, an actress who starred in 1980s TV hit The Fall Guy and is now married to Hollywood super-lawyer Skip Brittenham, set out to paint the world of the Bel Air wife in her frothy novel Trophies. Thomas has said that many of the stories in her book, which revels in the backbiting and social-climbing of the L.A. charity and political fundraising scene, were true but refused to name names. Now that the book has been published she’s created this video, which reenacts a chapter of the book with dolls. With voices by Thomas (she plays one of the main characters, Pepper) and her friends, the video also features a cameo by Phyllis Diller and perhaps most puzzling, narration from Gore Vidal.

So, how did she get the esteemed political essayist to narrate a promotional YouTube video that shows plastic dolls having sex and comparing vaginal weights? Thomas told me that it came naturally; while she was attending a party for The Nation that Vidal was hosting at his L.A. home, she simply asked him. “He’s Gore Vidal, but he’s also a funster,” Thomas says.

“It’ll sell some books,” she adds hopefully. “And sell a movie!”