One-Shot Wednesday

This slightly low-angle medium shot of Joan Cusack comes from Sixteen Candles.

In John Hughes’s 1984 teen comedy—set and filmed in suburban Chicago—Cusack plays Geek Girl #1. She has no lines other than “yeah” and “okay,” and she wears a neck brace that hinders her drinking from water fountains and cans of soda. Memorably, Geek Girl #1 uses material from her shirt appliqué to wipe her mouth after she finally captures a sip of water. (Joan’s brother, John Cusack, also plays a small part in Sixteen Candles.)

Fans of the Cusacks likely know the siblings—comprised of Ann, Joan, Bill, John, and Susie—grew up in Chicago’s north suburb of Evanston, where they began acting in local theater productions. Additionally, their father, Dick Cusack, owned a movie production company that created corporate films, and he and his wife encouraged the kids to perform.

Despite their careers in Hollywood, John and Joan Cusack still have residences here. In fact, since 2011, Joan has owned a gift shop in Old Town, Chicago.

When asked about her hometown—where bit parts like this one in Sixteen Candles would ultimately lead to Oscar-nominated roles in Working Girl and In and Out—Joan Cusack says this: “Chicago is so normal. It’s very real. In Hollywood, I feel like mostly an actress. In Chicago, I feel like a person and an actress.” (Tallahassee Democrat, Dec 1993)