Since I’ve been watching “Feud – Capote vs. The Swans” and Calista Flockhart is playing Lee Radziwill (whom I will also cover), I figured now is a good time to talk about my Calista autograph. 

First, I would say that although I watched a bit of “Ally McBeal” and was a quasi-fan at the time, I was a bit roll-my-eyes over the “McBeal” and “Sex and the City” about these women who I considered to be a bit neurotic, obsessed with finding the right guy and slightly (or a lot!) self-obsessed and bit unaware.  I don’t blame the actresses; it was just a sign of the times and a stereotype that the writers perpetuated.  “Girls” later gave me the same kind of vibe and it was all a bit ick to me. 

But Calista Flockhart was cute, her character in Ally McBeal was mostly likeable and I shrugged my way through most episodes.  I like her in general, but just haven’t seen much of her work. 

And then along comes a “refreshed” Calista playing Jacqueline Kennedy’s sister, Lee Radziwill, in “Feud – Capote vs. The Swans” from the always over-the-top Ryan Murphy.  Of course, I’m all in.  I think she’s done a marvelous job of portraying Lee and it’s great to see her all dolled up 60’s style with lines like (paraphrasing) “Even your OWN sister will take your man!” (Lee was Aristotle Onassis’s lover before Jackie married him).  It’s refreshing to see her play a character that’s a little cold and blistery. 

The autograph though.  Unfortunately, I think the one in my collection is a secretarial or forgery.  And here’s why. The “Calista” could be real, but she most often connects and loops her S up to start to the top of the T; they are usually not separated. That was doubt number one.  The F she almost never has signed with such a large lower loop.  Doubt number two.  But the real killer is doubt number three: the “Flo” in Flockhart.  I simply have not seen one single example of her signature where the “o” floats alone.  It is always connected to either the preceding L or following C.  I would say the authenticity here is highly doubtful.  The way we should approach authenticating is to automatically assume it's fake and then work backwards to prove that it’s real by looking and linking for similarities that are constant in a signature.  Yes, I know we all have varying ways of signing our names, but I would neither buy nor sell this autograph and stand by it’s authenticity.  The white signature 8x10 is a pre-print fan photo sent to those who wrote during “Ally McBeal” heyday.  

PS Thank you, Calista, for taking care of Harrison Ford.  Likeable guy and a national treasure.