Angie Harmon of ‘Rizzoli & Isles’ on Life as a ‘Liberal Republican’ in Hollywood
Angie Harmon is best known for starring as the tough-on-crime Detective Jane Rizzoli in the former hit, primetime procedural Rizzoli & Isles. The show ran on TNT for seven seasons, from 2010 to 2016, and developed quite a widespread following while on the air. Many still tune in to watch Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander (Isles) bicker and banter back and forth via network reruns.
Before Rizzoli & Isles, Angie Harmon appeared in Law and Order, Samantha Who?, Women’s Murder Club, and more. She most recently starred as Lady Trigel in the TV short Voltron: Legendary Defender. While a versatile actress, fans are waiting to see Harmon pick up another badge, as she was effortless in Rizzoli & Isles.
Though boasting a successful career in Hollywood, Harmon is one of the few to maintain her industry status as a Republican (though a liberal one at that). Harmon sat down for an interview with More Magazine a while back, to discuss what it means to be a liberal Republican in Hollywood, and how her political views influence her personal and professional life.
Angie Harmon talks politics
Discussing her political beliefs, Harmon explained that she is a “liberal Republican” before going on to note that yes, “we actually exist,” as quoted by USA Today. So, what exactly does this mean? Angie Harmon explained that, whether it be “naivete or stupidity,” she “didn’t know [that] unless you are a Democrat, you aren’t allowed to talk politics in Hollywood.”
While this may be a bit of a stretch, the actress is likely rebelling against the status quo in her profession, as she goes against the grain when it comes to politics in Hollywood. However, in certain social arenas, she is definitely a liberal. When discussing homosexuality, women in Hollywood, and opportunity, she stated:
Whether we’re gay or straight, it doesn’t matter. We’re all women. We all have the same wonderful situations happening to us, the same horrific situations. We all get our hearts broken.
USA Today
Based on Harmon’s response, one would presume that she is likely more liberal, more progressive when it comes to social issues, yet more conservative in fiscal arenas. However, this is just an educated guess based on some of the opinions she chose to share with the interviewer.
Angie Harmon and her feminist shirt
Angie Harmon once took flack from some of her conservative fans — who misconstrued the definition of feminism for a blatantly false connotation — when she posted a picture to Instagram in a shirt that read, “Feminism is for everyone,” as USA Today noted.
She took so much heat from conservatives — telling her she went to the “dark side” — that she shot down the feminist stereotype in a caption reading, “I am not a man-hater” going on to explain “I do know that I work just as hard as they do, if not harder at times…” She said, “I’m sad that you feel that asking for equal rights for ANYONE means I’ve ‘gone to the dark side…”
Harmon has dealt with backlash over the years, as she is a liberal republican. Simply put: it’s hard to straddle two sides — agreeing with policies on both — without angering someone along the way.
