Entertainment

That Time Cher Horowitz Went to 'Fargo'

by Jess Goodwin

Fargo is ripe with actors and actresses that'll make you go "Where do I know that person from?" But actress Rachel Blanchard is a whole other story. Blanchard will return as Kitty Nygaard on Tuesday's episode of FX's Fargo , titled "The Rooster Prince". Kitty, wife to Lester Nygaard's (Martin Freeman) brother Chaz (Joshua Close), has so far been a source of frustration for Lester, mainly because is wife Pearl is overly envious of her and won't stop talking about Kitty and her 2-in-1 washer dryer. That Kitty is gorgeous and super-supportive of Chaz can't be easy for her downtrodden brother-in-law either, who regularly has to sit back and absorb insults from his own wife.

Though (seemingly) sweet, Kitty is (seemingly) kind of a dummy. I say "seemingly" because on Fargo, nothing is quite as it appears. Kitty could actually be smarter than she looks — but she's probably not a secret genius. Maybe she'll end up ditching Chaz for Lester, who would never make Kitty feel bad about saying "open" instead of "broaden" someone's horizons.

This isn't Blanchard's first time at the ditzy blonde rodeo. Her eyes can be described only as doe-like, and, combined with her usually flaxen hair, lend themselves to "dumb blonde" roles. She's arguably best-known, for instance, as the girl who took over the part of Cher in the TV series version of Clueless . (Something tells me Blanchard has been referred to as "not Alicia Silverstone" on several occasions.)

So, what else had this blonde bombshell been up to before landing her role on Fargo? She's no stranger to TV — her first role was on The Kids of Degrassi Street, and after a few other small parts, became a member of the Midnight Society on Are You Afraid of the Dark? (She told some of the best stories, too, including "The Tale of the Prom Queen" and the chilling "The Tale of the Frozen Ghost".) A few years after she left she was brought onto the Clueless bus, inheriting Silverstone's fuzzy pens, pastel pumps, and strange, floppy hats.

Blanchard also spent a couple years on 7th Heaven, playing Lucy's romantic rival Roxanne. Since her character was sent off to Iraq in 2004, Blanchard's only big role has been as Nancy on Peep Show in 2007. Perhaps this stint on Fargo could be just what she needs to rejuvenate her career?