Arden Myrin
We were intrigued by actor/comedian/author Arden Myrin when her awesome publicist said how much we’d love her. She was beyond accurate! This sweet talented spirit currently stars as a dance world diva, Suzzi Saddlersack, in the fun comedy “Step Aside” which is available now on Amazon Prime. Scroll down and check out our fun New Years beauty shoot in her cute apartment spotlighting her great personal style and wearing clothing from her own collection. As Arden joyously lept up on her bed and proceeded to twirl and dance about — we decided this is the rad kinda lady we wanted to jump into 2024 with. Let’s go!
The Bare Magazine: Are you excited that Step Aside is available on Amazon Prime Video? Which means more folks can tune in. Why do you think they should??
Arden Myrin: I love that Amazon Prime Video is where people can watch Step Aside! Who doesn’t want to watch a movie in the comfort of their own living room? It makes it so easy for people to watch- it’s also nice because I think teenagers will like it a lot and it’s something they can watch with their family.
Bare: What did you love about stepping into the role of Suzzi? Also, share a bit about the hair/mup and costumes...they were fun!
AM: Playing Suzzi was a dream- it is always a pleasure to play a fun flawed character. In comedy, it is really interesting to play characters who don’t see their own limitations. I I love a female lead that is not immediately “likable,” that is operating with a blind spot to how she is coming off in order to get what she wants. Our director/co-writer Rebbeka Johnson was a cast member on GLOW and is a terrific writer and performer, so I really trusted her. We both have an improv background so anytime I get to go off-roading is the best. It was very collaborative. As a viewer I have always had a soft spot for dance movies like Bring it On! or You Got Served. I like to think of Step Aside as a hybrid of Bring it On! meets Best In Show.
Another bonus playing Suzzi was she serves a LEWKKKK HUNNNAYYY!!! Our fabulous costume designer Lore Phillips, who is the director of design for Will.I.am, came in with a vision for an over-the-top look for Suzzi. Once I saw the direction we were going in I knew we had to just go for it with hair and makeup. It was a pleasure because my character was such a large visual glamour presence, it kept reminding me to try to ground my performance in some kind of humanity even while she is over the top in all areas. I love playing dress up, so it was fun to just DIVE IN and add the hair extensions, glitter eyeshadow, hot pink lipstick, and lashes!
Bare: Do you have fun playing dress up in your real life, too?
AM: Playing dress up has always been a source of joy and inspiration for me. When I was little growing up in a tiny rural New England town, playing dress was a time for daydreaming about the future, about what I wanted to be when I grew up. I think it unlocks a place in our brain that is not logical, but in our core that can allow for possibility, growth, and change. Even still as an adult when I am feeling low, I love to go through my closet, try things on, see if they feel representative of where I am, and putting together an outfit that can trick me into feeling a little better. It is easy to get into a rut and wear the same things over and over, but I am a big fan of shopping my closet and just trying to wear what I have that is buried in the back.
Bare: What are some of your favorite side passions and escapes?
AM: Some of my favorite side passions and escapes are making things - big or small. I love a craft, watching movies or TV (highbrow and lowbrow!), playing tennis (there is a great rec center near me in LA and I took it up during the pandemic), playing cards or games with friends, seeing live shows (I just saw my friends Michelle Collins and Paul F. Tompkins do their live shows in NYC and they were both so inspiring). I also love design, exploring new neighborhoods, throwing parties and dancing. It’s the holidays right now so I love putting up my Christmas decorations - it helps make me feel festive.
Bare: How do you stay so incredibly fit? Is your love of tennis part of the reason?
AM: Wow, thanks for asking! I never was very athletic growing up and I used to have a lot of negative self-talk, and I just decided when I was about 30 that I was done being mean to myself and that there was nothing wrong with me. I decided to try to move around every day for my mental health more than how my body looked. That helped a lot. Lately, I have been doing a lot of tennis clinics at the rec center (it’s out of my comfort zone, social and good exercise). I also love doing Isaac Boots Torch’d workout on Instagram - he is funny, it is free and it is hard. Sometimes I do pilates group classes on reformers at Fitmix in LA or Pilates People in NYC at Barre3. I love New York because I love to walk.
Bare: You have the ability to help people with your comedic talents. Has comedy, acting, and writing helped you overcome some dark times in your life?
AM: Definitely. I had a lot of loss over a three year period - my dad passed away after a long illness, one year later my beloved mother died suddenly making breakfast, and the year after that the pandemic started and immediately my loving, stable marriage fell apart. We were divorced by 2021. It was as if a tornado blew through and pulled three oak trees from my front yard. It was wild. I have hosted a comedic podcast about The Bachelor franchise since 2015. As it happens, both of my parents passed away on a Saturday during Bachelor season (the show airs Monday nights). I made the decision to do the podcast anyway both times from my childhood living room. I was not sure how the audience would react to learning about what had just happened but it turned out that our listeners enjoyed being let in to what I called my “Grief Island.” I would just sort of tell them where I was at that week, and then move on to talking about pilates instructors looking for love. But people really related and seemed to enjoy the honesty. Everyone has lost something in their lives! It healed me to be able to talk about it and still have a laugh. We joked that we are the only podcast about grief and The Bachelor. I think it helped other people feel less alone to hear someone else talk about what they were going through.
I also happened to sell my memoir “Little Miss Little Compton” literally on the way to my mother’s funeral. My agent had been shopping around my book proposal for a few months, and the morning I was on the five minute drive from my childhood home to the funeral for my mom, I received an email from Running Press that said, “Hope you are having a great week! We would love to do your book with you!” I had to call my lit agent and say, “Ummm.....something has happened. My mom just died....I think it is going to be a different book.” It became her book. I feel like my mom and I wrote it together. It was a gift to be able to share her with the world.
Bare: You pulled the looks for our shoot from your closet. Does a great piece of clothing, shoe or accessory lift your spirits? Do you consider it a great form of expression and a confidence builder?
AM: Oh my gosh yes! Sometimes in life we all have down periods. Never underestimate a little “fake it till you make it!” I mean yes, we all have to have community, and people we talk to, and a sense of purpose, but if I am in a rut, dressing like the person I want to be always helped. If I can “act as if” I feel OK by showing up a little put-together (just for myself), I feel so much better. I used to buy things and “save” them and now I just try to put it on and own it. I get a little nervous or anxious from time to time (and that’s ok! That’s a part of me). A good outfit can feel like protection as I walk out the door.
Bare: We had fun with a New Year’s style/beauty vibe. Can you share any thoughts/goals for a fresh year?
AM: It was an ABSOLUTE PLEASURE doing this New Year’s shoot with you! Honestly, I was having a hard morning before we met and the act of creating and collaborating with you, and just playing dress up, was so fun, and made me excited for the holidays and New Year’s. I am going to London for New Year’s and I am going to bring the white Staud dress and bow and patterned tights that we used in the shoot.
My personal thoughts would be to worry less, stay curious, make one new friend, adventure more, go dancing once a month, and laugh with my pals. I also want better boundaries around bedtime.
My professional goals are 1) to be a regular with a juicy part on a show that shoots in NYC, 2) any kind of jobs with wonderful collaborators like you, 3) do more live shows, 4) and to sell and make the movie that Lauren Lapkus and I wrote together to star in. I love to make things with my friends!!
Bare: Please list your 6 beauty bare essentials?
AM:
1. I need to move around every day - it’s good to get light in my eyes- so either a long walk, tennis, a group pilates or barre class.
2. Makeup - I like Jason Wu’s CC cream foundation. It is light, easy to pack and has enough coverage that I feel cute in it. I also loved that blush stick that you used on my cheeks! For scents, a good travel scent in a little spray bottle is Bois Imperial. I always get compliments when I wear it!
3. I am a big believer in journaling - writing out my day in advance as if it has already happened and was a success helps me on days when I am nervous about something. It’s almost like a dress rehearsal for the day.
4. For my hair I really like to spray Hair Milk into it when it is wet out of the shower. It smells great and always helps give me a good texture when I dry it.
5. For skincare I have been enjoying Face Oil to hydrate. It gets so dry in NYC in the winter- and I think a good one that is affordable is Bio-Oil. It is not my favorite scene, but it really makes me skin feel good.
6. I love everyday soap, which is the Mario Badescu Rose Body soap. I get rashes really easily from too much fragrance and it smells so good, and my skin loves it.