MovieChat Forums > The Affair (2014) Discussion > Maura Tierney's appearance in season 2.

Maura Tierney's appearance in season 2.

posted 9 years ago by IheartCali5882
11 replies | jump to latest

I'm currently binge watching so maybe the transformation is more apparent to me right now than others who watched it on its weekly Showtime schedule, but had anyone else noticed the significant change in her looks? She was attractive and youthful looking in season 1. However in season 2 her face looks markedly pinched, extra lines everywhere, thinning and graying hair, and she appears to have lost at least 10 lbs. In fact her face had that telltale "fuzz" that people develop with anorexia.

But then in the episode of her arrest she starts undressing before her closet mirror and her body looks like it has extra fat that wasn't there in season 1...?? What gives? She's visibly skinnier.....but flabbier at the same time??? I'm stumped.

If you have the time do a little contrast between any episode in season 2 and any episode in season 1. Then you'll see what I mean. Hopefully she's ok. I know she is a survivor of breast cancer but I think that was quite some time ago.

My other thought was maybe this is method acting and makeup? She looks haggard because that's what her character's circumstances call for....

I know it's not relevant, but it does bother me. She's my favorite character on the show.

[–] MBoleyn 9 years ago

I personally don't see the drastic change you do, and I think Maura Tierney is beautiful.

First, her character Helen is going through a bit of a downward spiral in Season 2. Remember in Season 1 she was still married and didn't find out about the affair until the end. In Season 2, she is dealing with the effects of it. She's not coping well, hence the pot and the alcohol. She has so much on her mind that she isn't really concerned about keeping up appearances like getting her hair dyed, etc. The grey hair was a plot point, and yes most middle aged people have grey hair by then.

And then with filming time to viewing time, there may be a few years that have passed for the actor when you're just looking at it as one long timeframe within the show.

As for the actress herself, a brief Google search reveals that she's 51 or thereabouts. Her character Helen is about 45 or 46 so we might expect her to look younger. I wouldn't want to speak to Maura's health, because that's personal to her, but 51 is around the normal age of menopause. In menopause, estrogen levels drop, resulting in changes in hair and skin texture, and hair can start growing on the face (hello chin hairs!). Body shape begins to change too, regardless of diet and exercise, due to hormonal changes.

It's normal and natural to age! If you're female, you'll go through this eventually. If you're male, please have compassion for women who are going through this transition. And men have physical changes too as their testosterone levels drop.

Let's try and keep calm, and not react with such horror over regular aging. I know it can be shocking to see, especially if the changes seem to happen quickly, but it really is kind of hurtful to label natural aging as "haggard." I guess we're all just so used to Hollywood botox and fillers and the magic of hair extensions and Spanx, veneered teeth, and photoshop that we forget what natural aging looks like.

[–] outsideartist 9 years ago

I thought Helen had those gray streaks because of that time she ran from the beauty salon with the foil things still in her hair.

[–] bridgetjones12002 9 years ago

Yes, that was part of it and I LOVED how they kept the streaks in for a while to show her folly when she was drunk and out of it and let the bleach stay way too long in her hair

I personally adore Maura Tierney and my adoration of her peaked in season two. She's in her 50s, I'm in my late 50s. We all try to hold it together the best we can. In season one she was only as Noah saw her, but in season two we got her POV. I think she has great looks and great style. I think they overdo it a bit with Josh Stamburg as Max talking in hyperbole that she was the most gorgeous creature in college and everyone was in love with her. Maybe she was, but we ALL change. However. she's still a beautiful woman and I just love her. I can't wait to find out what happens to all of them in season 3!

Remember us, for we too have lived, loved and laughed

[–] outsideartist 9 years ago

Yes, I think she is a great charcter. She is strong and sensible. A good mother and she just takes things in stride.

[–] samhmd-7489 9 years ago

Well, what we saw of Helen in season 1 was from Noah's POV. He loves Helen (and honestly, he never stopped loving her) so he probably saw her as eternally good-looking.

Season 2 has her own POV, she sees herself as less than that.

[–] centrd 8 years ago

Exactly. Are you the only one paying attention? lol.

"Angels are bright still, though the brightest fell." --Shakespeare

[–] english3101972 8 years ago

I just binge watched the first season and loved it. I'm starting season two and can't get past her constant resting duck face. She was so pretty and now she looks ridiculous with her duck lips.

[–] ida96 8 years ago

She did that in ER as well. I think it's just an expression peculiar to this actress.

[–] kmd11 8 years ago

It's a shame that the appearance of men is not picked apart in the same manner that you are doing to Tierney.

[–] centrd 8 years ago

thank you...

Just remember "when they go low, we go high". Behave the way they SHOULD!

"Angels are bright still, though the brightest fell." --Shakespeare

[–] IheartCali5882 8 years ago

Trust me if it had been a male character I would not hesitate to ask. Don't try that sexism stuff with me, I'm a minority female, that's not my aim in asking this.

My concern was that something had happened IRL to cause this, or maybe it was intentional on behalf of the writer/director.